After the latest Nintendo Direct made a slight mention of Super Mario Bros. finally coming to the Nintendo Switch, the Goomba Stomp staff have decided which characters they would love to see make the roster…but probably won’t. Get ready to smash and punch your way through these notable Nintendo personalities, and leave a comment to any character you’d like to fight alongside in the next entry to the Super Smash Bros. series.

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Neku

Ever since Cloud was announced as a DLC character for Smash 4 the floodgates have been thrown open as far as possible new fighters go. It demonstrated that Nintendo and Square Enix have quite the comfy relationship and that point has only been further proven with Square Enix developing Octopath Traveller for the Switch. More importantly, however, is that The World Ends With You: Final Remix is being made for the hybrid console, making one of the best JRPG’s of all time relevant again just in time for the game that relishes in celebrating gaming history.

If our stereotypically, spiky-haired protagonist, Neku, made it into the Smash roster I would fanboy into orbit. The telekinetic powers granted to him by the various pins he equips offer a plethora of possibilities in regard to how Neku could attack. Fireballs, ice pillars, earthquakes, psycho-slashes, twisters, pressure mines; the list goes on. Being a psychic user he may share some similarities with Smash mainstays Ness and Lukas, but Neku can differentiate himself by mixing in his flashy, hip-hop inspired melee attacks for a hit-and-run style zoner.

As an added bonus, we can add in Sho “Pi Face” Minamoto as an assist trophy so he can use his trademark megaphone to shout so many trigonometric terms that those caught in his path are forced to jump off the stage to end the madness. (Matthew Ponthier)

Snake

Of every character adopted into Super Smash Bros.’ ever-growing roster, few have brought with them such an intense degree of surreal whimsy as Snake. Introduced in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as an amalgamation of Metal Gear Solid’s two co-leads, Snake sported the head of Big Boss, the body of Solid Snake, and virtually no recognizable moves from his home series. He had access to his crawl, CQC, and the iconic cardboard box that’s served as almost a mascot for MGS, but the majority of his weapons were removed due to their realistic imagery. Fans could kiss goodbye to Solid Snake’s SOCOM, the incredibly useful tranquilizer gun, and Big Boss’ knife. On paper, losing access to Snake’s guns would naturally lead to a disjointed character, but this limitation paved the way for one of the best move sets to grace the series.

Acrobatic, fluid, and with a considerable amount of weights to his movements, taking the time to master Snake’s play style will almost certainly guarantee a high win rate. Unfortunately, while just about every playable character returned in Smash 4 either in the base game or as DLC, Snake was one of the few omissions. While the series is in no way, shape, or form still the juggernaut it was by the time of Smash 4’s launch, in large part thanks to Hideo Kojima’s firing, reintroducing Snake into Smash 5 could only do good for his image, and the game itself. With an already developed play style and Konami still looking to keep the series alive (see: Metal Gear Survive,) this might actually be the best moment to include Snake as a guest character once again. It would be a sign of good will on Konami’s part, showing fans they still care about keeping the series’ legacy alive. Plus, it’d just mean reintroducing one of the most creative characters in the franchise.  (Renan Fontes)

Rex

Even though it came out at the tail end of last year, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was precisely the hardcore JRPG experience that the Switch needed. Apart from a truly gripping story, the game’s greatest strength was its myriad of memorable main characters and rare blades. The list of potential picks for Smash is a long one; what fan wouldn’t love to see Tora and Poppi, Nia and Dromarch, or even Malos in the game? Seeing as XC2 will likely only get one series representative for its Smash premiere, however, Rex makes the most sense as the face of the game. Not only is he at the crux of the game’s plot (along with Pyra and Mythra), but he’s also a genuinely likable, goofy character that would be a great juxtaposition to much of the roster’s more serious combatants.

