One of the most anticipated games of the year is Nintendo's next Super Smash Bros. game, with a somewhat abridged version coming to the 3DS this fall. It still remains to be seen if the Wii U version will hit that target in the wake of Nintendo‘s often sliding timetables, but Nintendo has done great marketing the game so far.

The character roster for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS now stands at 36 characters, with the addition of the Pac-Man, Palutena, and Mii Fighters at E3 and now Lucina, Robin, and Captain Falcon.

From the new fighter intro trailer released by Nintendo, three characters have been confirmed for Super Smash Bros. Wii U and 3DS: series veteran Captain Falcon is back in action, and he’s joined by newcomers Lucina and Robin from Fire Emblem: Awaekening. The official site has been updated with profiles for the three characters revealed in today’s announcement.

"The addition of these three characters to Super Smash Bros. is significant, because it keeps the game fresh for core gamers and offers something new for those playing for the first time," Susan Schreiner, an analyst at C4 Trends, told TechNewsWorld.

Nintendo has now figured out what Blizzard and Riot Games have known for years, that interest in the competitive scene of a game only increases interest in the game itself. Nintendo has even gone so far as to support Gamecube controller play in the new Super Smash Bros, something the fighting game community went crazy for.

Nintendo is betting that Super Smash Bros. will goose sales of the Wii U, which has been selling more slowly than projected。

Strategy analyst Smith said."Nintendo has a lot riding on Super Smash Bros. as it is the next big release of first-party IP after Mario Kart 8. Both of these party games, plus Mario Party 10, will be some of the first to feature amibo functionality. A large installed base of popular games will be key to testing out Nintendo's foray into toys-to-life."