The latest Super Smash Bros. game for the Switch is the ultimate entry in the series. It brings together a roster of fighters that most fans have dreamed of for many years now. Sonic against Mario - sure! Rare's Banjo-Kazooie up against Ryu from Street Fighter - no problem! Despite a seemingly unlimited amount of match-ups, there are a few characters that you'll likely never see make an appearance in this all-star brawler.
At the Japanese Awards ceremony recently, where Super Smash Bros. Ultimate won multiple awards, the game director Masahiro Sakurai reiterated some comments he's previously made regarding certain fighter requests (thanks, Dot Esports).
He ruled out characters like Goku from the popular manga and anime series Dragon Ball and also told Smash fans abroad not to get their hopes up for an Iron Man cameo, as the Smash series will only ever feature video game characters. Here's a translation by @PushDustIn on Twitter:
I get all these kinds of requests from abroad like, "Where is my [beloved] Iron Man?" or "where is my beloved Goku? " However, basically (Smash) will only have content from video games in it.
In his most recent Famitsu column (translated by PushDustIn and Nokolo), Sakurai also said how there was "no way" future entries in the Smash series would feature as many fighters or series representations as the type of game Ultimate has become is "unprecedented".
During the recent Direct, Nintendo revealed Terry Bogard from Fatal Fury would be the next DLC fighter and also announced additional characters would be added to the game after completion of the first wave.
So, it's pretty clear at this stage that Goku and other characters like Iron Man won't be coming to Smash Bros. Ultimate. Tell us below what other video game characters you would like to see represented.
[source twitter.com]
Comments 106
To be honest Goku has been in so many video games at this point that I wouldn't even be too upset in the impossible event that he did get in.
Good.
Very Good.
Phoenix Wright for Smash Ultimate
You know you watch too much Dragon Ball when you can look at that screenshot and know exactly which scene it's from.
He also said ridley was too big.
If we know anything about sakurai, he loves to bait and switch to surprise everybody. His 'not going to happen' could easily turn into 'its happening now, gotcha!'. Not like these characters don't have video games out there to bend the rules either (fighter z).
At the end of the day, anything is possible to be in smash. Still hope for shrek.
I'd like to think people knew about this a long time ago.
Another day, another Sakurai "Goku's not happening, Smash is a video game only crossover" comment. Cue all of the people making "Ridley was too big" comments to justify them still thinking Goku would get in. The way I see it, Ridley's case is nothing like this. Ridley's size wasn't the hindrance; characters in Smash have been sized up and down across the board to fit in Smash. It was that if they shrunk Ridley would he still feel like Ridley? Basically Ridley was considered for Smash, but a design caveat was what was keeping him. Goku is not even in the running.
@GiovanniDimike : I think Phoenix Wright totally deserves to be able to smack some sense into baddies for a change instead of having to painstakingly litigate his way to victory.
Professor Layton would be a nice addition as well, considering that the majority of his games were exclusive to Nintendo hardware (at least for a time).
In other news the sky is blue, water is wet, fire is hot, and people have unrealistic expectations.
Just another day for us.
@AxeltheCorvikni Dragon Quest is pretty much Dragonball Z so as far as I am concerned, Goku is already in.
Hero not only carries Dragon Quest representation to the Smash Bros series, but he also brings Akira Toriyama's trademark anime style. It is immediately recognizable. Moreover, the character models are beautifully crafted. It's likely this is the closest Goku will ever get to Smash Bros, and that should be enough for the average Dragon Ball fan. If they aren't aware of Dragon Quest, Hero's inclusion might give them a new series to get into.
I'll be honest, I would kind of enjoy having Goku in Smash Bros. But only because I personally see him as a video game character (almost) as much as I see him as anime character at this point.
I'm not upset though, and won't ever be if Goku would not make it in, but I wouldn't be upset if he DID make it in either. And let's be honest, if anyone can make it happen, it's Sakurai.
If Goku were to get in though then that might just open up pandora's box and.. maybe it's for the best to just not have him in at all, if only because of that.
Whatever the case, Sakurai seems to have made up his mind about this anyway and that's totally fine.
None of this surprises me and I’ve pretty much accepted it. Nice to have Toriyama’s work acknowledged in some way in the form of Dragon Quest representation.
