Hello Source Gaming fans, Spazzy_D here. Today we will be looking at SEGA characters that we think would be a great fit for Smash Bros. This is a bit of a sequel to what TheAnvil and myself wrote concerning possible Rare characters, but this time Nantendo is joining in on the fun to make what would be a top 10 ten list into our top 15 most wanted SEGA characters for Smash.
A few ground rules before we get to the countdown. Number 1, even though we all agree that Sonic would probably get another rep if SEGA ever does get another character in Smash, we decided it would be more interesting to only include characters from other franchises. Similarly, we decided to not double dip into franchises, so each one of these 15 represents a unique series. In addition to this, a decision was made to not include characters that never had a game on Nintendo hardware (virtual console releases are fine), so characters such as Ryo Hazuki from Shenmue were instantly disqualified. It should also be noted that even with 15 characters, SEGA has such a wide and varied stable of characters that some of our favorites didn’t make the cut. (Sorry Vyse and Vectorman fans). So, without further ado, here our the SEGA characters we want in Smash:
*This is an opinion based article and should be treated as such. To clarify, we do not necessarily think that these characters will be added to Smash.
15. Bayonetta (Bayonetta)
I feel at this point talking about Bayonetta’s chances for Super Smash Bros is like beating a dead horse so I will not spend a lot of time on it. In previous SourceGaming posts Bluepikmin gave his reasoning for why Bayonetta should get in while Spazzy_D gave a counter-argument. These are my two cents: Bayonetta 2 was probably the most important 3rd party game on the Wii U and will always be remembered as such. Unfortunately the game did not sell well and if Platinum was to get any representation then Wonder Red, as a Nintendo character, makes more sense. Add to the fact that Bayonetta’s inclusion in any form runs the risk of increasing the age rating of the game (which is something Nintendo have tried to avoid by removing the Tharja trophy) and I do not see Sakurai and his team taking that risk to include her. I put her on this list however because she is a Sega character who has recently meant something to Nintendo and so she deserves a spot at least.
14. Billy Hatcher (Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg)
Billy Hatcher would be a real fron
t runner for SEGA characters making it into Smash Bros. Hailing from a greatly overlooked franchise by SEGA, his eponymous game was one of the few Zelda-esque clones that actually hit it out of the park.
For those unfamiliar with Billy, he was the hero that would liberate Morning Land from Dark Raven and his Evil Crows, who wanted to create eternal darkness. Dawning his legendary Chicken Suit and backed by his trusty friends he would go on an epic adventure filled with rolling large eggs, charming character designs and quirky music, all to stop Raven from hatching the giant egg to gain ultimate power.
As far as his moveset goes, the egg rolling would make for a fantastic final smash, along with all sorts of egg related normal moves. Think Yoshi cross Link with a bunch of unique tricks thrown in the mix. An interesting combo which could create a fresh and innovating character for Smash.
Don’t forget to to taunt your opponent with a Cock-A-Doodle-Doo!
13. Alis Landale (Phantasy Star)
Phantasy Star is one of SEGA’s longest running and most successful franchises. The series also has a strange tie to Nintendo history as Phantasy Star Online is one of 5 games that actually used the Gamecube’s broadband adaptor.The original Phantasy Star launched on December 20, 1987. This is important for a few reasons. First of all, this really helps establish the series as one of the forefathers of the the JRPG genre. To give you a frame of reference, the original Final Fantasty on the NES launched just two days before Phantasy Star, on December 18th of the same year. Second of all, the game was the first JRPG to star a female protagonist. Alis Landale, the heroine of the Algo Star system, was a kicking butt and taking names only a year after Samus made her debut on the NES. Even though Alis only appears in the original Phantasy Star, her legacy is brought up in many of the future installments of the series. For those wondering about possible moves, Alis is a capable swordswoman who can also use various magic and items from her series to make her a fun addition to a game such as Smash.
