The air is buzzing with excitement now that E3 is close. Games are being leaked left and right, the rumor mill is churning at full force, and fan theories get wilder by the day. Smash Bros. is no stranger to wild fan theories, especially concerning new fighters. From Master Chief to Minecraft Steve, all the way to Geno, fans are excited to see their favorite character join the fray. But I truly believe that it will be Banjo who takes the slot and here’s my reasoning why.
We’ve previously talked about the future Microsoft and Nintendo partnership, and as rumors would have it, Xbox is being serious about that. As announced earlier last week, Microsoft is now dedicated to bringing all of their games to a wide range of platforms – Steam is one, for example. Following that announcement, it is reasonable to say Nintendo platforms are included in that statement. And what better way to announce this partnership than through Smash?
There are a number of Microsoft characters that could make their way into the roster. Master Chief, Microsoft’s flagship character, is one of them. But I don’t personally think he would make much sense in the game because Snake already takes his role — that of the gun-heavy and explosive-laden fighter. Instead, it would make more sense for Minecraft Steve or Banjo to show up.
Out of these two, Banjo has the most history with Nintendo. Rare, once a developer for Nintendo, feature both Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie on the Nintendo 64. Following on the footsteps of Pac-Man, Sonic, and Mega-man, Banjo would be the perfect representative to tie up the history of gaming that is represented in Smash.
I can’t think of reasons why Minecraft Steve wouldn’t be in Smash. After all, he represents the younger audience, the Gen-Z that Nintendo needs to so desperately attract. Banjo on the other hand appeals to the 90’s audience. That said, I believe Banjo as a character has far more potential as a fighter in Smash, and as such has more reason to be included. And, as a plus, Phil Spencer has gone on record to say that Xbox would be fine with Banjo being in Smash if Nintendo truly wanted it.
For the past few weeks, Twitter has been rife with rumors about the inclusion of Banjo in Smash (although, to be fair, Banjo has been rumored for the past decade). However, speculation ran rampant when Shinobi602 — a past leaker that people seem to trust — posted a cryptic message on ResetEra. You can see the post below:
What do you think? Will Banjo be the next fighter in Smash? Will Microsoft finally see representation in the franchise? Let us know what you think below.
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