The ULTIMATE Probable Playable Characters In Brawl Analysis Topic!(1 week til Brawl!)

[ChronoBound]

Here we are about one month away from Super Smash Bros. Brawl’s Japanese release date. A few characters over the past several months have been confirmed such as Ike, Pokemon Trainer (with Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard), Diddy Kong, Lucas, Sonic, and King Dedede. Sadly, a lot of popular choices have also been deconfirmed such as Samurai Goroh, Deoxys, Toad, Munchlax, Lyn, Little Mac, Stafy, Waluigi, and Gardevoir. The purpose of this topic is to identify the most probable candidates for each franchise, and to give background on them, their chances to be in the game, and what they would bring to Brawl. I will be updating this topic whenever there is a confirmation of a character, or a deconfirmation of one of the characters I listed.

The character list as of January 28, 2008 is:

Mario:
Mario
Bowser
Peach

Donkey Kong:
Donkey Kong
Diddy Kong

The Legend of Zelda:
Link
Zelda
Sheik

Metroid
Samus
Zero Suit Samus

Kirby:
Kirby
Meta Knight
King Dedede

Star Fox:
Fox

Pokemon:
Pikachu
Pokemon Trainer (Squirtle, Ivysaur, Charizard)

Fire Emblem:
Ike

Mother/EarthBound:
Lucas

Yoshi:
Yoshi

Wario:
Wario

Pikmin:
Pikmin & Olimar

Retro:
Ice Climbers
Pit

Third-Party:
Snake
Sonic
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Here are the most likely candidates for each franchise/group:

Mario:
Luigi
Geno
Bowser Jr.
Paper Mario

Donkey Kong:
King K. Rool

The Legend of Zelda:
Ganondorf
Wind Waker Link
Midna

Metroid:
Ridley
Dark Samus

Star Fox:
Falco
Krystal
Wolf

Pokemon:
Jigglypuff
Mewtwo
Lucario

Fire Emblem:
Marth
Roy
Sigurd
Eliwood
Micaiah

Mother/EarthBound:
Ness
Masked Boy (Claus)

F-Zero:
Captain Falcon
Black Shadow

Other series:
Ray
Isaac
Animal Crossing Character
Advance Wars Character
Lip

Retro:
Mr. Game & Watch
Balloon Fighter
R.O.B.
Takamaru
Sukapon

Third-Party:
Mega Man
Pac-Man
Bomberman

History:

11/3/07: Posted this topic.
11/4/07: Added pictures for the probable characters.
11/8/07: Made a new analysis for the Mother/EarthBound series.
12/15/07: Editted out the analyses for Stafy, Waluigi, and Daisy due to their deconfirmations.
12/24/07: Added analyses for characters from the Yoshi and Wario series.
12/30/07: Editted out the analyses for Rosalina, Sothe, and Duster due to their deconfirmations.
1/10/08: Editted out the analysis for Captain Olimar due to his confirmation as a playable character.
1/14/08: Editted out the analyses for Jimmy T., Ashley, and 9-Volt due to their deconfirmations.
1/17/08: Editted out the analysis for Sheik due to her confirmation, and made a new Zelda series analysis.
1/28/08: Placed Ness back in with the likely contenders. Editted the analyses for Marth, Jigglypuff, and Lucario due to recent developments. Added an analysis for R.O.B.

 

[ChronoBound]

Mario series:

The first series that I am going to discuss will be the Mario series. The Mario series had the highest number of representatives in Melee, which was five. However, it is very likely that one of those five will be cut (Dr. Mario). The question is who will replace him? I highly doubt that Sakurai is not going to add more playable Mario characters to the roster. The currently confirmed characters for the Mario series are Mario, Bowser, and Peach. There are four likely candidates as to who is going to be confirmed as a playable character in Brawl. They are Luigi, Geno, Bowser Jr., and Paper Mario. I will also dedicate a paragraph to less likely candidates from the Mario series. Note: I do count the Yoshi and Wario series/characters as being separate from the Mario series, however, I do not expect the Brawl development team to add another playable character to those two series.


Luigi:

*slight Super Mario Galaxy spoilers
Luigi has been a playable character in the Super Smash Bros. series ever since the first installment on the Nintendo 64. He has also been a hidden character in both games released thus far. Luigi is Mario’s twin brother, and is often only seen in the shadow of his more famous brother. However, in recent years Luigi has been given a bigger role. Luigi had his own game, Luigi’s Mansion (which was one of highest-selling games on the GameCube and a very underrated game in my opinion), and starred in recently released Mario platformers such as Super Mario 64DS, New Super Mario Bros., Super Paper Mario, and Super Mario Galaxy. Luigi was a clone of Mario in the first Smash Bros., but was given a different special move in Melee, thus him technically no longer being a clone of his brother (the official clone of Mario in Melee was Dr. Mario).

Luigi’s chances of returning are very, very high. As a matter of fact, I would be very surprised if he didn’t return. However, the question about Luigi is not whether or not he will return, but whether or not he will be a hidden character, and how much he will differ from Mario this time. I am not entirely sure if Luigi will be a hidden character, however, I do think that Luigi is going to be more different from Mario than he was in Melee. For one, I see him using his Poltergust 3000 as one of his special moves. I personally hope that Luigi’s moveset is completely different from Mario’s, however, I am not sure whether this is likely. Nevertheless, I can definitely see Luigi returning for Brawl.



Geno:

*someSuper Mario RPG spoilers
Geno is one of Mario’s allies and fellow party members in Super Mario RPG. He is actually a star agent sent by a higher authority who has come to Mario’s world from Star Road to find the seven Star Pieces. Geno borrows the form of a doll belonging to a kid named Gaz in Rose Town, and brings it life via a beam of light, and once he assumes this form, he promptly searches for the Star Pieces. Since his real name is so hard to pronounce, he tells his friends to call him Geno, which is the name of the doll. Geno offers advice to the party as a mystical sage-like being throughout the adventure. Geno’s attacks are part magic and part projectile. His regular attacks shoot bullets and he even has rocket-powered fists. His special attacks involve beams of light being shot from his hands or a cannon. Geno, the doll, also made a cameo appearance in Mario & Luigi in an arcade in Little Fungitown. Geno is definitely owned by Square-Enix because at the end of the credits in Mario & Luigi, it says that the character Geno is a registered trademark of Square-Enix.

Geno, among Nintendo fans, is by far the most popular Square character for Brawl. He is also quite popular among older Square fans. Also, Geno has starred in a game with Nintendo characters (Super Mario RPG), and was in a game in which Nintendo and Square cooperated together to bring a great RPG experience.. Geno would have a very interesting and unique moveset if he were brought into Brawl.

Geno has the best chances out of all of the possible Mario newcomer characters. Sakurai knows that Geno is wanted among fans, because he was asked at least four times in his e-mail bag. Geno also topped a poll on Japanese Smash Bros. fansite as the most wanted character. Square might also not ask for anything in return if they do request Geno for Brawl, as shown by his cameo in Mario & Luigi. All it basically boils down to is if Sakurai’s team will even ask Square for Geno. If they do, he is basically guaranteed to appear as a playable character. Afterall, I don’t think Sakurai’s team would go through the trouble of arranging a meeting with Square-Enix for the use of Geno, if all they were planning to do with him was make him a trophy or Assist Trophy. Overall, the only two things that Geno has going against him are that he is third-party, and that he starred in only one game (which is nothing compared to the roles and number of games Bowser Jr. and Paper Mario have been in).



Bowser Jr.:

Bowser Jr. is the son of Bowser (whatever happened to the Koopalings, I do not know). He made his debut in Super Mario Sunshine, first appearing in the form of Shadow Mario. Since then, he has played an important role in the both the main Mario series (such as New Super Mario Bros.) and the sports spinoffs. Bowser Jr. looks nearly identical compared to Baby Bowser, with the exception of the neckerchief that he always wears. Some of his methods of combat include his magic paintbrush which helps allow him to transform into Shadow Mario, and throwing Koopa shells.

As for how likely Bowser Jr. is, he is probably right now the fifth most important character in the Mario series (behind Mario, Bowser, Peach, and Luigi). Toad (the non-generic one) has not had an important role in a Mario game since Super Mario RPG, Waluigi has failed to make an appearance in any of the Mario platformers or even in Wario’s games. Bowser Jr. has become Bowser’s right-hand man, and in some games (such as Super Mario Sunshine and New Super Mario Bros.) was more important to the overall plot than his father. Bowser Jr. was also Bowser's right-hand man in Super Mario Galaxy. He could also be two characters in one, with his ability to transform into Shadow Mario. However, unlike Geno, a lot of Bowser Jr. and Shadow Mario’s special moves would have to be original (meaning not coming from an actual game in the series, much like Captain Falcon’s or Fox’s special moves). Overall, Bowser Jr. is most likely the Mario newcomer Sakurai’s team will choose if they don’t go to Square-Enix asking for Geno.



Paper Mario:

Paper Mario is basically Mario, except being a paper-thin 2-D cutout. He is the main the protagonist of the Paper Mario series. He is very much the same as Mario personality-wise, however, he has some abilities that are more associated with being made of paper such rolling into a paper roll, turning sideways to become as thin as paper in order to dodge attack or fit between cracks, or folding into a paper airplane and flying for short distances. He also uses a hammer as one of his primary means of attack. Its these abilities and much more that would set him apart from Mario if he were included in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as a playable character. Paper Mario also made an appearance in Super Smash Bros. Melee in the form of an unlockable trophy. He would also be an adequate replacement for Dr. Mario, because like Dr. Mario, represents a sub-series of the Mario franchise that is in another genre. Super Paper Mario was released for the Wii earlier this year, and had very solid sales. Also, Paper Mario is available for the Wii’s Virtual Console. However, I think Sakurai would pick Geno or Bowser Jr. sooner than Paper Mario for a playable character.



Other Mario Characters:

The Mario series has many characters, unfortunately most of these characters don’t have much of a chance of getting in and here’s why:

Toad: Originally, Toad was one of the five most important characters in the Mario series. The Toad was one of four playable characters in Super Mario Bros. 2, was the main protagonist of Wario’s Woods, an important character in Super Mario RPG, and was one of the characters that showed in the Mario Kart games. Unfortunately, The Toad, is basically missing in action. The last game he had an important role in was Super Mario RPG which was released back in 1996. Toad was one of the “now or never” characters for Melee. Toad’s only chances of ever entering the Smash Bros. series as a playable character existed back before Melee’s release. Super Mario Bros. 2 was just re-released for the Game Boy Advance, he was still one of the main racers in Mario Kart (Mario Kart: Super Circuit was just released), and Wario’s Woods was one of the hidden games in Animal Crossing. Toad, unfortunately, did not get in Melee, and simply became one of Peach’s special moves and a trophy. Since then, even the generic Toad has been getting a lesser role in the Mario games. Toad was a hidden character in Mario Kart: Double Dash (instead of being a starter like in the other games) and was not even playable in Mario Power Tennis. Toad has been shown to be one of Peach’s special moves, which has basically deconfirmed him again.


Birdo: Some people classify Birdo as being a part of the Yoshi series. I have played Yoshi’s Island, Yoshi’s Story, and Yoshi’s Island DS, and I did not see Birdo make an appearance in any of those games. I would also classify Birdo as another “now or never” character that failed to make it into Melee. Birdo had finally returned in Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64 (the last game she had appeared in up til then was Super Mario RPG). Super Mario Bros. 2 was also re-released for the Game Boy Advance a few months prior to Melee’s release. Unfortunately for Birdo, she was simply made into an obstacle for Mushroom Kingdom II arena in the game and as a trophy. I expect Birdo to show up in Brawl as either an Assist Trophy or a just a trophy.

Dr. Mario: I’m hesitant to call him a “now or never” character that succeeded. Dr. Mario 64 was released in April 2001 in North America, and perhaps at one point during Melee’s development the game was planned for a Japanese release (Dr. Mario 64 was never released outside North America), hence why maybe he was placed into Melee as a playable character. However, I think most rational people will say that the Doc is at the top of Sakurai’s chopping block list. The only other character that more people want to see get the axe more than Dr. Mario would have to be Pichu. The only thing saving Doc is if they decide to bring him back in order to promote the upcoming Dr. Mario game for Wii Ware. However, since this is unlikely to happen, I believe we can safely say that Dr. Mario won’t be returning for Brawl. If he does appear in Brawl, I expect him to appear as an alternate costume for Mario, an Assist Trophy, or a trophy.

Fawful: Fawful, prior to the official unveiling of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, was one of the most requested Mario newcomers. The humorous Engrish-speaking antagonist of Mario & Luigi: Super Star Saga was a fan favorite and many people wanted him in as playable character in Super Smash Bros. 3. Unfortunately, for some reason most of his popularity evaporated by the time the new Super Smash Bros. was officially unveiled. Fawful’s role in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, was just being the owner of a secret shop in the basement of Peach’s Castle. The most poor Fawful can hope for in Brawl, is to appear as an Assist Trophy. However, he is more likely to appear as a trophy or sticker.


The following are some analyses for characters from the Yoshi series. Like I said earlier, I do not expect the Yoshi series to get a second playable representative:

Kamek: Kamek was the main antagonist of Yoshi's Island and Yoshi's Island DS (and he also appeared in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time). He is a magikoopa that continually plagues the Yoshis and Baby Mario with super-sized versions enemies you come across in both games. However, Kamek has not appeared specficially outside those three games (other than maybe Yoshi's Touch&Go, which I haven't played). Furthermore, it is usually Baby Bowser you fight at the end of the Yoshi games. However, unlike Baby Bowser, Kamek bears no semblance to any other probable character, and would offer a unique moveset. The main problem with Kamek is that he hails from the Yoshi series which is pretty much a Mario spinoff series. The most I can see Kamek being is an Assist Trophy.

Baby Bowser: Baby Bowser was the final boss and antagonist of several Yoshi games, such as Yoshi's Island, Yoshi's Story, and Yoshi's Island DS. However, Baby Bowser has a big problem, and that problem is that he is too similar to Bowser Jr., who has become an important character in the main Mario series. Between Bowser Jr. and Baby Bowser, Bowser Jr. is much more likely to get in as a playable character. However, I do expect Baby Bowser to show up as a trophy, which he appeared as in Melee.

Baby Mario Bros.: This is an idea that I see get thrown around sometimes. I see people suggest that Baby versions of the Mario Bros. work as an Ice Climbers-like character, and an unique moveset can probably me made for them just based offf of Mario and Lugi: Partners in Time. However, they suffer from hailing from Yoshi series, and for being younger versions of two characters that are already playable, in which case Sakurai and his team might opt for a more unique character. I do expect at least Baby Mario to show in the form of a regular trophy, which he did in Melee.


