Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo Switch Pre-E3 2018 Character Wishlist

Earlier today, Shacknews dove into what to expect from the E3 2018 Nintendo Direct. Of course, the first item on the list was Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo Switch. The latest entry in the series will be a centerpiece of Nintendo's E3 presence, with either the Nintendo Direct or the Super Smash Bros. E3 Invitational (or both) expected to reveal new characters.

That means it's a good time to dust off the old Super Smash Bros. Character Wishlist. This certainly isn't the first time Shacknews has gone into which characters we'd like to see in Super Smash Bros., first musing over the 3DS and Wii U omissions and then later revising our wishlist for the Smash Bros. Figher Ballot. The Fighter Ballot ultimately led to Bayonetta as the game's final character.

Operating on the assumption that all Smash 4 characters are returning, here's our newly-revised character wishlist.

Spring Man

One of Nintendo's most exciting new IPs of the Switch generation has been Arms. The stretchy-limbed pugilists have proven their ability to do battle on the 3D battlefield. But what happens when the Arms fighters go into the 2D world of Super Smash Bros.?

Spring Man is arguably the face of the franchise and he could be to Smash Bros. what Dhalsim is to Street Fighter. His limbs could stretch out to wild proportions, giving him the longest reach of any character in the game. Spring Man could also operate similarly to Little Mac, utilizing a counter/parry as one of his special moves.

The fun in including Spring Man (or any of the other Arms fighters) would be that he could utilize different sets of Arms over the course of the game. Different special moves could be mapped to different sets of arms, with his side-special using the Boomerang arms and his neutral special setting foes ablaze with the Toaster arms. There's a lot of room for creativity for Spring Man, while other Arms characters can make cameos as Assist Trophies.

Agent 8

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo Switch is already welcoming in the Inklings from Splatoon, but the Splatoon Inklings are largely faceless characters. Well, aside from Pearl and Marina, anyway. So why not introduce an actual, recognizable character from the Splatoon universe?

Despite the fact that the Octo Expansion hasn't been released, Agent 8 has already made an impression on the Splatoon community. Part of it the character's backstory of being a genetically engineered amnesiac. Another part of it is this character's distinct look, rocking a leather crop top and boots. The character just looks like a badass, regardless of whether players opt for Agent 8 to be a boy or a girl.

Agent 8's Super Smash Bros. moveset can vary from his/her Inkling counterparts, thanks to their nature as an Octoling. This opens the door for distinctly different attacks, some of which can be based on some of the more unique qualities of Splatoon 2's Octo Expansion.

And of course, the option could be there for players to select the male or female version of Agent 8.

Prince Sidon

Don't look at me like that. Whose wishlist is this?

Put Prince Sidon's beefcake element aside for a second. His gallant heroism, his selflessness, and his infectiously positive personality made him the clear breakout character of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Then there's his smile. There's something alluring about a guy who always takes care of his teeth.

On top of that, Sidon is regarded as one of the greatest warriors of the Zora tribe, with his exploits documented across Zora's Domain. The best one involves him getting swallowed by an Octorok and busting out of the beast from the inside.

Prince Sidon could be as swift as Sheik, while able to wield various Zora weaponry. In addition to a spear, Sidon's offensive proficiency could come from his legendary archery skills.

Admittedly, this is a long shot, but it's fun to think about Prince Sidon joining the playable roster.

Shovel Knight

Speaking of long shots, let's look at indie gaming darling Shovel Knight. He's starred in an adventure that not only celebrates the very best of the 8-bit gaming era, but actively improves on many of its shortcomings. That's a big reason why Shovel Knight has sold so well, especially on Nintendo platforms.

For those who weren't around for the last character wishlist, Shovel Knight not only fits thematically with the Smash Bros. aesthetic, but multiple parties have made the case for why he'd fit the series mechanically. Here's developer Yacht Club Games weighing in. Here's a breakdown of special moves. Here's a video of Shovel Knight rendered in the Smash Bros. art style.

As much fun as it's been to celebrate Nintendo's top first-party and third-party games throughout the company's history, this indie gaming mascot has more than earned a right to join the Smash Bros. roster of fighters.

Simon Belmont

Let's just keep the list of long shots going.

Simon Belmont has the distinction of being on his third character wishlist. And the more he ends up on these lists, the longer his odds become. A big part of why he's more unlikely than ever to make the Smash Bros. roster is because of the state of publisher Konami. Metal Gear spin-offs aside, Konami has mainly been committed to pachinko machines and mobile gaming over the past couple of years.

However, Konami raised a few eyebrows by revealing that it would be introducing a pair of new Switch games next week, which would seemingly point to a fresh working relationship. If that's the case, there's an outside chance that Nintendo and Konami may collaborate on a Smash Bros. cameo character.

The Smash Bros. community is looking at a return of Solid Snake, but that could be a messy affair from a PR standpoint, given the ugly nature of creator Hideo Kojima's departure from Konami. Fortunately, there's a different Konami franchise that has a storied history on Nintendo platforms.

Castlevania was one of the main pillars of the classic 8-bit NES, which was one of the primary reasons that Smash 4 introduced Mega Man onto the roster. Simon Belmont was once in the pantheon of old-school NES heroes, taking his place next to the Blue Bomber, Mario, Link, and Pit.

Simon Belmont's whip has been dormant for too long, with the character essentially left back in the 90s, as Castlevania eventually moved on to other members of the vampire-slaying Belmont clan. Super Smash Bros. could be a chance for a new generation to meet the man who would slay Dracula. And like in the last character wishlist, I'll point out that it's a chance to reunite that old Captain N: The Game Master threesome of Simon, Pit, and Mega Man one more time.

Ice Climbers

Remember how disappointed long-time Smash Bros. players were that Smash 4 didn't feature the Ice Climbers? There was a practical reason for that. The Wii U/3DS hardware wasn't quite capable of processing the Ice Climbers as a tandem character. (Similarly, the hardware couldn't handle transformations, hence why transforming characters were separated.)

So what better way to sell that the Switch is the new hardware hotness than by showing that the new Smash Bros. can handle the Ice Climbers? This could mark Popo and Nana's triumphant return to the series, boasting both classic and new moves to excite both the diehard Smash Bros. crowd, as well as the old-school fans that have remained loyal to Super Smash Bros. Melee?

As a bonus, maybe keep the "wobbling" glitch intact, for old time's sake.

Any other names we missed? Join the conversation and let us know in the comments.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?