As weapons, Pyra and Mythra are really interesting characters in their own right. They’re something of a Dr. Jekyll and Dr. Hyde, with gentle and sweet Pyra being the perfect juxtaposition to the more tsundere, battle-hardened Mythra. Since Pyra is technically a lesser form of Mythra, and Mythra also has an ultimate form, Rex could work similarly to how the Pokemon Trainer did in Brawl. Pyra could be the light form, Mythra the middle and the ultimate version of Mythra the heavy. Furthermore, Rex’s move set could correspond to Pyra’s default move set in the game. This would open up the possibility for Rex to do things like Topple opponents or inflict twice the damage if they’re facing away from him. Rex could charge downwards at someone in his salvaging gear for his Down-B and could Launch someone with his Up-B. And the Final Smash? Calling down a massive stream of ether energy from the heavens via Siren. If the preliminary sales of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 are anything to go by, it’s likely a fairly safe bet that we’ll see a Rex reveal trailer as we move into the summer months. (Brent Middleton)

Celeste

I humbly nominate Madeline, the lead character from Matt Thorson’s platforming mountain of awesome-ness, Celeste, for inclusion in the newest Super Smash Bros. As a character, Madeline has mountain-scaling chops that would make even the Ice Climbers weep. Madeline is smart and believable, already a beloved icon after only one game. Her standing move-set feels ready-made for Smash – all about precise air dashes which are essential to the Smash landscape, and throw in some assists from Mr. Oshiro, Granny, Theo, Dark Madeline, and some impossible strawberries, and we’re halfway up the mountain. The classic and smart 16-bit look and feel of Celeste lends itself to a perfect new Smash stage, complete with seemingly impossible platforms, jumps, and disappearing pink clouds. Moreover, Celeste is a game that deserves to be honored – its remarkable gameplay was enough to make it great, but it is further lifted up by a compelling storyline and meaningful themes that are deeply reflected in the action and gameplay. What better way to send home Nintendo’s glorious new commitment to high-quality Indies than to include one of its newest and dearest? Madeline is ready to climb into Smash and punch Mario in the face, and I’m ready to reach the peak beside her. (Marty Allen)

Qbby

The hero of Nintendo’s BoxBoy! series may only have four pointed ends, but after headlining a successful trilogy of puzzle games on the 3DS, he’s definitely a star. It’s time to consider this adorable little square a part of the franchise stable, and the best way to validate his significance is to put Qbby in the ring. Sure, his unique ability to kind of clone himself into a string of boxes might not at first seem like it can compete with the kind of bombastic attacks that swords, fireballs, laser blasts, umbrellas, etc. can offer, but Qbby isn’t some one-trick poly[gon]. As seen in BoxBoy! and its two sequels, BoxBoxBoy! and Bye-Bye Boxboy!, there are a wide assortment of special blocks that Qbby can create in order to bring the hurt to his foes. Rocket boxes, bomb boxes, portal boxes, and whatever other weird ideas Sakurai could have could make Qbby an extremely flexible character, regardless of the rigidity of his shape.

The stark aesthetics of this simple box/boy hybrid would be a welcome addition to an insanely colorful cast. As a casual player who often picks characters based on arbitrary reasons, I could see myself choosing Qbby purely for his ability to stand out from the rainbow pack. Seriously. Anyway, the little guy is a HAL creation, and with that studio developing the Switch version, finally acknowledging all the good work he has put in just makes sense. (Patrick Murphy)

Eric Cartman’s, the Coon

The Smash Bros. series has included some pretty wacky third party characters over the years. We’ve seen Sonic, Solid Snake and Pac Man all go head to head with Mario and Link. So with the announcement of a new Smash Bros. for Switch, what characters could we see? Nintendo currently has third-party deals going on with Bandai Namco and Ubisoft. Could we see someone from Soul Calibre or Code Vein make an experience? Could we see the Rabbids or even Bayek of Assassin’s Creed Origins?

What if they went even further? What if they made their craziest third party character announcement yet? What if Eric Cartman’s alter ego, the Coon, was in Smash Bros. for Switch? A South Park character in Smash Bros. may seem way to obscure and nonsensical to be real, but there is some logic behind the hope. In the same Nintendo Direct as the Smash Bros. announcement, South Park: The Fractured but Whole was announced for Switch, with a release date of April 24th. South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker are self-proclaimed video game enthusiasts and may be interested in having the Coon star in one of gaming’s biggest franchises. As mentioned before, Ubisoft recently created Mario + Rabbids for Switch and so may have some pull with Nintendo, and The Fractured but Whole was made by one of their studios.

