Super Smash Bros. was born out of the concept of playing as our favorite Nintendo characters (and as of Brawl, a few very important guest). Being such a massive Nintendo fan myself, this concept immediately drew me in and it is what made my all-time favorite series. I'm not saying other aspects aren't important because they certainly are, but there's no doubt that characters are a big part of a Smash game because that's a major reason why most of us follow the game in the first place; the hope that our wanted characters gets in. For me, to buy a Smash game, at least one newcomer I want to see has to be playable; otherwise it's difficult for me to get hyped up for non-character aspects of the game. So far, Sal Romano's list has not listed a single Nintendo newcomer I want for this game (not to say there aren't any good choices, but not ones I would have supported before their confirmation/leak).