Pichu
First appeared: Pokemon Gold/Silver (2000)
Do you like Pikachu, but wish he was even smaller and cuter? That's the concept behind Pichu, the earliest form of Pikachu that joined the Pokemon series in the second generation. The pocket monster hopped on to Melee's roster at the height of his popularity, and he plays like a faster, weaker version of Pikachu. After that time in the limelight, Pichu is relegated to a mere statue in Brawl. If you were hoping that Pichu would reclaim his playable status, you can give up on that right now.
Chance he'll be in DLC: Probably not. There doesn't seem to be all that much interest in the fan community to see him make a comeback. And his diminutive size might render the character virtually invisible on a 3DS screen, so best to leave him out, otherwise the little rodent might get lost in the mix. Pikachu's alt costume goggles will work as a nice consolation prize.
Pokemon Trainer
First appeared:Pokemon Red/Blue (1998)
Many Pokemaniacs wanted to see Ash Ketchum appear in Smash, and they got the next best thing with the inclusion of the Pokemon Trainer in Brawl. Based on Red from the first generation of Pokemon, this guy just stood in the background summoning Charizard, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur, the three original starters. Charizard now appears as his own character, but as the orange fire-breather soaks up the spotlight, he left behind his old friends on his way to the big time. Some friend...
Chance he'll be in DLC: This one doesn't seem feasible. Charizard on his own meaning bringing back the Trainer that can also summon a Charizard seems repetitive. Squirtle and Bulbasaur could be redone as solo characters just as they did for Charizard, but that seems like a big task. And then there's Sakurai previous mention that transforming characters don't work on 3DS, so that pretty much seals the deal on that.
Roy
First appeared: Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade (2002)
Along with Marth, Roy is the character that introduced everyone outside of Japan to the Fire Emblem franchise. Handling his Sword of Seals, Roy had just starred in his own game when Melee came out. He has since become more obscure while Marth has arguably become the most famous Fire Emblem alum there is. Roy is played so similar to Marth that it wasn't a big shock that Roy isn't in Brawl, and his shutout continues.
Chance he'll be in DLC: Not as his own character. Roy is yesterday's Fire Emblem news, so I'd bet he's at the end of the line behind about a dozen Fire Emblem: Awakening characters that deserve a shot at joining the fight. Fans will just have to make due with the alt colors of Marth, Ike, and Lucina.
Solid Snake
First appeared: Metal Gear (1987)
Back at E3 2006, Solid Snake shocked the gaming world by appearing in the reveal trailer for Smash Bros. Brawl. Snake is Smash's first ever guest character, opening the door for Sonic, Mega Man, and Pac-Man to join in the fun. That history is why it's so sad to not see Snake getting to keep on smashing on Wii U and 3DS. The soldier for hire seemingly won't be sneaking his way into this melee.
Chance he'll be in DLC: In my opinion, that's a big, fat NO. Getting a third party character as big as Snake in the game takes a lot of corporate maneuvering, and if Nintendo hasn't done it yet, I doubt they'll do it after the fact. Additionally, Snake is going through a real flux right now with a new voice and increasingly dark stories in Metal Gear Solid 5, so his M-rated stylings would stand out all the more. this time. As fun as it may be to imagine, he probably won't be pulling a knife on Pikachu any time soon.
Wolf
First appeared: Star Fox 64 (1997)
Falco is Fox McCloud's on-team rival, but Fox's nemesis is none other than Wolf, the leader of the diabolical Star Wolf team. Wolf is heavier and more feral than Fox, and his move set reflects that. Wolf's design is clearly based on Fox and Falco, but he pulls off harsher moves, and has a more grim attitude on life. Despite those differences, it would seem that Sakurai views the character as too similar to the other Star Fox characters, because Wolf is MIA.
Chance he'll be in DLC: It's highly unlikely Wolf will be back as a fully playable character. With Fox and Falco, a third guy with vaguely similar moves feels pretty redundant (as long as you're not Mario). If Nintendo starts selling character skins and costumes as DLC, perhaps Wolf could function as one for Fox, but other than that, I think Star Wolf won't give us a flyby this time around.
A newcomer approaches?
That's all the DLC for Smash we currently know about, but will Nintendo actually stop there? Will other classic characters follow Mewtwo onto 3DS and Wii U? Will some retro stages return as paid content? And what do you hope to see? Tell me all about it in the content!
And if you're looking for more Nintendo talk, check out our Super Smash Bros. roster and our Super Smash Bros. 3DS review.