12. NiGHTS (NiGHTS into Dreams…)
NiGHTS is a very special character to fans. He has only had three games of his own, two on the Sega Saturn which was not a very successful system, and then one game on the Nintendo Wii. The original Saturn game is very notorious now and the character of NiGHTS has cameoed in a very large amount of Sonic Team’s games from Phantasy Star to Billy Hatcher to Sonic (as they were the developers of NiGHTS). Thanks to these cameos as well as NiGHTS Journey of Dreams on the Wii, NiGHTS has associated herself with Nintendo and so qualifies for entry into Super Smash Brothers. Being a Sonic Team creation helps her but she does have issues. NiGHTS is a fairly pacifist character with the ability to fly. This has not stopped Sakurai in the past however, just look at Wii Fit Trainer for the former and Bowser Jr. for the latter. Yet I think the lack of NiGHTS own titles and her status more as a cult character than a superstar will keep her back (remember that getting into smash works differently for 3rd party characters than Nintendo characters).
11. Mobo & Robo (Bonanza Bros.)
What’s better than one Bonanza Bro? Well, two Bonzana Bros. of course! Putting the player in the role of the bad guys, Mobo and Robo were responsible for burgling such places as a bank, a mansio, a casino and an art gallery among others. While being one of the earliest notable games that made the player rely on stealth to succeed, the Bros were equipped with some crazy megaphone looking firearms.
In terms of their Smash Bros. moveset potential, I’d envision them to be a duo functioning along the lines of the Ice Climbers. As thieves, they’d be able to steal moves from their opponents, and they’d absolutely have to use their blimp for the Final Smash!
10. Joe Musashi (Shinobi)
As I mentioned in our previous Source Gaming Choice, Smash could use a more traditional Ninja, and Joe Musashi from Shinobi is a great example of just such a character. Joe is the main protagonist of 5 games in the Shinobi series and makes appearances in several more titles. The series debuted in 1987 and reached its peak during the days of the SEGA Genesis, but that is not to say that franchise has long been dormant. The most recent game in the series was actually 2011’s Shinobi 3D, a 3DS game where you take control of Joe’s son, Jiro Musashi. Joe is everything you would expect from a ninja, and his combination of speed, agility, weaponry (being an expert with the katana and the shuriken) and ninjitsu magic (which gives him the ability to summon lightning from the skies, jump to great heights, shoot fireballs, or even create duplicates of himself) would make for one fun smasher.
9. Amitie/Arle Nadja
While Puyo Puyo did not begin as a Sega franchise they are still the company that most people I know think of when discussing this puzzle game series. The series is super popular in Japan and has been brought over to the west a few times; even Kirby got in on the action in Kirby Ghost Trap/Avalanche. Since 2001, Sonic team have been the developers for the Puyo Puyo franchise and the first game they developed was for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. Probably the biggest Puyo Puyo game they made was Puyo Pop Fever on the Gamecube which stars Amitie as the protagonist. This upbeat girl could easily be described as the western mascot for the Puyo Puyo series as well as Sega’s own original mascot for the franchise which is why I chose to include her here, however there is another suitable rep for this franchise being Arle Nadja. I could not decide between the two. While Amitie has both the Sega and Nintendo connection that Arle Nadja lacks, the latter was the original protagonist of all the early Puyo Puyo games until Puyo Pop Fever. She has recently seen a resurgence back into the spotlight in Puyo Puyo!! 20th Anniversary and she is a very popular character for the smash ballot in japan according to the results found by our very own PushDustin where she ranked 16.
8. Roman Centurion (Altered Beast)
Wise from your gwave…
Altered Beast is a side scrolling beat-em-up, set in the same canonical world as the Golden Axe franchise. Boasting an awesome soundtrack, its gameplay is lacking in the kind of quality that sees other SEGA titles such as Streets of Rage or Golden Axe, nevertheless it still holds the distinction of being an extremely enjoyable experience.
Altered Beast remains one of SEGA’s most well known games, with the main villain of the game even making a cameo appearance in Disney’s Wreck it Ralph. Possessing 4 different beast modes in the original game, and despite many more added in the 2 sequels it received, the Werewolf form of the Roman Centurion is perhaps the most iconic form. I would envision a Smash moveset to be based around the Werewolf, with a Final Smash transforming the character into the Dragon form for a small duration.
7. Ulala (Space Channel 5)
Most of my choices for this countdown are characters who originated in the 8 or 16-bit eras. Ulala is, in comparison, a fairly new addition to SEGA’s character roster. It doesn’t make her any less deserving or popular, though. Ulala is a stylish reporter in Space Channel 5, a Dreamcast title that found players competing in various dance offs or rhythmically shooting enemies in order to pull in top ratings. It’s a …weird game, but one the perfectly exemplifies the strange energy that seemed to define SEGA in the Saturn and Dreamcast days. The game has become a bit of a cult classic over the years, and Ulala herself has found her way into almost every SEGA crossover. She’s just such colorful and fun character, and I’m also pretty sure she would be the first dancing, ray gun wielding, space reporter to be playable in a Smash Bros. game.
