Popularitywise, we have a few clear frontrunners, but there are some other factors to consider as well
Posted by Nicholas 'MajinTenshinhan' Taylor • April 1, 2020 at 10:31 a.m. PDT • Comments: 14
It was announced earlier this week, albeit in a slightly unceremonious manner, that the next Super Smash Bros. Ultimate character to be added to the game, and thereby kicking off the game's second Fighter Pass, will be from Nintendo's fresh Switch intellectual property ARMS.
What wasn't mentioned at all though was just who it will be. All that was said was that the fighter will be able to extend their arms — a universal trait in the game, since that's how you fight. Let's take a look at some of the most likely candidates for being the next Super Smash Bros. fighter releasing in June.
First of all, Nintendo went against the grain with this announcement in a big way by not showing any trailer or any hype buildup but simply telling everyone straight that the next character will be from ARMS and that we will be seeing them in June instead of right now.
Arms Smash Ultimate Release Date
However, in Smash there is Shield Drop which takes 11 frames in Ultimate. So if all else was equal, you could be as disadvantaged as -11 on an attack and still be 'neutral'. HUGE EXCEPTION: Jump, Up B, and Up Smash out of shield ignore Shield Drop frames. So, since some characters have a 3 frame Up B, -3 would be unsafe against those characters. It's been known for quite some time that the next Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC fighter would be a character from Nintendo's Arms fighting game, and the company has at last revealed exactly who.
What this means for the identity of the character is really anyone's guess — I have my own personal theory which I'll be outlining towards the end of the article, but the fact of the matter is there are some quite popular fighters to choose from in the game of ARMS who could be the Smash Bros. candidate we're looking for, so let's see which characters stick out as most likely from the roster and why they do.
The poster boy of ARMS, Spring Man seemed like most people's natural choice for a representative of the game when roster discussions were being done before the release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
After he showed up in the game as an Assist Trophy, any discussion about not just him but ARMS in general died off in a big way, with many people assuming that ARMS had simply been deemed not important enough or too new to be a part of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and that the fledgling franchise might get its shot next time around.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a crossover Nintendo fighting game directed by Masahiro Sakurai and released on December 7th, 2018 internationally to critical acclaim. It is the fifth installment in the Super Smash Bros. Series (sixth if both the Wii U and 3DS versions of Super Smash Bros. 4 are counted separately). This page explains in detail the interactions between the ARMS series and the Super Smash Bros. 1 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 1.1 Min Min 1.2 Spring Stadium 1.3 Spring Man 1.4 Mii Fighter costumes 1.5 Spirits 1.6 Music tracks 2 License December 7, 2018 ARMS5 Super Smash Bros. ARMS elements confirmed so far in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate are: 1 playable character (Min Min (DLC)) 1 stage.
Now that we know that isn't the case, though, it's hard to gauge what situation Spring Man is in, exactly. My colleague Justin 'AdaptiveTrigger' Gordon wrote a piece the other day outlining the case for Assist Trophies becoming playable via DLC and while we certainly have seen such promotions in the past between titles (Little Mac and Isabelle both started out as Assist Trophies before being promoted to playable in the next Smash installment), I'm not going to be holding my breath unless we actually get specifically Spring Man confirmed.
Looking past the whole Assist Trophy issue, the arguments for Spring Man are easy to make — he's on the box, he was the first character we got to see for ARMS and he's essentially framed as the main character.
However, the counteragument is that ARMS is pretty thin on story even as far as fighting games go and since its release we've gotten a good look at which characters are actually popular with fans, which means arbitrarily shoving Spring Man in the game when other characters have much bigger fanbases could come off as a pretty tonedeaf move.
Spring Man is a fine representative for ARMS when the game has nothing but an Assist Trophy in Smash, but when you're making a playable debut it's not like he's a Mario or a Link where his presence is the lifeblood of the series — he's just one of a bunch of fighters who happened to be on the box.
Personally, I feel like making it Spring Man 'just because' would be a mistake since at least to us out in the public this isn't a franchise centered around him in the way Street Fighter might be centered around Ryu, but who knows how Nintendo view the franchise and its characters.
