As previously reported, Yacht Club Games denied the rumors that Shovel Knight would be included as a DLC character in Nintendo's "Super Smash Bros. 4" for the Wii U or 3DS. However, the latest patch left three open slots for new characters and a new report from Yibada gives a few clues on who might be added next.

According to the report, one of the top contenders is the genie Shantae from the "Shantae" series. Shantae is primarily identified as a genie in the first two games but by the third title she lost her magical powers and relied mostly on skill and special magical tools. The series is identified as one of the hallmark "Metroidvania" type of games.

Other contenders to take the three slots include King K. Rool and Dixie Kong. King K. Rool is the main antagonist in the "Donkey Kong Country" franchise while Dixie is Diddy Kong's girlfriend and was first introduced as a sidekick character in "Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest" before starring as the main character in the sequel.

While these remain as the top three contenders, the report does cite that there are other popular choices stemming from the unofficial roster ballot, which ended last month. It is stated that other fan favorites include Solid Snake from the "Metal Gear Solid" franchise, Star Wolf from the "Star Fox" franchise, and Ridley from the "Metroid" franchise.

Ridley does appear in the game but only as a boss challenge but it is possible that Nintendo may already have a working code for the character. This would make it easier for the developer to turn Ridley into an active player character. 

Solid Snake is also a high possibility given that the character did appear as a playable character in "Super Smash Bros. Brawl." However, this may be due to a special agreement between Konami and Nintendo given that at the time Konami released a remake of the first "Metal Gear Solid" on the Nintendo Gamecube.

It is possible that this agreement has already expired.