Smashboards Creates: Battle of AGES, a SEGA platform fighter

[Champion of Hyrule]

1. Nugget
2. Mario

 

[tonygameman]

1. Mario Grianni
2. Sticks the Badger

(honorable mention goes to Nugget)

 

[YoshiandToad]

1. Omachao.
The most natural fit IMO, I could see this being the chosen shopkeep in an official Sega platform fighter.

2. Mario
Love the idea of the shop being a restaurant. Since Shenmue is all about talking to individuals in their shops and the like, it weirdly represents Shenmue surprisingly well? Also the irony of the shop in a Sega platform game being ran by an italian guy called Mario has it's own mildly amusing irony for those who recall the console wars of the 90s.

 

[Flyboy]

1. Nugget (Memorable and funny, and if not the main shopkeeper definitely needs to show up at some point)
2. Mario (Self vote but I think Shenmue needs some fun rep and that song is a slapper okay)

This was a really fun round - shoutouts to Sticks and Omochao and a ton of other options that didn't even get nominated.

 

[Tankman from Newgrounds]

1. Mario
2. Shop Lady

 

[iProdigy101]

1. Omochao
2. Sticks the Badger

 

[Speed Weed]

Alright, voting is closed! Here it is:

Shop Lady: 1 point
Nugget: 12 points
Omochao: 6 points
Sticks: 4 points
Mario: 8 points

And as you can see, the role of shopkeeper in Battle of AGES will be given to the one, the only, a true legend in the world of finance, none other than Nugget!!!!

This is the greatest moment in the history of this project.

And with that, we're finally moving on to our next character prompt. Before that, here's the newest update on the List of Represented IP:

Series mainly repped by characters: Sonic, Virtua Fighter, Alex Kidd, Yakuza, Sakura Wars, Space Channel 5, Fantasy Zone, Streets of Rage, Skies of Arcadia, Persona, NiGHTS, Bayonetta, Phantasy Star, Puyo Puyo

Series mainly repped by stages: OutRun, Comix Zone

Series mainly repped by assists: Mushiking, Virtua Cop, ChuChu Rocket, Dragon Force

Series mainly repped by modes so far: Crazy Taxi

Series mainly repped by items so far: Periscope, Golden Axe, Seaman, Valkyria Chronicles, SEGA Bass Fishing

Series mainly repped by VMU RPG mooks so far: 7th Dragon, Billy Hatcher, Ecco the Dolphin, The House of the Dead, Shinobi, Space Harrier, Doki Doki Penguin Land, Pengo, Shin Megami Tensei, Ristar, Super Monkey Ball

Series mainly repped by music so far: Pit Pot, Teddy Boy Blues, SCUD Race, Hang-On, Power Drift, Virtua Racing, After Burner, Vectorman, Bug!, Kid Chameleon, Mr. Bones, Wild Woody, Columns

Series mainly repped by Capsule Toys so far: Rhythm Thief, Arabian Fight, SEGA Rally, Cyber Troopers Virtual-ON, Galaxy Force, Girl's Garden, 16t, Dynamite Düx, Zaxxon, Congo Bongo, SEGA Channel, Napple Tale, The Ocean Hunter, Quartet, Love and Berry, Sands of Destruction, Baku Baku Animal, Project 575, Shining, Daytona USA, Arrow Flash, Illbleed, SEGA Race TV, Psycho Fox

So I'm super excited for this one. The reason being that we're actually doing something a bit different. This is the first time that we're actually experimenting a bit with the character addition formula instead of the straightforward process we've used so far. What is it, you might ask? Well--

Job #93: Submit a new series to include in this roster

SEGA have a lot of series. And a lot of these series have a lot of characters. So when discussing characters to add to this project, while there are IP that have, like, One Obvious Pick that should 100% be the rep, a lot of other series...have options. There's reasons this could happen, it could be a series that spans multiple protagonists, it could be a series that features particularly popular or noteworthy antagonists or side characters who might also be worth considering. But regardless, the sentiment of "X franchise having multiple potential characters to choose from" has been pretty common in here. So how do we take care of the issue of having to pick from multiple candidates for certain series? Simple: we dedicate a prompt to that situation!

So here's the deal: in this first job, we'll submit series - not characters, series - to later vote on as usual. Once one of them wins the vote, we'll then have a second prompt that revolves entirely around characters from that specific series. We'll do a vote on that as well, and whatever character wins is officially included as the representative of the series that won in the first place. I'm excited for this prompt cause not only is it a fun twist on what we've been doing until now, but it'll allow us to take a deep dive into the cast of whatever series wins and really be able to figure out who would truly the best candidate.

