Which Challenger Pack in the Smash Ultimate Fighters Pass is your favorite?

[Mekanos]

Now that all five Challenger Packs in the first Fighters Pass have been announced and released, which stands as ERA's favorite? Keep in mind that when ranking Challenger Packs, it's not just the character that is being considered, but:

-Classic Mode run
-Stage
-Music
-Spirit Board

 

[Slamtastic]

The Sans mii costume

 

[Tom Nook]

Guh huh

 

[dancingphlower]

You can guess by my avatar :P

 

[Kingpin Rogers]

It would be Joker for his stage/music and Hero for how he actually plays. Haven't used Byleth yet though.

 

[KayonXaikyre]

I'm actually enjoying Byleth a lot. They are very fun characters. Probably Hero or Terry, but Byleth is close for me too. If I had to pick one only, I'd say Hero which at first I wasn't even too hype for until I saw how he played.

 

[ohkay]

I find Joker the most fun to play followed by Terry.

If I had to make an order right now, with only a little bit of time with Byleth, I'd probably go:
Joker > Terry > Byleth > Hero > Banjo

 

[CyberWolfBia]

Banjo by a large margin;

then is Terry, as I'm familiar with the character and the legacy (and I liked him a lot in CvS games; never was too much into SNK games other than Metal Slug)

Hero, Joker and Byleth don't do anything for me, sadly

 

[9-Volt]

Terry has become my new main. He had always been a main if mine in the games he was featured in, and it's no different in Smash.

For stage, Joker's is the best looking one.

 

[Glio]

I have not been able to test everyone's moveset in depth but I would say that Byleth> Joker> Hero = Banjo = Terry

I didn't care about the last three.

 

[Neoxon]

Might as port over my review of Fighters Pass Vol. 1 from the other thread...

