I don't know what the next Smash Bros. will be called. I don't even care; what matters to me is how it will play and what changes will be made. It needs to take everything that was great about the first three games and expand upon it while adding new features and making it a better experience overall.
Each of the three Smash games have been classics and will be remembered over time. I feel that each of the current SSB games offers something unique that the other two don't; but the next SSB should leave nothing to desired, including everything that was great about the first three and filling it to the brim with content.
Gameplay
The next SSB should be even more competitive than Melee and balanced than Brawl. The game should be open for patching to even out tier lists once they develop and to fix glitches that people find. Overall, the game should be slightly more fast-paced and less floaty than Brawl.
No character will have unavoidable or unblockable movement changing attacks (such as the cape in Melee or G&W's upward aerial attack in Brawl). Several overpowered moves from Brawl will be toned down (G&W's downward smash, Lucas' upward smash, etc.). Bowser's side special returns to what it was in Melee. Each character will be tweaked for optimal usage and balance. Chain grabbing should also be removed.
As for the fighting mechanics, L-canceling and directional midair dodges will return (but not wavedashing), and random tripping will be taken completely out. The perfect shield and other mechanics will remain. I've considered having multiple final smashes that could be chosen before a match or during a match based on directional input, but this would require more thought; it is certain that characters would have different numbers of final smashes.
I've thought of an alternate way to use final smashes perhaps with a Smash Meter that builds up over time, perhaps by landing and/or blocking smash attacks. It could be turned on and off in options if included in the game; and if it is included, Smash Balls would simply fill the meter and therefore could not be knocked out of a character. However, only one character could use a final smash at a time, and it would be executed by either holding down the special button rather than by simply pressing it or, preferably, by using a button specifically assigned for final smashes. Smash attacks would be tweaked for balance, and there would be no copies at all, meaning only one Landmaster, one Light Arrow, one PK Starstorm, etc.
Crawling and wall hanging should have more use. Therefore, I think a fourth special or at least an alternate standard attack or special variation should be added for situational uses. This can also apply to characters who can't crawl or wall bounce; perhaps by holding the B button while Samus uses her down special, she will remain in morph ball form until the upward direction is pressed on the control stick, and in this form she can continually lay bombs (with a maximum of three active at a time). Alternatively, maybe this can be Samus' crawling ability, during which she can use bombs. Another example would be Lucario being able to do a unique standard attack while clinging to a wall. This would need to be tested to ensure that it does not break the game.
At any time during gameplay, you can take a screenshot as in Brawl. Replays can also be saved regardless of length, and you have the option of choosing a starting and ending point to cut out everything else. During playback, you can pause, fast forward, slow time, rewind, change the camera angle, and skip forward or backward by 30 or 60 seconds at a time. Screenshots and videos can be uploaded, and you can still download but also save screenshots and videos of the day. Videos of the day now include all game modes, not just the bonus ones. Names are included in saved videos but not in screenshots.
Super Smash Attacks
There are smash attacks and final smashes in Brawl. Final smashes require the Smash Ball and are largely unbalanced, with some useless ones and others almost ensuring a kill. Originally I thought of more balanced smash attacks that are usable once a meter fulls, but then recently I started watching videos of Super Street Fighter IV, and then it hit me.
Final Smashes should remain optional in the form of an item, but Super Smash attacks should be added. A meter begins to fill when landing combos or different hits within a short time frame (tapping A doesn't count). Perfect shielding adds a chunk to the meter based on how much damage was avoided, though being hit by a smash attack takes a little bit off also based on damage. Perfect shielding a smash attack adds just a little bit more than being hit by the same attack would remove. Once full, a Super Smash can be performed with a button assigned to them. Directional input determines which move is executed.
Like with neutral specials, players can press the opposite directional input of where they are facing before pressing S in order to attack in the other direction. This should also apply to final smashes.
None of these would be as devastating as an unblockable final smash, but they would add depth and strategy to the game. It would be best if they were also optional for those who want a more traditional experience. Regardless, they would be dodgeable and blockable just like any other attack. If a Super Smash is not performed, the meter continues to build; if it fills a second time, players can use the character's final smash, which empties the meter. Smash balls instantly fill the meter. Super Smash and Final Smash attacks are available via the meter in all modes, but they can be disabled in multiplayer. In custom matches, players can tweak in options how quickly the meter fills and choose how many charges the meter can have from 0-3 (only having one charge would disable final smashes without the item).
Pressing block/dodge plus the super/final smash button (sometimes referred to as simply S) when the meter is filled twice will use a final smash. Using a Super Smash instead will reduce the meter to a single fill, allowing for another Super Smash. Once an input is selected, players don't have to worry about accidentally pressing another input since another one can't be chosen until the next SS. For example, once the player presses up S as Samus, her Seeker Missile (see below) is activated, and she can attack normally before using one and in between shots. Players can hold S with no directional input to lock onto all targets or with directional input to lock onto specific targets. However, the meter does not build again until all three Seeker Missile shots have been used or until Samus is KOed.
Characters
All characters from Brawl should return with modifications plus new characters. I mentioned some of these changes in the Gameplay section, but each character will be changed in various ways. Some of my ideas are included below. Note that when I say alternate final smash, I mean that one would be chosen as that character's final smash.
The following stats will vary from character to character, but only Attributes will be mentioned. Specials are given for default modes; abilities unique to special modes (where outfit effects and character strengths and weaknesses apply) are revealed in the next section. To save space, only changes from Brawl may be explained.
Attributes: multiple jumps, gliding, floating, wall jumping/clinging, crawling, etc.
