Roster Prediction Discussion Thread

[Autumn ♫]

I doubt it in brawl veterans were completed first (except for jigglypuff) then newcomer's were added so I am sure veterans get priority this time too.

Aren't they also starting where Brawl left off? That makes me think that they are going to have very few cuts, if any.

 

[mimgrim]

I doubt it in brawl veterans were completed first (except for jigglypuff) then newcomer's were added so I am sure veterans get priority this time too.

Yet we still got a few cuts of veterans in Brawl, making the point of priority overall moot. e_e

 

[TheCreator]

That was some crazy emotional arguing between noah and everybody else on the forums. Glad I wasn't around. Ain't nobody got time fa dat nonsense. We should seep love out of our pores into our posts for one another. A bond with others that love smash bros and are able to truly appreciate it and understand it as we all do should be considered a royalty. I wish I could have these debates in person.
Im all for a WarioWare WaLuigi. I think its like a 5% chance though.
I have no idea what the topic is tbh, the last page or so has my nerves shot. So I am....just gonna list who I think the 5 most likely characters are to get in. And my 5 most wanted within reason.
I think that
1. Little Mac
2. Palutena
3. Mewtwo
4. Ridley
5. Bowser Jr.
are the most likely predictions for Sm4sh, not in order.

Now wanted, within reason, are
1. Dillon
2. Tingle
3. Mewtwo
4. Pacman
5. Jimmy T.

 

[mimgrim]

The only character I really really want it Joshua from TWEWY, but that sadly is never gonna happen.

 

[Gune]

Yet we still got a few cuts of veterans in Brawl, making the point of priority overall moot. e_e

I guess that means that it's moot for veterans and newcomers huh? eυe

 

[Autumn ♫]

We should seep love out of our pores into our posts for one another. A bond with others that love smash bros and are able to truly appreciate it and understand it as we all do should be considered a royalty.

 

[jaytalks]

Top 5 most likely:
1. Little Mac
2. king K. Rool
3. Mewtwo
4. Chrom
5. Ridley

Top 5 wanted
1. Lucina
2. Crono
3. Isaac
4. Shulk
5. Little Mac

 

[mimgrim]

I guess that means that it's moot for veterans and newcomers huh? eυe

In all honesty priority doesn't seem to really matter with how it is thrown around/ Jigs was low priority and got in over other vets of supposidly high priority. The same has gone for other things in the series, which makes me wonder why people use a priority argument when it doesn't seem to really matter in the end as low priority characters have gotten in over high priority characters. .-.

 

[Hotfeet444]

Top 5 most likely:
1. Little Mac
2. king K. Rool
3. Mewtwo
4. Chrom
5. Ridley

Top 5 wanted
1. Lucina
2. Crono
3. Isaac
4. Shulk
5. Little Mac

I'd personally say that Mewtwo is probably the most likely character right now.

As for my Top 5 Most wanted:

1.) Ridley
2.) Mewtwo
3.) Sylveon
4.) Sonic Returning
5.) Little Mac

 

[TheCreator]

Oh yeah, and I think Sonic and Snake really have like a 5% chance of being cut. Well actually, snake has a 5% chance of being cut, and Sonic has like 0.0001%
To anybody who thinks Sonic will go.
Who would cut Sonic the Hedgehog from anything. I think he's pretty high priority too. Could you IMAGINE the backlash? Plus Sega and Ninty are bff now so.

 

[Reznor]

my top most wanted
1. Fawful
2. Ridley
3. Waluigi
4. Paper Mario
5. any pokemon other than Lucario or Zoroark

 

[Swamp Sensei]

Likeliness:
1.Little Mac
2.Palutena
3.Ridley
4.K.Rool
5.Mewtwo

Want:
1.Ridley
2.Mewtwo
3.Isaac
4. Roy
5. K.Rool

 

[Hotfeet444]

Oh yeah, and I think Sonic and Snake really have like a 5% chance of being cut. Well actually, snake has a 5% chance of being cut, and Sonic has like 0.0001%
To anybody who thinks Sonic will go.
Who would cut Sonic the Hedgehog from anything. I think he's pretty high priority too. Could you IMAGINE the backlash? Plus Sega and Ninty are bff now so.

I know, but it really makes me wonder where the third party characters are placed on the priority list. I have the sinking gut feeling that they're pretty low compared to other characters, and I fear about their future in the series. Sonic is really closely tied with Nintendo right now, and that gives me some relief, but I just don't know how much priority he'll get when he's the sole purpose the game was delayed because of a late inclusion.

