Everyone thought it was a done deal. For years, if you spent even five minutes on a gaming forum or scrolled through Twitter during a Nintendo Direct, one name dominated the conversation: Crash Bandicoot. People were convinced the orange marsupial was a lock for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It made sense, right? We had Mario, Sonic, Mega Man, and Pac-Man. The "Mount Rushmore" of gaming icons was almost complete, missing only the face of the original PlayStation. But then the final roster spot went to Sora from Kingdom Hearts, and the dream died. Or did it?
The obsession with Crash Bandicoot Smash Bros rumors wasn't just baseless hype. It was a perfect storm of timing, corporate shifts, and a massive revival of the franchise that made his exclusion feel like a genuine snub.
The "Leaks" That Fooled Everyone
Let's talk about the rumors. They were everywhere. Remember the "Vergeben" leaks? Or the supposed internal documents from Activision that "confirmed" a crossover? Most of it was nonsense, honestly. But fans clung to it because the logic was sound. When Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy landed on the Switch in 2018, the floodgates opened. It was the first time a mainline Crash game was on a Nintendo console in years, and it ran surprisingly well.
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Suddenly, Crash wasn't just a Sony mascot anymore. He was a free agent.
The speculation reached a fever pitch during the Fighters Pass Vol. 2 reveals. Every time Masahiro Sakurai, the legendary director of Smash, sat down in his office to announce a new character, the "Crash for Smash" hashtags would trend globally. People looked for clues in everything. "Look at the way Sakurai held up two fingers! It's a reference to the crates in Crash 2!" It was a bit desperate, looking back. But that’s what happens when a community is that passionate. They weren't just looking for a new fighter; they were looking for a piece of gaming history to be validated.
The Licensing Nightmare Nobody Saw
Why didn't it happen? You’d think Nintendo and Activision could play nice. They worked together on Skylanders years ago, even putting Bowser and Donkey Kong in that game. But the reality of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is that every single character requires a mountain of legal paperwork.
When you’re dealing with a character like Crash, you aren't just dealing with a model and some moves. You’re dealing with a legacy. Activision was busy at the time. They were launching Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time and trying to reposition the brand as a heavy hitter again. Maybe the timing just didn't align. Or maybe, as some industry insiders like Imran Khan have hinted in the past, the negotiations for certain third-party characters simply fall through because of money or creative control.
Imagine trying to get Microsoft (who now owns Activision Blizzard), Sony (who has historical ties to Crash), and Nintendo in a room to agree on how a spin-attack should look. It's a miracle we got Steve from Minecraft, let's be real.
What a Crash Bandicoot Smash Bros Move-Set Would Have Looked Like
If Crash had made it, he would have been a chaotic force. That’s just his vibe. He isn't a disciplined fighter like Ryu or a strategic zoner like Samus. He’s a blur of orange fur and wooden splinters.
His neutral special would almost certainly have been the iconic spin. But how do you make it different from Taz in MultiVersus or even Mario’s down-b? You’d have to make it reflect projectiles or have a "cooldown" where he gets dizzy if he overuses it. That’s the kind of detail Sakurai is known for. He doesn't just add a character; he captures their soul.
Then you have the crates. Oh, the crates.
- TNT Crates: A stage hazard he could drop that explodes after a three-second countdown.
- Nitro Crates: Instant explosion on contact. High risk, high reward.
- Checkpoint Crates: Maybe a unique mechanic where he could respawn with less damage? Probably too broken.
And don't forget Aku Aku. He would’ve functioned exactly like the Starman in Smash, providing temporary invincibility after collecting three masks. It writes itself. This is why the Crash Bandicoot Smash Bros discourse stayed alive for so long. The character fits the mechanical language of Smash better than almost any other candidate. He’s built for a platform fighter.
The Competition: Why Sora Won Instead
When Sora was revealed as the final character, it was bittersweet for the Crash crowd. Sora was the most requested character in the official Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot from years prior. You can’t really argue with that. Disney and Square Enix are even harder to work with than Activision, so the fact that Sakurai pulled off Sora was a "mic drop" moment for his career.