6. Alex Kidd (Alex Kidd in Miracle World)
Alex Kidd was the original Sonic the Hedgehog. Before Sega was all about the blue-blur, Alex Kidd was their monkey mascot and for the video game industry he was a sensation in the early 1980s. Although his first appearance on a Nintendo system would not be until 2008 with Sega Superstar Tennis on the Wii and DS (and then later that year his first game on the Virtual Console), Alex Kidd was still an important character to Sega and gaming. He was a platforming hero and so his implementation into Super Smash Bros. would be a lot easier than many of the other characters here. Alex Kidd has a variety of vehicles like his ‘pedicopter’ and pogo stick that can be used in battle. They could also pull a Pac-Man with Alex Kidd by having him represent various classic Sega characters from the Master System and Arcade days of Sega. This would also tie into his more recent appearance which have been exclusively in Sega cross-over titles. The only real problem Alex Kidd has are the two previously mentioned points. He is not really relevant anymore and he was never really relevant to Nintendo so it really depends on how Smash is going to go from here on. Will it be a celebration of Nintendo’s history or a celebration of the history of video games as a whole?
5. Ristar (Ristar)
R
istar, the shooting Star just looks like he belongs in Smash Bros. One of my favorite things about his design is that he looks like he was plucked straight from the Sonic franchise and placed into his own game.
For those unfamiliar with him, Ristar’s mission is to stop the evil space pirate, Kaiser Greedy from enslaving several different planets through mind control. Ristar’s primary gimmick is the use of his extendable arms, which in my mind gives him the potential to be the Dhalsim of Smash Bros. SEGA’s continued refusal to even allow him to become a playable character in their racing games is profoundly saddening.
4. Opa-Opa (Fantasy Zone)
Op
a-Opa is one of a handful of characters that were considered SEGA’s mascot prior to the creation of Sonic the Hedgehog. He is a tiny, sentient, and adorable spacecraft that guards the eponymous Fantasy Zone from any invaders. The original game played much like the arcade classic Defender in that Opa-Opa is not bound by a scrolling screen. He can move in any direction, moving left or right or up or down, and the little egg shaped ship can even sprout legs if he needs to. The game was unique in its currency based upgrade system and bright and colorful aesthetic. It, along with Konami’s Twinbee, actually coined the term “cute ‘em up,” to help define these types of games. Being a spaceship, Opa-Opa has a wide variety of attacked at his disposal, including a large assortment of lasers and bombs. He has a unique look, great moveset potential, and is important to SEGA. In other words, he has everything it takes to be in a crossover fighter.
3. AiAi (Super Monkey Ball)
There is no way we will
ever see a game like this again from a major triple AAA studio and that is a shame. In 2001, with the launch of the GameCube, Sega released Super Monkey Ball. The game was a fun puzzle title that involved tilting the world to have a monkey in a ball run towards a goal. It was very simple in concept but it was amazingly successful spawning tons of sequels both on and off Nintendo systems. Most fans I have spoken to agree that the games have always been better on the more powerful GameCube. The first 2 titles saw release there and then later the PS2 and Xbox received them both under 1 title known as Super Monkey Ball Deluxe but it was plagued with frame-rate issues and load screens. AiAi is the main character of the series and he would be a unique character to play as in Smash, being inside his ball at all times. This would make him feel slippery and harder to control but countering this with some powerful attacks could make him a devastating fighter for those willing to master him. The Nintendo connection is important here as Super Monkey Ball was the first Sega game ever published on a Nintendo system. This was a big thing back in the day and the series was exclusive for a time. While Super Monkey Ball has dropped out of the spotlight in recent years, I would argue that most of Sega’s IPs outside of Sonic have, so it is really not an issue, and Super Monkey Ball has this connection with Nintendo that no other Sega franchise on this list does (except for Billy Hatcher but he had 1 game compared to this franchises’ 8 on Nintendo alone).
2. Axel Stone (Streets of Rage).
While the phrase “criminally under-utilised” plagues so many SEGA IPs I feel that no other IP is as befitting of this title as Streets of Rage is. Originating as a virtual carbon copy of Capcom’s Final Fight, Streets of Rage adapted into a series that far surpassed the originators.
