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6 characters we want to see in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC
Super Smash Bros Ultimate isn't even out yet, and already Nintendo fans are speculating on the DLC. We offer up our dream candidates for the brawl.
Nintendo weren’t kidding when they said "Everyone is here!" in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Set to be released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on December 7, it's the biggest game in the crossover fighting franchise to date. All 63 playable characters from the previous four games are in the new game, along with 11 new characters, like Simon Belmont from the Castlevania series, and Ridley from Metroid.
There will also be at least six DLC characters, to be released incrementally beginning in February 2019. Nintendo announced Piranha Plant as the first DLC character, but the remaining five are still unknown.
In the past, Nintendo have done an exceptional job of revealing characters who we least expect. In Super Smash Brawl, it was Sonic the Hedgehog and Solid Snake. In Super Smash Bros 4, it was Pac-Man and the Wii Fit Trainer. Which five fighters will be surprising and delighting fans this time? Here's our wish list.
1. Lara Croft
A video game icon and a reinvented heroine
© Square Enix
Lara's current 'survivor' reboot on the PS3 and PS4 has rejuvenated her character, and it's made her now-signature bow and arrow as iconic as her dual pistols. Imagine a moveset that uses her climbing axe as a smash attack, and uses her rope arrows to grab the edge of a stage.
This is all very unlikely, because Lara hasn't been featured in a Nintendo game since the Wii, and there are no existing rumors that she'll be included. But what a fantastic, left-field choice this would be.
Building worlds, one block at a time
© Microsoft
2. Steve
Why wouldn't this happen? Minecraft has sold over 150 million copies, and a Nintendo Switch version of the game began retailing in May 2017. It seems reasonable that Steve, the blocky retro protagonist of the viral sandbox game, could take his place in the arena. And a Minecraft-themed level? Sign us up.
Microsoft have been cagey about the possibilities. They haven't said yes nor no, only saying that they have nothing to report, so rumors continue to swirl, especially since Sakurai himself is a Minecraft fan.
3. Geno
The mysterious fighter from Star World already has an icon
© Nintendo
Sakurai has wanted Geno in the Super Smash Bros. franchise ever since Brawl debuted on the Wii. In the Wii U game, the developers included a Geno Mii costume as a sort of consolation prize.
Smash fans still want the actual Geno however – polls consistently place him at the top of most wanted characters lists. If the Piranha Plant can get a slot, then surely, a beloved, 16-bit character like Geno can make the leap, too.
4. Heihachi
Ryu and Ken from the Street Fighter franchise are in SSBU so how about some participants from another fighting franchise? Mortal Kombat is too gory. Soul and Calibur and Dead or Alive are too sexy. But Tekken? That might be the perfect compromise, and if anyone from Tekken is going to star in Super Smash Bros, it has to be Heihachi.
Bow to the King of the Iron Fist
© Bandai Namco
In the past, Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada has sent mixed messages. He respects Smash Bros. as a serious fighting franchise, but stops short of saying that he wants Tekken characters in it, instead expressing uncertainty about fan response. From our perspective, the chance to deliver an Electric Wind God Fist to Wario's jaw is enough of a reason to consider Heihachi.
5. Banjo and Kazooie
Just a bear and the bird in his backpack
© Microsoft
The bear and his bird buddy starred in Banjo-Kazooie (1998) for the Nintendo 64, which was critically praised and commercially popular. A sequel followed in 2000, called Banjo-Tooie, which also received accolades. But since then, aside from remasters and re-releases, the cartoon duo haven't seen any action.
Responding to a fan's tweet, EVP of Microsoft gaming Phil Spencer expressed his willingness to allow Banjo and Kazooie in SSBU. It's just a matter of whether Nintendo also want them.
6. Crash Bandicoot
Could Sony's unofficial mascot make an appearance?
© Activision
With his signature tornado spins, and Aku Aku by his side to give out assists, Crash Bandicoot seems like he was made to be in a game like SSBU. The only problem is that Crash's entire history is tied up with Sony, even if the recent N. Sane Trilogy is also available on the Switch.
There's currently an online petition on Change.org to include Crash in SSBU, but hopefully, he's in there already. The chances of a last minute addition aren't good. Producer Masahiro Sakurai confirmed in a tweet that the roster is locked, and the developers aren't accepting new suggestions.