So two things to keep in mind:

-Obviously, this prompt is for series that haven't been included on our roster yet
-Also rather obvious, but worth stressing for maximum clarity: this job is meant for series with more than one viable candidate for inclusion. If you submit something like, say, Bonanza Bros. for example, then what's the point? Everyone knows who's gonna win, there's barely any other candidates! This is meant for franchises that we can have actual discussion on.

So that's everything out of the way! Super excited to see how this goes. Have a good one

 

[OrpheusTelos]

Job #93: Shin Megami Tensei

Originally adapted from the Digital Devil Story novels, the Megami Tensei series has become one of the most prolific JRPG franchises short of a Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, or Pokemon level mega franchise. Each game is typically set in its own universe, usually follows the aftermath of an apocalyptic event (though not always), and almost always has the main player recruiting various demons to join their party. There are a lot of sub-series within the Megami Tensei sphere, each having their own unique casts of characters, settings, and game mechanics. In fact we even have one of Megami Tensei’s sub-series represented in the form of Persona, which grew so massive that it became its own thing. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a **** ton of other facets of this franchise to explore. With just how many Megaten games there are, the possibilities for unique characters are near limitless. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the more notable choices for an SMT rep:

• Demi-Fiend: The main protagonist of Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and arguably the most recognizable protagonist. He’s a high school student who was reincarnated as a half-demon following the apocalypse.
• Jack Frost: The mascot for the series and Atlus as a whole. He’s an adorable demon who specializes in ice skills. He could even tag along with his brother Jack-o-Lanturn/Pyro Jack for a unique tag-team duo.
• Raidou Kuzunoha: A fan-favorite character and star of the Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha series. He’s a sword and gun wielding badass detective who can also call upon demons for assistance.
• Nemissa: A major character from Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers. She’s an amnesiac demon who has taken over a human’s body. She’s particularly notable because Soul Hackers was initially a Sega Saturn exclusive before getting ported to the PS1 and later remade for the 3DS.
• Nahobino: The protagonist of the soon to be released Shin Megami Tensei V. He’s a being said to neither resemble human or demon. This one’s probably best saved for if we add a second SMT rep for DLC and more people get a chance to play his game, but a noteworthy choice regardless.

This is far from everyone we could include, but hopefully this should give yall a good idea of what SMT has to offer for character choices. There’s a boat-load of fun options to choose from and it’s one of those series where you’d have to really try to find a boring rep for. Even if Persona is already accounted for, the rest of Megaten could really use some love for just how influential it was.

 

[Flyboy]

Job #93: Valkyria Chronicles

Valkyria is Sega's big modern RPG franchise (not made by Atlus). It has a bunch of games, with Chronicles 1 and 4 being especially acclaimed, and a plethora of playable characters to choose from. You have the original protagonists in Alicia Melchiott or Welchin Gunter, antagonists with a history of crossover appearances like Selvaria Bles, or fan favorite units like Edy Nelson.

Valkyria brings a strategy RPG flair to our RPG reps and that can translate into some seriously unique mechanics, to say nothing of the cool music and aesthetics it can bring as well. Plus, it has ties to Skies of Arcadia, so that's fun.

 

[Tankman from Newgrounds]

Job #93:
Super Monkey Ball

Suser Monkey ball is Unique Platformer game made by SEGA, where you need to control the Whole stage to lead AiAi to Finish line of Map while collecting Bananas. It was Made by Creator of Yakuza Series, who left the SEGA in 2021. And due to recent Release of Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania, AiAi should be included in the Game as Playable Character.

If AiAi had moveset potential, e could use Mallets, Boxing Gloves and even his Main Weapon: Ball for Fight; which he is inside of it and he could have Gimmick/Special Mechanic that the Ball could act as Armor, which it could get half damage if it was attacked by opponent due to Ball acting like a Shield.

Super Monkey Ball series should be represented as Fighter rather than VMU Mook due to high popularity and unique Gameplay, where you control the Whole stage and collect Bananas. Even tho, Super Monkey Ball has decent games and the representation of Fighter should exist in BATTLE OF AGES' roster.

 

[YoshiandToad]

Job #93
Wonder Boy/Monster World

A successful series of platformers (with RPG elements) and a successful recent revival under their belt, Wonder Boy is a Sega series that has a...somewhat less straight forward history than other Sega staples, but are amongst some of the best Sega platformers out there.

