Here we collect lots of arguments about Lip's inclusion from quite many dectators of hers. We try to see if we can find any solution on these, or at least prove true our counterarguments.
She's a one-shot character.
Don't think so much in that light: she's referenced and given cameos, mostly now in recent 5 years (Planet Puzzle League/Puzzle League DS, SSBB, Captain Rainbow). Besides, Intelligent Systems might still consider using her again in some form- take a look at Nintendo Puzzle Collection for example. In there Lip had a daughter (though she was herself not seen) as the protagonist.
Oddly enough, the japanese took fairies over PKMN, as we can see how Nintendo Puzzle Collection's Panel De Pin was actually based on the Pokemon Puzzle League.
That in my opinion proves she's just not a one-shot character.
- She has a miniskirt. You think she'd be considered after that fact?
Solution?
Give her bloomers. Or give her a makeover which makes her skirt get coverred or be gone.
To admit it frankly, none even hasn't ever seen what's under her skirt. In Captain Rainbow though, when sneezing fiercely due her hayfever, you could see under her skirt.
BUT.
The girl didn't wear tight bikini pants which show clearly lines of her vagina. She had a white underwear which doesn't have any sort of detail, which renders it plain and uninteresting for lolicons. It's actually wierd how could that even turn anyone on.
The miniskirt issue has been discussed million times between fans, which is why I find it's kinda useless to bring that subject up.
- "Her weapon's an item; she's out!"
Sakurai could easily remove the item and give it back to it's owner. Also, if Screw Attack was an item, then how come Samus still can take it when she has a Screw Attack herself?
While it might thus sound ridiculous that there would be two Lip Stick's in the game, it's possible too.
- I've never heard of her, and from what I'm seeing from first glance, she doesn't look like she can't fight.
Anyone can become a fighter if put into a fighting game. Look at Roll for example in Tatsunoko Vs Capcom. She seems like little maid robot girl first, but just wait when she beats her opponent with a MOP, and even finishes them with huge bucket of cleaning water. Talk about badass adorable: how would one being talented with her feel like after winning, hm? :D
Anyway, back in N64-days, Sakurai had been wondering about some characters which could make it as playables for Melee. He had stated some characters which could be a huge stretch to give a moveset: for example, some retro characters like Bubbles (which can't do much except move), Balloon Fighter (He would be useless without his balloon) and Excite Biker (who has to rely on his bike all the time, maybe always tripping out of it and has to go back to ride on it again)
So far, Sakurai hasn't yet stated anything about Lip being not able to fight. The only (maybe) negative thing he said about her is that she's not so well-known.
Besides, Lip has fought before, for likes of evil lords and even a GODDESS. (See the Hard Mode of Panel De Pon.)
If you still wonder how could Lip fight, why don't you have a look at the moveset page in this blog? We'll keep it on updating about how would she fight like.Also, if you like read my quick overall what could she do:
Lip could use her flower magic against her opponents, and let's not forget a fact she has a wand to use as a weapon. The mechanics and elements from Puzzle League/Panel De Pon also can give some inspiration: for example, she could use garbage blocks to hit her enemies with for spacing or as a meteor attack, or use the cursor from the series as an unique defensive attack.
- She's not a retro character.
Of course she's not retro. 1995 was the year when she debuted.
Thus, she's not ever been battling for THAT slot in the first place.
- Why hit little girls?
SSB-series doesn't know any mercy on any characters, no matter what they are like. Mario hitting Peach, though they are close friends and Peach's usually a royalty? Check. Link battling against Zelda, even if they have same issues as Mario and Peach? Check. You can beat up bunch of talented but young boys? Check.
Heck, beating a PKMN by yourself without having your own PKMN? With a brutal items that could be deadly in real life? CHECK.
It's not like any rules apply in these kind of fighting games. So how come Lip's different from the rest?
It's just quite bizarre that anyone can be fought despite what they are actually, but that's what makes Smash Bros quite quirky and unique. Look also at the other fighting games.
-She's unrevelant and is dead character. The series themselves have even clipped her out from her own series.
IN AMERICA.
And before you say it, the latest game Planet Puzzle League doesn't count, it still has Lip on it, which is
better than being "clipped from her own series. (See below.)
Also, there's no thing as "dead character" in Nintendo-franchise. Puzzle League-series aren't dead as there's not been any indication of that, and Lip would be surely somehow featured near future in Nintendo's installments in some way. You're not Intellgent Systems. Nor Nintendo.
Going on in revelancy issue, she's important to Nintendo's history since her series are most longrunning in Nintendo's history, and Panel De Pon was also one of the last titles produced by the Nintendo legend behind creations of Gameboy, Metroid, Kid Icarus and Fire Emblem, Gunpei Yokoi.
Also, if you think that America keeps on clipping her out of the localised Puzzle League-titles featuring her, that mentality is now fairly outdated. The game industry is much different today than it was back in the SNES days. People are much more well-informed, and can easily check the internet for reviews or information. I mean, have you seen the sales for Catherine? Even Starfy had a cover emphasizing cuteness, and it sold better in North America than Japan, and Starfy was a new character to the NA market.