Peaking with its second instalment, Streets of Rage 2 is often considered one of the best games of all time. A trilogy of side-scrolling beat-em-up games offers up a hefty and diverse selection of environments for stage (and music) choices, including but not limited to; Pirate Ship, Arcade, Bar, a stadium, and most appropriately a dark street.
Axel Stone is the face of the franchise. A former cop turned Karate Dojo owner, Axel would make for a very unique and interesting fighter in Smash through not only his hand-to-hand combat skills, but also his skills while using many different weapons.
1. Gilius Thunderhead (Golden Axe)
Golden Axe is one of, if not the, best beat ‘em up series of all time. It is an arcade classic with many memorable gimmicks and moments. Few who have played any of the original games in the series can forget the thrill of riding a beast into battle or beating up on gnomes around a campfire to restore your magic. The franchise is actually so popular that it had several spin offs, including Golden Axe: The Duel, a 2D fighter, and Golden Axe: Warrior, the SEGA Master System’s answer to the Legend of Zelda. Gilius Thunderhead is one of the three original playable characters in the series. He is a dwarf warrior who wields a giant axe and is proficient in the use of lightning magic, While Ax Battler and Tyris Flare, the other two playable characters from Golden Axe, have their own spinoffs, Gilius is the only one of the three to have a role in all of the classic games. He is also important as he plays a key role in the final defeat of series villain Deth Adder, and is able to use Golden Axe itself in battle. This, along with his recurring status in SEGA All-Stars titles, make him the most natural choice to represent Golden Axe in a game like Smash.
Do you agree with our choices? Which SEGA characters would you like to see in Smash Bros? Sound off in the comments below!
In my opinion, the only third-party characters who actually deserve to be in *for now* are Snake and Bomberman.
After them, just maybe Banjo & Kazooie or Shovel Knight due to his popularity. Even Pac-man was considered a stretch in the time of Brawl development.
Also, why Arle Nadja isn’t in Sega All-Star Racing despite being a fan-favorite?
Arle was only in one international release for Puyo, as far as I can tell (Puyo Pop for GBA.) The rest (aside from Puyo Pop Fever) were localized into things like Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine and Kirby’s Avalanche.
Arle was in tons of Puyo games in Japan, and the Madou Monogatari series prior. If I were to venture a guess, I’d say it’s because, while popular in Japan, she’s relatively unknown in the West… looking at the character list for All-Star Racing, everyone has had several international releases (aside from games which only have one, but they were still released internationally.)
Yeah, speaking of Segata Sanshiro made a cameo appearance in Sega All-Star Racing Transformed!
Hahaha,even Sega Saturn died, HE’LL NEVER DIE!!! (lol)
Even better, Segata is playable in Project X Zone 2.
Given their close association with Nintendo in the ’90s, would a Square Enix representative not also be appropriate? Maybe enot Cloud Strife or Kingdom Hearts’ Sora, but maybe a Black Mage fighter based on his appearance in the classic Final Fantasies.
I could see Black Mage happening, as a love letter to classic Final Fantasy the way Ryu’s Smash appearance is mostly based on Street Fighter II. Although we’d probably be looking at Smash 5 more than Smash 4 DLC, seeing how Square-Enix hasn’t been involved with the game yet and it’d be unusual for them to jump into the series with optional content…
As we can expect something from SquareEnix, I wouldn’t think there will be another third party company added to Smash 4 as I think Capcom, Sega, and Bandai Namco is limited at this point, so we can expect for Smash 5 for their entry. Black Magician from the very first Final Fantasy may be interesting to be in Smash, as Smash needs more magic users. However, I could only think of bringing Terra from Final Fantasy VI to Smash since that games the “Final” Final Fantasy numbering for the Nintendo consoles, while other sequels decided to live as a Playstation franchise. Or I could think of Chocobo for instance since it had appeared in every FF series as it can be the mascot of the series. They can add in Moogle as the being another mascot of the series, or Dragon Quest’s Slime for being the mascot of that series, as being the combined mascots of both Square and Enix. Yeah this may look like another Duck Hunt Duo, but I think its worth of having both company’s mascot as one player, right?
