We still have two fighters left to be revealed for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's current DLC pass, and while there are plenty of popular options out there on the big old interwebs, Ninja Gaiden's Ryu Hayabusa is right up there.
You can see why – ninja characters are a pretty perfect fit for a game like Smash, especially when they're the lead of a popular franchise – and Tomonobu Itagaki, the man behind the franchise's reboot, recently described Smash as "a stage big enough for Ryu Hayabusa to play an active role."
Of course, the new, unannounced Smash fighters have already been locked in at this stage, but is there a chance that Ryu could be one of them? Well, Team Ninja lead Fumihiko Yasuda has recently spoken about the idea yet again in an interview with Famitsu, but it's not looking promising:
"We’re waiting for the invitation letter. [Laughs]"
The interview also covered fresh details for Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection, which is scheduled to launch on Switch this June. Here are the highlights courtesy of Ryokutya2089, with translations provided by Nintendo Enthusiast:
- “The reason we put in Ninja Gaiden Sigma for Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden 2 is because it is their final versions.”
- “The original data for Ninja Gaiden Black and Ninja Gaiden 2 has been scattered in pieces, and we can’t even salvage it in its current state. That’s also why we went with Ninja Gaiden Sigma.”
“I think the Hero Mode in Ninja Gaiden Sigma and Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 will make it possible to clear for those who aren’t good at action games.”
- “We’ve adjusted the difficulty so that you can now clear tag missions on your own.”
- “We’ve also prepared Version D (Japan-exclusive digital version with less gore) because we felt that Switch users probably don’t like things too grotesque.”
- “The game will not support online play. The reason is due to development schedule and other business-related stuff.”
- “The PS3’s gyro sensor features used to power up ninpo and messing with breast physics will not be included. The ninpo will be powered up from the start. If you’re looking for a function to jiggle breasts, there’s a certain Vacation game out there for you. [Laughs]”
- “The weaker characters like Rachel, Ayane, and Momiji are about the same as they were before.”
- “We were able to somehow improve on the harshly criticized Ninja Gaiden 3 with Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge. However, I’d still like to get revenge on that with a sequel someday.”
Would you like to see Ryu appear in Smash? With a roster this size, have we reached a point where we can just be happy with anyone being included? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
[source ryokutya2089.com, via nintendoenthusiast.com]
Comments 86
Oh you and me both. My final two picks are chief and ryu (not in that order).
Only room for one Ryu.
Yes please! He’s been in Dead or Alive too so he’s a proven character in a fighting game. Although if we were going to have a Dead or Alive rep then I’d vote for Pete Burns.
"...because we felt that Switch users probably don’t like things too grotesque"
C'mon, we've had to endure the Nintendo Switch Online app and Tingle - we can cope with a little blood!
Would help address the problem of a lack of sword fighters, too. (I kid, this would be very cool.)
Also, very very disappointing that it’s Sigma and not Black. Black is the far superior game.
@Rohanrocks88 Depends who you ask. Personally I don't care for Minecraft, but Steve is still one of the biggest reveals by far, and it totally deserves the recognition. I also never cared for Final Fantasy, but come on Sephiroth is a badass, and got one of the best reveal receptions right up there with Banjo-Kazooie. Don't care for Xenoblade either, but Pyra/Mythra seem to be one of the best received character gameplay-wise (everyone keeps talking about how fun and crazy they are to play as or against).
Personally, gameplay-wise, Sephiroth and Pyra/Mythra are my 2 favourites of all the DLCs so far (yes I love swords hehe).
Ryo Hayabusa is a enough iconic character to be added in Super Smash Bros Ultimate.
Oh man, if Ryu Hayabusa was announced I'd go out and buy Smash Ultimate immediately.
"We’ve also prepared Version D (Japan-exclusive digital version with less gore) because we felt that Switch users probably don’t like things too grotesque."
At least this is a choice and not forcing the toned down version on us that want the unedited game
Man, devs have a big problem with losing source code.
Nah, I hope not.
Okay I have to admit, he is one of the few NES-era stars without representation. I am so split between not wanting another sword fighter and wanting for him to join the party.
Was anyone really expecting to see "Oh yeah, Ryu will be the next DLC character and we trust that the Smash team is doing an excellent job with Ninja Gaiden content?"