From Left to Right on the above image:
Tom-Tom is a caveboy who weilds a giant stone axe and is often fondly remembered skateboarding. He is the hero of the first game, and attempts to save his girlfriend Tanya from a demon named King.
Asha is an arabian themed warrior girl with a pet Blue Peeplogoo who aids her in puzzle solving, recovery options and combat. She is the hero of the fourth game in the series, and can communicate with spirits.
Jin is a boy out to stop his uncle from transforming everyone into animals. He ends up taking on several animal forms. He is the hero of the first modern Wonder Boy/Monster World
Book is the original knight, the blonde haired hero of the second game who can transform into several different forms including that of a lizard-man, a mouse-man, a hawk-man, a piranha-man and a lion-man.
Shion is the hero of the third game, equipping more and more powerful armour and weaponry as he goes, and being assisted by four ally spirits.

There's also Leo and Purapril, a pair of protagonists who rather than RPG elements, starred in a game that involved platforming and shoot 'em ups. Their game is sometimes considered a spinoff. Rather than use their swords as traditional swords(or a spear in Purapril's case), they fire blasts from their weapons instead.

There's likely other characters we could use as well, but the leads seem like the most obvious picks should Wonder Boy/Monster World make the cut!

 

[tonygameman]

Job #93: New Series - Gunstar Heroes (Second-Party)

Oh boy, this is getting so exciting, that's for sure.. Even a fitting time as this job's number is "93", hence the original game's debut year, "1993".

So, Gunstar Heroes, as everyone knows, is one of SEGA Genesis' most popular run-and-gun games developed by Treasure (besides Alien Soldier), if not said: "the most loved games ever in that genre of all time", alongside Capcom's Mega Man, Konami's Contra and SNK's Metal Slug. It even has a Game Gear port, a sequel released on Game Boy Advance in 2005 and an appearance on SEGA Genesis compilations these recent years ago (such as a next-gen console one and a Mega Drive Mini console).

As my submission from a previous newcomer prompt mentioned, even though a plot changes between the Japanese and international releases in the original game's manual, it's mostly about the Gunstars, who attempt to protect the planet from General Grey's evil, malevolent Empire, who desires to retrieve the four mystical Treasure Gems to awake Golden Silver, in order to destroy their home planet (with the help of their mentor, Doctor Brown, and their sister & navigator, Yellow), being pretty much Mega Man (with selectable different stages and a scarfed rival, who happens to be their long-lost, older brother) and certain Marvel story arcs in both comics & other media (such as movies) combined into one pack.

Besides a very good soundtrack, there's lots of characters and worlds that may give us many possibilities for fighters, assist characters, bosses, stages (such as a minecart stage with Seven Force as a stage boss if Green's not chosen and Dice Palace as a WarioWare Inc.-like stage with various mini-games), etc.

• Red and Blue - Main protagonists of the series, who are twin brothers with the ability to attack enemies by using martial arts attacks such as throwing them, jump/slide kicks, body slams and finally, a innovative weapon system, which allows them to equip various destructive and powerful weapon combinations with their blasters (which can also turn into a saber/sword in Gunstar Super Heroes) such as:
  • Force: Rapid-fires weak projectiles by spamming or holding the button. With two Forces, they will shoot large orange balls in a stream that constantly waves in it's aim.
  • Lightning: A stream of electricity which does multiple hits and passes through walls. With two Lightnings, it becomes a blue, straight powerful laser-like lightning beam.
  • Chaser: A quick laser that homes in opponents, even though it's slow and weak. With two Chasers, triangle projectiles will be replaced with stars and a weapon's speed & power are increased. Stars will circle around Red/Blue while in use and far away from opponents.
  • Flame: A close-ranged fiery burst, which is effective and capable of burning opponents. With two Flames, a weapon's range and damage are increased.
  • Force + Lightning: Rapid bolts of blue lightning projectiles, that goes in any direction and a spread is larger.
  • Force + Chaser: A stream of large orange balls, that has limited self-homing capabilities.
  • Force + Fire: Large orange balls, which's fire rate is the slowest, but can explode in a large radius if they hit anything.
  • Lightning + Chaser: Lightning travels in a squarish path around Red/Blue, hitting opponents. Can also self-aim and gather in a small square around an opponent while firing at them.
  • Lightning + Fire: A light-saber like weapon that protrudes out of Red/Blue's gun, which has the shortest range, but does impressive damage.
  • Chaser + Fire: A large pulse of flame that travels around the screen, mowing down opponents. Extremely powerful, but quite slow.
• Green - The Gunstars' older brother, who was kidnapped by General Grey and brain-washed by his mind-control device to make him obey his orders. In his boss fights, Green attacks by performing martial arts attacks, tossing shurikens/stars, doing sliding uppercuts and throwing his opponents. He even has a cool giant mecha called Seven Force, which can transform into seven different, unique forms modeled after creatures/animals such as a eagle, tiger, crab, blaster, etc.. It was later used as a inspiration for Medusa's boss fight in Alien Soldier.
• Smash Daisaku - General Grey's red-suited subordinate, who resembles like a certain famous Capcom fighting game boss, and appears in multiple stages, being a boss in the fifth one. He can make use of his gun which shoots magma blasts, small blue bombs by tossing them at his opponents and a jetpack to dash in a glowing blue energy aura or boost himself into the air.
• Golden Silver - The series' main antagonist and final boss. Golden Silver is an ancient robot and weapon of mass destruction, called the "God of Ruin", who is powered by the Treasure Gems, that is used to suck planets dry of all their resources, even using them for powerful attacks. He also made an appearance as one of the possible final bosses in a fellow Treasure-developed game on SEGA Saturn, Guardian Heroes. While he obviously may end up as a boss, he can work as an another villain rep, which doubles up as he's a mechanical life-form, as well.

