Note: These articles are more for discussion purposes before E3. They'll be short, sweet, and to the point for a brief recap and looking into possible characters/stages for each series in Smash Bros. These also go by a "Don't expect too much" philosophy. Please remember to be civil in the comments discussion.
The Super Mario Bros series has always had an interesting gigantic presence in the Smash Bros. series. Without even including Yoshi, Donkey Kong, and Wario, Mario has always had more content. With Smash 64, Mario was one of the two franchises with two characters (Mario and Luigi), and the only franchise with two stages. Melee made the series have five characters (added Dr. Mario, Bowser, and Peach) and four stages. Brawl made the series have six stages, even with taking away a character to give the series four (Dr. Mario removed). Smash 4 gave the series seven characters (brought back Dr. Mario, added Bowser Jr/The Koopalings and Rosalina) and, including downloadable content, a grand total of thirteen stages across both games.
So, what can we expect this time?
Returning Characters: Mario, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach will all return at some point in Smash Bros. for Switch - that's pretty certain. Beyond that? Rosalina and Bowser Jr. definitely both make good cases to stay - Both with unique movesets for Smash Bros and Bowser Jr.'s inclusion allowing the Koopalings to be playable. If one was to be cut, it would be anyone's game to guess that. Dr. Mario could be considered a safe bet too since clones are relatively easy to be put in, but, it's possible he's changed to be a costume.
New Characters: The Mario series already has a lot of characters, so it's honestly hard to say. Mario Odyssey doesn't introduce any likely contenders, either, and Nabbit has faded into obscurity. Toad is the only one that comes straight up to most minds, and while the species argument might be valid, Toad is practically a staple of the Mario universe - Even the Mario logo is based around Toad's. Waluigi is another possibility, although, I wouldn't hold any breath for that. After receiving two new games, Paper Mario is definitely a possibility, but more as another character that would be too nice to have.
Returning Stages: Keeping it down to three, Delfino Plaza, Mario Galaxy, and any one of the Mario kart stages all feel like safe bets.
New Stages: Captain Toad, Super Mario 3D World, and Mario Odyssey all come to mind.
What are your thoughts on the Mario franchise? What Mario related content would you like to see in Smash for Switch? Let us know in the comments below!
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