The original Super Smash Brothers started you off with 8 famed Nintendo mascots to choose from. SSBM nearly doubles that number with a total of 14 characters right from the get go. This includes all of the original base characters in SSB, two of the original secret characters, and 4 newbies. Add in 11 secret characters, and you've got one hell of a cast.

The next few pages will shed a bit more light on the starting lineup in SSBM, as well as provide some insight on the potential secret characters.

Mario

Media Screen 1 | Screen 2 | Screen 3 | Screen 4

Mario was one of the most well-rounded characters in the original SSB, and the same looks to be true this time around. His attacks are quick and effective, he can perform a variety of evasive acrobatics, and he's very good at coming back from the edge after being knocked off. Add in his new cape attack that can reflect projectiles, and a new meteor smash that can knock enemies straight down at incredible speeds, and Mario has very few weaknesses. But what else would you expect from Nintendo's most prized mascot?

Attack Description
B button Fireball - Mario fires a bouncing fireball from his outstretched hand.
Side-B Super Cape - Mario whips out his cape (from Super Mario World) and reflects projectiles. If used as an attack, the cape will flip an enemy around, making them susceptible to attack.
Up-B Super Jump Punch - Mario jumps upwards, hitting the enemy multiple times and knocking out coins for effect.
Down-B Mario Tornado - Mario spins in place like a tornado, hitting the enemy multiple times. If the original SSB is any indication, you can also use this attack in the air to hover, depending upon how fast you tap the B button.

Pikachu

Media Screen 1 | Screen 2 | Screen 3 | Screen 4

Pikachu is all about speed. He can run up to you, knock you in the air, hit you 4 times, and teleport a full stage away before you even know what hit you. The majority of his most effective attacks involve dashing at the enemy and hitting them with his head, which is exactly what his new Side-B attack does. Plus, his thunder attack can hit enemies right before they fly off the top of the screen, making him a very effective kill-stealer. His smash attacks suffer slightly, having either limited range or limited speed, but his agility more than makes up for it.

Attack Description
B button Thunder Jolt - Pikachu shoots out a small ball of energy, that upon impact with a surface, bounces as an arc until it runs out of fuel.
Side-B Rocket Headbutt - Pikachu rockets himself towards his enemies, knocking them into the distance with his head. The more you press the B button, the more powerful this attack can become.
Up-B Quick Attack - Pikachu exploits his agility by teleporting in any direction, up to two times in a row. In SSBM, he also shocks any enemies in his wake.
Down-B Thunder - Pikachu summons a giant bolt of lightning from the sky, damaging any enemies in its path.

Bowser

Media Screen 1 | Screen 2 | Screen 3 | Screen 4

Bowser makes his SSB premiere as one of the slow heavy-hitters. His size makes for very powerful attacks, but he can't get around very quickly. Some of his more effective techniques involve sliding across the screen towards an enemy while deflecting projectiles, and simply falling over and crushing enemies. The finer details of how he handles aren't known at the moment, but only because he wasn't playable in the original SSB.

Attack Description
B button Bowser Breath - Bowser blows fire in front of him, much like the fire flower item. It grows less powerful over time, so it's best not to use it non-stop.
Side-B Bite - Bowser slashes out at his opponent, and chomps on them a bit if he connects.
Up-B Spinning Shell - Bowser shrinks into his shell and spins quickly, damaging enemies with his spikes. Used in the air, this attack moves Bowser upwards, and allows him to damage enemies from side to side.
Down-B Bowser Drop - Bowser jumps in the air and pounds back down to the ground, pinning any enemies he lands on. Just like the final boss battle in Super Mario Brothers 3.

Princess Peach

Media Screen 1 | Screen 2 | Screen 3 | Screen 4

Accompanying Samus as the second female character in the game, Peach's moves are very similar to those she had in Super Mario Brothers 2. For example, she can pull turnips out of the ground and toss them at her enemies, and she can float horizontally across the screen for an extended period of time. Peach isn't so much focused on powerful attacks as she is on coming back to the stage after being knocked off. With her floating ability and parasol, Peach will always manage to find a way to get back.

