My personal 15 guest characters picks for the new Smash Bros.

What started out as a fairly innocuous Nintendo Direct a week ago (at least, from when I started typing this) led to the reveal of the game which is going to convince everyone who doesn't have a Switch to buy one (myself included).

It's pretty much common knowledge that Super Smash Bros. has earned a reputation of being one of, if not the greatest, video game franchises ever. Aside from being a great multiplayer game to play casually or competitively, it also pays tribute to the long and storied history Nintendo has established. I mean, why wouldn't they? As the company responsible for the creation of legendary gaming icons and franchises beloved by almost every gamer in the world, Nintendo deserves to have that legacy celebrated, and those celebrations have only grown with every installment.

To an extent, Smash isn't just a celebration of Nintendo's history, but is slowly growing to include games from outside their reach. Brawl marked the first time guest characters from non-Nintendo sources were included, and as someone who respects Nintendo but spent a lot of time as a PlayStation fan myself growing up, having those guests included were the hooks needed to get a lot of fans more hyped for each game.

In my personal experience, those guests have always excited me more than any first-party fighter reveal thus far. By no means were most of those reveals from Brawl and Smash 4 bad; Lucario, Greninja and the Pokemon Trainer piqued my interest as a casual Pokemon fan, Diddy Kong did the same as a fan of the original DK Country games, Shulk shined a spotlight on one of the best JRPGs of the modern era which didn't get that much love beforehand, and the Fire Emblem newcomers were my gateway into the series. Oh, and we finally got to beat up that goddamn dog.

None of that could compare though to the elation I felt when seeing the 7 guests make their respective reveals. Snake sold me on Brawl the moment he was revealed, and the prospect of seeing Sonic beat Mario up was too good to pass on. Mega Man returning to the fold after years of neglect brought myself and many of his fans to tears, and Pac-Man made a very long overdue appearance given his immense status as gaming's first true mascot. Ryu brought Street Fighter and traditional fighting games to Smash, Cloud fulfilled a wish many fans thought they would never see, and fans voted one of the unlikeliest but hype-est modern icons in Bayonetta into the game.

Seeing as how I feel a bit more qualified to talk about these guests than the first and second parties, I'll be talking about who I think would be some really good non-Nintendo contenders for the upcoming Smash on Switch. Before we get started, here are the ground rules for my list:

1. I'll be defining "guest character" as someone who was not created by Nintendo, and primarily made their name in games that were not published or developed by them.
2. This list is going to consist of video game characters only, so no - Goku, Superman, Shrek, Spongebob, etc. aren't going to be here. I acknowledge that having guests in the first place is already a bit contentious for Nintendo purists, and I personally believe that no matter how big Smash gets, it has to fully remain a gaming-only crossover.
3. I'll be avoiding representatives from franchises who are already represented in Smash, so Metal Gear, Sonic, Mega Man, Pac-Man, Street Fighter, Final Fantasy and Bayonetta won't be included in this list, given that I want to see some new blood in Smash and that their prior inclusions already make trying to put new characters in from them a bit easier (Tails, Zero, Chun-Li, Rodin, Terra - in Snake's case, a return or the inclusion of Big Boss for example)
4. Major first-party characters from Sony and Microsoft (Ratchet and Clank, Master Chief) aren't going to be included, ditto PC gaming icons (Gordon Freeman). I feel like their commitment to Nintendo's current rivals in this gaming generation make the work to try and get them into Smash hard enough that they aren't going to seriously be considered. They can still be heavily associated with them (Snake and Cloud being synonymous with the PlayStation family but still getting into Smash).
5. While I will factor in the character's relevance to Nintendo's history, it isn't what will make or break their chances (See: Strife, Cloud).
6. This is all my personal opinion. Keep the pitchforks at bay, please.

15. Shantae

"Moist the main snail! Keel the port blubber! Aye, Cap'n!"

