Hot off the heels of two big character developments for the Super Smash Bros series, Nintendo decided to have an election.

Satoru Iwata, during today’s Nintendo Direct, launched the Super Smash Bros Fighter Ballot and asked fans for their input for the next playable character on the fighting roster.  The microsite has already launched and is open for votes.

With the announcement, Iwata did mention that all suggestions will be considered but some will not be accommodated, possibly suggesting that third party characters seen on earlier hardware generations may be out of the question.

The ballot asks for your gender, your character of choice, the software the character appears, and most importantly: why you’re choosing the character.  The deadline for entry is October 13th.

Let us know who you would like to see join the battle!

Here’s hoping for Tingle.

My Opinion:

Nintendo isn’t pulling back the punches when it comes to Smash Bros. The company hasn’t been shy about marketing their flagship software; most of their Directs have been front loaded with any developing news they have to offer, much like last year.

Historically, Nintendo has been a company that has been particularly insular towards community input; however, this is great step forward. This ballot will also stimulate an extended interest in the software that, as of late, has died down after its initial release. Let’s hope there are no “hanging chads” in this election, eh?

Mark Powell is an Associate Writer for MONG and just missed the last train to Clarksville. Please, don’t meet me at the station. You can follow him on Twitter and on his IGN blog.