Fall: how quickly a character falls and fast falls
Jump: how high a character can jump
Reach: how far a character can attack from his/her position; includes Melee, Grab, and Projectile
Speed: running speed
Strength: ability to lift heavy objects and possibly move with them
Swim: how long a character can stay underwater before drowning (possibly infinite)
Weight: more weight means less knockback
Mario
Attributes: wall jump
Standard special: Fireball
Side special: Cape (still no effect on blocking or dodging targets)
Down special: FLUDD
Up special: Super Jump Punch
Standard super smash: Super Flame (throw massive fireballs quickly for a limited time)
Side super smash: Super Mushroom
Down super smash: Starman
Up super smash: Super Jump (throw an opponent downward in time and they will be stunned while Mario performs a strong jump; the player must press B in time to do another jump with a maximum of five jumps)
Final smash: Mario Finale
Luigi
TBA
Peach
Attributes: float and use midair attacks even while holding an item
TBA
Bowser
TBA
Mallow
TBA
Geno
Attributes: specials and final smash require timed presses or held button releases
Standard Special: Geno Beam (hold the B button and let go when the time is right; if timed right, a horizontal beam flashes that causes about 8-12% damage; if not, a little flicker comes out that does nothing)
Side Special: Finger Shot (Geno's finger opens to reveal a small weapon; if smashed, three small projectiles are fired with limited range and damage; if not smashed, only one will fire; there is a two- or three-second delay between uses)
Alternate Side Special: Double Punch (Geno fires both of his fists in the specified direction, and two new fists are formed; there is a delay as the fists are formed but not by much; the move must be smashed to be effective)
Down Special: Honey Syrup (Geno pulls out a Honey Syrup and drinks it; this is required to use his standard special and up special; after any combination of those two moves are used a total of three times, one syrup must be used before either is used again)
Up Special: Geno Boost (Geno floats up in the air with some horizontal control; this is his recovery but is not the best since it is slow, and it also does no damage; however, if the move finishes without Geno being hit) Geno receives a temporary offensive and defensive boost that increases damage dealt and decreases damage taken by roughly 10-15%)
Final Smash: Geno Whirl (Geno throws a very powerful disc of light that can raise all enemies' percentages to 999% that are hit by the attack if timed right)
Alternate Final Smash: Geno Blast (several multi-colored beams of light from the sky pummel the ground; the closer to the optimal frame the player lets go of the super/final smash button, the more beams will appear)
Alternate Final Smash: Geno Flash (Geno transforms into a cannon and fires an intense blast that increases in size until flashing and disappearing; this causes massive continual damage to any enemies caught in the blast radius)
Yoshi
Attributes: none
Standard special: Egg Lay
Side special: Egg Roll
Down special: Yoshi Bomb
Up special: Egg Throw
Standard super smash: Fire Yoshi x2 (spit three fireballs at once)
Side super smash: Dash Yoshi (run quickly as long as the stick is held and knock enemies over)
Down super smash: Heavy Yoshi (landing temporarily causes the ground to shake, especially if Yoshi's down special is used, which stuns nearby enemies)
Up super smash: Flying Yoshi (Yoshi has temporary wings that lets him fly by holding the jump button)
Final smash: Super Dragon
Toad
Attributes: fast but poor jumping ability
TBA
Wario
TBA
Donkey Kong
Attributes: walk with carried objects, can stay underwater longer than normal
Standard special: Giant Punch
Side special: Headbutt
Down special: Hand Slap
Up special: Spinning Kong
Standard super smash: Rambi Rampage (a rhino charges across the screen; the player determines from which direction)
Side super smash: Orange Grenade (DK takes out an explosive orange that he can throw; it has roughly half the damage and knockback of a Bob-Omb)
Down super smash: Super Simian Slam (a powerful slam into the ground shakes the map, tripping nearby enemies and damaging any enemies beneath DK as he falls)
Up super smash: Coconut Shooter x8 (pressing the super/final smash button toggles this temporary weapon; the coconuts are quick projectiles with good distance and knockback and travel in a straight line, although DK can't do more than jump once while holding this weapon)
Final smash: Konga Beat
Diddy Kong
Attributes: wall jump, wall cling, can stay underwater longer than normal
Standard special: Peanut Popgun
Side special: Monkey Flip
Up special: Rocketbarrel Boost
Down special: Banana Peel
Standard super smash: Super Slam (sparks appear around Diddy, then he releases a powerful shockwave)
Side super smash: Orange Grenade
Down super smash: Chimpy Charge (Diddy runs quickly in the direction he's facing, knocking enemies back a good distance)
Up super smash: Homing Ammo x6 (the next 6 shots of Diddy's peanut popguns home in on the nearest enemy)
Final Smash: Rocketbarrel Barrage
Dixie Kong
Attributes: wall jump, holding the jump button causes Dixie to glide using her helicopter spin
Standard special: TBA
Side special: Ponytail Whirl (Dixie spins to attack with her ponytail)
Down special: Monkey-Port (a teleport that is quick but causes no damage, although she is very briefly stunned)
Up special: Helicopter Buzz (Dixie spins very quickly, causing her to propel upward)
Standard super smash: Feather Bow x8 (a crossbow that fires feathers that don't travel perfectly straight)
Side super smash: Orange Grenade
Down super smash: Saxophone Slam (Dixie blows into her saxophone, briefly stunning enemies within its short range)
Up super smash: Ellie Squirt (an elephpant appears and forcefully squirts water upward from Dixie's position)
Final smash: Squitter's Revenge (a giant spider appears and fires blasts of web at enemies, which temporarily slow them down)
Lanky Kong
Attributes: longer than normal edge grabbing reach
Standard special: Grape Shooter (Lanky fires grapes with a blowgun; it can be charged, but it doesn't take long for a full charge; the grapes travel far but cause minimal stun and damage)