We're starting this list off with a character who topped a few lists similar to this one: the Half-Genie herself, Shantae. Personally, I initially thought of putting Shovel Knight in this slot given my familiarity with him, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that my reasoning and criteria for his inclusion not only applies to Shantae, but as someone older than him and embodies it to a greater degree, she gets the nod here despite me not necessarily being a big fan of her games.

A potential inclusion by this literal indie darling would no doubt shine a spotlight on the rise that indie-developed games have had in the past few years or so with Nintendo themselves have supported these titles with the eShop. As a character who made their debut on the Game Boy Color, Shantae has a closer association with the Big N than other indie icons, and already boasts a fitting moveset for Smash with her various transformations, martial arts attacks and hair moves.

Yes, she may not be as popular as any of the guests who have made it into Smash or some of the other characters on this list, but the Guardian Genie of Scuttle Town getting into the game would no doubt give a lot of attention to her series and show off one of the finest mascots created from the independents.

14. Phoenix Wright (Ace Attorney)

"My past is like my logic, straight and true. Nothing's changed. All I did was point the finger of justice in the proper direction."

To those of you who think that a fighting lawyer who doesn't actually fight at all in his home games is a horrible idea, I'd like to point out that two of the first announced members of Smash 4 roster include a Yoga instructor who never throws a single punch and attacks with various exercises and stretches and a villager who lives in a town populated entirely by animals who fights by chopping down trees, dropping bowling balls and launching fireworks. Also: Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 exists, and this guy's in it.

Aside from that brief foray, Nick has primarily remained a mainstay of Nintendo's portable consoles since debuting in 2001. That aside, the way he was handled in UMVC3 was unique among the other fighters by implementing the Investigation and Trial phases and powering Mr. Wright up with proper evidence. If they could find a way to have this reworked into Smash, Phoenix's goofier antics would make for a welcome addition to the various oddballs already present in the game's roster.

Also, let's be frank: being able to force characters like Ganondorf, Bowser and Ridley (surely he has to get in by now) into Ace Attorney-style nervous breakdowns and explosions will un-ironically be the coolest thing ever.

13. White Bomberman

“Like they say, patience is a virtue.”

As his name implies, Bomberman's entire fighting style is about explosions. People should be sold on that, if they weren't already based on how important his franchise was to Nintendo's history and how he himself is also a well-regarded gaming icon. Also, he was in DreamMix TV World Fighters, which also featured a certain super-soldier who managed to get into Smash despite all logic saying otherwise.

On the topic of those explosions and DreamMix, that game is a perfect example of how Bomberman would work in Smash's environment. Giving him a composite treatment would allow him access to bombs that he could use as straight-up projectiles, traps and with different elemental varieties to boot. With a heavy emphasis on those as his moves, he'd be able to join the uncommon zoner, projectile-heavy archetype held by the likes of Samus, Duck Hunt and Mega Man.

12. Solaire of Astora (Dark Souls)

"The sun is a wondrous body. Like a magnificent father! If only I could be so grossly incandescent!"

Alright, so this is something that's going to be a lot trickier to justify, at least move-set wise. Solaire and Dark Souls have etched themselves into gaming folklore since 2011; the former is the closest the Souls series could get to a mascot, given his recognizable gimmick of "always PRAISE THE SUN". With Dark Souls set to enter the Switch this year and Solaire getting an amiibo, it would make sense on those criteria to find a way for the Warrior of Sunlight to enter the Smash arena.

The only way I could see Solaire working as a fighting game character while staying true to the Souls style of combat would be for him to employ what I'm calling the "Big Daddy approach." In PlayStation All Stars, BioShock was represented by a normal Bouncer variant Big Daddy that didn't just fight with his trademark drill and brute strength, but was complemented by using a variety of Plasmids that the player characters used. Ditto Solaire if he gets into Smash: besides his usual Sunlight-themed straight sword, shield and talisman, his fighting style would benefit from the inclusion of other weapons and spells from the Souls mythos.