Also, here's a question for you all, if Snake is to return, do you think it'll be the same Snake from MGS2 or possibly Naked Snake from MGS3 because of the 3DS remake?

 

[TheCreator]

Likeliness:
1.Little Mac
2.Palutena
3.Ridley
4.K.Rool
5.Mewtwo

Want:
1.Ridley
2.Mewtwo
3.Isaac
4. Roy
5. K.Rool

The only place we differ in likliness is in K. Rool

 

[Swamp Sensei]

The only place we differ in likliness is in K. Rool

Mine's not really in any particular order, but yeah I think the King has a really good chance.

 

[Deleted member]

I see what you mean with that.
Birdo didn't start out with a relation to Yoshi, (or to Mario at all, if you count Doki Doki panic) while Waluigi debuted in Mario Tennis as a rival to Luigi and partner to Wario.

However, as much as I think Waluigi would look cooler with the Wario symbol and being with the other Wario characters, he's not a Wario Land or Wario Ware character yet.
He's part of the main Mario series and sports games, so I think series representation (or whatever you call it) goes before character association.

Keep in mind that Waluigi had the main Mario mushroom symbol in Brawl on his Dojo page. (as far as I remember; the Dojo has been down since the SSB4 reveal)

Yes, there is the possibility that they COULD make a Wario Ware styled Waluigi for SSB4 and then lump him in with the Wario series, but that hasn't happened yet.

Granted, I understand that it is only a possibility, not a probability. Though it's the possibility that honestly makes the most sense when you think about it.

And while yes, Waluigi had the Mushroom symbol on Brawl's DOJO!!, (which is still up under a new domain, btw. http://www.smashbros.com/wii/) remember that both Melee and Brawl featured a stage from Super Mario World (a game in the Mario franchise) as a Yoshi stage just because it was "Yoshi's Island".

 

[Gune]

In all honesty priority doesn't seem to really matter with how it is thrown around/ Jigs was low priority and got in over other vets of supposidly high priority. The same has gone for other things in the series, which makes me wonder why people use a priority argument when it doesn't seem to really matter in the end as low priority characters have gotten in over high priority characters. .-.

Young link, Docter Mario, Pichu and Mewtwo were not high priority so...

 

[WizKick]

Isaac is my top most wanted, other than him I'm happy with whomever gets in for whatever reason. ^_^

 

[SchAlternate]

Likely:
1. Little Mac
2. Paper Mario
3. Mewtwo
4. K.Rool
5. Sukapon

Wanted
1. Geno
2. Ray MKII
3. Roy
4. Simon
5. ... Banjo and Kazooie...

But this is just me.

 

[FourStar]

Oh yeah, and I think Sonic and Snake really have like a 5% chance of being cut. Well actually, snake has a 5% chance of being cut, and Sonic has like 0.0001%
To anybody who thinks Sonic will go.
Who would cut Sonic the Hedgehog from anything. I think he's pretty high priority too. Could you IMAGINE the backlash? Plus Sega and Ninty are bff now so.

cutting out sonic and snake, when the developers of both characters SPECIFICALLY wanted them in the game, would cause SOOOOOO much controversy between the developers

 

[Swamp Sensei]

Likely:
1. Little Mac
2. Paper Mario
3. Mewtwo
4. K.Rool
5. Sukapon

Wanted
1. Geno
2. Ray MKII
3. Roy
4. Simon
5. ... Banjo and Kazooie...

But this is just me.

You think Sukapon is likely?

 

[Deleted member]

I think all those cases are much different. I understand that you're saying Sakurai takes creative license in certain cases, but all those things are very different situations.
Mr. Game and Watch did exist in those game, just was not named or identified as such.

No, he didn't.
Mr. Game & Watch is literally a creation solely for Melee. Like how Yoshi in Smash represents all of the Yoshis that assist Baby Mario in the Yoshi franchise, Mr. Game & Watch represents all of the dozens of nameless characters within the Game & Watch games. But none of them are Mr. Game & Watch. He didn't make an appearance in the franchise until 2004 with Game & Watch Gallery 4, as the ambassador of the classic versions of the games (while Mario is the ambassador of the modern versions).

Giga Bowser is original, but he's a Final Smash of an existing character. Although he does appear as a solo character, thats within the same game as the Final Smash's first appearance.

