Smashing Time, Old Boy

One of my all time favourite gaming franchises is the all-star fighting series, Super Smash Bros. From the first game on the Nintendo 64, to Melee on GameCube and culminating with the Wii's installment, Brawl. I can still remember when my brother and I rented the first one and how amazed we were that something we had wanted for so long, our favourite video game characters coming together for good-natured battling, was real. And we've both enjoyed the series since then.

A while ago, it was announced that the upcoming Wii U would be receiving the next installment and that there may be a handheld game to go along with it. I, for one, am excited by this news, and I await the announcements of the roster of characters available.
Until then, I can only speculate and hope for certain characters to make their debut. Provided below is a list of the characters I want to appear in the next game. Now, like the rules for the development team when including characters, there are two things that will be considered for this list:

- No licensed characters/characters that primarily appear in other mediums (in other words, no Spider-Man, Robocop or any other movie/comic/TV show characters. They have to be video game characters and primarily video game characters).
- The candidates have to have appeared in a Nintendo game before inclusion (basically, Master Chief and Big Daddies won't be showing up here). If they started off on another system or even the arcades but released a game through a Nintendo console, handheld or otherwise, they are eligible.
I will also add this additional rule: with the exception of characters from the Marvel Vs. Capcom series and the like, characters that come from fighting games won't be here because, well, they already fight in their own games and most of them are much more violent than the nature of Super Smash Bros. Though, the exception only extends to the other characters of the Capcom side of the Marvel Vs. Capcom series, since they are not fighters by nature. Or, fighters of that nature anyway (for anyone slightly baffled, Capcom is behind the Street Fighter franchise).

Before we get to the top 10, here are some honourable mentions and some of their games to check out (titles will not always be the same for each console, I'm mostly going by franchise name, unless the character didn't start off on a Nintendo console. In which case, I will list a game or two you can find on those systems, most likely their Nintendo debut). Now, I acknowledge that most of the characters mentioned throughout this blog are from the NES. Well, I grew up with that system and most of the best franchises had their genesis on it, so of course I want to see them return to the gaming world in some fashion.
Anyway, let's get started on the honourable mentions:

Dirk The Daring (Dragon's Lair- NES, SNES, GB)
Kuros (Wizards And Warriors series- NES, GB)
Zeke and Julie (Zombies Ate My Neighbours and Ghoul Patrol- SNES)
Arthur (Ghosts 'N' Goblins- NES, SNES)
Waluigi (Mario Party 3/Mario Tennis- 64)
Crash Bandicoot (Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath Of Cortex/Crash Of The Titans- GC, Wii)
Jill Valentine (Resident Evil- GC, Wii)
Little Mac (Punch-Out!!- NES, SNES, Wii)
Spyro the Dragon (Spyro The Dragon: Enter The Dragonfly- GC, Wii)
Bill and Lance (Contra- NES, SNES, GB, DS)
Erik, Baleog and Olaf (The Lost Vikings- SNES)
Lolo (The Adventures Of Lolo- NES)
Billy and Jimmy (Double Dragon- NES, GB, SNES)

Now, a lot of those choices would sound a little strange but I never said they would actually be considered, it'd just be nice. Though, Arthur does appear in Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 and I think Jill Valentine appears in a Capcom crossover fighting game.

But now, for the main ten I want to see, not really in any particular order, bar the first three. So, without further adieu, the top ten characters I want to see in future games of Super Smash Bros.

10. Pac-Man (Pac-Man/Pac In Time- NES, SNES, GB, GC, DS)
What do I have to say about Pac-Man? He's one of the most beloved gaming icons and he's still cherished today. And hey, if Mr. Game And Watch and ROB can be included, why not Pac-Man? Granted, I don't know what kind of move they'd give him to get himself back up in case he falls but as for his Final Smash? Well, gee, what else COULD it be?! (By the way, the Final Smash is like an ultimate move that other players will find hard to avoid and usually ends with a few K.O's)

9. White Bomberman (Bomberman- NES, GB, SNES, 64)
No stranger to multiplayer fun, Bomberman seems like a natural fit to the series, and he'd be sure to hold some surprises with some non-bomb related moves. And again, his Final Smash is too obvious to warrant typing but suffice it to say, he'd go out with a bang!

8. SOPHIA (Blaster Master- NES)
She's not the main character but she's perhaps the most memorable. Maybe it's because she's a kick-arse tank. Maneuverability might be a little tricky but if she falls, her jet power will get her back up and she has no shortage of weapons to keep her in the fray. Heck, she could even use Jason, the pilot, as an alternate mode. And for her Final Smash, maybe a mecha mode?