Getting this right could allow Solaire to truly represent the best of what Dark Souls has to offer, a likely difficult to use fighter with a cautious fighting style that hits hard if given the opportunity. Adding stuff like boss weapons and pyromancies that contain well-placed nods to the Souls community (maybe a little Giant Dad action?) will allow him to truly shine among his contemporaries in the roster.

11. Rayman

"All right, ladies and gents! Let's roll!"

How and why Rayman stayed as just a trophy in Smash Wii U is beyond me, as well as a big portion of the Smash community. At the very least, it does provide Nintendo an entryway into adding Ubisoft's cartoony plaformer hero into the next game.

Rayman is a pick which writes itself, or himself, rather. His look screams "Nintendo", he has a fighting style which could pull from his fists, Lums and haircopter, among others, and already has the "icon" status which should theoretically make his inclusion into Smash a reality. This entry's a bit short, if only because I don't feel like parroting all of the reasons why he should get into Smash and how he should play, if only because far more dedicated individuals on the interwebs have explained them more than I could.

11. Sora (Kingdom Hearts)

"I know the Keyblade didn't choose me, and I don't care. I'm proud to be a small part of something bigger - The people it did choose. My friends... they are my power!"

Admittedly, there's one caveat that Sora faces if he's to enter Smash. Yes, he was created by Tetsuya Nomura, and with Cloud's inclusion, Sora could make a fine addition or replacement if need be. However, as he was co-created by Disney, Nintendo would need to sort his inclusion out with them if they do want him in. Take that away though, and we have another well-requested pick to enter Smash, who at the very least has a more solid claim to a slot than Cloud seeing as he actually has games on Nintendo platforms.

I mean, why not? As someone who holds the Kingdom Hearts games in high regard, I could easily say that a lot of kids from my age had the first game as their first real foray into JRPGs given the world-hopping around all those different Disney movies, and his popularity has made him one of Square Enix's most popular heroes.

Sora's movelist could be expanded upon to make his fighting style in Smash a lot closer to his home series than Cloud's. Gliding and FlowMotion would make great environmental maneuvering tools, the spells and Command Deck could all make up his various standard and special attacks, and Final Form is a shoe-in as his Final Smash.

10. Yuri Lowell (Tales of Vesperia)

"O brilliant blade of coldest steel, rend the infinite darkness... and crush my enemies to nothing!"

From talking about Cloud and Sora, we now have another JRPG hero, and one of the faces commonly associated with Bandai Namco's long-running Tales games. While I could have gone with someone more relevant to Nintendo's history, like Symphonia's Lloyd Irving or Abyss' Luke fon Fabre, Vesperia's status as probably the best game in the entire franchise, not to mention Yuri's popularity over most other protagonists edge him out to be my pick as a Tales rep for Smash.

With a entire list of Artes at his disposal, and the excellent Savage Wolf Fury as the likeliest candidate for a Final Smash, Yuri has the makings of a very combo-oriented swordfighter to fully represent Tales' system mechanics. Having the ability to chain all those Artes gives him a wide movelist akin to Bayonetta, and at the very least gives him that distinction compared to the other sword users in Smash.

8. Leon S. Kennedy (Resident Evil)

"Monsters. Guess after this, there'll be one less to worry about."

From my viewpoint, trying to get a Resident Evil character into Smash is actually easy since we already have a model for how they'd play out with Snake in Brawl. No traditional fireams means that whoever gets to represent the series would have to employ all of the wackier weapons in the games thus far, and RE does a better job with making those types of weapons viable than Metal Gear. Off the top of my head, there's the grenade launcher (which can fire 6 different types of ammo), infinite rocket launcher, mine thrower, knife, stun rod, satellite laser, and P.R.L. 412, just to name a few, not to mention all of the melee attacks and throws.

