Written by Mark "Tapedeck" Lee

We all love taking names with our favourite Smash Bros. characters, but have you ever stopped to think why you prefer certain characters? N-Europe's Mark Lee has already been playing Brawl for several months, and takes a shot at giving you the real reasons...

MARIO: (AND A CERTAIN OTHER SIMILAR MARIO CHARACTER)

The classic, all-round fighter. You're a long-time Nintendo gamer who wants these classic characters to maintain their legendary status. You can probably recite their exact moveset before playing the game and although you'll brawl all day with these characters, you've no problem switching characters and returning to them. After all, you're a proud Nintendo fan through-and-through.

PEACH:

As the 'Peachy' brawler you're probably used to being ridiculed. Yet N-Europe knows the last thing a brawler should do is underestimate a foe. We think if you've got the stomach to use Peach, people should expect the unexpected. And although we would clearly say you enjoy you're under-dog status, you're probably only in it for the cheap panty shots.

IKE: (AND ANOTHER FIRE EMBLEM CHARACTER!):

Ok, so you've either played every Fire Emblem title to date and developed a deep love for the characters, or you mastered Marth/Roy in Melee. We'd go for the former. Although there is something deeply 1980's about men in tights fighting with swords, you're probably a hardcore professional smash player through and through with vast understandings of combo linking and wave-dashing.

PIKACHU:

As a stalwart of the series, our favourite yellow rat has been cheap-shotting us from the heavens for years. You're probably in it for the instant thrill-kills of the thundershock and the fast, lightening speed gameplay. And obviously there is some kind of deep Pokémon love in your blood too. Choosing Pikachu probably means you're a hardcore Pikachu fan or *cough*cheapshot*cough* player with a desire to see Pokémon rule every corner of the universe.

YOSHI:

Cuter than a box of puppies - you appear to hate brawling. Yet one moment of that tongue slurping the face of an opponent and suddenly everyone becomes freaked out. To master Yoshi means you must have the hand and eye co-ordination of an F1 racer. Steering a rolling egg through headbutts and fists with panache means you must be a nutter. Yet with more air time than Michael Jordan you're a real handful in the right hands.

WARIO

Being the anti-Mario has it's perks. Admit it: You've always got a snide plan on the go. If it's not throwing your bike into the face of another, it's the plan to harbour as many items as possible. Your madcap movesets makes you a real handful as you flee around the stage like a drunken hobo. Always one for a laugh, winning is important but the mischief you bring along is just as fun!

BOWSER:

Winning is all that matters as you spend hours mastering the big 'B'. You know exactly when to breathe fire down someone's neck and you know that your shell spin will save your back if anyone gets the chance to knock you off the stage. Hoping the brawl is a full-on affair, you want to get stuck in and like to get your hands dirty. Smashing those smaller, faster characters is what you pride yourself on � yet the challenge of a brute strength brawl is what really gets you going!

FOX: (AND 'OTHER' STARFOX CHARACTERS!):

As a Starfox user you're probably well-trained in smashing opponents. Heck, you probably have an illustrious smash past. With deflections aplenty and your trusty blaster you're probably a calculated fighter biding your time before going in for the smash. Being a careful brawler, you'll be the one picking off opponents and not getting too close to any fists. Yet with up-close kung-fu boot action, you can still jump in with some fisty-cuffs when needed. A real smash and dash fighter.

DONKEY KONG:

Donkey has been a long-time character in Smash Bros so using him probably means you're a fan of the big guy's moveset. The loveable brute with the brains of a banana might indicate you're not the brightest fighter in the ring but your long reach and real power means you're a facebreaker. Those who use DK love to get stuck in and never-EVER run from the chaos. Your a nightmare to fight in a small arena!

DIDDY KONG:

A royal pain in the right hands, if you're using Diddy we think you're a certified mentalist. With more speed than a nightclub dealer and a style best described as "all-over-the-shop" you're probably brawling for comedic value as much as winning. A real darkhorse. We STILL don't know what to think of Diddy...

