“Everyone Is Here” is the main theme of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Every character that has ever appeared in a previous Smash entry was able to return as a result of this. Indeed, this resulted in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s roster of 86 characters after DLC had concluded.
It’s interesting to think about how Super Smash Bros. Ultimate could’ve ended up with a slightly varied roster based on the development cycles of past entries. After all, there have been a number of character concepts that Masahiro Sakurai had considered before scrapping altogether.
For Super Smash Bros. Melee, we only know about Snake, Sonic, Lucas and Wario that made it to the “planning stages” of development, but ultimately didn’t make the cut. It’s worth highlighting that all four of these fighters ended up getting included in the next iteration of the series, Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii.
Snake and Sonic were the first third party characters to ever be included in the Super Smash Bros. series. It could’ve happened earlier since Yuji Naka and Hideo Kojima both separately asked Sakurai to include Sonic and Snake respectively, but these requests were impossible to fulfill due to time constraints.
Funnily enough, Sakurai later stated that his friend, Kojima, “practically begged” him to put Snake into Super Smash Bros. We’d later learn that Kojima was determined to get Snake into Super Smash Bros. since it was actually his son that wanted to see the Metal Gear rep included.
Outside of those four, Sakurai also briefly considered Takamaru, Mach Rider, Ayumi Tachibana, Balloon Fighter, Urban Champion, Bubbles and the Excitebiker, but these concepts ultimately didn’t go very far.
Mach Rider might’ve been nothing more than just a spur of the moment joke that Sakurai came up with when he was asked by a fan which character he’d like to include in Super Smash Bros. Melee if he had more time. Ultimately, he said that he liked Mach Rider since he thought he had a funny name.
Balloon Fighter, Urban Champion, Bubbles and the Excitebiker were all considered for Super Smash Bros. Melee’s “retro slot.” However, it was eventually decided that this slot would be given to the Ice Climbers due to the unique nature of their two-in-one fighter archetype.
Of course, the Balloon Fighter is already effectively referenced in the Villager and Isabelle’s movesets. More specifically, their up specials allow them to temporarily float in the air thanks to a couple of balloons, which is clearly intended as a nod to the Balloon Fighter.
The most interesting of these considered characters are Takamaru and Ayumi Tachibana. At the time, Sakurai felt as though both of these fighters lacked familiarity abroad.
Both The Mysterious Murasame Castle and Famicom Detective Club were Japanese-exclusive series at the time. This is kind of a funny reason to not include these characters considering that Fire Emblem’s Marth and Roy were also Japanese-exclusive at the time, but that didn’t seem to prevent their entry into Super Smash Bros. Melee.
Regardless, Takamaru has appeared as an Assist Trophy throughout several Super Smash Bros. titles at this point. His voice actor for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate also seems very enthusiastic about Takamaru getting a promotion to character status.
Meanwhile, the Famicom Detective Club games were recently modernized and ported to the Switch. Even regions outside of Japan could try out the Famicom Detective Club games for the first time.
Apparently, the Famicom Detective Club rereleases were such big successes that Nintendo even developed a new entry in the series with Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club. As such, gamers from all around the world are now much more familiar with Ayumi Tachibana.
Masahiro Sakurai and Bandai Namco recently concluded development of Kirby Air Riders with no plans for DLC. Many fans are already speculating that development on the next Super Smash Bros. — whether that be a Switch 2 Edition of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate or a brand new iteration altogether — might’ve already begun.
If any of the scrapped character concepts from Super Smash Bros. Melee are to be considered, it feels like Takamaru and Ayumi Tachibana might have the best shots. We’ll just have to wait and see if things actually play out that way.