 

[KneeOfJustice99]

Job #93 - Jet Set Radio.

This is quite exciting, isn't it!

Jet Set Radio, in my opinion, is one of the single most prominent omissions from this game as of current. With a completely and utterly unique nature - from everything such as gameplay, character design, the world and, of course, the music - the series would be a valuable and important inclusion to this title. SEGA has seen importance here, having included JSR or JSRF in almost every crossover title released since the series' release.

And fighters? Well, the mechanics and visual flair of JSR is perfect for it. With characters notable for their speed, agility and various tricks and stunts, as well as their use of skates and spray cans - unlike any other character in the roster - I think that being here is immensely important.

Now, whilst many might automatically jump to Beat as the playable character here, I beg to differ. In my own opinion, the most feasible picks are:

1. Beat - essentially the "protagonist" in terms of marketing.
2. Gum - a fan-favourite character with a much lighter and faster playstyle.
3. YoYo - the actual protagonist of the second game, Jet Set Radio Future.
4. Corn - the actual leader of the GGs - the gang that most of the protagonist characters are a member of.

Not only that, but there's a lot of potential otherwise too. Aside from a plethora of killer music tracks, there's tons of stage potential (Shibuya Terminal, 99th Street and Rokkaku-Dai Heights spring to mind!) and even tons of potential for things such as figurines (with tons of characters and side characters!), stage hazards and even simply things such as concept art!

I suggest this series because, well... it seems like a glaring omission to me, and there's so much potential for this series and its world(s) to be explored here!

 

[Deleted member]

Golden Axe

A classic sega beat-em up. Golden Axe has a large number of sequels and spin offs to pull content from. It usually makes it's way into these Sega crossovers in one way or another. It still receives merch to this day.

In terms of characters, the most likely options are the original heroes: the dwarf Gilius Thunderhead, the heroic barbarian Axe Battler and the amazonian Tyris Flare, along with their opponent, the villainous Death Adder. But there are other options we could pull from the later games including Chronos the Beastman and Dora the Centaur, among others.

 

[osby]

Job #93: The House of the Dead

The House of the Dead, a long-running light gun shooter franchise that focuses on one of the most universal conflicts in human history, one that runs deeper as life and death: Cool agents versus even cooler zombies. Needless to say, the series has quite a few memorable characters on either side.

THotD is one of the most prolific and iconic SEGA franchises and has been going strong for 25 years despite some lulls here and there. Between 6 mainline games, over 10 spin-offs, multiple crossover appearances, media adaptations, and an upcoming remake, there is a lot to unpack if you're new to the series, here is a (definitely not exhaustive) list of characters who might join the roster and a brief summary of them:

Agent G & Thomas Rogan from The House of the Dead: A pair of AMS, a secret government agency, operators who were called to the Curien Mansion in 1998 to stop a zombie outbreak. Agent G is one of the most recurring characters in the series and both are very popular among fans. Their gameplay would involve... well, shooting, as they would use the series' relatively grounded set of firearms such as magnums, shotguns, SMGs, and hand grenades to focus on zoning and sharpshooting.

