With ten characters currently revealed for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, there is still plenty of roster space to fill. While there are certainly some characters who are shoe-ins, I thought it would be fun to speculate on some less likely but still deserving characters who SHOULD be in the game. To make things simple, I’ll offer up five Sony characters who should make it in, as well as five third party characters.
Sir Daniel Fortesque
Series: MediEvil
Back in 1998, Sony released MediEvil. It was an action adventure game where you played as a down-on-his-luck skeleton named Daniel Fortesque. Dan was a fantastic character who only wanted a shot at redemption. Even though he couldn’t utter one syllable of English due to lack of a bottom jaw, he was still insanely likable.
MediEvil didn’t turn out to be a long lasting franchise. A sequel was released in 2000, and the original was remade for the PSP in 2005. The series has laid dormant ever since, much to my chagrin. I was kind of hoping that the Vita would get a MediEvil title to celebrate its release, but no dice. The developers are working on a Killzone game. Yuck.
Dan would be a fantastic character for All Stars. Throughout the games, he acquired all kinds of nifty weapons and tools that could be used effectively. There’s his trusty sword, crossbow, war hammer, and more. If you’ve ever played his series, you’ll know that the best way to use Dan was to essentially run around like a maniac whilst swinging a sword. This berserk style of fighting could translate well to the chaos of an all out melee.
Solid Snake
Series: Metal Gear Solid
PS All Stars already has Heihachi Mishima and Big Daddy confirmed as playable third party characters. If only one more third party character could get in, it would have to be Snake. The MGS series has been a PlayStation staple for years, with many of the games at least starting out as exclusives for Sony systems. Even the PSP got some love, with four titles.
It wouldn’t be hard to think of interesting moves for Snake to perform in battle. The man is a master of stealth and hand to hand combat, and can use a variety of weapons. I could easily see him laying down C4 as a trap, pulling out a SOCOM for some cheap hits, or even sneaking up on an enemy to apply a choke hold.
If there’s one thing possibly standing against him getting in the game, it would be that he has already appeared in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. That might come off as an even more blatant attempt at mimicking Nintendo’s brawling series.
Gabriel Logan
Series: Syphon Filter
If we can’t get Snake, Gabriel Logan is the next best thing.
Originally released in 1999, Syphon Filter was a first party series meant to capitalize on the gameplay popularized by Metal Gear Solid. It stars Gabriel Logan, a top notch spy chasing down an evil terrorist. The Syphon Filter series has been a staple of Sony systems ever since. Though he hasn’t made a big splash on the PS3 yet, Logan released two critically acclaimed titles for the PSP. Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror was pretty much the first third person shooter on the hand held to actually work.
Logan himself isn’t too interesting of a character, but he comes equipped with all kinds of nifty gadgets and weapons that could be used in battle. For starters, he’s got a sniper rifle with various ammo types. Electric darts shock enemies at the press of a button, gas darts put several enemies to sleep at once, and explosive darts… well, they speak for themselves. On top of that, Gabe uses a freaking taser. That’s cool enough on its own, but it has the added bonus of being able to set enemies on fire if you hold down the button. That could easily translate to an interesting risk/reward mechanic for All Stars.
You know what? Even if Solid Snake does make it into the game, Logan should still get the nod. He’s a top notch first party character with a unique move set. It would also be a great way to reintroduce the character to players who didn’t pick up Sony’s portable device. If that led to, say, a brand new Syphon Filter on the PS3, that’s all the better.
Cloud Strife
Series: Final Fantasy
The only game to outsell Final Fantasy VII on the PSX was Gran Turismo. That’s pretty crazy. For those who feel that Cloud has no business in All Stars, I think the sales figures alone merit him a spot. There are many people who claim that FF7 sold the PlayStation, and it’s hard to disagree. Final Fantasy VII was also largely responsible for the popularization of the Japanese RPG in North America. Whether that’s a good thing or not is hotly debated, but the point stands nonetheless.
Cloud would be a fantastic character in this kind of game. Between his over the top sword, ability to cast a variety of spells, and absolutely ridiculous haircut, he would certainly stand out. For his supers, there are tons of limit breaks and summons that could be used. Omnislash for the win? Yes please!
The only thing I ask is that they find a new voice actor for him. My God! The current guy sounds like what would happen if Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh went off his antidepressants.
In any case, you can bet the internet will explode if Cloud is revealed as a playable character in All Stars.
Captain Qwark
Series: Ratchet & Clank
First things first. My inclusion of Captain Qwark is based off of the assumption that Ratchet and Clank will be in the game. If they’re not, I think that could be the biggest possible oversight that Sony could make at this point. If their place is secured, I think Qwark should get the nod as well.
Used as a boss, ally, and even a playable character, Captain Qwark has made an appearance in every Ratchet & Clank game. That’s for good reason. Qwark is a lovable oaf whose huge personality and size is offset by his hilarious lack of courage. I would love for them to find a way to incorporate his cowardice as a gameplay mechanic in some fashion.
Qwark can easily fill the role of the standard “big but slow” characters we find in these types of games. While more nimble characters like Parappa and Sly Cooper could run rings around him, his sheer size could tip the scale in his favor at any moment. Give him his trusty blaster for good measure, and we’re all golden. I can only imagine the hilarious supers he could use as well.
The bottom line is Qwark should be in this game. He’s just too damned awesome of a character to pass up.
Sora
Series: Kingdom Hearts
I promise there won’t be any more Square-Enix characters.