The following are some analyses for characters from the Wario series. Like I said earlier, I do not expect the Wario series to get a second playable representative:

Mona: Mona is another one of Wario's friends, and she often switches jobs between games. Though Mona is quite important to the Wario series, she also suffers from the same condition as Jimmy T., in that Sakurai's team would have to make a unique moveset for her (meaning none of her moves would derive from the game she has been in) in order to make her a playable character. However, like with Jimmy T., I do expect her to show up in some form, whether it be an Assist Trophy, a regular trophy, or a sticker.



My Personal Opinion (Mario):

Personally, I would have Geno be the Mario newcomer and Square-Enix’s representative for Brawl. Geno has massive popularity in Japan among Smash Bros. fans, and he also has many moves that would make him an unique and interesting character. Super Mario RPG was the first RPG I ever played, and was the game that got me into the genre. Geno was one of two characters that I always had in my party (the other was Bowser, remember, Mario can’t be taken out of your party). I would be pleasantly surprised if he made it into Brawl as a playable character. Next I would have Paper Mario. Paper Mario was one of my favorite games for the Nintendo 64, and for me it basically almost matched its predecessor (Super Mario RPG). I originally thought the game was going to be mediocre judging from I read and saw about the game. When I actually played the game though, I was absolutely amazed. Ever since then, I have been a big fan of the Paper Mario series, and I really enjoyed the latest installment, Super Paper Mario. Paper Mario would be another 2-D character to add to the game, and despite what some would think, would be very much different from regular Mario. My least favorite character out of the likely newcomers I listed would have to be Bowser Jr. Personally, I feel the Koopalings were far superior to him, and feel that he basically erased them from the Mario canon. He also seems a bit too similar to Bowser for my liking, and I find him a bit annoying.



Overall Analysis:

I expect Luigi to return in Brawl as a playable character. However, I am unsure at this time about whether he will be a starter or hidden character. I also expect Sakurai’s team to add one Mario newcomer, two at the most. In the order from most likely to least likely: Geno>Bowser Jr.>Paper Mario. I feel Geno is the most likely Mario newcomer that will be added because of his massive popularity in Japan and his moveset potential. Geno also has a sizable fanbase among North American Smash Bros. fans, which increases his likelihood. The main disadvantage to Geno is that he is owned by Square-Enix, and therefore Nintendo would have to ask Square-Enix for permission to use him, and Square-Enix may want something in return, such as placing in Final Fantasy or Kingdom Hearts characters that don’t deserve a place on the Brawl roster (most Dragon Quest characters would be fine, seeing as how the series in now with Nintendo again). The next most likely Mario newcomer would be Bowser Jr. because of his very important role in recent Mario games, possible moveset potential, and the potential to be two characters in one with his ability to transform into Shadow Mario. After Bowser Jr., Paper Mario would be the most likely. Paper Mario has starred in three games, and has proven himself in them to have enough abilities to stand alone as a possible fighter in Brawl. Paper Mario’s main disadvantage is that he is another version of Mario, and I feel that Sakurai will opt for a completely new character instead of another version of an old one. It is unlikely that any Mario character outside of Geno, Bowser Jr., or Paper Mario will get in as a playable character in Brawl.

 

[ChronoBound]

Donkey Kong series:


The second series that I am going to discuss will be the Donkey Kong series. In Melee, this series only had one playable representative, and many people (including myself) felt that the series was under-represented, especially considering how big the Donkey Kong series was around the time of Melee’s release. However, there are now two confirmed playable characters for the Donkey Kong series, they are Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. I am unsure whether Sakurai will give Donkey Kong a third playable character (I definitely don’t expect the series to get four characters this time around). The only other Donkey Kong character whom I think has a shot of being a playable character in Brawl is King K. Rool. However, I will also dedicate a paragraph to the less likely candidates from this series.



King K. Rool:

K. Rool is the main antagonist the Donkey Kong platformers made by Rare. Although there isn’t positive indication that the king, captain, and scientist versions of K. Rool are all the same being, most fans think they are. K. Rool has been in nearly every Donkey Kong platformer (Donkey Country 1,2,3; Donkey Kong Land 1,2,3; Donkey Kong 64; and both DK: King of Swing games). Although K. Rool is the main antagonist of these games, he is quite humorous and “enough of a bumbler to gain a few fans over the years.” K. Rool has made more appearances in the Donkey Kong platformers than any other character, including Donkey Kong himself. K. Rool also has massive moveset potential. They include the crown throwing from the king-version, the blunderbuss/gun that shot cannonballs from the captain-version, and the mini-helicopter that could be used as a recovery move from his scientist-version. King K. Rool was also requested twice on Sakurai’s poll (the only other Donkey Kong character to get more votes than him was Diddy who had four). King K. Rool also appeared in Melee in the form of a trophy (the quote that I quoted came from the trophy’s description). I expect if K. Rool is a playable character in Brawl, that his king form will be his default outfit, with the captain and scientist outfits possibly being alternate costumes. K. Rool also has a sizable fanbase in Japan and among Japanese Smash Bros. fans. The question is though, whether Sakurai feels that the Donkey Kong series deserves a third-representative. If he feels it does, K. Rool is the most likely candidate for the third spot.



Other Donkey Kong Characters:

The Donkey Kong series has many characters, unfortunately most of these characters don’t have much of a chance of getting in and here’s why:

Dixie Kong: Dixie Kong is one of the most popular characters of the Donkey Kong series, and she has also started to appear alongside DK and Diddy in the Mario sports titles, which I can’t say for the other Kongs. However, what is mainly holding her back is a lack of a possible moveset (meaning that Sakurai’s team would have to come up with an original moveset for her) and K. Rool having a bigger role than her in the series. Dixie was also shown as a trophy in the video released on October 10th on the Dojo, which decreases her chances of showing up as a playable character. Basically, Dixie would be harder to place into the game than K. Rool, and add less to it than him. However, Dixie Kong would definitely be the fourth representative for the Donkey Kong series, assuming that K. Rool gets the third spot and a new Smash Bros. is eventually made.

Donkey Kong Jr.: This one is even less likely than Dixie. Donkey Kong Jr. has not been a playable character in a game since Game & Watch Gallery 4 for the Game Boy Advance (released in 2002) and Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64 (released in 2000). Although Donkey Kong Jr. has been re-released multiple times over the past five years (among them being a hidden game in Animal Crossing for the GameCube, one of two games that were bundled with the e-reader, and re-released for the Virtual Console), his chances of showing up as a playable character have not gone up much. Donkey Kong Jr. was an unlockable trophy in Melee, and I expect him at the most to be an Assist Trophy, and at the least be a trophy or sticker. In a future Smash Bros., I expect Dixie to get in as playable character before Donkey Kong Jr.

Stanley the Bugman: This guy only appeared in Donkey Kong 3. Donkey Kong 3 was not as critically acclaimed as its two predecessors. Donkey Kong 3 was a hidden game in Animal Crossing, and was eventually re-released for the e-reader. Stanley was also a trophy in Melee, and I expect Stanley at most will only be an Assist Trophy, and at the least be a trophy or sticker.

The Other Kongs (Kiddy, Tiny, Lanky, Chunky): Most of these characters have failed to appear outside of their original game (with the exception of Tiny, who was a playable character in Diddy Kong Racing DS and Donkey Kong Barrel Blast, and Lanky who was also a character in Donkey Kong Barrel Blast), which really hurts their chances of ever being a playable character in the Smash Bros. series. The most I can see these characters being are Assist Trophies or regular trophies, those who fail to get in as either will probably show up as stickers.



My Personal Opinion (Donkey Kong):

I have not strong emotions for either for or against K. Rool. I basically think he is the only Donkey Kong character left who would have an interesting moveset. I also think he should be made into a humorous character much like how he is in his own games.



Overall Analysis (Donkey Kong):

I am not sure at this point in time whether the Donkey Kong series will get a third playable character. However, if it does get one, it will most likely be King K. Rool. I won’t be able decide definitively whether the DK series will get a third character unless the final character selection screen in unveiled or if K. Rool is deconfirmed.

 

[ChronoBound]

The Legend of Zelda series:

The third series that I am going to discuss is the Zelda series. If Sheik were to be counted as a separate characters, the Zelda series would have five playable characters in Melee, making it tie with the Mario series for the most playable representatives. However, it is likely that one of them will be cut (Young Link). The question is who will replace him? I highly doubt that Sakurai is not going to add more playable Zelda characters to the roster. The currently confirmed characters for the Zelda series are Link, Zelda, and Sheik. There are three likely candidates as to who is going to be confirmed as a playable character in Brawl. They are Ganondorf, Wind Waker Link, and Midna. I will also dedicate a paragraph to less likely candidates from the Zelda series.


Ganondorf:

Ganondorf is probably the second-most popular character in the series, behind only Link himself. Ganondorf/Ganon is also the main villain of the series having been in more games than any other Zelda villain (the only other Zelda villain to star in more than one game was Vaati). Many people were expecting Ganondorf to be a playable character in Melee, however, nobody expected him to be a clone, especially of Captain Falcon. Ganondorf was basically a stronger and much slower version of Captain Falcon, however, he still was one of the fan favorites among both casual and elite players of Melee. I do expect Ganondorf to return in Brawl as a playable character, most likely in his Twilight Princess design. I also expect Ganondorf to be de-cloned and to be made into a slow, but powerful sword fighter with magic attacks. However, I am unsure whether or not Ganondorf will still be hidden or if he will be made a starter.



Wind Waker Link:

The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker was a love or hate game. Some people loved it, while others hated it (mostly for its cartoony style, lack of difficulty, Tingle, and Tri-Force piece fetch quest). I personally loved and think it’s a masterpiece. However, that’s beside the point. The Hero of Winds had many different tools and weapons that made him differ from other incarnations. They included a grappling hook, a skull hammer, the Hurricane Spin, the Deku Leaf, and the Tingle Tuner. Wind Waker Link has enough abilities just from Wind Waker alone to get into Brawl as his own character, and not a clone. The Hero of Winds was also the main hero of Phantom Hourglass, which is said to be the best handheld Zelda to date. If Wind Waker Link were to get into Brawl, there is a good chance that he would be called Young Link (since he also stars in Phantom Hourglass, not just Wind Waker). The main disadvantages to Wind Waker Link are that he is another Link and some people would rather have a Zelda character that is a different person, and there are a lot of people (especially in the West) who dislike Wind Waker Link because he is from Wind Waker. Phantom Hourglass’s fantastic sales in Japan boost Wind Waker Link’s chances of getting into Brawl. However, he still needs to compete with Midna for that spot. Wind Waker Link (or Cat Eyes Link as he is called in Japan) is quite popular among Japanese Smash Bros. fans and think he has a good chance of showing up as a playable character. I expect that if Wind Waker Link is in the game, he will most likely be a hidden character.



Midna:

*some Twilight Princess spoilers
Midna is probably the second-most important character in Twilight Princess, behind only Link. Midna is actually the princess of the Twilight Realm, and was transformed into an impish form by Zant. Midna is a character that Sakurai’s team would have to come up with a unique moveset for (much like Fox and Falcon) because she did not do much fighting herself in Twilight Princess. Even if she is paired up with Wolf Link, Sakurai’s team would still have to come up with a unique moveset for them. Also, supporters of Wind Waker Link argue that she would only represent Twilight Princess, a game in the Zelda series which many say is already being overepresented (Link, Zelda, and likely Ganondorf are in their Twilight Princess styles). It would also be much easier to come up with a moveset for Wind Waker Link than for Midna. Her supporters say that she should be in because she is female and had an important role in Twilight Princess. She also has quite a few supporters in Japan, and think she is the more likely Zelda newcomer. If Midna is not in as a playable character, I expect her to show up as an Assist Trophy. Midna is a “now or never” character for Brawl, which is why her fans are especially fervent and rabid. If she fails to get into Brawl as a playable character, she will probably never get in as playable character in future Smash Bros. games.



Other Zelda Characters:

The Zelda series has many characters, unfortunately most of these characters don’t have much of a chance of getting in and here’s why:

Tingle: Tingle is probably one of Nintendo’s most hated characters in the West. People hate him for various reasons, such as being effeminate, being gay (which he is not), a Rupee stealing jerk (which he is in Four Swords Adventures), and for charging a ridiculous amount of money for translating maps in Wind Waker. However, Tingle is not hated in Japan, and has a small devoted following outside Japan. While Tingle did not make an appearance in Twilight Princess, he did get two games of his own (Freshly Picked: Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland and Tingle’s Balloon Fight), one of which made it outside Japan (to Europe). Besides the big 3 (Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf/Ganon), Tingle has appeared in more Zelda games than any other character. He appeared in Majora’s Mask, Oracle of Ages, Wind Waker, Four Swords Adventures, and Minish Cap. In that regard, Tingle would be a better representative of the Zelda series than Wind Waker Link or Midna. However, in one of the updates, a picture of a Tingle trophy can be seen, which in many peoples eyes, lowers his chances and possibly deconfirms him. Also, since Aonuma is helping with Brawl, it is possible that he has informed Sakurai of how much Western Zelda fans hate Tingle. If Tingle does not get in as a playable character, I expect him to at least be an Assist Trophy.

Vaati: Vaati is the second most re-occurring villain in the Zelda series. He was the main villain in Four Swords, Four Swords Adventures, and Minish Cap. However, none of these games are considered major Zelda titles, nor did they sell really good. Also, the only game Vaati had a humanoid form in was Minish Cap. Most of Vaati’s popularity has also disappeared by the time Brawl was officially unveiled, and Midna has taken his place as the popular “new face” of the series. I expect the eyeball version of Vaati to make it in as an Assist Trophy, with the “human” Vaati appearing as a trophy or sticker.

Skull Kid: Skull Kid (the one from Majora’s Mask) was another “now or never” character. Skull Kid’s best chances of ever getting into Smash Bros. was back prior to Melee’s release. He was the second-most popular villain in the series, behind only Ganondorf, and in many people’s eyes would have been a very cool addition. Unfortunately, Majora’s Mask did not appear in any more Zelda games, and a Skull Kid only had a minor role in Twilight Princess. Finally, Vaati has usurped Skull Kid’s spot as the second-most popular Zelda villain. I expect Skull Kid (with Majora’s Mask) to get in as an Assist Trophy at the most. However, I think we will definitely see him or Majora’s Mask by itself as a trophy or sticker.

