A round up of everything we know about Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Head inside for all the pre-E3 news...

Super Smash Bros. Brawl is going to be massive. Every weekday, we are given new information on the game from producer Masahiro Sakurai himself, which usually involves some new screenshots. You can check out the updates over at SmashBros.com. We are expecting some new news this week from E3, so here is a round-up of the news so far.

Controls

While the controls haven't been fully revealed, it seems logical that they will be very similar to the controls for Super Smash Bros. Melee. We do know, however, that it will support four different controllers

Wii RemoteJust the Wii Remote held sideways, Sakurai seems to suggest that motion detecting will be used in this method.

Wii Remote & NunchuckAs expected, the game will support the Remote and Nunchuck combination. It is unknown if this method will use any motion detection, or if it will just rely on buttons.

Classic ControllerThis will likely use the same button mapping as the GameCube controller in Melee.

GameCube ControllerThe same way you played Melee. Sakurai prefers this method due to the controller's powerful rumble.

Standard Attacks are done using A on the GameCube controller (like Melee), A on the Remote & Nunchuck setup, b on the Classic Controller and 2 on the Wii Remote only method. Strong Attacks are performed by pressing a direction and the Standard Attack button and Smash Attacks are done by quickly tapping a direction and pressing the Standard Arrack button. Smash Attacks can also be charged by holding down the Standard Attack button.

Just like Melee Standard Attacks can be made into Standard Combos by tapping the Standard Attack button. On top of this, you can now just hold the button to perfrom Standard Combos.

You can also customise the controls, and the game lets you save them under your own profile so you won't have to configure the controls every time you play.

Characters

Returning

MarioThe short, fat plumber we all know and love. The most famous character in videogame history takes a day off rescuing the princess and starts a brawl, complete with lots of punching, kicking and fireballing. Mario now has a Final Smash which causes a massive storm of flame to be unleashed.

LinkThe Hylian hero has picked up his Hylian Shield and Master Sword once again, and is ready for a fight. There have been many different Links over the years, and Brawl uses the design from the most recent Zelda game, Twilight Princess.

KirbyThe small pink blob from Dream Land. Kirby's famous ability is swallowing his opponents to steal their moves. He also has various items like a sword and a mallet shoved inside him. Somewhere. Somehow.

PikachuThe yellow rat that sells everything that has a picture of him on. This pokémon started a craze that ended...actually, it hasn't ended. Everytime it looks to be dying down, it picks up again. His thunder moves should be a shock to those on the receiving end.

Fox McCloudThe Arwing pilot from the Lylat system makes a return. Armed with his blaster and refletive shield. Known for his speed, Fox is a formidable opponent on the playing field.

Samus AranThe bounty hunter is back. With her Power Suit, she has the ability to fire powerful charged shots, as well as shrink into her morthball mode to lay bombs. With all her gadgets at her disposable, Samus is never without options.

ZeldaPrincess Zelda also returns and, like Link, is in her Twilight Princess form. Unfortunately, she's forgotten to bring the sword she had in the game. As Princess Zelda is based on her Twilight Princess form, it is likely that she will be unable to transform into Sheik this time round.

BowserBowser is back, and this time he's not here to kidnap Peach, he's here to beat everyone up (which possibly includes Peach, anyway). His main moves will be similar to Melee, but he will have a different overall "feel" in Brawl. Giga Bowser will also make another appearance.

Many other characters are alao likely to return. It's possible that the case of the original Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64 (Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Luigi, Ness, Jigglypuff and Captain Falcon) will return.

Newcomers

Meta Knight (Kirby)Like Kirby, he's a ball with little flaps for arms, just blue instead of pink. Unlike Kirby, he wears a mask, gloves and cape to hide his true form. Instead of srealing abilities, he uses his trusty sword. Though Meta Knight is Kirby's rival, he is not evil and prefers to keep fights fair and honourable.

Wario (WarioWare)Originally created to be an Evil Mario, Wario was put through tonnes of punishment, and has been killed multiple times. His life took a turning point when he created WarioWare Inc. Donning more casual clothes, rather than yellow plumber get-up, Wario has never been so successful. His discovery of the Form Baton should have gotten Wario back into shape after many months of lazing around and booze, ready to fight in Smash Bros.

Pit (Kid Icarus)A young angel who began life trapped in the underworld. With his mighty bow and Arrows of Light, he defeated the evil Medusa and saved Angel Land. Years later, Pit has now upgraded his bow. It can now split in two and become dual swords. Even though he has wings, he can't fully fly, but they can give him a good push when he needs it the most. He also remains in control of his Arrows of Light even after they leave his bow.

Zero Suit Samus (Metroid)Underneath that bulk of metal known as the power suit lies a beautiful woman in a skin-tight blue suit. Without the technology in her suit, she is both faster and more agile. She doesn't go without weapons, though. She now had a laser gun which can also act as a laser whip. Sexy.

Solid Snake (Metal Gear)The first Non-Nintendo character to appear in Smash Bros. Taking some time off from his usual special ops missions, Snake decides to battle it out against Mario and Co. However, bullet-based weapons are banned from the event, no no SOCOM for him this time. They never said that he had to leave his rocket launcher at home, though.

Items

Normal Items

Crates and BarrelsThese often contain items (either a single one or many), but can sometimes just explode when opened. This time round the barrels and crates will change in appearance to match the style of the stage you are fighting on. Watch out for crates with wheels - they can slide out of control.