Side special: OrangSprint (causes no damage, but while the special button is held Lanky can sprint on his hands)
Down special: Simian Slam (not nearly as strong as DK's and doesn't cause tripping)
Up special: Baboon Balloon (Lanky inflates and floats like a balloon)
Standard super smash: Grape Burst (Lanky rapidly fires five grapes at maximum speed)
Side super smash: Orange Grenade Slap (Lanky extends an arm while holding an orange grenade, causing it to explode if it hits)
Down super smash: Long Arms (Lanky's arms temporarily have more reach)
Up super smash: Squawk Lift (two Squawks quickly fly Lanky upward, causing moderate damage upon contact; can be used as an emergency recovery)
Final smash: Enguarde (a swordfish appears in the nearest body of water to cause massive damage if any enemies get close, but it's useless in levels without water as Enguarde will just flop around)
Krusha
Moves TBA; will be removed if no unique moveset can be created
King K. Rool
Attributes: walk with carried objects, drowns quickly
Standard special: Crown (throws his crown like a boomerang; it flies horizontally and returns to his position)
Side special: Cannonball (K. Rool whips out a cannon and fires a single cannonball, then puts it away; the ball's trajectory cannot be altered, but it is heavy and has good knockback; like in DKC2, the ball can be picked up and thrown, but only two balls can be on-screen from the same K. Rool at once)
Down special: Body Slam (K. Rool slams downward; his direction can be influenced before falling and slightly while falling; pressing up cancels the slam but stuns K. Rool)
Up special: Uppercut (jumps upward with a powerful uppercut that knocks foes upward a good distance if it hits)
Standard super smash: TBA
Side super smash: Ice Shot (instead of a cannonball, the cannon fires a blob of ice that freezes on contact)
Down super smash: Juggernaut (K. Rool briefly charges, and during this time he takes reduced damage and cannot be stunned or grabbed)
Up super smash: TBA
Final smash: Cannon Avalanche (with a powerful body slam, K. Rool causes a series of cannonballs to fall from the sky that roll along the ground and fall but cannot be picked up or stopped; the direction each ball appears is random)
Link (based on the Link from Skyward Sword)
Attributes: optional tether recovery with the clawshot
Standard special: Bow (using this while a bomb is held attaches the bomb to the arrow before firing)
Side special: Gale Boomerang (unless SS has a unique boomerang)
Down special: Bomb (performing the special while already carrying a bomb causes Link to roll his current one, allowing it it fall off platforms)
Up special: Spin Attack (can still be charged and only hits once but with knockback)
Standard super smash: Elemental Arrow (the next arrow that is prepared glows in repeating cycles of red, then blue, then yellow; depending on when the arrow is released it will be a Fire, Ice, or Light Arrow)
Side super smash: Sword Beam (until Link gets hit, smash attacks fire short-range beams from his sword)
Down super smash: Mirror Shield (while active, all energy and projectile attacks that make contact with the shield are deflected)
Up super smash: Nayru's Love (for a limited time, Link does not take damage, although he is still affected by attacks, meaning he can be stunned, moved, thrown, etc.)
Final smash: Triforce Slash
Specials, super smashes, and final smash may change after SS is released.
Young Link (based on the Link from OoT and MM)
Attributes: optional tether recovery with the hookshot
Standard special: Slingshot (seeds are faster than arrows but cause minimal damage)
Side special: Magic Boomerang (holding the special button allows players to guide it)
Down special: Bomb Mask (Link almost instantly puts on the Bomb Mask, raises his shield, and detonates the mask causing short-range explosive damage; the mask must recharge for a few seconds in between uses)
Up special: Spin Attack: (can be charged to glow blue and then orange and has multiple hits)
Standard super smash: Deku Nut (Link throws down a Deku Nut, stunning nearby enemies)
Side super smash: Bunny Hood (Link puts on a Buddy Hood, which increases his speed and jumping ability)
Down super smash: Bombchu (travels quickly along the ground and explodes when closest to an enemy)
Up super smash: Song of Inverted Time (causes time to slow around Link, affecting nearby enemies for a short time)
Final smash: Fierce Deity's Mask (Link briefly transforms onto Fierce Deity with powerful melee attacks and increased range, although his specials are disabled and he cannot block)
Toon Link (a cross between TWW, ALttP, and Oracle Links)
Attributes: optional tether recovery with grappling hook
Standard special: Bow (cannot be charged)
Side special: Seed Shooter (can be held to aim seeds in 8 directions)
Down special: Parry (if an enemy attacks Link after a short time, he will counter by jumping over the enemy and slashing)
Up special: Deku Leaf (Link floats upward using a giant leaf)
Standard super smash: Silver Arrows x3 (the next three arrows fired travel much more quickly and do additional damage)
Side super smash: Gale Seed x2 (causes an enemy to be briefly trapped in a mini-tornado)
Down super smash: Bombos Medallion (fireballs surround Link for a few seconds)
Up super smash: Hurricane Spin (Link fiercely spins along the ground for a couple seconds, then becomes dizzy for a brief moment)
Final smash: True Master Sword (Link's sword briefly regains its full power visible by its glowing blade, increasing Link's sword damage)
Goron
Attributes: cannot swim and only has one jump but has higher than normal knockback resistance and resistance to fire
Standard special: Fire Punch (the Goron punches with a fist in flames)
Side special: Goron Roll (curls into a ball and rolls around for decent knockback, although he cannot change direction mid-roll)
Down special: Ground Pound (curls into a ball and jumps up if not in mid-air, then slams down hard; can be used while using the Goron Roll)
Up special: Song of Soaring (teleports the Goron straight up unless the button in held, in which case it will act as a tether recovery and attempt to teleport him to the nearest ledge)
Super smashes TBA