Giga Bowser debuted in Melee, not Brawl. This is before Final Smashes were implemented. Giga Bowser is listed as a "Smash Bros." character, not a "Mario" character.
So Bowser transforming into a non-canon Smash original demonic version of him from the previous installment of the series speaks for itself.

Metal Mario (the idea) did appear in Mario 64 first.

But it wasn't a separate being. Smash 64 is where the Metal Mario as a separate being from Mario came from, and funnily enough, the DS remake of 64 retconned Metal Mario's existence as a transformation of Mario by making Wario the only one who turns metal.

I have yet to see what Toon Sheik looked like, but this is the one thats closest to your argument. You could make the argument for Sheik in Brawl as well, but Sheik wasn't too heavily redesigned and that was more due to keeping Zelda's transformation mechanic.

Pretty sure this:

is more than just a game of "name 5 differences" of this:

But shouldn't the point that Sakurai was intent of keeping the Sheik transformation despite the TP Zelda not having one through method of redesign to match Zelda's new design prove my point?

Dr. Mario is listed as part of the Mario series, but he is Mario and the game does have Mario in the title after all.

That doesn't mean anything. Dr. Mario is a different franchise and continuity altogether.
Or should the fact that Wario debuted in a game called "Super Mario Land 2: The 6 Golden Coins", the first game in the "Wario Land" franchise being "Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3" and appearing in more games with "Mario" in the title than he does in games with "Wario" in the title make Wario have to be labeled as a Mario character, regardless of anything else?

Pit was modernized because he never had an appearance in video games in the third dimension with that amount of detail. But there is nothing in Pit's design than contradicts his 2D appearance.

Neither did Ice Climbers. They aren't really "modernized" when you stop and realize that they are essentially their sprite designs with very miniscule changes outside of graphic detail that every character in Smash goes through.
As for Pit, how does this:

become this:

And not be seen as considerably different?
We're not talking "updated from their sprite" like Ice Climbers, we're talking a full-blown redesign to be more modernized and evolved like characters from his era that are still going strong such as Link and Samus.

And Wario has always acted like a jerk and like a villain (despite being the protagonist, which can happen in fiction) in both the Wario Land and Wario Ware series. In both series, he is just trying to get more money or treasure. In Wario Ware's first game, he tries to swindle his employees out of paying them. Wario has always acted like a villain even when he's the protagonist (making him an anti-hero). So Smash Bros changing nothing about him anyways.

Being a greedy jerk =/= being an antagonist.
And at the same time, an anti-hero is NOT a villain. You should research what an anti-hero is.
He isn't taking over castles like in 6 Golden Coins, he isn't blinding heroic people so that they stumble to their deaths like in Mario & Wario, he isn't attempting to take over the land like in Wario's Woods, etc.
Sure he goes on treasure hunts, but those don't make him evil. Just greedy. Really, really greedy.
In fact, the only post-Wario Land game where Wario does anything remotely "evil" is take over a TV show to get treasure (who's main character just so happens to be a treasure hunting thief like Wario). Everything else, it's either he agrees to help out and do good if the pay is worth it, someone does something that warrants a Wario beatdown, he happens to be in the right place at the right time to stop an evil while on a hunt, or he's just being a jerk (which only applies to the first WarioWare; every other WarioWare, the issue of being a bad corporate boss is rarely brought up).

After all of that, hunting down other Smashers just to turn them into his collection of trophies is rather dark.
Especially when it goes so out of the character that Wario has established over the years.

There is nothing stopping him, but there's no reason to think he would either. In all these cases, aside from Toon Sheik, (who I have no idea what she looks like), it was still keeping true to their appearance in the games. He has for the most part with every other character, kept true to their appearance in their series for their form in the game. If he created a Wario Ware Waluigi, then what would the point?

No, it was keeping associated characters matching each other.
Link was revamped to Twilight Princess design, so Zelda and Ganondorf were revamped accordingly. Sheik had no design to "match" into, so one was made for her.
Toon Link, despite being from a different artstyle established in Wind Waker, was given textures to fit the TP style.

As for other examples, not a single character is completely true to their designs.
Some, even have their own Smash-exclusive designs.

And further more, my understanding was that you were saying Waluigi can or should be grouped with Wario, but I guess now you're saying he can be if he's redesigned to fit his series?

I was always making a case for the latter.
He can be grouped with Wario if he's redesigned to fit Wario's style.
Will it happen? Who knows. But having Wario and Waluigi match each other and grouped makes a lot more sense than Waluigi to be lumped with Mario and Luigi.