Lip might even be able to hit the shores of America all accepted in her own game. The chances are also even higher if she's featured as a playable or at least an Assist Trophy in SSB4.
- I think she screams too much lolicon. Nintendo won't like that.
Japanese love cute girls. I mean, look at manga and anime industry: K-ON! and Lucky Star are popular, not because their loose humor slice of life stories, but because their cute characters.
Going on, if she really was "too loli", she wouldn't ever been created at the first place. Look at Sega. They still keep on doing cute characters for their puzzle series Puyo Puyo and keeps Arle Nadja as the protagonist for the series. Dare to say she qualifies as lolicon? Cuteness sells well in Japan, and now apparently in America, too.
Also, Zero Suit Samus is quite suggestive in means of look. Yet we all know that Samus is not a sex toy. That's quite a truth, right?
So how come Lip would be "too loli" for Smash Bros? I'd laugh if there was some sort of article telling that Nintendo's sued for putting Lip for Smash Bros because she seems to give out suggestive thought through how young and cute she is. I don't care about Rule 34 at all.
They could give her a redesign which makes her little grown up, like what they did for Pit.
- She's Japan-only. Sakurai didn't want to add them, remember?
He never said he wouldn't ever add them. He just aid he won't focus on japanese only representation as much as the popular character representation. Look also what we got: Marth and Lucas.
Marth got his series out after a long time he was Japan-only by debuting in SSBM. Lucas though was planned on Melee all along.
Besides, it's quite wierd that now Little Mac and Takamaru are now being very much accepted to the American audiences, it seems that their chances have gone way up.
Takamaru seems to be quite well received everywhere in the world for some extent too, but it remains a question will Sakurai note the Murasame Mode in Samurai Warriors 3 as his "new game", which I doubt. I'm though looking forward for Takamaru's inclusion since he's seemingly getting popular and things are quite looking good for him.
About Little Mac, he has it much, much worse: his newest game had bombed in Japan with only 19K per year.
This might easily mean that Little Mac can't make it in SSB4, since Sakurai can't appeal only at American audiences: Little Mac might then be too unknown for the Japanese players.
Lip again is fairly popular in Japan, and is known to be the face of her series instead of Yoshi or PKMN, which could thus be paralled to the Little Mac's popularity in America.
So if you think though he has a chance, then Lip does too. And don't look how popular he's in America. Think the whole world. I mean, when Sakurai decided to appeal only at American audience? Ya might think he won't add Tingle because he's hated in America. Sakurai though could make Tingle playable, just for japanese and european fans' enjoyment.
One Note: If you think Lip's Japan-only, then here's one fact: for fans, she's not.
To be honest, technically, she's not japan-only.
So how's this?
Well, she's appeared in Planet Puzzle League, where you can unlock her stage after clearing all the Puzzles in japanese version. The stage has been locked up in localised versions, but not completely, as you can use Action Replay to get it.
To be honest, many fans of the series were actually more of disappointed for this action than content after finding out about it.
So far I've heard many've gotten Action Replay to try her stage, or (maybe in exaggerated way of expressing it) haven't bought the game when hearing her stage being locked up, until they finding out they could unlock it with Action Replay. It's quite an exaggeration.
Here's the stage in action.
- They did already what they could to add her in Smash Bros: she has her stick as an item, which tells she can only use that, and can't provide much moveset potential. The garbage block was also planned along with her but after she seemingly couldn't do much for them, it was kept as a cameo for Kirby's Stone Move.
So I think this blog is amusing and retarted fangirlsm to still support her after the above reasons I stated. Please give up on her.
Shortly, you either want that Puzzle League's better as a franchise that doesn't need a character to representate it, or think I'm wasting my time on this blog and don't see any potential in Lip for whatever reason it is.
Look at Captain Falcon. Look at R.O.B. Heck, look at FOX. FOX MCLOUD.
Fox was a character from a rail shooter, yet he's playable, and even a good one. Like I said above,almost anyone (until Sakurai says otherwise) can become a fighter in fighting games, and in this case of SSB-series, have a moveset potential!
You know, Sakurai himself had admitted that Lip's obscure, but he called Panel De Pon "a true masterpiece". If Intelligent Systems keeps on using Lip in their next Panel De Pon/Puzzle League-installments, Lip gets her chances raised up more than Takamaru, since she gets new appearances in her own series.
- Muddy Mole's better character for puzzle representation.
Mole Mania's an awesome game. That's what I can admit, and proudly. But the sad truth is that Nintendo don't seem to acknowledge making that game at all. They don't make any references to it, don't mention it in their interviews, or anything.
It might be thus that if we would see Muddy Mole in Smash Bros, it's through that if his game gets a 3DS Virtual Console release, along with Sakurai trying to really dig through Nintendo's older stars.
So at the end, Muddy's having it much more worse than Lip. Lip has been aknowledged more than Muddy, so that's why she has more chances.
Muddy would be unique though... *sigh*