7. Rash/Zitz/Pimple (Battletoads- NES, GB, SNES)
They may have been long forgotten but back in the day, the Battletoads could have been serious contenders to the Turtles for animal dudes with attitude. And I think anybody with a NES remembers their first game (something I covered in a previous blog) and how mind-numbingly hard it was. Their move pool is easy and they have fantastic leaping ability. We'd only need one, though, and I'm happy with any of them. Final Smash? Wish I could think of one, but I bet it would be a humorous one if they are included in a future game.

6. Bub and Bob (Bubble Bobble- NES, GB)
Double bubble trouble with these two! If we can have the Ice Climbers, from just one game, team up and be counted as one character for the selection, why not these two? Their way of staying afloat is simple and their Final Smash could involve Baron Von Bubba! God that guy pissed me off. Anyway, I want to see these guys back in the limelight.

5. Robotnik (Sonic The Hedgehog- GC, GBA, Wii, DS)
The only villain in the top ten and the only one from a franchise that's already had characters introduced in a previous game (Sonic made his debut in Brawl). And no, I don't call him Eggman because that's stupid. That's like a line-of-sight name. So, he's egg-shaped and he's a man, thus he's Eggman? Screw that, he started off as Robotnik, he'll stay as Robotnik. Anyway, the games could do with some more villains and seeing as how he's a robotic genius, his arsenal will make for good moves. His Final Smash would easily be one of his vast vehicles.

4. Master Higgins (Adventure Island- NES, GB, SNES)
Another character from the good ol' days that had a good run but faded away. Considering he had axes and dinosaur buddies, it's easy to see what his move pool could consist of and he has an easy way of not falling to his doom with his flying buddy. And the Final Smash could see all his dino friends team up and take out his opponents.

3. The Lemmings (Lemmings- NES, GB, SNES)
OK, hear me out. Anyone who has played Lemmings knows that you assign Lemmings different jobs to get them across one side of the level to the other safely. Well, much like Mr. Game And Watch using moves from his different Game And Watch games, you could apply those jobs here for the Lemmings. The ones with the parasol could prevent you from falling (or the builder) and our little explosive friends could be the Final Smash (OH NO! 'POP'. Sorry, that always cracks me up). I should see if there's a DS version of the Lemmings.

2. Simon Belmont (Castlevania- NES, GB, SNES)
The whip wielding vamp hunter has been gone far too long. Sure, the series lives on with various generations of Belmonts and other hunters, but Simon was the original (in production terms) and still one of the best known. Though I wouldn't say no to his grandfather, Trevor Belmont. Or Alucard, though debate could range on whether or not he counts since he's not an original video game character. However, the video game version is different enough. Anyway, some of the series secondary weapons could be his attacks (especially the cross) and his whip will keep him out of harm's way should the level collapse. And his Final Smash could involve a sealing spell of some sorts. OK, those happened on the DS but I can imagine he'd have done something similar.

And the character I want most is...

ECCO THE DOLPHIN!
Nah, just kidding, what kind of stupid franchise is that?
No, seriously...

1. Mega Man (Mega Man- NES, GB, SNES)
Yes, I am aware that there are several versions of Mega Man (I want Classic, though, the one from Mega Man 1-10 and the Game Boy versions) and that he's playable in Marvel Vs. Capcom 2. Don't care, he made the big time on the NES, now he needs to come home. The Blue Bomber's games are some of the greatest I've ever played and as a kid, Mega Man 2 was always fun, even if that's another game my brother and I never completed. With so many powers to choose from, his weaponry would be the easiest to program and it'd be so nostalgic (ideally, I imagine Cut Man's, Metal Man's and Shadow Man's powers to be included). Add in Rush as his method of transport and you're set. And his Final Smash? Easy: combine with Rush, charge the Mega Buster and unleash. BOOM!

Well, hope anyone remotely interested in the series enjoyed this list, or even got you thinking about who you want to see. Maybe you what Tails from Sonic? Or Slippy from StarFox? Or even Birdo from the Mario franchise? Maybe the Prince of Persia even?
I could go on about other stuff I want from the sequels, like level designs, but I think its best we end here (though about levels, I will say this: I want a Tetris level, resembling the NES version, complete with the music lifted straight out of the game. Get to work!)

So, let me know, which Nintendo characters do you want to see in future games?