Why Leon, though? While Chris could lay claim to being the closest Resident Evil has to a mascot, Leon is still relatively popular enough among the crowds to warrant a pick, not to mention being the star of the series' fan favorite which made its first appearance on the Gamecube. Given his more snarky demeanor in addition to being an often-neglected pick when it comes to representatives for crossovers, being part of the few relatively "normal" characters in the roster to contrast his castmates as well as the first true horror game rep, Leon has the tools needed to make a successful and fun entry into the world of Smash.

7. Yoshimitsu (Tekken / Soulcalibur)

"To see what is right, and not to do it, is want of courage."

Ryu's inclusion in the previous game opened the door for fighting game characters to enter Smash, and if Bandai Namco returned to help out with the Switch iteration, one of their own have to be considered likely entrants. I was sort of split with this decision between both of their major flagship titles given that guys like Nightmare and the Mishimas are popular enough to warrant inclusion, but now I'll be giving this spot to a dark horse, the sole common link between Tekken and Soulcalibur: Yoshimitsu.

While Yoshimitsu doesn't have the star power of the main protagonists and antagonists of either Tekken or Soulcalibur, his appearances in both games gives him a broad and varied movelist I could see being implemented into a potential Smash appearance, by expanding on what worked for Ryu. Give him different neutral and tilt attacks which combine the best of his hand-to-hand and sword fighting skills, while implementing the various stances he has like the Indian Meditation and Manji Dragonfly as specials which could lead into different moves. If executed correctly, Yoshimitsu could harness a playstyle which may be difficult to harness, but will undoubtedly be rewarding.

Also think of it this way, the various costumes he's had over the course of multiple games gives him a variety of palette swaps to work with and would allow players to follow the evolution of his design through the years. Plus, his Rage Art and Critical Edge write themselves as potential Final Smashes.

6. Jack Frost (Shin Megami Tensei)

"Hee-ho! I'm Jack Frost! It's hee-hot in hee-here, ho! I'll cool it down with a blizzard!"

I had to think on who'd represent Atlus on for a bit. I leaned more towards getting a mainline SMT protagonists like Flynn, considering that most of those games seem to be making a home on Nintendo platforms while Persona continues to blow up in popularity. Jack's now here mainly due to his status as Atlus' mascot, and at least to add on to some of the cartoon-style characters on this list, since on review, I found out how many "realistic" characters I ended up picking.

It would be a bit of a disappointment if Jack Frost fought as is by himself though. The limits of his moves are well-established as he mainly has Bufu spells and not much outside of them; the rest of his skills are all support-based which can be a bit tricky to implement. To give it a bit more nuance, I could see other SMT demons coming in to assist him for some of his moves. Have someone like Pyro Jack come in with a few Agi spells, or a physical attacker like Yoshitsune perform Smash attacks in his stead. In a way, this could represent how other SMT protagonists battle as well.

5. Neku (The World Ends With You)

"All the world needs is me. I've got my values... so you can keep yours, alright?"

If the issue with the likes of Sora and Cloud being in Smash is that they aren't primarily Nintendo-affiliated or some such, then look no further than the star of The World Ends With You, an excellent title from the original DS. The critically acclaimed RPG became a standout on Nintendo's original double-screened platform, and is set to be rereleased for the Switch, which helps Neku's chances.

The varied Pins Neku has will obviously form the backbone of his gameplay, and without getting too in-depth, they already grant Neku attack and defense options from any possible range. For example, Psychokinesis pins could act as his grab and allow him to get objects from long distances while multi-elemental Energy Rounds can keep enemies at bay. The sheer variety of options Neku has could benefit from a reworked custom move system akin to the choices Palutena and the Mii Fighters had in Smash 4, helping him stand out from the crowd a bit.

4. Crash Bandicoot

"Whoa!"

Consider it the one of the greatest showings of irony if Crash Bandicoot - once (and probably still is by some) considered to be one of the original PlayStation's signature mascots alongside Smash veterans Solid Snake and Cloud Strife - managed to get into Smash Bros. when PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale couldn't.