As far as virtues go, Ribbon Girl actually shares many of them with Spring Man, with the only notable one being that she wasn't picked as an Assist Trophy for the launch version of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
She's also featured on the box art and essentially used as a mascot or face character in the same way Spring Man is. Early promotional materials for ARMS featured specifically these two characters battling it out.
One thing that separates them though is that Ribbon Girl's unique trait, being able to jump four times in mid-air, seems much more fit to Super Smash Bros. than Spring Man's would. Characters in ARMS largely battle the same way, though they all have unique abilites to them and can equip different ARMS to change your attacks up.
It's also notable that Ribbon Girl and Spring Man were the ones to get Mii Costumes when ARMS-themed ones were added to the game.
Conversely, though, this could also point towards the mascot characters for ARMS already being adequately represented with someone else being more likely as the actual fighter pick.
![Ultimate Ultimate](/uploads/1/1/8/6/118668877/531981163.jpeg)
The whole argument comes down to whether you believe Ribbon Girl (or Spring Man) are the main duo of ARMS and have to be represented. The game is new enough, and light on story enough, where that doesn't have to be a necessity. But if Nintendo see it differently, there's still a good chance that Ribbon Girl takes precedence over Spring Man as a playable character, even if she didn't as an Assist Trophy.
My personal pick for an ARMS representative (as documented two whole years ago and also fairly universally accepted as the most popular character to come out of the game, Min Min has so explosively spicy of a personality and design that when Nintendo let the cat out of the bag that ARMS was going to be joining Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's playable roster, Min Min started trending on Twitter.
A character whose entire design and even her backstory centers around the concept of ramen, those delicious noodle dishes that all of Asia (and at this point, the rest of the world) adores, she dons a knit cap which looks just like an upside-down ramen bowl and when coupled with her blonde hair makes the noodle imagery even more convincing.
Min Min's stretchy arms in particular have a noodley texture to them and as earlier mentioned, her backstory even refers to her as 'Ramen Royalty' from the famed Mintendo Noodle House.
Whoever designed this character clearly had only one thing on their mind, and it landed. Min Min has won Party Crashes in ARMS itself and popularity polls all across the web since ARMS came out. While she seems to be the clear frontrunner in Asia as far as being beloved goes, she has some solid competition for that #1 spot in the west, though, in the next character we'll be detailing...
Bringing up the rear (I know you see what I did there) we have Twintelle, referred to in-game as a 'mega celeb' and is apparently a famous and rich actress in the world of ARMS who just isn't content with being a star on the silver screen but wants to be a winner in the ring as well, therefore joining in the ARMS tournament.
Twintelle took the itnernet by storm when she was revealed for ARMS back in 2017, in no short part due to her ... well, let's be frank, her ass. Twintelle's backside made headlines back when she first came out, and she continues to be an extremely popular character today — and is currently in the lead in our poll here at EventHubs, slightly edging out the expected frontrunner Min Min.
While most characters in the game fight using stretchy ARMS, Twintelle is too busy sipping tea and making sassy poses with hers to be flailing them around and instead equips her weapons to her pigtails, being a hair-based fighter in the world of ARMS which makes her stick out quite a bit as far as her fighting style goes.
Filled with attitude, a great design and a fanbase to back her up, Twintelle is definitely not someone to be slept on as far as ARMS representation goes, and I'd honestly expect the internal race at Nintendo to be between her and Min Min with anyone else a distant third, if not for this other idea I thought of when I saw the reveal...
The way that Nintendo just casually told us that the next fighter is going to be from ARMS and that we'll see them (and have them released) in June just went so far against how they usually do things with Super Smash Bros. reveals which are usually shrouded in the utmost secrecy that even when the trailer begins, you can't be quite sure who's going to be showing up.
That's when I started looking at what little we'd gotten from them — namely the picture showing the full cast of ARMS under the Super Smash Bros. text.