Maybe this is just wishful thinking. South Park has a tendency of being… provocative, which may not line up with Nintendo’s family-friendly formula. Yet Bayonetta, a highly sexualized character, was in the Wii U roster. The Coon’s up close and personal skillset would work great in Smash Bros., and just imagine how funny it would be to hear Cartman poke fun at all of Nintendo’s other I.P. (Chris Bowring)

Professor Layton

While a behatted gentleman known for his intellect might not seem like an optimal pick for a Super Smash Bros. game, Professor Layton would make for an intriguing addition to the roster. Given the Layton series’ almost exclusive appearance on Nintendo handhelds and developer Level 5’s close relationship with Nintendo, adding Layton to Super Smash Bros. shouldn’t pose the same difficulty as adding other third-party characters has in the past. The Professor’s adventures in the Layton series provide plenty of source material for Nintendo to develop a very creative moveset, as he has brandished weapons as diverse as swords, pipes, and slot-machine guns. Add in sure-to-be-hilarious taunts provided by Layton’s English voice actor, Christopher Robin Miller, and everyone’s favorite gentleman would be sure to impress in his Smash debut. (Izsak Barnette)

Midna

The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess may lack the iconic artistic and thematic direction of prior three dimensional Zelda’s, but it boasts bundles of brilliant bits regardless. From grandiose dungeons, to ingenious items, to quirky gimmicks; The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess is a dazzling installment in the expansive fantasy franchise. Its greatest asset, however, is delivered in the form of a sassy, quip cracking imp called Midna. Assisting Link on his perilous quest to thwart Ganondorf’s heinous ambitions, Midna’s aloof persona progressively crumbles as she begins to care for Link. Being supremely more expressive, humorous and relatable than other Zelda deuteragonists (sorry Fi, I’ve got nothing against you per say, you’re just a tad boring), she exists to this day as a fan favorite amongst the series’ countless classic faces.

Midna’s proven to be a hotshot with her hair, the end of which manifests as a hand (which is useful for grabbing, bludgeoning, clobbering and pummelling foes). She can also utilize the twilight in an abundance of creative ways, from hopping through portals to riding wolves. Beyond The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Hyrule Warriors has granted players an expanded showcase of the degree of ass kickery Midna is capable of, and it’s due to said ass kickery that she’d be a perfect fit for Super Smash Bros., whooshing around Final Destination via her twilight trickery and battering her opponents with a mighty swoop of her hair. (Harry Morris)

Min Min

It’s perhaps a Scrödinger question until Super Smash Bros. is released, will there be ARMS characters included? It seems unlikely at first, but after considerable thought, personalities like Min Min would be the perfect fit for such a game. It would be an insult to this relatively successful new title if some of the battlegrounds weren’t based on some of ARMS’ best arenas, an opportunity I’m sure Nintendo won’t miss.

What makes Min Min more likely than her other ARMS counterparts is that she is known for additionally using her feet to fight, ensuring more flexibility into her Super Smash Bros. moveset. Min Min also has an aesthetic that would adapt well to the series, with her arms and body resembling a traditional Chinese dragon. Ribbon Girl and Spring Man would also be good additions, but if there could only be one character from ARMS then Min Min it is. (James Baker)

Simon Belmont

The heir to the renowned Vampire Killer and of the Belmont clan, Simon Belmont may have became the most famous vampire hunter but he has yet to make an appearance in the Super Smash series – and chances are, he never will. With the use of his whip in eight directions, and holy water, an axe and the crucifix as secondary weapons, Simon Belmont could bring a refreshing fighting style to the fray. He’s iconic for Nintendo fans, having been around since the NES days and one of the most famous video game characters of all time. If anyone deserves to represent Konami, it’s Simon Belmont who has been there from the very start of the Castlevania series. (Ricky D)