I strongly disagree having Cloud in Smash. Not just FFVII and the later sequels never been released in Nintendo, but FFVII IS THE CAUSE of Nintendo and Square’s break up, and I wouldn’t think both companies should bring up that subject back as they’re both recovering little by little. Also Kingdom Hearts is also owned by Disney itself, and since Disney is really (I mean REALLY) strict with copyright issues, I wouldn’t think Sora would have any chance to be in Smash.
But honestly, the relationship with Nintendo and SquareEnix is quite eerie at this point. As I said before, they’re relationship has been broken due to Square’s decision on releasing FFVII to Playstation, and they’ve both shown a strong hate to each other ever since. But as the both made crossover games like Mario’s basketball game and the crossover board game of Mario and Dragon Quest, and for many SquareEnix games releasing to Nintendo, I think their relationship is recovering a little. So it really depends whether SquareEnix will accept Nintendo’s offer to bring someone to join Smash, which that’ll be Smash 5 maybe.
Actually final fantasy 12 had sequel for the ds called Final Fantasy 12:RW. Cloud is more popular character then other in SE games.
However I Think dragon quest should be added to smash since it has history with nintendo. That most game are on Nintendo( mainly the mainline games are on it). I wonder if they could do Hero from dragon quest while have other main line dragon quest hero as alternate costume like bowser jr with koopalings.
The next logical companies to join (aside from Konami possibly returning in the future) would be Sqaure-Enix, Tecmo-Koei, and Level-5. Ubisoft makes a certain amount of sense as well.
Square Enix really depends whether they’ll accept the offer or not, but I think Koei Tecmo may have possibilities, which I’d say Ninja Gaiden’s Ryu Hayabusa is the best candidate for Smash since his series was the main face of Tecmo before DoA, which I strongly doubt they’d have any chance in Smash either for many reasons.
I don’t know about Level-5 because their main games seems to be changing quite often if that game’s popularity dies out, and I somehow remember president Hino saying that he’s aware that popularity never lasts long, and they must move on to the next project rather making any sequels. Professor Layton, even Inazuma Eleven is no longer the face of the company, while Yo-kai Watch is now the present face of it, which their popularity is being a little suspicious right now, which I’m hearing rumors about it.
I’ve also thought about Atlus too, as they had connections with Nintendo for releasing their games like Persona and Shin-Megami Tensei. Honestly I haven’t played this game before due to this strange belief of Atlus games doesn’t make any meaningful storyline…but I’d blame that to the manga series Devil Children because how their story really really sucked. Plus they’ve also made a crossover game of Fire Emblem, #FE. I could imagine them bringing their mascot character Jack Frost in Smash, as that character pretty much appeared in every Atlus games, and Smash needs the ice-powered fighter since their loss of the Ice Climbers.
Super late reply with this one, but I considered Atlus as well. Atlus is owned by SEGA, though, so I wouldn’t count them as their own company. That might be a bit hypocritical of me as I didn’t include any Atlus characters on this SEGA list, but it was my justification regardless.
Actually, it was never said that the removal of the Tharja Trophy was for the intentions of reducing the age rating. In fact, nobody knows why the Tharja trophy was removed after the Beta version in the first place. It could be the age rating since Tharja was often complimented for having the best body (or hair depending on your location) in Fire Emblem: Awakening and for having the proof written all over her. But, Tharja may have been removed for other reasons, such as bugs. The real truth on what happened on that day is still out there, and none of us knows what it is. If you do have sources the explain your claim, I’ll be happy to read them.
Oh, and by the way, Bayonetta not only has that appearance, but the behavior to back it up. She was cut from one of the Sonic Racing games because they couldn’t get Bayonetta to be “Bayonetta” without raising the age rating. So this wasn’t the first time Bayonetta has been kicked off the court.
Then there’s Hideki Kamiya’s infamous “**** off” message on Twitter when asked repeatedly about Bayonetta’s possible inclusion into Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS, which really got people stirring, which possibly damaged relations between Nintendo and Platinum Games. I’m surprised nobody even mentioned it at all.
The only other SEGA representative that I can think of is Hatsune Miku, but she isn’t a video game character, Cartoon character, or comic book character, just the face of Vocaloid(A popular type of software in Japan’s music industry). It is likely, however, that SEGA may just go with another Sonic character a a 2nd representative. Yet again, most of this is just opinions.
Contrary to popular belief, SEGA doesn’t own Hatsune Miku.
