Super Smash Bros. Poll

:Not to be confused with Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot
After the release of Super Smash Bros. in Japan, the official website asked players to send in a questionnaire, detailing their favourite characters in Smash 64 and those they wished were in the game. As the internet was still in its infancy, from a modern perspective, not many votes were submitted. The voting was open until 31st May 1999, with the results being released the next day. The overall total votes were not publicly released.
==Favourite character==
The first poll would arrange characters by series, showing further candidates.Favourite Character Results, Favourite Character (English)
Given the popularity of Metal Mario, and the rest of the polls being based on things players want to see in the future, the poll could have influenced the Metal Box and Super Mushroom's appearances in Melee.
Name 	Votes Received	Summary of Reasons
 	252 	Copy ability, multiple jumps makes SDs rare, can use the same controls as those in , cute appearance, familiarity.
 	203 	Unique moveset, particularly referring to PK Thunder; fans of , cute appearance.
 	140 	Easy to play as, up and down aerials, Bombs, fans of .
 	98 	Falcon Punch, numerous zero-to-death combos, easy to handle, no use of weapons, fans of .
 	95 	Quick movements, strong attacks like Thunder, easy to use, cute appearance - particularly with its taunt.
 	85 	Strong woman, Charge Shot, Screw Attack, fans of the series.
 	70 	"It wouldn't be a Nintendo game without Luigi," unmotivated but cool character, strong appeal with suspicious eyes.
 	68 	Face of Nintendo, easy to use, moveset that's easy to get used to.
 	60 	Fast moves, Reflector, voice actor, looks the coolest, closest character to Slippy Toad.
 	47 	Hip Drop, unique double jump, appreciation for his strange maneuverability, easy to use despite his strength, down aerial, Egg Throw.
 	42 	Strong movement, strong in the air, using weakness to win.
 	38 	Looks slow, but is quick; up smash. One person refers to "Michizure," meaning forcing someone to take part in something, which could refer to the infinite throw trap.
 	24 	None
Fighting Polygon Team	17 	None
 	11 	None
 	3 	None
==Aggregate results==
These results were released second.Aggregate Results, Aggregate Results (English)
Name 	Series 	Votes Received	Current status
Bowser 	Super Mario 	169 	Playable since Melee.
Princess Peach 	Super Mario 	66 	Playable since Melee.
Wario 	 	65 	Cameo as a trophy in Melee, referenced by Mario's alternate colours, playable since Brawl.
King Dedede 	Kirby 	46 	Cameo as a trophy in Melee, cameo in in Smash 64 and Melee, playable since Brawl.
Ganondorf 	The Legend of Zelda	36 	Playable since Melee.
James Bond 	 	35 	Indirect cameo via the Proximity Mine item in the PAL and NTSC releases of Melee.
Mewtwo 	Pokémon 	35 	Playable in Melee and Ultimate, DLC in Smash 4, intended for Brawl but was reduced to sticker and trophy cameos.
Banjo & Kazooie 	 	33 	DLC in Ultimate, in part thanks to the Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot.
Toad 	Super Mario 	27 	Cameo as a trophy since Melee, cameo as sticker in Brawl, cameo as part of Peach's moveset, basis of a well-known hoax.
Mew 	Pokémon 	24 	Cameo as a Poké Ball Pokémon since Smash 64, cameo as trophy since Melee, cameo as sticker in Brawl.
Marth 	Fire Emblem 	21 	Playable since Melee.
Mr. Saturn 	Mother 	18 	Usable as item since Melee, cameo as a trophy since Melee, cameo as a sticker in Brawl.
Ash Ketchum 	Pokémon 	18 	Pokémon Trainer acts and sounds similar to the character in Brawl. Ash has historically been referenced in Pokémon games through preset player names, even at the time. He is mentioned in Pokémon Trainer’s trophy description in Smash 4 and has been vaguely referenced through Greninja transforming into Ash-Greninja during Secret Ninja Attack in Ultimate.
