It has nothing to do with playing with or without items.  There is only one Smash orb per game.  The chances of ever getting to use ZSS if she's not selectable are not good at all.

That is true...and I'm quite certain ZSS will be playable at the start, possibly more likely as holding A at the start or something though. It seems like she's a fully developed (erm) fighter, balanced moves and all, but if she was fully selectable on the main selection screen, it'd kinda lessen the effect of Samus's Final Smash...I guess.

This thread isn't nerdy enough.

I think ZSS will be high tier.

*Runs to 4chan*

is the game out yet....?

does anyone have advice on "freeze yourself" techniques?

Yeah... I'm pretty sure I'm not a fan of ZSS given what we know so far. Even if she's selectable, we know Samus can't switch freely back and forth between forms. I mean, when she does her final smash, her power suit explodes into pieces and can be thrown around. I can't see that happening with B down.

I think they wanted a character who transforms, but didn't want it to be as simple as Zelda/Sheik, because people ended up just playing Sheik that way. Giving Squirtle/Ivysaur/Charizard "stamina" was a good way to make sure people switch. But I wish they hadn't done this final smash transformation, because if you can only very rarely switch between forms, it would be better off as two characters. Or worse, if one form isn't even selectable, developing the second form seems like an utter waste.

Luckily the possible lameness of ZSS is more than compensated for by the presence of Wario, Diddy Kong, Snake and Pokemon Trainer.

I'm just hoping that one form isn't completley superior to the other. 

Also, what happens if you fall as Zero Suit Samus?  Do you come back in your suit?

This was eventually coming because all the new characters (bar Lucas, who i believe is replacing Ness) had already gotten their special moves.

 You get to use final smash once, so if you've already used it and fall, I'm thinking you come back without the suit.

Maybe what they can do, in addition to switching forms with the final smash, is have Samus slowly become more powerful through the match depending on how much damage she does, until eventually her suit explodes. Then as ZSS, the same thing happens, until eventually she recovers her suit. And they could explain why that happens just by saying "Phazon," regardless of how Phazon works in the games.

So basically she would have unavoidable periodic transformations. (Just like a real woman. M I RITE?) But then you'd get to play as both forms more frequently.