 

[TheCreator]

Mine's not really in any particular order, but yeah I think the King has a really good chance.

Mine either. But that's cool how we agree on what 4 of the most likely characters for the next game are. Let's discuss this since it's cool; our only difference is between you choosing K. Rool and me choosing Bowser Jr.

 

[Deleted member]

Mine's not really in any particular order, but yeah I think the King has a really good chance.

0:08

 

[Swamp Sensei]

Mine either. But that's cool how we agree on what 4 of the most likely characters for the next game are. Let's discuss this since it's cool; our only difference is between you choosing K. Rool and me choosing Bowser Jr.

I think Jr. has the best chance of any Mario newcomer, but there aren't too many requests for a Mario newcomer.

DK newcomer on the other hand...

 

[jaytalks]

No, he didn't.
Mr. Game & Watch is literally a creation solely for Melee. Like how Yoshi in Smash represents all of the Yoshis that assist Baby Mario in the Yoshi franchise, Mr. Game & Watch represents all of the dozens of nameless characters within the Game & Watch games. But none of them are Mr. Game & Watch. He didn't make an appearance in the franchise until 2004 with Game & Watch Gallery 4, as the ambassador of the classic versions of the games (while Mario is the ambassador of the modern versions).

Giga Bowser debuted in Melee, not Brawl. This is before Final Smashes were implemented. Giga Bowser is listed as a "Smash Bros." character, not a "Mario" character.
So Bowser transforming into a non-canon Smash original demonic version of him from the previous installment of the series speaks for itself.

But it wasn't a separate being. Smash 64 is where the Metal Mario as a separate being from Mario came from, and funnily enough, the DS remake of 64 retconned Metal Mario's existence as a transformation of Mario by making Wario the only one who turns metal.

Pretty sure this:

is more than just a game of "name 5 differences" of this:

But shouldn't the point that Sakurai was intent of keeping the Sheik transformation despite the TP Zelda not having one through method of redesign to match Zelda's new design prove my point?

That doesn't mean anything. Dr. Mario is a different franchise and continuity altogether.
Or should the fact that Wario debuted in a game called "Super Mario Land 2: The 6 Golden Coins", the first game in the "Wario Land" franchise being "Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3" and appearing in more games with "Mario" in the title than he does in games with "Wario" in the title make Wario have to be labeled as a Mario character, regardless of anything else?


Neither did Ice Climbers. They aren't really "modernized" when you stop and realize that they are essentially their sprite designs with very miniscule changes outside of graphic detail that every character in Smash goes through.
As for Pit, how does this:

become this:

And not be seen as considerably different?
We're not talking "updated from their sprite" like Ice Climbers, we're talking a full-blown redesign to be more modernized and evolved like characters from his era that are still going strong such as Link and Samus.


Being a greedy jerk =/= being an antagonist.
And at the same time, an anti-hero is NOT a villain. You should research what an anti-hero is.
He isn't taking over castles like in 6 Golden Coins, he isn't blinding heroic people so that they stumble to their deaths like in Mario & Wario, he isn't attempting to take over the land like in Wario's Woods, etc.
Sure he goes on treasure hunts, but those don't make him evil. Just greedy. Really, really greedy.
In fact, the only post-Wario Land game where Wario does anything remotely "evil" is take over a TV show to get treasure (who's main character just so happens to be a treasure hunting thief like Wario). Everything else, it's either he agrees to help out and do good if the pay is worth it, someone does something that warrants a Wario beatdown, he happens to be in the right place at the right time to stop an evil while on a hunt, or he's just being a jerk (which only applies to the first WarioWare; every other WarioWare, the issue of being a bad corporate boss is rarely brought up).

After all of that, hunting down other Smashers just to turn them into his collection of trophies is rather dark.
Especially when it goes so out of the character that Wario has established over the years.


No, it was keeping associated characters matching each other.
Link was revamped to Twilight Princess design, so Zelda and Ganondorf were revamped accordingly. Sheik had no design to "match" into, so one was made for her.
Toon Link, despite being from a different artstyle established in Wind Waker, was given textures to fit the TP style.

As for other examples, not a single character is completely true to their designs.
Some, even have their own Smash-exclusive designs.


I was always making a case for the latter.
He can be grouped with Wario if he's redesigned to fit Wario's style.
Will it happen? Who knows. But having Wario and Waluigi match each other and grouped makes a lot more sense than Waluigi to be lumped with Mario and Luigi.