Final smash: Powder Keg (he takes out a massive bomb that detonates within a few seconds)
Zora
Attributes: can swim indefinitely, more attacks underwater than other characters
Standard special: Fin Boomerang (this move takes a fraction of a second to prepare before releasing)
Side special: Underwater Rush (while in water, quickly charge left or right)
Down special: Electric Field (causes damage to very close enemies)
Up special: Waterfall Climb (a waterfall appears that the Zora swims up)
Super smashes TBA
Final smash: Whirlpool (causes a whirlpool that slowly moves toward the Zora)
Zelda
TBA
Sheik
TBA
Ganondorf
TBA
Samus
Attributes: crawl in Morph Ball form during which players can drop up to three Bombs at a time, wall jump, optional tether recovery using grapple beam
Standard special: Charge Beam
Side special: Missile (still becomes Super Missile if smashed)
Down special: Bomb
Up special: Screw Attack
Standard super smash: Ice Beam (standard special temporarily freezes enemies)
Side super smash: Rapid Missile (rapidly fire up to five missiles at once)
Down super smash: Power Bomb (detonates after two seconds with a large blast radius)
Up super smash: Seeker Missile x2 (lock onto up to three targets at once and fire faster-than-usual homing Super Missiles; one target can be locked onto more than once)
Final smash: Zero Laser
Zero Suit Samus
TBA
Dark Samus
Attributes: floats in midair like Mewtwo did in Melee and is slower and heavier than Samus
Standard Special: Phazon Blast (DS fires a single horizontal shot across the screen similar to Rob's standard special but wider; it has a few seconds of waiting time so it can't be spammed)
Side Special: Phazon Sphere (DS fires a ball that slowly homes in on the nearest target but grows weaker over time and has only a short to medium range; only one can be on screen from the same DS at once)
Down Special: Phazon Shield (DS creates an energy shield that blocks/deflects projectiles but doesn't reflect them back at the user; it can be held indefinitely but leaves DS open to melee attacks and throws)
Up Special: Hover (DS floats freely until an attack is performed or until time runs out; this is similar to Pit's up special)
Final Smash: Phazon Cluster (DS fires a bunch of shots in a given direction that can be slowly turned similar to Samus and Lucario's final smashes)
Kirby
Attributes: multiple jumps
Standard special: Inhale
Side special: Hammer
Down special: Stone
Up special: Final Cutter
Super smash attacks: TBA (I need to play some Kirby games)
Final smash: Cook Kirby
MetaKnight
TBA
King Dedede
TBA
Kirby's Helper
TBA
Fox
TBA
Falco
TBA
Standard super smash: Dual Blasters (Falco gets a second blaster for double the firepower)
Krystal
TBA
Wolf
TBA
Pikachu
TBA
Jigglypuff
TBA
Mew
TBA
Lucario
TBA
Pokémon Trainer
-Ivysaur-
Side special: Leech Seed (fires a seed that acts like a hit from Lip's Stick and drains a target's energy for a short time based on percentage; Ivysaur recovers 10% of the drained energy; if used again, the current seed will disappear as the new one is fired)
Pokémon Rival
Note: This could be replaced with a gym leader, champion, etc. Like the PT, the PR would have three Pokémon and would work in a similar way. This trainer should be female.
-Chikorita-
Attributes: tether recovery with vine whip, slight weakness against fire, ice, and wind-based attacks, and slight resistance against water, electric, ground (such as Charizard's down smash), and plant moves
Standard special: Light Screen (a barrier that can be held that deflects energy-based projectiles; Chikorita can slowly move while it's held)
Side special: Razor Leaf (similar to Ivysaur's version in Brawl but faster)
Down special: Switch Pokémon
Up special: Vine Whip (slightly longer range than Ivysaur's)
Standard super smash: Protect (when used, causes invincibility for a second or two)
Side super smash: Magical Leaf x3 (the next three side specials will travel faster, farther, and home in on the nearest enemy)
Down super smash: Ingrain (slowly recovers HP until attacked, releasing the button, or recovering 15 points)
Up super smash: Leaf Storm (causes a brief gust of leaves to rise from the ground for pecking damage at close range)
Final smash: Solarbeam (the longer is it charged, the thicker and more powerful the beam will be; can be used instantly at full strength if Sunny Day is active)
-Quilava-
Attributes: drowns quickly, slight weaknesses against water, ground, and rock attacks, and slight resistance against fire, plant, and ice moves
Standard special: Ember (fires a short-range blast of fire that briefly scatters after it lands)
Side special: Focus Punch (deals decent damage but is canceled if Quilava is hit during the animation)
Down special: Switch Pokémon
Up special: Flame Wheel (leaps upward while curled into a ball of fire)
Standard super smash: Sunny Day (briefly increases fire damage for all characters)
Side super smash: Lava Plume (showers flames left or right)
Down super smash: Dig (go underground and emerge within 1-4 seconds)
Up super smash: Overheat (causes brief pecking damage at close range)
Final smash: Eruption (an explosive blast of fire that is strongest when Quilava has little or no damage)
-Feraligatr-
Attributes: can swim indefinitely, slight weaknesses against electric and plant moves, and slight resistance against fire, water, and ice moves
Standard special: Hydro Pump (a blast of water is fired; it must disappear before another one is fired)
Side special: Ice Punch (briefly freezes enemies based on their damage similarly to Ice Climber's specials in Brawl)
Down special: Switch Pokémon
Up special: Whirlpool (carried upward by a whirlpool that has increased range and damage if used while above or in water)
Standard super smash: Ice Beam (fires a long-range beam that freezes enemies)
Side super smash: Ice Fang (grabs an enemy, bites for decent damage, and briefly freezes the target based on current damage)
Down super smash: Hail (causes a few large chunks of ice to fall from the sky)
Up super smash: Crunch (grabs a foe above the user and bites hard, dealing extra damage to psychic-type Pokémon)
Final smash: Hydro Cannon (a massive blast of water is fired)
Captain Falcon
TBA
Ness
TBA
Lucas
TBA
Marth
TBA
Ike
TBA
Hector
TBA
Pit
TBA
Ice Climbers
TBA
R.O.B.