Regardless of allegiance, Crash's zany antics on the PS1 and beyond have made him a true gaming icon. The original trilogy in particular cemented his status as such, given their reputation as three of the best platformers in history, and with the remaster set to launch on the Switch soon, there's a strong feeling that the wily marsupial could join the Smash roster... giving Mario the perfect opportunity to destroy him for being a public nuisance outside Nintendo USA in the 90s.

With a mix of games to pull moves from, like his trademark spin attack from the platformers, maybe even some karting action from the likes of Crash Team Racing or perhaps a few tools from his sis Coco, Crash seems set to make the transition to the world of Smash pretty well.

3. Amaterasu (Okami)

"Ammy! Chill out! Don't you know it's bad to bite people who are down on their luck?"

While the gameplay of the Legend of Zelda has had its imitators over the years, a few have managed to tweak it into their own thing and make great original works on their own. Hideki Kamiya's Okami was one such title, and much like Mr. Wright from earlier, Amaterasu has a fighting game appearance underneath her belt.

The Sun Goddess is set to make her return to Nintendo's graces with the Xth port of Okami to the Switch, and with that Marvel appearance in mind, she could easily take inspiration by switching between her Divine Instruments. The Celestial Brush is one aspect I could see being expanded upon more than Marvel, with techniques like the Vine, Cherry Bomb and Galestorm being tools that could work in the more free-form combat and movement system Smash has.

2. Simon Belmont (Castlevania)

"To prove myself a true Belmont, even legends must fall before me."

Castlevania has served as one of the most famous game franchises Konami has put out, alongside Metal Gear and Silent Hill among others. The first few games made the NES and SNES their home in their early days, torturing players with a difficulty not many games were known for at the time, and since past that. On those merits alone, it's only fitting that the most famous Belmont - the first one at that - get the nod if the series gets included.

Obviously, Simon's moveset writes itself, with his trusty Vampire Killer whip as his primary weapon and trademark sub-weapons like daggers, holy water, throwing axes and the like making the bulk of his special moves. Simple in execution, it makes him a solid mid-range character bound to pull a lot of his options from the older Castlevania titles. There isn't much for me to expound on here, since most of these things have already been thrown around as the mostly accepted ideas behind his inclusion ever since Snake made it into Brawl.

1. Travis Touchdown (No More Heroes)

"Everybody deals with grief differently, right? Some people f*** at funerals... I cut off heads."

In the past two Smash titles, Snake and Bayonetta made the transition to a family-friendly game with relative ease without sacrificing the perks which made them cool. That transition isn't easy, as M-rated characters often lose those perks, and thus their appeal, if they get botched along the way. Contrast the weird way Mortal Kombat characters were portrayed in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe as opposed to the more solid guest appearances of Scorpion, Sub-Zero and Raiden in Injustice. That said, one standout from the Wii era who starred in two of the most crass, bloody and action-packed hack-and-slash titles of the time has the potential to make that transition work: Travis Touchdown.

Travis' movements in his home game should reflect in Smash, with Beam Katana combos that lead into hard hitting Death Blows that put others out of commission. His various wrestling throws could be implemented into a proper series of special attacks and make him more of a real grappler than the likes of Donkey Kong, giving him his own unique feel from the rest of the Smash cast. Other than that, simply tone down all those overt sexual and violent references and such from his personality, but amp up in return his nature as a joker who can quickly transform into the most feared assassin on Earth on a dime.

I mentioned at the top of this list that I didn't intend to sort out who I wanted the most or least out of my 15 picks. That doesn't apply to Travis, who at this point I want to see get in the most. As a standout, M-rated hero who starred in two of the Wii's best cult classic titles and is set to have a third on the Switch, not to mention a creator who has vocally stated his desire to see his boy enter a Smash game at some point in the future, it would make all the sense in the world to get the Crownless King into the Switch Smash title.