Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and its roster consisting of 86 fighters is truly a monumental feat in gaming. Much of the roster is made up of the veterans from prior titles due to its “Everyone Is Here” theme.
Of course, it’s important to mention that there have been numerous characters that were conceptualized or worked on, before getting scrapped along the way. Had these combatants been included, they would’ve been obligated to return in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to maintain its important tagline.
Shortly after the release of Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64, Masahiro Sakurai immediately began brainstorming for a sequel on the GameCube, Super Smash Bros. Melee. During this timeframe, Sakurai polled Japanese fans about who they’d want to see for a theoretical sequel explicitly for Super Smash Bros. Melee, though Sakurai coyly attempted to mask that a sequel was in development.
“Character I’d like to see in Smash 2: Mach Rider. Reason: His name is great. Mach? Ha.” — Masahiro Sakurai
At one point, Sakurai was even asked which character he’d like to add to in sequel to Super Smash Bros. Funnily enough, the name that he responded with did not actually have a place on the roster in Super Smash Bros. Melee.
“Which character would you personally want to see — or want to put in — to Smash 2?” asked one fan of Sakurai according to a translation by Source Gaming.
“Character I’d like to see in Smash 2: Mach Rider. Reason: His name is great. Mach? Ha,” responded Sakurai.
The character Mach Rider hails from “Mach Rider” on the Nintendo Entertainment System, released back in 1985. Mach Rider would only return for one sequel, “Mach Rider, Vs. Mach Rider” for the arcades.
Similar to Captain Falcon of the F-Zero series, Mach Rider is only ever controlled while riding his vehicle. Instead of the Blue Falcon, Mach Rider operates the Mach Bike.
Rather than just racing, Mach Rider has to survive each track by blasting aliens operating Quadrunners with his Mach Bike’s mounted machine guns. After completing each stage, Mach Rider can be seen posing with a rifle.
Back then, Sakurai made it clear that realistic firearms couldn’t appear in the Super Smash Bros. series, which is what resulted in Snake’s moveset being comprised of CQC and heavy ordnance. Of course, Joker, a guest from Persona 5, in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate utilizes a pistol for his neutral special, but it can technically be argued that it’s actually an airsoft gun within the lore even though it very clearly resembles a realistic pistol.
With that in mind, Mach Rider would likely need an entirely original moveset for him to be included in Super Smash Bros. This wouldn’t actually pose much of a challenge to Sakurai considering how iconic Captain Falcon’s move list has become.
Attacks such as the “Falcon Punch” were conceptualized specifically for Super Smash Bros. However, it has since become such an integral part of Captain Falcon’s character that the technique was even used in F-Zero: GP Legend, an anime based on the F-Zero game series.
Regardless, Mach Rider was ultimately not included in the roster for Super Smash Bros. Melee, and has yet to be playable in the platform brawler genre thus far. Instead, he would be a trophy in Melee, a sticker in Brawl, and a spirit in Ultimate. Additionally, his theme “Mach Rider” would frequently appear as a track on the F-Zero stages.
Ultimately though, it seems that Sakurai was just using Mach Rider as a joke to avoid giving a serious answer to the original question considering that he actively was working on a sequel to Super Smash Bros. at the time. Evidently, there were plenty of candidates that got priority over Mach Rider for a roster slot.
It was likely this comment from Sakurai that inspired the inclusion of Mach Rider into the now debunked Grinch leak. The other characters that this leak alluded to included Shadow the Hedgehog, Isaac, Banjo-Kazooie, Ken Masters, Geno, and the Chorus Kids.
Of these seven fighters, only Ken Masters was actually part of the base roster. Banjo-Kazooie would later join as DLC later as the third challenger of the Fighters Pass (Vol. 1).
For years now, Sakurai has wanted Geno to be playable in Super Smash Bros., though it’s yet to actually happen. Meanwhile, there’s evidence of plans to include the Chorus Kids (or some other Rhythm Heaven rep) in Super Smash Bros. 4.
Though Mach Rider was clearly just intended as a joke, Sakurai has a tradition of including unexpected or “joke” characters such as Mr. Game & Watch, R.O.B., Wii Fit Trainer, Duck Hunt, and Piranha Plant. Stranger things have happened with the Smash series, so Mach Rider could still potentially become playable someday.
Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa recently confirmed plans for the Switch successor to be revealed within this fiscal year, which spans through March 31, 2025. It’s also been theorized that Sakurai’s secret game project that he’s been working on since April 2022 could be the next iteration of Super Smash Bros. on this new console, which would explain why this new game has yet to even be announced yet.
To be honest, Mach Rider seems like more of a longshot than many other candidates due to Sakurai’s misdirecting joke. We’ll have to see how things play out from here, but I’m personally not expecting him to join anytime soon.