SAMUS:

Another long-term brawler means again that you probably share many intimate gaming moments with Samus.(Uh-er.) Although we feel she's been heavily nerfed in Brawl, she's still awkward to fight against. Master Samus (and Zero Suit Samus for that matter) and you'll be a solid fighter all over any arena. We just can't shake the feeling that Samus is meant for those sniping - picking on the weakened fighters. WE. HATE. SNIPERS!

ZELDA:

She may appear to be a bit naff but with some cracking smashes, Zelda is a great, arial battler. Transform into Sheik and it's like fighting a daddy long legs with a knife (because you've been horrendously nerfed since Melee). Those who pick Zelda are probably Ocarina Of Time fanfic writers and dream of the day in which Super Princess Zelda comes to the DS. A right pain in the air. Just nerfed. Heavily.

PIT:

We already knew Pit would be hard as nails. Why? Well, have you played his NES game?! With more air time than Kirby, a stellar moveset and the wings of an angel, Pit is (at times) too good. You're probably using Pit because you completed his NES adventure (and GB adventure) with your eyes closed and hands tied behind your back. We're running scared... Can you tell?

ICE CLIMBERS:

Unfortunately let in for a another face kicking, use the ice-climbers and, well, we think you're a casual gamer. Look! Two cutesy Eskimos! Awwww. The gushing soon stops as you're thrown off a cliff head first only to emerge from it as if it was your garden step. The Ice Climbers remind us of elastic bands. And we remember how hard a twang of a band was on our head from those school days. Definitely a pain in the backside - just watch how useless they are when you snap one of them.

KIRBY:

Also known as 'the blob that refuses to die'. Kirby is a stalwart of Smash Bros for good reason. Pick Kirby and you probably love to steal other movesets whilst lazily flapping through the heavens raining destruction on everyone. With more moves than a Russian chess player, Kirby rules in the right hands. Dangerous, flighty and with the ability to turn into a brick, you're probably as hardcore a Smash player as there ever will be.

LINK: (and variation)

Link is MEANT to be in Smash Bros. He seems to be the perfect fit for Smash Bros. Yet under that tunic lies an ironic weakness... The notion that, by using his equipment, Link becomes a little, dare-we-say-it? Susceptible to attack. Those that use Link probably know when a bomb or arrow is needed or when a 'chink' of the hookshot is desirable. Yet more importantly, they will know when they AREN'T needed. For all Link is susceptible to, those that use Link have probably mastered his timings to perfection, weapons and all.

LUCAS: (and another Earthbound character, and a certain secret psychic Pokemon character!)

Get over it! Here in Europe we will never see Earthbound on the SNES. So stop sending those letters to Nintendo! By using Lucas you're either a die-hard EU import kid or foreign. Lucas (and the other, secret, Earthbound character) are built to snipe characters out with psychic abilities beyond your average American high-schooler but they obviously carry a love for American Baseball. With a specialist and difficult to master moveset you're probably a Lucas brawler for the very notion that your SNES will never leave Onnett. Your secret Pokémon character shares psychic abilities, and those who use this character will be of the hardcore Pokémon variety. Watch out as it's a great character too!

POKEMON TRAINER:

THREE CHARACTERS! That's not fair right? Well, it is... You look at the Pokémon trainer through your Pokémon hat and glasses and see "pwnage" all over the place. Although you shuffle characters more than SEGA, you know exactly who to use and when. (Take that SEGA!) Being a Pokémon fan, you've probably dreamed of this moment forever. And when another Pokémon Trainer takes you on, you'll be screaming out the Pokémon cartoon theme tune. "I wanna be the very best, like no-one ever was...."

