A rebooted Supe Smash Bros. would cut out a lot of fluff from the roster, but that doesn't mean that there couldn't be newcomers. Many franchises have earned a spot in this roster, which is why we're here today. Without further ado, let's get right into it!
To begin, there's the elephant in the room: Splatoon. This franchise is a smash hit, so much so that they were the very first thing we learned would be in the new game releasing later this year. If given the keys to the franchise, these characters would definitely stay. The move set would draw heavily from the source material, with a splattershot firing rapidly for the standard attack, ink brush attacks for some of the tilts and aerials, a toned down splashdown for the down smash, a splatling attack for the side smash, and a charger for the up smash. The specials would consist of a Splat bomb for the neutral, a slosher for the side special, a roller for the down special (though it could also work for a side special), and a super jump for the recovery. These attacks would all shoot ink, the specific mechanics of which would be tough to deal with. I've heard multiple ideas for squid form's implementation, ranging from being the down special to acting as the shield. If it doesn't end up being the shield, I could easily see the splat brella attacking as the shield's startup, with rolls leading into the dualies.
The Inkling's stage would be taken straight from the games. More specifically, it would be roughly a cross-section of the Blackbelly Skatepark stage (shown above). The symmetrical nature of the stage would lend itself to competitive play, and the slopes up and down would make every matchup more nuanced than if it were on Final Destination. Other than that, it would be relatively straightforward.
Another character who is still new to the scene would be Spring Man. You hear this one often in predicted rosters, but for good reason. Despite being a new IP in the somewhat niche fighting game genre, ARMS still managed to get a 77 on Metacritic (not setting the world on fire, but still solid) and sell over two million copies. Overall, it was a success and looks to have a bright future, and as such, a rep in Smash would be quite plausible. His fighting style would consist of using different in-game ARMS to attack. His fighting style would put a heavy emphasis on long-range combat. I don't want to go into unnecessary amounts of detail, but I will want to say that his recovery would be a high-knockback attack on the ground with the boomerang (or some other wind ARM), but in the air, he would punch himself with the weapon to launch himself upwards. I'm not sure which stage to draw from his game, but a somewhat direct translation of Spring Stadium would be the likely option.
Rhythm Heaven is another one of Nintendo's solid, beloved franchises. They have consistently scored 83s on Metacritic, and the games are quite loved. As such, it would make sense to give it representation in Super Smash Bros. There was a concept I saw online that shows how Karate Joe could work by using different concepts from the series, which really enamored me. I would show it to you, but I can't find it for the life of me. I also am unfamiliar with this series, so I lack ideas for a stage. You know the drill; give me an idea in a week, and you could be featured.
If critical acclaim is any justification for a Super Smash Bros. slot, it would be a crime that Advance Wars has no representation. The series (of the games in America) hovers around the 90 mark on Metacritic. As such, it would be reasonable to get Andy, the protagonist of the first game in the series to be localized, into Smash Bros. His fighting style would be a first for the fighting games, centering around the creation and command of minion units, ranging from infantry, to artillery, to tanks. In the stage department, I honestly have no clue, having never played a game in the series, and I have already used the idea of a stage based off of an in-game battle taking place during the fight. If anyone has an idea, feel free to contribute!
With E3 underway, the hype is off the charts! I'm almost done with this roster; I only have one more article left before the roster is fully realized. Be sure to come back for the final category of fighters: third-parties.
Read the previous parts:
Part 2 - Mario Adjacent Franchises
Part 7 - Pokémon and Metroid Stages