Does Sega own all publishing rights to Bayonetta or she is internally only owned by Platinum Games?
The same can also be said for Bayonetta, but yet she’s on your list. SEGA was only the publishers for both the first Bayonetta game (All non Nintendo consoles) and all (or most) Hatsune Miku games (as well as some Marvel games and Bleach games.) Which is why I said that Miku was just the face of Vocaloid since Vocaloid isn’t owned by SEGA.
The majority of your list are either characters that I don’t know, characters that I barely know, and characters that I’ve never heard of. There are a few that I can remember (Ai-AI and Billy Hatcher), but the rest are what I stated a sentence ago. It’s a great list, but now I understand what you guys mean by how Sonic the Hedgehog could be the only series to have characters in Smash. Since people who didn’t grow around SEGA consoles like me don’t know much about these characters, their best bet is the Mii Fighter costumes in order to receive at least some recognition. I do hope that SEGA and Bandai Namco earn a second representative, it’s a little unfair that Capcom gets 2 even though Bandai Namco was the primary developer. I could be wrong, however.
I believe that SEGA owns the rights to Bayonetta, even if Platinum Games made her. It’s similar to how Platinum Games made Wonderful 101, but Nintendo owns the rights and characters.
And it was pretty odd why she wasn’t eligible to be in Project X Zone 2. I thought she’d be perfect to be in that game. I don’t know why…
Bayonetta’s sexuality is only a very small slice of her in-depth character. You do not mention strength, confidence, sympathy ect and besides she flaunts it to her will. A lot of people don’t see sexuality the ‘core’ of her character. Look beyond. The standard costumes from both Bayonetta games as well as most of the additional costumes are no more revealing than some of the costumes which are already in Smash Bros. Inherently she’s no more sexual than Zero Suit Samus when acting normally as usual. There’s only about 4 over the top close up cutscenes in each of her two games anyways. She is much less revealing than a Shulk or ZZS and with Lady Palutena on the sexy poses list already, some potential taunts would also be perfectly acceptable. If anything, all you’d have to do is make the Wicked Weaves not strip her while showing the epic hair effects similar to the process in Bayonetta and cut the cursing – that is, if Wicked Weaves do come into play. Bayonetta not stripping (or, if possible, limited striping) will also just make it EASIER to get her in as less valuable resources are wasted creating unnecessary animations.
Another thing I’d like to add is that Nintendo was able to incorporate Solid Snake into Brawl, whose original fighting style involved pistols and rifles, which if you ask me, would be even harder to tone down than unrealistically massive, colourful fantasy guns.. Graphic finishers? Does Snake use his graphic finishers in smash? She does not need to, either, nor any lines using swear words. But they were able to make him work nonetheless, so I’m pretty confident that they can make Bayonetta work in Smash.
Oh, and she’s Hideki Kamiya approved. He just doesn’t like to be bombarded with requests on his personal twitter. — If you were following Kamiya you would quickly realize he doesn’t want spam of any kind on his personal account.
“So it’s not something that I could comment on. In fact, you could probably ask Mr.Sakurai! If Mr.Sakurai wanted to put her in the game it probably would happen and I’d be more than happy to!” – Hideki Kamiya, 2013.
Oh, that’s a good relief! Then maybe I can put her back in the prediction list!
But yeah, I know how fans can be very irritating when they’re in an extremely hype mode. They never have second thoughts…
I could go on and on about how none of the characters in Super Smash Bros. can come to terms with what Bayonetta would bring in terms of sexual content but my computer lags when I type on this website alone plus I’m not a fan of arguing on the internet since it’s pointless even if there’s a compromise.
As for the Hideki Kamiya approval thing, I never said that he didn’t want Bayonetta in Smash. I was meaning that it would damage public relations with Nintendo and decrease chances of any of Platinum Games creations from appearing as characters in Smash.
So it’s pretty much confirmed that Bayonetta ain’t gonna be in Smash then, if the creator responded that way?