*Twilight Princess spoilers
Zant: Zant seemed all cool and brooding throughout most of Twilight Princess. However, this seemed to all fall apart at the end when it was revealed that he is nothing more than a comical insane court jester who usurped power and is yet another puppet of Ganondorf. Anyone who has beaten Twilight Princess cannot take Zant seriously which is why he is even less popular than Skull Kid despite Majora’s Mask being released back in 2000. I expect Zant to show up as an Assist Trophy, trophy, or sticker. If he’s lucky, however, he might get in as a boss in the Subspace Emissary.

Fierce Deity Link: Too powerful for a regular character. Nuff said. Seriously, the only way you will be able to play as this guy would be if the Hero of Time Young Link were returning in Brawl (Fierce Deity Link would likely be his Final Smash). However, it is likely that if a Young Link does get into Brawl, it will likely be the Wind Waker/Phantom Hourglass incarnation. I expect Fierce Deity Link to get in maybe as a super powerful Assist Trophy, and even more likely as a trophy or sticker.

*Phantom Hourglass spoilers
Tetra: If any character from Wind Waker and/or Phantom Hourglass is going to get in as a playable character, its going to be the Hero of Winds (Wind Waker Link). Tetra’s only role in Phantom Hourglass was getting kidnapped, which was sad, considering how awesome she was in Wind Waker. I expect her in as a trophy or a sticker.

Wolf Link: See Midna analysis. If Wolf Link gets in as a playable, I expect him to be paired up with Midna.

Mask Link: One idea that I have seen thrown around quite a bit is the inclusion of the Link from Majora's Mask. He would be unique in that he would be four characters in one. With human Link, Deku Link, Goron Link, and Zora Link, being the four characters that make up this character, he would surely be the ultimate Zelda character. People have also suggested that Fierce Diety Link be his Final Smash. However, I highly doubt Sakurai's team would devote this much time to a character whose game was released back in 2000, and has less support than another incarnation of Link (Wind Waker Link). However, I expect to see some trophies and stickers of the various forms that the Link from Majora's Mask had in the game to be in Brawl.

Linebeck: Linebeck is the Tetra/Midna/Sheik of Phantom Hourglass. He is the captain of the ship that Link uses to travel the Great Sea in Phantom Hourglass, and is a treasure-hungry, somewhat cowardly, and a bit self-centered individual. However, he has an interesting backstory and has become one of the most popular characters from the Wind Waker/Phantom Hourglass arc. Unfortunately, there has not been much support for Linebeck to get in as a playable character, and if a character from WW or PH were to get in as a playable character, it would most likely be Wind Waker Link. I expect the most Linebeck to show up as would be a regular trophy.



My Personal Opinion (Zelda):

Out of the two likely newcomers, I would like to have Wind Waker Link over Midna. Wind Waker Link can be the replacement of Young Link (and if he gets in, there is a good chance that he will be called Young Link), making Young Link fans a bit relieved that their main still lives on in spirit. I am also one of the few people that really enjoyed Wind Waker and I am looking forward to playing Phantom Hourglass. While Wind Waker Link would still be Link, he has enough abilities and weapons to differentiate himself from the older Link. I don't think Midna is really deserving of a spot as a playable character. She has only starred in one game, and she is more or less another Tetra or Sheik. I also feel she has the least moveset potential out of the two likely Zelda newcomers. I don’t want Twilight Princess to be the only Zelda game represented in Brawl (Link, Zelda, and likely Ganondorf are all in their TP incarnations). Finally, I feel Wind Waker Link is much more important to the overall Zelda series than Midna, therefore, he should get priority over her in getting into Brawl.



Overall Analysis (Zelda):

I expect Ganondorf to return as a playable character with his own moveset. Out of which of the two likely Zelda newcomers are the most likely, they are Wind Waker Link>Midna. Wind Waker Link is the most likely because if Young Link does get cut, he would be the most fitting replacement. He has also starred in two major Zelda games, one of which will probably be the first Zelda game in Japan to sell a million copies since Ocarina of Time (that game is Phantom Hourglass). The next most likely would Midna because of her prominent role in Twilight Princess, which was the latest big-budget Zelda released and so far has the most Brawl content. It is unlikely that any character outside of the two characters I mentioned will get in as the newcomer for the Zelda series (the only other one with a plausible shot would be Tingle).

 

[ChronoBound]

Metroid series:

The fourth series that I am going to discuss is the Metroid series. In Melee, the Metroid series only had one playable representative which was Samus. However, since the release of Melee, the Metroid series has been resurrected and in a big way. Seven new Metroid games have been released since Melee, and it has climbed to become one of Nintendo’s most popular series usurping Star Fox and even Donkey Kong games in sales. When Brawl was first revealed a new and unlikely Metroid newcomer was shown, Zero Suit Samus. Sakurai said that the Metroid series had jumped to the fore-front as one of Nintendo’s most important series and decided it needed to be done justice and at the same time wanted to place in another female fighter in the game. However, Sakurai himself admits that Zero Suit Samus is not a pure character addition, and the only way known to play as ZSS is to get perform Samus yo perform her Final Smash. This makes a lot of Metroid fans long for another Metroid newcomer. There are only two Metroid characters that are likely to get into Brawl, they are Ridley and Dark Samus. I will also dedicate a paragraph to the less likely candidates from the Metroid series.



Ridley:

*Metroid spoilers throughout the series
Ridley is probably the most anticipated playable character for Brawl by Western Smash Bros. fans. Ridley is also the second most popular character of the Metroid series, being second to only Samus herself. Ridley has appeared in seven out of the ten games in the Metroid series, more than any other villain in the series. He also led the attack on the K-2L and personally killed Samus’s mother right before her very eyes, and was the drive that led Samus to become a bounty hunter (the Metroid e-manga is canon since it was written by Yoshio Sakamoto and scenes from it can be seen in Zero Mission and Japanese version of Metroid Fusion). Ridley is also the leader of the Space Pirates (or at least a leader). His theme is going to be in Brawl, and he is even referred to as Samus’s arch-nemesis in the update.

However, there has been a lot of heated debate as to whether Ridley will be a playable character or not. People say that Ridley is too big to be a playable character, too awkward, or reducing him to playable would reduce his ferocity. However, intelligent Smash fans would realize that size is not a factor for characters in Brawl. Kirby is stated to only to be eight-inches tall, yet he goes above the knees of regular human-sized characters such as Marth. Pikachu, in the original Smash Bros. intro, is shown to be only the sized of a pokeball (which he is), yet in the regular game he is at least two times bigger than any pokeball. Bowser has been gigantic in recent Mario main games such Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy. Even in the Paper Mario games, Bowser is three times the size of Mario. If TP Ganondorf were to get in, he would have to be shrunken down because TP Link only goes up to his waist in Twilight Princess. Captain Olimar is only the size of a quarter, yet he was able to get into Brawl due to being resized to the height of characters such as Diddy Kong. As you can see, size is a trivial matter for the Smash Bros. series, and it would be foolish in my opinion for him to be not included because of it. Ridley was even made to be around the same size as Samus in Melee’s intro.

Awkwardness is another poor excuse, you have pink puffballs, ****** twins, a fat cyan penguin in a king’s robe, plumbers that shoot fireballs, a yellow electric rat, a princess that practically changes genders, a race-car driver, a blue hedgehog that runs at super fast speed, an angel boy, just to name a few. Ridley would just be another face in Brawl’s freak show crowd. If there is any character that does not fit in Brawl its Snake.

As for those saying that playable status would reduce Ridley’s power and awesomeness therefore he should not be in, Ganondorf and Mewtwo say hello. Seriously, if Smash Bros. was really based off of how powerful a certain character really is Ganondorf, Mewtwo, Samus, and Ness would have been top-tier characters in Melee. However, the point in Smash is playing as your favorite Nintendo character, even characters you normally would not play as such as Ganondorf, and have them beat down characters that they would never face before in their own universes. I can confidently say that Ridley won’t be an Assist Trophy in Brawl, as he is much too important in his own series to be reduced to a mere pokemon. The least Ridley will get in as is a boss. Also, those who say that he should be boss only, say that he should be it because that he is more suited for it. If I, or any other Metroid fan, wanted a fight with Ridley, we would play any of the seven Metroid games he is in to fight him. Many want to control Ridley and exact revenge on Samus, and it just be so amusing and to see Ridley pummel the more adorable characters such as Jigglypuff, Pikachu, Kirby, etc.

Ridley is also one of the four characters who got four votes in Sakurai’s poll (the others were Geno, Ike, and Diddy Kong). King Dedede (had five votes on Sakurai’s poll), Ike (had four votes), Diddy Kong (had four votes), and Lucas (two votes) all have been confirmed as playable characters. If Ridley is a well-liked Metroid character in Japan, then there should be nothing preventing his entry as a playable character in Brawl. Also, there are some villains who are playable that you fight in the Subspace Emissary. For example, Bowser is a playable character, yet he is behind the stealing of Donkey Kong’s banana horde, and you fight him at the end of the stage. Wario, another playable character, has also been shown to be a villain in the Subspace Emissary. I think if Ridley is a playable character, there will be a fight with him in the Subspace Emissary. Also, if Ridley were to get in as a boss, it is quite likely, that Samus (regular and ZSS) will be the sole representative of the Metroid series. Sakurai could very well decide that Metroid is adequately represented for a series that is no longer popular in his home country, and decide to focus on more popular series in his domestic land. However, if Sakurai has listened to his non-Japanese fans or even the results to his poll, Ridley will definitely get in as a playable character.



Dark Samus:

*Metroid Prime 3 spoilers
Dark Samus, AKA: Metroid Prime, is the main villain of the Metroid Prime series. While she had a more behind-the-scenes role and wasn’t very much important to the plot of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, she was definitely the main villain of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, and was even seen as a god-like being among the phazon-infused Space Pirates. While Dark Samus is very similar to Samus physically, her abilities are quite different. For one, she moves very floaty-like (much like Mewtwo) and the use of Phazon is the primary means of her attacks. Sakurai’s team could definitely make her into a non-clone character assuming that they have played Metroid Prime 2 and Metroid Prime 3. However, many Metroid fans will be irked if all three playable Metroid characters turn out to be “Samus”. Also, Dark Samus met her end along with all the Phazon in the universe, so its unlikely that she will be appearing in any future installments in the Metroid series. Its for this reason that Dark Samus is another “now or never” character. Her best chances of ever getting into the Smash Bros. series as a playable character are now, which is why her supporters are very aggressive and perhaps why some are demeaning toward Ridley. If Dark Samus does not get in as playable character, she will most likely show up as either an Assist Trophy or a trophy.



Other Metroid Characters:

The Metroid series has many characters, unfortunately most of these characters don’t have much of a chance of getting in and here’s why:

Hunters from Metroid Prime Hunters (Sylux, Weavel, Trace, Kanden, Noxus, Spire): Metroid Prime Hunters is considered by many Metroid fans to be the worst game in the series. Also, in the actual game, no hunter is more important than the other, so it would be difficult for Sakurai’s team to choose which one should get in as playable character. Also, none of the hunters are particularly popular, especially compared to Ridley or Dark Samus. Some people might say Sylux is the most important because he might play an important role in the next Metroid game developed by Retro. However, it has not been confirmed whether or not it was his ship in the secret movie at the end of Metroid Prime 3, and I also doubt Sakurai’s team knows about it. I expect some of the hunters to show up as Assist Trophies, trophies, or stickers.

*Metroid Prime 3 spoilers
Hunters from Metroid Prime 3 (Rundas, Ghor, and Gandrayda): While Metroid Prime 3 is a much, much, better game than Metroid Prime Hunters, all of the hunters in that game die. This makes it very unlikely that they will appear in any future Metroid games. I think the most any of these hunters can hope for is Assist Trophy status, which even then is not that likely. I think it is more likely that one of them will appear as a trophy or sticker.



My Personal Opinion (Metroid):

*Metroid Prime 3 spoilers
Out of the two likely Metroid characters, I much rather have Ridley. Why? Ridley is the most important character in the Metroid series next to Samus. It was Ridley’s attack that orphaned Samus, it was Ridley’s command that the Space Pirates landed on Zebes, it was the discovery of Ridley’s still being alive that made Samus land on Tallon IV, and it was Ridley that started the events in Super Metroid. Ridley and Samus have a long, bitter history, much like Mario and Bowser or Link and Ganondorf. Ridley is very popular and will likely show up in future Metroid games. Dark Samus is done. She likely won’t be appearing in any more Metroid games, and does not have anywhere near the amount of popularity as Ridley. Personally, I would have had Samus, Ridley, and Dark Samus be the three representatives for the Metroid series, however, since Zero Suit Samus got in, adding another Samus would be redundant and be as bad having Link, Wolf Link, and Wind Waker Link as the only playable Zelda representatives. While all three characters would be different, they are still technically the same person (Dark Samus is a genetic clone of Samus with Phazon mutation thrown in), especially if there are more deserving characters within that franchise. Overall, I would take Ridley over Dark Samus in a heartbeat.



Overall Analysis (Metroid):

I am unsure whether Sakurai will give the Metroid series another playable representative. He has so far been shafting the Metroid series in updates on the site. However, the most likely Metroid character to get in is Ridley, and even then he has the danger of becoming a non-playable boss. If Ridley is deconfirmed it is unlikely that there will be a third playable Metroid character in the game. The only other character that stands a chance of getting in is Dark Samus, and her chances are not looking good because of the Prime series being unpopular in Japan. However, Ridley is a shoe-in if he has been paying attention to non-Japanese Smash Bros. fans. In a poll on Nsider sponsored by a moderator, Ridley tied with Sonic for the most votes. Sonic did not receive a single vote on Sakurai’s poll, yet was placed in the game due to his overwhelming foreign popularity. Ridley was also requested four times in Sakurai’s poll, showing that he does have some fanbase in Japan, despite the series being dead sales wise there. However, it is worth noting that there is an increasing amount of Japanese Smash fans who think that Ridley will be in as a boss, and that Dark Samus will be the playable Metroid representative (however, it is interesting to note that the Japanese Smash fans do not support Dark Samus, its just that they think that if Ridley is made into a boss that a popular series such as Metroid deserves a true second representative, and Dark Samus is the only important Metroid character left besides Ridley). If Ridley gets in as a playable character, there probably won’t be any more Metroid characters added as playable.

