Princess Zelda
Another of Smash's fighting princesses has been confirmed to return, not that any of us are surprised. We could hardly accept the game without Zelda when she's proven to be one of the strongest fighters in the mix. Her mix of powerful magic, grace, and speed makes you wonder why she ever needs to be saved by Link.
Certainly the biggest change to Zelda is the removal of the Sheik transformation. As was evident in the first screens, Sheik and Zelda are now separate characters to choose from. This choice now opens up the royal fighter's Down B to put her in command of a Phantom Knight from the DS Zelda games. That's nice, but will some pro Smasher miss her former fluidity?
Little Mac
Smash Bros. is Nintendo's top fighting franchise, so it's about time for it to include Nintendo's top pugilist, Little Mac. The small fighter with big punches has long been requested for the game, and now he's added in his classic green gloved look from both the original and Wii reboot of the series.
Little Mac might be smaller than all his opponents, but he's got enough heart that he can take down behemoths like King Hippo, Bald Bull, and Tyson himself. He's got quick steps, speedy combos, and the support of Doc, his dedicated, chocolate-loving trainer. Is it too much to hope that we'll see Glass Joe in Mac's stage?
Luigi
First appeared: Mario Bros. (1983)
2013 was the official Year of Luigi to celebrate the green man's 30th birthday, and everyone knew he'd be a part of Smash anyhow, so Sakurai celebrated by introducing him earlier than expected. The Year of Luigi may have ended, but we still love Luigi and can't wait to use him in the next Smash.
Weegee got his Smash Bros. start as an unlockable character in the very first game, and many players took to his comedic variations on Mario's move set. His moveset has since become a bit more unique, especially with the Luigi Missile move that could send him hurtling across the screen. Luigi has always been a fan favorite of the series, and we couldn't imagine the 3DS and Wii U games without him. Now we don't have to.
Princess Peach
First appeared: Super Mario Bros. (1985)
First introduced to the Smash series in Melee, Princess Peach took a break from being constantly kidnapped so she could kick Nintendo butt on the GameCube. Back again on Wii U and 3DS, she's once again ready to shed the "damsel in distress" motif and take on that dastardly Bowser herself.
Her first screens show that many of her famous moves have returned, including her hilarious use of Toad as a shield. We hope that she gets a new Final Smash though; dropping health items and putting everyone to sleep doesn't compare to other possibilities like Psych Bomb from Super Mario RPG. Peach is arguably Nintendo's most famous female character, so we're glad to see that her highness is getting back into the action.
Toon Link
First appeared: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2003)
Some balked at the idea of replacing Young Link with this design early on, but "Toon Link" has become one of Nintendo's most popular incarnations of its legendary hero. First seen in Wind Waker, the GameCube gem that recently got an HD upgrade for Wii U, the wide-eyed hero swings the Sword of Time with the best of them.
As before, he'll offer a pint-sized version of the standard Link move set, this time looking better than ever with his newly HD polish. We hope that like Luigi, Toon Link's arsenal becomes a bit more unique to him instead of just a Link re-hash...we wonder if he incorporate the King of Red Lions somehow That'd be insane.
Sonic The Hedgehog
First appeared: Sonic The Hedgehog (1991)
Created as the anti-Mario, Sega's mascot Sonic the Hedgehog is one of the most beloved icons in gaming, despite what Sega is currently doing with him (a scarf? A SCARF?!). Seeing Sonic in Smash Bros was a dream of many fans that finally came true in Brawl and is now continuing on the Wii U and 3DS sequel.
The Blue Blur's trademark spiny attacks all look to return in the initial footage, and he looks like he's faster than ever as he flies around the arena. Some of those combos are pretty flashy too, perhaps his moves have been tweaked a bit this time around. We just hope Super Sonic returns as his Final Smash; that move was beyond awesome every time we pulled it off.
Marth
Marth may be the original Fire Emblem hero, but for most fans outside Japan, his relevance starts with Smash Bros. For years Nintendo chose to not import Fire Emblem, but when Marth joined Melee he became one of the most popular characters on the roster, and Nintendo soon started localizing Fire Emblem games in the US. The series has since launched into ultra popularity, most recently with Awakening on the 3DS.
An adept swordsman, March swings his trusty Falchion with grace, cutting down every foe he sees with precision and strength. The tip of his blade has deducted many stocked lives from players all over the world, making Marth one of the top choices in every Smash he's in. We expect no different this time around.
Rosalina & Luma
Rosalina first appeared as a regal space princess helping Mario navigate the depths of the universe in Super Mario Galaxy, but lately she's joining in all the spin-off fun. Now she's taking her wand, summoning her trusty Luma helpers and joining the Smash roster, looking to kick some astral ass.
Rosalina appears to mainly use her magic wand and floating abilities for combat, but her main perk looks to be those Luma sidekicks. The chubby little star people apparently support Rosalina from all over the screen, mimicking her moves like a puppet for its master. Don't be surprised if that puppet stuff shoots her into the top tiers of competitive Smash, because it's that kind of unique trait that the pros are so good at perfecting.
King Dedede
Kibry's arch nemesis is set to return to Smash Bros, and he doesn't go anywhere without that massive mallet of his. The big, evil penguin has received a nice visual upgrade, meaning his signature coat has the fluffiest white cuffs we've ever seen. Seriously, look at those things--that's a photorealistic penguin coat if we've ever seen one.
Dedede's moves don't look all that different from when he appeared in Brawl (save the wacky facial animations), so expect a lot of power at the cost of speed. Dedede has a bit of pep in his step, but not enough to consider it in his strategy. Dedede's game is more about pulverizing opponents with that giant hammer, and with a weapon like that, why would we focus on anything else?
Lucario
Like Pokemon? How about mystical ones the have spikes on their wrists and can manipulate auras for powerful attacks? Then Lucario is the pocket monster for you! Introduced as one of the key monsters in Diamond and Pearl, Lucario joined Smash Bros. in Brawl while he was fairly new to gamers. He's not so fresh anymore, but he's still plenty popular, so the Aura Pokemon is making a return.
Lucario's moves look like they're the same as they were in Brawl, but Sakurai has stated that his Aura buffs at high damage percentage are even higher now, making him the ultimate risk/reward character. Did you see the Aura Sphere in the Pic of the Day? It was HUGE! All of this is great, but here's what we're really wondering: because he replaced Mewtwo in Brawl, is it safe to assume the original psychic legendary is going to be left out of this entry as well?