"Character from Fire Emblem"	Fire Emblem 	18 	Individual votes for Fire Emblem characters that weren't for Marth were consolidated to this sample. No characters that predate Smash 64 have been playable to date, but the white palette swap of Marth makes him resemble Leif of Tharcia 776, while the blue palette swap of Ike makes him resemble Sigurd from Genealogy of the Holy War. Numerous cameos by Fire Emblem characters since Brawl, via stickers, trophies, and spirits.
Gooey 	Kirby 	17 	Cameo as trophy in Melee, cameo as spirit in Ultimate.
Diddy Kong 	Donkey Kong 	15 	No cameo in Melee but mentioned in Dixie Kong's trophy description, playable character since Brawl.
Sukapon 	Joy Mech Fight 	15 	Intended to be an item in Melee, cameo as a sticker in Brawl, Assist Trophy in Ultimate.
"Someone from Pokémon" 	Pokémon 	12 	Individual votes for Pokémon that weren't for Mew, Mewtwo, or Lugia were consolidated into this sample; possibly fulfilled by Squirtle, Ivysaur and Charizard (the Kanto Pokémon outside of Mewtwo, Jigglypuff or Pikachu that were made playable). Numerous cameos by the characters since Melee, via trophies, stages, and stickers.
Meta Knight 	Kirby 	11 	Cameo as trophy in Melee, playable since Brawl.
Lugia 	Pokémon 	11 	Usable Poké Ball Pokémon since Melee, cameo as trophy since Melee, cameo as sticker in Brawl.
===Notes===
*The website claimed that, at the time, Super Smash Bros. Melee was not planned. However, Masahiro Sakurai would later admit that he was drafting the design document for Melee while the poll was active and lied to make the reveal a surprise and keep pressure off everyone involved.News Flash! Smash Bros. Dojo: Smash Begins!
*In the case of multiple characters being listed in a vote, only the first was counted.
*Ganon and Ganondorf were counted as a single character.
*"Fire Emblem" and "Pokémon" were votes that didn't specify a specific character; in other words, they did not note a character like Marth or Mewtwo.
*In the case of Lugia, was just about to release in Japanese cinemas, being released on July 17th, 1999. In Japan, it was known as "Revelation: Lugia".
*The end of the page notes that Bowser, King Dedede, and Mewtwo were intended to be in the game, but were cut for "circumstances here and there".
==Results by series==
A third poll would arrange characters by series, showing further candidates.Series-Based Results, Series-Based Results (English)
===Super Mario===
Name 	Votes Received	Current status
Bowser 	169 	Playable since Melee, featured on the front cover.
Princess Peach	66 	Playable since Melee.
Wario 	65 	Trophy in Melee, playable since Brawl.
Toad 	27 	Numerous cameos across the franchise, featured as Peach's neutral special.
Koopa Troopa 	9 	Enemy in Adventure Mode, The Subspace Emissary, and Smash Run, numerous cameos.
Kamek 	8 	Sticker in Brawl, stage element, Smash Tour element, and trophy in Smash 4, spirit and stage element in Ultimate.
Goomba 	7 	Enemy in Adventure Mode, The Subspace Emissary, and Smash Run, numerous other cameos.
Mallow 	5 	Spirit in Ultimate.
Geno 	5 	Mii Fighter Costume DLC in Smash 4 and Ultimate, and a spirit in the latter.
Baby Mario 	2 	Trophy in Melee, Brawl, and Smash 4. Spirit in Ultimate.
===Pokémon===
Name 	Votes Received	Current status
Mewtwo 	35 	Playable in Melee and Ultimate, DLC in Smash 4, and cameos in Brawl.
Mew 	24 	Poké Ball encounter since Smash 64.
Ash Ketchum 	18 	Referenced through Ash-Greninja in Greninja's Secret Ninja Attack in Ultimate. Adjacent references through Pokémon Trainer in Brawl and Ultimate. He is also mentioned in Pokémon Trainer’s trophy description in Smash 4.
