Nintendo accidentally confirms Lucario, Ness, Jigglypuff for Brawl

by Scott Jon Siegel { Jan 21st 2008 at 7:00AM }

A small slip-up on the Nintendo of Japan website has revealed three previously unannounced characters in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Fan favorites Ness and Jigglypuff will be returning from the previous Smash Bros. titles, while the pokémon Lucario will also be joining the ever-growing ranks.

Nintendo of Japan recently posted a 5-minute video explaining the many features of Brawl. In one section of the video, the sticker-collecting feature is shown off. A small set of icons along the bottom shows which character can equip each sticker, and originally showed small icons depicting Ness, Jigglypuff, and Lucario.

Nintendo of Japan has since updated the video, conspicuously whiting out these icons and effectively assuring us that this is "for real." More than simply confirming new characters, this news also confirms that the Brawl roster will exceed those characters announced on the official blog, which is just good news for everybody. Check out the original, unedited footage after the break. The icons appear very briefly around 4:20.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Tags: brawl, breaking-news, breakingnews, earthbound, pokemon, smash-bros-brawl, smashbrosbrawl, ssbb, super-smash-bros-brawl

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Naota @ Jan 21st 2008 7:09AM

sweet, I hope Ness is really in it.

hi2u @ Jan 21st 2008 8:18AM

So do I (in case you haven't guessed by my avatar).

ViagraFiend @ Jan 21st 2008 11:01AM

They had to include Ness. He was by far the best in the past 2 games.

hi2u @ Jan 21st 2008 2:38PM

He was definitely the best (that is, indisputably overpowered) in the first installment.

Jtenma @ Jan 21st 2008 2:41PM

Are you guys serious? Is this nostalgia for him, or do you guys actually like playing with his awkward/clumsy fighting style. Not to mention he has one major flaw...no double jump. But really over all those "other" characters...whatever we'll see online!

hi2u @ Jan 21st 2008 2:50PM

He certainly did have a "double jump," at least in the original. The "up + special" PK projectile, when aimed correctly, made it possible for Ness to cover more distance than any other double jump in the game in fact. Although this ability might seem initially awkward or demanding in light of the relative simplicity of the other characters' double jumps, it provided incredibly powerful once mastered.

Mr Khan @ Jan 21st 2008 2:50PM

Much like they overpowered (IMO) Game and Watch in Melee (he definitely had some lethal moves, and if you knew how to use Oil Panic, you could annihilate people) because he was the hardest secret character to earn, so they did to Ness in original

Ben @ Jan 21st 2008 5:13PM

@Jtenma
I agree Ness seemed awkward or clumsy, but if you actually got used to playing him, he's one of the most powerful characters... I could never play him well, but I've been owned many times by people who could, at least in the original N64 Smash game.

whymog @ Jan 21st 2008 7:17AM

I'm really curious how many characters we'll have available in Brawl. Luigi was accidentally confirmed in an earlier interview if I remember correctly, so that brings the total so far to 28 (not counting Sheik, of course.) How many were there in Melee? I don't think more than 24.

Poisoned Al @ Jan 21st 2008 7:42AM

I hope not. There's only so many you can have before the character moves get samey.

John Foozmich @ Jan 21st 2008 8:16AM

There were 25 in Melee, and 12 in the N64 one, so let's say there's going to be 50 in this one, then 100 in the next one, then TWO hundred...

Sensai @ Jan 21st 2008 8:21AM

26 if you include Sheik. 25 characters to choose on the actual screen.

StrangeBum @ Jan 21st 2008 9:11AM

I think it was actually 25 in Melee. The 14 mains plus the 11 unlockables. But still, this game is offering way more in terms of character choice. Which I'm sure a lot of them will seem stale, but addition like Pokemon Trainer should add some new tactic to things.

Super stoked for this game.

Mr Khan @ Jan 21st 2008 11:30AM

Legend says 44 characters, apparently leaked by a beta tester, but his tally included such unlikely characters as Jajamaru (japan only, 3rd party), and Knuckles

Chase @ Jan 21st 2008 7:40AM

Someone tell Lucario I can see its camel toe.