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But Crash fans felt like their guy was the "logical" choice while Sora was the "impossible" choice. Logic rarely wins in Smash. Sakurai loves the impossible.
There's also the "Mii Costume" factor. Many expected Crash to at least show up as a Mii Brawler outfit, similar to how Cuphead or Sans from Undertale got in. When even that didn't happen, it felt like a total blackout. It suggests that either a deal was never even discussed, or it was so far apart that they couldn't even agree on a hat.
Does it even matter anymore?
Smash Ultimate is "finished." Development has moved on. Sakurai is mostly doing YouTube videos now, and the Nintendo Switch is in its twilight years. But the conversation around Crash Bandicoot Smash Bros hasn't actually stopped. It’s just shifted focus to the next Nintendo console.
If Nintendo does a "Deluxe" version of Smash for their next hardware, or an entirely new entry, Crash will be right back at the top of the list. The demand hasn't faded. If anything, the fact that he was "snubbed" has made the fan base more vocal. They want that orange blur on the battlefield next to Mario. It’s the last great rivalry from the 90s that hasn't been settled in the arena.
The Reality of Third-Party Reps
We have to be realistic about how these characters get chosen. It isn't just about who is popular. It’s about who helps Nintendo sell consoles in specific regions or who strengthens a corporate partnership.
Crash is massive in the West. In Japan? He’s popular, but he’s not the cultural titan that Dragon Quest or Persona is. Smash is a global game, but its heart is still in Japan. When you look at the Fighters Pass, a lot of the choices—Hero, Terry Bogard, Sephiroth—catered heavily to that legacy Japanese gaming audience. Crash, despite his Japanese-specific "Crash Dance" and marketing history there, is often viewed through a Western lens.
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How to Scratch That Itch Today
Since we aren't getting an official Crash Bandicoot Smash Bros crossover anytime soon, players have taken matters into their own hands. If you’re desperate to see Crash knock Mario off a platform, you have a few options that aren't exactly "official" but are pretty impressive.
First, there’s the modding scene. Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Smash Wii U have incredibly detailed Crash mods. Some even include custom voice lines and animations pulled directly from It’s About Time. It’s not the same as having him in the official roster, but for a local session with friends, it’s a blast.
Then there are the "clones." Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 and MultiVersus have shown that there is a massive market for this genre. While Crash isn't in those (for obvious licensing reasons), the gameplay style is there.
The Microsoft Factor
The biggest change since Smash Ultimate launched is that Microsoft now owns Crash Bandicoot. This actually increases the chances of him appearing in a future game. Nintendo and Microsoft have developed a surprisingly cozy relationship. We have Banjo-Kazooie in Smash. We have Steve. Adding Crash would just be another brick in that bridge.
If I were a betting man, I'd say Crash is a frontrunner for whatever comes next from Nintendo's fighting division. The groundwork is laid. The fans are ready. The owners are willing to play ball.
Moving Forward: What You Can Do
If you're still holding out hope for Crash, don't just yell into the void. The best way to show interest in these crossovers is to support the games themselves.
- Play the Switch ports: High player counts for Crash 4 and the N. Sane Trilogy on Nintendo hardware send a clear signal to both Activision and Nintendo that the audiences overlap.
- Engagement Matters: Participate in community polls and surveys. Nintendo does occasionally look at social sentiment, even if they seem like they’re in their own world.
- Explore the Genre: Check out other platform fighters. The more successful the genre is, the more likely Nintendo is to invest in a massive "Smash 6" that expands the roster even further.
Crash Bandicoot not being in Smash isn't a failure—it's just an unfinished story. In the world of gaming, "never" usually just means "not right now." Keep your eyes on the next Nintendo hardware reveal. That’s when the cycle starts all over again.
Next Steps for Fans:
To stay ahead of the curve, keep an eye on Microsoft's "Xbox Everywhere" initiative. As they push their characters onto more platforms, the legal hurdles for a Nintendo crossover become much lower. You should also follow Masahiro Sakurai’s YouTube channel, Creating Games, where he occasionally drops nuggets of wisdom about how characters were selected for the roster, providing the best insight into why certain icons like Crash might have been left on the cutting room floor.