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[The Bankslammer]

For question 7, i'm just thinking of easy to play, no reading required, japan exclusive games. Monster hunter and smash are perfect examples, I think. RPGs are out of the question. It's not a huge deal, since the purchase is mainly for smash and early MH4.

The hard part is convincing my girlfriend that playing smash 3 weeks early is worth 100-150 to me

Well, there's a decent variety of stuff. I don't really like RPGs myself, but there's a good number of exclusive ones. I know Youkai Watch seems to be the big cool thing now and it seems that people, even with little Japanese knowledge, dig it. Then there's the Dragon Quest games: 7, the 2 Monsters games, and Slime Morimori 3. If you can read kana, and are occasionally willing to use a dictionary or guide, you can probably make it through those well enough I'd imagine. My collection is mostly rhythm games: Taiko 3DS 1 & 2, Band Bros P (enjoyment dependent on how much Japanese music you know), and Project Mirai 2 (being localized). The Taiko games are lots of fun and I can pretty easily recommend those to anyone. There's some interesting Virtual Console stuff too, like Joy Mech Fight, Goemon GB and NES games, and Fire Emblem Gaiden. Plus, other neat assorted stuff available retail and on eShop like Culdcept (rad TCG/Monopoly hybrid) and a bunch of Kunio-kun games (River City Ransom/Super Dodge Ball series).

 

[User 73706]

is it playable character-massacre assist trophy week? I'm in.

TAKAMARU
ISSAC
RIDLEY
K ROOL
SHULK

NO ONE IS SAFE

This would be so great.

 

[Lunar15]

This would be so great.

Despite wanting Issac, I think this would be hilarious and amazing.

Sakurai just putting a beatdown on speculation.

 

[KirbyKid]

Hey GAF,

Before we explode in hype...I've been gathering feedback from Smashers for a Smash project I'm working on. I know there are a lot of fans and players here. I didn't know if this was the best place to throw this out there. I would really appreciate the feedback via...

this google Smash Survey.

~cool Zac Gorman image

 

[friskykillface]

is it playable character-massacre assist trophy week? I'm in.

TAKAMARU
ISSAC
RIDLEY
K ROOL
SHULK

NO ONE IS SAFE

Sakurai should do this for the week before it releases in Japan

Boom .

 

[Anura]

1. eShop works with no problem.
2. Yes.
4. Depends on what you mean. Locally... probably? I've never had a problem with playing Japanese copies of games vs. US copies of games, though I've only ever tried with DS games. Online should definitely work.
5. Yes, it's on the eShop
6. Yes, it has online play. It should work just fine.
7. Depends on what genres you like.

Something worth noting for number 4: Local MH3U and MH3G does not work together. I would also assume MH4 isn't going to have shared east and west servers for online.

 

[JoeInky]

Not trying to devaluate your opinion, but considering each character trailer for SSB4 gets (inofficial channels included) million(s) of views on youtube (English ver. only), gets great coverage on pretty much every gaming-related website, top post on all basically all gaming-related subreddits (with /r/gaming alone we're talking about 5.5m subscribers only which excludes all lurkers) and other similar sites, has a facebook page which wasn't even official until a few months ago and yet has over a million subscribers and (perhaps the most subjective yet most telling of all examples) even most of the biggest doubters on the very competitively minded /r/smashbros which initially refused to get it at all now want to at least TRY SSB4. The rest likes it. Hell, evern the formerly looked down upon 3DS version gained a lot of ground in the last few weeks. I think it's safe to assume that you and like-minded people are in the vast, vast VAST minority (

Spoiler

are we talking about dozens of people here?

) and don't really affect the general hype for the new Super Smash Bros. AT ALL.

Spoiler

I would love to give an account of smashboards as well, but I don't regulary post there

I somewhat agree with your general sentiment, but I don't think it's that cut and dry.

Having the dedicated fanbase, the one that will be supporting the game for years to come, can be a great marketing tool pre and post release, I think that infectious passion that you could have, rather than this constant internal debate of cynicism and extreme optimism we currently have, can definitely affect people outside of the competitive community.

