Sakurai Explains Why Isabelle Isn’t An Echo Fighter Of Villager In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

In the latest Famitsu column, Super Smash Bros. and Kirby creator Masahiro Sakurai shared a few details about Isabelle, the popular character from the Animal Crossing series.

Isabelle was revealed as a playable fighter for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in the recent Nintendo Direct. As some of you might have suspected, Isabelle was built off Villager, another character from Animal Crossing. But why isn’t Isabelle an Echo Fighter of Villager?

Sakurai explains both characters have fundamentally different body types and personalities, so they decided not to make Isabelle an Echo Fighter but a full character instead. The director added that Isabelle’s Japanese name, Shizue-san, was modified to have her “-san” (Ms.) honorific removed in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, just like they do for all characters.

Finally, Sakurai said Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a “thoroughly strange game”, and when it comes to character and stage design, they always make cool things “cooler” and cute things “cuter”. At the same time, they have to remove the “incongruous feeling” of cool and cute things coexisting together.

Read the full column at Source Gaming here.