Super Smash Bros. Brawl/Simple character comparison

Table comparison
It might be hard for people who owns a Super Smash Bros Brawl prima guide to compare notes to whose the best character to play so this is design to make it easier for people who is still undecided about who are they going to fight as.

Character statistics
There's at least seven ratings used for people using this guide. Offense, defense, projectiles, final smash, throwing ability, speed and overall performance. Here's the ratings for all the characters in the game.

Characters without projectile and final smash
Characters without projectiles will have to stay close to the opponent (With the exception of Zero Suit Samus). The final smash for Zero Suit Samus has been effective but has not been recorded on the guide so let's just stay with the Samus Final Smash instead. It will be important to be effective in close range if you're character don't have a long range projectile.
 * Character without projectile: Captain Falcon, Donkey Kong, Ganondorf, Ike, Jigglypuff, Kirby, Marth, Meta Knight, Sonic, Wario.
 * Character without final smash: Zero-Suit Samus.

Offense
This is based on how strong their strength are. It's important for you to be able to know what makes your character effective in attacking an opponent. If you don't attack your opponent, you're going to end up getting smash out of the screen.
 * 9: Marth
 * 8: Captain Falcon, Diddy Kong, Ike, Jigglypuff, Lucas, Ness, Peach, Zero-Suit Samus, Snake, Sonic, Toon Link, Wolf.
 * 7: Bowser, Falco, Ganondorf, Ice Climbers, King Dedede, Link, Lucario, Luigi, Mario, Mr Game and Watch, Pit, Pokemon Trainer, Samus, Sheik.
 * 6: Donkey Kong, Fox, Meta Knight, Pikachu, Wario, Zelda.
 * 5: Kirby, Oilmar, ROB, Yoshi.

Defense
This refers to how evasive the characters can take to avoid damage. This should be important that you would be able to take damage if you do get attacked. If you can't defend yourself, than there's nothing left to keep you alive but to attack.
 * 10: Jigglypuff.
 * 9: Lucario.
 * 8: Marth, Meta Kinght, Peach, Pokemon Trainer, Wolf.
 * 7: Captain Falcon, Diddy Kong, Falco, Ike, King Dedede, Link, Lucas, Ness, ROB, Toon Link, Sheik.
 * 6: Mario, Zero-Suit Samus.
 * 5: Bowser, Donkey Kong, Ice Climbers, Kirby, Pikachu, Samus, Snake, Sonic, Yoshi, Zelda.
 * 4: Fox, Luigi, Mr Game and Watch, Wario.
 * 3: Ganondorf, Olimar, Pit.

Projectile
Compare to close combat, this is worth the need to keep a distance between you and your opponent. You still have the option if your opponent gets too close to you, forcing you to attack at close range.
 * 10: Fox, Link, Toon Link.
 * 9: Lucas, Ness, Pit, Snake.
 * 8: Diddy Kong, Lucario, Samus.
 * 7: Falco, Mario, Olimar, Peach, ROB, Zero-Suit Samus, Wolf, Sheik.
 * 6: King Dedede, Luigi, Pikachu, Yoshi, Zelda.
 * 5: Ice Climbers, Mr Game and Watch, Pokemon Trainer.
 * 3: Bowser.

Final Smash
When you obtain the Smash Ball item, you can unleash the characters most powerful attack. But if your final smash has its limitations, than it's difficult to set it up to be more effective and some final smash has little effect but instead will be helpful to be able to get a breather during the round. This will be important that to turn the tables you need to be able to use the final smash depending on how it's used (With the exception of Zero-Suit Samus which does damage to nearby opponents but the effect is not rated in this Prima Guide). If you don't use it, once you get attacked, the Smash Ball will get out of your character and your opponents will be the next one to use it.
 * 9: Falco, Fox, Olimar, Wolf.
 * 8: Ice Climbers, Jigglypuff, Mario, Marth, Pokemon Trainer, Snake.
 * 7: Bowser, Diddy Kong, Ganondorf, King Dedede, Link, Lucas, Ness, Pit, Samus, Sonic, Toon Link, Yoshi, Zelda, Sheik.
 * 6: Captain Falcon, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Peach, Wario.
 * 5: Luigi, Mr Game and Watch.
 * 4: Ike, Lucario, Meta Knight, Pikachu, ROB.

Throwing Ability
While offense and defense are well balanced to each other, you can also throw the opponent depending how effective the throw is. This is not wrestling by any means but it does help add strategy to the game. As an option, you can throw almost anywhere whether its in the ground or in the air or if someone use defence frequently, you can throw the opponent anyway you want.
 * 10: Captain Falcon.
 * 9: Marth.
 * 8: Bowser, Donkey Kong, Ice Climbers, Ness, Sheik.
 * 7: Falco, Fox, Ganondorf, King Dedede, Kirby, Lucas, Luigi, Mario, Mr Game and Watch, Pikachu, Pit, Snake, Wario.
 * 6: Diddy Kong, Ike, Lucario, Olimar, Meta Knight, Peach, ROB, Pokemon Trainer, Sonic, Zelda.
 * 5: Samus, Sero-Suit Samus, Wolf, Yoshi.
 * 4: Jigglypuff.
 * 3: Link, Toon Link.

Speed
With the characters in different weights, its obvious that the slower the opponent is, the more powerful and durable the opponent is. The lightweights will have to keep moving so you can be effective by using light attacks and moving around the arena in a speed of light. It's important that you don't just stand there and besides moving around the arena, it's also how fast your attack is. So if you don't move around, you'll end up missing on items you want to get like a Smash Ball and time your attack.
 * 10: Captain Falcon, Diddy Kong, Falco, Fox, Pikachu, Sonic.
 * 9: Sheik.
 * 8: Meta Knight, Zero-Suit Samus.
 * 7: Lucas, Mario, Marth, Mr Game and Watch, Pokemon Trainer, Toon Link, Yoshi, Zelda.
 * 6: Donkey Kong, Ice Climbers, Kirby, Link, Lucario, Luigi, Ness, Olimar, Peach, ROB, Samus, Wario, Wolf.
 * 5: Ike, Jigglypuff, Pit.
 * 4: King Dedede, Snake.
 * 3: Ganondorf.
 * 1: Bowser.

Overall
This would the most important aspect when you weigh up all the factors which might help you succeed through the game. Whether you prefer close combat, long range combat, thrower, a powerful finisher, speed or an all rounded fighter, its worth trying out all the fighters from the most powerful overall character to the least powerful overall character. Since all the characters are made faithfully in their own right, you should be able to be effective in all the categories I mentioned above.
 * 9: Marth.
 * 8: Captain Falcon, Diddy Kong, Peach, Snake, Toon Link, Wolf.
 * 7: Bowser, Falco, Jigglypuff, King Dedede, Link, Lucario, Lucas, Mario, Ness, Pit, Pokemon Trainer, Zero-Suit Samus, Sonic, Sheik.
 * 6: Donkey Kong, Fox, Ganondorf, Ice Climbers, Ike, Luigi, Meta Knight, Mr Game and Watch, ROB, Samus, Zelda.
 * 5: Kirby, Olimar, Pikachu, Wario, Yoshi.