ThornedVenom @ Jan 21st 2008 8:21AM

Your avatar rules.

Jay @ Jan 21st 2008 8:38AM

God, you made me go back and look

ThornedVenom @ Jan 21st 2008 8:21AM

God bless Youtube.

WiNG @ Jan 21st 2008 8:25AM

This is a list circulating GameFAQs right now. I cannot vouch for its accuacy but it did predict Lucario, Ness, Jigglypuff before this leak:

Donkey Kong series

Donkey Kong
Diddy Kong

Star Fox series

Fox
Falco
Wolf

Kirby series

Kirby
Meta Knight
King Dedede

F-Zero series

Captain Falcon

Metroid series

Samus
Zero Suit Samus

MOTHER series

Ness
Lucas

Pokémon series

Pikachu
Jigglypuff
Pokémon Trainer
Lucario

Legend of Zelda series

Link
Zelda
Sheik
Ganondorf
Young Link (from The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass)

Super Mario series

Mario
Luigi
Peach
Bowser

Yoshi's series

Yoshi

Fire Emblem series

Marth
Ike

Game & Watch series

Mr. Game & Watch

Ice Climber series

Ice Climbers

WarioWare series

Wario

Metal Gear series

Snake

Kid Icarus series

Pit

Nintendo series

R.O.B.

Sonic the Hedgehog series

Sonic

Pikmin series

Pikmin & Olimar

samfish @ Jan 21st 2008 9:47AM

I'll be pissed if that's the final list.

Why would they go with Wolf over Krystal? Do you NEED 3 characters who handle nearly identically?

ROB is just fuckin' stupid.

And Lucas already has Ness's moveset.

Anyhow, I don't buy that being the final list. Wolf and ROB make it too unbelievable...and the people circulating that list have done nothing to prove their credibility, other than speak affirmatively and say, "trust me".
...at least on Neogaf.

TheOverlord#2 @ Jan 27th 2008 10:40PM

R.O.B. isnt in...he is what the Subspace Emissary uses to place the bombs...(that is...unless he's an unlockable...though how would he attack? i can see his jumping/running(using his wheel set from Mario Kart DS))

Lijik @ Jan 21st 2008 10:31AM

Jigglypuff and Ness are bound to appear on nearly any "Final" roster since they were in the past games, and rumors of Lucario being in the game as been around almost as long, if not longer, than the blog has.

I don't see how a few obvious choices makes an entire list confirmable

ChowFahn @ Jan 21st 2008 10:50AM

ROB has been seen in a video as an Assist Trophy, so that list is fake.

Mr.ESC @ Jan 21st 2008 11:35AM

I hope that's not it, where the hell is Dr Robotnik, Tails, Knuckles, Amy? I really don't give a crap about the rest of the characters of the Sonic series, including shadow but they at least have to include Tails.

Captain Falcon is a must.

Weird they choose Lucario, maybe is going to replace Mewtwo in this one, I mean we have Ness and Lucas we don't need more psychics do we?

I want Bowser Jr as a playable character.

wootman @ Jan 21st 2008 12:32PM

elite beat agents = counter to Pokemon trainer which = win.

writkat @ Feb 14th 2008 9:42PM

META KNIGHT.

Kirby4030 @ Jan 25th 2008 8:49PM

@wootman
EBA WOULD BE EPIC WIN.
but I don't really see how they would fight...

Kirby4030 @ Jan 25th 2008 8:50PM

@wootman
EBA WOULD BE EPIC WIN.
but I don't really see how they would fight...

miloticrules @ Jan 27th 2008 3:48AM

dude they ditched all clone characters, therefore falco, wolf, luigi, ganondorf and young link cant be in it

Jay @ Jan 21st 2008 8:34AM

Its a fighting game so its about damn time we had a fighting type pokemon playable

Kirby4030 @ Jan 25th 2008 8:52PM

Lucario = STEEL FIGHTING

joe @ Jan 21st 2008 8:34AM

I'm still waiting to hear about Captain Falcon. The game just wouldn't be the same without its porn star.

william_varrenti @ Jan 21st 2008 8:40AM

show me your boobs!

rv @ Jan 21st 2008 1:08PM

Falcon punch!!!!!!!!!!

