3) At least it wasn't Ridley. I clearly don't understand why this character is requested so much in Smash, as I can't see how they'd make him playable in a way that's fun. I'd be willing to hear an argument otherwise, though.
"At least it wasn't Ridley" ? AT LEAST IT WASN'T RIDLEY?!?!?!?!?!
Ridley would be an awesome addition! The character who basically made Samus who she is and the only important reoccuring character from the franchise! Last gen he had a big role in Prime 3, Other M and even in Smash Bros it's self. Did you see how prominently he was featured in the Other M commercial? Ridley has lots of mind share in the minds of Metroid fans. He may not be silly like Bowser or Dedede and he's certainly not as charming as Ganondorf or Hades but he's still a brilliant, robot building, pirate dragon in space! What is not to like?
Fire Emblem gets its best selling entry yet and now it gets 4 reps which is just fine by me. Lucina doesn't even take that much resources. Fire Emblems biggest success sales wise is basically Metroids lowest point with Other M so I think Metroid deserves one more with that one being Ridley.
Ridley has been many sizes before. Metroid, Super Metroid, Zero Mission, Prime, Other M, Melee, Brawl... Ridley has never been the same size. Sometimes he is completely manageable and sometimes not. Metroid, Melee, Other M commercial and even super Metroid all have reasonable size Ridleys for playability. Even if he was always big characters always change size depending on gameplay necessity. Do you know how small Olimar, Pikachu and Squirtle really are? They are massive comparitively to other fighters in Smash and it just doesn't matter. It's ok to fight on a teenie tiny great fox or have Ganondorf as small as a childs playing blocks but its weird for Ridley to be about the size of Bowser in Smash? Yeah ok. I guess people who don't want Ridley were pissed they shrunk Honey Queen for Mario Kart 7.
Ridley has a tail that can stretch but if you look at the ripped models from Brawl, Ridleys tail is surprisingly short. Don't give it a long hurt box and he is good to go. But his wings are too big you say? Charizards wings in Brawl are bigger than any pair of wings Ridley has had in the 2D metroids. Look back at how small those things are! Give something that is Bowser's size or a little bigger with Charizard's wings and hurt box mechanics and you have absolutely no issue.
Oh but his neck! What ever what Sakurai's team do?! Keep it folded up like it always is only extending to bite or give him the think Other m/Prime 3 neck. Why is that so hard?!
Give him Bowser's hunched posture! He almost never stands up right to begin with so he can be big in Smash. Give him Charizard's wings and tail. Give him Donkey Kong's long arms and make him run on his hands and feet like he did in ALL the 3D Metroids! There you have it, a good body conceptualized by yours truly!
Moveset. Look at all the moves he did in Brawl? He fought just like Dyna Blade! Which makes sense considering what they are. Bowser is much less animalistic now so Ridley can fill that void. Now then, don't like those moves well then like these:
Jabs - Claw swipe X2, tail stab.
Forward Tilt - Bite.
Up Tilt - Wing attack/upward tail stab.
Down Tilt - Tail Sweep
Dash - Rushing pounce like a Xenomorph.
D Air - Pogo tail(remember that from Super Metroid)
F Smash - Tail drill.
U Smash - Jumping bite.
Specials would include fire balls, a grappling tail that could yank others out of the sky and super fast and far reaching dashes across the screen, think Ike.
Imagine his grabs? D Grab - shuttle loop and grind them against ground. Oh and mid air grabs like Bowser. It would be spectacular!
Give him 3 jumps and flying mechanic like Peach and woah you've got something good!
His physical body alone gives so much to work with, why wouldn't anyone want that? Or at the very least why hope against it?
There is some real and deliberate teasing going on with Ridley. Sad thing is I am almost certain its only for a special Wii U only playable boss mode. 1 VS 4.
Now come on, who else shares in my enthusiasm for the true Space Pirate leader?!