The way I see it, an exciting competitive game brings in more viewers, more viewers means more money injected into the scene, more money means more people taking notice and more people talking about it outside of the usual crowds, maybe more people join the scene to see what it's all about (and I'd be willing to bet Smash has a relatively high retention of people who've tried competitive play and stuck with it as opposed to dropping it like other fighters due to the input barriers, but that's massive conjecture and I'd love to see some sort of research on the subject).

This sort of 'future' is what really excites competitive smash fans, and personally I think that while smash is pretty big, it's relatively small compared to what it could be if done completely right.



I mean, when it comes down to it, maybe I am only thinking of a couple dozen people that feel this way and I'm just projecting (as if I'd do that though, right?).

 

[Tyeforce]

Well, I'm convinced now that there won't be any more newcomers aside from Shulk and Chorus Kids. The Lucina and Robin reveal gave me hope that there was more than what was rumored, but the Takamaru disconfirmation has pretty much destroyed all that. I felt that Takamaru was a shoe-in. It just made so much sense. If Takamaru can't even make it in, then I don't think we'll be seeing characters like Ridley or King K. Rool as playable, either. No new revived retro characters, no new villains... I'm even starting to doubt Mewtwo's return, even though it makes total sense. =/

 

[Xpike]

Well, I'm convinced now that there won't be any more newcomers aside from Shulk and Chorus Kids. The Lucina and Robin reveal gave me hope that there was more than what was rumored, but the Takamaru disconfirmation has pretty much destroyed all that. I felt that Takamaru was a shoe-in. It just made so much sense. If Takamaru can't even make it in, then I don't think we'll be seeing characters like Ridley or King K. Rool as playable, either. No new revived retro characters, no new villains... I'm even starting to doubt Mewtwo's return, even though it makes total sense. =/

chill, takamaru was just a guy from a series that hasn't seen a game in than 25 years, he was no "shoe-in" in any way.

 

[PadWarrior]

I want more info on that possible adventure mode with the branching paths we saw

 

[Berordn]

chill, takamaru was just a guy from a series that hasn't seen a game in than 25 years, he was no "shoe-in" in any way.

It's kind of crazy how much of an echo chamber there was for him, really. He's a nobody, through and through. His recent "revival" seems more like being in the right place at the right time.

 

[Makai]

Takamaru was NOT a shoe-in. His deconfirmation bears little on the roster size. There's no reason there won't be over 50 characters.

Kirby Kid, I'll take a look later.

 

[MrSaturn99]

I want more info on that possible adventure mode with the branching paths we saw

It seemed more like a twist on Classic Mode to me. It'd be a great way to keep that mode fresh.

 

[Makai]

This guy on the other hand...

 

[PadWarrior]

It seemed more like a twist on Classic Mode to me. It'd be a great way to keep that mode fresh.

I agree. Makes me really excited to learn about it.

 

[Tyeforce]

chill, takamaru was just a guy from a series that hasn't seen a game in than 25 years, he was no "shoe-in" in any way.

Ice Climbers and Pit were like that, too, before they were added in Melee and Brawl. Takamaru was the most obvious (and best, I believe) choice for a retro character this time around, and without him I don't think we'll be seeing any kind of revived retro character in this game, unfortunately. And if Sakurai isn't following the patterns of previous games, we shouldn't expect new villain characters this time around, either. Remove those, and there's really not much left. Shulk and Chorus Kids will be it. =/

 

[ShockingAlberto]

I don't really understand what about Takamaru made him a shoo-in.

There's a game based on him in Nintendo's worst selling minigame collection (note: not actually based on him, was created as a Wii U tech demo for previous E3 and then Takamaru was slapped on it later). The game is finally coming to the west, which basically guaranteed Saki in to Brawl as a playable character (and that game even got a new sequel).

I mean, let's just face facts. Sakurai saw Takamaru, thought about making a moveset for him, and decided he couldn't make it sufficiently distinct from everyone else. That's it. Maybe relevancy and all the other things were factors, but ultimately it's that he didn't want a samurai unless he really could do something interesting with him and he decided he couldn't.