“We’ve also prepared Version D (Japan-exclusive digital version with less gore) because we felt that Switch users probably don’t like things too grotesque.”
I'm honestly happy to hear this. I like action games but not gore. I appreciate being able to turn off blood in Dark Souls as well.
After completing these games over and over on various consoles i can't wait to get my hands on the switch version!! My joycons will bleed this time from drifting and that's a promise.
Two open slots left and you're still 'waiting'? Sounds like the odds are against ninja boy.
Yeah, this has made me sad, because now I am sure Ryu is not coming to Ultimate if Team Ninja are saying this now.
Unless it is a misdirect, which I doubt.
@Chlocean true, although I'd like to see a Battletoad get recognized. Along with Moogles, I like Kirby n Jiggly so would love another similar fighter
I wouldn't be against his introduction, I can see how his move set could be quite different to the other swordfighters and I think he falls into the 'iconic' category now.
But personally I'm craving the more fun and cartoony characters. I feel like Banjo Kazooie is the only fighter form the passes that truly embodied this. Though Terry, Min-Min and Steve were close. The latter being very fun with their moveset but completely lacking in actual character (kind of by design I guess, which is fine)
Basically I just want Crash Bandicoot or Rayman.
@sikthvash
"because we felt that Switch users probably don’t like things too grotesque"
We have MK11, Witcher 3, DOOM 2016, and DOOM Eternal on switch. Wdym switch users don't like things too grotesque
would love to Ryu Hayabusa in smash.
I would also like to see Vergil from DMC or Chun Li from SF if it is possible
I don’t think Nintendo allows any game franchises rated for 15+ into smash.
Edit: snake and bayonetta. Got reminded by other people in the comments below .
@anoyonmus Exactly! We want the choice! Let us play on ULTRA VIOLENCE! I love shooting things in the face in FPS as well as calmly planting flowers in AC.
@Friendly Metal Gear and Bayonetta are mostly M rated franchises, and other series like Castlevania have gotten M ratings before.
I’m waiting for an invitation letter for Ryza but I probably shouldn’t hold my breath 😔
WHEN there should be a Ninja, then it should be Stealth Elf (with support by Spyro).
I loved the first Skylanders games, they reminded me of Gauntlet
Ryu Hayabusa and Billy and Jimmy Lee from Double Dragon deserves a spot in Smash Brothers. Ryu has been an icon since the 80s and Double Dragon was HUGE in the 80s and 90s. HUGE!
I really hope he's one of them but I still need Crash Bandicoot more than him. Ryu Hayabusa was also suppose to be in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale along with Dart (from The Legend of Dragoon) and Jin Kazama but all got scrapped due to time constraint.
What’s the Vacation game he mentions in the same sentence as ‘jiggle breasts’? Asking for a friend...
@Friendly snake and bayonetta?
Since Sakurai stated the roster was finalized two years ago, this is a definite deconfirm
Qualifications of being a Smash Bros. character:
Sakurai has to be a fan of your series.
Yeah I Would Like To See Ryu Hayabusa In Smash At Anytime From Now Going
@Friendly Are you sure?
Ryu would be a great fit. I mean yes he is a sword fighter, but he has a very different style. He's also a classic character from the NES days which gives him big bonus points in my book - I'm not as much a fan of characters coming in from JRPGs or whatever from just a few years ago. For me they have to have solidly earned their place in the gaming pantheon, and Ryu is surely up there with the greats.
@backup368 No Nintendo has to, Sakurai doesn't make the choice, Nintendo does.
Ryu Hayabusa was definitely one of my most wanted charecters, here's hoping somehow ryu comes in as dlc
@Ghost_of_Hasashi You still trust this guy?
Just wait when he gets announced, people will still complain about another sword fighter in the game
If it was a tease, they probably would've said nothing about his inclusion in Smash.
That being said, if we aren't getting anymore DLC Fighters, then it's too late for them to get an invite.
@Friendly
Listen to what everyone else has to say lol. Snake, Bayonetta, and I would even say Joker.
@backup368 Well yes unless you had proof that it's really him that made the choice all along.
Yes, I love when they add old school reps. Fighters Pass 2 has been boring for me personally.
I think Ryu could be sort of a jack of all trades by fighting with swords, hand to hand, and magic.
