Super Smash Bros......Treatment?
I love Super Smash Bros. The very idea of having Nintendo characters battle it out for supremacy in the ultimate in all-star video gaming is bananas...and pudding, too. It's so awesome that it even created its own genre of video game. To coin a term made by the creator of the series, Masahiro Sakurai, the games can be considered a "competitive action" game as it blends the competition and aspects of a fighting game with a platforming action game. Since its inception in 1999, four games have come out under this awesome franchise. But it got me to thinking.....what would happen, if say, this genre, made by Sakurai himself, wasn't just limited to Nintendo? What if Sakurai, as an independent developer with his own team at HAL Laboratories, was asked to do this for different IPs? What if Smash, with the right amount of cash, spread through the gaming world like a rash, and with it other franchises? If it did, here's 10 entities that I feel should get the full Super Smash Bros. approach. For this list, in a strictly fantasy scenario, I'm letting you know who I think should get the Smash treatment. No restrictions, no red tape. Just Sakurai, his guys, money, and a toy chest of IPs. Ready? 3, 2, 1......GO!
Sega
Let's start this off with the company that gave Nintendo a run for its money for at least a solid decade: Sega. This company came up with its own systems, characters and games that not only rivaled Nintendo, but also brought Nintendo into the next console generation, literally kicking and screaming. The Sega Master Systems, The Sega Genesis, Sega CD, Sega Saturn, and ultimately, The Sega Dreamcast were the consoles that people remember very fondly, along with a few hand-helds. It was quite the war, until Sega folded up its hardware division and focused heavily on software. It was a sobering sight to see Sega characters on a Nintendo system. But, what if Sega had Sakurai make their version of a Smash Bros. game. There were more than a few Sega All-Star games be it with racing, fighting, or even tennis. But, what about Smash? Yes, Sonic made his debut in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but what if Sonic wasn't the only one?
I can see a Smash Bros. game with Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, Robotnik, and even Rouge, Big the Cat and Metal Sonic as characters. I'd also add ViVi and AiAi from Super Monkey Ball. We gotta have the star of Samba De Amigo, as well as Nights from Nights into Dreams. Ulala from Space Channel 5 would make a fine character as well as some stars from the Jet series of skateboarding and spray-painting. And since we're going all out, I'd definitely add Alex Kidd. Oh, and let's not forget the stars of Golden Axe: Tyris, Ax and Gilius. And since we're doing beat em' ups, let's throw in Axel, Blaze, Skate, Max, and Adam from Streets of Rage. Throw in a character or two from Virtua Fighter, Alien Storm, Shinobi (by himself), and you have a game. And what would a game be without more obscure characters like from Sega's awesome RPG series like Skies of Arcadia, Phantasy Star, and even the very infamous game, Shenmue? Yea, this game would have legs and run and run. Probably as fast as Sonic.
Capcom
When I saw Mega Man in Smash Bros for the Wii U, I was blown away. I was blown away just like I was blown away when I saw Solid Snake and Sonic in Brawl. That's also how I felt when I saw Pac-Man....and then Ryu. However, once seeing this, I felt two very distinct truths to be had. One: Smash Bros can be considered something of a fighting game, if not a complete one. Two: Capcom would do wonders to make a game like Smash. So, Sakurai gets the nod and who and what does this game entail?
Basically, the three characters representing Capcom that have....HAVE to be in this game are Ryu, Mega Man and Captain Commando. They represent not just two of Capcom's biggest franchises but also Capcom's history dating back to the early 1980s. So, we have them. Who else do we have? Well, you have to have more Street Fighters, so definitely Ken, Chun Li, Guile, M. Bison, probably Alex, and other characters that can make the jump properly. If this means characters from SFIV and SFV, then fine (not a fan of those, but they deserve the nod). Also, how about more Mega Man characters like Roll, ProtoMan, Zero, and Bass? I'm for that. The game should also be represented well by Darkstalkers (Morrigan, Demitiri definitely), Strider Hiryu, Rival Schools (Batsu, definitely) and then the other titles that ring of popularity (Final Fight, Dead Rising, Resident Evil, Viewtiful Joe, etc.) If this happened, whoo boy! Heck, if it were an arcade game, the money would come pouring in.