Having Waluigi not appear as character makes more sense that. But that withstanding, I think it still makes more sense because the symbol represents the series. And Waluigi in no way or form represents the Wario series, so he shouldnt get the symbol.

That's what I meant about the nameless characters. Mr. Game and Watch is not so much a character himself, but amalgamation of characters, like how the current Link looks to take the brightness of SS and combine it with the design of TP.
I was wrong on the bowser thing. bad memory. but still, its not a change to bowsers design as a character at the select screen, which is my point.

We have a difference of opinion on the sheik. there's nothing different on the design to me. its just like how mario got denim pants. more realistic graphics allows for a different, darker design. like with Marth.

There's nothing on the redesign that contradicts the smaller sprite. If you resize the redesign, other than a few color changes, they look very similar. Now if you take that redesign of Waluigi and put it in Mario Tennis on the N64. it's noticeable different. It's the same thing he did with Marth. Updating a dated design. You have not said anything to suggest that Waluigis current design is dated o in need of an update.

And antagonist is not a villain necessarily. And anti-hero is necessarily not a villain. These all come from perspective in the story. A person who steals from others, especially when its in large quantities, can be considered a villain. And I said act "like a villain", meaning having villainous qualities. I don't think Wario in SSE was acting out of character because he was following the orders of the Subspace Army because it was in his best interest. Once that changes, he turned on them.

Updating features of a design, like what was done for Sheik and Toon Link (as you argue), is very different than giving a character an entirely different outfit that they have never even close to worn in their games. Pit is still wearing the same white angel outfit. Sheik is still wearing the sheikan clothing. Toon Link is still wearing his tunic. Mr. Game and Watch it still all black. Metal Mario is still Metal.

You're saying that since Sakurai has used creative license in this instances (most of which it was necessary), he can use it any instance he feels like. When every other character in the series being faithful to their appearances within their series indicates that he is much more likely to keep their form within their series.

We can go back and forth with the nuances of design, story characters, and development, but it really comes down to this. There is no reason for Sakurai to go to the trouble of redesigning a character for a series he is not even a part of. I can see him getting a redesign for alternate costume, but it just doesn't make sense to not add him in his most memorable look. He doesn't need an update or redesign. It's what he does for most other characters within the Smash series. Sure it's possible. But a lot seems possible with a creative series such as this. Waluigi is not a part of the Wario series and therefore should not have the symbol nor be included with it. If he does not merit being included within the series he is must known for (Mario Tennis, Mario Golf, Mario Kart, and Mario Party etc), then he probably doesnt deserve to be in the game.

Edit: I think Waluigi is worthy of being in Smash, just not as a member of the Wario series.

 

[TheCreator]

I think Jr. has the best chance of any Mario newcomer, but there aren't too many requests for a Mario newcomer.

DK newcomer on the other hand...

Are there many requests for a Donkey Kong newcomer? And idk, it's just his absence as of recent times that turns me away from the idea.

 

[Scoliosis Jones]

Something I thought of. Considering Sakurai said that there were "No cuts thus far..." there were debates as to what was meant by this quote.

Now, if we don't know who is being included in this game, who would be cut? Sakurai acknowledged the fact that people might be disappointed if a particular character gets cut, etc...

My theory, is that yes, Sakurai is attempting to salvage the Brawl roster in its entirety. Otherwise, it wouldn't make any sense for him to say "There aren't any cuts so far" after making the comment that I have already mentioned. If he was referring to the Wii U/3DS roster, he could cut Ike completely and just be like "Oh nobody has been cut". But Ike would have been cut. No sense make.

This includes Snake and Sonic. Sakurai has not mentioned the fate of 3rd party characters at this point, and I would like to throw my two cents in on this as well. When Sakurai said in the Nintendo Developer Direct that, "I'm not going to put just any character from another company in Smash Bros,", why does that matter? In my opinion, I think it means that it would have to be a character that would have lasting appeal, and would need to make a connection to him, and the players. As we can see, Snake, Sonic AND Megaman have all struck this cord (maybe Snake to a lesser degree, but I liked him, and I think he has been widely accepted in general). With this lasting appeal, it would make enough sense to include them on a continual basis unless some sort of incident occurred between companies

Maybe I'm just crazy, but if it didn't matter as much as I am saying, why would Sakurai go through the trouble of getting these characters for ONE installment? I don't think that is the case. I think he wants these guys in. Not only do they mean something to Nintendo, but they mean something to him, as most of the Smash Bros. characters do.