• CHARACTERS: 6/10 (Okay)
  • The best thing I can say for the characters chosen is that they're decently spread out across the industry. Likewise, it's good that we got a few fan-requests in there (Hero for Japan, my misgivings towards Sugiyama profiting from Smash aside, & Banjo for the West). Likewise, Terry in Smash is one of those things that I never knew I wanted until it happened as someone who loves the KoF games. And while I have my misgivings towards Atlus (or more specifically, Hashino), Joker was a great inclusion for a series I love in spite of its questionable bullshit. There's also the fact that each character was pretty unique, though some were more fun than others (of the 5, I actively picked up Joker & Terry, with the latter now being my main). But the elephant in the room is that the Fighters Pass does nothing to address the flaws of the existing roster, especially when it comes to gender & ethnic diversity. The most we got was the secondary part of a duo (Kazooie) & an alternate costume (Female Byleth) regarding the lack of women. Likewise, while Byleth as the Three Houses rep makes sense on paper, the game had far better options to choose from (namely Edelgard & Claude). As mentioned before, even doing something simple like making Female Byleth the default could have gone a long way. If anything, the choice of Byleth shows the flaws of always going for the player character/poster child/main character above all else. In short, the best way I can describe Vol. 1 from a character standpoint are the pros & cons of Sakurai's (& Nintendo's) decision-making process. The characters are rich in history (or in Three Houses case, it was a fantastic game) & they're all interesting to play, but the choices don't offer much in the diversity department.
• STAGES: 5/10 (Meh)
  • This is where I feel the Fighters Pass was slacking. Even putting aside my competitive mindset, the only two stages that were really memorable were Mementos & KoF Arena (even though I wish we got the likes of Leona & the rest of Team Yagami as stage cameos, not to mention K' & Kula), with the latter having an interesting gimmick despite not being cut from the tournament-legal cloth. The DQXI stage is just......alright, though I'll give it credit for fitting as much of Erdrea as technically possible. But Spiral Mountain didn't do much for me. It makes sense on paper, sure, but the execution leaves a bit to be desired to be honest.
• MUSIC: 8/10 (Great)
  • Fighters Pass Vol. 1 did really good with the music, though it's not without its flaws. There are a few glaring omissions & issues for each of the packs, some more than others. I'll also take this opportunity to highlight some of the stuff I liked...
    • Joker is missing some key P5 tracks, as well as only 1 track from pre-P3. Likewise, the remix of Facing Myself left much to be desired, though the other two remixes were on-fucking-point (Beneath the Mask especially, which could put up a fight for Best Remix in the Game).
    • Hero is really slacking in music, but I'll cut him some slack since Sugiyama is a grade-A asshole.
    • Banjo......wasn't missing a whole lot, they got most of the core essentials.
    • Terry was missing quite a bit despite bringing the most to the table, which only makes the underwhelming remix of Stormy Saxophone 2 all the more disappointing. With that said, Terry also brought us what's arguably the best remix in Smash.....period (Psycho Soldier).
    • God-Shattering Star is probably the biggest omission regarding Byleth. Though Byleth also brought a claim to Best Remix in Smash (the Three Houses theme remix, which isn't named Edge of Dawn for some reason).
  • Overall, Joker, Terry, & Byleth are the winners in the music department, with Banjo holding his own. Also, fuck you, Sugiyama.
• SPIRITS: 7/10 (Good)
  • Funny enough, most of the characters had a solid number of spirits. Hell, some of them have evolutions (namely Dragon Quest & Three Houses). And while there are a few glaring omissions (especially characters like K' & Kula with regards to KoF, though I wish we got the likes of Petra, Marianne, Dedue, Hubert, Linhardt, & more regarding Three Houses). All of the spirit battles were fun to play, though some of them were especially hard (Sothis, Luminary's crew, & the Phantom Thieves especially). With that said, something that was done for Dragon Quest that I hope becomes a regular trend is Smash adding spirits to each of the newly-represented games/franchises after the fact. For example, they could add Kasumi/Sumire/Violet, Sophia/Sophie, & Zenkichi/Wolf as post-launch spirits alongside Persona 5 Strikers' release. But overall, solid job on the spirit department.
• OVERALL: 6.5/10 (Okay)
  • Fighters Pass Vol. 2 as a whole didn't do terribly, but there's a ton of room for improvement. I wish all the stages were as great as Mementos & KoF Arena, some of the remixes were disappointing (again, I'll cut Hero some slack for his lack of music overall since Sugiyama is an asshole), & the fact that there isn't one character who's primarily a woman in the entire pass should be unacceptable in 2019/2020. But the movesets, spirits, & the good remixes (as well as the treasure-trove of great songs from these games/franchises) do a lot to help make up for it. So all-in-all, I feel whelmed by Fighters Pass Vol. 1. Pleased in some aspects, disappointed in others.
• BEST CHALLENGER PACK: Terry Bogard (Challenger Pack 4)
  • Terry easily shines above the rest when it comes to what he brought to the table. He was the most fun to play, he had an actually-fun stage, the spirit battles were interesting with some solid picks overall, & the sheer amount of music he brought to the table was insane. Joker comes somewhat close, but he can't really keep up with 50 GODDAMN MUSIC TRACKS!!!! Terry's really an over-achiever when it comes to Smash, & I'm glad that SNK was really easy to work with regarding their content in Smash.

If I had to rank the Challenger Packs, it'd go like this...

1. Terry Bogard (Challenger Pack 4)
   • Solid choice for SNK
   • Great stage
   • Great music & tons of it
   • Great spirits
2. Joker (Challenger Pack 1)
   • Obvious choice for Persona
   • Great stage
   • Great music
   • Great spirits
3. Byleth (Challenger Pack 5)
   • Poor choice for a Three Houses rep
     • Should have gone with Edelgard or Claude instead, or at least make Female Byleth the default
   • Meh stage
   • Great music
   • Great spirits
4. Banjo & Kazooie (Challenger Pack 3)
   • Obvious pick & a fan-favorite in the West
   • Meh stage
   • Solid music
   • Solid spirits
5. Hero (Challenger Pack 2)
   • Great handling of an obvious pick & a fan-favorite in Japan
   • Okay stage
   • Subpar music
     • Fuck you, Sugiyama
   • Great spirits

 

[Ryce]

Banjo & Kazooie by far. I've been desperately wanting them since Melee.