Kingdom Hearts is one of my favorite series ever, thanks mostly to the ability to travel from one Disney world to the next. However, the games also tend to offer some surprisingly deep mechanics as well. As the series figurehead, Sora deserves the nod here. After all, the main games in the series have been exclusives to the PS2. In addition, the best game in the series, Birth By Sleep, is an exclusive for the PSP. With Kingdom Hearts III nowhere in the foreseeable future, what better reward for patient fans than to make Sora playable in All Stars?
The more Disney they can fit into his character, the better. How awesome would it be if Sora summoned Simba, and the King of Pride Rock started ripping the opponents to shreds? How about an assist from Donald and Goofy? Heck, I’d even take an appearance by Tinkerbell! Maybe Buzz Lightyear can show up and blast everyone with his laser? OK. I better stop before I write an entire article about Disney assist characters.
Anyways, Sora would be a great addition to the roster for so many reasons. We have the strong ties between KH and PlayStation, the variety of moves he could perform, potential hints towards KH3, someone to battle Cloud for the title of goofiest hair, etc. If we could only get one Square character, it would have to be Cloud, but I’d take Sora in a heartbeat as well.
Wander
Series: Shadow of the Colossus
There are many players out there who wouldn’t recognize Wander if they saw him. That’s kind of sad, but understandable. After all, the most memorable things about SOTC are sixteen Colossi that fill up the screen and make you wet your pants in fear. Also the horse. The horse is pretty cool too.
Anyways, SOTC needs some representation. Since the horse seems illogical, Wander will have to do. Shadow of the Colossus is still brought up when people talk about games as art, or when someone wants to point someone else towards a great game that doesn’t follow the beaten path. The game’s recent HD re-release has also brought it back into the spotlight. The time seems perfect for Wander to make an appearance in All Stars.
All joking aside, Wander would be a great character for such a game. Between his sword and his bow, he’s got the tools for success. Plus, one of his supers could be calling in his horse and stampeding the competition! How would that not be awesome? With Team Ico taking forever to deliver The Last Guardian, Wander in All Stars would be a nice gesture to tired fans.
Alucard
Series: Castlevania
Though Alucard’s appearance on the PlayStation wasn’t his first appearance altogether, Symphony of the Night is still his signature game. That’s for good reason. SotN ushered in a new era of Castelvania games that offered more depth and exploration. The game has seen numerous ports and releases, and has done wonders for the PlayStation brand. Back in the late nineties, a PlayStation fan had fewer greater joys that pointing out that they got SotN while N64 users were stuck with Castlevania 64. I still find it hilarious.
Alucard comes perfectly equipped to deal with fellow All Stars. He’s got all kinds of weapons, items, spells, and even has the ability to transform. How fun would it be to turn into a cloud of poisonous mist just as an opponent came in for the strike? What about using the soul summon to rob someone of their precious meter? There’s just plenty of versatility here.
I get that asking Konami for two of their best characters might seem like a bit much. I also get that Castlevania‘s ties with Sony are nowhere near as strong as they used to be. Still, a man can dream. Besides, you can’t tell me he wouldn’t be a cool entry.
Mel
Series: Hot Shots Golf
Some of you are probably reading this and wondering if I was on drugs when I came up with this list. I get that a middle aged golfer is hardly anyone’s ideas of a great addition to a fighting game. However, I think there’s something you’re forgetting. All Stars already has Fat Princess and Toro Inoue as playable characters. It’s clear that there is plenty of room for more wacky selections. You serious minded people can stick with Nathan Drake and Kratos for all I care.
Besides, Mel is kind of a PlayStation legend. The Hot Shots series is one of Sony’s most enduring and beloved franchises. A version of the golf game appears on every Sony system, from the PSX to the Vita. For a long time, Mel was the most recognizable face in the games. He’s had to share the spotlight with Sweet Tooth, Gex, Dan Fortesque, Ratchet, and Jak. All of them have appeared in his games. Isn’t it time he crashed their party for once?
Mel would obviously be a slow and fairly weak character. You wouldn’t pick him if you wanted to win. Why would anyone pick him then? That should seem obvious: to smack someone with a golf club! I imagine Mel using his nine iron to thwack enemies from a distance, and then bashing their brains in should they get too close. His super could be him landing a hole-in-one… right in the enemy’s face!
Come on guys. This is a goofy game where all kinds of characters get together to beat the living snot out of each other. Surely there’s room for Mel!
Crash Bandicoot
Series: Crash Bandicoot
I saved Crash for last because if there’s only a single character that can be added to what we’ve got so far, it should be him. Crash Bandicoot was the face of PlayStation back when it started picking up steam. His games sold millions of copies, put Naughty Dog on the map, and gave Sony a mascot to do battle with Nintendo’s Mario. Granted, Crash could never match up to Mario, but he was the best shot Sony had until Sackboy started charming people’s hearts in 2008.
Sadly, Crash has seen some hard times. With Activision at the helm, he’s seen a number of poor games released with him in them. That’s kind of what happens when Vicarious Visions takes a franchise over. It goes downhill in a way you could only fathom in your darkest nightmares. He hasn’t had a new game come out since 2008. Many mascots have come and gone over the years, but Crash is one that should have stuck around in my opinion.
Crash would work great in a game like this. Between his jumping prowess and his spin attack, he could be seriously fun to play. For his supers, he could use his mask to bulldoze the competition, or even bring his go-kart into play. Let’s not forget his signature dance moves. Those would need to be incorporated.
Oh, and if it wouldn’t kill them, here’s hoping they don’t forget Spyro either!
So there’s my list of characters I want to see in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. Obviously, everyone is going to have different opinions, and I’d like to hear them! Feel free to share your list in the comments section, and join me in anticipation as more characters are announced. Here’s hoping some of these guys make the cut!
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