 

[Makai]

Ice Climbers and Pit were like that, too, before they were added in Melee and Brawl. Takamaru was the most obvious (and best, I believe) choice for a retro character this time around, and without him I don't think we'll be seeing any kind of revived retro character in this game, unfortunately. And if Sakurai isn't following the patterns of previous games, we shouldn't expect new villain characters this time around, either. Remove those, and there's really not much left. Shulk and Chorus Kids will be it. =/

Sakurai has no patterns, get used to it. And how about a SNES retro character?

 

[Spinosaurus]

This guy on the other hand...

The music is sooooo good. But really, if he ends up being the Rhythm Heaven rep then no complaints from me. He's one of the few characters who appeared in all three games. (Though only as part of a bonus game in Gold)

 

[Weiner Whistle]

Well, I'm convinced now that there won't be any more newcomers aside from Shulk and Chorus Kids. The Lucina and Robin reveal gave me hope that there was more than what was rumored, but the Takamaru disconfirmation has pretty much destroyed all that. I felt that Takamaru was a shoe-in. It just made so much sense. If Takamaru can't even make it in, then I don't think we'll be seeing characters like Ridley or King K. Rool as playable, either. No new revived retro characters, no new villains... I'm even starting to doubt Mewtwo's return, even though it makes total sense. =/

Don't be negative just yet. If there's one thing we know about Sakurai, it's that he's very good about putting lots of content in his games. Brawl and Kid Icarus: Uprising are perfect examples of this. With Brawl, even after the loads of information revealed before release, we still had numerous veterans, some newcomers, many stages and items, and a large part of the adventure mode, its cutscenes, and bosses that weren't even mentioned.

With Kid Icarus, I remember thinking that Sakurai had spoiled the entire game before release, but it turned out to only be a mere quarter of the content in the final game! I have a feeling there will be many surprises left with the release of these new games as well.

 

[Tyeforce]

Sakurai has no patterns, get used to it. And how about a SNES retro character?

Maybe they weren't truly "patterns," but for the last two games Sakurai has added retro characters like Ice Climbers and Pit. Takamaru was the next logical step, and I wouldn't consider Takamaru much lower priority than Pit was before Brawl, so it's just really odd and disappointing seeing characters like Ice Climbers and Pit be in the game (assuming Ice Climbers are back, of course) while Takamaru is ignored.

 

[Gonzo The Great]

Sakurai has no patterns, get used to it. And how about a SNES retro character?

Yes please. Give us Tin Star, Muddy Mole, or somebody from Stunt Race FX instead. The retro NES character revivals were cool back in the early 2000s, but I want something even more obscure.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

I feel like most of you would be way better off if you didn't start imagining what makes sense for characters. Oh, there have to be villains, because why wouldn't there be? He's been lax on villains so far, so now's the time to put them in. Oh, there have to be NES newcomers, because Sakurai has a pattern!

And then your minds fill up with the possibilities of what could fill these perceived mandatory slots and you aren't sure what to do when they aren't there.

 

["D"]

Despite the heartache for Takamaru fans last night, me personally i'm pretty satisfied with most of the newcomers and the roster in general. Pretty much everyone I had long wished to be in Smash Bros within reason has made it in (Sonic, Megaman, Little Mac)

All I have left is just "wishful thinking" characters, which i'm sure some won't make it in at all or show up as some kind of Assist Trophy or alternate costume (Protoman, Knuckles)

Aside from that though, I wouldn't mind seeing the characters that everyone else is hyping for (K. Rool, Isaac, Ridley, Shulk) but I wouldn't be mad either way if they don't make it in.

But I WOULD be surprised if they don't make it in or get some kind of honorable mention, since I feel like we are pretty overdue for another DK character that isn't a protag. Ridley seems like the best choice for a Metroid rep unless they put in a Space Pirate. Shulk makes sense since he is from a game that people fought tooth and nail to get here in the States and also fitting in-line with Sakurai's seemingly desire to update each new installment with the "new hotness" from Nintendo.

