« 3DS Limitations Forced Sheik to be Separate Character »

Many players were already let down by the news that the Ice Climbers will not be in Super Smash Bros. because of the 3DS's hardware limitations, but it seems that they were not the only characters affected by the power of Nintendo's handheld. In an interview with Famitsu (via Siliconera), Masahiro Sakurai said those limitations also caused Sheik and Zelda to be two separate characters in the upcoming title.

"It’s basically due to the 3DS’ limitations," he said. "It was impossible to have both characters exist together [as one] on 3DS." However, Sakurai also said that perhaps it was not so bad, as "transforming characters had the drawback of ambiguous tactics and such, and I believe that they have become more fresh now."

For now, it's hard to say whether this change will have a positive or negative impact on the strength of both characters, but it has certainly shaken up the roster going into the new games. 

Super Smash Bros. for 3DS launches Oct. 3.