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It's been a very long time since Nintendo revealed any newcomers for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS, but that all changed today during the latest Nintendo Direct. The presentation held plenty of worthwhile news for followers of the Big N, and one of the largest announcements came in the form of a never before playable combatant for the industry's most illustrious crossover fighting game.

The new playable character(s) is none other than a team comprised of Rosalina and Luna, both of which debuted in the Super Mario Galaxy series. While other combatants, such as the Ice Climbers, have utilized team-based play in the past, R&L appear to play very differently from previous fighters in the franchise — adding a ton of strategic depth to the princess and her pet star in the process.

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As is evident by the latest cinematic trailer (something that will only be produced for newcomers), there are all kinds of combat methods that seasoned players will have access to in hopes of demolishing the competition. Instead of having its own set of lives like Nana from the Ice Climbers does, Luma appears to be replaceable in a similar fashion to Olimar's Pikmin — as is evident by the variety of differently colored Lumas present in the reveal.

Given that Rosalina appeared as a playable character in Super Mario 3D World, not to mention that there's a Super Mario Galaxy stage in one of the new Super Smash Bros. games, it's not all that surprising that she'd be making a playable appearance in the forthcoming installments. With the space-fairing princess now officially joining the fray, that brings the total number of Smash participants up to 19. With 2014 set as the games' broad release window, however, there's still plenty of more reveals left in store for fans.

What do you think of Rosalina's inclusion? Which newcomer are you hoping gets announced next?

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