Assemble! - Fighting Game Archetype Roster - The Copycat

This is Assemble, where we look at several different characters across multiple series to form a perfect team-up. Whatever the case may be, whether it’s a fighting game roster or an RPG adventuring party, we’ll find the best team for the job. In a change of style from the more long-form articles featured here, these articles will be shorter entries, focusing on one or two characters each, and spread out over time until the complete roster is formed.

What would a fighting game be without a roster of several different, powerful, and engaging characters? In this batch of articles for Assemble, we will be assembling a fighting game roster using characters from several different fighting games based on different character archetypes.

The picks will be based on where the characters fit in terms of game mechanics and their place in the story and world of the game. Only characters that originated in fighting games will be observed here. That means no guest characters, no licensed fighting games (unless their roster includes original characters), and no crossover titles. Finally, I’ll only be discussing games or characters that I am at least somewhat familiar with. While this means I won’t discuss all the fighting games out there, there should be at least some variety from just the major titles.

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THE COPYCAT

The Copycat is a character that can use moves from other characters as part of their own moveset. It can be certain combo strings or special moves, but this character, as the name implies, copies other characters and uses their strengths as his own. Especially strong cases for this character can even shift into the appearances of the fighter they’re copying mid-match. They may have some moves of their own separate from anyone else, but a prominent feature of the character is their ability to use moves from others.

Our choice for the Copycat is…

Shang Tsung from Mortal Kombat.

Since his appearance in the first Mortal Kombat, this sorcerer has been able to take the appearance of other fighters, even fighters he is not currently in a match against, to use their moves and abilities in combat. Later games, like Mortal Kombat 9, have given the explanation to it as him stealing a part of their soul, since Shang Tsung is known in Mortal Kombat canon as being able to absorb the souls of fighters. While he has his own moves that he can use in a fight, a large part of his characters revolves around being able to turn into other characters to use their moves against an opponent.

For being able to switch between the moves and looks of other fighters and his own mid-match, we now add Shang Tsung to the roster.

ADDED!

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What did you think about this article? Want to see what other characters get picked for our roster? Do you think someone would fit this role better besides whoever got picked? Make your voice heard in the comments below. Thanks for coming.

Top 10 Smash Ultimate Fighters Pass Candidates

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is one of the biggest games for the Nintendo Switch. Even though the game is now out and in the hands of players, fans still have a lot to speculate on, with which new characters could be added to the game with the Fighters Pass DLC. Joker from Persona 5 was revealed to be the first of five new characters included in the Fighters Pass. Now everyone is wondering who the other four are.

This list will focus on potential characters that could be added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate through one of the four remaining Fighters Pass DLC slots. We will be focusing on series that do not already have characters in the Smash roster, as Sakurai said that would be the focus. We will be looking at series and companies that have had at least one release on a Nintendo console or, at the very least, have a well-publicized, friendly relationship with Nintendo. Characters already included in Ultimate as assist trophies, spirits, stage elements, or Mii Fighter costumes are disqualified, but characters not included as any of those are still on the table. 

As a heads-up, most of these entries are going to be third-party characters, as with so many Nintendo characters disconfirmed in some way or another, it could be reasoned that most, if not all, new representation would come from outside Nintendo.

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10. Lara Croft (Tomb Raider - Square-Enix)

The first of three Square-Enix characters, this British archaeologist is one of the most famous females in gaming. Though primarily associated with the PlayStation, the Tomb Raider series has had games on Nintendo consoles before, including the GameCube and the Wii, and the series has remained relevant to this day, in large part thanks to the remake series started in 2013. Lara brings a lot of weapons to the battle, including her trademark dual pistols as well as her bow and arrow, climbing axe, other firearms, and other gear that would help her make it through one of her globe-trotting adventures.