 

[ChronoBound]

Star Fox series:

The fifth series that I am going to discuss is Star Fox. Star Fox had two playable characters in Melee, Fox and Falco. The Star Fox series since Melee has fallen in both sales and quality (in the eyes of most people). However, that is not stopping most people from predicting that the series will have three playable representatives this time around. The two most likely candidates for a newcomer in the Star Fox series are Krystal and Wolf. The only confirmed character is Fox, and some people are unsure whether Falco will be returning or not. The Star Fox series could very well have only two playable representatives, however, many people feel that there will be three this time around.



Falco:

Falco is the wise-cracking ace pilot of the Star Fox team. He was also the second playable character for the Star Fox series in Melee. Besides Ganondorf, Falco is the only clone that has a realistic chance of returning as a playable character in Brawl. Falco’s popularity is also helped for being a top tier character in Melee, and is still a popular Star Fox character (though his popularity has fallen in recent years thanks to furries hijacking the series’s fanbase). He has fallen behind Wolf in terms of popularity in Japan, and has an edge over Krystal in populairty as well over there. Outside Japan, both Wolf and Krystal have eclipsed Falco in popularity (mostly due to the people I previously mentioned). I feel that if there are three playable Star Fox characters in Brawl, Falco will be one of them. I also feel that there is a good chance that Falco might be given his own moves if he returns in Brawl, most likely coming from weapons and gadgets from Star Fox Assault.



Krystal:

Krystal made her debut in Star Fox Adventures (which originally was not going to be even a Star Fox game). Krystal is basically Fox’s love interest, and one of the most popular characters in the series. A potential moveset for her could involve her staff from Star Fox Adventures. She is roughly of the same popularity as Wolf in North America, though her supporters tend to be louder. She is hated by many of the older Star Fox fans (those that played the series prior to Adventures), and blame her as being part of the reason as to why the series has fallen in quality and the influx of furries into the fanbase. Despite this, she is one of the most requested characters for Brawl among North American Smash Bros. fans, with the only character possibly eclipsing her anticipation for Brawl being Ridley. She also received three votes in Sakurai’s poll, which is a plus. Also in Krystal's favor is a rumor in which the voice actress for Zero Suit Samus said that she would also be doing the voice for Krystal in Brawl, however, she did not confirm whether she was an Assist Trophy or a playable character (she is also doing the voice for Knuckle Joe who is also an Assist Trophy)[/I feel that she will be the newcomer for the Star Fox series despite her being much less popular than Wolf in Japan.



Wolf:

Wolf is Fox’s rival who was introduced in Star Fox 64. Wolf is the leader of a band of ace pilot mercenaries called Star Wolf. Though Wolf was introduced as a villain, he has been helping out Fox in recent Star Fox titles, becoming more of a rival than a nemesis. Wolf is probably the second-most popular character in the Star Fox series (though it is debatable with the North American fanbase). Wolf is also one of the most wanted characters for Brawl in Japan, ranking in the top five most wanted characters in a poll on one popular Japanese Brawl fansite. However, many say that Wolf would be too similar to Fox and that it would be difficult for Sakurai’s team to come up with an unique moveset for him. Also, the rumor about the Wolf alternate costume for Fox has been proven false, as Sakurai himself refers to it as being "Dark Fox." Wolf's chances have increased greatly because of this new development, however, I would still have him be slightly less likely than Falco.



My Personal Opinion (Star Fox):

Personally, if there were only going to be one more Star Fox character in Brawl it would Falco. Falco has been in the Star Fox series since the beginning and is probably my favorite character in the series as well. Many people used Falco in Melee and would be disappointed if he left. Personally, I think the Star Fox series is fine with two characters, especially considering that there have been only five games in the series and how much it has fallen sales wise. If series like F-Zero cannot be given a second representative (despite there have been seven games in the series), Star Fox should not be given three representatives putting it on par with Kirby, and possibly Metroid , Donkey Kong, or Fire Emblem. However, if there had to be a third playable Star Fox character, I would choose Wolf. Wolf made his debut in Star Fox 64 which I (and many other people) consider to be the best Star Fox, and had several memorable lines such as “You’re good, but I’m better.” Also, having a mercenary as a playable character would be pretty neat, though Snake may already fill the advanced mercenary spot. I despise Krystal. Her fans creep me out and I partially blame them for turning the Star Fox series into a furry space opera. Krystal is to the Star Fox series as Shadow is to the Sonic series. Both characters showed up when their series started to go downhill, and both attracted a lot of furries and bad fanfiction writers to the series. I shudder at the thought of all the Sonic X Krystal fanfiction and “art” that is going to be made if she is in Brawl.



Overall Analysis (Star Fox):

I think there will be at least two playable Star Fox character in Brawl, and three at the most. Sadly, I feel that Krystal is the most likely Star Fox character that will be revealed soon. If there is a third character, I feel it will be Falco and he might have a unique moveset this time around. Wolf is the least likely, despite being the second-most popular Star Fox character in Japan and being one of the most wanted characters over there, due to his physical resemblance with Fox and lacks the seniority of Falco and the moveset potential of Krystal. If there are three playable Star Fox characters, the character that did not get in Brawl will get in the next one as playable.

 

[ChronoBound]

Pokemon series:

The sixth series that I am going to discuss is the Pokemon series. In Melee, Pokemon had the second-highest number of playable characters, behind only the Mario and Zelda series which were tied for first. The playable characters in Melee were Pikachu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, and Pichu. So far there have been only two confirmed playable characters in Brawl, which are Pikachu and Pokemon Trainer. It is also likely that Pichu will be cut. The question is which non-first-generation Pokemon will replace him. The most likely contender is Lucario. This makes the most likely Pokemon characters to be announced as playable are Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, and Lucario. I will also dedicate a paragraph to other less likely Pokemon characters.



Jigglypuff:

Jigglypuff was one of the four hidden characters in the original Smash Bros., and returned in Melee as a hidden character as well. Jigglypuff was perhaps the first “now or never” character that succeeded. Jigglypuff was at the height of her popularity in Japan around the release of the original Smash Bros., and was even the second-most popular Pokemon in Japan at that point. Many non-Japanese Smash fans were bewildered that she got in as the second playable Pokemon, and as a result some people believed that she would be cut on the way to Melee (along with possibly Luigi, though it was a small minority). However, Jigglypuff was still a very popular Pokemon in Japan by the time of Melee’s release. Jigglypuff did return. However, it has been six years since the release of Melee, and a lot of Jigglypuff’s popularity has waned. However, she has become a fan-favorite among Smash Bros. fans and a tradition (as being the first character most people would unlock). No other character can have Jigglypuff’s moveset, unlike Ness. To axe Jigglypuff would be to a axe a perfectly good character and moveset. I think it is likely that Jigglypuff will return in Brawl, however, I think she will most likely be a hidden character (and most likely be unlocked by beating classic mode for the first time). Also in Jiggypuff's favor is that her character icon can be seen in a Japanese Brawl commercial. It is because of this, that Jigglypuff has a 99% chance of returning as a playable character.



Mewtwo:

Mewtwo was actually originally planned to be a playable character in the original (along with Bowser, King Dedede, and a Fire Emblem character), unfortunately, he was not included due to time constraints and a low budget. However, Mewtwo was made into a hidden character in Melee. Unfortunately for Mewtwo, he ended up being one of the worst characters in the game. Will Mewtwo get the axe for Brawl? I am thinking no. Mewtwo is a character with an original moveset and was the original ultimate legendary in the series, and to this day remains one of the most popular and well-known Pokemon. Mewtwo can be buffed much like Bowser was in Brawl. However, some people feel that four first-generation Pokemon characters is over-representing, and feel that Mewtwo (or Jigglypuff) should be axed for a Pokemon from another generation. However, like mentioned earlier, Mewtwo is a very important Pokemon to the series, and cutting him would be pointless in my opinion. So basically, I expect Mewtwo to return with some stat tweaks, however, I am unsure whether or not he will still be a hidden character.



Lucario:

Will there be another newcomer Pokemon? Deoxys, Munchlax, Meowth, and Gardevoir have all be deconfirmed as Pokeball Pokemon. However, there is a rising star among Pokemon fandom. That Pokemon is Lucario. Lucario has basically become the mascot of the fourth generation of Pokemon, and has massive popularity both in and outside Japan. Lucario also had a movie dedicated to him in the Pokemon anime, much like Mewtwo. Lucario is a Steel/Fighting type Pokemon, fighting type Pokemon are oddly missing from Pokemon’s playable roster, and would be a welcome addition. Many assume that Lucario would replace Mewtwo if he got in, however, this is simply based off of Lucario’s ability to generate energy balls. Lucario is not a Psychic-type Pokemon like Mewtwo is, therefore he would for the most part be very different from him. If there is any non-first-generation Pokemon that is going to get in as a playable character, it is going to be Lucario, and Lucario’s chances of getting in are very high. Lucario is also basically confirmed thanks to the appearance of his playable icon in a Japanese Brawl commercial. It is for this that Lucario has a 99% chance of being in Brawl as a playable character.



Other Pokemon characters:

The Pokemon series has many characters, unfortunately most of these characters don’t have much of a chance of getting in and here’s why:

Pichu: Many people were speculating that a second-generation Pokemon would get in Melee as a playable character, however, nobody was expecting Pichu. Pichu is a “now or never” character that succeeded in getting into Melee. Pichu was made into the joke character of the game, and is regarded by many players as being the worst character in the game. Unfortunately, Pichu is also the most unpopular character in Melee, and as a result, is at the top of the list of playable characters to be cut. While Pichu does have a few fans, they are drowned out by the overwhelming hate from other Smash fans. I would be very surprised if Pichu returned to Brawl as a playable character.

Blaziken: Blaziken was at the top of many Super Smash Bros. 3 wishlists after Ruby/Sapphire came out. However, his popularity started to fade when Pokemon FireRed/Leaf/Green was released and Deoxys revealed. Deoxys slowly usurped much of Blaziken’s populairty. However, both Blaziken and Deoxys fell in popularity when Lucario’s movie came out and when Diamond/Pearl was released. Deoxys was confirmed to be just a Pokeball Pokemon, and he was the second-most wanted newcomer Pokemon, behind only Lucario. Since Blaziken is even less popular than Deoxys, I expect Blaziken also to be a Pokeball Pokemon.



My Personal Opinion (Pokemon):

I want to see both Jigglypuff and Mewtwo return to Brawl as playable characters. I also have nothing against Lucario (I am neither for him or against). I think there should be at least one non-first-generation Pokemon in the game, and I think Lucario fits the bill quite nicely. I think Pokemon’s playable roster should consist of: Pikachu, Pokemon Trainer, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, and Lucario. No more after that for this game, as that there are many other series that still need more representation.



Overall Analysis (Pokemon):

Jigglypuff and Lucario have basically been confirmed thanks to the appearance of their character icons in a Japanese Brawl commercial. The only other character with a chance of being a playable character in Brawl is Mewtwo. Some people may say that four Pokemon for the first-generation is too much, however, it is important to realize that first-generation Pokemon represent both the history of the franchise and also the game they were first featured was remade (FireRed/LeafGreen) so many younger Pokemon fans know them as well. Overall, I expect the Pokemon series to have four playable characters at minimum and five playable characters at most (seven if you count the three Pokemon that the Pokemon Trainer has as being separate).

 

[ChronoBound]

Fire Emblem series:

The seventh series that I am going to discuss is the Fire Emblem series. Fire Emblem had two playable characters in Melee. They were Marth and Roy. However, since Melee’s release, the Fire Emblem series has gone international and gained much more fans worldwide. Many fans wanted Ike and Lyn to be made into playable characters in Brawl, with Ike being confirmed as a playable and Lyn being deconfirmed (she was made into an Assist Trophy). However, the first playable Fire Emblem character that was revealed was Ike, which has made many people believe that both Marth and Roy are being cut, and some have gone as far to say that all of the playable Fire Emblem characters will be from Tellius. The purpose of the following paragraphs will be to inform many people about the Fire Emblem series and the popularity of certain characters in and outside Japan. The most likely contenders for a newcomer are Sigurd, Micaiah, and Eliwood. I expect at least two Fire Emblem characters to be playable and three playable characters at the most. I will also dedicate as paragraph to less likely Fire Emblem characters.



Marth:

Marth was the first lord of the Fire Emblem series, and the only lord to star in three games in the series (FE1, FE3, and FE11). Marth was a playable character in Melee, and is considered to be one of the best characters in the game. Marth is also one of the most popular lords among Japanese Fire Emblem fans, and Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem (a game that Marth was the main lord in) still remains the highest-selling game in the series in Japan. There are a few people that believe that Marth will be cut from Melee since Ike is a blue-haired swordsman and was revealed before him. First off, Ike plays nothing like Marth. Ike is heavy, very slow, and very powerful. Marth is very fast and of average-weight Melee. The only move that Marth and Ike share is Counter. Also, Marth will also be starring in Fire Emblem DS (FE11), and it is very likely that Marth will be used in much the same way as Roy was used in Melee (as an advertisement). Besides being an advertisement, Marth would also serve to represent the history of the Fire Emblem series. Marth’s sword, Falchion, is still the icon to the series in Brawl. Marth's second game, Fire Emblem: The Mystery of the Emblem, will also have a playable demo in the the Japanese version of Brawl. To sum it all up, I expect Marth to return in Brawl as a playable character. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a fanboy, an idiot, ignorant, a troll, or all of the above.



Roy:

Roy was the lord and main protagonist of Fire Emblem: The Sword of Seals. Roy was the second playable Fire Emblem character. Roy was used to help promote Fire Emblem: The Sword of Seals, which was not released until four months after Melee’s Japanese release. Roy became an instant favorite among Smash fans and thought he was much cooler than “girly” Marth. However, with the rise of tiers and professional play, Roy has become unpopular with professional and elite Smash Bros. players. Roy is also disliked by hardcore Fire Emblem fans, and many fans felt his game went several steps back, especially compared to FE4 and FE5. However, Roy still remains a popular character among casual Smash Bros. players, and there are some hardcore Smash players that prefer his play style over Marth’s. However, Roy’s chances of returning are not high, especially considering that he is not that popular over in Japan. As a matter of fact, Roy is more likely to be axed than to return to Brawl as a playable character. However, there might be a small silver lining of hope for Roy fans. Sakurai could be under the impression that Roy is a popular character outside Japan. In his blog on the old Japanese Brawl site, Sakurai mentioned that a black man thanked him for putting Roy in the game, and then went on to say he cannot just place in characters that are only popular in Japan, especially considering that Smash Bros. is popular all over the world. If Sakurai thinks that cutting Roy would upset his non-Japanese fanbase, then Roy may go on to fight another day in Brawl. However, Roy is still more likely to be cut than return if he is not under this impression (of Roy being well-liked outside Japan) and he forgets about this personal experience with the black Roy fan while developing Brawl.