That being said, I do have to point out that a big portion of video gaming’s success, and Nintendo’s in particular, has come through the proliferation of licensed games. For better or for worse they have a huge impact on the industry and I wouldn’t mind seeing some kind of tasteful shout-out without opening the proverbial floodgates on character choices. I’m not sure who would qualify, but I’m not convinced Goku is the best candidate. Scrooge McDuck perhaps?
To give credit where it’s due we do have one thing from a licensed property in Smash Bros already; the Motion Sensor Bomb’s original design was taken directly from Goldeneye 64
Well duuuhh..obviously!! How cretinous are some people clamouring Goku to be in SSB..!? Why not throw in Mickey Mouse or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles while we're at it? Oh wait no, there's the small points of licensing and most importantly, that the whole concept of Super Smash Bros. is about the video game characters crossover🙄!! Not anime or manga or cartoon ones. The closest, as everyone has said before, is the Hero from Dragon Quest and that's that from Bird Studio.
On another note as @GiovanniDimike and @Silly_G have said, Phoenix Wright would work or Professor Layton even. Can even pick out some others from Project X Zone 2 😜
Good. Dragonball is overrated anyway.
I'm perfectly fine with this. So many important video game characters that they could be including instead. Guybrush Threepwood for Smash!
I could live with Goku in Smash but Iron Man can stay the hell away.
I honestly really want Hatsune Miku in Smash!
To think I'm going to die an old man with being put up with decades of "GOKU NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO BE IN SMASH BROS" being yelled at me wherever I went.
Real heartbreaking to think about it.
Arle Nadja from the Puyo Puyo series would be nice too!
So... there is still hope for Pepsi Man?
On a serious note, though, here is my wishlist:
Crash Bandicoot
Spyro the Dragon
Rayman
Earthworm Jim
Tails
Minecraft Steve
Claptrap
Ezio Auditore (actually... make it 8 assassins, one for each look)
Dante (Devil May Cry)
Tracer (Overwatch)
Lara Croft
Duke Nukem
Scorpion
Sub Zero
Does this mean Rayman will finally get his chance? He's been featured as a trophy and Spirit in the 3DS/Wii U and Ultimate respectively. Could we see non-Nintendo characters make an appearance?
@Tharsman Great choices, I think I would only add Bomberman, Isaac, Shovel Knight. As much as I’d like to see somebody like Geno, I feel the only underrepresented franchise is Sonic.
I hope these would make it on to season 2 & 3:
Crash Bandicoot
Lara Croft
Doomguy
Sub-Zero or Scorpion or Shang Tsung (who could just morph to both or all the ninjas)
Rayman
Earthworm Jim
Jin Kazama
Leon Kennedy or Dante
Lloyd Irvine
They could also add Waddle Dee and Boom Boom as free playable DLC to season 2 & 3 just like the Pirahna Plant for season 1.
Shantae all the way. Her transformations would be an excellent new mechanic and her visual style fits completely with Nintendo properties. Her games have also graced Nintendo systems since Gameboy Color. She has a lot of shared history.
I’m also still hoping for Tails.
Doom Guy or Master Chief would be awesome too, but Banjo is probably all we’ll get from Microsoft
What about the Dovahkin?
@KingBowser Rayman has been on Nintendo
@RedderRugfish I can also list off a bunch of cartoon, movie, and comic franchises that can say the same. So if we let that be the judge, you might as well say hello to Shrek, Garfield, and almost the entirety of Disney's catalogue.
Goku is like Pokemon for me at this point. Lots of anime and video games.
@Antraxx777 : I hear a lot of requests for Doom Guy, but he's quite dull. I think the Cacodemon or the Demon ("Pinky") would be a much better addition to the cast.
Better yet, the The Spider Mastermind or Cyberdemon from the original games would be a great addition.
I wouldn't mind Kid Goku in this one from the earlier seasons and he's very cute at that age. A lot of new fans would like it. Mario games are all cute. So combine this together cuteness overload. Lets take a vote for kid goku!
@Alucard83 Kid Goku or Young Goku? Kid Goku is the GT version, Young Goku is the original Dragon Ball version. Best thing about Kid Goku is that he could transform to Super Saiyan 4 and become Adult Goku for a short time, he could do the spirit bomb or dragon fist explosion as his final smash if he's in. Young Goku would just use normal attack like his extension pole, kamehameha, and his final smash could be his great ape form.