Dr. Curien from The House of the Dead: A genetic engineer turned into a mad scientist, who created an army of zombies after his research was shut down. He's the main antagonist of the first game and his actions have far-reaching consequences throughout almost all games. Even though he was never fought properly as a boss, he did make a playable appearance in the mobile crossover RPG game SEGA Heroes. In this game, he can show off the variety of zombies he created by playing a puppeteer or set-up role by summoning his creations.

Kate Green from The House of the Dead 4: This is a biased pick from me but honestly, a lot of AMS agents would make cool fighters. Kate is one of the most well-developed characters in the series, going from a naive newcomer that frequently complains about her situation to a serious agent who is both independent and cooperative. All the while, she maintains an optimistic attitude and even jokes-flirts with the creatures she's tasked to kill before shooting them down.

Isaac Washington from The House of the Dead: OVERKILL: Isaac is a foul-mouthed detective with a troubled past, who teams up with Agent G prior to the events of the first game. Overkill is a game that leans very hard on the ironically funny charm of the series and no character can reflect this better than Isaac. He's extremely trigger-happy and his use of profanity is on the parody level (to the point it almost earned the game a Guinness World Recordin being The Most Profane Game of All Time). However, he's not an empty parody, as he's shown to be very caring of people he loves and is implied to car rude partially in order to cover up his insecurities.

Rikiya Busujima from Zombie Revenge: Rikiya is an agent of the Home Office Special Affairs Division. He stars in Zombie Revenge, an unconventional "beat-em-up" take on the series, and is one of the most memorable parts of the game. While he can and is proficient at guns, his fists are even deadlier, capable of dealing strikes that end up in explosions... somehow. He later appeared in Project X Zone, giving him even more popularity and notably making him a sole representative of his series. And speaking of sole representatives...

Zobio & Zobiko from Loving Deads: The House of the Dead EX: A pair of cartoony zombies that fall in love with each other and try to elope from their creator together. These two first appeared in a wacky Japan-exclusive light gun mini-game collection but went overseas thanks to Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing, endearing themselves to people with their unique and comic designs. Even though they are a highly unusual pick for the series, they could be fun in a platforming fighter, with their two-in-one nature providing a unique moveset and their debut game having a lot of bizarre tools and items to pull from.

Magician from The House of the Dead: Last but not least, Type-0 or the Magician is the final boss of the very first game and is an incredibly iconic villain thanks to his memorable look, dialogue, and powers. He is a "perfect creation" of Curien, possessing the abilities to levitate, control fire, and teleport, making him a boss with a deadly and varied arsenal. The Magician is a really interesting character who returned for important roles again and again, with his concept being a model for almost all final bosses who came after him. There are other interesting zombie boss characters like the Star, Hierophant, Empress, and Wheel of Fate but very few feel as important as Magician.

 

[Speed Weed]

Alright, we are now proceeding with submissions!

Here's what we have:

Shin Megami Tensei ( OrpheusTelos )
Valkyria Chronicles ( Flyboy )
Super Monkey Ball ( Tankman from Newgrounds )
Wonder Boy ( YoshiandToad )
Gunstar Heroes ( tonygameman )
Jet Set Radio ( KneeOfJustice99 )
Golden Axe (@Darkonedagger)
The House of the Dead ( osby )

Vote for your top 3 picks - keep your own submission in third place if you're going to self-vote. Keep in mind that this will lead to another prompt centered around characters from whichever series wins

 

[King Sonnn DeDeDoo]

1. Jet Set Radio
2. Valkyria Chronicles
3. Shin Megami Tensei

 

[Tankman from Newgrounds]

1. Jet Set Radio
2. Shin Megami Tensei
3. Super Monkey Ball

 

[KneeOfJustice99]

1. Super Monkey Ball
2. Shin Megami Tensei
3. Jet Set RADIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[Speed Weed]

1. Jet Set Radio
2. Super Monkey Ball
3. Shin Megami Tensei

Hey, remember to keep your own submission in third place

 

[OrpheusTelos]

1. Wonder Boy
2. Valkyria Chronicles
3. Shin Megami Tensei

This was a really tough job, mostly because I was really torn between Valkyria and House of the Dead. All of these were really good choices that I’d love to see get represented somewhere down the line.

 

[YoshiandToad]

1. Valkyria Chronicles
2. The House of the Dead
3. Super Monkey Ball

Edit: osby has a point, editing my votes slightly to put forward the series with less obvious options first.

