Masahiro Sakurai recently revealed that he’s been working on a secret game project since April 2022. He apparently whipped up the proposal for this game at “lightning speed” while still developing the Kazuya Mishima and Sora DLC for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate back in July 2022.
Being that “it should be announced sooner or later” and hasn’t been revealed just yet, it’s suspected that this is a game for the Switch successor. It was recently confirmed that the Switch successor will be backwards compatible with the Switch, but not much else has been officially unveiled about the mysterious new console.
Regardless, Sakurai has traditionally released a new entry within the Super Smash Bros. series for every mainline Nintendo console since the franchise first debuted on the Nintendo 64. As such, the most prominent theory about this secret game project is that it’s a sequel or deluxe port for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on the Switch successor.
“To tell the truth, it’s because I wanted Geno to be a playable character. He has a gun for a hand, and I think he fits in really well with Smash. During Brawl, I thought it would be great if I could add him, but in the end it didn’t become a reality.” — Masahiro Sakurai
With this in mind, fans are expecting to see at least a few newcomers get added into the mix. There’s one character that Sakurai has talked about before that could potentially make his way into the next entry, should everything line up just right.
“To tell the truth, it’s because I wanted Geno to be a playable character. He has a gun for a hand, and I think he fits in really well with Smash,” said Sakurai according to Source Gaming’s translation. “During Brawl, I thought it would be great if I could add him, but in the end it didn’t become a reality.”
Sakurai gave this in response to a question that asked about his decision to add the Geno Mii costume as DLC in Super Smash Bros. 4. This was ultimately a disappointment for fans as it basically disconfirmed Geno from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars as a playable character for that game.
“That’s right. He’s very popular. When talking about older characters, Geno always gets a lot of requests,” continued Sakurai on the subject. “He didn’t appear as a fighter, but I was able to achieve something kind of close to that as a Mii Costume.”
“He’s very popular. When talking about older characters, Geno always gets a lot of requests. He didn’t appear as a fighter, but I was able to achieve something kind of close to that as a Mii Costume.” — Masahiro Sakurai
Though Sakurai thought he’d be a great fit in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, it would seem that development for this character didn’t progress much. There doesn’t appear to be many direct references to Geno when taking a peek into the game’s source code.
Within the code for Brawl, character data can be found for Plusle & Minun (implied, not confirmed), Dr. Mario, Mewtwo, Roy, Toon Zelda, Toon Sheik (or Tetra), and Dixie Kong. These fighters are often referred to as Brawl’s “Forbidden Seven” as a result.
However, it should be noted that “Beware the Forest Mushroom,” the theme from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars that’s most connected to Geno, does have data in the game. It’s important to note that the data associated with the track isn’t enough for it to actually play, but fans have created an unofficial song based on what it might sound like as an orchestral arrangement.
This recreation certainly serves as evidence of the fanbase’s desire to someday see Geno as a playable fighter within the iconic platform brawler. Could it actually happen with a future iteration?
It’s been widely believed that Geno not making the cut in Super Smash Bros. Brawl was somehow connected to Square Enix’s ownership of the character. Even though Cloud, Sephiroth, and Hero have been added as third party combatants in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Geno was likely perceived to not be relevant enough considering that he was only playable on a 1996 game for the Super Nintendo at the time.
Having said that, Geno’s chances have seemingly soared in recent years due to the release of Super Mario RPG, a remake of the 1996 cult classic on the Nintendo Switch. With this remake, fans were able to see Geno in a brand new way.
More than likely, Sakurai’s desire to see Geno as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. has persisted throughout the years. If he truly is working on the next iteration within the series, it’s entirely possible that it may actually become a reality with this latest development.
Supposedly, the Switch successor is slated to be fully unveiled before April 1, 2025. At this point, it’s looking pretty likely that Sakurai’s secret game project is set to be a launch title considering how long it’s been in development.
We’ll just have to see if the world is ready for Geno to join the fight then.