@Silly_G I think Pinky would be sort of out of place as a fighter, but I’d love to see them as assist trophies. Not with updated graphics either, just the pixelated one.
Maybe Shonen Jump want people to buy Jump Force instead of licensing their characters to Nintendo.
Hopefully he can make an exception to this rule with Shrek.
Goku would be as out-of-place in Smash as Cookie Monster would be in the Avengers.
The only non-video game character that should ever be considered for Smash is Captain N: The Game Master. If ever there was an exception to the rule, he would be it.
While I love Dragon Ball, I really don't see why he needs to be in Smash and why people want him in so passionately. Surely people realise the entire Smash roster is made up out of exclusively video game characters. I'd much rather give spotlight to characters that deserve it a lot more, particularly some classic video game characters or ones from more recent indies.
@AxeltheCorvikni Yeah, but originally he is not. And that's what important.
@JoeDiddley Except that the Pokémon anime only loosely follows the games.
@Kineas This has always been the policy for Smash. People wanted Goku in that game since Melee, it never happened and this was always the reason.
@NotTelevision : Pinky would hardly have much of a moveset (as it only charges and bites), hence why I suggested the Cacodemon (who has direct and projectile attacks and is perhaps the most recognisable of DOOM enemies), or better yet, the Spider Mastermind, which has quite a unique design, and could also use its mechanical limbs in addition to its trademark chaingun attack.
As it has been said for a long time. I guess it would be a cool idea to have a Smash spin-off dedicated to non-video game characters but honestly Sakurai would never commit to that, and it probably wouldn't be as good if it was made by other people. There's always Marvel vs DC...
@Silly_G Yeah your right Cacodemon says Doom more than any other character. That would be a really funny addition 😆
@NotTelevision : It's also the most commonly represented in merchandise. I would make a much more fun addition to the cast than Doom Guy any day of the week, surely.
The fact that he still has to say these things is another signal of how many witless people the web holds.
Somebody should make a fighting game with all the characters that make no sense to put in Smash. And then people can realize how stupid putting Goku in is.
Also, I’m not convinced anyone seriously wants Goku in, I think it’s 99% trolls.
As far as who I am hoping for:
Dixie
Geno
Ribbon Girl/Min min/Twintell
Tetra/Toon Zelda
Paper Mario
Terra/Edward/Sagan/Celes
Chrono/Frog/Magus
Rabbid Peach
I’d also just love some alts, different characters with the same moves. Linkle, Funky Kong, Boshi, Ms. Pac-Man, octolings
I seriously hope that at least half of you going about Goku still having a chance are just baiting.
Can't believe people are still trying to use twisted logic excuse why Goku could be in Smash. It's ludicrous. And in poor taste too, not wanting to respect what the game is actually about.
Besides, we already have Goku in Ultimate.
The Heroes? Nah, not them!
I'm talking about:
There are so many gems already in smash amd even more gems that actually deserve a spot.
Characters like simon belmont, Mario, megaman etc those are characters the face of gaming history. Cloud is gaming icon, sonic is the face of Sega which reminds of the the era Sega vs Nintendo.
Ryu/Ken are the face of Capcom (in my opinion) and terry bogard the face of SNK and reminds me of the time of capcom vs snk.
Banjo kazooie of the time when Rare was still on board.
Etc etc.
Ao the next characters have to be someone that meant something for alot of gamers. Smashbros has become a museum of characters that have a history with us true gamers.
@StormtheFrontier Not too hard actually. It's the rather unique drawing style from the Broly Movie and there is only one scene where Goku eats.
@FineLerv The Skull (Duck) Island as his stage
@ReaperExTenebris You can make Goku battle against Mr. Satan in some of his own fighting games and Mr. Satan can win. Power Levels are anyways.
Goku and any other non-Videogame character should and will stay out of Ultimate. It's a videogame crossover. I'm happy Sakurai reinforced this, and kinda surprised people still don't get it into their heads and think Sakurai is teasing and he will become the next DLC fighter O_o
HOWEVER I think characters like these are what Smash can do when going forward from now. It's almost impossible (like 99% sure) we can't have another Smash with all the characters Ultimate has. Not even another port due to licensing. BUT we have people requesting Anime-, Marvel- or Disney-characters.