 

[LostSkullKid]

I've wanted Banjo since forever but I honestly don't really play him. Joker's music and stage and his victory screen are amazing. But the character I actually enjoy playing the most is Terry despite having no experience with King of Fighters. And I really enjoy the gimmick on his stage as well.

 

[P-Bo]

Hero and Banjo were the ones I was excited for initially, Terry was the one I thoroughly pleased and continue to have the most fun with; seriously want to get into SNK fighting games because of him.

 

[Farrac]

I'm actually impressed by how much I enjoyed the Terry Pack myself. While I don't care as much about Terry as a character, he is super-fun to play and it's basically SNK: The Pack, which is something I can totally get behind. Lots of passion poured into it and great value overall, with all the music tracks and classic games featured in it. Loving my Metal Slug tracks and Psycho Soldier.

 

[D-Man]

Hero. Dragon Quest XI was a very important game to me and I love everything about the way Luminary and co. work. Love being able to use actual Dragon Quest spells and I love seeing Erdrea, a land I know and love, in the back as we fly on the Yggdrasil Altar stage.

Hero > Terry > Joker > Byleth > Banjo is how I personally rate the pass as a whole but I'm very pleased with all of them as a whole.

 

[criteriondog]

This is like the hardest thing to choose. I love them all equally. They're like my kids. I can't pick. :(
Voted for Joker because of the sheer WTF from it all. Opened up a lot of possibilities who could be future DLC fighters. No one was expecting Joker!

 

[Deleted member 33533]

None of the DLC characters have really been for me so I can't really say I have a favorite. Not to knock the characters, I think they're mostly good choices overall with an exception or two, which I don't really think should've been picked.

Really hoping to see one character in the next Fighter's Pack that really excites me.

 

[Grapezard]

Joker, by a good amount. I haven't "adored" any of the picks from season 1, though.

 

[Punchline]

honestly probably byleth and terry

joker and hero are cool

banjo is really boring on every level. even most of the content provided with his pack is stuff i dont ever see used. banjo's moveset is horrendous (bouncing egg projectile with random trajectory that can only be used from the back- a special move that vanishes if used too much, a awful projectile move in the locked firing neutral, and a uncreative up special). really dunno why this outdated relic from the nintendo 64 era was requested so much to be put in and it seems like sakurai doesn't know either.

 

[Deleted member 36578]

Banjooooo!
Incredibly fitting character to bring back to Smash. Banjo and Kazooie feel right at home here and they're feel incredibly fun to play too. The triple jump is versatile and mobile. The side B limited feather is fun to play mind games with and lethal as hell. The varied projectiles add even more interesting options that really shake up the approach. Great addition to the roster.

 

[Mesoian]

joker.

It would be terry if THEY LET ME USE THE FUCKING DPAD FOR MOVEMENT!

 

[Oswen]

Terry is the best, great character and legacy, extremely fun to play.
Banjo & Kazooie are pretty good for what they represent and a dream which came true for many.
Hero and Joker are good, nothing that I'm too crazy about but not bad either.
Byleth is ok but is very tame compared to the other DLC picks; feels more like a late base-game choice which Sakurai *really* wanted to include (sorry Rex&Pyra).

 

[MaitreWakou]

Oooh based on all the content, it becomes hard. I was gonna say Terry because he's the most fun for me, but if we take into account everything...

Then it goes to Joker. Persona 5 is one of my favorite game of the decade. I LOVE the stage, it's so fun. Especially like the train. The music is GOAT. And I love the character. So far, he's the one of the FP I've played the most with, even if I find Terry even more fun.
His classic mode was cool (I like all the classic mode of the FP, minus Byleth's one. But the boss of Byleth is hilarious so it's worth it just for that lol), the spirits are great since I love the cast.

So yeah Joker. With Terry being a close 2d (also 2d best stage of the FP for me, and 2d best musics)

 

[BDS]

I wanted Edelgard but I'll take Byleth too.