TBA
Mr. Game & Watch
TBA
Captain Olimar
TBA
These are not the only characters. I still need to decide on a hunter (or hunters) from Metroid, someone new from F-Zero, someone from Earthbound/Mother, and possibly someone else from Fire Emblem that doesn't use a sword, such as a magic user, wyvern rider, and/or someone with a lance. Other characters have simply not been added yet, such as Snake and Sonic.
Stages
Most stages should have as few random factors as possible. Any environmental events should be predictable in some way, whether by on-screen indicators or by operating in a pattern. There should be a mix of simple and complex stages, but large stages (like Hyrule Temple and New Pork City in Brawl) should be kept to a minimum. Moving and dynamic stages (such as the Fire Emblem stage) should be included along with static ones. There should be a greater presence of water in stages with at least one including a waterfall that most characters move slowly through. Standing in the waterfall counts as being underwater in terms of how long a character can stay before drowning, but rather than falling through the bottom of the stage, characters begin taking damage after a certain point. The amount of damage taken accelerates until the character leaves the water.
All returning stages should be remade rather than directly copied. This includes visuals, physics, and possibly some layout changes. Players should be able to toggle stage hazards so that every map can be tournament-legal (thanks to joshscorcher for the idea). These are the ones I feel should return:
Brinstar
Saffron City
Corneria
Fountain of Dreams
Fourside
Great Bay
Jungle Japes
Pokémon Stadium
Bridge of Eldin
Castle Siege
Delfino Plaza
Frigate Orpheon
Green Hill Zone
Halberd
Luigi's Mansion
Lylat Cruise
Pokémon Stadium 2
Port Town Aero Drive
Rumble Falls
Shadow Moses Island
Smashville
Spear Pillar
Yoshi's Island
Battlefield
Final Destination
Pokémon Stadium 3
Items
Thrown and projectile items can now be aimed similar to how the Cracker Launcher was in Brawl if this can be done right, though there's a good chance it's better if only certain items can do this. If included, aiming is more responsive with lighter items. Players can choose not only how often items appear but also how often certain items fail or backfire (such as the Lightning Bolt). Items that only appear from a character's special moves (Snake's grenades, Sonic's spring, etc.) are not listed since they cannot be toggled on and off in the items menu.
Containers
- Barrel
- Capsule
- Crate
- Egg (from a Chansey only)
- Party Ball
- Sandbag
- Sliding Box
- Beam Sword
- Fan (no longer pulls foes inward)
- Hammer
- Home-Run Bat
- Lip's Stick
- Star Rod
- Cracker Launcher
- Fire Flower
- Ray Gun
- Star Rod
- Super Scope
- Banana Peel
- Blast Box
- Bob-Omb
- Bumper
- Deku Nut
- Freezie
- Gooey Bomb
- Green Shell
- Hothead
- Motion Sensor Bomb
- Mr. Saturn
- Orange Grenade (bounces in place; explodes when attacked or thrown)
- Pitfall
- Poké Ball
- Red Shell
- Smart Bomb
- Soccer Ball
- Unira
- Bunny Hood
- Cloaking Device
- Franklin Badge
- Lightning Bolt
- Metal Box
- Poison Mushroom
- Red Essence (entire team invulnerable until an enemy smash or super smash attack hits)
- Screw Attack
- Smash Ball
- Starman
- Super Mushroom
- Timer
- Warp Star
- Food
- Heart Container
- Maximum Tomato
- Potion (heals 20%)
- Team Healer
- Assist Trophy
- Fairy (lasts for 10-15 seconds; if KOed during that time, respawn with 20% less damage without losing the life; if no damage is taken, recover 30%)
The ones from Brawl except Devil, Mr. Resetti, Nintendog, and Stafy return with several new ones. ATs still require the user to stand still for a short time before being activated.
Pokémon
Remember that each Pokémon (and ATs) can be turned on and off. A slider can be moved to choose how often each one will appear; by default, they are roughly equal, with legendaries having less of a chance to appear. There is a 1/100 chance of a Pokémon being shiny. All attacks are similar to their appearance in the most recent game but tweaked as needed.
- Articuno (Blizzard)
- Bellossom (Sleep Powder)
- Bonsly (Tackle)
- Celebi (Future Sight)
- Chansey (Softboiled or, if attacked, Egg Bomb)
- Clefairy (Metronome - random move that other Pokémon use)
- Cynaquil (Flamethrower)
- Deoxys (Hyper Beam)
- Ditto (Transform - transforms into a random character and fights on the caller's side for a short time)
- Eevee - either attacks or evolves into any of its forms and then attacks with an equal chance of all outcomes
- Electrode (Explosion)
- Empoleon (Hydro Cannon)
- Entei (Fire Spin)
- Gardevoir (Reflect - only deflects physical projectiles)
- Goldeen (Splash - useless out of water; or Waterfall - can carry enemies up off the screen if they don't react quickly enough)
- Groudon (Overheat)
- Gulpin (Swallow)
- Ho-Oh (Sacred Fire)
- Infernape (Blast Burn)
- Jirachi (Wish - recovers a percentage of the user's health after a set time)
- Kyogre (Hydro Pump)
- Latios/Latias (Steel Wing)
- Lugia (Aeroblast)
- Meowth (Pay Day)
- Manaphy (Heart Swap)
- Marill (Bubblebeam)
- Metagross (Earthquake)
- Mew (Ancientpower; will be removed if Mew is a character)
- Moltres (Fire Blast)
- Munchlax (Swallow)
- Piplup (Surf)
- Porygon2 (Tackle)
- Raikou (Thunderbolt)
- Scizor (Fury Cutter)
- Snorlax (Body Slam)
- Staryu (Swift)
- Suicune (Aurora Beam)
- Togepi (Metronome - random move not used by other Pokémon)
- Torterra (Frenzy Plant)
- Unown (similar to Melee)
- Weavile (False Swipe)
- Weezing (Poison Gas - temporary poison damage)
- Wobbuffet (Counter - more powerful but based on move's strength that hit)
- Zapdos (Thunder)
Classic: There will be a new take on classic mode that includes all bonus stages plus potential new ones. However, players can unlock modified Melee- and Brawl-style classic modes that can be switched to if desired in the character select screen. As a reminder, here is how they work.