 

[osby]

1. Valkyria Chronicles (I may be biased but I think this series has a wide enough selection of characters that warrants its own nomination period.)
2. Wonder Boy (This is another series where there's no clearcut best option so giving the thread a chance to discuss it would be a good idea.)
3. The House of the Dead (Shameless self-vote but I genuinely think this series has too many good options and should be in our roster in some shape or form)

Jet Set Radio, Golden Axe and Super Monkey Ball are all good series that warrant playable characters but I felt like they don't need this prompt that much, given they all have "obvious" picks.

Shin Megami Tensei also warrants a spot but I'm kinda confused about what it exactly covers as the nomination includes not only SMT characters but also Devil Summoner ones.

 

[tonygameman]

1. The House of the Dead (give us Rikiya Busujima!)
2. Wonder Boy
3. Gunstar Heroes (maybe I should've submitted Virtual-On instead...)

 

[OrpheusTelos]

1. Valkyria Chronicles (I may be biased but I think this series has a wide enough selection of characters that warrants its own nomination period.)
2. Wonder Boy (This is another series where there's no clearcut best option so giving the thread a chance to discuss it would be a good idea.)
3. The House of the Dead (Shameless self-vote but I genuinely think this series has too many good options and should be in our roster in some shape or form)

Jet Set Radio, Golden Axe and Super Monkey Ball are all good series that warrant playable characters but I felt like they don't need this prompt that much, given they all have "obvious" picks.

Shin Megami Tensei also warrants a spot but I'm kinda confused about what it exactly covers as the nomination includes not only SMT characters but also Devil Summoner ones.

What I had in mind was anything under the Megami Tensei umbrella that isn’t Persona. I probably could’ve been more clear about that in the OP, but I figured they’d be lumped together anyway so I might as well throw them in there. My logic was that Atlus still markets all the other sub-series (Devil Summoner, Digital Devil Saga, etc) under the SMT banner (at least in the west) while Persona is much more divorced from the brand. I don’t wanna speak on behalf of Speed Weed, but that’s how I figure he’d approach this job.

 

[Flyboy]

1. Wonder Boy (I have my favorite but knowing that we can guarantee a character from it is a weight off my shoulders)

2. Shin Megami Tensei (One of the big gaps I'd love to see filled)

3. Valkyria (ditto)

 

[Deleted member]

1. Shin Megami Tensei
2. Valkyria Chronicles
3. Jet Set Radio

 

[cashregister9]

1. Valkyria Chronicles
2. Shin Megami Tensei
3. House Of The Dead

 

[Megadoomer]

1. Gunstar Heroes
2. Golden Axe
3. Shin Megami Tensei

 

[Speed Weed]

1. Shin Megami Tensei
2. House of the Dead
3. Valkyria Chronicles

 

[iProdigy101]

1. Super Monkey Ball
2. Jet Set Radio
3. Shin Megami Tensei

 

[Speed Weed]

Alrighty then, fellas, the results have arrived! Let's take a look:

SMT: 18 points
Valkyria: 16 points
Monkey Ball: 10 points
Wonder Boy: 10 points
Gunstar: 4 points
JSR: 9 points
Golden Axe: 2 points
HotD: 8 points

This was quite the round. But we have a victor: the next series we'll include in our roster is Shin Megami Tensei!!!

And as such, we will now proceed to the second part of this prompt:

Job #94: Submit a character from Shin Megami Tensei

Indeed, since we've decided that we're including a character from SMT, we're now deciding on what SMT character we're including. So yeah, this works like the usual character prompt, just centered around SMT!

That said, we kinda hit a wall when it comes to an issue here: how much do we include here? Do we do strictly mainline SMT or do we include other non-Persona Megaten things here? I myself was worried about this, but I think we should turn to Orpheus on the matter, since she submitted SMT in the first place. She included other Megaten things in her submission and has explained her reasoning as to why, and I think it's valid reasoning - and Orpheus would probably have the more informed opinion than I would when it comes to Megaten, to be honest. So we'll be including stuff like Devil Summoner in this prompt as well! Provided a character from one of these subseries wins, the character specifically will be branded as coming from that subseries, but all the side content that comes with them will encompass non-Persona Megaten in general and Shin Megami Tensei will be counted as having playable representation. So now that that's taken care of, go off!

 

[Tankman from Newgrounds]

Job 94:
Nahobino (Shin Megami Tensei)

Nahobino is main Character of Shin Megami Tensei V. He was used to be School Kid, but he was fused with something to become Nahobino and he tries to save the World before Satan conquers the World and even Tokyo, where he lives.