Well, then she’s out of my prediction list…
Don’t be upset, It happens from time-to-time. When I heard about the incident on Encyclopaedia Dramatica I googled it to see if it was true. And apparently it is. It was on several news media sites and even on Twitter. Screencaps just seem to be honest when used right. In fact, here’s the message in case if you are wondering: https://twitter.com/PG_kamiya/status/342659881695858689 . Notice how the date was back in June 6, 2013, that’s a sign that he made up his mind on Bayonetta’s inclusion in Smash during it’s early stages. People on 4chan were cracking jokes about trying to get Bayonetta to win on the ballot just to see the look on his face (when everyone knows that it’s up to her creator’s decision on as to whether or not she should be included). It’ll probably take a couple of months for the two to patch up but who knows, maybe HK still resents the fanbase for the million questions asked (he went as far as to block everyone who asks the question) and won’t allow her in as a result.
Relationships between companies is important for third party characters. After Hideo Kojima was removed from Konami, Metal Gear pretty much is no longer a valid series in the Smash world. HK probably has the leaks patched up, but he’s likely going to be firing the guns back at the Smash fanbase by keeping Bayonetta out of the game as a way of getting back at them. This is opinion based, so feel free to take a swing at it.
“Golden Axe is one of, if not the, best beat ‘em up series of all time.”
Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom and Shadow Over Mystara challenge that statement. ^_~
In all seriousness, though… my pick would probably be Ash (AKA default HUmar) from Phantasy Star Online. PSO was very successful at the time for being one of the few online multiplayer console games… it was released on Gamecube and its spin-off, Episode III, was released exclusively for it. I know he’s not the most iconic Sega character, but PSO is a widely known franchise and is still relevant with the release of PSO2.
In the later story missions with him involved, Ash wields a twin saber (think Darth Maul’s lightsaber), which could set him apart from other sword users. Incorporating Techniques (magic) and MAGs could give him a pretty diverse moveset.
I like PSO quite a bit, but I consider it to be part of the Phantasy Star franchise, and I felt that Alis was a better choice since she is basically the “Marth” of the series.
I would agree that Sega (and Bandai Namco) should add in one more character from their franchise, because it wouldn’t make any sense that Capcom brought two while others don’t. As I also disagree that Sega should bring another Sonic character as that doesn’t make any sense too, I also disagree that they’ll bring anybody from the Virtual Consoles. Dillon from Rolling Western, Nintendo’s only downloadable game in Smash, has ended up being an Assist Trophy, so this might mean that characters from downloadable games doesn’t have a chance to be playable in Smash, which I may be wrong in other words. Also, for many Sega crossovers, I don’t think the Project X Zone series ever count at this point, so I don’t think we should choose anybody from that game since they still don’t have connections with Nintendo in the past.
-Bayonetta has been requested by many fans globally, and definitely her series has been released globally too, while her second sequel is also been licensed by Nintendo. People say that maybe she can’t due to her appearance, but can anybody say the same thing to Zero Suit Samus, and MAYBE Wii Fit Trainer? (lol) But obviously, I think I changed my mind that she may not have any chance due to the truth behind what Bob above me revealed, if that was true. But wouldn’t blame Kamiya for what he responded; fans just made him more irritated of them asking the same unstopping questions until he spits out the answer that they want (and yes, fans can be very selfish for what they really want).
-I wouldn’t recall Billy Hatcher to be the best Sega game. I played the game before but it was terrible. Although the story was good, I just hated the controlling of the game. You can easily drop the egg off the cliff accidentally, or even kill yourself accidentally while rolling on the rails. I still remember how frustrating the game was as I got a huge headache afterwards. Although Billy Hatcher also made a cameo appearance in many Sega crossover games, including Archie Comic’s “Worlds Unite” special crossover comic of Sonic and Mega Man, I wouldn’t think Billy Hatcher be a best candidate for being in Smash due to his low capacity.
-I was thinking about Phantasy Star too, but couldn’t think of a character that’ll be best to be in Smash. The only character I could think of is the FOnewearl, a female newman with a class of Force, or you could just say an elf magician. Although she’s not mentioned to be requested, she has been famous as being partial face of the PSO series due to her cute design. As even Smash needs more female and magic using characters, she can be the best candidate for being in Smash as she has both of those points.
