Source Gaming’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighter Pass Poll Results

Starting us off is Mr. FPS. Sure Doom revolutionised the genre but Halo caused it to explode, especially on consoles where the genre was still trying to find its footing after the success of Golden Eye. Microsoft flagship franchise, Master Chief only suffers because of a complete lack of Nintendo presence and the being the mascot of a major competitor. But if Nintendo and Microsoft can team up, well then anything is possible!

Despite the already existing Mii Fighter costume, hope is still strong for Rex to join the fray presumably with Pyra, and hopefully Mythra, in toe. The Xenoblade series is one of the few in Smash that I really do feel needs a second rep whether that be Elma or Rex. It’s a shame that, if this was a regular Smash Bros. game then Rex would have likely made it. He just missed the cut-off point.

In 8th we have the poster boy for western fan bias. Before people get mad, I love Rayman and would like to see him in the game but his absolute lack of popularity in Japan is always ignored by fans in the west. When big Japan characters like Erdrick and Arle are brought up western fans claim they don’t have a chance because they have no presence over here but then parade Rayman as one of the most likely characters despite a similar situation to the two above. Regardless though I would like to see Rayman get in  but maybe please both fanbases and have him launch alongside a big japanese character.

7. Crash Bandicoot

Now unlike Rayman, Crash Bandicoot is a big western platforming mascot with a Japanese fanbase. People really latched onto Crash worldwide and at one point he hit the heights of Mario and Sonic. It was simply Activision buying the rights and then sleeping on them for nearly a decade that caused Crash to fall. But with his recent comeback now could finally be his time.

6. Steve

And in 6th we have the most divisive character out there right now. Love him or hate him, Steve is the avatar of Minecraft, one of the biggest franchises ever released and is recognisable by so many people. He feels really likely and I would accept it if he made it in, although he is not my first choice from Microsoft.

5. Geno

In 5th we have the bandwagon king Geno. There are a lot of legitimate fans for Geno who have been pushing along ever since Melee but he is still so obscure and I do wonder how many people picked him for his design or because he has been hyped up for so long. It’s not like Super Mario RPG has been readily available in recent years. Geno would be unique though, I can’t deny that and I think simply for the fan commitment I would like to see him get in one day.

4. Shantae

Our number 1 indie rep is in 4th place. Shantae made it into Super Smash Bros. in spirit form which is a great acknowledgement of her popularity but now fans want to see her make that next step. The Shantae games are fantastic so I wouldn’t mind seeing her make the cut. For indie characters, I think it would have to be either her, Shovel Knight, Sans, Quote or Reimu at this point and her popularity and moveset potential maybe what pushes her to the top of that list.

3. Sora

Finally the top 3 and we have Sora, the keyblade master of confused copyrights. I love Kingdom Hearts so Sora, possibly with a Roxas echo, would be amazing and the series definitely deserves it. It’s massive, the 3rd highest grossing Square series just after Dragon Quest I believe. Although I made the copyright joke I actually don’t think that’s what will prevent Sora, I honestly feel it is simply that Dragon Quest is the bigger, more iconic, series. Sorry Sora fans.

2. Bandana Waddle Dee

Taking the silver medal we have the modern all-star, Bandana Waddle Dee. The player 4 of the Kirby series and a representative of modern post-Sakurai Kirby, it is only a matter of time until Bandana Waddle Dee makes it and if this had been a regular Smash game with around 18 newcomers then I feel confident that he would have made it. Bandana Dee is probably the most likely 1st party character outside of a brand new character that’s a surprise marketing pick, like someone from Astral Chain for example. However, I actually think the lack of him being a surprise character is actually a detriment. It’s also why I think it’s unlikely that we get a first party at all in this DLC, but that’s my opinion.

• 1. Banjo & Kazooie

And in first place, taking the golden jiggy for the win it is Banjo & Kazooie. Honestly I feel like these two are really likely, They almost certainly did well in the ballot, Microsoft and Nintendo seem to be on good terms. The only issue I could see is if the demand for Steve and Minecraft content in Smash Bros. from Nintendo overruled the fan demand for the bear and bird duo. I really hope that’s not the case because if Nintendo and Sakurai reveal a Microsoft rep that is not these two that’s going to break so many fans hearts and surely they know this right? This duo has been requested just as long Geno has, are popular worldwide and if Rare had stayed on at Nintendo it would be a guarantee that they would have both made it in already. The biggest is Steve and just a lack of modern relevance outside the Rare Replay collection from a few years back.