Nahobino would have Moveset Potential themed about SMT, which he can use his Sword for his neutral Attacks or Smash Attacks. He could even summons Personas like Pixie or even Jack Frost to fight the Opponents. He could have similar to Joker, which their series are Shared Series; which he might have some Meter as Gimmick (I didn't Played the Game or other Games, but I nominate Him for the Purpose of Job).

I pick Nahobino, because he could promote new SMT game, which is SMTV and it could be cool Inclusion for Roster comparing to Demi-Fiend. Even Nahobino has cool long hair for nice aesthetic. Don't forget that if he was Added into Roster, fans would be Happy.

 

[OrpheusTelos]

I definitely think that including all non-Persona Megaten stuff for this job is the right call. Aside from how different parts of the franchise are marketed overseas, there’s much more cross-pollination between other Megaten series. You have stuff like Raidou showing up in Nocturne, Demi-Fiend showing up in Digital Devil Saga, Nemissa in DemiKids, etc. Meanwhile you don’t really see that stuff with Persona outside of DLC costumes and the common demons showing up as Personas. If Battle of Ages was a real game, I could see SEGA lumping the non-Persona Megatens together when it comes to content. Plus, it’s probably better if we treated them all as the same series for our sake so we don’t technically have characters from 10 different Megaten sub-series being technically eligible for unique slots.

Anyway, gonna use this opportunity to shill Raidou for the third and last time in a row.

Job #94: Raidou Kuzunoha (SMT: Devil Summoner)

Raidou Kuzunoha XIV is the protagonist of the Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha subseries of Megaten games. He comes from a lineage of demon summoners who have claimed the Raidou Kuzunoha title, and he works for the Narumi Detective Agency to help protect the capital from supernatural threats. And just like any good magical girl protagonist, he has a snarky talking cat sidekick named Gouto.

I already went over how big of a deal Megami Tensei was in the Demi-Fiend write-up so I’ll spare y’all the details, but the short version is that it’s Atlus’ flagship franchise and has a ****-ton of history behind it. Instead, I’m gonna talk about what makes Raidou stand out from other SMT games. Unlike most games under the Megaten umbrella that stick with the tried-and-true turn-based combat system, Raidou ditches that in favor of a real-time action system (think something similar to the Tales of series with a tiny bit of Devil May Cry thrown in). While it’s been proven time and time again that turn-based characters can make the transition into more action-heavy games, I think the combat of Raidou makes envisioning a moveset for him that much easier since most of the work has already been done.

Speaking of, Raidou’s moveset potential sticks out amongst other potential SMT picks. Starting off, his two weapons of choice are a katana and a revolver, a unique weapon combo we have yet to see on this roster. Aside from that, Raidou can also call upon demons using summoning tubes (basically the closest thing Megaten has to a Pokè Ball equivalent). While any SMT protag could have a demon summoning mechanic, the way it’s implemented in Raidou would be the most interesting and intuitive way to translate it into a fighting game in my opinion. This could be as simple as calling out demons for his specials and switching between them, but if we were to go deeper and pull mechanics from Devil Summoner, Raidou could perform a powerful combination attack with whichever demon he has out after a loyalty gauge is filled.

While not as all-encompassing as Demi-Fiend, Raidou’s presence is still felt throughout the Megaten franchise. In Nocturne’s third release and HD port, he takes Dante from the Devil May Cry series’ place as the special guest character and optional party member. He also appears as a secret boss in the 3DS version of Soul Hackers and has even been referenced by-name in Persona 4. There’s also a new demon hunting character in SMT V, Shohei Yamuko, that shares a striking resemblance to our Devil Summoning friend over here. The two characters even share a Japanese voice actor, so there's no way the character wasn’t a direct reference to Raidou. It’s also worth noting that even before the Atlus buyout, the Devil Summoner games have always had an especially strong association with Sega. The first two games were originally Saturn exclusives, and while Raidou was released on the PS2 well after Sega went third-party, this still gives Devil Summoner a deeper Sega connection than most Megaten games that came before Atlus was acquired. That’s not to say it makes other SMT reps less worthy, but it’s a fun detail to point out.

