User:TheJoebro64/drafts/SmashCharacters

The fighting game series Super Smash Bros. from Nintendo, launched in 1999, features an assortment of video game characters from different franchises. There are 82 playable characters across the series, primarily sourced from Nintendo franchises but also from a number of third-party companies. There are also other non-playable characters that take the form of enemies, bosses, and power-ups.

History
The original Super Smash Bros., a fighting game developed by HAL Laboratory and released for the Nintendo 64 in 1999, features a cast of 12 playable characters from various Nintendo franchises. Eight characters (Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, Samus, Yoshi, Kirby, Fox, and Pikachu) are available from the start and four (Luigi, Captain Falcon, Ness, and Jigglypuff) can be unlocked by completing challenges. The game initially featured generic original characters, but director Masahiro Sakurai decided it was important to incorporate recognizable characters to establish the atmosphere. Marth, Mewtwo, Bowser, and King Dedede were intended to appear.


 * https://www.gameinformer.com/classic/2019/01/21/the-origin-of-super-smash-bros