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Smash Bros. Director Originally Considered Other Pokémon Choices
It's been over a month since Super Smash Bros. Ultimate released, giving players tons of time to try out the new characters in the game and run them through their paces. It turns out that at least one of those characters almost didn't make it and was nearly an entirely different one. Fans of Incineroar, the fire Pokémon from Pokemon Sun and Moon, might be interested to know that the wrestling cat was almost his rival starter Decidueye instead.
In an interview with Japanese outlet Nintendo Dream translated by AllSourceGaming, Sakurai explained that he knew he wanted a Pokémon from Sun & Moon, but wasn't sure which one to go with. The two finalists were Incineroar, who made it in, and Decidueye, a Ghost/Grass-type Pokémon who specializes in archery. Unlike his hotheaded colleague, Decidueye has more of a Robin Hood style and would have likely had a more floaty, ethereal presence. Ultimately, Sakurai decided to go with the wrestle-cat.
Moreover, it more or less confirms the idea a Pokémon is assumed to be in the game's roster each time, and rumors that suggest otherwise should probably be met with suspicion. Decidueye was also in Pokken, whereas Incineroar was not, meaning the grass Pokémon already had some fighting game representation.
Sakurai also explained a few other tidbits about the roster. In Ultimate, Zelda was designed to represent both the SNES classic A Link to the Past and the more recent sequel A Link Between Worlds, which explains why she shares elements of both princesses. Additionally, some of the game's new characters, like the Belmonts, Ridley, and King K.Rool, were added due to the Super Smash Bros. poll Nintendo held in 2015. Sakurai has in the past said that Bayonetta topped the poll, which is why she was DLC for the last game.
Finally, fans of games like Arms and Xenoblade 2 were disappointed by the lack of representation of those games, with Arms' Springman only appearing as an assist trophy and Xenoblade 2's Rex getting a Mii costume. Unfortunately, Sakurai says, both those games weren't really a thing when he finalized the design document for Smash Bros. Ultimate in 2015. So that was just bad timing for those games. Maybe next time?
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was released on Nintendo Switch in December. You can find our review of the game right here.
[Source: Nintendo Dream via AllSourceGaming Twitter]
Incineroar was the correct choice.
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