User blog comment:Legendary Pop-Fizz/Fighter Ballot: Early Results?/@comment-24529455-20150406223612

This doesn't surprise me that much. Now why the heck is Abraham Lincoln in the frontrunners category? What Nintendo game was he in exactly?

I don't really know what to think about third parties. I don't consider the two sources here to be reliable enough. I would understand Nintendo's point if the picture leak shown above is true, because even if the other companies want their character in Nintendo still has to worry about legal matters and the other companies would probably be breathing down their necks all the time. So while I'd like to see more third parties (Rayman!), I'd be OK if there wasn't any.

As for the Assist Trophies, Nintendo made them Assist Trophies and not playable characters for a reason, people. Not everyone can be in Smash. I very much doubt Nintendo would go to the trouble to remove Assist Trophies, or even more crazily, program them to not appear at certain points. They have better things to do!

If this leak really is true, which I say is about 40% likely, then I do like how Nintendo didn't even include fourth party and non-game characters in the lists. That's what they think of silly requests like that (although poor Shrek and Goku).