Sigurd:

Sigurd is the lord and main protagonist of the first half of Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War. Fire Emblem 4 is considered by many Fire Emblem fans to be the best in the series. Sigurd is also a favorite among many hardcore Fire Emblem fans, and is supposedly one of the most popular Fire Emblem characters in Japan. Sigurd has also been the subject of many rumors regarding Smash Bros. It is rumored that Sigurd was planned for the original Smash Bros., but did not make it in due to time constraints and a low budget. Sigurd was also rumored to have been in Melee and that he was originally Marth’s clone, and that he was cut out of the game at the last minute of development because higher-ups at Nintendo wanted him to put in Roy to promote Fire Emblem 6 (people support this with that Roy is referred to as EMBLEM in the debug menu). Finally, it is rumored that Sigurd is Sakurai’s favorite Fire Emblem character. However, I have yet to find any proof of any of this. Also, although Sigurd was requested on Sakurai’s Japanese poll, I frequented some Japanese Brawl fansites, and I don’t see Sigurd getting a lot of support (the support for the third Fire Emblem character seems to be between Micaiah and Eliwood, with 50/50 each in terms of support). Also, some people say that a white costume of Ike’s is similar to Sigurd’s outfit. However, this does not necessarily deconfirm Sigurd. I expected Sigurd to be more of a powerhouse, slow-moving character if he got into Brawl, however, Ike seems to be just that. However, Sigurd still has the best chances of any character from Jugdral (FE4 and FE5) of getting in as a playable character, and could be worked into a separate non-clone character if Sakurai’s team wanted him in.



Eliwood:

Eliwood is one of three lords in Fire Emblem (or Fire Emblem: The Blazing Sword as it is known in Japan). Eliwood is the father of Roy, and was even a powerful unlockable trial map character in FE6. Eliwood is considered by many Fire Emblem fans to be the most important lord of Blazing Sword (though some say it is debatable). Unlike Roy, Eliwood has some things that can make him into a non-clone character. Eliwood could use a lance as a possible B-move and his horse for another B-move, and fights differently than his son or Marth. Although Fire Emblem: The Blazing Sword is probably the best-selling Fire Emblem game counting worldwide sales, it was not too popular in Japan, and sold less than the Sword of Seals (Roy’s game), and is probably the fourth best-selling game in the series in Japan. Eliwood is also the least popular of the three lords from Blazing Sword in North America, where most of Blazing Sword’s popularity lies. However, Eliwood is the most popular lord from FE7 in Japan and probably the only lord from a Game Boy Advance Fire Emblem that is liked in that country. Eliwood is also one of two lords that I have seen Japanese fans want to get in as the third playable Fire Emblem character in Brawl (the other being Micaiah). Eliwood even ranked as the ninth-most wanted Smash Bros. character on a Japanese Brawl fansite for most wanted newcomer (the only Fire Emblem character that ranked higher than him was Ike, who ranked at third). With his son likely getting axed, it is quite possible that Sakurai could place in Eliwood as a replacement to Roy and the representative of Elibe and the Game Boy Advance Fire Emblems. I could see Eliwood as being a well-rounded character with no reals advantages or weaknesses (as opposed to Ike’s massive power, slow speed, and heavy weight, and Marth who will likely be made into the opposite of Ike) like he was in FE7. Overall, Eliwood is probably the dark horse of likely contenders for a third playable Fire Emblem character, and may surprise many North American Smash Bros. fans if he indeed gets in.



Micaiah:

Micaiah is one of the two main lord of Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (the other being Ike). She is a magic-user which makes her different from most Fire Emblem lords. Supporters say that the fact she is a magic-user and female is what makes her deserving of the third Fire Emblem spot. They also say that placing her in Brawl would help promote Radiant Dawn’s North American release. (However, in an interview, a NOA representative said that Ike is helping to promote Radiant Dawn much like how Marth and Roy helped promote the Fire Emblem series worldwide.) Her detractors say that a magic-user, while unique for Fire Emblem, would not be unique for Brawl. Zelda, Lucas, possibly Mewtwo (who is likely to return), possibly a second Mother/EarthBound character, and possibly Ganondorf (I would imagine him to have some magic-based special moves) would be more than enough magic/psychic users in the game. Also, there are many Fire Emblem fans that feel that Jugdral (the home of Sigurd, Celice, and Leaf) and/or Elibe (the home of Roy, Eliwood, Lyn, and Hector) should get a playable representative before another character from Tellius gets in. Also, Radiant Dawn is one of poorest selling Fire Emblem games in Japan, having sold less than even Path of Radiance (which barely sold over 160K). However, she is still quite popular, and is one of the two characters that Japanese Smash fans support in getting in as the third Fire Emblem character (the other being Eliwood).



Other Fire Emblem Characters:

The Fire Emblem series has many characters, unfortunately most of these characters don’t have much of a chance of getting in and here’s why:

Black Knight: I understand that I may get a lot of anger for putting him in this category, but please here me out. The Black Knight is one of the most popular Fire Emblem villains, and one of the few villains to be in two games (the only other ones I can think of are Garnef and Medeus from the Akaneia Fire Emblem games). The Black Knight would basically be a very heavy, very, powerful, and very slow fighter. However, Ike is already all three of these. If the Black Knight was any slower than Ike, BK would be worthless (Ike is very slow in moving and attacking), if were any heavier he wouldn’t be able to be KO’d until at 100% damage, and if he were any more powerful he would KO-ing opponents at sub-20% damage levels. Ike already took the Black Knight’s spot, and if there is a second character from Tellius that is going to get in as playable character, it will be Micaiah. However, I think the Black Knight is most likely going to show up as either a boss, an Assist Trophy, a trophy, or a sticker. Even if his fans starting cheering him on for boss status, he would still have to compete with Medeus, the Dragon of Darkness, who was the most re-occurring villain of the Fire Emblem series (he was in FE1, FE3, and going to be in FE11).

Hector: Another character that got the slow, heavy, and very powerful Fire Emblem character slot taken away from by Ike. Although Hector is the third-most popular lord in North America (behind Ike and Lyn), he is hated in Japan and the least-popular lord from Blazing Sword in that country (mostly due to how weak he was in the Sword of Seals, the prequel to Blazing Sword). Hector is most likely going to get in as an Assist Trophy, possibly being a part of Eliwood’s Final Smash, a trophy, or a sticker.

Ephraim/Eirika: None of the twin lords from Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones have much of a chance of getting in as playable characters. FE8 is not as popular as FE7 or FE9 is in North America, and is the most hated GBA Fire Emblem in Japan. Some Fire Emblem fans go as far to say as it being the second-worst game in the series (behind only FE2). The most Ephraim and Eirika can hope for is Assist Trophy status.

Leaf: Leaf was the main lord of Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 and an important and powerful character in the second half of Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War. Leaf has the best moveset potential of any Fire Emblem character in my opinion. Leaf being of the Master Knight class can use any weapon in Fire Emblem (swords, axes, spears, lances, bows) and use any magic-type except dark. Unfortunately, Leaf has a lack of popularity and few people in North America or Japan are aware of his own game (FE5 was released for the Super Famicom in late 1999). Its sad since I think Leaf would be the best third playable Fire Emblem character by far.

Celice: Celice is the lord of the second half of Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War. He is also the son of Sigurd. However, Celice suffers from being too similar to Marth physically and perhaps fighting-wise. Some people also say that he looks too much like a girl, and some have even thought he was a girl until told otherwise. Celice is also less popular than his father, Sigurd. If any character from Jugdral gets in as a playable character, it will be Sigurd.



My Personal Opinion (Fire Emblem):

Personally, I think Marth deserves to return to Brawl since he was the first lord in the series, and would serve to help promote FE11. As for a third playable Fire Emblem character, a part of me really wants to see Roy return (one of the two characters that I mained in Melee was Roy). If Roy does not return, I would rather have Sigurd, since he would represent Jugdral and help promote a possible future remake or North American release of FE4 (which is considered to be the best Fire Emblem). After Sigurd, I would have Eliwood since he would represent Elibe and the first Fire Emblem ever to be internationally released, and would be an adequate replacement to Roy in my opinion. Last I would Micaiah since Tellius already has a playable representative, and Jugdral and Elibe need a playable representative more, and I feel that many people are supporting her because of Lyn’s deconfirmation and because she is the only viable female Fire Emblem character left. She is a “now or never” character and her best chances of ever getting in (along with Eliwood) exist now, which is why her fans will become increasingly aggressive and demeaning toward other likely Fire Emblem candidates for a third spot. By the time the Super Smash Bros. 4 is in development, many of her “fans” will probably flock to another female Fire Emblem character (especially if she is very attractive) that was made in between Brawl and SSB4. However, if it were up to me I would have Leaf as the third Fire Emblem character, however, since he is an unlikely contender, he does not have much of chance of getting in as a playable character.



Overall Analysis (Fire Emblem):

Marth is very likely to return in Brawl as playable character as that he represents both the history of the series, was a popular character in Melee, and would serve to promote FE11. If there is a third playable Fire Emblem character, its really up to what Sakurai is looking for or wants. If Sakurai is sympathetic toward casual Smash Bros. fans and Roy fans, he will keep Roy. If Sakurai wants to please hardcore Fire Emblem fans and put in his favorite character (if that rumor is true), he will place in Sigurd. If he wants a non-sword-user Fire Emblem character, he will place in Micaiah. If he wants to create a compromise of getting rid of Roy to please the haters but still want to find someone that would be similar enough to him to please his fans (Roy’s) and represent Elibe, he will place in Eliwood. I do not know what Sakurai is thinking or who really is the most popular Fire Emblem character in Japan besides Ike and Marth, so it is really hard to decide who will get in as the third playable character if there is one. It is quite possible that Fire Emblem will only have two playable representatives, it all depends on how many characters Sakurai is planning on having total in the game. However, is there are 35+ characters in Brawl, I do expect there to be three playable Fire Emblem characters.

 

[ChronoBound]

Mother/EarthBound series:

The eighth series that I am going to discuss is the Mother/EarthBound series. In the original Smash Bros., Ness was the representative of the series. Ness would later return in Melee since EarthBound 64 was cancelled (Sakurai was planning on replacing him with Lucas). However, Lucas has been revealed to be a playable character. The question is whether Sakurai will consider to give the Mother series a second playable representative (which is more than enough considering that the series is finished, and there are only three installments in it). The most likely candidate for a second Mother character is Ness and the Masked Boy. I will also dedicate a paragraph to less likely Mother/EarthBound characters.



Ness:

Ness is the main protagonist of Mother 2/EarthBound. He was also a playable character in both the original Smash Bros. and Melee. Many people, including myself, originally believe Ness to be cut after being shown the Lucas's Special Moves update as well as the language of it (up until now). However, a recent update has made it very likely that Ness will be returning as a playable character. One is that that Ness stock icon can be seen in a Japanese Brawl commercial (along with Lucas's). Also, a demo of EarthBound is available in the Japanese version of Brawl. I would be surprised if Ness is not a playable character in the game due to these two recent developments. However, I am not sure whether Ness will be returning with an all-new moveset are as a Luigi-fied clone of Lucas.



Masked Boy (Claus):

*major Mother 3 spoilers
The Masked Boy is a mysterious cybernetic child who has a high-ranking position within the Pig Mask Army. He wears a helmet, has a gun for an arm, and wields a beam-sword. He also has bat-like wings which he can use to escape, and sometimes throws a Pig Army bomb as those who he sees as incompetent. Its these traits that give the Masked Boy amazing moveset potential. However, his inclusion in Brawl could spoil Mother 3 for those who have not played it, as that it would probably be revealed that the Masked Boy is actually Claus, Lucas’s thought-to-be-deceased twin brother. Claus was also requested twice on Sakurai’s poll, the same number as Lucas who was confirmed to be playable. With the revelation of Lucas’s being Ness’s replacement, the Masked Boy is now unchallenged for a possible second playable Mother spot. The big question is whether Sakurai thinks a Japan-only game and a mostly Japan-only series is deserving of a second character.



Other Mother/EarthBound Characters:

The Mother/EarthBound series has many characters, unfortunately most of these characters don’t have much of a chance of getting in and here’s why:


*some Mother 3 spoilers
Kumatora: Kumatora is one of the Lucas’s fellow party-members and an important character in Mother 3. She is the princess of Osohe Castle and she is very tomboyish (her name literally means bear-tiger). She is also the only other party member besides Lucas who can use psychic attacks. Her chances of getting in as a playable character were completely dependent on whether Lucas has Ness’s special moves. Unfortunately for Kumatora, Lucas has taken Ness’s moveset, which means that she would have to be a clone of Lucas in order to be playable. I expect Kumatora to show up either as an Assist Trophy or a regular trophy.

*some Mother 3 spoilers
Pokey: Pokey is the main antagonist of Mother 3 and a big antagonist in Mother 2 as well. His city in Mother 3 is an arena in Brawl. However, Pokey likely won’t get in as a playable character. Why? Because fatty can’t fight without his spider-mech. This makes Pokey more suited for a boss battle than for a playable character. If Pokey does not get in as a boss, I expect him in as either an Assist Trophy or a regular trophy.

Ninten: Ninten is the main protagonist of Mother 1. Unfortunately, his chances of getting in are low since he is virtually identical to Ness, and Mother 2/EarthBound is much more popular than Mother 1.

Loid/Ana/Teddy: Loid, Ana, and Teddy are Ninten’s fellow party members in Mother 1. They have basically no chance of getting in as playable characters. The most these characters can hope for is to get in as either an Assist Trophy, regular trophy, or sticker.

Paula/Jeff/Poo: Paula, Jeff, and Poo are Ness’s fellow party members in Mother 2/EarthBound. However, the only character from Mother 2 that has a real shot in getting in as a playable character is Ness himself. The most these characters can hope for is to get in as either an Assist Trophy, regular trophy, or sticker.

*some Mother 3 spoilers
Flint/Boney: Flint is Lucas’s father, and was playable only for the first chapter in the game (he was originally going to have a much larger role in EarthBound 64), therefore, his chances of getting in as a playable character are low. Boney is also unlikely because he is not as popular as either Kumatora or Duster. The most these characters can hope for is to get in as either an Assist Trophy or a regular trophy.