Only person I think things look grim for is Isaac since Golden Sun has been pretty quiet since the regular DS, although he DID get an Assist Trophy so Sakurai at least is aware of him as far as fan demand goes (I think)

 

[Green Mamba]

The Ice Climbers were chosen to represent something in particular (the goofy NES launch games like Clu Clu Land, Excitebike, and what have you). They weren't chosen just to revive an ancient random franchise. They had a specific purpose. They are kind of like Pac-Man in a way--they represent more than just Ice Climber.

And Pit was honest to goodness one of the most wanted characters for Brawl--people had been clamoring for a new Kid Icarus for years at that point. People like to make Murasame Castle out to be a Japanese Kid Icarus, but it's really only similar in its origin--being a B game made from the engine of an A game (Zelda instead of Metroid). Even in Japan, Murasame Castle was never even remotely as well known or as popular as Kid Icarus was.

Takamaru doesn't have the historical angle that the Ice Climbers had nor does he have the popularity Pit had on either side of the ocean. He's a nobody that people grabbed onto and started collectively convincing themselves was likely. A blatant echo chamber.

 

[Motor Bug2005]

No Chorus Kids. It was the Sneaky Spirit, who's also from Rhythm Heaven. If it holds true that all enemies in Smash Run are from a series represented by a playable character (even Subspace Emissary, technically, due to Mii Fighters having the Smash logo), then it increases the chances of an RH character such as Chorus Kids or Marshal.

That would hold true if it wasn't for the Yellow Ghost which I'm almost certain will represent Find Mii which IIRC, doesn't have any playable representatives (Mii Fighters don't count since they're represented by the Smash logo as you've already said and Find Mii is represented by the crown logo).

 

[Amazeballs]

The Mii Swordfighter and Robin seem to be able to fulfill the role Takamaru would fill minus the blue hair.

I believe what Sakurai meant by stating that he might include Takamaru is that the one game he's featured in isn't sufficient in making him distinct enough as a character.

 

[Berordn]

Maybe they weren't truly "patterns," but for the last two games Sakurai has added retro characters like Ice Climbers and Pit. Takamaru was the next logical step, and I wouldn't consider Takamaru much lower priority than Pit was before Brawl, so it's just really odd seeing characters like Ice Climbers and Pit be in the game (assuming Ice Climbers are back, of course) while Takamaru is ignored.

Ice Climbers are a unique duo character and add something to the game, even as a retro revival.
Pit is a winged character who makes use of a projectiles and somewhat unique air prowess to make a unique playable character.
Takamaru's a blue haired swordsman.

And he's not ignored - he's right there as an assist trophy!

 

[JStein0222]

I want more info on that possible adventure mode with the branching paths we saw

Me too, I want to know all about what the 3DS has going on in terms of single player modes

 

[georly]

I feel like most of you would be way better off if you didn't start imagining what makes sense for characters. Oh, there have to be villains, because why wouldn't there be? He's been lax on villains so far, so now's the time to put them in. Oh, there have to be NES newcomers, because Sakurai has a pattern!

And then your minds fill up with the possibilities of what could fill these perceived mandatory slots and you aren't sure what to do when they aren't there.

Sakurai's pattern is 'hey, I think that character might be cool... ok, let's start designing him/her... hey... this works! Let's put this character in!'

Sometimes it's 'hey, this character is cool... let's start designing him/her.. oh this is pretty boring, let's not do it'

Other times it's 'hey, this character is cool... let's start designing him/her.. oh this is isn't really working out how I planned, let's not do it'

and then there are times where it's "eh, I can't really imagine them in smash right now (Mii/Villager, etc), so I don't think they'd be a good fit.'

 

[emb]

Hey GAF,

Before we explode in hype...I've been gathering feedback from Smashers for a Smash project I'm working on. I know there are a lot of fans and players here. I didn't know if this was the best place to throw this out there. I would really appreciate the feedback via...

this google Smash Survey.

