I was literally just saying to someone this, but it's funny how smash 4 is the inverse of Brawl in this respect. When it comes to the original 12 in Brawl:
-
![Ness :ness2: :ness2:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
was blatantly low mid tier
-
![Luigi :luigi2: :luigi2:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
was blatantly low mid tier
-
![Mario :mario2: :mario2:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
was blatantly low tier
-
![Samus :samus2: :samus2:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
was blatantly low tier
-
![Captain Falcon :falcon: :falcon:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
was blatantly low tier
-
![Link :link2: :link2:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
was blatantly bottom tier
-
![Jigglypuff :jigglypuff: :jigglypuff:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
was blatantly bottom tier
-
![Yoshi :yoshi2: :yoshi2:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
was blatantly low mid tier
-
![Kirby :kirby2: :kirby2:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
and
![Donkey Kong :dk2: :dk2:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
were blatantly mid tier
- Leaving just
![Fox :fox: :fox:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
as semi-viable and
![Pikachu :pikachu2: :pikachu2:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
as good.
NOW take a look at smash 4's original 12.
-
![Ness :4ness: :4ness:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
is blatantly top tier
-
![Captain Falcon :4falcon: :4falcon:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
is blatantly top tier
-
![Mario :4mario: :4mario:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
is blatantly top tier
-
![Luigi :4luigi: :4luigi:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
is blatantly top tier
-
![Pikachu :4pikachu: :4pikachu:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
is blatantly top tier
-
![Fox :4fox: :4fox:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
is blatantly top tier
-
![Yoshi :4yoshi: :4yoshi:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
is blatantly top tier
-
![Kirby :4kirby: :4kirby:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
and
![Link :4link: :4link:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
are at least mid tier (which is viable in this game)
-
![Donkey Kong :4dk: :4dk:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
and
![Jigglypuff :4jigglypuff: :4jigglypuff:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
are also viable mids
- Leaving only
![Samus :4samus: :4samus:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
as low tier, and ESAM pulled out
![Samus :4samus: :4samus:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
in CEO top 8 to take a game off Larry's Luigi.
It's so obvious they've put that much more care into the original 12, I think it's great. Most of them were designed to be very clearly good, and it shows. I CAN SEE THE LABOUR OF LOVE NINTENDO!