My Personal Opinion (Mother):

I think it is safe to say that Ness will be returning as a playable character. I am very happy that he is returning because he is the main protagonist of one of my most favorite RPGs of all time. I don't think Masked Boy will make it because I think there will only be two playable Mother/EarthBound characters in Brawl. However, Masked Boy is definitely next on the list as far as Mother characters are concerned for Smash Bros. 4. However, his chances really depend on whether Mother 3 will ever be released outside Japan. However, if Mother does get a third representative in the next Smash Bros., it will most likely be him.[SIZE]



Overall Analysis (Mother):

Ness is all but confirmed to be the second playable representative of the Mother series. Since the Mother series won’t be having any more games in it (Itoi, the creator and writer of the Mother series, said that he will never make Mother 4, and ending of Mother 3 does not end with a cliffhanger like the previous two installments), two playable characters is more than enough for the series. This is extremely generous considering that it is highly rumored that the Brawl roster will only consist of 35 characters (not including transformations).

 

[ChronoBound]

F-Zero series:

The ninth series that I am going to discuss is the F-Zero series. F-Zero does not really seem to be getting that much notice in Brawl. The second-most popular character in the series, Samurai Goroh, was confirmed as an Assist Trophy, and Dr. Stewart and Zoda have been confirmed as a regular trophies. Even the Ice Climbers have been confirmed before Captain Falco, leaving some to believe that the Mother series will be getting a second representative before F-Zero does. Captain Falcon will likely return as the main representative of the F-Zero series in Brawl, the question is whether he will be alone in representing his series again. There is only one other F-Zero character with a realistic shot of getting in as a playable character and that is Black Shadow. I will also be dedicating a paragraph to the less likely characters within the series.



Captain Falcon:

Captain Falcon was a hidden character in the original game, and returned as a starting character in Melee. Captain Falcon is perhaps the most well-known and definitely most popular F-Zero character. Captain Falcon is a fan-favorite among Smash Bros. fans for his high speed, good power, and memorable moves (especially Falcon Punch). It is not a matter of whether or not Captain Falcon is going to return (he’s 99% likely to return), but a question of when Sakurai is going to reveal him. I am guessing some week in January is when we will see Falcon in Brawl. I just find it odd that Sakurai has been ignoring the F-Zero series and in a big way.



Black Shadow:

Black Shadow is the third-most popular F-Zero character and is Captain Falcon’s arch-nemesis. Black Shadow is usually regarded as the main villain of F-Zero and was even the main villain of the F-Zero anime. Black Shadow is also the only F-Zero character to appear in Sakurai’s poll on the Japanese Brawl site. The question being is whether the Brawl designers think F-Zero should be given a second character. One thing that I thought about Black Shadow being a playable character was Ganondorf’s Melee moveset. A powerful, strong, slow, and heavy version of Captain Falcon was practically made for Black Shadow, and since Ganondorf will likely be getting a completely new moveset, Black Shadow can take his old one. Other than that, I am not sure whether Sakurai’s team will go through the trouble of coming up with completely original moves for a second character from a series that isn’t that popular. However, if F-Zero does get a second character, it will be Black Shadow.



Other F-Zero characters:

The F-Zero series has many characters, unfortunately most of these characters don’t have much of a chance of getting in and here’s why:

Rick Wheeler: Rick Wheeler is the main character of the F-Zero anime, and even starred in the last two F-Zero games released on the Game Boy Advance. However, he is less popular than both Samurai Goroh and Black Shadow, so his chances of getting in as a playable character are slim. If he does show up (which he might not), he will most likely appear in the form of a trophy or sticker.

Deathborn: Deathborn is the true antagonist of F-Zero GX (which was the only F-Zero he ever appeared in). Deathborn has a really cool design and menacing theme, however, he is not as well-known or popular as Black Shadow or Samurai Goroh. If Deathborn does show up in Brawl, he will most likely be a trophy or sticker.

Pico: Now here’s a F-Zero character than can fight (just watch his ending video in F-Zero GX). Pico is perhaps my favorite F-Zero character, and perhaps the coolest in my opinion. He is an insane ex-military hitman that likes to collect knives and eat steaks dripping with blood. However, Pico’s reliance on realistic world weapons (such as guns and knives) eliminate any chance he had in getting into Brawl as a playable character (which is why he has given Snake only explosives). If Pico does show up in Brawl, he will most likely be an Assist Trophy, a regular trophy, or a sticker.

Blood Falcon: Blood Falcon will probably show up the same way he did in Melee, as an alternate costume for Captain Falcon.

Other F-Zero racers: Some of these characters might be lucky enough to become regular trophies (or stickers) or have their cars appear in a F-Zero arena. One or two might appear as an Assist Trophy.



My Personal Opinion (F-Zero):

Captain Falcon was one of my favorite characters to use in the original Smash Bros. and I still used him quite a bit in Melee. The only F-Zero characters that I wanted to see in Brawl as playable characters were Pico and Samurai Goroh. However, one is very unlikely and the other has been deconfirmed. As for Black Shadow, I support him getting in if there are around 40 characters in Brawl (I think there are some series that are still lacking important characters). I would also support him if he takes Ganondorf’s Melee moveset, which I think is perfect for Black Shadow.



Overall Analysis (F-Zero):

Captain Falcon should be revealed soon on the Dojo. As for Black Shadow, the F-Zero series getting a second representative largely depends upon how many characters there are going to be total in the game, which we probably won’t know until he shows the final character selection screen. However, if a series like Star Fox deserves three playable character or if Mother deserves two playable characters, F-Zero definitely deserves a second playable character.

 

[WindSquirrel]

Nice. Maybe you can post pics next to the characters, since this ain't Gamefaqs

 

[ChronoBound]

Other series:

The tenth category that I am going to discuss is Other. There are many Nintendo series with multiple installments that do not have a playable representative yet. They are Custom Robo, Golden Sun, Animal Crossing, Advance Wars, and Panel de Pon. There currently is a arena, item, and Assist Trophy for Animal Crossing, but no playable character. An Advance Wars infantry unit has been confirmed as an Assist Trophy. Lip’s Stick is confirmed to return as an item. However, there has yet to be shown any content from Custom Robo or Golden Sun. I will be analyzing the most likely playable representatives from these series.


Ray:

Ray is sort of the like the mascot of the Custom Robo series. He actually part of a line of robots and not a specific character in the series. A version of Ray has appeared in every game in the Custom Robo series. Custom Robo also had three trophies in Melee (including one of Ray). There have been five Custom Robo games to date, which ties it with the Star Fox series. Ray was also requested in Sakurai’s poll. I think there is a good chance we might see the Custom Robo series get a playable representative. I also think that if Ray does not get in as a playable character, he will get in at least as an Assist Trophy.



Isaac:

Isaac is the main protagonist of the first Golden Sun, which was a popular Game Boy Advance RPG developed by Camelot (the developer of the Mario Golf and Tennis series). Isaac is the most popular character in his series, despite not being the hero of the second game in the series. Golden Sun sold extremely good both in and outside Japan and has sold well over a million copies worldwide. Isaac was also requested twice in Sakurai’s poll. Also, contrary to popular belief, Nintendo actually owns the rights to the characters and music in Golden Sun. Also, according to an interview with a top executive at Camelot, both Nintendo and Camelot are interested in making Golden Sun 3, however, Camelot doesn’t have the time to make it yet. If Camelot is planning on making Isaac the main protagonist of Golden Sun 3, putting him in Brawl as a playable character would be perfect advertising for the game. However, there is a small chance that we might get the main protagonist of Golden Sun 3 (if it is not Isaac) instead. However, Isaac still remains the most likely Golden Sun character.



Animal Crossing Character:

The question of whether or not Animal Crossing will get a playable character has been the subject of many threads on Smash Bros. message boards all across the internet. Animal Crossing has an arena (Smashville), an item (Pitfall), and an Assist Trophy (Mr. Resetti). Animal Crossing also had three trophies in Melee. However, most of the important characters from Animal Crossing have been shown to be in the background, such as Tom Nook, the generic Animal Crosser, and K.K. Slider. Tom Nook has been shown in all his outfits, including his famous apron outfit. The Tom Nook fans who say he is going to be a playable character despite being in the background are basically like the Toad fans prior to Melee (who said Toad could still be a separate character despite being one of Peach’s moves). There are some theories that suggest that one way to unlock K.K. Slider as a playable character would be listen to his concert at 8:00 P.M. on a Saturday, however, that does not seem not too likely either (though its much more plausible than what Nook fans are saying about Nook). You also have the Animal Crosser, the Animal Crossing human that you play as is the most likely character in my opinion, however, he/she has been showing up in the background in Smashville a lot. An Animal Crossing character has some moveset potential such as using a shovel, an axe, an umbrella, a fishing pole, and a slingshot. There has not been a Nintendo series in the Smash Bros. series to have a stage and not a playable character, however, the confirmation of PictoChat as a stage might make it possible for it to happen (a series with a stage, but not a character). Overall, I think there is 50/50 chance that Animal Crossing will get a playable character.



Advance Wars Character:

Advance Wars (or Famicom Wars as it is known in Japan) is a popular strategy series by Intelligent Systems, the development team behind Fire Emblem and Paper Mario. There have been four games in the Advance Wars series, and eleven games in the overall Wars series. One might say that it is overdue for a playable representative. The only character from the series to be mentioned in Sakurai’s poll was the Infantry Unit, which was confirmed as an Assist Trophy by people who played the demo at E for All. Andy is the most popular Advance Wars character among the North American fanbase and was the main hero of two games in the series, and was playable in Dual Strike as well. However, there is no “Marth” of the Advance Wars series, meaning there is no character of massive popularity and a clear icon to the series. Advance Wars also sells poorly in Japan (especially Dual Strike), where Brawl is being developed and there seems to be no demand for a Wars character among the Japanese Smash Bros. fanbase. Also, the main protagonist of Days of Ruin (which is going to be released late January for the DS) is another probable candidate for the Wars series, as that he would probably be promoting sales for it. However, I don’t think we will know for sure if the Wars series will be getting a playable character until Sakurai makes an update about the Advance Wars Assist Trophy. If the Assist Trophy has its own icon, then an Advance Wars character is likely.



Lip:

Lip is the princes of fairies and the main protagonist of Panel de Pon (the Japanese version of Tetris Attack). She also appeared in Nintendo Puzzle Collection, a Japan-only GameCube game. Lip’s Stick was an item in Melee, and a garbage block from Panel de Pon was also one of the many things that Kirby’s stone ability could transform into. Lip was requested twice for Sakurai’s poll. However, things don’t look too good for Lip. Lip’s Stick, her primary means of attack, has been confirmed as an item again. Also, none of the two games she was featured in were released outside Japan. Some of her detractors also say that she would not have a good moveset and she too much like loli. She also does not have the same amount of popularity as Captain Olimar, Ray, or Isaac. However, I do expect Lip to appear in the game in some form, whether it be an Assist Trophy, a regular trophy, or a sticker.



My Personal Opinion (Other):

Personally, I would like to see Ray make it because I think the Custom Robo series deserves a representative and a moveset for him would be interesting. Isaac could also have an interesting moveset being a sword-user with psychic abilities. An Animal Crossing character would be a bit odd because fighting isn’t really found in Animal Crossing (unless you are playing Punch-Out in GCN version of Animal Crossing). While I think a series with as much installments as Wars is deserving of a playable character, I am not sure how a moveset to one would work or if Sakurai’s team could come up with one. Lip is probably the least-deserving of the characters I mentioned as that she has only been in two games of the Panel de Pon series (Yoshi and Ash/Pikachu have also been protagonists in the series).



Overall Analysis (Other):

Ray is a likely possibility as that he actually fights in his games and that he would serve to promote the series and perhaps increase its sales. Isaac is also really likely, however, it really depends on whether Sakurai thinks the sereis is worthy of a playable representative (since there have only been two games in the series so far). Animal Crossing, like I said earlier, has a 50% chance of getting a playable character (however, I have no idea on who it would be). An Advance Wars character really depends upon whether the Advance Wars Asisst Trophy will have its own icon. Finally, Lip has the lowest chances of all the characters I mentioned in the Other category due to being featured in the least amount of games and having the least popularity worldwide. Overall, I expect 1-2 Other characters to make it into Brawl as playable characters.

 

[ChronoBound]

Retro series:

The eleventh category that I am going to discuss is the Retro category. Nintendo has a lot of characters dating back to their NES and arcade days. The two Retro characters who got in as playable characters in Melee were the Ice Climbers and Mr. Game & Watch. The two Retro characters that have been confirmed to be playable in Brawl are Pit and the Ice Climbers. Some Retro characters have been deconfirmed such as Little Mac, the Devil from Devil World, and the Excite Biker, all of whom are Assist Trophies. I expect Mr. Game & Watch to return, and one more Retro newcomer. The most likely candidates are Balloon Fighter, R.O.B., Takamaru, Sukapon. I will also dedicate a paragraph to less likely Retro characters.



Mr. Game & Watch:

Mr. Game & Watch is the representative of the 40+ Game & Watch games that Nintendo has made. Mr. Game & Watch is the last character that is unlocked in Melee. All of Mr. Game & Watch’s moves come from a game of his, something that most other characters in Melee or Brawl can’t say. A lot of people are unsure of whether Mr. Game & Watch will return or not because he was not exactly a good character in Melee. However, if you have been paying attention to the icons, the Fire Emblem icon is number 12 and Ice Climbers icon is number 14. The Game & Watch icon fits quite nicely between the two series that were introduced in Melee. Also, cutting Game & Watch would be pointless because he would not need a graphical facelift and they would be throwing away a perfectly good moveset and an important piece to Nintendo’s history. However, while I do expect Mr. Game & Watch to return, I am not sure whether he will be a starter or a hidden character.