~cool Zac Gorman image

Curious to see where this goes. I'll fill this out.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

Honestly, if we're going to do "previously Japanese-only game with a small but dedicated fanbase" characters, I'd want Saki above anyone else.

 

[Nanashrew]

I don't really understand what about Takamaru made him a shoo-in.

There's a game based on him in Nintendo's worst selling minigame collection (note: not actually based on him, was created as a Wii U tech demo for previous E3 and then Takamaru was slapped on it later). The game is finally coming to the west, which basically guaranteed Saki in to Brawl as a playable character (and that game even got a new sequel).

I mean, let's just face facts. Sakurai saw Takamaru, thought about making a moveset for him, and decided he couldn't make it sufficiently distinct from everyone else. That's it. Maybe relevancy and all the other things were factors, but ultimately it's that he didn't want a samurai unless he really could do something interesting with him and he decided he couldn't.

I'm betting it was more of the former. There are quite a few sword wielders as it is right now and having another might not go well in making him distinct from the rest. Maybe by the next game if there are fewer sword wielders we might see him.

 

[User 73706]

Or even better, have Sakurai deconfirm characters Monday through Thursday and then reveal an actual Newcomer on Friday.

Or, for bonus trolling, disconfirm some people Monday through Thursday, on Friday show a screen with a bunch of new faces, and say "only one of these characters is playable! Stay tuned." Friday morning, a Newcomer trailer unveils

Spoiler

a character completely unrelated to said screenshot.

 

[Makai]

Maybe they weren't truly "patterns," but for the last two games Sakurai has added retro characters like Ice Climbers and Pit. Takamaru was the next logical step, and I wouldn't consider Takamaru much lower priority than Pit was before Brawl, so it's just really odd seeing characters like Ice Climbers and Pit be in the game (assuming Ice Climbers are back, of course) while Takamaru is ignored.

I'll give you Ice Climbers, but Pit's game was more popular than Takamaru's and had a worldwide release (and even a sequel). The source material for Pit is rich enough to make him diverse from the rest of the cast. There's just not a lot going on forTakamaru that isn't already embodied with Link or the FE characters. I think with ICs, they wanted to do a dual character and settled on them because of their unique characteristics.

 

["D"]

Sakurai's pattern is 'hey, I think that character might be cool... ok, let's start designing him/her... hey... this works! Let's put this character in!'

Sometimes it's 'hey, this character is cool... let's start designing him/her.. oh this is pretty boring, let's not do it'

Other times it's 'hey, this character is cool... let's start designing him/her.. oh this is isn't really working out how I planned, let's not do it'

and then there are times where it's "eh, I can't really imagine them in smash right now (Mii/Villager, etc), so I don't think they'd be a good fit.'

I agree. Although I enjoy looking at leaks and such, I truly feel deep down that trying to "guess" what Sakurai is going to do is somewhat pointless as far as bringing newcomers to the table. While some are obvious due to his own love for a series/things he's worked on (Kirby, Kid Icarus) others are just so left-field (Wii Fit Trainer, Mr. Game & Watch, R.O.B)

Hell, even the way he's treated some shoe in characters leaves people puzzled. Like making Ganondorf a semi-clone of Falcon despite having games that clearly showcased moveset potential, and taking someone like Wario that has games that were perfect for a moveset for him (Warioland) and giving him the quirky off the wall movements of Warioware, which doesn't even lend in the slightest anything that could be pulled for a combat moveset.

EDIT: While its harmless to speculate, I think folks are just more prone to getting their feelings hurt when trying to read too deeply into what Sakurai is planning.

 

[Ryce]

The Ice Climbers were chosen to represent something in particular (the goofy NES launch games like Clu Clu Land, Excitebike, and what have you). They weren't chosen just to revive an ancient random franchise. They had a specific purpose. They are kind of like Pac-Man in a way--they represent more than just Ice Climber.

And Pit was honest to goodness one of the most wanted characters for Brawl--people had been clamoring for a new Kid Icarus for years at that point. People like to make Murasame Castle out to be a Japanese Kid Icarus, but it's really only similar in its origin--being a B game made from the engine of an A game (Zelda instead of Metroid). Even in Japan, Murasame Castle was never even remotely as well known or as popular as Kid Icarus was.

