There’s little denying the raw appeal of seeing mascots from different franchises going toe-to-toe with one another, and it’s that very premise that is partially responsible for theSuper Smash Bros.series' incredibly success. The crossover-fuelled fighting game takes a number of all-star gaming icons from throughout Nintendo’s longstanding history (as well as a handful of beloved third-party guests) and makes them duke it out with one another, while the execution of the game from a developmental standpoint has allowed it to blossom into a go-to series for professional fighting game tournaments like EVO.
As a result of its popularity, it was always inevitable thatSuper Smash Bros.would make its way to the Nintendo Switch. Despite not being officially announced yet, that hasn’t stoppedNintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime from teasingthe franchise’s imminent debut on the new hardware. It’s because of this that we here at Game Rant have opted to tackle a list of potential fighters that we’d like to see make an appearance in the Switch version ofSmash.
Some of these characters have long been desired, a couple have been part of the fray in the past but didn’t appear in the latest games, while others still may be considered third-party pipe dreams. Regardless, our list of ten characters we want inSuper Smash Bros.for Nintendo Switch can be found in its entirety below.
10Inkling
The stars of the smash-hitSplatoonare the most noteworthy absences from theSuper Smash Bros.roster, and there’s little question that the squid kids are sure to make a playable appearance in the fighting franchise sooner rather than later. In fact, the boy and girlInklings are even controllable drivers inMario Kart 8 Deluxefor the Nintendo Switch ahead ofSplatoon 2’s releasethis summer, which is sure to only increase their odds of appearing inSmasheven more.
It also doesn’t hurt that they have a wide array of ink-spraying weapons to choose from, making them ideal mid-to-short ranged characters. Combine their ability to transform into squids with their wide range of gadgets, and it’s easy to see how the characters would fall into place. Plus, with the ability to change appearances, there’s plenty of room for both the male and female Inkling to join the action in a similar fashion to other fighters like Wii Fit Trainer, Robin, and the downloadable Corrin.
9Decidueye
With every new entry in theSuper Smash Bros.series comes a new playable combatant originating fromPokemon. The Pocket Monster that’s chosen for inclusion usually represents the current generation that the series finds itself on during the time of the fighting game’s release, with a clear-cut example of this being theaddition of the ever-popular GreninjafromPokemon XandY– the newest pair of series installments back whenSmash 3DSreleased in 2014. With a brand new line of creatures being introduced inPokemon SunandMoon, however, Decidueye would make perfect sense as a new challenger.
This Ghost/Grass-type presents a very unique moveset that could play out in several different ways, but the core focus of this archer would almost certainly be maintaining distance between itself and its foe. Since the roster is sorely lacking long-ranged combatants, Decidueye could make things a lot more interesting with a handful of Ghost attacks on standby just in case a foe gets a little too close for comfort.
Since several reports state that an enhanced port ofSunandMoonis currently en route to the Nintendo Switchunder the codename of Pokemon Stars, the planets seem to be aligning for Rowlet’s final form to take flight inSmash.
8King K. Rool
It’s no secret that there’s a severe lack of playable villains included withinSuper Smash Bros., and it’s been that way since the series debuted on the Nintendo 64 in 1999 sans baddies. In the years since, players have seen characters like Ganondorf and Bowser become mainstays of the roster, whileKirbyfrenemies King Dedede and Meta Knight have made for great additions. Still, the evil-doers are significantly outnumbered, but Donkey Kong’s longstanding antagonist King K. Rool could help balance the scales.
It should go without saying, but what really helps the king of the Kremlins standout from other candidates is his sheer girth. As many players can attest, heavy characters are few and far between in this IP, and the King can help deepen the variety found in the final roster. As one of the most desired newcomers,K. Rool’s popularity lead to a Mii costumeto appease fans, but it’s time that the cannon-wielding, crown-throwing, regal reptile laid claim to his own spot on the character select screen.
7Ice Climbers
As one of the few characters that didn’t make a return in the Wii U or 3DS installments, the duo of Popo and Nana are easily the most missed unit from the franchise. What makes their removal all the more heartbreaking is the fact that theIce Climbers were originally set to be playablein the latest iterations – and were even well into development on Wii U – but had to be cut due to the technical limitations of the Nintendo 3DS. As a result of a desire to keep the versions uniform, this meant that the combo’d combatant was a no-show.
Fortunately, the Nintendo Switch has no such concerns in regards to power, and the studio working onSmash Switchshould have no issues bringing the hooded heroes back into the limelight. Since the Ice Climbers are already a well established fighting unit, appearing in bothMeleeandBrawl, their moveset doesn’t need all that much tweaking. This is a simple request, and one that should make any longtime fan of the series more than happy with the version arriving on the new hardware.
Make it happen, Nintendo.
6Shovel Knight
Alright, sword-wielding characters have been done to death inSmash Bros., but a shovel-wielding one should pose enough of a changeup to avoid that particular sore point for fans. The indie darling Shovel Knight has risen to popularity through the continued support of the property by developer Yacht Club Games, with Nintendo being a major supporter of the studio and the franchise as a whole so far. In fact, the series debuted as a timed console exclusive on the Nintendo Wii U and 3DS in 2014, and even managed to arrive on Day One of the Nintendo Switch’s launchwithShovel Knight: Treasure TroveandShovel Knight: Specter of Torment, respectively.