Balloon Fighter:

Balloon Fight is one of the most popular and best-known NES games. Balloon Fight has been re-released many times in recent years. It was an easily found game in Animal Crossing for the GameCube, it was re-released for the e-reader, and was also released for the Virtual Console. Balloon Fight was also one of the six NES games featured in Tetris DS. A 3-D version of the Balloon Trip mode in Balloon Fight could also be unlocked in Wario Ware: Smooth Moves for the Wii. Balloon Fight has also had two sequels, however, Balloon Fighter was not the main character in either one of them. They were Balloon Kid for the original Game Boy (which was later re-released as Balloon Fight GB for the Game Boy Color in 2000 in Japan) and Tingle’s Balloon Fight (which was released in 2007 for Japan only). Balloon Fight had two trophies in Melee (Balloon Fighter and the Flipper), an item (the Flipper), and music (the Balloon Trip music would sometimes play on Icicle Mountain). Balloon Fighter was rumored to have been a playable character in the Melee Beta, but was said to have been scrapped in the final game due to physics problems. However, it is true that the Balloon Fighter was one of the five NES characters that he was considering into making into a playable character in Melee (the others were the Ice Climbers, Excite Biker, the Urban Champion, and Bubbles). Sakurai decided with the Ice Climbers because he said that they seemed to have the most personality and potential. However, Balloon Fighter has since been a popular choice for a Retro character in the Smash Bros. series. Unfortunately, a few recent developments have hurt the Balloon Fighter’s chances of getting in as a playable character. One is that the fish from Balloon Fight is in the Ice Climber stage and also the Balloon Fighter has been shown as a sticker. While this does not necessarily deconfirm him, it does lower his chances. If the Balloon Fighter does not get in as a playable character, I expect him to appear as an Assist Trophy or regular trophy.




R.O.B.:

R.O.B., an acronym for Robotic Operating Buddy, was a peripheral made the NES in order to convince retailers in North America that the NES is not a video game console but rather an interactive toy. Many retailers were spooked about game consoles and video games in general after the big game crash in the early 80's. R.O.B. was basically used as a Trojan Horse to get the NES in stores and into people's homes. So it can basically be said that R.O.B. saved the North American game industry. Ironically, only two games were made compatible with R.O.B., Gyromite and Stack-Up. Since then, R.O.B. has made a lot of cameos in games, with the most recent notable one being that was a hidden character in Mario Kart DS. Recently, there are rumors going around suggesting that R.O.B. is a playable character in Brawl, which also goes hand-in-hand with the 35 character rumor. However, many people believe that R.O.B. being a playable character is rediculous for several reasons. One is that R.O.B. would most likely need an original moveset in order to work as a playable character, and would also be hard to made a playable character (he does not look very mobile). Anothe reason is that R.O.B. was also confirmed to be an enemy in the Subspace Emissary. However, it could just be Sakurai up to his old mind tricks again (might I remind you of Ness).


Takamaru:

Takamaru is the main hero of Nazo no Murasaemjou, a Japan-only game released for the Famicom Disk System. He is basically a samurai-in-training who fights ninjas, demons, and evil shoguns. His game was re-released as a part of the Famicom Mini series (those NES ports for the Game Boy Advance) in Japan. Takamaru was also requested three times in Sakurai’s poll. Also, many other contenders for a katana-user have been deconfirmed as Assist Trophies such as Samurai Goroh and Lyn, making him the only logical choice for a katana-user left.. However, Takamaru loses points for only having one game in his series, and that one game was only released in Japan. Also, many people feel that a katana-user would not bring anything interesting to Brawl. However, his chances are currently higher than the Balloon Fighter’s and his only real competition is Sukapon. If Takamaru does not make it in as a playable character, I expect him to appear as an Assist Trophy, regular trophy, or a sticker.



Sukapon:

Sukapon is basically the mascot of Joy Mecha Fight, a fighting game released for the NES/Famicom in 1993. Sukapon is originates from a fighting game which is why many people see him as a natural fit for Brawl. Sukapon would also have a very interesting moveset if his appearance is anything to go by. Sukapon was requested twice for Sakurai’s poll. Also, the creator of Joy Mecha Fight said that he would love to see Sukapon in Brawl, and apparently the copyright issues regarding the game have been settled according to a Japanese Brawl fansite. However, Sukapon biggest competition is Takamaru, and only one of these two Japan-only NES characters will probably get in as a playable character. If the Japanese fansite is to be believed, if Sukapon does not get in as a playable character, he will at least make it in as an Assist Trophy.



Other Retro Characters:

There are many Retro characters, unfortunately most of these characters don’t have much of a chance of getting in and here’s why:

Bubbles: Bubbles is the main protagonist of Clu Clu Land. Bubbles was also the main hero of Clu Clu Land D (a sequel released for the Famicom Disk Drive). Both Clu Clu Land and Clu Clu Land D can be obtained in Animal Crossing for the GameCube. Clu Clu Land was also re-released for the e-reader. Bubbles is even an unlockable playable character in DK: King of Swing for the Game Boy Advance. Bubbles was considered by Sakurai when he was thinking about which NES character to put in Melee (he chose the Ice Climbers). Bubbles was made into a trophy in Melee. Unfortunately for Bubbles, both she and her game, are not as popular as Balloon Fight and she does not seem to have much moveset potential.

Laughing Dog: Ah, the Laughing Dog from Duck Hunt would make a perfect unexpected Retro character (much like Mr. Game & Watch was in Melee). The Laughing Dog’s main disadvantage is a lack of a possible moveset. He also does not have the same amount of popularity as Balloon Fighter, Takamaru, or Sukapon. He will probably be in as an Assist Trophy or regular trophy.

Mike Jones: Mike Jones is the protagonist of the Star Tropics series (StarTropics and Zoda’s Revenge: StarTropics II) for the NES (I loved those games). While Mike probably has the best moveset potential of any retro character, he probably won’t get in the game in any form. Why? Because none of his games were ever released in Japan. Mike also does not have as much popularity as Little Mac, who only became an Assist Trophy. If Sakurai’s team does not know of Mike’s existence, then he will not get in even as a sticker.

Mach Rider: Mach Rider looks cool (especially his trophy in Melee), however, very few people have played his game, and the few that did say that it was not that good. The Mach Rider appeared as a trophy in Melee, and the main theme from the game sometimes played in the Big Blue arena in Melee. He is not that popular, and does not seem to have much moveset potential. I think the most Mach Rider can hope for is Assist Trophy status.



My Personal Opinion (Retro):

Mr. Game & Watch was a pleasant surprise for me back when I found out he was a playable character. I am a big fan of the Game & Watch Gallery series, and loved it how each of his moves came from a Game & Watch game. He was really fun to use in Melee (hopefully they make him better stat wise) and I look forward to his return in Brawl. As for the three most likely Retro characters, I would want to have the Balloon Fighter the most because I really enjoyed Balloon Fight and its one of my favorite first-generation NES games. After Balloon Fighter, I would have Sukapon because he looks very interesting and comes from a fighting game. Next I would have R.O.B., if he is indeed a playable character like he is rumored to be, he would have a very interesting moveset to say the least. Last, I would have Takamaru, because he does not really excite and I don’t think he would add as much to Brawl as Balloon Fighter or Sukapon or even R.O.B. I would also have liked that Mike Jones from StarTropics to be a playable character, however, I realize he is extremely unlikely and I would be grateful if he made an appearance in Brawl even as a sticker.



Overall Analysis (Retro):

Mr. Game & Watch is likely to return in Brawl as a playable character, however, I am unsure whether he will be a starter or hidden. As for which Retro character has the best chance, I think Takamaru and Sukapon have equal chances of getting in, and the Balloon Fighter being a distant second (but still a contender). However, Sakurai could throw another curve ball, and put in a Retro character that nobody expected, such as R.O.B. who has basically been deconfirmed in the eyes of most people. There is also a chance that we might not get another playable Retro character. However, I think the chances of there being another Retro newcomer are over 50%.

 

[ChronoBound]

Third-Party Characters:

The final category that I am going to discuss is the Third-Party category. Third-Party characters have been planned since Melee. Both Snake and Sonic were supposed to be in Melee, but were left out due to time constraints and because the legal process would have ended up delaying the game. Since then, both Snake and Sonic have been confirmed as playable characters in Brawl. However, many Smash Bros. fans think that there will be more third-party characters. The most likely third-party characters to be playable are Geno (from Square-Enix), Mega Man (from Capcom), Pac-Man (from Namco), and Bomberman (from Hudson). An analysis for Geno has already been done under the Mario category. I have also already made other analysis topics regarding other Square-Enix, Capcom, and Namco character so if you complain that another plausible character from those companies is not in this analysis topic, please just ask me to re-post one of those topics instead.



Mega Man:

Mega Man (or Rock Man as he is known in Japan) is the protagonist of the Mega Man series. The rendition that is shown in the picture above is from the classic series. Mega Man is considered by many to be Capcom’s mascot. He has many different series ranging from the “classic”, X, Legends, Battle Network, Zero, Star Force, and ZX. If there is one character from Capcom who should be in Brawl, it should be Mega Man. Why? Mega Man is basically Capcom’s mascot, and he is a major icon to gaming, much like Mario, Link, Sonic, Donkey Kong, or Pikachu. Also, Mega Man has had many games on many Nintendo consoles and also debuted on the NES, making him also an integral part of Nintendo’s game library and history. Mega Man also has a wide variety of moves from all of the games he has been in, making it very easy to come up with a moveset with him. Also, Mega Man has already been in a fighting game (the Marvel vs. Capcom series). Mega Man is by far one of the most deserving third-party characters to be in Brawl. Mega Man is also the only third-party character besides Geno to get more than one vote in Sakurai’s poll. Mega Man not only has the best chances out of any Capcom character, he also has the best chances out of any third-party character. Overall, Mega Man’s chances are extremely good.



Pac-Man:

Pac-Man is the star of the famous culture phenomenon arcade classic, Pac-Man. He is yellow, and likes to eat a lot. His enemies are ghosts that like to chase him. He is basically Namco’s mascot, and he has made a lot of cameos in games by them that are not titled Pac-Man. He has even starred in some games with Mario like Mario Kart GP for the arcade, and Mario himself also made a cameo in Pac-Man Vs. Pac-Man has the most appeal and popularity of any of Namco’s characters, and he is a gaming legend along with Mario, Link, Sonic, and Mega Man. Also, contrary to popular belief, Pac-Man has many moves that can be used in Brawl just from the Pac-Man World series alone. Pac-Man has the best chances of any Namco character. Pac-Man is also one of Miyamoto’s favorite games. Overall, Pac-Man has some of the highest chances to be in Brawl among all third-party characters.



Bomberman:

Bomberman is the protagonist of the Bomberman series. He has had a game on nearly every Nintendo console (even the Virtual Boy). Bomberman has even been in a crossover game with Wario (Wario Blast). Nintendo and Hudson are on very good terms, Hudson is even the developer of the Mario Party series. Hudson has provided a lot of Virtual Console support, and have made a lot of games for the DS and Wii. Bomberman is basically Hudson’s mascot, and putting him in Brawl would help revitalize his series (the Bomberman series has been in decline in both sales and quality). Bomberman was also in a Smash Bros.-like fighting game called Dream TV: World Fighter (which Snake was playable in as well). Bomberman is quite popular among Nintendo fans, and would be a welcome addition to the Brawl roster. Bomberman is one of the most likely third-party characters to appear in Brawl.



My Personal Opinion (Third-Party):

Out of the characters that I have mentioned, the only one I really want to see get in as a playable character would be Mega Man. Mega Man is a series that loved when growing up and have often associated him with Nintendo. He would be very unique and help promote Brawl even further. I don’t really care one way or another about Pac-Man and Bomberman. I just think that they are most deserving characters within their respective companies of getting into Brawl.



Overall Analysis (Third-Party):

I definitely think there will be more third-party characters in Brawl. However, I don’t know how much more. I am thinking about two more. The most likely third-party characters to get in are Mega Man and Geno. However, both Pac-Man and Bomberman are very likely as well. It all depends on how many third-party characters Sakurai wants in Brawl. Hopefully, he will reveal them all before the game comes out.



That concludes my analysis topic on likely playable characters in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. I spent a lot of time and hard work on this topic, and I hope that you learned a lot from it and appreciate all the hard work and effort I put into it. I hope this topic is used to help quell debates and flame wars, and I hope much of what I said turns out to be true. I hope Sakurai and his team will make the right decisions in choosing which characters are most-deserving and best to be in Brawl, and I look forward to playing the final game. Thank you.

 

[Lgndknight]

here, let me semi-quote the box of SSB64

"Super Smash Brothers, Nintendo's MASCOTS come together to duke it out."

notice MASCOTS. I realize that
Sonic and Snake aren't necessarily mascots for Nintendo, but they are for other companies.

I'm tired of Geno, seeing as he is

A. not a mascot
B. starred in one game, as a sidekick.
C. had a small cameo, that you probably don't notice until you watch the credits.

 

[matthewmilad]

Ok here's why you're dumb:

No Waluigi!??!?!
YOU PUT TINGLE ON THE LIST BUT NO WALUIGI!?!?!?!?
Tingle has zero chance.
Wolf should be above Krystal.
Roy and Micaiah have no chance. Sigurd is unlikely. Leaf could possibly replace Marth. Kumatora and Claus have no chance. Ray, Stafy, and Lip also have no chance. Balloon Fighter, Takamaru, Sukapon hav no chance.
WW Link, K. Rool, Krystal, Pac-Man, Bomberman are much less likely than Waluigi.
Viewtiful Joe??!??!? He goes on the third party list.
Hector and Eiphraim for Fire Emblem.
Isaac for Golden Sun.

Far from being the "Ultimate Probable Characters" list.

Waluigi was not a "now or never" character for Melee. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Waluigi's peak popularity is right now, and it is still growing. Wario wasn't even in Melee, so why would Waluigi have been "now or never" back then?
That makes absolutely no sense. Put Waluigi on the list, and drop all the characters that I listed that I have said have no chance, and add the characters I told you to add.

 

[Card]

here, let me semi-quote the box of SSB64

"Super Smash Brothers, Nintendo's MASCOTS come together to duke it out."

notice MASCOTS. I realize that
Sonic and Snake aren't necessarily mascots for Nintendo, but they are for other companies.

I'm tired of Geno, seeing as he is

A. not a mascot
B. starred in one game, as a sidekick.
C. had a small cameo, that you probably don't notice until you watch the credits.

Just like how Ice Climbers...

A. are not mascots for nintendo
B. starred in one game
C. did not even have a cameo



Just like how Pit...

A. Is not a mascot for nintendo
B. starred in two games, one that didnt even release in japan
C. did not have a cameo anywhere



Just like how Lucas...

A. Is not a mascot for nintendo
B. starred in one game that hasn't even been released in america and WILL NEVER according to Nintendo
C. did not have a cameo anywhere



Just like how Ness...

A. Is not a mascot for nintendo
B. starred in one game that sold extremely poorly in America, resulting in Mother 3 not being shipped stateside
C. did not have a cameo anywhere



The list goes on, but I don't feel like going through everything just to say you have an extremely weak argument against Geno.

 

[matthewmilad]

And Pikachu is like over 10 times bigger than a pokeball. Don't even pretend to know what you're talking about through most of this crappy thread.

