Rumorang: The "final" Smash Bros. Brawl roster [Joystiq]

[DP ServBot]

Filed under: Retro (http://www.joystiq.com/category/retro/), Nintendo Wii (http://www.joystiq.com/category/wii/), Fighting (http://www.joystiq.com/category/fighting/)

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2008/01/ssbbrosterhigh.jpg (http://gameonnintendo.com/2008/01/22/final-roster-revealed-for-super-smash-bros-brawl/)

Rumors of the final Smash Bros. roster (past the 25 officially announced characters (http://www.smashbros.com/en_us/characters/index.html)) are nothing new (http://www.joystiq.com/2006/06/07/rumor-smash-bros-swaps-ice-climbers-for-ridley-others/), but with the game's Japanese release nearing, such rumors seem to be reaching a fever pitch. The latest fuel for the fire is the above picture, which purports to show a final roster of 44 characters from the Japanese version of the game. The screen has been floated on a (http://news.filefront.com/leaked-smash-bros-brawl-screen-unveils-final-roster/) number (http://kotaku.com/348940/ssbb-select-screen-reveals-new-challengers) of (http://gameonnintendo.com/2008/01/22/final-roster-revealed-for-super-smash-bros-brawl/) sites (http://www.gametab.com/news/1167985/) with varying degrees of credulity -- it was even included at the beginning of a very official-looking GameTrailers video (http://www.gametrailers.com/player/29966.html) introducing moves for three of the confirmed new characters in the game.

So is this the holy grail of Brawl information? As much as we'd like to believe it so, we just can't. For one thing, the background seems to be taken directly from this official image (http://www.smashbros.com/jp/gamemode/wi-fi/images/wi-fi04/wi-fi04_071207d-l.jpg) of a much smaller select screen. Everything matches a little too perfectly, from the transparent background image to the floating cursor in the bottom left corner. For another thing, the images many of the "newly revealed" characters are 2D drawings that don't match up well with the 3D renderings for the officially revealed characters. Even for those that are renders, a closely matching source image can usually be found with a quick Google image search, suggesting an overzealous photoshopper.

Still, we'd be more than happy to be wrong on this one and to be able to play with this impressive list of Nintendo favorites come March 9. For those who want to cover their ears and hold out a shred of hope, check out a full list of the supposedly "revealed" characters below the jump.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in, whether they believed it or not]Continue reading Rumorang: The "final" Smash Bros. Brawl roster (http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/25/rumorang-the-final-smash-bros-brawl-roster/)


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[Oobgarm]

I can't believe anyone would fall for that. And I can't believe they'd even waste their time posting about it.

[Snapple]

EDIT: Forget what I said. Still, this looks very fake to me.

[Oobgarm]

EDIT: Forget what I said. Still, this looks very fake to me.

Isn't that what he's known as in Japan, though? You'll notice Jigglypuff's name is different, too. (Purin)

[ProgrammingAce]

Anybody else thing whoever is in the middle of the bottom row (betwen ness and captn falcon) looks like Die Fledermaus from The Tick?

[Frica89]

That's fake as hell. I've seen numerous screens like this, they're all just photoshopped really well. Notice how all of the confirmed characters use the same graphical style, but a bunch of the unconfirmed guys do not. (Look at Mewtwo for example)

BTW, the dude between Ness and Captain Falcon is Black Shadow from F-Zero. I think he looks like Batman.

[GnawRadar]

I think it would be cool, but I don't think they'd use the Cel Shaded young link from The Wind Waker for the game which that pic has, I think they'd just use an updated version of the one from SSB: Melee.

[Beefy Hits]

Man, the hype for this game is off the charts more than any game I can remember since Zelda II.

[Flashback2012]

Zero Suit Samus isn't pictured. Fake. :ass:

[Frica89]

Zero Suit Samus isn't pictured. Fake. :ass:

ZSS isn't selected, you become her after using Samus' final smash.

[CreamSoda]

Looks pretty fake, although that is a nice character roster(if it's true).

I really need to get a Wii so I can play this and Super Mario Galaxy!!!

[DJ Daishi]

The Zelda image kinda gives it away

[MarkMan]

Yea that's 100% fake. There will only be 35 char boxes.

[Icarus Moonsight]

I like the roster screen NE146 posted a few days ago MUCH better, as fakes go. If you're going to lie, I say, go all out. :D

[cracked8ball]

Real roster has been leaked as some people have gotten the game early.

Tons of spoilers:

http://ranobe.com/up/src/up254065.jpg - roster as of today . 1 character left to be unlocked
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh286/KazeSSBB/?start=0 70+ images of the game in action


Cant wait for this one :D

[Snapple]

What makes this image more "real" than the last roster that people tried to pass off as real? How do we know?

EDIT: Wait, I'm looking through the screenshots now. Wow, that's... hmm. Yeah. Yay Mr. G&W.

EDIT 2: LOL IS THAT R.O.B.?

[VACRMH]

EDIT 2: LOL IS THAT R.O.B.?

Yup. ;)

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r142/Kroogah/1201614917458.jpg

[NeoVenom]

Bah...no Megaman. :(

[Sotenga]

R.O.B.!!! OH MY CHRISTABLES!!! :eek:

Well, I'm mostly satisfied with the final roster... though, I am a slight tad crestfallen at the premise of "clone" characters returning. I get the feeling that Ganondorf is going to be different from Captain Falcon this time, but what about Ness/Lucas, Fox/Falco, and Link/Toon Link?