 

[Hero of Legend]

YOU HAVE TO ASK!?

guh-huh

 

[Mekanos]

really dunno why this outdated relic from the nintendo 64 era was requested so much to be put in and it seems like sakurai doesn't know either.

Click to shrink...

Might want to ask posters here since they're leading the poll!

 

[Doof]

I like em all but Banjo is my favorite.

 

[NeonZ]

Terry is matched with Hero for my favorite DLC character gameplay-wise, but his pack takes the lead due to the huge selection of bgms also leading to some fun custom stages I've managed to find (including a really impressive moving train with Terry's classic bgm and a couple of Metal Slug stages).

 

[Shining Star]

Byleth, she is cool and I'm glad they added her.

 

[Odeko]

This is so tough! BK and Byleth are my favorite to play as but I don't love their stages. Joker has the best music and stage but is probably my least played character.

I'll have to go with Terry for being strong all around but I really did enjoy all of them

 

[Derachi]

Terry was the most pleasant surprise to me.

 

[Punchline]

Might want to ask posters here since they're leading the poll!

Click to shrink...

oh im aware, its because they're all boomers and banjo's "simple"

hes got the worst moveset of the bunch unquestionably but because everyone is so blinded by their nostalgia for a series that has had, if we're being generous, two good games, with the second one being more flawed than its predecessor in many departments

 

[Dyle]

Terry. Best stage mechanic (which should be a standard option in future Smash games), tons of music, and Terry is way more fun to play than I expected. Even though I'm not familiar with all of the SNK stuff that was referenced with his pack, I think it's cool that it all got included.

Beyond that it goes Joker, Banjo, Hero, and Byleth for reasons I explained in the speculation thread earlier today

 

[Mekanos]

oh im aware, its because they're all boomers and banjo's "simple"

hes got the worst moveset of the bunch unquestionably but because everyone is so blinded by their nostalgia for a series that has had, if we're being generous, two good games, with the second one being more flawed than its predecessor in many departments

Click to shrink...

Think accusing other posters of only liking a character because of nostalgia is pretty silly and unfounded.

 

[JakeNoseIt]

Hero ended up being a really lovely surprise for me. Coupled with DQ11 on Switch and it seemed like the perfect recipe to fall in love with the character

 

[ClickyCal']

oh im aware, its because they're all boomers and banjo's "simple"

hes got the worst moveset of the bunch unquestionably but because everyone is so blinded by their nostalgia for a series that has had, if we're being generous, two good games, with the second one being more flawed than its predecessor in many departments

Click to shrink...

This is cringy to read.

 

[RockmanBN]

Banjo > Joker > Hero > Byleth > Terry

 

[Metto]

Joker because to me he's basically perfect. His stage is amazing and has a really solid song selection. Then the character itself is also incredible. Fun and smooth to play, high skill ceiling, and just a well executed thematically. My main issue with him was Aresene but they have taken steps to tone him down in this patch so it's all good.

Byleth is my second favorite just because of how damn fun they are and good music selection. Dunno how to feel about their stage but I appreciate FE finally getting a stage representing one of their games and not generic arenas.

Banjo is only here because he's Banjo but I do feel the disappointment with him. The character just feels so limp and you're forced to be defensive and passive with his eggs and wait for bad approaches or unga bunga side bs. The more I stay away from Banjo the less I want to actually play him which is kind of sad. Also looking back his music selection is also kind of disappointing. 11 songs across 2 games while still missing iconic ones is disappointing. Their stage is cool but mainly in terms of visuals and fanservice.

I probably like Terry the least in terms of them being playable but their pack is way too good. KoF Stadium is such a cool stage and their music pack seriously pays for themselves. Plus Terry has some charm mainly in their voicelines. To me this pack could've just been the stage, 50 SNK songs, and Terry voicelines and it would've been as impactful then if Terry was here.

In a post Byleth world I have little reason to play Hero outside of memes. Still fun but now I would rather play Byleth over Hero anytime. Stage is fine but it's dragged down massively by its music. Hero's music is actually terrible and it really drags down his value especially as I start to like the character less and less

 

[Punchline]

Think accusing other posters of only liking a character because of nostalgia is pretty silly and unfounded.

