The Nintendo hype train appears to have several stations, but the loudest and brightest one is Super Smash Bros.. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is scheduled for release in December and already we received news that Donkey Kong‘s King K. Rool, Castlevania‘s Simon Belmont, and Metroid‘s Ridley are newcomers to the game. Even with that, there are a few important characters from within Nintendo’s legacy that we believe are critical for inclusion in the next fighter.
Who can forget some of Nintendo’s best titles? When Nintendo debuted Paper Mario for the Nintendo 64, I was ecstatic. RPG’s never had an appeal for me; especially with most of them developed around grinding items and experience to overtake the end game. Paper Mario took an approach that didn’t involve grinding or levelling and had you grow gradually as you played the game. That, combined with great writing and visual “paper” art forms made possible by the developer’s creative minds, made this title unique.
That only got better with the release of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, which did nothing but amped up the content, expanded the world, and made the environment show it’s true colors. This game is up there with my favorite games of all time, but it was clear that it had an effect on the industry as a whole, especially after seeing the comments from our open letter to Nintendo.
Paper Mario’s move-set in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate can hold uniqueness as well. Utilizing his hammer to thwart his foes, and use his jump, combined with precision button presses, to do more damage to his enemies. His final smash could be the use of the series’ seven stars, to rain hell to a specific group of enemies (See the video below). There are so many different creative uses for his move-sets that can benefit him in game. Given that fact, and his impressive history in gaming, I can’t help but think he would make for a perfect addition in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Oh, and the inclusion of his partners in Assist Trophies should be a total no-brainer.
The other character is none other than Banjo and Kazooie. You know, that colorful bear/bird combo from the Nintendo 64 era? Yeah, them.
The duo dominated the Nintendo 64 with the release of Banjo Kazooie & Banjo Tooie in the late 90’s/early 2000’s. Both versions went on to sell millions of copies on the Nintendo 64, and eventually became one of Rare’s most beloved IP’s. It is rumored that the studio was in development for a third game in the series, but news of that went dead since Microsoft purchased the studio in 2002. The series moved to the Xbox 360, where Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts released. Unfortunately, the game had poor reception and eventuall,y the duo went on to become a relic of the industry. It wasn’t until the release of Rare Replay Collection when Banjo Kazooie, as well as Conker’s Bad Fur Day, Battletoads, and Perfect Dark were re-released for the Xbox One. Fans rejoiced as their classic games were released for current-generation platforms, with some redesigned with glorious HD visuals. Rare was back.
Now if the game’s history has anything to say about it’s relevance to the industry, that is one thing. The belief that the duo would fit in smash is beyond compare with other candidates. Kazooie’s snarky attitude could make her a staple in Banjo’s attacks, from pecking, rolling, and stomping her way through foes. Banjo’s ability to jump and maneuver himself around a level would compare with some of the movement in Smash Bros.. The duo’s “Up-B” attack could be a version of the spring jump, bringing Banjo & Kazooie back to the level safely.
I understand that Banjo Kazooie was developed by Rare and, in turn, an intellectual property of Microsoft’s. With that said, Head of Xbox’s Phil Spencer has made it abundantly clear that they are open to working with Nintendo on future projects, including the Super Smash Bros. series. When Twitter user @PedroDarkinson asked Phil Spencer in about the possible inclusion in Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo Wii U, he said: “I think it would be cool if Banjo was in the next SSB DLC. We’ve worked with Nintendo on Rare IP before, no issues.” To this day, Phil Spencer remains open about the potential inclusion of the music duo entering Smash.
So there you have it, Paper Mario & Banjo Kazooie as playable characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch. Do you think these characters will be included at launch, or perhaps post-release? Join the conversation in the comments, because we want to hear what you think are potential candidates for the game!
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate releases for the Nintendo Switch on December 7th, 2018.