Adventure: Players select a character but begin as their default outfit. Powerups specific to this mode allow for transformations, such as Mario's Tanooki Suit and Samus' PED Suit. Stages depend on the selected character and play like games from the character's series.
Story: Hopefully a better name will make it to the final version, but this is like Brawl's SSE. Players can choose from available characters. There is an overall plot that involves every character in the game. There should be plot twists and sub-plots, and it should stray as far from cliche as possible.
Events: Additional challenges similar to Melee and Brawl that offer unique experiences.
Stadium: Target smash, home-run contest, multi-man brawls, etc. In 10-man brawl, enemies aren't defeated with single hits but do still have higher knockback than normal. It should not be required to finish a 15-minute brawl for unlocks; its purpose would be to compete for most kills on the leaderboards.
Training: New and improved. You can choose to instantly fill up your Smash Meter, choose which Pokémon/Assist Trophy appears, have an AI player perform a specific move over and over, etc. Move lists, while not necessary in normal play since every character has the same move inputs, are useful for new players and show move effects and damage percentages.
Multiplayer: This is like Brawl's multiplayer. Options can be chosen to play metal matches, etc. Super Smash attacks and final smashes are tweakable (as far as being on/off and how quickly the meter fills).
Special Multiplayer: Same as above but with outfit effects. (I've decided to temporarily remove special modes from this blog but might add them back later.)
Rotation: Multiplayer for when not everyone wants to play at the same time or is unable to.
Tournament: Organized multiplayer mode. Choose between standard and special rules. New options allow players to use multiple characters; one possibility is for an entire roster match with lineups determined at random where players either share the pool of characters or use each character once with a final score given at the end. Players can select each CPU player's level.
Online: Choose from Casual, MLG, Random, or Custom. All modes keep track of stats except Custom, which is unranked. In Custom, players can either host matches or search for specific games; hosts can choose whether or not to allow uninvited players.
Vault: View screenshots, replays, and trophies; play challenges, the coin launcher or a similar mode, etc.
Options: Choose music, create names, configure controls, etc. Players should be able to set default name entries or choose to have names stay with control inputs (such as the first slot) until the system is powered off. There should also be an option to set a default CPU level. There should be an option to save and load overall settings that are not saved elsewhere. Unless there is an ability to back up data, there should not be a single option to erase data other than names and saved settings.
Single-Player
The title of this section is a bit misleading, since in some modes more than one person can play; but overall, I'm referring to modes that are similar to previous games' Classic, Adventure, or SSE modes. I think that the new SSB should include three main single-player modes.
First is the original Classic mode. This should be similar to how it was in Melee; that is, unlike Brawl, there should not be a set pattern with series but rather with types of matches. As a reminder here's how Melee worked:
Stage 1: 1v1 against a random opponent in a home stage
Stage 2: 2v2 with a random teammate against two random opponents
Stage 3: Break the Targets with your character's specific stage
Stage 4: 1v1
Stage 5: Giant Melee
Stage 6: Snag the Trophies
Stage 7: 1v1
Stage 8: Multi-Man Melee
Stage 9: Race to the Finish
Stage 10: Metal Melee
Stage 11: Vs. Master Hand
This type of pattern should be followed in the next SSB, all with random characters and matching stages. No series in represented more than once in a single playthrough. Bonus points return but are more sophisticated than they were in Melee. Each character should have a unique Break the Targets stage. Board the Platforms from the original SSB should make a return, and Race to the Finish should have more branching, with different paths more optimal for different characters (for example, some might have a shortcut that requires a character with wall jumping). As in Melee and Brawl, meeting certain requirements will cause Crazy Hand to appear.
The second mode is a completely redone Adventure mode with some ideas taken from Melee's Adventure mode and some taken from the SSE. This mode consists of several levels inspired by the character's games and is designed to play like that character's games using the physics of the new SSB. What this means is that as Mario, you will play in what looks like a level taken straight out of a Mario game. The greatest levels from the character's games will be used for inspiration for this mode's levels; so those who have played Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, Super Mario 64, Galaxy, and other Mario games may see some familiar sights. As Mario, you will be able to go down pipes, jump on enemy heads, and so on. You will not see any barrels from the DK series, spikes from the Sonic series, or anything else that doesn't look Mario. If you play as DK, you will see tons of barrels and will even get to ride an animal depending on which DK character you use. As Link you begin with only a sword and shield but earn more equipment as you progress.
Characters of the same series will have roughly the same levels, but they will play differently for each character. Plus, if there are to be three long levels or so per franchise, maybe DK and Diddy will share two, and each will have his own unique level in addition to having different elements in the shared levels. This is to save disc space if needed; but if there is enough room, each character will have a completely separate set of levels. This mode is made to be as open as possible, giving the player as many options as possible to complete each level. There should be branching where players can choose from more than one path and decide how to complete the chosen path. At the end is a boss battle from that game's series; the boss should be as unique and accurate in terms of battle style as possible unlike Brawl's bosses. As each character is unlocked, they can be used in this mode.
The mode allows for gameplay mechanics that differ from the rest of the game. Let's take Mario for example. At the start, Mario's standard and side specials are disabled, and his down special is the Tornado Spin. He can pick up powerups along the way that have different effects in this mode than in other modes; the Fire Flower transforms Mario into Fire Mario, allowing him to use the Fireball. Fireballs can be thrown at a higher rate, deal more damage, and travel more quickly than normal. The FLUDD, if it returns in this game, is stackable with other powerups. However, if Mario is hit he will return to his normal form. On the other hand, enemies tend to only require one jump to defeat like in the games. Also, while invincible with the star, standard enemies are defeated when touched.