Yes. Bring Ryu Hayabusa to Smash. Such a badass
@Ghost_of_Hasashi How about you ask him for proof of his claim instead?
They would rather give us 30 Fire Emblem characters instead of 28 or 29.
#ShantaeForSmash
He so belongs in smash! I don't care if there already is another Ryu! This Ryu could whipe the floor with that Ryu's guts! Besides Ninjas rule! Oh and the Nes is where most fans were introduced to this guy. It's only fitting he should get the invite.
I want him in there.
I don’t see him being there now but I’d sure love it if he was. Such a cool character.
Shame about the source code. Guess I'll just keep playing NGB and NG2 on my Series X and get the Master Collection physically from Japan for the Switch then.
@sikthvash Tingle is love, Tingle is life. Also he's a fairy doing his best to spread happiness. I don't get the hatred towards this character. I'll admit, it feels like he's from another planet, but other characters like Navi are a lot more annoying.
I think he deserves the spot if nothing else than because of his NES outings but if they are “waiting” that sounds like he has been deconfirmed. Or amazing trolling.
The "invitation letter" is so specific, I don't agree it's not promissing. They may saying he is not able to confirm until the official announcement (when the characters shows their "invitation letters")
@Caryslan @darlinfan @moddedinkling @backup368 @anonymous
I stand corrected . Tnx!
"We feel Switch owners don't like gore"
Great now Japanese developers think I can't handle gore? don't underestimate me
It's not looking like we can get Sora so Ryu is really the final character I can think of that I would really like for Smash. It would be awesome if he had an alt skin based on his NES appearance too.
@TheFatPlumber it's time to Dance Through the Danger! I'm Ret-2-Go!
Waiwaiwait, a specific version with "less gore"?
So, there's a chance it's not the "purple smoke instead of blood" PS3 version?
@TheFullAndy
Ryu Hyubasha: "Indeed," the Ninja breathes as he unsheaths his sword upon a traveler wearing white clothes with a red bandanna around his head.
I noticed Version D in the Japanese eShop, and I just assumed that it was a D rated version of the game for those who were perhaps a little too squeamish for the Z rated real deal (and it turns out that I was right).
CERO: D is comparable to ESRB: M, PEGI: 16, AU: MA15+, while Z is comparable to adult ratings.
I skipped Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge on Wii U seeing as there wasn't a physical Australian release (ironic given that NG3:RE was publicised as the very first game to be approved with an R18+ classification), but I will definitely import the Japanese/Asian release of the trilogy.
@Silly_G He has another series you know.
@backup368 : I am aware that Ryu appears in the Dead or Alive games, though I have not mentioned Ryu at all in my previous comment. Was yours directed to me in error? I was referencing the fact that Tecmo are releasing two versions of the trilogy in Japan, being the uncensored Z rated version and a censored D one. The games are otherwise identical.
I thought Ryu already was in----
Never mind, different character entirely
this is proof that ryu hayabusa IS NOT going to be a dlc fighter in smash ultimate, he's most likely going to be a mii costume, also, Microsoft asked something similar by asking about master chief's invite, which means master chief isn't going to be a dlc fighter either, even blizzard said they want an overwatch character in smash, which means overwatch is not getting a dlc fighter at all, and no, crash will not be in smash either because Activision most likely would demand all of Nintendo's money just to put crash into smash and Nintendo would never do that, and no, all the capcom mii costumes we got prove that capcom IS NOT getting a 4th character on the roster
I'd take it if it were NES style Ninja Gaiden/Ryu Hayabusa in Smash as a nice throwback, nostalgia and history aesthetic.
But with an assortment of choices and only 2 slots left, my votes would have to be for Crash Bandicoot & Master Chief.
Hopefully they keep it going and add even more left-field, obscure & wacky character additions like say a Captain Rainbow, Travis Touchdown, Pico, Viewtiful Joe, Amaterasu, Saki Amamiya, P.N.03, Professor Layton, Phoenix Ace, Tingle, Birdo, Krystal, The Hyrule Champions, Tatanga, Wart, Booster, Vaati, Juno, Joanna Dark etc. ... along with the usual popular requests like Geno, Waluigi, Sora, Lloyd, Dr. Robotnik etc.