... heh, Toon Link. There's just something about that which I find amusing. LOL

[Snapple]

There was a guy a few weeks ago on the SSBB forum who said he had inside information. He said the SSBB roster would be 35 characters, and then he named all 35 characters. Well, 34 of the guys he said would be in the game, so far are in the game. And the only character on his list that isn't in the game so far is Star Wolf. So, if you go by this guy, the 35th and last character in the game will be Star Wolf. And if you look at the roster, adding another Star Fox character would make the columns match up better, so that makes sense.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with the roster. I thought the roster was going to stay small, with them cutting out a ton of Melee characters. I'm happy that most of the Melee characters are returning now, especially Mr. G&W. I'll hold a candlelight vigil for Dr. Mario, Pichu, Mewtwo, Roy, and Young Link. Rest their souls.

Some of the footage is really pretty sick. Some of the stages are really beautiful, like this one where you're on a chunk of ice that's speeding down a mountain and then through the ocean. And it's rocking all over the place. Good stuff.

On the subject of clones, my stance I guess is that it's better to have a "clone" than an empty roster spot. It's probably easier for them to make similar characters than to build new ones from scratch, so I don't think the clones are really taking anyone's place. Besides, there are always differences between them. Some of the moves behave differently. They'll jump or fall differently. Different projectiles. Whatever it may be.

[-_-Nintendo-_-]

You got to remember that the "Clones" may have the same move set as another character, but there are slight differences. Like Dr.Mario, his tornado move flung characters higher in the air and he had shorter, but stronger smash moves than Mario.

Edit; It appears I can't read, I second the above post :P

[NinjaJoey23]

My previous main character was Young Link, so I am a bit disappointed that now we have Toon
Link. And no, Link and Young Link were not the same character.

I don't think they should have dropped Dr. Mario and Mewtwo, but that's just my opinion. It would have been nice to see a Belmont family member or Megaman, but you can't have it all.

edit: Or the Arbiter
/runs

[NinjaJoey23]

I just found this video touting to be the Japanese opening and it looks pretty authentic. It's amazing, too.

http://www.shacknews.com/laryn.x?story=51030

[Sotenga]

I realize it's ironic what I said above, as a clone character was undoubtedly my best character in SSBM. Sadly, that one would be Roy, and he's not present this time around... looks like I'll have to find a new flavorite. :(

Oh well. The inclusion of R.O.B. makes up for everything ever, even the delays. There just better not be another one! *shakes fist*

[cracked8ball]

The 35th and final character is in fact Star Wolf. Seems he's yet another semi-clone.

http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh286/KazeSSBB/?action=view&current=up254176.jpg

http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh286/KazeSSBB/?action=view&current=wolf1.jpg

http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh286/KazeSSBB/?action=view&current=wolf2.jpg

[Snapple]

I saw some footage of Wolf, and he seems to be a little similar, yet different enough at the same time. Kinda like how Dr. Mario is a Mario clone, but Luigi is only a semi-clone of the Marios. Luigi had enough unique features about himself to only be like a half-clone. I think that's going to be what Wolf is compared to Fox/Falco.

[Sotenga]

I saw some footage of Wolf, and he seems to be a little similar, yet different enough at the same time. Kinda like how Dr. Mario is a Mario clone, but Luigi is only a semi-clone of the Marios. Luigi had enough unique features about himself to only be like a half-clone. I think that's going to be what Wolf is compared to Fox/Falco.

Ah, that's actually not bad. I guess he'd be the Akuma compared to Fox and Falco's being Ryu and Ken? Am I off-base with that comparison?

I love how the character screen arrangement works out. All eight Mario characters are on the far left, with the four (five counting Shiek) Zelda representatives to the right of that. Samus is kind of in her own niche there, but below her are Pit, Ice Climbers, and R.O.B.; or, as I consider it, "Forgotten Franchises Take Their Revenge!" :D

Actually, maybe Samus is in the correct place in that column. Maybe those four can be considered "Fighters who all got their start on the NES." Heh... and then there's the three Dreamland representatives to the right of them. Olimar is... well, can't really relate him to any of the other characters either. But the fact that he's in the exact bottom center point might say something. I'm... not exactly sure what it does say, though. Maybe because Pikmin is a game as ridiculously adorable as the Kirby games? I've got nothing.

Then we have the three Star Fox fighters to the right of that and Captain Falcon beneath them... maybe because of "James McCloud" being in F-Zero X/GX? :-D

Then we've the four Pokemon representatives, and just to the right of them, the two Fire Emblem and Mother/Earthbound fighters. That entire group of eight makes up Nintendo's RPG contingent! Heh... and, finally, the aliens Sonic and Snake are the outcasts on the far right of the screen, but they're going to make their asskicking skills known soon enough! As for why Mr. Game And Watch is in the upper-right... my reckoning is that he's like the "Homsar" of the cast and doesn't stay constant to any laws or logic, so he can be wherever he damn pleases. :p

So this roster totally effin' rules, and now I really can't wait for SSBB. I thought my wallet bled last year, but between this, Devil May Cry 4 (and the fact I still have to catch up on DMC2 and 3 [yes, I realize 2 sucks, but I still want to play it anyway]), No More Heroes, and Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney... that's already too much in the first three months for me! >_<

[snes_collector]

Any word on the complete roster of support characters?

[SkiDragon]

Well, I was getting kind of greedy about how many characters would be in the game, but I guess this line up is not too bad.

I suppose there could be about a 5% chance that the American release would have a different lineup.

[MarkMan]

There was a guy a few weeks ago on the SSBB forum who said he had inside information. He said the SSBB roster would be 35 characters, and then he named all 35 characters. Well, 34 of the guys he said would be in the game, so far are in the game. And the only character on his list that isn't in the game so far is Star Wolf. So, if you go by this guy, the 35th and last character in the game will be Star Wolf. And if you look at the roster, adding another Star Fox character would make the columns match up better, so that makes sense.



Yea, that was me ;)

Some ppl didn't believe me, but most did lolol.