Not too long ago, Super Smash Bros. head Masahiro Sakurai claimed that he didn't want the fourth installment in Nintendo's popular brawler to get watered down by an excessively large cast. Apparently either he's removing some from prior entries in the series or he's changed his mind, as work on skills for several new characters is currently underway.
During this weekend's Computer Entertainment Developers Conference in Tokyo, Mr. Sakurai unveiled the news, stating that “It’s fun making new skills for new characters.” Well, I'm glad you're having fun, good sir, but please don't let your quest for enjoyment compromise the development of this game.
The cast of Brawl was incredibly large, and the addition of third-party characters like Solid Snake and Sonic took away from the cohesive Nintendo feel seen in the original. Let's hope that Sakurai doesn't get too character happy with the fourth installment.
[Source]