Square-Enix
Everyone was floored when certain DLC made it into the latest Smash Bros game. But the one, and I mean the only one that really blew people away was Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy 7. No one ever thought that Cloud would be in Smash, let alone in a Nintendo game and much less a Nintendo system. So, now that we see that Cloud can smash with the best of them, who else from Square-Enix can or should make the jump?
I'll say this: if this game was multi-platform, Nintendo's exclusive characters would have to be stars from Super Mario RPG. That said, Cloud has to return. I'd also have Squall, Tifa, Vincent Valentine, Aeris, Sephiroth, Yuna, Tidus, and anyone else that stood out in a Final Fantasy game making up a good core of the roster. Also, since we have Enix, let's bring in Dragon Warrior. Heck, let's bring in stars from Ys. And why stop there? You know you want Chrono Trigger in this game. So, bring in Chrono's entire party, including Magus. Then, if you want to get obscure yet popular, I'd start looking to the Tobal series as well as Ehrgeiz. Not only do they fight, but they fit into Square's pantheon of gaming. Square-Enix is practically custom-made for smashing.
Dragon Ball
And now, let's get out of the gaming realm for a minute and talk anime. I've heard many a person want to see Goku in a Smash Bros. game. I've also seen many a video game showcasing Dragon Ball and its characters. So, if by some miracle Sakurai and Toriyama came together to bring us one Smash Bros game starring DBZ characters, I think it's safe to say, we'd all be very happy. Now, let's get to the roster.
First off, Goku. 'Nuff said. Second, every other main story Super-Saiyajin, like Gohan, Trunks, and Vegeta. Now, the other heroes like Yamcha, Tien, Chaozu, Piccolo, Krillin, Videl, and anyone else who helped with the heroic effort (even the Great Saiyaman, whom I'd make like Sheik, but non-transformation). Then, bring on all the villains: Raditz, Nappa, Frieza, the Ginyu Force, Buu, the Androids, and definitely Broly. Sprinkle in a few other characters from the movies and series and its a full house. Oh, and for final smash-type moves, you know the Dragon Balls have to come into play. If not, then it's all about powering up your levels and getting stronger to activate powerful finishers. The possibilities are endless.
Gundam
Ok, now this might be a bit of a stretch, but what other anime really speaks volumes to me? No, it's not One Piece. It's the Gundam series. I'm a bit of an old-schooler and my favorite Gundam series of all time is Gundam Wing. My other two favorites are the 08th MS: Gundam Team and Mobile Fighter: G Gundam. Those three series alone have more than enough Gundams and characters to go around in combat.
I got to throw in Wing Zero and Epyon into this game. Also, the Shining Gundam and the Dark Gundam need a spot here. The other Shuffle Alliance Gundams are welcome here along with the heroes of Gundam Wing. And, since we're accounting for the entire series, we can throw in some Gundams from ZZ, 0079, and even the very first series, along with Shiro Amada and Commander Char as characters. Again, I know it's a stretch, but hear me out. Gundam as a series has so many additions that you'd be hard-pressed not to at least consider a Smash Bros game.
Naruto
Naruto had taken the world by storm when it first came out as what some would call, "this generation's Dragon Ball Z". Just like DBZ, it's high on action, with loads of characters, a great amount of comedy, and a journey for our heroes to go on. Its popularity has merited a few video games in the past, and currently, but not quite the full treatment, a la Sakurai. If it did, well....