9. Erdrick (Dragon Quest - Square Enix)

The Dragon Quest series may be a cult hit in the West, but it is very popular in Japan, and in this February’s Nintendo Direct, several Dragon Quest games were announced for release outside Japan on the Nintendo Switch. Combine that with some potential hints from the game’s developers and a strong argument can form that Erdrick, one of the series’ biggest recurring characters, could be entering the fray of Smash Ultimate. While he can easily be seen as another swordfighter, Erdrick is able to use various weapons and even cast spells, so he won’t be hurting for variety.

8. Master Chief (Halo - Microsoft)

Just a year or two ago, the idea of putting Master Chief in Super Smash Bros. was unthinkable, the kind of stuff joke rosters were made of. He was not only the main character of a violent M-rated first-person shooter, but also the front man of Xbox’s golden game series, essentially the Mario of Microsoft. But now, it actually seems at least somewhat possible. These days, Microsoft is closer than ever with the big N, allowing crossplay between the Xbox One and Switch, doing commercials with Nintendo, social media posts regarding how well Nintendo’s been handling things lately, and the recent announcement that Microsoft plans to bring Xbox Live to the Nintendo Switch, meaning that for the first time Xbox games can be playable on a Nintendo console. A good way to bookmark the occasion might be by having Microsoft’s biggest, most recognizable character enter the roster of Super Smash Bros.

7. Neku Sakuraba (The World Ends With You - Square-Enix)

From the DS to the Switch, The World Ends With You is a quirky and stylish title that flies in the face of JRPG conventions and, as a result, has garnered a cult following. Given Square-Enix’s relation with Nintendo and the fact that the publisher only has one guest character in the roster while others have three, it could stand to reason that with Final Fantasy already represented, the next series to look at might be this well-received Nintendo exclusive, with its headphone-wearing asocial protagonist Neku as its chosen fighter. Neku’s moves could come from any number of psych-granting pins from the game, though special mention to the ones he gets for free at the start of the game.

6. Travis Touchdown (No More Heroes - Grasshopper Manufacture)

Travis Touchdown is the vulgar yet charismatic, beam katana-wielding assassin otaku that serves as the main character of the No More Heroes series, created by famous developer Suda51. The first game in the series was one of the highest-praised third-party games for the Wii and one of the first third-party series shown during the debut of the Nintendo Switch, so it’s clear that Nintendo fans love this series. Because of that, his entry may be more likely than other indie or semi-indie characters, like Shovel Knight, Shantae, or Sans from Undertale, who were respectively made an assist trophy, made a spirit, and not included at all.

5. Dr. Coyle (ARMS - Nintendo)

Ironic that, in a list about Super Smash Bros., this is the only Nintendo character.

Being a new Nintendo IP, and a fighting game at that, that did reasonably well on the Switch, several Smash fans thought that ARMS would be a perfect addition to the crossover platform fighter. Fast forward to Ultimate’s release however, and the closest it got to the roster was Spring Man being an Assist Trophy and Ribbon Girl being a Mii Fighter costume. But the playable inclusion of Piranha Plant shows that a character doesn’t have to be the main protagonist or even a secondary character to be a Smash fighter and while several ARMS characters are represented in Smash in smaller roles, some aren’t included at all. This includes the game’s main antagonist, deranged scientist and wannabe ARMS champion, Dr. Coyle. This could mean that she can still be a contender to represent this newer Nintendo series.

4. Yuri Lowell (Tales of Vesperia - Namco-Bandai)

Like Square-Enix, this is the first of three Namco characters to make the top 10 (hint hint). Seeing how they helped develop Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, it seems a bit odd that Pac-Man is the only character representing Namco in the roster. A popular suggestion for a Namco character has been Lloyd Irving from Tales of Symphonia, a beloved GameCube exclusive title, and Lloyd was even included as a Mii Fighter costume in Smash 4. However, a more likely choice might be Yuri Lowell, a main character from the more recent Tales of Vesperia. Yuri has appeared in crossover games like the Project X Zone series and a definitive edition of Vesperia released on the Switch, which may help his case.