Sora267 @ Jan 21st 2008 2:04PM

Yes!!

Dictatorship @ Jan 21st 2008 4:28PM

Dopple Boppler @ Jan 21st 2008 8:48AM

"More than simply confirming new characters, this news also confirms that the Brawl roster will exceed those characters announced on the official blog, which is just good news for everybody."

I thought it was confirmed that, aside from Snake and Sonic, none of the unlockable characters were going to be shown on the Dojo until after the game was released. Even if it wasn't, I thought it was just kind of a common sense thing to assume so.

Anyway, I personally don't care for Lucario, but it's understandable that they'd put in a new Pokemon to represent Diamond and Pearl, especially considering how many of the original 150 are already playable. As for Ness and Jigglypuff though, all I have to say is fuck yes. Considering Captain Falcon's pretty much been confirmed through the Red Alloy, that leaves Luigi as the only original Smash Bro. left, and you know he'll be in it anyway.

Now that Ness is back, how about some Earthbound assist trophies? Dungeon Man, Bubblegum Monkey and Tessie, please.

Ghen @ Jan 21st 2008 8:59AM

Only a gamer would say "fuck yes" to something called "jigglypuff". Think about it ;)

danny. @ Jan 21st 2008 8:52AM

Anubis confirmed

James @ Jan 21st 2008 9:01AM

I didn't care much for Pokemon D&P but bugger me - I didn't half like Lucario. The design and story with him was quite well done.

I've said from the start there would be 35 characters. Though I'd like more and I don't mind clones (I kick arse with Falco, not so much Fox) so long as they're similar. Ganondorf and Captain Falcon was just a daft clone.

waynski1457 @ Jan 21st 2008 9:04AM

i almost posted saying that was pichu because his face looks too round, but a google image search corrected me with the black on his ears.

but that got me thinking, i hope he returns seeing as he's a great humiliation character to use on n00bs.

Gehodra @ Jan 21st 2008 12:37PM

Pichu is amazing.

DBuck_Eye @ Jan 21st 2008 9:06AM

Fan-Favorite Jigglypuff?!? Who the h*** likes Jigglypuff?!? Please stand up so I can give you a swift punch to the stomach! And wtf is a "Lucario?" That's the most riddiculous name I have ever heard and he is going to be in Brawl? Just what we need,a umpth generation pokemon from a series we all stopped caring about 5 years ago. Bullshivisms! Sheer bullshivisms!

bender @ Jan 21st 2008 11:06AM

You think that don't you. So sad for you because Jigglypuff is actually the fiercest character in Melee.

Geist @ Jan 21st 2008 11:23AM

One of my friends is going to shit bricks, awesome bricks, when he finds out about this. People who like Jigglypuff like him/her a lot. They will hunt you down if you badmouth the 'Puff.

Mr.ESC @ Jan 21st 2008 11:41AM

Japan loves Jigglypuff but hell what you have against Jigglypuff?

Zertoss @ Jan 21st 2008 12:27PM

I remember once I got 3 of my friends over, and 3 of us chose Jigglypuff. I think the other guy was Fox. We just stood around constantly hitting the taunt button and sent him into an annoyed rage. He ended up running all over the stage trying to get rid of us, but we'd just float back and continue taunting.

Then we started using Jigglypuff's whoopass special (Down+B). More hilarity ensued. Jigglypuff rocks.

Dictatorship @ Jan 21st 2008 4:35PM

DBuck_Eye just doesn't like to be beaten by a girl, or a guy who uses Jigglypuff. He wouldn't like to get his ass kicked with her if he ever fights me too. ;)

Just so you guys know, she was my 5th main on Melee. My first main was Falco, and the others were Falcon, Fox and Zelda/Sheik.