The release of the new Super Smash Bros. games for Wii U and 3DS are only a few short months away. Oddly, we still don't know if many of the past Smash veterans will be returning. The fate of these characters is something we often discuss behind the scenes here at Nintendo World Report, so we decided to get together and to vote on each of these characters to see what the general consensus would be. To show you how close the voting was in each case, we have added the percentage of votes for each character as well.

Do you agree with these results? Do you have your own opinion on the matter? Let us hear about it in the comments section below.

Dr. Mario

Returning - 6.7%

Not Returning - 93.3%

Consensus - Not Returning

Face it, Dr. Mario was an unnecessary character to begin with. Mario already has a semi-clone in the form of his brother Luigi anyway. While Dr. Mario probably won’t be returning as his own character, we wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a Dr. Mario themed costume swap for the regular Mario character. And who knows, maybe the pills will be an optional custom move for Mario as well.

Wario

Returning - 86.7%

Not Returning - 13.3%

Consensus - Returning

Most of the staff seems to agree that Wario was a unique character in the previous Smash Bros. game. There may be enough new characters for Wario to be shown the door, but the consensus is that he's here to stay, magical farting powers and all.

Captain Falcon

Returning - 93.3%

Not Returning - 6.7%

Consensus - Returning

Honestly, what would Smash Bros. be without a timely "Falconnn PAUNCH"? (Wait, somebody actually predicted that he wouldn't return?)

Even though Nintendo's F-Zero series hasn't been seen as of late (You have to go back 10 years to find the last official entry: Japan-exclusive F-Zero: Climax for the GBA), Captain Falcon's relatively stable moveset, his iconic vocals ("Show me your moves!"), and distinct visual palette have given him a second home in the Smash Bros. series.

And besides, Smash Bros. just wouldn't be the same without Kirby copying Captain Falcon for his own high-pitched kawaii-infused version of "Falcon Punch!"

Falco

Returning - 80%

Not Returning - 20%

Consensus - Returning

While Fox McCloud may outrank Falco on the Star Fox team, he’s in a league of his own in Smash. His quick moveset combined with strong ranged attacks make him a force to be reckoned with. As the perfect combination of speed and weight, it’s pretty hard to catch up with this stylish bird, let alone send him flying as easily as a Pikachu.

After his introduction in Melee, Falco has quickly become one of many players’ top choices for battle making the odds high for his return, something NWR’s staff certainly agrees with. What started once as a clone of Star Fox has moved into his own territory, especially after a revamp of his standard moves for Brawl.

Wolf

Returning - 13.3%

Not Returning - 86.7%

Consensus - Not Returning

Despite Wolf O'Donnell's seeming character rehabilitation from outright villain in his first appearance in Star Fox 64, to his anti-hero contributions in later titles, he doesn't seem to be ranking high with NWR's staff. A possible reason could be that after Star Fox and Falco, do we REALLY need another character built around the same moveset? To be sure, Wolf may have his unique points, but there's always the danger that he's suffering from clone-fatigue.

Only time will tell whether Wolf is awarded a second chance to win our hearts and minds, but until then, the overall sentiment appears to be "We can't let you do that Star Wolf."

Ness

Returning - 100%

Not Returning - 0%

Consensus - Returning

Ness has been a constant in the Smash Bros. series ever since the original released back in 1999. It's a bit odd that he hasn't been shown in this incarnation of the series yet. However, every NWR staff member who took part in this vote seems to think that the Onett native will be making a return. He's the most well known character in the Mother universe, so if the series will be represented in the games in the form of a playable character, it's gotta be Ness.

Lucas

Returning - 6.7%

Not Returning - 93.3%

Consensus - Not Returning

Although it is not as universal as the Ness vote, almost everyone on the NWR staff seem to agree that Lucas is out. One of the main protagonists of Mother 3, Lucas was included as a playable character in Brawl and borrowed many of the same moves as his other Mother counterpart Ness. Perhaps being too similar to Ness, as well as a growing character roster, will leave Lucas out in the cold in these two new incarnations of the series.