Ok, firstly, you have Nartuo himself, along with his friends Sasuke and Sakura. Then, we go school to school adding popular characters from the first run of mangas, like Choji, Ino, Shikamaru, Kankuro, TenTen, Neji, Hinata, Gaara, Haku, OrochiMaru, the Grand Hokage, and Rock Lee among others. Then, from there, your items will be pretty straight forward, from daggers to smoke bombs. Final Smash moves would be tied directly to the super powered moves they bring to each battle as shown in the mangas and anime. And since they are used to traveling from rooftop to rooftop, tree to tree and the like, it should be easy to make the transition, yes?
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Uh oh, my old-school roots are showing again. Kidding. I figure with as many series as this story has, and with as many video game iterations, you'd have to account for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure for a Smash Bros. type of game. The Stands are a perfect use of super powers and such, in my view. And since I've already seen different ways to activate different special moves in Smash, the integration of Stands should be doable.
I'd have to give the nod to the majority of characters coming from the Stardust Crusaders storyline as it is the most popular. Heck, they've appeared in the most video games from this series. So Jotaro, Abdul, Joseph Joestar, Kakyoin, Polnareff, Chaka and Khan, Pet Shop, Iggy, and of course Dio and Vanilla Ice along with Midler and Mariah, D'Bo and Alessy will flesh out the game. There will be a ton of others, oh yes. And with the series being as wacky as it has always been, the transition from page to Smash should be relatively seamless.
SNK
Can we really go for a Capcom Smash Bros. game and not mention their rivals in the world of Neo Geo? I don't think so! SNK brings a rather diverse, rather unknown world of video games to the forefront and has for a number of years. They have made everything from action platformers, to shoot em' ups, to sports games, to even puzzle games. However, their biggest forte is fighting games. Upon seeing this, I feel that you'd be fooling yourself if you couldn't put together a Smash Bros. game for this company. Now, who do you involve? Well, there have been enough all-star games involving SNK that you have a great amount of options.
First and foremost, I have to say that Kyo Kusanagi, Terry Bogard and Ryo Sakazaki. They are the respective stars of their fighting games, of course. Outside of fighters, I'd definitely add characters from Metal Slug in Marco and Tarma, along with Mars People. I'd throw in Athena Asamiya as a star of her own game along with Sie from Psycho Soldier. There has to be some representation from King of the Monsters as well as Magician Lord. I think we can fit Bub and Bob from Bubble Bobble as well. After these, any combo of characters from the popular SNK games of record...as well as the obscure ones. It would make for one pretty out-of-this-world game. Let's hope the gamers buy into it and get it.
First and foremost, I have to say that Kyo Kusanagi, Terry Bogard and Ryo Sakazaki. They are the respective stars of their fighting games, of course. Outside of fighters, I'd definitely add characters from Metal Slug in Marco and Tarma, along with Mars People. I'd throw in Athena Asamiya as a star of her own game along with Sie from Psycho Soldier. There has to be some representation from King of the Monsters as well as Magician Lord. I think we can fit Bub and Bob from Bubble Bobble as well. After these, any combo of characters from the popular SNK games of record...as well as the obscure ones. It would make for one pretty out-of-this-world game. Let's hope the gamers buy into it and get it.
Marvel
The merry house of Marvel has had lots of representation in video games. There are action platformers. Fighting games. Even RPGs of various ilks. My personal favorites are that of the X-men Legends and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance series of RPGs. However, we're talking Smash Bros. here. So, where would we go with this game, characters and all? Hmm...
For starters, we could include Infinity Gems and maybe an M logo for a final smash ball. After that, we go on to characters, and that's pretty straight forward for the initial picks. Wolverine, Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man and the Hulk are definitely in this game. In relation to them, you have to have Thor, Cyclops, Storm, Black Panther, Daredevil, Deadpool, Dr. Strange and basically anyone who has had movie and television representation recently or generally on a major scale. Villains also have to have a great amount of precedent here like Dr. Doom, Magneto, Thanos, The Kingpin, and the like. Final bosses are practically manageable, too, as there are many massive powerhouses that can be "Master Hand-like" in their approach. Marvel Smash Bros. sounds like a winning combination.
