Why a Virtua Fighter Character Seems Obvious For The Next Super Smash Bros.

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home January 2, 2025 4 Views 7 Min Read
Why a Virtua Fighter Character Seems Obvious For The Next Super Smash Bros.

With Nintendo’s newest console on the horizon, speculation about a new Super Smash Bros. game has started to mount. Even after releasing the franchise’s biggest entry yet on the Switch, Super Smash Bros. remains one of Nintendo’s most popular and in-demand games across the board. With how high Super Smash Bros. Ultimate set the bar, it’s certainly worth wondering where the hypothetical next entry in the franchise would go.

As is commonplace with all discussions related to Super Smash Bros., questions will certainly arise surrounding what new characters will be playable in this crossover fighting game. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate brought back every character from the previous Smash Bros. games, but it also made waves with its inclusion of several fan-requested characters and new franchise representations. The next game could likely feature the first playable character from a venerable fighting game franchise: Virtua Fighter.

Switch 2 Smash Ultimate

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A Virtua Fighter Character In Smash Bros. Feels Inevitable

Smash Bros. Could Cash In On The Next Virtua Fighter Game

A Virtua Fighter character would make sense for Super Smash Bros. not only because of its standing as a fighting game, but also because a new game is on the way. At The Game Awards 2024, Sega announced that a brand-new Virtua Fighter title is on the way, being headed by Like A Dragon developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. With this new game looking to bring Virtua Fighter back in a big way, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Super Smash Bros. add to the hype.

After all, Smash Bros. has never been afraid to jump in on recently released (and even upcoming) projects with its content before. Several characters from the Fire Emblem series debuted in Smash Bros. right around – or even before – the release dates of the games they appeared in, and certain character announcements have been timed to tie into the release of a new game in a franchise. If the next Smash Bros. title is announced and released anywhere close to the next Virtua Fighter game, fans could see the Sega franchise receive a playable fighter in Nintendo’s flagship fighter.

Virtua Fighter’s Been In Smash Bros. Before

Virtua Fighter is not entirely new to the world of Super Smash Bros., as previous entries in the series have received content from the franchise. Characters such as Akira Yuki and Jacky Bryant have appeared in the form of wearable costumes for the Mii Fighters in multiple games, while Akira also appeared as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. There’s already a familiarity factor at play here, increasing Virtua Fighter’s chances of earning a playable character.

Seeing a character like Akira become playable wouldn’t be surprising, as several characters who are currently playable in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate were Assist Trophies in previous games. Characters like Little Mac, Dark Samus, and Isabelle were previously Assist Trophies in their first major appearances but would go on to become playable characters. Even though each of those characters are first-party examples, it wouldn’t be surprising if Akira became the first third-party character to jump from being an Assist Trophy to being a playable character.

If the next Smash Bros. title is announced and released anywhere close to the next Virtua Fighter game, fans could see the Sega franchise receive a playable fighter in Nintendo’s flagship fighter.

Smash Bros. Loves Its Fighting Game Characters

It also helps that series creator Masahiro Sakurai is no stranger to adding fighting game characters to Super Smash Bros.. Beyond Nintendo’s fellow Switch fighting game in ARMS, recent Smash Bros. titles have featured characters from Street Fighter, Fatal Fury, and Tekken. As Smash Bros. continues to become an even larger museum of gaming, Virtua Fighter could be the next fighting franchise represented in Nintendo’s title.

No matter when the next Super Smash Bros. title is ready to go, there will be rampant speculation about who will be the game’s big playable newcomers. Considering its past history with the franchise along with the upcoming release of a new game, a playable character from Virtua Fighter seems very likely. Here’s hoping the glad tidings for Virtua Fighter also contribute to the next Smash game’s hype, whenever it manifests.

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