Ice Climbers

Returning - 73.3%

Not Returning - 26.7%

Consensus - Returning

While some past interviews with Sakurai have cast doubts on Nana and Popo’s return due to technical reasons, we think it will still happen. The Ice Climbers are an extremely unique choice in the Smash Bros. series due to the ability to play as two characters simultaneously, amongst other things.

The Eskimo duo also represents the early era of the NES and have become extremely well known in this modern age of gaming due to their past Smash Bros. appearances. To some people, they are Smash Bros. characters above all else and it’s hard to imagine a new entry of the series without them.

Ganondorf

Returning - 93.3%

Not Returning - 6.7%

Consensus - Returning

Ganondorf is considered by many Zelda fans to be the main villain of the series. He has been included in every Smash Bros. game since Melee and there are few Zelda villains as recognizable as Ganondorf that could take his place.

Sadly, though, Ganondorf has always been a “clone” of Captain Falcon. Sure, the effects of his move are different, as was his weight, but we never got to see him use abilities that would be truly unique to his character.

The staff is in agreement that Ganondorf will, in fact, return to the latest Smash Bros. games. However the real question is, will he have Captain Falcon’s move set, or will he be re-imagined for the new games?

Young Link

Returning - 20%

Not Returning - 80%

Consensus - Not Returning

Young Link only appeared in Melee, and it looks like his Brawl replacement with Toon Link will be permanent. While they have similar movesets, Toon Link is noticeably faster and stronger than his older counterpart. Toon Link’s confirmation for the latest game has all but sealed Young Link’s archival fate unless he receives a major overhaul to set him apart from his adult and toon brethren.

Pichu

Returning - 6.7%

Not Returning - 93.3%

Consensus - Not Returning

Pichu was playable in Smash Bros. Melee for the GameCube, but hasn't been in the series since. More popular Pokemon have taken part in the fighting frenzy since then, and after being absent in Brawl it doesn't seem likely that he'll enter the fray for the upcoming titles. That, along with the fact that there are a bunch of Pokemon on the roster already, might seem to seal Pichu's fate on the roster.

Jigglypuff

Returning - 66.7%

Not Returning - 33.3%

Consensus - Returning

This adorable Fairy type’s appearance in the original N64 Smash Bros. was a pleasant surprise, but one that seemed out of sorts considering the rest of the roster. But there he (she?) was, sleeping and puffing his way to victory. His inclusion in Melee was a bit of an inside joke, a nod to players of the first game. Shockingly, however, Jigglypuff ended up being one of the best characters in the first Smash Bros. sequel. Once Jigglypuff showed up in Brawl, everyone was kind of sick of him, but at the same time, it wouldn’t be a Smash Bros. game without him. It should be no surprise that he’ll be joining his Poké-brethren in this year’s Smash game, though we hope he gets some added oomph.

Mewtwo

Returning - 40%

Not Returning - 60%

Consensus - Not Returning

One of the most famous Pokemon, Mewtwo, was playable only in Melee and was, supposedly, planned for Brawl. We will not miss Mewtwo’s slow movement speed, relatively lightweight, and poor selection of special attacks. On the other hand, Mewtwo was a genuinely unique character and not a clone of one of the core fighters. It would be nice to see a better-balanced Mewtwo in the new Smash Bros., so maybe we can hope for DLC or a surprise unlock. As cool as that may sound, our staff really isn’t optimistic about his return.

Squirtle

Returning - 0%

Not Returning - 100%

Consensus - Not Returning

In retrospect, Squirtle just seems like an odd choice for a Pokémon in Smash Bros.. Yeah, he was one of the three starters that defined the original Pokémon generation, but the other two starters never made a playable appearance in Smash Bros. before. His inclusion made sense when paired with both Ivysaur and Charizard, but with the Pokémon Trainer basically proven to be axed in the Wii U and 3DS games, there is no need or reason for Squirtle’s return.