The merry house of Marvel has had lots of representation in video games. There are action platformers. Fighting games. Even RPGs of various ilks. My personal favorites are that of the X-men Legends and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance series of RPGs. However, we're talking Smash Bros. here. So, where would we go with this game, characters and all? Hmm...
For starters, we could include Infinity Gems and maybe an M logo for a final smash ball. After that, we go on to characters, and that's pretty straight forward for the initial picks. Wolverine, Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man and the Hulk are definitely in this game. In relation to them, you have to have Thor, Cyclops, Storm, Black Panther, Daredevil, Deadpool, Dr. Strange and basically anyone who has had movie and television representation recently or generally on a major scale. Villains also have to have a great amount of precedent here like Dr. Doom, Magneto, Thanos, The Kingpin, and the like. Final bosses are practically manageable, too, as there are many massive powerhouses that can be "Master Hand-like" in their approach. Marvel Smash Bros. sounds like a winning combination.
DC
Just like with Capcom and SNK, we have to mention DC now that Marvel is on the block. DC Comics is home to some of the most powerful characters on record, and some of the most notable. Be it team form or solo, the heroes of DC Comics have made an indelible impact on the world as a whole. Now, we've seen DC characters in video games on a solo or collective standpoint, even fighting each other like in Injustice. But, what if it were Smash Bros.?
Superman and Batman. Both have to be in this game. Wonder Woman as well. That said, other JLA members are very welcome with Green Lantern, Flash, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, and even Plastic Man in the mix. If you're considering clone characters, I'm sure there's more than enough to go around with the characters I just named, and more than enough to change around. You know Lex Luthor and the Joker are going to be in this, along with Darkseid. Honestly, you can look at the Injustice rosters and pick and choose who should be in this game. The mechanics shouldn't be too hard either, as Smash Bros is already a fantastic game that breaks all the rules of logic. DC does that pretty well.
And there you have it. These entities are my choices for what should get Masahiro Sakurai's Smash Bros. Treatment. If they did, not only would the games be amazing to play, but they would sell pretty well, create lots of replay value, and truly celebrate the histories of the IPs at hand. But those are just my opinions. What are yours? Leave a comment or two in the comment section below and let me and others know if I missed any or if you'd like to elaborate on any ideas I left. There are no limits to one's imagination. And if there's something that Smash has taught us, it's that surprises are truly in store if the timing is right!
Just like with Capcom and SNK, we have to mention DC now that Marvel is on the block. DC Comics is home to some of the most powerful characters on record, and some of the most notable. Be it team form or solo, the heroes of DC Comics have made an indelible impact on the world as a whole. Now, we've seen DC characters in video games on a solo or collective standpoint, even fighting each other like in Injustice. But, what if it were Smash Bros.?
Superman and Batman. Both have to be in this game. Wonder Woman as well. That said, other JLA members are very welcome with Green Lantern, Flash, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, and even Plastic Man in the mix. If you're considering clone characters, I'm sure there's more than enough to go around with the characters I just named, and more than enough to change around. You know Lex Luthor and the Joker are going to be in this, along with Darkseid. Honestly, you can look at the Injustice rosters and pick and choose who should be in this game. The mechanics shouldn't be too hard either, as Smash Bros is already a fantastic game that breaks all the rules of logic. DC does that pretty well.
And there you have it. These entities are my choices for what should get Masahiro Sakurai's Smash Bros. Treatment. If they did, not only would the games be amazing to play, but they would sell pretty well, create lots of replay value, and truly celebrate the histories of the IPs at hand. But those are just my opinions. What are yours? Leave a comment or two in the comment section below and let me and others know if I missed any or if you'd like to elaborate on any ideas I left. There are no limits to one's imagination. And if there's something that Smash has taught us, it's that surprises are truly in store if the timing is right!
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