 

[Hippopotasauce]

This is the most volatile thread I've ever seen.

 

[BKupa666]

Just posted my first roster in roughly a year right here, ordering each character by their priority for inclusion. Sadly, it does not contain the incomparable Dry Bowser, but otherwise, I think it's satisfactory and, at the very least, it's rainbow-colored. Check it out and leave some feedback, if you feel so inclined.

 

[Deleted member]

response

If you really can't see how Pit is drastically changed from his sprite appearance when I used the MELEE version of his pre-Brawl design, nor see how Sheik has major differences outside of just minor graphical detail, then no offense, but I'm wasting my time with this discussion.

I'm just going to leave it at that before this escalates.

EDIT: Though I'm going to say this one last thing.
If thief = evil/villain, then Nathan Drake is a villain.

 

[jaytalks]

Just posted my first roster in roughly a year right here, ordering each character by their priority for inclusion. Sadly, it does not contain the incomparable Dry Bowser, but otherwise, I think it's satisfactory and, at the very least, it's rainbow-colored. Check it out and leave some feedback, if you feel so inclined.

Points for not including Dry Bowser. It's nicely rainbow colored. It's interesting that you put jigglypuff in the maybe section. And by deducing your list, it seems that its either Roy or Ike in that maybe pool, or both. Definitely not neither, right?
I dont expect to see either S. Goroh or Meowth, and I expect at least one new Pokemon rep.

Interesting idea though. I think I'll put a maybe pile underneath my roster to better organize my thoughts.

If you really can't see how Pit is drastically changed from his sprite appearance when I used the MELEE version of his pre-Brawl design, nor see how Sheik has major differences outside of just minor graphical detail, then no offense, but I'm wasting my time with this discussion.

I'm just going to leave it at that before this escalates.

We'll just leave it at that then, because that's not the points I was making. Nice having a discussion with you, but the only people that can make a discussion "escalate" is me and you, and I have no intention of ever escalating any discussions on this forum. I respond with long responses that others might disagree with, and I accept that. But I don't ever escalate. I leave that for electric stairs in malls.

 

[Swift Fox]

Yet we still got a few cuts of veterans in Brawl, making the point of priority overall moot. e_e

May I toss in my opinion about what happened to them and the "priority list" BS.

I believed that all veterans from SSB predecessor has been listed on the higher priority list before all the new-comers. But the game designers don't work on one character at a time from top to bottom and if they do, it'd be biggest waste of times during developing the characters for the next SSB game. And then the next process what I would call it the "completed list", where most characters are finished but with hella lot of out-of-balance moves, this is where some characters have broken moves, they took great advantages than others. They had to find the potentially broken spot and fix/nerf it down, or find the weak spot and buff it up during the game testing. If the "completed list" wasn't existed, the Forbidden 7 shouldn't have existed on the disc, either. On that point, in an interview with Sakurai for the SSB4, Sakurai has said that by creating a character, it actually multiplying with other completed characters and it's very time consuming, so that's must be why they didn't have times and they got to cut some out of the roster.

 

[ImaClubYou]

Gonna say Lloyd Irving because why the **** not?

 

[TheCreator]

Because no

 

[Deleted member]

The Forbidden 7 (sans Dixie and potentially "pra_mai" depending on what it is) as well as Jigglypuff, Toon Link, and Wolf are characters that were saved towards the end of character development once everyone else that "must" be included were finished.
In essence, they are likened to "bonus characters" that were expendable should cuts have to be made.

That's all there is to it.

 

[ImaClubYou]

Well screw you then ^_^

 

[Swamp Sensei]

Well screw you then ^_^

Well...

 

[Swift Fox]

The Forbidden 7 (sans Dixie and potentially "pra_mai" depending on what it is) as well as Jigglypuff, Toon Link, and Wolf are characters that were saved towards the end of character development once everyone else that "must" be included were finished.
In essence, they are likened to "bonus characters" that were expendable should cuts have to be made.

That's all there is to it.

Hmm very interesting XD

Then I guess every veterans are pretty safe because I think Sakurai and his team are starting to treat veterans as "must include" characters this time according to some contexts in an interview with Sakurai.

 

[DarrylTrainer]

Yay! 'Nother veteran's been announced! Olimar! *rolls eyes*
:D