 

[vesperview]

Tingle is deconfirmed, thank God!

 

[ChronoBound]

I see that matthewmilad is being obnoxious. Have you even played the original Smash Bros., Pikachu is clearly balancing its whole body on a Pokeball in the intro to the game.

I see that nobody on SmashBoards has appreciated all of my hardwork. I will probably just come back to this thread just to add pictures, but I was under the impression that this was a much friendlier and intelligent forum than GameFAQs and most other forums. =(

 

[tirkaro]

Ok here's why you're dumb:

and here's why you're stupid:

No Waluigi!??!?!
YOU PUT TINGLE ON THE LIST BUT NO WALUIGI!?!?!?!?[/QUOTE]
Of course. Unlike waluigi, at least tingle holds some popularity, and isn't a pointless filler character for sports games, and actually stars in his own games.

Tingle has zero chance.

if so, then waluigi must have a negative nine thousand chance.

Kumatora and Claus have no chance. Ray, Stafy, and Lip also have no chance. Balloon Fighter, Takamaru, Sukapon hav no chance.

if you're going to say that these characters, especially ray and takmaru, have no chance, at least give some reasons why they shouldn't

Ray stars in his own popular franchise, and has long broken from the boundaries of japan. He is also a largely requested character. and is a hellva lot more liked that waluigi

Stafy is very popular in japan, and has 4 of his OWN games to his name. he is also a favorite of sakurai's

Lip, once again, stars in her own games, and has recently showed up in the west in planet puzzle league.

baloon fighter was considered for melee, but they had difficulty with baloons back then.

Takamaru is a highly requested character, and ranked very high on sakurai's poll (even higher than lucas, who is confirmed.), is the star of his own game, and had his only competition (samurai goroh, and lyn to a lesser extent) AT'd, making taka basically a shoe-in

sukapon was a highly requested character, even in the melee polls (sakurai also got a lot of complaint letters for not including him in melee). the only reason why he wasn't included was due to physics limitations back then.

WW Link, K. Rool, Krystal, Pac-Man, Bomberman are much less likely than Waluigi.

you're kidding, right?

Viewtiful Joe??!??!? He goes on the third party list.

VJ has pretty much no chance. Megaman will definetly be the rep for capcom, and if a second capcom character gets in, it will most definetly be Ryu, and if a 3rd capcom character gets in, it will most definetly be a resident evil character, and so on.

Isaac for Golden Sun.

Isaac is cool, can't disagree with that

Waluigi was not a "now or never" character for Melee. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Waluigi's peak popularity is right now, and it is still growing. Wario wasn't even in Melee, so why would Waluigi have been "now or never" back then?
That makes absolutely no sense. Put Waluigi on the list, and drop all the characters that I listed that I have said have no chance, and add the characters I told you to add.

if waluigi is "at his peak of popularity" then why is he one of the most hated mario characters right now? Waluigi stands no chance whatsover, and should stick to being a filler character in mario party. He has no place in smash whatsoever.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lgndknight View Post
here, let me semi-quote the box of SSB64

"Super Smash Brothers, Nintendo's MASCOTS come together to duke it out."

notice MASCOTS. I realize that
Sonic and Snake aren't necessarily mascots for Nintendo, but they are for other companies.

I'm tired of Geno, seeing as he is

A. not a mascot
B. starred in one game, as a sidekick.
C. had a small cameo, that you probably don't notice until you watch the credits.

Just like how Ice Climbers...

A. are not mascots for nintendo
B. starred in one game
C. did not even have a cameo



Just like how Pit...

A. Is not a mascot for nintendo
B. starred in two games, one that didnt even release in japan
C. did not have a cameo anywhere



Just like how Lucas...

A. Is not a mascot for nintendo
B. starred in one game that hasn't even been released in america and WILL NEVER according to Nintendo
C. did not have a cameo anywhere



Just like how Ness...

A. Is not a mascot for nintendo
B. starred in one game that sold extremely poorly in America, resulting in Mother 3 not being shipped stateside
C. did not have a cameo anywhere



The list goes on, but I don't feel like going through everything just to say you have an extremely weak argument against Geno.

one problem there: they were all the stars of thier own franchises. Geno is just one character is a sea of extra mario characters.

 

[Super_alex2]

ok you put tingle in there. seriously wtf.

 

[Superninjabreadman]

and Gardevoir.

I think your thinking of Groudon. Gardevoir is a final evolution of Ralts.

http://www.serebii.net/potw/evolution/Gardevoir.gif

 

[Daisuke Sanrei]

I think your thinking of Groudon. Gardevoir is a final evolution of Ralts.

http://www.serebii.net/potw/evolution/Gardevoir.gif

No, I'm pretty sure he means Gardevoir, who was a wanted player choice by some, AND was confirmed at E for All to be a Pokeball Pokemon. Check out the Brawl Videos thread in General Disscussion.

Here's a link to one with Gardevoir in it.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tCm2BHaoHZo

 

[smashmaniac16]

geno was also in mario and luigi superstar saga

 

[User33]

Wow, matthewmilad, quit being an obnoxious prick, you have no idea what you're talking about.

Good list, but Tingle was shown as a trophy, and I don't think he'll be included. Plus Sigurd and Wolf are alternate costumes...

 

[Lupo Aro]

I agree with most of the analysises here, great job.

 

[Oasis_S]

Great list! I agree with what I've read so far.

Also, all he did was mention Tingle. If you actually read it, you'd know he said he's the least likely of the probable characters. o_o

 

[shadenexus18]

Just like how Ice Climbers...

A. are not mascots for nintendo
B. starred in one game
C. did not even have a cameo



Just like how Pit...

A. Is not a mascot for nintendo
B. starred in two games, one that didnt even release in japan
C. did not have a cameo anywhere



Just like how Lucas...

A. Is not a mascot for nintendo
B. starred in one game that hasn't even been released in america and WILL NEVER according to Nintendo
C. did not have a cameo anywhere



Just like how Ness...

A. Is not a mascot for nintendo
B. starred in one game that sold extremely poorly in America, resulting in Mother 3 not being shipped stateside
C. did not have a cameo anywhere



The list goes on, but I don't feel like going through everything just to say you have an extremely weak argument against Geno.

HAHAHAHA! LOL! The person who brought that weak as trash argument of why Geno shouldn't be in Brawl just got his mess owned by this guy!

@Card, you get the "QFT" seal of approval!

 

[Princess Diana]

Jigglypuff's popularity has not waned... She is still the second most popular pokemon, in a recent poll for a dvd with anime episodes starring one pokemon Jigglypuff was right behind Pikachu... Oh and also she has been confirmed to be returning by snake's voice actor, he said he wanted to beat up pikachu and jigglypuff the most. Seeing as how he does the transmission for each character's and that it's pretty hard to confuse her with another character (i'm sure that kirby's transmissions would have to do with his inhaling abilities that jigglypuff does not have) she's pretty much confirmed.

Lucario isn't as popular as everyone on these boards make him out to be. Darkrai is much more popular than him in japan at this point and Manaphy probably is too. Just cause he starred in a movie doesn't really make him a shoe in (in my opinion that movie was one of the worst, it had little to no action at all in it). If anything I could see him as a pokeball pokemon seeing as how Munchlax and Deoxys (who are much much much more popular than him) were turned into pokeballs.

Darkrai should at least be included in your 'characters that aren't gonna get in' paragraphs seeing how he's recently starred in a movie and was the main protagonist of it (well aside from satoshi). He's very very popular among the pokemon community and even more popular in japan due to his movie. He's also a villain in the pokemon games, he locks a child in a nightmare and you have to get a feather from Cresselia to awaken him. Also in the near event releases of him he has his own story in the game where you take a boat ride to his island and battle him. If you defeat or capture him then you wake up and find out that it was all a nightmare yet you still have him captured (Well if you captured him not defeated him).

 

[error_alt_delete]

remove tingle, he has already been deconfirmed as a trophy.

 

[raul]

Wow, matthewmilad, quit being an obnoxious prick, you have no idea what you're talking about.

Good list, but Tingle was shown as a trophy, and I don't think he'll be included. Plus Sigurd and Wolf are alternate costumes...

STOP with the Wolf as alternate costume BS. It has been decided that no one can tell if Fox was wearing an alt. costume or not. That rumor has been crushed.

As for the list. Not bad. I'm 60-40 on it, but you can't please everyone 100%. Pretty good. Nice work.

 

[Roy-Kun]

I agree mostly, thanks for putting this up.

But, could you put Felix from Golden Sun? He was in Sakurai's poll, and a 2nd Golden Sun rep wouldn't hurt.

EDIT: I think that chances for 4 FE reps are in the air... why not considering that chance?

 

[ChronoBound]

Uh to the person who said Darkrai is more popular than Lucarioin Japan:

It might be the same case with Fire Emblem, where Sigurd is the most popular character among Fire Emblem fans, yet Eliwood and Micaiah are more requested among Smash Bros. fans. I have seen lots of people suggest Lucario on Japanese Smash Bros. sitres, but I haven't seeen Darkrai come up. And like I said earlier, I don't think Pokemon should get more than five characters.

 

[kiherbs]

Very Nice...
i would love to see
Luigi
Geno
Falco
Wolf
C.Falcon.
G & W
And Bomberman Join The Brawl.
Good Job man

 

[ChronoBound]

Thanks. ^_^

 

[Houndstooth]

Very well written. I see that you went and researched greatly on this topic of debate. There are a few characters that you have stated that I would love to see in the game. There are also characters that you didn't mention that I would love to see in the game.

Geno is the hero of Star Road. Before I get knocked down by 'Mario was the main character of the game' I should state that I said Star Road. He may not have been the main character, but I believe that he was one of the favorites. It is sad that many people would not want this character in Brawl when he played such a dominate role in the Legends of the Seven Stars video game.

To be honest, I really do not care whether Bomberman makes it into the game or not. The white bomber(haha) would not have that many moves, at least from what I can think of. Also, I don't see how Pacman could have a very good moveset, but I would like to question everyone. I would love to see a moveset. These two characters would have a crazy moveset that would add to Brawl in a positive way. This would be the only reason as to why I would like to see them in Brawl.

Megaman would be a great character(though I'd rather see Megaman X). The blue bomber(get why I said white bomber now?) is Capcom's mascot, and began his debut on the Nintendo system/console. I would really like to see him for Brawl.

And finally, the man that I want for the game that was not on the list, Crono from the Chrono Trigger game. Maybe it was because this was my favorite SNES game growing up, and it has a very different type story to it. Crono was my hero, along with the rest of their gang. I even played this game just yesterday to see the ending again. Besides, Luminaire(sp?) would be a great Final Smash.

All in all, I love your work. So much time and effort was put into this. I believe that you are going to be correct on many of these simply because of the amount of search you put into it, even though some may be personal wants. Hopefully, a little bit of everyone's personal wants will be included into the game.

 

[Zevox]

Very nice analysis. I agree with most of your conclusions, if not always with your opinions*. The one piece of analysis I think you got wrong is Midna - shes definitely not behind Link in importance in Twilight Princess. The whole game revolves around her: her lost kingdom and powers, Zant and Ganondorf's abuse of her realm, her desire to restore her world and the real one to normal and reclaim what was taken from her, her knowledge of how to go about doing so. Link was little more than her puppet throughout the game (though of course she didn't see it that way after a while).

* If you're interested, the big one there is Krystal. Personally, I love that shes likely to appear in Brawl. I've been a Star Fox fan since 64, and don't understand the hate for her and Adventures. I consider that the second best game in the series (behind only 64), and if it were longer and you actually got to fight General Scales I would likely consider it the best.

Edit: Oh, and the Zelda one as well. Just because the big three are using their most recent appearances doesn't mean they're only representing TP. They're omnipresent throughout the series, so no matter which look they use, they represent the entirety of it. Which of course ties in to me disagreeing about Midna and Young "WW" Link, since I feel the former is the best new Zelda rep due to being the single most in-depth and interesting character ever created in the Zelda series - she has more personality and backstory than the big 3 combined - and certainly she has more popularity than any Zelda character outside of the big 3; and I feel that the latter would be a waste of space due to being just another Link, an unnecessary duplicate of an existing character (regardless of if his moves were cloned, mind you). But those are merely opinions on both our parts.

Zevox

 

[ChronoBound]

Very well written. I see that you went and researched greatly on this topic of debate. There are a few characters that you have stated that I would love to see in the game. There are also characters that you didn't mention that I would love to see in the game.

Geno is the hero of Star Road. Before I get knocked down by 'Mario was the main character of the game' I should state that I said Star Road. He may not have been the main character, but I believe that he was one of the favorites. It is sad that many people would not want this character in Brawl when he played such a dominate role in the Legends of the Seven Stars video game.

To be honest, I really do not care whether Bomberman makes it into the game or not. The white bomber(haha) would not have that many moves, at least from what I can think of. Also, I don't see how Pacman could have a very good moveset, but I would like to question everyone. I would love to see a moveset. These two characters would have a crazy moveset that would add to Brawl in a positive way. This would be the only reason as to why I would like to see them in Brawl.

Megaman would be a great character(though I'd rather see Megaman X). The blue bomber(get why I said white bomber now?) is Capcom's mascot, and began his debut on the Nintendo system/console. I would really like to see him for Brawl.

And finally, the man that I want for the game that was not on the list, Crono from the Chrono Trigger game. Maybe it was because this was my favorite SNES game growing up, and it has a very different type story to it. Crono was my hero, along with the rest of their gang. I even played this game just yesterday to see the ending again. Besides, Luminaire(sp?) would be a great Final Smash.

All in all, I love your work. So much time and effort was put into this. I believe that you are going to be correct on many of these simply because of the amount of search you put into it, even though some may be personal wants. Hopefully, a little bit of everyone's personal wants will be included into the game.

I mentioned Mega Man, Geno, and Bomberman in my topic. Also, I very much appreciate that you like my topic.

P.S. Crono is the third-party character I want the most as well, however, I realize that until Square starts re-acknowledging Chrono Trigger, his chances of getting in are slim.

 

[Houndstooth]

I mentioned Mega Man, Geno, and Bomberman in my topic. Also, I very much appreciate that you like my topic.

P.S. Crono is the third-party character I want the most as well, however, I realize that until Square starts re-acknowledging Chrono Trigger, his chances of getting in are slim.

Oh yes, I know. I just wanted to remention(sp?) the characters. I only said, 'ones that you did not mention' because of Crono. I guess it should have been 'the one that you did not mention.'

And yes, I see the dilemma(sp?). His chances are very slim. I can still dream, however.