WARIO
It's always great to introduce a new character with a big splash... Or in Wario's case, a great big nasty nuclear fart that erupts into a mushroom cloud.

Wario has long been missed from the Smash Bros series, especially after appearing in Mario Kart and Mario Party... So even before the new characters were revealed, it was believed that Wario was a likely candidate to join the Super Smash Bros. But the other characters are surprises to be sure...

ZERO SUIT SAMUS
Samus has changed into something a little more comfortable... Her tight body suit is aerodynamically efficient, letting her run faster and jump higher. At this point in time, it's not completely clear if we'll be able to choose Zero Suit Samus as a character... It seems as if it may simply a transformation, possibly the same way that Zelda morphs into Shiek.

META KNIGHT
Featured merely as a trophy in Super Smash Bros Melee, Kirby's enemy crashes the party by taking part in live action combat during Super Smash Bros Brawl. He's armed with a sword, and it seems likely that Meta Knight will be able to jump-float in the air like Kirby and Jigglypuff.

At this point in time, it even looks like Meta Knight's battleship will be featured as an arena in Super Smash Bros Brawl.

SOLID SNAKE
The star from Metal Gear makes Super Smash Bros history, by being the first-ever third party character to ever be included. Expect Solid Snake's attacks to be mainly based on explosives, as a "real world" clash would make Snake's firearms seem out of place in a Smash Bros game.

Smash fans seem divided on the subject of Snake's inclusion, with some feeling that he has no place in the Smash Bros universe, while others simply can't wait to pick up their controllers and choose him for Smash Bros combat.

PIT
He comes all the way from the video game series Kid Icarus... In Super Smash Bros Brawl, Pit will be armed with his bow and arrow, which transform into a pair of blades for combat in close quarters.

Pit first appeared in 1986, and has appeared only briefly since then. Although he was featured as a trophy in Super Smash Bros Melee, his inclusion as a playable character is almost as surprising as the addition of Solid Snake...

Introducing Marth & Roy in Super Smash Bros Melee led to immediate attention for Fire Emblem in North America. The same could be true for Pit, should Nintendo decide to revive him in his own game.

MARIO
A Super Smash Bros game without Mario would be similar to a pizza without cheese. (Although apparently that's how they serve it in some parts of the world...). The heroic plumber from the Mushroom Kingdom will make his third consecutive appearance in the successful Super Smash Bros series. When we first met Mario, he had solid-colored overalls... But now with graphical enhancements, jean overalls are among the added details.

PIKACHU
The most widely recognized of all Pokémon characters will once again be featured in the next installment of Super Smash Bros. Whether or not we'll see other familiar faces like Mewtwo and Jigglypuff remains to be seen... As always, Pikachu will be charged with electricity, making this cute little character a nightmare to fight against.

LINK
Link is my personal favorite character from the Smash Bros universe, so if he wasn't included in Super Smash Bros Brawl, I'd have to stab somebody in the neck. Link has also received visual improvements, similar to the way he will look in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

SAMUS
Another fan favorite and one of my main characters, Samus Aran was virtually a shoe-in for the next Smash Bros game. The most interesting aspect of Samus, is that she will have the ability to hop out of her armored spacesuit, as a lighter and more flexible bounty huntress.

KIRBY
The Kirbster will return for the third installment of the Super Smash Bros series. There's not a whole lot in the graphical department that can be done for a plain pink puff ball... Nonetheless, he's a bit rounder, and a bit shinier. (Is that even a word?)

Perhaps Kirby's greatest moment in Super Smash Bros Brawl, will be facing off in a deathmatch against Meta Knight.

It's not uncommon for characters to be left out of a sequel... Nintendo has even hinted that some characters may not return. Although time will us which characters will included, I'm predicting that some of the following characters may not be back. The following is pure speculation, so don't hang me for putting your favorite character on the chopping block...

YOUNG LINK
Even though he's more agile than his older counterpart, I'd be surprised if Young Link makes it into Super Smash Bros Brawl. His abilities are unique, but he's essentially a clone of adult Link.

While playing as Young Link, it was fun to use his red tunic and pretend to be a red ninja.

PICHU
I have a funny feeling that we've seen the last of Pichu... He's similar to the more popular Pikachu, although I personally prefer Pichu... But because Pikachu will definitely be back, I can easily see Pichu getting cut from Brawl's roster.

MR. GAME & WATCH
Once you get used to the way this bizarre character moves and walks, Mr. Game & Watch is a decent fighter... He's even become the favorite fighter of many Smash fans. But overall he's one of the least popular Melee characters, which is why I could see him getting the axe.

DR. MARIO
I like Dr. Mario... Especially when he's dressed in black like a doctor of death. But Luigi will likely be included in Super Smash Bros Brawl, making 3 characters modeled after Mario's fighting style. Mario & Luigi have their differences, but Dr. Mario is quite similar to regular Mario.

ICE CLIMBERS
This dynamic duo falls into the same category as Mr. Game & Watch. There are Ice Climber fanatics out there who complain about the lack of strategies and screenshots on the SSBM website... But to be honest, I could never really get onto these characters because they just don't fit my fighting style, and many other players agree. Still though, there's a solid amount of popularity for this pair.