In exciting news for Nintendo fans, rumors are swirling around the possible next installment in the Super Smash Bros. series, especially with the company's president, Shuntaro Furukawa, confirming that the Switch successor will be unveiled within this fiscal year, ending March 31, 2025. At the same time, beloved game designer Masahiro Sakurai has been keeping fans on their toes with hints about a secret game project he has been working on since April 2022.

As anticipation builds for the next entry in this iconic franchise, fans recall how Sakurai previously deliberated over various characters for Super Smash Bros. Melee, ultimately revealing that he considered including Ayumi Tachibana from the Japanese-exclusive Detective Club series. In his own words, Sakurai reflected on the character's potential: "I was thinking about it during the Melee days... Ayumi even has her own trophy in that game. But in the end, there’s no way she'd work overseas."

This sentiment points to a fascinating contrast in Sakurai's decisions during character selection. While Ayumi was sidelined due to her unfamiliarity outside Japan, characters like Marth and Roy from the Fire Emblem series broke through the barrier, becoming fan favorites and serving as catalysts for the series' localization in the United States.

However, historical context reveals that Detective Club may have lacked the same clout as Fire Emblem. Originally launched in 1988 with its sequel following in 1989, the franchise saw a significant revival only when its remakes, The Missing Heir and The Girl Who Stands Behind, were released on the Nintendo Switch in 2021, marking the first time the series reached international audiences.

Fast-forward to August 29, 2024, when the latest title in the franchise, Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club, was released, signaling a reinvigoration of interest in this classic series. Given this resurgence, could it be time for Ayumi Tachibana to finally step into the arena of Super Smash Bros.?

Designing a moveset for Ayumi would undoubtedly be a challenge, given her roots in a visual novel format. However, this isn't an impossible task for Sakurai, who previously crafted unique mechanics for characters like Phoenix Wright from Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Should Ayumi make her Smash debut, her gameplay may involve a detective mechanic, perhaps requiring players to "collect evidence" before entering the fray, much like Minecraft's Steve, who gathers resources before engaging in battle. Though some critics might see this as potential redundancy, Sakurai has shown he can incorporate unconventional fighting styles.

We cannot ignore the impact of Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club on Ayumi’s chances of making it into Smash. A poor sales performance could sidetrack her inclusion, but given Sakurai's affection for Detective Club, as he previously mentioned, he might have other ideas in mind to make her character work.

So, as we eagerly await more news on the next Super Smash Bros. game and its roster, one question lingers on the minds of fans: Could Ayumi Tachibana transform from a mere trophy into a playable character? Keep your eyes peeled—anything is possible in the ever-evolving world of gaming!