Takamaru doesn't have the historical angle that the Ice Climbers had nor does he have the popularity Pit had on either side of the ocean. He's a nobody that people grabbed onto and started collectively convincing themselves was likely. A blatant echo chamber.

This is a very realistic take on the situation. The Smash Bros. community convinced itself that Sakurai was somehow mandated to include "retro characters" no matter what. Ice Climbers, Pit, R.O.B., and Mr. Game & Watch were all included for very specific reasons to fill specific roles -- they weren't just thrown into the game because they're old.

 

[Tyeforce]

Ice Climbers are a unique duo character and add something to the game, even as a retro revival.
Pit is a winged character who makes use of a projectiles and somewhat unique air prowess to make a unique playable character.
Takamaru's a blue haired swordsman.

And he's not ignored - he's right there as an assist trophy!

I shouldn't have to point this out, as it's been brought up many times already in this thread, but Takamaru is much more than another "blue haired swordsman." He's got a number of projectiles, like shurikens, fireballs, etc., invisibility, the ability to summon lightning... He would make such a unique character, and he's full of potential, as is his franchise.

 

[R0ckman]

The Ice Climbers were chosen to represent something in particular (the goofy NES launch games like Clu Clu Land, Excitebike, and what have you). They weren't chosen just to revive an ancient random franchise. They had a specific purpose. They are kind of like Pac-Man in a way--they represent more than just Ice Climber.

And Pit was honest to goodness one of the most wanted characters for Brawl--people had been clamoring for a new Kid Icarus for years at that point. People like to make Murasame Castle out to be a Japanese Kid Icarus, but it's really only similar in its origin--being a B game made from the engine of an A game (Zelda instead of Metroid). Even in Japan, Murasame Castle was never even remotely as well known or as popular as Kid Icarus was.

Takamaru doesn't have the historical angle that the Ice Climbers had nor does he have the popularity Pit had on either side of the ocean. He's a nobody that people grabbed onto and started collectively convincing themselves was likely. A blatant echo chamber.

This is actually a full on lie if you have been following the history of the series, he was requested a lot earlier in the series life in Japan, but as the older generation left gaming and so on his request stopped appearing as frequently in Japan, any vets left who is interested in Smash anymore in Japan still mention him, now that he is known outside of Japan he's more equal to Pit now before Brawl. From what I remember Pit was not THAT highly requested of a character, at least not compared to the characters that got in along with him in Brawl.

Also Kid Icarus on Myths and Monsters was not released in Japan until the 3DS VC.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

I shouldn't have to point this out, as it's been brought up many times already in this thread, but Takamaru is much more than another "blue haired swordsman." He's got a number of projectiles, like shurikens, fireballs, etc., invisibility, the ability to summon lightning... He would make such a unique character, and he's full of potential, as is his franchise.

I shouldn't have to point this out, but I'm guessing Sakurai disagrees with your assessment of his potential movepool and how much it stands out.

 

[emb]

Or even better, have Sakurai deconfirm characters Monday through Thursday and then reveal an actual Newcomer on Friday.

Or, for bonus trolling, disconfirm some people Monday through Thursday, on Friday show a screen with a bunch of new faces, and say "only one of these characters is playable! Stay tuned." Friday morning, a Newcomer trailer unveils

Spoiler

a character completely unrelated to said screenshot.

That would be delicious. O.O

 

[Gonzo The Great]

Ice Climbers are a unique duo character and add something to the game, even as a retro revival.
Pit is a winged character who makes use of a projectiles and somewhat unique air prowess to make a unique playable character.
Takamaru's a blue haired swordsman.

And he's not ignored - he's right there as an assist trophy!

This is exactly why King K. Rool and Ridley would be perfect newcomers. Think what you want about their goofy character designs, but you can't deny that they could bring something new and interesting to the franchise from a gameplay perspective. Ridley would be a heavyweight who's agile and good in the air, while K. Rool would be a heavyweight who relies heavily on projectiles (blunderbuss, crown throw). And to make them even more interesting, both characters are villains, which the game is sorely lacking right now. I'd be pretty darn disappointed if they are relegated to mere boss fights.