Attack Description
B button Toad Guard - Peach whips out Toad and holds him in front of her. If she manages to block an enemy's physical attack with him, Toad will retaliate by grabbing onto the enemy and dealing out twice the damage originally dealt to him.
Side-B Peach Bomber - Peach dashes across the screen, hitting enemies with her hip. If she connects, she knocks them up into the air in a firey explosion.
Up-B Peach Parasol - Peach jumps in the air with a closed parasol held above her head, and then floats down gently with the parasol opened up. The parasol protects her from arial attacks, as well.
Down-B Vegetable Pick - Peach pulls a turnip out of the ground, and then throws it like she would throw any regular item. Occasionally she'll pull out a bomb, instead.

Yoshi

Media Screen 1 | Screen 2 | Screen 3 | Screen 4

Yoshi has always been about defense. He can't be knocked out of his second jump, and his shield puts him in an egg that still protects him while he rolls. In SSBM, he also gains the ability to jump and move around while still inside the egg. However, he's still fairly slow, and his jumps are difficult to deal with. Especially since he doesn't have a third jump. Usually his strong smashes can keep him in the game, but it takes a lot of practice to get good at the guy.

Attack Description
B button Egg Lay - Yoshi sticks out his tongue, swallows his enemy, and lays them out as an egg. He can then beat up on the egg, without it retaliating or evading.
Side-B Rumble Tumble Egg - Yoshi encases himself in an egg, and hurls himself towards his enemies.
Up-B Egg Throw - Yoshi launches eggs as projectiles in a varying arc. Depending upon how long you hold the B button, and what you do with the control stick after you first wind up, you can launch the egg specific distances and in specific directions.
Down-B Hip Drop - Yoshi jumps in the air, and pounds back down to the ground.

Donkey Kong

Media Screen 1 | Screen 2 | Screen 3 | Screen 4

Next to Bowser, Donkey Kong is the largest character in the game. He relies largely upon brute strength to beat up on his opponents. One advantage of this strength is that he can pick up characters and carry them before throwing them. This also allows him to grab someone and jump off the edge, pulling his unfortunate foe down with him. Don't expect to be making any friends with that particular move. It's also worth noting that since DK has one of the largest faces, you'll be seeing a lot of emotion out of the guy. If his taunt is any indication, funny monkey faces will flow freely.

Attack Description
B button Giant Punch - Tapping B will cause Donkey Kong to wind up a huge punch. If you hit right or left while charging up, you roll to the side and maintain your charged up power. You can then proceed to charge up again. If you hit B again while winding up, Donkey Kong will unleash his giant punch. After he's charged up to the max level, he'll sparkle slightly. At that point, pressing B won't charge up any more. It'll just execute the giant punch.
Side-B Donkey Headbutt - Donkey Kong headbutts an enemy into the ground, immobilizing them.
Up-B Spinning Kong - Donkey Kong spins in a circle, hitting enemies repeatedly. Used in the air, this attack moves DK upwards, and allows him to damage enemies from side to side.
Down-B Hand Slap - Donkey Kong slaps his hands down on the ground, knocking any enemies that are close by up into the air.

Captain Falcon

Media Screen 1 | Screen 2 | Screen 3 | Screen 4

Captain Falcon was an interesting case in the original SSB. A racer from F-Zero, he had no particular powers that could be exploited in a fighting game. Leave it to HAL to give him some of the most damaging attacks around. Captain Falcon is one of the quickest guys in the game. Put him in a straight out sprint against anyone, and he'll leave them in the dust. It's an odd compromise, since the majority of his attacks take a long time to execute. The Falcon Punch, though devastating, takes a very long time to wind up. It's a similar case with many of his other attacks. If you can get the timing down, however, Falcon can be a force to be reckoned with.

Attack Description
B button Falcon Punch - Falcon pulls back and delivers a massively powerful flaming punch.
Side-B Falcon Knuckle - Falcon dashes across the screen and throws an uppercut. If he connects, he knocks the enemy up in the air. If he falls short or misses, he falls on his face. If done in the air, the punch knocks an enemy downwards.
Up-B Falcon Dive - Falcon jumps up in the air. If he comes in contact with an enemy without being knocked away, he'll grab on and use the enemy as a platform to jump off of, blowing them away in an explosion in the process. If he completes this attack successfully, he can do it again before he lands on the ground.
Down-B Falcon Kick - Falcon dash-kicks across the screen in a blur of flame. If done in the air, Falcon dives downwards diagonally.