OLIMAR:

Admit it. You framed Pikmin and its sequel and told all of your friends it was THE reason the GameCube was the greatest console ever made. Use Olimar and you're odds-on a massive fan for the man and his Pikmin. Using a moveset best described as "eh?" Olimar takes time to truly master. If you're there we envy you. His moves can be lifesavers or lifetakers. When Olimar is Brawling, suicide is always on the cards. But, oh what great fun it is to see a professional Pikmin brawler. Sadly, they are as rare as they sound.

SONIC:

The SEGA fanboy in all of us screams that Sonic shall rule all. Unfortunately he handles like a sugared-up seven year old. Those who play as Sonic don't care that he is as strong as said child. They care for the speed and the attitude. When you've mastered Sonic it's like fighting a pinball. He jabs you and runs, spins and flips and jabs you again. If Brawl was Boxing, Sonic would win every time - but only on points. But you won't care, the attitude of using Sonic to bury Mario means you've already fainted.

SNAKE:

Snake may seem like the oddest inclusion ever yet. Those who play as him are probably entering into the world of Smash for the first time or just "trying him." Snake can be devastating in the right hands and hilarious in the wrong hands. Yet if you're a stalwart MGS player we reckon you're a neck-snapping, C4-toting bad ass with a lust for the death of the mushroom kingdom. That alone means we're packing spare pants.

META KNIGHT:

Having followed the Smash Bros. Dojo! for months, you've probably been sweating profusely after hearing Meta Knight was included. Everyone jumped on the "HARD-AS-HELL" bandwagon and it seemed like a race to see who could master him first. Done it? Sitting comfortable, well if you are we'll be off now. Meta Knight is a powerhouse in the right hands and if you're playing as him you're well on your way to mastering him. Which scares us. So we're off, running scared! Bye...

Spoilers: Beware, Secret Characters lie below!

Oh, wait a second. Well... it turns out there are a couple of hidden characters in Brawl. Some of them fall under the same categories as their partners above (Luigi with Mario, Falco and Wolf with Fox, Ness and strangely enough Lucario with Lucas, Toon Link with Link), but others are completely unique. Read on for even more...

CAPTAIN FALCON:

You probably quote "show me yo' moves" to the ladies and play F-Zero GX every night � just for the Falcon cutscenes. Captain Falcon was awesome in Melee but he needs Viagra here. You're probably using Falcon because you're his biggest fan. His ego appeals to you because you too are egotistical. Although he's gone soft in Brawl you're still in denial. That's what ego is all about, see?

GANON:

Ganon must have aged since Melee as he is as fast as the sandbag. Ganon has been nerfed too. And that's a good thing... for Link. You probably picked Ganon in Melee to play because of your E3 2000 Link/Ganon face-off fantasy. Yet with Ganon's current speed of a three-legged tortoise, you'll need to be probably a finely-tuned brawler with the parrying skills of Bruce Lee.

JIGGLYPUFF:

We STILL can't understand why this puffy pink thing was let back in for another pounding. If you use Jigglypuff you probably think Smash Bros is a karaoke game dedicated to the Bee Gees. We've yet to see ANYONE seriously use Jigglypuff online and off. If you use him, please get in touch with us. So we can direct you to the nearest mental institute.

MR GAME & WATCH:

Having the animation of a flip-book may seem like a bad thing but by using Mr G&W you're just enjoying the madcap moments that Brawling brings. We can't quite work out who uses Mr G&W - the hardcore Nintendo gamers tend to use the "core" characters whereas everyone else says "he just looks funny". Funny he may seem, but the potential for combos and hardcore brawling moments are ten-a-penny when Mr G&W gets his Brawl on.

ROB:

You're either a NES afficionado or have watched too much Johnny 5. Brawling as ROB proves baffling. Like many of the new-comers, his moveset hits the top of the bizarre-o-meter and so the rest are going to be wondering what the heck you're delivering next. ROB is a strange beast and although we've yet to encounter a hardcore ROB player, we know that he offers both the best and the worst of what Brawl characters offer.

So, which character is your favourite? Let us know in the comments below...