Another Nintendo Direct came and went this past Thursday. Among all the excitement and predictions on Nintendo’s what newest announcements would be was speculation surrounding possible newcomers in “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate”. Characters such as Shadow the Hedgehog, Rayman, and Geno were (and continue to be) fan favorites that many hope to see.

While no Smash-related content was even guaranteed to be included in the Direct, we ended up with a very surprising addition. What appeared to be an Animal Crossing announcement turned into a trailer for Smash Ultimate’s newest playable character: Isabelle, made famous from 2012’s “Animal Crossing: New Leaf”. Nintendo continues to mix things up and keep the surprises coming. Isabelle is character number 68, but at least a couple more are on the way. The question is: who could they be?

A New Pokemon?

We know that there are at least two more characters left to be revealed before release. But with how unpredictable series creator Masahiro Sakurai has been, all bets are off. In a game where Mario, Solid Snake, Cloud Strife, and Ryu can duke it out in a free-for-all fight, anything is possible.

The first and most probable pick would be a Gen 7 Pokemon rep. Decidueye and Incineroar are the most fan-requested picks seen online (with next to no love for Primarina, unfortunately). If past entries in the Smash series are any indication, we can expect to see a new Pokemon rep. Every past entry has seen a new Pokemon join the fight, with Greninja being the most recent. As mentioned, many have their bets placed on one of the Gen 7 starters to be the most likely candidates to be the the newest ‘mon to enter the fray. However, as is the case with Super Smash Bros. character reveals, the candidates that seem likely aren’t the ones that we end up receiving, so also expect the unexpected.

Wild card picks

Speaking of expecting the unexpected, let’s do some speculation. This section will only mention characters who are in the realm of possibility, for the sake of brevity. There are many third party characters who could possibly make their way into the game. Shadow the Hedgehog could expand on the Sonic franchise’s representation and also add another villain/rival hybrid into the roster. If not Shadow, then maybe Tails could make an appearance. I think that the distinct differences in these characters would make for unique fighters and not just Echo fighters.

Shadow is slower than Sonic but he also used many different weapons in his 2005 game “Shadow the Hedgehog”. He could use weapons to zone players out and get in with hard-hitting powerful attacks. He could also have a few different variations of Sonic’s spin dash moves. I see him as a heavier character than sonic, but not by too much. Tails could use his flying ability and be a lighter, floatier character. His tails could be his primary means for attacks, especially aerials. He could also be slower than Sonic, but use more standard kicks and punches on the ground as opposed to spin dashes and homing attacks. Tails’ aerial game could be his main focus, having great air mobility and recovery.

GENO

Geno from Super Mario RPG is also a highly requested addition. Some see Geno as a bit of a long shot because his last major appearance in a game was in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars – a 22-year old Nintendo/Square collaboration. However, obscurity does not limit a character’s chances of making it into Smash. Mr. Game and Watch and Duck Hunt are clear examples of this. Geno’s design could make for some interesting attacks.

Being a possessed marionette, he could use his puppet limbs to keep fighters at range and force aggressive play. He’s already been added into a Brawl mod, which has a great moveset. He uses his limbs as projectiles, and a cannon to attack and recover with. He also could utilize his many magic attacks from Mario RPG as his specials. The sky is the limit for Geno. Hopefully, Smash can bring him back into relevance.

RAYMAN

Rayman being playable could definitely happen, especially with how cozy Nintendo and Ubisoft have been as of late. We already have a Rabbids/Mario crossover, so seeing Rayman in Smash isn’t exactly unreasonable. Rayman has been a fan favorite for Smash for a few years now, and could be an interesting addition. His no-limb design could lead to some pretty interesting attacks. I see him as a brawler, but a floaty brawler. He could have decent air mobility, and use his limbless fists both in the air and on the ground. He could even use the Rabbids in a few of his specials.

BANJO-KAZOOIE

Banjo-Kazooie has been talked about more and more over the years. This used to be quite the impossibility with Banjo-Kazooie being a Rare IP. As Rare is now a studio owned by Microsoft, it’d be a licensing nightmare to get Banjo back on to a Nintendo console. However, Microsoft and Nintendo have been pretty buddy-buddy as of late. With Nintendo featuring cross-play with Xbox One games recently, the two have been quite close. They even had an interesting Twitter exchange, where Nintendo asked if Microsoft wanted to “build something” now that they could finally play together.

This could simply be good PR, but I’d like to think that it means more collaborations could happen in the future. What better way to celebrate the new bond than by bringing Banjo-Kazooie into Smash. He could be similar to the Duck Hunt duo, but stronger. Banjo would be a bruiser, while using Kazooie to keep him mobile.

GOKU

Lastly, I want to talk about Goku. Ever since the Funimation Twitter tweeted to Nintendo asking when Goku would join the fight, fans have been going crazy. With a port Dragon Ball FighterZ coming soon to Nintendo Switch, the Goku hype train just keeps on moving. Bandai Namco, the publisher of FighterZ, also developed Smash 4. You see where this is going. While it’s a long shot, it could happen. It’ll be tough to balance him properly without gimping who he his as a character, but it is possible. One thing is for certain, however: if it does, the internet will explode.

What character do you think will be revealed next for Smash Ultimate? Let us know down in the comments below!

Featured image courtesy of YouTube.

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