3. Banjo & Kazooie (Banjo-Kazooie - Microsoft/Rare)

We’ve already talked about how close Microsoft has gotten with Nintendo recently, but if there’s a Microsoft character with a better case for Smash inclusion than Master Chief, it’s Banjo the Bear. Banjo and his feathered friend Kazooie headlined two well-received games for the Nintendo 64 before Rare was bought up by Microsoft and since then, they’ve only starred in one game that was a far cry from their previous outings. With Phil Spencer, the head of the Xbox brand, saying on different occasions that he’d like to see Banjo & Kazooie in Smash, all it could take is a few talks between Nintendo and Microsoft, and maybe an inclusion of Xbox services on the Switch to sweeten the deal, to bring the bear and bird back home.

2. Klonoa (Klonoa - Namco-Bandai)

Another Namco character, this animalistic kid is one of Namco’s lesser known mascots, better known for his games on the PlayStation. With his last appearance in the West being a remake of the first game in the series on the Wii, he may be relatively obscure, but a Smash inclusion could be a good chance to revive interest in the character. Not only does he fit in visually with characters like Mario, Sonic, and Mega Man, but he also has a lot of quirky moves involving wind and potential help from allies Guntz and Pango, and he is no stranger to crossovers having appeared in the large crossover game Namco x Capcom.

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Before revealing the number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Crash Bandicoot (Crash Bandicoot – Activision) - Crash may have appeared in other games on Nintendo consoles, but the release of N-Sane Trilogy on the Switch turned heads. The character is once again relevant enough to make his inclusion in Smash a big deal. 

Mason Rana (Starlink: Battle for Atlas – Ubisoft) - He is the main original character of a Ubisoft game with heavy StarFox content and the game’s continued support through Nintendo is a big example of the partnership between Nintendo and Ubisoft, even if it’s technically a multiplatform game. 

Connor Kenway (Assassin’s Creed – Ubisoft) – Like Mason, this would be an example of the partnership between Nintendo and Ubisoft, shown through some of their exclusively made games for the Switch, but this time, using a character from one of their most popular series getting a port on the console.

Spyro the Dragon (Spyro the Dragon – Activision) – He may not have recently appeared on Nintendo systems the way Crash has, but Spyro is still a beloved video game icon that has had games on Nintendo platforms.

Steve (Minecraft – Microsoft) – Minecraft is one of the most popular indie games in the world and even ahead of any deals or collaboration between Nintendo and Microsoft, it is still available on other platforms. This would be a major inclusion to announce.

Crono (Chrono Trigger – Square-Enix) – Often regarded as one of the best games of all-time, Chrono Trigger is a beloved game for the SNES and a lot of classic Nintendo fans would get excited hearing about the main character’s inclusion.

And a couple of dishonorable mentions...

Goku (Dragon Ball – Shonen Jump) - He may be popular, he may be a good character from a good series, and he may have been in a lot of video games, but he is primarily an anime/manga character, not a video game character. If he makes it in, then anyone can make it in.

Shrek (Shrek – DreamWorks) – His case for inclusion may be worse than Goku’s. While neither are video game characters, Goku is at least currently relevant, with Dragon Ball Super still fresh in people’s minds, while the Shrek movies haven’t seen a new entry in years, mainly kept relevant through memes.

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1. Heihachi Mishima (Tekken - Namco-Bandai)

This could possibly be one of the best characters for inclusion in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. As a recurring villain of the Tekken fighting game series, currently popular and relevant with inclusion in tournament events like EVO, he is up there with Pac-Man as one of Namco’s most recognizable characters. He is a major presence, having appeared in other crossover games like Project X Zone, Street Fighter X Tekken, and PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. He even appeared as a Mii Fighter costume in Smash 4. While he could be seen as similar to Ryu, inspiration could be taken from his games and different crossover appearances to make him a distinct fighter.

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What did you think of this list? Who would you like to see added to the roster of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate? Make yourself heard in the comments below.

Thanks for coming!