So where to go now? It's obvious: Crossovers that focus on one other franchise family and let them fight against a reduced Smash roster.
Super Smash Bros. VS. J-Allstars,
so people can make Goku fight against Lucario, Freezer against Mewtwo, Zorro (One Piece) against Link and Ichigo against Ike.
Super Smash Bros. VS. Marvel
so Iron Man can fight against Powersuit Samus, Cap against Link, Thor against Pikachu and DK against Hulk.
They could even introduce mechanics that would only work with those characters, like items. Imagine collecting Senzu Beans instead of hearts, or all the infinity stones scattered across the field and suddenly, half of your enemies randomly lose a life
But... muh memes!
I’m fine with that.
Its the way it should be. Id personally like to see;
Crash Bandicoot
Dr. Neo Cortex
Dr. Robotnik
Earthworm Jim to name a few
I've wanted Krystal from Star Fox above all others, so I was a little sad when she was announced as an Assist Trophy, but hopeful that it was a step towards her finally becoming playable (like Little Mac).
Lloyd, Sora, Crash, Geno and Steve
Goku can go and... I probably shouldn't finish that sentence.
If I were to care about characters of non-gaming origins, I'd go with Batman and Mickey Mouse. Mickey in particular has had several video games that a unique moveset could be crafted from: the costume abilities of the SNES games, the butt stomp from Castle of Illusion, the paintbrush from Epic Mickey.
No matter though. I'm also with Team Shantae.
I'd also prefer no more boring fighting game characters. Keep Smash Weird.
I get it's not comparable, and I do believe that we'll never see non-video game characters, but let me just say... Go back to Brawl era speculation, and tell someone that Cloud, Terry, and a Persona protagonist would be in Super Smash Bros someday and you'd be considered a laughing stock.
Whether or not we like it (I really don't personally), the definition of a Super Smash Bros-worthy character has changed drastically over the years. I mean there are people legitimately clamoring for Master Chief now even though he hasn't even appeared on a Nintendo console, and they're no longer laughed off of the stage, even though "Has never been on a Nintendo console" is one of those "can never be in SSB" rules, like anime characters. I don't even know what to think anymore. Again, I'll reiterate, that I understand that Master Chief is a video game character, and such an inclusion would not open up the door to anime characters, but that's not my point... I wish Nintendo would return to more first party focus.
well no duh, obviously.
Fine, ill settle for Crono
They call it Ultimate, but they don't even have the car from Daytona USA.
Good. Smash is a celebration of video games and their origin. Characters not birthed from the medium should not be included!
Btw the only fighter newcomer I want is a Style Savvy fashion designer from the Style Savvy series. ALSO WHERE MY STYLE SAVVY GAME FOR SWITCH!?
@Rockman55 ...and "non-specific action figure"! We need him in Smash!
This just in, sakurai has to repeat himself from a smash 4 interview because the fanbase is that bad
@Silly_G Cacodemon? Sure, it is a classic, but I think the Revenant would be a much better fit. It's still a classic recognizable enemy (It is the alternate cover to Doom 2016). It has multiple projectile moves, and it is easier to develop a moveset for what with it having actual arms and legs.
@DDFawfulGuy I'm sure that characters with same name don't matter in Smash Ultimate as long as they are key character in a gaming franchise. The reason why Dragon Ball's Goku can't be in Smash Bros. is because he is not originally a videogame character so until the rule of Smash Bros. opens to more than just videogame characters, there's no chance that Goku would make it. The Goku right there; however, is a support character or a reference so nobody would care if that one is playable or not. Heck both of them could be playable in Smash in the future and it wouldn't matter, we got two Roy and soon we'll be getting two Ryu (that is if the Hayabusa rumor is true) so having two Goku wouldn't conflict with anything.
Honestly, even though Smash is a celebration of video games at the moment, I would honestly welcome the idea of Smash becoming a celebration of entertainment with non-video game legacy characters, as unlikely as it will ever be.
Honestly there are a lot of Shonen Jump reps that could actually fit in with the Smash aesthetic
im surprised people have been dense on this for so long, the video games only rule is the one consistent "rule" thats always made sense
I don't really care about Goku, but it seems odd to rule out Dragon Ball characters because that series has had a ton of video games at least since the 1990s.