If Ryu Hayabusa shows up, will SSBU be the first fighting game to have two unrelated characters with the same first name? Actually, I think there were two Scotts in WCW vs nWo World Tour. What about the first non-wrestling fighting game?
@desireefan36 This is a certified Terry Syvertson moment
@Silly_G When I was in Japan, I saw a lot of Z rated games. I'm not sure if that's really what they consider "adult only." The trend I noticed was Z rated games included a lot of our M rated games where you're killing a lot of actual people. So games like Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed were Z, while games like Bayonetta and Devil May Cry were rated D. But maybe according to CERO, Call of Duty is adult only due to how murdery it is.
Give me the 8-bit Ryu!
Better not. Another sword fighter.
@NicolausCamp it makes me wonder, could they not have decompiled NG Black for xbox to recreate the source code? It isn't as if the Original Xbox wasn't very close to a PC with controller interface in the first place. I also have all 3 already on my X1X and Series S (only one the MS store let me buy on pre order day).
I'd love to see Hayabusa in Smash, Sword, throws, shuriken, bows, magic and body hops. He has everything. Also everyone complaining he is another Sword, they could always give him the rest of his weapons, i usually use Claws and staff etc. The Dragon sword could actually be his Smash attack, coupled with the Spirit of the Dragon. That reserves the Sword (on hic character models back) for that attack, while he uses everything else in actual combat.
@Sabrewing The most common excuse and spit in the face of new players. Developers have already sat in a puddle three times: 1) When the original Part 3 was released; 2) When Sigma 2+ was released for PSVita; 3) And here it is, again, a re-release for all platforms of the Sigma version. No Part 4 is out of the question, with this approach to fans, new players, and the franchise as a whole. Rebalance the first 2 games (adding more enemies, bringing back the big shuriken in Part 2), that's what they had to do. In the meantime, the future of the series is not very happy.
@Slowdive This is a very interesting and important question
As an NES Ninja Gaiden fan from the NES, a game that defined "Souls" difficulty before Souls games existed, I'm totally for it. In fact, from a historicity stand point I'd be sorely disappointed if he didn't make it in. He's honestly worth another DLC pass to get in. And after Hyrule Warriors, Age of Calamity, and other love coming to Switch from KOEI Techmo I think they should get some love back.
@FaroreAbhorsen In fact, Sakurai should make his entire moveset not use his katana just to prove a point. I don't care if he just copies Dead or Alive, honestly.
@Friendly And Joker, don't forget Joker.
@FargusPelagius I'm actually thinking that it might have to do with Microsoft exclusivity. Think about it. Both Ninja Gaiden Black and Ninja Gaiden 2 are Microsoft-published games, where Microsoft was even a bit involved in the development, while the Sigma versions are distributed solely by KoeiTecmo. There could be rights and licensing issues holding those games back as well as lost source code.
@NicolausCamp very possibly. But this is coming to Xbox aswell, surely Tecmo Koei would have at least done a collaboration for the Xbox version of the Master collection to include Black and NG 2 aswell as the Sigma versions.
I suppose at least using the two Sigma versions is consistent, and the Switch should have no issue running them full pelt in portable mode due to the decrease in enemies (they didn't use the cell properly on PS3 when they did these versions, so it's less processor intensive).
There are still so many great options left for new characters: Streets of Rage, Battletoads, Knights of the Round, Sir Arthur, Popeye, Bluto, Golden Axe, Bonk, Final Fight, Strider, Ōkami, more SNK, etc. but we'll probably just get more Fire Emblem and Pokémon additions.
@DrDaisy There are 2 Roys though...🤔
Fire Emblem Roy
And
Koopaling Roy
@FaroreAbhorsen
So, by that logic, would you welcome Arthur with open arms? OG Souls-like like a Motherhugger, and hey! Capcom has been supporting the Switch pretty well, lately! He also has a “new” game that just came out, which I feel is an important consideration in the application process...
@sikthvash still, I will be keeping my on NG MC eventually.
I am planning on trying it out
@FargusPelagius no.
The Xbox version will be the same as on other platforms (PS4 and Switch). For now
But Xbox has backwards compatibility and they can play the original games (I think) as well if players want to.
@CodyDogg I'm not sure what logic. What I said was "As a person who is a fan of this character and his games, I would love for this character to be in Smash". That's pretty much what everybody says about every game character they like.
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