Gooey BombThe gooey bomb sticks itself onto not just terrain, but also opponents. Once thrown, it turns into a timed bomb. However, the gooey bomb can be passed on to other characters, turning the fight into a frantic game of tip.

Cracker LauncherA big bazooka-type thing that shoots firecrackers, which then explode gradually. A portable firework show, some might say. When someone has it, make sure to stay out of their line of fire.

Banana PeelStraight from Mario Kart and various other Mario sports titles is the banana peel. Once thrown, players will trip over when they step on it. I wonder if that ever happens in real life...

Pokéballs

The pokéballs make a welcome return. When thrown, a random Pokémon emerges, then (usually) attacks. Their attacks don't harm the person who threw the pokéball, though. A few Pokémon have been confirmed for Brawl.

Chikorita The grass-type Pokémon is back in Brawl. It's attack stays the same - shooting out grass beam things - as it was in Melee.

Goldeen The powerful Goldeen once again returns to.....just splash about. Well, at least you can use the pokéball itself to cause damage.

Groudon The first new Pokémon in Brawl. Groudon is large and hot, and will send any oppenent that it touches flying. Stay out of it's way.

Smash Ball

These items are very rare, and allow a character to perform their ultra-powerful Final Smash move. Each character has their own Final Smash, some affect one character, others can damage multiple. We know a few characters' final smashes:

Mario Mario shoots out a massive explosion of flame to one side and causes a lot of damage to anyone in his way. This, however, leaves him open to attack from the other side.

Link Link traps someone in a triforce, and slashes like mad at them. Once enough damage is dealt, he then has one final powerful slash and sends his opponent flying.

Kirby Kirby dons a chef hat and starts cooking an opponent in a pot of boiling water. Mmmm....Mario Stew...

Pikachu Pikachu uses volt tackle and transforms into a massive ball of electric. You can move the ball around at will, but be careful - one it's finished you'll fall straight down.

Bowser Bowser transforms into the menacing Giga Bowser for a short time. His attacks are very powerful, so try to avoid him in this form.

Assist Trohpies

Assist Trophies are similar to Pokéballs, but are used for other Nintendo-related characters. There will be a large range of Assist Trophies, and only dedicated fans may recognise some of them.

Hammer Bro A Hammer Bro appears, and starts throwing his hammers. What other classic Mario characters will we see?

Nintendog A Nintendog paws at the screen for a bit - which bocks everyone's view. So be careful when he's about.

Samurai Goro Samurai Goro is one of Captain Falcon's rival F-Zero pilots. He uses his katana and slashes like mad.

Dr. Wright Dr. Wright appeared in the SNES version of SimCity, which was developed and published by Nintendo themselves. After he appears, up pop some skyscrapers which throws players away.

Stages

BattlefieldThis is Brawl's signature stage. A well-detailed flat stage with three ittle platforms. The background for the stage is drop-dead gorgeous. On this stage, day will turn to night, and night will turn to day.

Delfino PlazaThis starts on a small platform flying around Delfino Plaza, taken straight out of Super Mario Sunshine. The platform than lands on a specific location in the town, which changes each time. A short brawl later, the platform picks you up and takes you to a different location.

Yoshi's IslandThis is another simple stage. However, the central platform tilts. Shy Guys make a guest appearance in the background, and the Support Ghost can appear at any time. Throughout the fight, the stage changes throughout the seasons.

Lylat CruiseThis level takes place on a high-speed spacecraft called the Pleiades. The ship travels through battles and asteroid fields and even flies into the orbit of Corneria. And then enters it's atmosphere.

Bridge of EldinThe Bridge of Eldin is a long, flat bridge from Twilight Princess. Every now and then, King Bulblin and Lord Bullbo run across the bridge and blow a hole in the middle of it. The missing bit of the bridge then comes down from a portal.

Many other stages have been spotted in the two trailers, including a castle from Fire Emblem, Shadow Moses Island and the Tank Hanger from Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, one set on a Mario Kart track, a Pokémon Stadium, Dream Land from Kid Icarus, and a level based around Meta Knight's ship, the Halberd.

Music

The soundtrack for this game will be worked on my a massive amount of composers, who previously worked on all kinds of games from different platforms. There are composers from Nintendo franchises such as Mario, Zelda, Star Fox and Yoshi, and a massive array of composers who previously worked on titles such as NiGHTS, Killer7, Chrono Trigger, Metal Gear Solid, Streets of Rage and many more. You can check the full list here.

The site also has a few sample tracks.

Menu 1This will be used in the Battlefield stage. It is a remix of the menu theme from Super Smash Bros. Melee, composed by Hirokazu Ando (Kirby) and Motoi Sakuraba (Golden Sun). You can listen to this here.

Yoshi's Story: EndingA remix of the credits theme from Yoshi's Story on the Nintendo 64, which features Yoshi singing. It is composed by Kazumi Totaka (Yoshi) and Masafumi Takada (Killer7). You can listen to this here.

Metroid: Boss Battle Music (Ridley Fight)This is a remix of Ridley's theme from when you battle him in the original Metroid. It is composed by Minako Hamano (Metroid Fusion) and Yusuke Takahama (Digital Pinball). You can listen to this here.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time MedleyA meledy mixing all the ocarina songs from Ocarina of Time to create one beautiful tune. It is composed by Koji Kondo (Zelda) and Michiko Naruke (Wild Arms). You can listen to this here.

Stay tuned for more updates as they appear. The official site will be updated every weekday, so check that regually. E3 should also bring us some new details - so stay alert.

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