@sanderev It’s a bit presumptuous to say that if Nintendo wanted Shonen Jump characters, that it would happen. I’m sure ShoJo would have to agree to it too. My point was that they have their own games that would then be redundant. But then again maybe not, when a single character from a franchise is included, such as Cloud, it doesn’t make Smash the ultimate fighting game for Final Fantasy fans, that’s where Dissidia comes in.
i know it would never happen but I want Naruto in Smash
@retro_player_22
Boy, I hope this was a joke.
Otherwise my joke went way over your head.
Just in case you're serious, I wasn't trying to say that Goku can't be a fighter because someone else called Goku is already a spirit.
I won't explain the joke, but it's not too different from other people saying that having Toriyama designed characters in Smash is close enough to having Goku in Smash.
@Yorumi I've been wanting her ever since I heard the Smash Taunt in Brawl saying how she would be the "only one to come through in a fight like this."
No joke, I would have recurring dreams where she would make the cut in Smash 4 (as well as Ultimate, but not as much as I did with 4), but I was always disappointed when they turned out to be just dreams.
But I look at it this way: Little Mac made his first appearance in the series as an Assist Trophy in Brawl, and then became playable in 4. Charizard was in a Pokéball in Melee, then became playable in Brawl. So the same could happen to Krystal in Smash 6.
That being said, Waluigi has been an Assist Trophy since Brawl, and despite the clamor for him, especially after Wario made the cut, he is still an Assist Trophy. But with THAT being said, he might become playable in Smash 6 as well.
So I still hold out hope that she will make the cut in a future Smash game, and will appear in a new Star Fox game as well (assuming Nintendo will still make them after the abysmal failure that was Zero).
In that case, Amaterasu is still a possibility.
@Tharsman - Not ragging on your list, but it just shows me no matter how many times Sakurai meets the most important, "All I want is X" mantras, it's always responded with "All I want is Y."
Smash 4 was Ridley, K. Rool, Geno and Banjo. Now it's Shantae, Doomslayer, Sora and Shovel Knight.
Ult 2 can come in hit those and suddenly it will be along the lines of Billy Hatcher, Axel Stone, Sans and whatever FF is current.
Good. Anyone else asking for Goku, Shrek, Shaggy, or anyone else like that is officially in line for a Wario Waft, full power, double garlic.
Though, admittedly, I've had a couple of dreams of the TMNT or Batman, but that's mostly from nostalgic NES days and nothing more. I'm not actively asking for them.
@Kineas They should collaborate on Smash style game exclusive to Switch.
In other news, since we're throwing our dream lists out there, my personal wish list is as follows.
Shantae (#1 Draft Pick!)
Shovel Knight
Quote w/Curly Brace as an echo fighter
The Knight or Hornet from Hollow Knight
Undyne from Undertale
Marina Liteyears from Mischief Makers
Goemon from Mystical Ninja
Dixie Kong
Cranky Kong
Princess Ruto from Hyrule Warriors
Midna
Crono from Chrono Trigger
Geno
Adeleine from Kirby
Bandana Waddle Dee (save him for the 100th character in Smash as a tribute to Sakurai!)
An Omega Metroid
Camilla/Hinoka from Fire Emblem Fates (Actually, any of the royal families would be cool, but those two would be my first choices. Bonus points if they keep their wyvern & pegasus)
Travis Touchdown
Elma from Xenoblade Chronicles X
Tifa Lockhart
Chun-Li
A Goomba
Ninten (echo fighter of Ness, maybe?)
Masked Man from Mother 3
Tetra
A Monster Hunter
Krystal
Min-Min
Doomguy
Sub-Zero
Toad
Celes Chere
Viewtiful Joe
Professor Layton
Phoenix Wright
Bisharp
Sceptile
NiGHTS
Classic Ganon
And... well... I /guess/ Waluigi wouldn't be a terrible choice. Could his fans just stop being so confrontational and harassing though? Please?
You know who IS a video game character, Masahiro Sakurai?
Waluigi.
A reminder that Joker is from a spin-off of a spin-off of a spin-off of a novel series.
Sakurai has followed the "Smash fighters must originate from video games" rule for all 80+ Smash fighters, so dont expect that to change ever.
"Ridley too big" is nothing like this.