 

[Berordn]

I shouldn't have to point this out, as it's been brought up many times already in this thread, but Takamaru is much more than another "blue haired swordsman." He's got a number of projectiles, like shurikens, fireballs, etc., invisibility, the ability to summon lightning... He would make such a unique character, and he's full of potential, as is his franchise.

What franchise? It's one game.

And all those different projectiles and abilities are covered by other characters in the cast. A character with unique samurai movements would be cool, but Takamaru himself doesn't have anything over anyone else on that front.

 

[Gartooth]

Once the roster started taking shape with more and more new additions, I think it became apparent that Takamaru wasn't going to happen. It'll be interesting if any character in a situation similar to his does end up being playable, but I doubt it.

 

[Ryce]

From what I remember Pit was not THAT highly requested of a character, at least not compared to the characters that got in along with him in Brawl.

Pit was one of the most requested characters as far back as Melee, and there were even hoaxes/rumors that he would be playable in that game. Sakurai even acknowledged his worldwide popularity. Pit was also one of the few retro characters to receive votes in Sakurai's Japanese Melee survey (Takamaru didn't receive any votes).

 

[ShockingAlberto]

Pit was one of the most requested characters as far back as Melee, and there were even hoaxes/rumors that he would be playable in that game. Sakurai even acknowledged his worldwide popularity. Pit was also one of the few retro characters to receive votes in Sakurai's Japanese Melee survey (Takamaru didn't receive any votes).

You know, I was actually thinking about this quote recently.

The creator of Kid Icarus has even jokingly asked if he could make a spin-off using this Pit model.

It has become kind of hilarious considering how everything shook out.

 

[chaosblade]

I shouldn't have to point this out, but I'm guessing Sakurai disagrees with your assessment of his potential movepool and how much it stands out.

Maybe he just didn't consider Takamaru as a playable character in the first place? I don't really see how Sakurai wouldn't see any moveset potential unless he just didn't know much about the game.

I don't really care anything about Takamaru, but I don't think his potential movepool was the reason he wasn't made playable.

 

[R0ckman]

Pit was one of the most requested characters as far back as Melee, and there were even hoaxes/rumors that he would be playable in that game. Sakurai even acknowledged his worldwide popularity. Pit was also one of the few retro characters to receive votes in Sakurai's Japanese Melee survey (Takamaru didn't receive any votes).

That's funny because on the Melee website he was brought up multiple times in the questions and answers section. He was also listed as people's favorite characters a few times in the information they added in the posting of the comments.

 

[Distresssss]

I came for Isaac, left with Takamaru today.

At least Isaac isn't deconfirmed yet... Sorry Taku fans.

 

[Tyeforce]

This is a very realistic take on the situation. The Smash Bros. community convinced itself that Sakurai was somehow mandated to include "retro characters" no matter what. Ice Climbers, Pit, R.O.B., and Mr. Game & Watch were all included for very specific reasons to fill specific roles -- they weren't just thrown into the game because they're old.

I understand that Ice Climbers, Mr. Game & Watch, and R.O.B. were included to fill specific roles, but I'd argue that Pit didn't have any specific role to fill outside of being a popularly requested retro character. I suppose what's hurting Takamaru is the popularity thing, since Pit and Kid Icarus was always more popular, but still, it just feels incomplete without Takamaru to me, personally. I'll get over it eventually, but it is disappointing.

I shouldn't have to point this out, but I'm guessing Sakurai disagrees with your assessment of his potential movepool and how much it stands out.

No need to be a dick about it. I was just pointing out that there's more to Takamaru than just being another "blue haired swordsman." Obviously Sakurai has chosen against him being a playable character for one reason or another, but we have no way to know what the full reason is. I'd guess it's due to a lack of popularity above anything else. He's certainly have a more unique moveset than another blue haired swordsman newcomer...

Spoiler

Lucina

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