"Someone from Pokémon"	12 	Too general and unspecified.
Lugia 	11 	Poké Ball encounter since Melee.
Meowth 	8 	Poké Ball encounter in Smash 64, then Brawl onwards; trophy, sticker, and spirit appearances across the franchise.
Raichu 	7 	Mentioned in trophies and Palutena's Guidance until Ultimate, where Alolan Raichu is a Poké Ball encounter.
Marill 	5 	Poké Ball encounter and trophy in Melee, spirit in Ultimate.
Bulbasaur 	5 	Trophy in Melee and Brawl.
Togepi 	5 	Poké Ball encounter since Melee; various trophy, sticker, and spirit appearances.
====Notes====
*Ash is referred to as "Protagonist" in these results, implying that Red was counted as well.
*Lugia can be attributed to being scheduled for release in Japanese cinemas that year, on July 17th, 1999. In Japan, the movie was known as "Revelation: Lugia".
* would not be released until the following year; however, Marill was revealed at the November 1997 SpaceWorld event and had seen multiple anime appearances. Likewise, Togepi would serve a role on the main cast of the anime.
===The Legend of Zelda===
Name 	Votes Received	Current status
Ganon/Ganondorf	36 	Playable since Melee; Ganon is a boss in Ultimate.
Young Link 	8 	Playable in Melee and Ultimate.
Princess Zelda 	8 	Playable since Melee.
Sheik 	8 	Playable since Melee.
Darunia 	2 	Master spirit in Ultimate.
===Kirby===
Name 	Votes Received	Current status
King Dedede 	46 	Cameos in Smash 64 and Melee, playable since Brawl.
Gooey 	17 	Trophy in Melee, spirit in Ultimate.
Meta Knight 	11 	Trophy in Melee, playable since Brawl.
"One of Kirby's Friends"	10 	Too general and unspecified.
Waddle Dee 	3 	Trophy in Melee, Brawl, and Smash 4, part of King Dedede's Waddle Dee Toss and Waddle Dee Army in Brawl, enemies in Smash Run, spirit in Ultimate.
===EarthBound===
Name 	Votes Received	Current status
Mr. Saturn 	18 	Item since Melee, possible pull from Peach's Vegetable.
Poo 	6 	Trophy in Melee, sticker in Brawl, cameos on Magicant in Smash 4, spirit and part of Ness's PK Starstorm attack in Ultimate.
"Other EarthBound Characters"	4 	Too general and unspecified.
Paula 	4 	Trophy in Melee, sticker in Brawl, cameos on Magicant in Smash 4, spirit and part of Ness's PK Starstorm attack in Ultimate. Implied to have taught Ness PK Fire and PK Thunder in Melee.
 	3 	Trophy in Melee and Smash 4, sticker in Brawl, Assist Trophy since Smash 4.
Jeff 	2 	Trophy in Melee, Brawl, and Smash 4, sticker in Brawl and Assist Trophy since that game.
===Star Fox===
Name 	Votes Received	Current status
Falco Lombardi	7 	Playable since Melee.
Slippy Toad 	5 	Cameos on Corneria, Lylat Cruise, and Shadow Moses Island across the series. Appears in an Adventure Mode cutscene. Trophy in Melee, Brawl, and Smash 4. Sticker in Brawl and spirit in Ultimate.
Wolf O'Donnell	4 	Playable in Brawl and Ultimate.
Peppy Hare 	2 	Cameos on Corneria and Lylat Cruise across the series. Appears in an Adventure Mode cutscene.
===Fire Emblem===
Name 	Votes Received	Current status
Marth 	21 	Playable since Melee.
"Someone from Fire Emblem"	18 	Too general and unspecified.
Ogma 	8 	No appearances.
Seliph 	4 	Spirit in Ultimate.
Sigurd 	2 	Spirit in Ultimate.
Leif 	2 	Referenced via one of Marth's alternate costumes since Melee. Spirit in Ultimate.
