I don't see this game having as many Pokemon as Brawl, thanks to the loss of the Trainer.
I can see us getting Pikachu, Jiggs, Charizard, Lucario, Greninja, and maybe a sixth character, but I can't see them bringing back both Ivysaur and Squirtle alongside Mewtwo or Pichu.
You cannot firmly grasp the true form of Squidward's technique!DLC aside, I expect 5 or 6 Pokemon to be playable. The data is the same overall for characters, so it means little in that regard.
Anyway, I consider any character not being playable from the previous game a great loss. They're all fun and interesting overall to me. Even the few I may dislike.
Shadow?Frankly, I'd rather not lose anyone either.
The ones I picked for the minimum were because we need Ness because as much as I don't want them to have more than two, Earthbound should have at least one rep. Captain Falcon is the same for F-Zero, and because he's popular. And Ganondorf because we need villains, and Zelda is the last franchise that should lose a character.
Yeah, that G&W tease at the end of the Pac Man trailer was as close to a confirmation as possible. No point in them sharing the title of oldest characters in the game if he's not in it.
Visit my Tumblr! I may say things. The Bureau ProjectI like the roster so far, but I'm still kinda unsure about Wario's chances of returning. And while I'm not one of those who are actively for or against Ridley, I admit to being curious about whether or not he'll manage to squeeze in.
I'm also wondering when we'll hear about Falcon, Ness, and Jigglypuff, but I'm not worried about them, however.

Yes. You definitely can. I've played games that do.