This may be a long shot of course, but I've started suspecting that given the heavily customizable nature of ARMS gameplay where you pick parts and put them together to make your best version of an ARMS fighter, that the Smash character will in fact be one where you pick your favorite ARMS character and they fight practically the same with only their models and animations really setting them apart — basically a more expanded version of the concept we've already seen with Bowser Jr. incorporating the Koopalings.
The only thing that puts a dent in this idea is the fact that you have fighters like Mechanica and Barq & Byte who have such different gimmicks from the others that it'd be hard to imagine them being functional in the same framework as the others with Mechanica having her mech while Byte & Barq are essentially a duo fighter of a policeman and his guard dog.
Even if they can't incorporate the full cast of ARMS in one fighter, I am expecting us to get several character in one slot at this point — probably one where they'll cover their most popular bases, thereby certainly having Spring Man, Ribbon Girl, Min Min and Twintelle as parts of it.
One way to expand the moveset of an ARMS character in Super Smash Bros. would be to simply incorporate abilities from many different fighters anyway, meaning that they'd have Ribbon Girl's four mid-air jumps even if you aren't playing specifically as Ribbon Girl. This makes sense within Smash since borrowing moves is nothing new — Ness, for example, borrows basically half of his moveset from his party member in Earthbound, Paula.
This could very well just be my mind working overdrive trying to reconcile the strange way Nintendo chose to reveal ARMS inclusion to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to us, and perhaps we'll end up having just one specific character picked and made to their utmost. But I really think there's something to showing the whole cast by the text, and I'm expecting that we'll be in for several characters in one slot (though likely with identical movesets).
So, who are you guys hoping to see join Super Smash Bros. Ultimate from ARMS? I know we have at least one loyal reader who is very hype about the prospect of Max Brass joining the fray, and I know my personal vote goes to Min Min, so please share yours as well in the comments.
© Screenshot: NintendoMin Min ruined my Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and I’m completely fine with it.
Before yesterday, my character selection screen was the picture of perfect symmetry—a six-row rectangle featuring mustachioed plumbers, space-faring canines, and one question mark, but mostly just Fire Emblem characters. Now, the screen looks like this:
Nintendo Arms Smash Ultimate
© Screenshot: Nintendo/KotakuIt’s a total affront to the style gods. This is no matter, though, because Min Min is worth committing blasphemy. To date, she’s one the most fascinating fighters for Nintendo’s immensely popular party fighting game. Of all the DLC fighters, she certainly packs the most potential—and the strongest punch.
Min Min, a character from Nintendo’s other fighting game, Arms, brings the Smash Ultimate roster to a number so staggering you really don’t even need to keep count anymore. (Okay, it’s 81.) She’s the first new fighter included in Ultimate’s second Fighters Pass, an episodic-ish pack of downloadable content that introduces new characters, new stages, and new tunes every few months. The first pass gave players access to Byleth (Fire Emblem), Joker (Persona), Hero (Dragon Quest), Banjo-Kazooie (eponymous), and some guy with a ridiculous fashion sense (Fatal Fury). Currently, Min Min is the only confirmed fighter for the second pass, with five as-of-yet unannounced characters on the way. $30 will get you the whole pass. Or you can buy each Challenger Pack—Nintendo nomenclature for individual downloads—piecemeal for $6.
Much like how she plays in her own game, Min Min has two extendable mechanical arms (“ARMS,” to use proper parlance), each fitted with various weaponry. Her left arm is always equipped with something called the Dragon—a vaguely reptilian fist that can fire off lasers. Her right arm can switch between three weapons: the Dragon; the Ramram, a circular projectile that can immolate enemies; and the Megawatt, a beastly contraption that can only be described as a wrecking ball charged by the power of 1,000 car batteries.
Min Min’s regular attack (the A button) controls her left arm. Her special attack (the B button) controls her right. By using a down-special, you can swap between the Dragon, the Ramram, and the Megawatt. Last week, in a video revealing Min Min, Smash creator Masahiro Sakurai showed off how you can control each arm simultaneously and independently. It’s a fascinating idea in theory. In practice, it’s not so easy to coordinate. I suspect it’ll take many hours of practice before I get a full grasp on how to juggle two arms doing two separate things in two separate directions. Maybe you’ll find it more intuitive.