@Regpuppy And of those, the only one that can actually be justifiable is GoldenEye due to it being what put console FPSes on the map.
(Also, because 007 is technically a book character, this also allows for Geralt to get in...)
Rather have Goku in Montal Kombat anyway
or in a crossover fighting game that's for ANIME SERIES.... Oh wait...
Isn't ROB a toy that got games afterwards. Where is Lego Spacemen for Smash, Sakura??
Also you know, Disney has Marvel and I don’t think they’re just going to give it Sakurai
Smash Bros. is not just a Fighting Game and a Crossover-based Game, it's a videogame encyclopedia.
Characters from so many franchises are playable and have a lot of content from their original games, and even characters from games that didn't get a playable rep, can still appear, even forgotten Nintendo characters that had only one game in the 1980s and 1990s can make a cameo appearance, and sometimes even a playable appearance, Smash Bros. is perfect to make casuals learn more about gamer culture, it's an incentive for people to play other games that they would normally never be interested.
And people want to ruin this by adding characters from anime, comics, movies and cartoons to sell more copies to the casuals and non-gamers who already know these characters? Smash Bros. should remain only for videogame characters, there are still so many third-party characters who could join, and now that most of the important Nintendo characters are in the game, it's time to give a chance for the more obscure ones, but people want to open the floodgates with characters not from videogames.
@BlueBlur101 I find it funny when people refer to Smash as having an “aesthetic”. You’re talking about a game that features characters that look like Kirby and Pikachu alongside the likes of Bayonetta and Ridley. There is no rhyme or reason to what the characters look like and certainly no unifying aesthetic. The only thing all of these characters have in common is that they have originated in video games, and the overwhelming majority of them are Nintendo properties. Take away the video game theme and the game makes no sense whatsoever.
The next one will be Tracer IMO
@Ardisan ROB is a toy that was designed to work exclusively with a video game. He only existed because of the video game and would never have been produced otherwise. He is as connected to gaming as any controller, cartridge or console would be.
@thesilverbrick there is a bit of an art form to how Sakurai takes more mature and seemingly out of place characters and makes them fit in with the likes of established veterans
Smash definitely exhibits an atmosphere unique from most Nintendo properties as it can retain its diversity in its characters and settings yet unify them like they were always made under the same mold. I guess that's what I'm referring to
Also, you must be fun at parties. Sorry for saying I entertained an unlikely idea. I forget sometimes that certain people can't distinguish an opinion from a realistic outcome.
Circus Charlie or I’m gonna spaz hard.
It won’t stop the begging.
GOOD. Take THAT, internet!
@Paraka there will always be more characters to add, I didn’t make a list of characters I like, my list it of characters I think deserve the spot in the list and fit the theme and selection rules.
Technically Goku already is in the game in the form of Lucario(same English VA).
@Tharsman - As I said, it wasn't on you personally, I meant no I'll will to your list. Just remind me of just what I see every time Smash comes out and hits just right for someone's list, only to be replaced with the next one on theirs.
I have had two major ones since Melee when I cared heavily. Neither have been touched, one never will. I am okay with that, however. I always have fun with the idea of many of my favorite characters being playable, but they're never really "on a list" per se.
Fine with me, Ultimate already has enough anime characters as it is
@Kriven - Honestly just porting Ultimate seems easier. They can rehash the modes, fix the patch bugs and add a few characters, more music, stages on top and call it a day. It gets released earlier, balances are pre-made, Home Run Contest gets fixed, all DLC Spirits get folded into the main roster, and potential of adding trophies or Break the Targets on top of that.
Hell, it would open Sakurai up to improve the formula than doing another entirely from scratch to work on other projects if he so desires.
...so we can expect Shantae and/or Crono then...?
@NintendoFan990 In Shrek We Trust
@Ardisan ROB is a toy but one that was connected directly to the games it came with. I’m not going to explain it here but look him up, honestly he is incredibly important to not just Nintendo but to video game history.
@Araquanid for freaks sake Smash is a video game crossover.
you who needs to be in smash bros
Waluigi
Pretty sure Goku in Smash is just another internet joke like getting Shrek in Smash is.
Some weird flase goku is in video games even in the pc supersmash game.
Could you throw Star Wars characters into that statement so we don’t get morons asking for that anymore too? Please and thank you.
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