Segata Sanshiro: More desirable than Danica Patrick.
Perhaps the most important factor of any mash-up racer is the ever-so-controversial roster. With Sega’s vast library at their disposal, the folks behind Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed certainly have their hands full when it comes to DLC possibilities. So in an awesome move that’s sure to please even the most hard-nosed of Sega fans, Sumo Digital’s Steve Lycett has announced to Sega’s official forums that the developer is leaving this daunting decision to the players:
I’ll set you a challenge: without any policing from the SUMO or SEGA crew, if you can all agree on three characters by the first of December and prove there is sufficient interest of at least 1000 unique people per character, I will present the result to SEGA.
I can’t promise anything will happen as a result, but since you’re starting it, let’s see if you can organise yourselves in the next few weeks to pull that off.
Despite our notorious reputation for conflict and debate, Sega fans have already banded together to create a really solid list of 26 potential characters from the company’s roster to be considered. This list includes mainstays like Toejam & Earl the Chu Chus; fan favorites like Ristar and Bayonetta; and intriguing niche characters like Kazuma Kiryu of Yakuza and Sketch Turner from Comix Zone.
As of this writing, camp classic Saturn mascot Segata Sanshiro is perched on top with a hefty 2,266 votes. Just below him are Shenmue‘s Ryo Hazuki with 2,153 votes, Hatsune Miku with 2,149 votes, Vectorman with 939 votes, and Bayonetta with 890 votes. Ristar and Toejam & Earl look like they might have a fighting chance of reaching the coveted 1,000 mark, but beyond them the numbers drop off rather noticeably.
Of course, none of these numbers guarantee anything, but I find it fascinating to see the Sega fan preferences splayed out like this. I suppose Hatsune Miku is a given considering her swollen fanbase out east, but I had no idea that Segata Sanshiro had such a lasting cult status. Ah, the power of nostalgia.
You can see the full list of prospective characters after the jump, or head on over to the Sega Forums to voice your choices by December 1st. Personally, I’m dying to see Ristar, Sketch Turner, and Vectorman. Who do you want to see racing down the All-Stars track?
[Source: IGN]
-Segata Sanshiro
-Ryo Hazuki (Shenmue)
-Hatsune Miku
-Vectorman
-Bayonetta
-Ristar
-ToeJam & Earl
-Billy Hatcher
-Axel Stone (Streets of Rage)
-Blaze Fielding (Streets of Rage)
-Phantom R (Rhythm Thief)
-Selvaria Bles (Valkyria Chronicles)
-Alis Landale (Phantasy Star)
-Sakura Shinguuji (Sakura Taisen)
-Welkin Gunther (Valkyria Chronicles)
-Ash (Hell Yeah: Wrath of the Dead Rabbit)
-Arle Nadja (Puyo Puyo)
-Opa-Opa (Phantasy Zone)
-Kazuma Kiryu (Yakuza)
-Sketch Turner (Comix Zone)
-The Chu Chus (Chu Chu Rocket)
-Space Harrier
-Bonanza Bros
-Amitie (Puyo Puyo)
-Rag Rappy (Phantasy Star)
-Jacky Bryant (Virtua Fighter)
#TeamSilver
How did I know you’d say Silver?
Who else do you think is missing from this list? Personally, I would have loved to see Yakuza’s Majima, Vanquish’s Sam Gideon, and Decap Attack’s Chuck D. Head.
BECAUSE SILVER NEEDS TO BE PLAYABLE IN A GAME THAT’S ACTUALLY GOOD.
But on the real, I want some Yakuza fellas in there, but I don’t see it happening because LOL E RATING. But then again, HOTD has a presence so… who knows.
Ryo being removed from the sequel was a travesty, though, so I definitely want him back. Segata Sanshiro would be quite the addition as well, and I gotta admit, I’d LOVE to see if they’d actually put Miku in there.
I would like to see Puyo Puyo represented with a playable character, unfortunately I don’t think Amitie has ever been popular enough to be made playable.