G33K LYFE: Warning: New challengers approaching

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: RARE
Though Banjo and Koozie are not owned by Nintendo, there is hope that they will appear in the game.

On April 1, Nintendo hosted a live-streamed Nintendo Direct on YouTube, another one of the company’s digital press conferences that have replaced its yearly E3 stage event in recent years.

After repeated assurances that the upcoming announcements weren’t an elaborate April Fool’s joke, fans worldwide settled down for an hour of nothing much to be honest.

Until the end, that is, when they announced the release first downloadable characters in the history of Super Smash Bros. The first character, Mewtwo, was announced before the games hit shelves but was finally cleared to the game and given a release date. Nintendo also had another surprise ready with announcement of another returning fighter, Lucas of the Mother series.

As if another two fighters added to the already impressive roster wasn’t enough, the company announced it would develop new characters for the game. To facilitate this, Nintendo said it would be opening a ballot for fans to recommend any video game character from history. The Smash Bros. world instantly lost its mind, launching to the Internet to discuss which characters would be the best fit for the crossover fighter. With the Nintendo-characters-only rule long broken, there have been some truly odd suggestions springing up, not only from the public, but gaming companies as well, some of who have taken to Twitter to drum up support for their characters.

After sifting through a week’s worth of suggestions, I have crafted a list of the five characters who not only have a genuine chance of being added but have earned their place among Mario, Link and the rest.

Note: Newcomers only, sorry Snake.

1. King K. Rool, debut: Donkey Kong Country (SNES, 1994)

Making his debut in Donkey Kong’s first solo outing, this fat, overweight crocodile should be at the very top of Nintendo’s list of newcomers. In fact it’s surprising that the series has continued so long without his addition. K. Rool is DK’s Bowser, a constant thorn in his side, stealing his bananas, aiming super weapons at DK Island and locking up the other Kongs. His sheer girth would immediately put him among the other franchise villains in Smash’s heavy hitters, and his arsenal of gadgets and army of minions could facilitate a wide variety of special moves.

2. Banjo/Kazooie, debut: Banjo- Kazooie (N64, 1998)

Back when I was young, Banjo- Kazooie was one of the best platformers on the market, boasting the bright colour palette and fun characters that typifies Nintendo’s first party properties. This bear and bird pair would look right at home in the Smash world, and their unique mix of speed and strength could make the characters instant favourites. The only issue is that the two characters are not owned by Nintendo but creations of Rare, who was purchased by Microsoft in 2002, locking any inclusion behind some cross-company agreements of which are not often found in games. A glimmer of hope was given by head of Xbox Phil Spencer, who tweeted that he would love to see Banjo-Kazooie in the game. Fingers are crossed.

3. Midna, debut: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Game- Cube/Wii, 2006)

Despite being the second most popular series in Nintendo’s library, The Legend of Zelda is sorely lacking behind the Mario series when it comes to Smash representation. There may be five character slots taken up by the series, but two are separate versions of Link, and Zelda and Sheik were the same character until the most recent title. With plenty of room for one more, this seems the perfect opportunity for Midna, the least annoying companion in franchise history, to graduate to playable fighter. Navi may be the companion from the most iconic game, but Midna beat her in popularity when she decided not to yell “HEY” at you every five minutes. But beyond that, her arsenal of Twilight powers and magical tricks could make her blast to control.

4. Wonder Red, debut: The Wonderful 101 (Wii U, 2013)

The leader of the pint sized superhero team The Wonderful 100, Wonder Red is the youngest character on this list by far, but featuring in one of the best exclusives on the system has done a lot for his popularity. With the superhero team’s main abilities revolving around merging into weapons, there is a practically limitless number of ways that this could be exploited. As an added bonus, the alternate costumes could put players in control of the other main members of the team, à la Bowser Jr. and the Koopa Kids.

5. Rayman, debut: Rayman 2: The Great Escape (N64, 1999)

The biggest outsider on the list, and the only one who is featured on other consoles, Ubisoft’s rabbit-like creature with no arms connecting his hands to his body is also one of the few platforming stars with the skills to go toe-to-toe with Mario. Making his debut in 1995, he bounced onto Nintendo consoles in his second title and has never left, often finding the best console sales occurring on Nintendo platforms. A virtual cartoon character, Rayman would fit the aesthetic more than any other third party character and has a readymade arsenal of goofy moves built right in.