It’s evident that Nintendo and Yacht Club have a good working relationship given the timed-exclusivity of theShovel Knightgames so far, while theShovel Knightamiiboonly cements the relationship further. As a result, and despite claims that the character isn’t iconic enough, it’s very possible that Nintendo may see it fit to include Shovel Knight as a playable guest character. Hopefully Nintendo can come to a deal to include the character inSmash, as he would fit perfectly into the fast-paced and cartoony action of Nintendo’s blockbuster beat ‘em up.
Also, thanks to the Body Swap update, players could potentially have the option of suiting up as a male or female version of Shovel Knight.
5Wolf O’Donnel
Fox McCloud’s arch-rival is a veteran that made it intoSuper Smash Bros. Brawlfollowing high demand from fans of the series, and he presented players with a wholly unique riff on the Star Fox leader’s competitive moveset. Unfortunately, Wolf didn’t make the cut in the transition from Wii to Wii U/3DS, which left Fox with a very familiar looking gray alternate color option and a handful of unlockable custom attacks that mirrored that of the Star Wolf head honcho.
Falling into a very similar situation asEarthbound’s Lucas(who was later added toSmash Wii U/3DSas DLC) who was more or less a clone of Ness, Wolf is another veteran that fans have been clamoring to see make a return. Since downloadable content has wrapped up for the most recent entries in the franchise,Super Smash Bros.arriving on the Nintendo Switch means that O’Donnel has one more shot at the limelight. Fans ofStar FoxandSmashalike are sure to be eager to see whether to not Wolf and his trusty blaster want a little revenge on Fox McCloud.
4Ridley
This winged antagonist of Samus Aran has been a reoccurring character throughout theMetroidseries, making him a staple of the property as a whole. At this point, however, it’snot looking like Ridley will ever be a playable character inSmash, which is a shame given the demand and popularity that the character currently has. The culprit for Ridley’s exclusion so far has been narrowed down to his size, something thatSuper Smash Bros.creator Masahiro Sakurai himself has pointed to as a problem.
Sakurai believes that reducing the size of the villain to fit amongst the rest of the roster wouldn’t be true to the design of the character, and has instead honored the popularity of the space pirate leader by making him a boss in bothSuper Smash Bros. BrawlandWii U. Still, similar comments regarding the passiveness of potentialAnimal Crossingrepresentative have been made by Sakurai in the past, stating that “he wasn’t suited for battle.” Eventually, the inclusion of Villager (following that initial mentality) made for one of the more interesting newcomers the latest iterations, so fans should know to never say never when it comes toSmash.
3Spring Man / Ribbon Girl
As a core focus for Nintendo during the company’s Switch information drop in early January,Armssurprised many hopeful players with its unique take on the fighting game genre. Opting to utilize the motion control technology present in the Joy-Con controllers of the Nintendo Switch, critics were quite impressed with the initial depth of the fighter when they had the opportunity to gohands-on with it. Given that it’s been setup as a prominent new IP for the house ofMario, there’s little question that either Spring Man or Ribbon Girl would make for worthwhile additions toSmash.
Since both are comparable in size, both characters could be included in a similar capacity to Olimar/Alph or Bowser Jr./Koopa Kids. Allowing gamers to jump between the two mascots featured on the cover ofArmsmeans that they’ll become better acquainted with the pair of them, and the long, stretchy arms of the fighters ensures that they’ll have some of the more unique moves in the game. Besides, it’d be cool to watchPunch-Out!!’s Little Mac square off with these cyborg boxers.
2Bomberman
Seeing which guest characters make it into the fray is one of the more exciting elements of theSmash Bros.series. In recent years third-party mascots like Sonic, Pac-Man, Cloud Strife, and even Solid Snake have been added to the game, and the end result always makes for an incredibly exciting moment for fans of both franchises involved. Of course, some characters fit better than others, and Bomberman in particular would easily make for a perfect combatant.
Utilizing a menagerie of explosives to launch foes off of the stage, Bomberman could make for a unique and potentially technical fighter that would be dangerous for anyone brave enough to face off against someone that had the timing of his moves down pat. In truth, Bomberman has been a fan favorite candidate for years, but many didn’t believe that the bomb-savvy protagonist had much in terms of relevant appearances recently. That’s since changed with the exclusive release ofSuper Bomberman Ron the Nintendo Switch, once again catapulting the now Konami-owned mascot into relevancy.
1Steve
There’s no denying the impact thatMinecrafthas had on gaming. The once indie-owned IP has since been snatched up by Microsoft, which many may have thought meant that the franchise would now be exclusive to the company’s Windows and Xbox platforms. Evidently, this has not been the case, as the game has still received support on PlayStation 4, has since arrived on the Wii U, and is currently set to release in 2017 on the Switch. Nintendo was even keen towork with Microsoft to bringSuper Mario-related contentto the title, which was a huge step for the two often competing companies.
Given the prominence ofMinecraftas a whole, Steve would make for a perfect addition that would appeal to a wide range of gamers. Taking into account the pixelated weapons that he brandishes whenever the opportunity to craft them presents itself, there are a number of creatures and items that would make for a varied set of attacks. From riding in a mine cart to unleashing a Creeper, there’s little doubt that Steve would make for a fun addition toSuper Smash Bros.on the Nintendo Switch.
Besides, the creator ofMinecraftthinks it would be neat to see Steve appear inSmash.
There are a number of other characters that would make for wonderful additions to the nextSuper Smash Bros.roster, ranging from previous fighters likeMetal Gear Solid’s Solid Snake toSuper Mario RPG’s Geno. With that said, the above selection of mascots seems most appropriate at this point in time given their relevancy, veteran status, or pure fan demand.
Let us know which characters you’d like to see on theSuper Smash Bros. for Switchroster in the comments section below.