Here are some examples of how this mode might work:
Samus
At the start, Samus only has her standard special, but it cannot be charged yet. Pressing the B button fires a small shot. Later Samus unlocks the Morph Ball, which is a crawling move. Then comes the Bomb, then the Missile, and so on. Eventually she unlocks the Ice Beam, which replaces all normal shots; outside of this mode, the Ice Beam is temporary, but here it lasts for the remainder of the playthrough. Finally is the Screw Attack, which is much more powerful here and replaces her jumps except when jumping straight up. It should be noted that Smash meter is only used for Final Smashes only since Super Smash attacks are upgrades in this mode. Samus has health, but defeated enemies often drop energy. After each level Samus gets an Energy Tank. Missiles have infinite ammo.
Level 1: Samus faces minimal enemies and unlocks the Morph Ball and Bomb with one strong enemy at the end, after which players find the Grapple Beam
Level 2: Enemies are standard in number, and Samus finds the Missile and Charge Beam; there is a mini-boss at the end, after which players get the Varia Suit
Level 3: Enemies are more numerous and include Metroids; Samus gets the Super Missile; there is a boss at the end that drops the Ice Beam
Level 4: Enemies must be frozen and used at platforms; eventually Samus must navigate through water, in which she finds the Gravity Suit and faces a mini-boss
Level 5: Samus gets the Power Bomb, ammunition for which is occasionally dropped by enemies; after a boss, Samus gets the Screw Attack and must reach the end, but a massive amount of enemies stand in her way
Link
Like Samus, Link begins with the bare minimum: nothing. He can only attack with kick moves, but he shortly finds a sword -- although not the Master Sword -- and a shield. When Link's health is full, swinging the sword with a strong attack releases a beam. Link starts with three hearts but gets a Heart Container after each level. Enemies drop rupees, hearts, and magic jars.
Level 1: Link explores the area and finds a sword, must fight some weak enemies, and then gets a shield
Level 2: Link enters a dungeon and finds the Boomerang; after defeating the boss he gets a magic meter which can be used to perform the Spin Attack
Level 3: Link can now buy Bombs if he has enough rupees, or he can wait until later; after facing many enemies, he finds the Bow; taking out a bomb and then using the bow causes a Bomb Arrow to be formed
Level 4: After finding the Master Sword, Link faces many enemies and eventually finds the Mirror Shield
Level 5: Link learns the Song of Inverted Time in the last dungeon, and a mysterious spirit grants him Nayru's Love for the final boss fight
Bowser
Bowser's abilities, rather than stacking, change from level to level; in each he must defeat Mario, but Mario keeps coming back stronger than ever
Level 1: Bowser fights Mario atop a bridge, but Mario can only jump; Bowser must prevent Mario from reaching a hammer on the other side of the bridge; his standard special fires long-range fireballs
Level 2: Mario can now grab, so Bowser must watch his tail; there are bombs scattered around the platform. Bowser can fire various types of fireballs that replace his other specials, but he can still use melee attacks
Level 3: Bowser has even more fireball variety, but Mario has a FLUDD and can use it to distinguish Bowser's flames; Bowser can only use fireballs here
Level 4: A fight in space, Mario has the Tanooki Suit and loves to use the Ultra Jump; Bowser has fire breath and his normal specials
Level 5: An all-out fight to the finish. Mario and Luigi team up against Bowser, but here Bowser -- unlike his foes -- can use both Super Smash and Final Smash attacks when the meter is filled enough
Pokémon Trainer
Rather than directly controlling Pokémon, you give commands. When a Pokémon is defeated you have the option of catching it but can only have three Pokémon with you at a time. These are the Pokémon that will eventually be at your disposal: Squirtle, Ivysaur, Charizard, Pikachu, Jigglypuff, and Lucario. The Pokémon Rival has these same options but different starters: Chikorita, Quilava, and Feraligatr.
Level 1: Get Squirtle, battle, and catch your first Pokémon (choose between two at random)
Level 2: All Pokémon learn a second move; battle the Rival and catch a third Pokémon (choose between two at random)
Level 3: Face wild Pokémon (mostly those in Poké Balls in other modes) and catch another Pokémon; all Pokémon now have three moves
Level 4: Battle a gym leader and catch another Pokémon; all Pokémon now have all four moves
Level 5: Catch the last Pokémon, choose your three, and face the Rival in an epic final battle
Pikachu
Pikachu starts knowing only Quick Attack. You directly control Pikachu.
Level 1: Learn Thundershock, fight Squirtle and learn Skull Bash
Level 2: Fight enemies and learn Thunderbolt, which can be used when the Smash meter is filled at least once
Level 3: Face Ivysaur, who seems resistant against electricity; learn Iron Tail, a Super Smash
Level 4: Jigglypuff and Lucario team up against you; as you are winning they flee, and you learn Double Team; they come back later for a rematch, but now you can even the odds; afterward, learn Zap Cannon
Level 5: At the beginning, you see a Thunder Stone; step on it to evolve or leave it; face enemies, learn Volt Tackle, and have a final faceoff against Charizard
This mode would have unique enemies not seen in the next mode since the focus is on each series. They would also have different health and weaknesses than in other modes, such as Metroids being weak against ice.
The third is an overall SSE-inspired mode with a plot. Cutscenes should make a return along with the ability to select available characters. This mode, unlike the Adventure mode, is no different from the rest of the game in terms of gameplay mechanics and physics. However, there should be much more variety and depth than Brawl had. Enemy AI and variety should be vastly improved. Completed levels can be replayed with any characters currently on the team, and at the end of the mode all characters are available.
However, this mode should have more soul to it than the SSE did. There should be no generic enemies as lifeless as those in SSE but rather animated, complex enemies from known franchises with strengths, weaknesses, and unique AI. Let's say that there's a level inspired by the Mario universe. Players will only find Mario-related items and occasionally some universal SSB items such as the beam sword. There will be blocks with items, pipes to travel through, Mario enemies, and so on. In a Legend of Zelda level there may be a switch to a secret trophy that requires some form of explosive, or a frozen puzzle item that requires a fire-based attack to progress.