==="Rare company related"===
Name 	Series 	Votes Received	Current status
James Bond 	James Bond 	35 	Vaguely referenced through the Proximity Mine in PAL/NTSC Melee releases.
Banjo & Kazooie 	Banjo-Kazooie	18 	DLC in Ultimate.
Diddy Kong 	Donkey Kong 	15 	Playable since Brawl.
Robot from Blast Corps	Blast Corps 	2 	No appearances.
Alec Trevelyan 	James Bond 	2 	Vaguely referenced through the Proximity Mine in PAL/NTSC Melee releases.
====Notes====
*Blast Corps had released 2 years prior and had received widespread acclaim in Japan.The Making of Blast Corps
==="NES / SNES properties"===
Name 	Series 	Votes Received	Current status
Sukapon 	Joy Mecha Fight 	15 	Intended to be an item in Melee, cameo as a sticker in Brawl, Assist Trophy in Ultimate.
Lip 	Panel de Pon 	9 	Referenced through Lip's Stick since Melee.
Prince Richard 	Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru 	8 	Referenced through Prince of Sablé, spirit in Ultimate.
Metroid 	Metroid 	6 	Assist Trophy since Brawl.
Foreman Spike 	Wrecking Crew 	6 	Vaguely referenced through Mario's black alternate costumes since Melee, used in Event Matches such as Wrecking Mario and Wrecking Bros.
Pit 	Kid Icarus 	5 	Playable since Brawl.
Donbe 	Shin Onigashima 	5 	Trophy in Melee and spirit in Ultimate alongside Hikari.
Dion, Max or Jack (Main Characters)	Marvelous: Mōhitotsu no Takarajima	5 	Dion, Max and Jack are spirits in Ultimate.
Samurai Goroh 	F-Zero 	4 	Trophy in Melee, Assist Trophy since Brawl.
Ice Climbers 	Ice Climber 	4 	Playable in Melee, Brawl and Ultimate, was intended to be playable in Smash 4 before being cut.
Balloon Fighter 	Balloon Fight 	4 	Trophy in Melee, Sticker in Brawl, spirit in Ultimate, Music in various titles, Masterpiece in Smash 4, referenced through Villager's up special.
====Notes====
*Metroid votes include the Baby Metroid from Super Metroid.
==="That's not Nintendo!"===
Name 	Series 	Votes Received	Current status
Chocobo 	Final Fantasy 	9 	DLC Mii Fighter Costume in Smash 4 and Ultimate.
Doraemon 	Doraemon 	7 	No appearances.
Bomberman 	Bomberman 	5 	Assist Trophy in Ultimate.
Crash Bandicoot	Crash Bandicoot 	4 	No appearances, but has been the source of multiple rumours.
Sonic 	Sonic the Hedgehog	3 	Intended for Melee, playable since Brawl.
Mega Man 	Mega Man 	3 	Playable since Smash 4.
==Impact==
All but 4 characters in the poll results — Ogma, a Blast Corps robot, Crash Bandicoot, and Doraemon — would later appear in the Smash franchise in some capacity; if not as playable fighters, they would appear through cameos, such as as items, trophies, stickers, or spirits. Even James Bond, a character largely seen as out of Smashs reach, has seen representation in the Proximity Mine from GoldenEye 007 in the PAL and NTSC releases of Melee, and Ash Ketchum has been indirectly referenced through Pokémon Trainer and Secret Ninja Attack. It should be noted that Blast Corps is referenced in the game data of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but no content actually appears in-game.
A similar poll, the Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot, would be launched in 2015, 16 years later; this poll would be used to determine the final DLC character for Super Smash Bros. 4, and influence the roster choices in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Out of all realisable characters for Smash 4, Bayonetta won, but the true winner was revealed to be Sora after he was revealed to be the final DLC character for Ultimate.Sora revealed to be the "true" winner of the Fighter Ballot
==References==
Category:Defunct websites