Ivysaur

Returning - 0%

Not Returning - 100%

Consensus - Not Returning

Can’t say we’re sad to see this plant-based Pokemon go either. Sure, he has Bullet Seed and a very powerful Up Smash, but he also has a terrible air game and maybe the single derpiest taunt in the entire series. You basically used Squirtle to run away, Ivysaur to delay being killed, and Charizard to do the actual work. This is why Charizard is returning and why Ivysaur, as well as Squirtle, are likely staying home.

Mr. Game & Watch

Returning - 80%

Not Returning - 20%

Consensus - Returning

When you look at it, Mr. Game & Watch is the oldest character ever to be part of the Super Smash Bros. roster. He represents an entire era of pre-Game Boy Nintendo handhelds, and his attacks are inspired by several Game & Watch titles.

Mr. Game & Watch is unique in his play style and has an extreme historical significance to Nintendo. It’s for these reasons, and the fact that he was nearly confirmed in the Pac-Man reveal trailer, that we feel that he definitely has to return. Besides, can you think of a character that would look better in HD or 3D?

Roy

Returning - 20%

Not Returning - 80%

Consensus - Not Returning

Roy is a playable character in the exclusive Japan only GBA game Fire Emblem: Binding Blade, and managed to find his way into Smash Bros. Melee. Many will tell you that the popularity of the Fire Emblem characters in Melee led to the series finally getting a North American release after decades of waiting and poor fan translations. However, as the years have gone by, Roy has been forgotten for the likes of Ike, the title character in the two home console versions of the Fire Emblem series for the GameCube and Wii. Seeing as Ike is making his return to the 3DS and Wii U games, it seems that Roy doesn't have much of a chance of coming back unless he stocks up on vulenarys fast.

Meta Knight

Returning - 93.3%

Not Returning - 6.7%

Consensus - Returning

Meta Knight was considered the most overpowered Smash Bros. character in the series when he was introduced in Brawl. Could it be because Masahiro Sakurai, the creator of Smash Bros., also worked on the game Meta Knight first appeared in? Was this bias? Probably not, but the fact remains that Meta Knight was the first character to ever really get banned in many Smash Bros. tournaments.

Even though he was broken and overpowered in Brawl, Meta Knight is a character that many people love. We expect him to come back, but this time his abilities will be more in line with the rest of the Smash Bros. roster.

R.O.B.

Returning - 26.7%

Not Returning - 73.3%

Consensus - Not Returning

Seems that most of NWR's staff feels the weird robot we used to play Gyromite with in the 80s doesn't have much of a shot of making it into the Wii U and 3DS games. Seeing him added in Brawl was something nostalgic, and did remind us a lot of the good 'ol days we used to have playing the NES...even though probably none of them revolved around the Robotic Operating Buddy. Still, R.O.B was a unique character, but maybe too unique to make a return to the new games.

Snake

Returning - 6.7%

Not Returning - 93.3%

Consensus - Not Returning

Snake! Snake? SNAAAAAAAKE! Everyone’s favorite Big Boss clone proved to be a very competent combatant in Brawl, with a combination of attributes that make him a versatile attacker and difficult to KO. His explosion-based special attacks, like Rocket Launcher, Grenade, and his Up Smash (Morter) made Snake difficult to approach effectively, and even his normal attacks are surprisingly powerful. He does require some practice to use effectively due to his slow movement and fast falling speed, but it’s difficult to go toe-to-toe with a skilled Snake player. We’ll miss his CODEC conversations and sneaking box move in this new game, although Solid Snake himself isn’t really the star of MGS anymore, is he?

Also hurting Snake’s chances is the fact that his creator, Hideo Kojima, said it wasn’t likely that Snake would be returning to Smash Bros..