Still, even without making full use of her potential, Min Min is a hurricane on the battlefield. She hits hard, moves fast, and takes no names. Her range puts the Belmont brothers to shame. By holding down her side-special, you can charge up whatever special weapon you’ve equipped. The longer you hold it, the further it’ll travel. It’ll also hit with exponential force. A fully charged Megawatt can send even the heaviest fighters flying from halfway across the stage. Min Min’s grab, too, puts her a cut above the rest. It’s about as long as other ranged grabs (sorry, Dark Samus), but a bit snappier, so you won’t feel quite as vulnerable if and when you miss your mark. Altogether, Min Min, while capable in any situation, excels at a distance.
There’s not much to write home about her Final Smash, ARMS Rush. Sure, it features a neat little cutscene. You’ll almost certainly K.O. anyone caught in its path. But the entire Final Smash mechanic remains a demonstration of spectacle over skill. No new DLC pack is going to change that.
© Screenshot: NintendoThe true game-changer is her up-special, which can save Min Min from all but the hardest hits. For starters, it snaps automatically to the edge of the stage. It also has incredible range. On Final Destination, the only Smash stage, Min Min can regularly make it back to the stage from near the lower blast zone. Even from beneath the platform, it’ll still snap to the edge (within reason). You can also use it multiple times, so if you miss your first saving grace, you’ll get a second shot.
When you’re on the ground, it’s a different move, and will launch you straight up. Most potently, you can still perform attacks after using it. One fun combo involves using an up-special and directly following it up with an aerial down-attack. That’ll perform an angled dive kick at ferocious velocity. Just be sure not to do it too close to the edge; even the up-special won’t save you from that mistake.
If all of this sounds overpowered to you, well, it kind of is.
Last night, I plied my roommates with a six-pack and the fact that there’s a pandemic going on and, hey, guys, who wants to practice good social distancing by staying inside and messing around with this cool new Super Smash Bros. character? More often than not, whoever played as Min Min won handily. Min Min stopped a PK Thunder-charged Ness right in his tracks. She pummeled Wario’s knock-off Harley to oblivion (while it was reared). She sent Bowser flying off the edge at only 60 percent damage. Mario’s cape couldn’t stop her ARMS. Neither could Zelda’s reflection move, Naryu’s Love. Truly, only the most formidable contender stood a chance:
© Screenshot: Nintendo/KotakuPlaying against Min Min, as you can imagine, is a mostly futile exercise, though she has some weaknesses. When she extends her ARMS, she’s stuck in a standstill. Only the fists have hitboxes—the things that deem when characters actually connect in fighting games—so if you can dodge her attacks, you’ll have an unobstructed opportunity in which you can attack. Just keep in mind that her ARMS are not projectiles. Don’t try to eat them, Kirby.
Min Min’s Challenger Pack also introduces a new stage, Spring Stadium. It’s not Final Destination, so I’m not sure why you’d actively choose to play on it. Still, it’s a worthy addition to the demi-pantheon of Smash stages. On each side, there’s a launch pad. Combine this with Min Min’s truly jaw-dropping up-special to launch clear across the stage. There’s a ceiling at the top, too, that makes for some fun K.O.s. It seems almost needless, though. If you hit someone hard enough to bounce off the ceiling, they’ll likely careen directly into the lower blast zone, the way it’s angled. But if they’re traveling fast enough to ricochet in the first place, they would’ve just been K.O.ed in the upper blast zone. In other words, the coolest part of this stage does nothing, practically speaking, to distinguish itself from Final Destination.
All of this new content rolled out last night as part of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s 8.0.0 update. You can see the full patch notes here, but, as with many of the recent updates, don’t expect to find any paradigm-shifting changes. Falco, already a stellar fighter, was buffed to Super Saiyan levels. King Dedede, too. Other than that, the changes are mostly just a collection of tiny tweaks that only the most dedicated players will notice.
Arms Smash Ultimate Release Date
That said, there’s one notable thing that wasn’t included in yesterday’s update: Functional online multiplayer.