Kirby, the little pink puffball of fun, has come all the way from Dreamland to put his opponents to sleep with some nightmarish moves. He has the ability to swallow his opponents and take on their attributes. You can tell which persona Kirby has assumed by seeing which enemy's hat he has stolen.

The Hylian hero, back from saving Hyrule (again!) from evil Ganon, has entered the Super Smash Bros. competition and is banking on his sword-handling skills to help him triumph over the other players. Link has a wide variety of moves as well as a reliable throwing weapon that serves him well in combat.

The little plumber who could makes his beat-'em-up debut in Super Smash Bros. Mario is perhaps the most well-rounded character of the bunch, with decent speed and a fairly powerful punch. The real question is, though, can the same moves that saved Princess Peach time and time again help him take home the championship?

Mario's buddy is full of vim and vigor and can't wait to get into the ring to show the other contestants that this little dinosaur's fighting skills are far from extinct. Yoshi is one of the fastest fighters, and has an impressive jumping range. His egg attacks are a little weak, but they give him an advantage at a distance.

Metroid fans rejoice! We finally get a chance to see Samus appear in 3-D! Samus's body armor protects her from simple attacks but does her little good when her opponents lay on heavier moves. Her sci-fi weaponry has a slight advantage over more fantasy-oriented projectiles, but she is vulnerable to close-up attacks.

This thrilla gorilla is the real megillah! Donkey Kong has the brawn to pull off a major victory, but will his lack of speed allow the competition to overtake him? The pugilistic primate has a few tricks up his sleeve, such as his Spinning Kong, that will leave the other contenders searching for a first-aid kit.

The pilot who put the Fox into Star Fox has landed his Arwing and is ready to show the competition what kind of action a galactic warrior is used to. Fox's weapons have a decidedly sci-fi flavor to them, and his throw is sure to put his opponents in orbit. Fox is a nimble character, but his attacks aren't very powerful.

Unlock the Earthbound hero by finishing the game on the Normal difficulty, with only three lives and without continuing. It's quite a feat, but the plucky little guy is worth it. His Psi attacks will drive the other players mad.

Mario's brother is playable once you finish the first Bonus Stage with each of the eight initial characters. His moves are remarkably similar to Mario's attacks, but Luigi is much faster than his plumber brother.

The F-Zero driver races into the ring if you finish the one-player game in under 20 minutes. Falcon is a strong fighter who is as quick on his feet as he is on the track. He is particularly strong against slow characters.