Lucas

Nintendo knows what it's done. It's releasing paid-DLC characters for Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, opened the Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot for fans to vote for future inclusions, and in the process got us dreaming of exciting characters arriving in the future. Rumours and counter-rumours fly around as a result.

Of course, some relatively solid rumours - still with an emphasis on rumours - have emerged courtesy of data mining since the most recent software update. Credibility of leftover files apparently discovered has held up through multiple members of the homebrew and data mining community, such as talk of Ryu and Roy being potential future characters; it's worth remember that the existence of leftover files doesn't confirm content, however, but could be sample data accidentally left behind.

Nevertheless, with those provisos established, there's been more detailed digging into code, with some interpretations going a little further than the rumours of last week.

As outlined on the sourcegaming blog, a number of 'Mario' slots point to a total of five inactive character slots in addition to Mewtwo. One is Lucas, while another two are thought to be Ryu and Roy - that gives us two additional slots that are unaccounted for. What these will be is unknown, of course, but may be clearing the way for future ballot results - these numbers also tie-in with impressions from empty slots on the Smash Bros. website.

Further deciphering of data, primarily audio files, points to a potential addition of seven more stages - there's belief that at least one of these will be a Kirby stage. Whether stages are on the way in future paid-DLC - or free - bundles will become clear in time.

So the consensus at present is that we could have four additional characters on the way aside from Lucas, and seven stages. Or this leftover data could lead to nothing - that's the fun of rumours.

If these clues in the code are accurate, does this fit your hopes for the volume of potential DLC in Smash Bros.? Let us know.

[source sourcegaming.wordpress.com, via reddit.com]