Multiplayer
Brawl introduced some of the deepest music customization ever seen in gaming. This kind of customization should extend to items as well, including individual Pokémon and assist trophies. Players should have the option of enabling and disabling each one as well as moving a slider to adjust each item's chance of appearing.
I feel that Melee had better Pokémon. With that said, there should be no more than one useless Pokémon and one useless assist trophy, and even then it would be nice to see that useless Pokémon and AT useful in a specific context. For example, Goldeen should be useless without water, but if it splashes into water it should be able to attack with Waterfall or Horn Drill. Another thing I've considered is allowing the trainer to either give a specific command to a called-out Pokémon or choose one of 2-4 randomly selected Pokémon using the D-Pad. Pokémon is about choosing your team and what attacks they have, so it would be nice to see more strategy here.
Options for status (metal, cloaking, bunny hood, etc.) should be selectable in the options rather than having its own mode. Handicaps should allow not only starting damage but also fewer lives than the stock count or lower HP when applicable; this would make for user-created challenges with a human player with two lives against two CPUs on a team with one live each and possibly friendly damage on.
A separate option of percentage or HP would allow matches not available before such as stock matches with HP where knockback remains constant. Rounds should be added, where after a KO or set time a winner is declared (unless it's a draw) and the match is reset; players would be able to choose an odd number of rounds, and anyone who chose a random character would spawn as a random character every round. An option could be toggled to allow everyone to change characters in between rounds. Also regarding rounds, each round can have separate rules, such as the first round being a timed match with items and the second round being stamina with no items.
Timed matches should have the option of declaring a winner based on percentage or HP in case the score is even. All MP variants should have an option to force an order that characters are chosen as well as the returning ability to control who can pick the stage. An example would be having players choose a character by place (first, then second, and so on) and taking turns picking a stage.
New unique handicaps could prevent individual characters from using all standard attacks, all special attacks, and/or all items. As with all handicaps, they can only be changed from the standard values to make things more difficult, so if all players are to start with 100% damage, players can only use handicaps to raise that percentage.
Another new option prevents any given character from appearing more than once, and perhaps there could also be a special vs. mode that allows character customization taken from the new adventure mode; if Mario is given a Tanooki Suit, his side special would be replaced with a tail whip that turns players around but doesn't deflect items, and his down special would be replaced with Statue, which damages enemies as he falls and causes him to become part of the background upon landing. However, because of the high likelihood of imbalances, this option would only be for fun.
Online Functionality
This game requires players to register created names, which is done automatically. This is to prevent two equal names existing. Capital letters are different from lowercase letters, so RoGeR is different from Roger. This name is used as an identity visible by players online. Stats kept in the game are viewable online and uploaded to leaderboards. Players can contact, send messages to, and add these names (with their corresponding Wii FCs) to their friend lists. Players have the option to block communication and stat-tracking if they wish.
Almost all game modes can be played with at least one other player online, whether with a random person or with a registered friend. Players can use WiiSpeak but also have the option to disable voices from other players as well as mute or block individual players. The connection should be as smooth as possible with minimal lag. When playing online, players can choose to enter 2-, 3-, or 4-player matches. CPU players are not allowed online except in custom matches, where which players are invited.
When playing multiplayer, there are three modes: Casual, MLG, and Random. Casual includes mostly time matches with some stock matches and rare coin matches. Items are on, and any stages can be chosen. Players can select a stage as well as choose how many coins to use; the more coins used, the higher the chance of the selected map being chosen. MLG servers are played by current tournament rules and are updated as rules change. There are likely no items, limited stages, and possibly no smash meters. The gametype is likely to be stock with a time limit. Random matches can include anything with a fairly even amount. The gametype, options, items, and map are all chosen randomly. Custom games can be made with friends (which are now easy to obtain) via invites; here, the host chooses the gametype while all players have the ability to choose stages with coins.
Unlockables
Like any other SSB, the next one should have tons of unlockables. Trophies and CDs return, but not stickers. However, you can now unlock alternate outfits, which are unlocked by completing a character's Adventure mode and by getting a certain number of KOs with the character (with a human player).
There are other unlockables as well. The sound test returns as an unlockable feature, still allowing you to customize each stage's music. Unlocking all characters and stages unlocks a Special Movie featuring all characters; like with any video, you can speed it up, pause, and rewind.
Alternate Outfits
More characters should have alternate outfits like Wario and Zelda do in Brawl. Each outfit would have its own color changes but would not affect gameplay unless special modes are included. Here are some examples of alternate outfits, each with differences other than color swaps:
Mario: Default, Doctor Suit
Link: Skyward Sword look, Twilight Princess look, Ocarina look (possibly with different voices), Zora Tunic
Zelda/Sheik: Skyward Sword look, Twilight Princess look, Ocarina look
Samus: Varia Suit (includes the PED Suit as a color change), Dark Suit (different shoulders and so on), Fusion Suit (includes all color changes of Metroid Fusion)
Wario: Default, Classic Wario
Snake: includes Old Snake in color swaps
Outfits do not change hitboxes, range, or anything else; they're purely cosmetic. Also, characters' color changes should more accurately reflect those in their games. For example, DK's fur and tie combinations would match those in DKC, DK64, and some previous SSB looks in addition to new ones. Pokémon would have shiny versions as alternate colors.
Conclusion
This new Smash Bros. game would be very competitive and offer several modes of play. Unlockables will be back along with more customization options than ever before. A quality online component and lack of unnecessary restrictions (such as saved video length) will add to the polish along with patching to even tier lists and fix any glitches. There would be more characters, stages, items, moves, trophies, and game modes than ever before.
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