With all of the uncertainty that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought upon the gaming industry, one constant that Nintendo fans have been able to look forward to recently has been the regular release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC fighters within a few months of each other. And just the other day, Nintendo fans finally got their first full-fledged Nintendo Direct presentation in about a year-and-a-half, and of course, it came along with some brand new Super Smash Bros. Ultimate news.
Coming off of the surprise that was Sephiroth's big reveal at The Game Awards 2020, fans didn't quite know what to expect. However, despite an influx of theories and rumors, it's safe to say that few were expecting to see Smash reveal Pyra/Mythra, the Legendary Blade driven by Rex, the protagonist of Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
Although Rex was mysteriously excluded as a playable character and subsequently relegated to a bonus Mii Costume early on in Ultimate's lifespan, director Masahiro Sakurai eventually revealed that it was a result of how recently Xenoblade Chronicles 2 had released during the development of the newest Smash game. Of course, with a constant barrage of speculation surrounding which characters will be added to Smash as playable fighters, the reveal of Pyra/Mythra ended up debunking what many fans previously thought to be some of the most credible leaks, predictions, and rumors for Super smash Bros. Ultimate.
However, it seems that as of right now, there is just one interesting leak that has survived Ultimate's most recent character reveal. This mysterious leak is related to a supposed upcoming Super Smash Bros. concert alluding to Pyra/Mythra, and may just point to who the game's final 2 DLC fighters may be as well.
The Super Smash Bros Ultimate Concert Leak Explained
Now known by Super Smash Bros. Ultimate fans as "concert leak," a supposed leak posted on an online image board has caught the attention of many after Pyra/Mythra's official reveal. Back on January 8 of this year, an anonymous user made a post explaining that Nintendo has made plans to host a massive live concert featuring a symphony orchestra playing music from Super Smash Bros. sometime next year. The user noted that the concert will be around 3 hours long and will be held in Japan after the completion of the game's Fighters Pass Vol. 2.
According to the supposed leaker, Nintendo is taking "all precautions needed to make this event happen," as the event will also be streamed live on YouTube for those around the world unable to attend in-person. The leak also notes that a soundtrack disk containing every song from the concert will be distributed afterwards as well. But that's not all.
Finally, the anonymous user left fans with the supposed track list for the upcoming Super Smash Bros. Ultimate concert. It appears that the concert will include a track dedicated to each character in the Super Smash Bros. series in order of their appearance, using the main themes of past Smash entries as transitions between eras. For example, after playing every song from Smash 64, the orchestra would play the main theme of Melee, acting as a transition into the next song dedicated to Peach, one of the first new characters introduced in Super Smash Bros. Melee.
Interestingly, the track list seems to be finalized, including tracks for all 6 characters in Smash Ultimate's Fighters Pass Vol. 2. At the time of the track list's posting, Sephiroth was the most recently revealed DLC fighter, but the list does go beyond "One-Winged Angel" from Final Fantasy 7.
Of course, the inclusion of "Counterattack" from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 immediately after "One-Winged Angel" is what makes this leak credible in the first place, since Pyra/Mythra had not been officially revealed at the time, nor were many talking much about the characters at all. But what is really grabbing the attention of fans now is the inclusion of the tracks "N. Sanity Beach" and "Proof of a Hero."
To clarify, "N. Sanity Beach" is the theme for the home of Crash Bandicoot, which serves as the starting point for the original Crash Bandicoot game and has appeared in many subsequent titles, also acting as a main theme for the series. Respectively, "Proof of a Hero" comes from Monster Hunter, also serving as that series' main theme in many games. Now, fans have their eyes set on Crash Bandicoot and a Monster Hunter as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's final 2 DLC fighters, but just how likely are they to appear in Smash?
Crash Bandicoot
It's safe to say that Crash Bandicoot has been nothing if not at the front of Smash fans' minds as of late. For starters, a "Crash Bandicoot 5-Year Plan" supposedly leaked a few months ago, outlining a roadmap of planned Crash Bandicoot-related content, including a "Crash Bandicoot crossover for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" in 2021. While this is a rumor at its core, it may be worth mentioning that a Crash 5-year plan was previously mentioned in an issue of Licensing Source Book Europe.
Additionally, fans have noted the Switch ports of Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled, and Crash Bandicoot 4, which was only announced earlier this month, as proof of a growing relationship between Nintendo and Activision regarding the Crash IP. Because of the recent Crash 4 announcement, many fans expected the character to be revealed for Smash at the most recent Nintendo Direct, but now fans hope for Crash's reveal at E3, which would be appropriate for such a large-scale event.
Monster Hunter
Monster Hunter is a franchise that has had quite an interesting history with Super Smash Bros. in recent years. Monster Hunter Rise's Switch exclusivity serves as proof of a strong Nintendo-Capcom relationship, but when thinking of Monster Hunter in Smash, many fans may point to the inclusion of Rathalos in Ultimate as both a Classic Mode boss character and an Assist Trophy. However, Monster Hunter's representation preceded Smash Ultimate with the inclusion of the Hunter Set and Rathalos Set Mii Costumes in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U in the game's 4th wave of Costumes.
Interestingly enough, those Monster Hunter Mii Costumes are nowhere to be found in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and since a common fan theory regarding fighters in Smash says that characters with Mii Costumes won't be added as playable fighters, the exclusion of the Costumes has led fans to hold out hope for a Monster Hunter as a DLC fighter. Of course, this goes without saying that the Mii Costumes could make their way into Super Smash Bros. Ultimate at any second, but only time will tell for now.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available now for Switch.