With Smash Ultimate just passing the first month of the game’s launch, Japanese outlet Nintendo Dream spoke with Game Director Masahrio Sakurai on his recent release and the decision for this installment’s character choices. On Twitter, Source Gaming was nice enough to translate the conversation.
In the interview, Sakurai told the Nintendo news site that the decision for Incineroar’s debut is Smash Ultimate almost didn’t happen with a runner-up Pokémon to take the roster position. The goal during the game’s development was to bring one Pokémon from Sun & Moon to the then coming title, but the choice was stuck between Incineroar and Decidueye. Obviously the competing Pokémon didn’t make it as Incineroar made it into the final roster.
Other details revolving around influence for the game’s roster, Sakurai mentions that Zelda is based off of herself from two titles: Link to the Past and Link Between Worlds. A few character decisions was said to be pressured by the previous Smash Bros. poll that was held by Nintendo back in 2015 for Super Smash Bros. Wii U which resulted with both of the Belmonts, Ridley, and King K. Rool appearing in Ultimate.
Some ideas for franchises to debut in Smash Ultimate seemed to have fallen flat due to bad timing of the project, leaving out both Arms and Xenoblade 2 from making an impact on the game’s roster. Though Springman came as an assist trophy, he had the potential to be a character if pitched sooner. But Piranha Plant still made a Smash due to being a more well-known secondary character and breaking from the trend of all characters being heros, Sakurai says.
The first DLC character Piranha Plant is expected to release sometime in early 2019 following with Persona 5’s Joker after.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is out now for Nintendo Switch.
Source: Source Gaming via Twitter