Also, I’m gonna be blunt, The main reason I’m pitching Raidou above all else is because he’s just cool as ****. His design kicks ass and the concept of an early-1900s Japanese detective who can summon demons and fights with a revolver and katana is simply incredible. He would definitely stand out aesthetically among the rest of the roster in the best possible way. The closest character on our roster to Raidou I can think of from an aesthetic standpoint is probably Sakura (both are Taisho-era sword-wielders who help protect the city from supernatural threats), but even then both are so drastically different in terms of personality and playstyle that Raidou would still be incredibly unique.

So yeah, that’s my pitch for Raidou Kuzunoha. He might not be the protagonist of any of the numbered titles, but he’d be a really cool surprise pick that would turn a few heads and appeal to die-hard Megaten fans. He’s a bit more unconventional than your usual SMT rep, but doesn’t stray too far away from the usual formula so he’s still a good representation of what the series is all about. Also he’s just a kick-ass character all around, how can you not love this guy?

 

[Deleted member]

Demi-fiend

The main protagonist of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne. Set in an alternative universe in which the world is destroyed by a cult. The protagonist wakes up in Tokyo, which has became a ravaged wasteland, discovering that he has gained incredible demonic powers. He becomes embroiled in a conflict between powerful ancient beings. He possesses a lot of moveset potentual, with his ability to learn magic and skills from demons. Nocturne is extremely popular and recently received a remake on modern consoles.

 

[Megadoomer]

Jack Frost

I've only gotten into Shin Megami Tensei recently through the HD re-release of SMT3, but I'll go with the character who (based on my limited knowledge) seems to be the series' equivalent to Pikachu or Slime (seeing as it's a random enemy who's basically the mascot of the franchise).

Jack Frost uses ice attacks, along with physical attacks like punches or spins, and it uses light-based attacks on occasion. He could even take inspiration from his Virtual Boy game and have Pyro Jack show up for some attacks, such as a recovery move where he hops on Pyro Jack's back and Pyro Jack hovers as high as he can, struggling to lift Jack Frost.

 

[osby]

Job #94: Serph (Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner)

Digital Devil Saga is a spin-off of the mainline Megami Tensei games. Even though it was released under the "Shin Megami Tensei" title in the West, it's actually a separate sub-series. While it's similar to Nocturne in terms of graphics, it's unique in the sense that there are story-relevant party members and the player doesn't recruit demons.

Serph is the protagonist of the game and the leader of a tribe known as Embryons, in a land known as The Junkyard where several tribes are locked in constant war with each other. After encountering a mysterious artifact that turns the entire population of the Junkyard into cannibalistic demons, it's up to Serph to lead his tribe into learning the mystery surrounding these transformations and reaching a paradise known as Nirvana, no matter how many other tribes they have to devour along the way.

In battle, Serph's abilities are limited to various bullets and shooting techniques with his handgun and overall not particularly useful. However, when he transformed his Atma Avatar, he can take the shape of Varuna, a Vedic sky deity. Aside from his retractable blades on his arms, Varuna is also capable of using both powerful ice skills and hunt skills that allow him to devour his opponents' essences to make himself stronger.

 

[cashregister9]

Job 94

Flynn

Flynn is the protagonist of Shin Megami Tensei IV

Flynn was just a normal working class man from Tokyo where he then became a samurai after being chosen by the gauntlet and has the ability to control demons

Flynn is a skilled samurai so he has good sword attacks and also can control demons.

 

[YoshiandToad]

Job 94: Nemissa

Nemissa is the partner of the Protagonist character in Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers and a vital secondary character.

She is an amnesiac female demon who possesses the body of the protagonist's friend, Hitomi Tono. Nemissa cannot exist without a body to possess. She's a talented magic wielder, and despite her needing to possess humans in order to exist in the real world, seems to bare no ill will towards humans.

Nemissa seems to be a pretty popular character, and has the added benefit of being both human and demon.

Plus one of the lines she says to Hitomi is: "I haven't been outside in such a long time. I'm aching for a fight. Don't worry, your body is ready!" which the Smash fan in me simply cannot resist.

(I'm quite unfamiliar with SMT so apologies if I screwed the details up on this submission. She does seem pretty cool though.)

 

[Speed Weed]

Alright, I'll be starting up the votes now!

Here are our candidates:

Nahobino ( Tankman from Newgrounds )
Raidou Kuzunoha ( OrpheusTelos )
Demi-Fiend (@Darkonedagger)
Jack Frost ( Megadoomer )
Serph ( osby )
Flynn ( cashregister9 )
Nemissa ( YoshiandToad )

Vote for your top 3 picks - keep your own submission in third place if you're going to self-vote.