-NiGHTS, the secondary face of Sonic Team alongside with Sonic, is another character I was thinking for Smash as its game was released for Nintendo in the past. However, I also thought it could be impossible because NiGHTS only can fly and use the spiral tackle and loop attacks. It doesn’t have much of any special moves, and although Sakurai can add in something to those non-fighting characters like Villager and Wii Fit Trainer, I don’t know what he could add for NiGHTS instead. The Persona Masks from its Wii game doesn’t seem to be that necessary for Smash as it doesn’t fit well being part of its Final Smash. But it really depend if there’s possibility for NiGHTS to be in Smash. (And why I call NiGHTS an “it” is because nobody knows if it has a gender in the beginning)
-Arle Najya is actually my top predicted secondary Sega character to be in Smash, and can be another puzzle game character to join other than Dr. Mario. As Smash needs more female and magic using fighter, Arle can be best fitted since she has both of those points. Not to mention she has magic attacks while doing combos in the actual game, and her max combo “Bayoeeen!” can be a perfect Final Smash as shooting tons of the Puyo Puyo slimes from the sky. Plus she has a slight connection with Sonic as they’re both born in a same year, which they both celebrated their own 20th anniversary in the past. However, the downside for her is that even her games were released globally, while they have many series released for both Sega and Nintendo consoles in the past, her series are a lot more popular and famous in Japan than the west, while the west prefer Tetris (and Bejeweled and Candy Crush) to be more famous and popular than Puyo Puyo. So it’s really difficult if she’ll be in Smash because of that, but we’ll see what Sakurai will bring in for us.
-While Ulala did appear in many Sega crossovers, I don’t think she’ll be able to join Smash because of her lack of fighting skills. Of course Sakurai may add something to those non-fighting character like the Villager, but Ulala’s side is a lot more different from that. Her main weapon is the ray gun, but that’s just all. Dancing doesn’t seem to be that harmful either as it’s really useless. Even in Project X Zone series, her only attack is just summoning classic Sega characters, and that’s all as she does nothing except for using the ray gun in the end. It’s pretty clear that she doesn’t fight at all, but just dance. I may be wrong by this, but it doesn’t seem that she’s that eligible to be in Smash.
-Now I haven’t even thought about Opa-Opa in the very first place and realized how interesting this guy can be! Opa-Opa can be the first spaceship character to be in Smash if possible, other than the Star Fox fighters who gets off from their ship instead. Although his normal attacks will be mainly kicks and wings(?) but using various upgrading weapons can be a unique in other words. Bringing Opa-Opa may be an unexpected surprise which that’s what Sakurai is focusing on, and it can make perfect sense.
-Axel is pretty much of a memorable Sega character ever since the series ended until the third sequel, as being an unique character of using various special moves that Final Fight doesn’t have. Not just only using his special moves like Dragon Wing or Grand Upper, but he can also uses other move while using the dropped weapons, like shooting projectiles from katana swords. If he did join Smash, maybe he can do the same by using his own moves while using weapons, like shooting projectiles from the Beam Sword or Fire Bar. However, just as I said before, I don’t think Virtual Console characters have a possibility to join Smash, even if he made a return appearance in Project X Zone 2 which still doesn’t count at this point, but I may be wrong which I still don’t know how Sakurai chooses characters.
So now, can anybody make an article of Bandai Namco characters please? 😛
I liked the article! Though I would also like to see Amigo from Samba de Amigo in Smash as well as Ryo Hazuki from Shenmue, though I know it’s not likely they’ll show up. Also, even in Japan, you all do know Just EVERY Puyo Puyo game ever made has shown up on a Nintendo console, bar Virtual Boy? That being said, while I like Amitie and Ringo, (who is also a protagonist for the Puyo series on the level of Arle and Amitie) Arle actually has a MUCH larger history with Nintendo than some would think. Also, Amitie had ONE game released in the West, not making much of a difference in terms of notoriety for the series worldwide. Sakurai may as well go with the one Puyo protagonist who has been associated with Nintendo and Puyo longer, right?
Sega should NEVER get another rep. Not when Nintendo characters have to be added.
Square and Level 5 are the only ones who deserve reps.
Just one minor note – iirc, NiGHTS was never gendered. I may be wrong but I could swear NiGHTS and Reala were always “its”. To not Tumblr all over this, just for accuracy’s sake.
Honestly, I don’t see any chance of this happening, especially with the state of SEGA right now.
No Jack Frost.
Disappointed.
I know Sega Parent company own Atlus, but Sega and Atlus aren’t merged. Do not worry maybe Source Gaming will do an article on Atlus, Namco Bandai and other third party Rep like this one.
This list is missing Kazuma Kiryu from the Yakuza games. Considering how outlandish the combat is from his own games, I think he’d be a good fit.
No Ecco?