Click to shrink...

so is a bear not wearing a shirt and wearing tacky yellow pants, but here we are

 

[Poltergust]

I don't care much for Joker (great music, though), and Byleth feels extremely clunky (again, great music), but I really liked Hero (*cough*badmusic*cough*) and Terry (50 tracks!?).

Banjo & Kazooie just stole my heart, though. They were exactly how I pictured them to be since I wanted them in back in Melee. The music brought back so many happy childhood memories of the N64 games. They alone justified the entire pack for me.

 

[CyberWolfBia]

oh im aware, its because they're all boomers and banjo's "simple"

hes got the worst moveset of the bunch unquestionably but because everyone is so blinded by their nostalgia for a series that has had, if we're being generous, two good games, with the second one being more flawed than its predecessor in many departments

Click to shrink...

people care more about characters than how they play, generally (at least is how I see it); they're attached to that character and franchise in particular.. so they add a god tier new character with an amazing moveset, but if they're not as beloved as Banjo, they won't care.

and personally, I quite like Banjo's moveset; as you said, he's simple and straight forward; I wouldn't do any other way, but even if I agreed with you that Banjo played horribly, I'd still play him more than the others.

 

[Wii Tank]

Banjo and Kazooie easily. It was a dream come true

 

[Mekanos]

so is a bear not wearing a shirt and wearing tacky yellow pants, but here we are

Click to shrink...

They're not pants, they're shorts!

 

[Punchline]

This is cringy to read.

Click to shrink...

it is what it is lmao

 

[ClickyCal']

it is what it is lmao

Click to shrink...

Btw, are you aware that boomers are from 1946 to 1964?

 

[Zen Hero]

~Zen Hero's Ranking~

1. Byleth! Three Houses is my favorite game represented in the DLC, so I'm happy to see representation from it! I like Byleth's play style and the stage is a wonderful representation of the monastery.
2. Hero. I also really like DQ11 so I'm happy to see it represented! The stage is just beautiful and it's great to fly by a bunch of locations from DQ11. I also like how Hero's attacks are animated, they feel exaggerated in a good way! My one disappointment with this character is that they didn't add any female heroes. Sakurai please.
3. Joker. I was really excited for Joker initially, but in the end I didn't like his play style at all (I dislike both counters and ascended states / meters...). He just doesn't really feel like Joker from Persona 5 to me -- personas are the normal form of combat in persona games, they aren't some special ascended state. I also don't like his stage at all, it's too abstract. I prefer concrete representations of locations from the game, like Byleth's stage.
4. Terry. I didn't buy this one, so this is just based on what I've seen. I have no familiarity with SNK but the song list looked nice and the stage looked fun and I appreciate Terry's style.
5. Banjo and Kazooie. I didn't buy this one either, so this is base on what I've seen. I liked Banjo and Kazooie as a kid, but nostalgia doesn't really drive me and these days I don't feel much for them. On top of that, I feel like Smash didn't totally nail the look of the character. Banjo's eyes are too big and expression isn't quite right and it gives him a different vibe. Also the stage doesn't look as colorful and beautiful as I was imagining for an HD Banjo stage, so that was another disappointment from me.

 

[Altered]

Joker despite never playing persona.

Just like the playstyle and the music.

 

[Poltergust]

oh im aware, its because they're all boomers and banjo's "simple"

hes got the worst moveset of the bunch unquestionably but because everyone is so blinded by their nostalgia for a series that has had, if we're being generous, two good games, with the second one being more flawed than its predecessor in many departments

Click to shrink...

I think their moveset is fantastic. A great set of specials, almost all their normals are pulled directly from the games, and there is just enough of novelty to what they bring in that they don't feel like a gimmick character (like Hero, who is fun but is literally Gimmick: The Character) while also being fresh. It's as if they has been a character in Smash for several entries already, and I absolutely love that.

 

[wbloop]

I loved Joker, but Terry, man. His moveset is so much fun that be became one of my mains.