Seems like Nintendo have created a novel way to include every Nintendo character ever!

Super Smash Bros. fans will remember with great pleasure the trophy collection from Melee, but this time around Nintendo have recently updated the official site with details of a very different kind of trophy...

They are called Assist Trophies and do, well, exactly what they say on the tin - they assist you in battle! They work as an item which can be unleashed in battle, with the assist character doing their own thing and attacking your opponent(s). The most direct comparison that can be made is with the Pokéball item, you don't know who is going to pop out until you've opened the trophy up.

Nintendo says that Assist Trophies: "allow you to enjoy even more characters who couldn't quite make it as playable fighters. You may even see some that only the most dedicated fans will recognize, so you'll have to look forward to them." Great news for all those hardcore Nintendo fans who will no doubt revel in inflicting pain using their favourite niche characters...

So far Hammer Bros. and Samurai Goro (Captain Falcon's rival from the F-Zero series) have been revealed, along with the Nintendog previously shown in the E3 trailer. No doubt more will be shown in the days leading up the games release later this year, though plenty will probably remain a secret until gamers take to the battlefield.