Smashboards Creates: Battle of AGES, a SEGA platform fighter

[Speed Weed]

Alright! I think it's about time we show off the results!

And here they are:

Manager: 21 points
AGES: 1 points
Pengo: 9 points
Taro: 10 points
Segata: 5 points
L/B: 10 points
Ebitan: 6 points
M/J/J: 2 points
Honey: 4 points
Flagman: 8 points
Shadow: 2 points

And so, with over twice the runner-ups' points, absolutely sweeping the competition, our free bonus fighter will be none other than the one, the only, the representative of one of SEGA's biggest franchises, our first Western character, the man, the myth, the legend, FOOTBALL MANAGER!!!!!!!

And so, we officially kick off a brand new era of this project! Congrats to Flyboy for getting her submission in!!!!!

And now, we move on to the next logical thing:

Job #210: Submit a moveset for Football Manager

COME ON INGERLAND SCOAR SUM ****IN GOALS

But also.....

Job #211: Submit a free bonus DLC stage

...okay so it's true that Football Manager will not come with a Football Manager stage. But we are still getting a free bonus stage, just one that isn't related to him. So no stages from Football Manager or Virtua Striker or anything of the sort. But still, there's quite some ground to cover here! Just like in this last round, I'll be allowing stages from series both with and without playable representation. Try to think of what'd make for a nice little bonus to tide people over until DLC proper begins. So have at it!

 

[KneeOfJustice99]

Alright! I think it's about time we show off the results!

And here they are:

Manager: 21 points
AGES: 1 points
Pengo: 9 points
Taro: 10 points
Segata: 5 points
L/B: 10 points
Ebitan: 6 points
M/J/J: 2 points
Honey: 4 points
Flagman: 8 points
Shadow: 2 points

And so, with over twice the runner-ups' points, absolutely sweeping the competition, our free bonus fighter will be none other than the one, the only, the representative of one of SEGA's biggest franchises, our first Western character, the man, the myth, the legend, FOOTBALL MANAGER!!!!!!!

And so, we officially kick off a brand new era of this project! Congrats to Flyboy for getting her submission in!!!!!

And now, we move on to the next logical thing:

Job #210: Submit a moveset for Football Manager

COME ON INGERLAND SCOAR SUM ****IN GOALS

But also.....

Job #211: Submit a free bonus DLC stage

...okay so it's true that Football Manager will not come with a Football Manager stage. But we are still getting a free bonus stage, just one that isn't related to him. So no stages from Football Manager or Virtua Striker or anything of the sort. But still, there's quite some ground to cover here! Just like in this last round, I'll be allowing stages from series both with and without playable representation. Try to think of what'd make for a nice little bonus to tide people over until DLC proper begins. So have at it!

Okay, I wanted to submit a stage that I felt had... some degree of importance, but wouldn't be likely to get in otherwise and probably wouldn't be likely DLC picks... I'll honestly concede that I genuinely considered submitting an Ollie King stage but it didn't feel right somehow. Instead of all of that, let's take a look at SEGA's (second) most prominent puzzle series out there!

Stage Name: Columns
Stage Origin: Columns ("SEGA System" Arcade, 1990)

Columns is an archetypical match-three styled puzzle game during which "blocks" fall from the sky, specifically being made up of crystals, and the player's objective is to remove blocks so as not to fill their side of the screen. In some respects, it shares some similarities with other similar titles such as Puyo Puyo and Tetris, though the unique look and feel of Columns I think is notable for a couple of reasons - including the prominent thematic design of the game being based around ancient cultures and architecture with an apparent focus on the Roman era. I think this would lend quite well to an interesting design overall.

I would personally suggest that the stage would somewhat mirror the gameplay seen in Columns, in that fighters would fight atop the blocks that have already been placed, as well as being able to stand on falling blocks - though the vertical nature of said falling blocks would make them effective at walling off parts of the stage and introducing elements of external stage control that players have to work around. Also in keeping with the gameplay of Columns, the stage is designed in such a way that you can only K.O. from the top of the screen - the walls shown on-screen are physical, meaning you can bounce off of them if you're launched. This is, of course, in reference to the lose condition of the game - that is, your crystals reaching the top of the screen.

 

[OrpheusTelos]

Gonna resubmit the Rez stage. Like with Love and Berry, I just think Rez is a really neat piece of Sega history that deserves some more love, and its uniqueness lends itself incredibly well to a fun stage.

Job #204: Cyberspace (Rez)

View attachment 352451

So Rez is this really cool game that Sega released in 2001 for the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2. The main jist is that it's an on-rail shooter where you play as a computer hacker who has to fight off viruses and awaken the AI Eden. The game has this wireframe aesthetic and your shots sync up with the game's music. I'd highly recommend looking into this game if you're interested. It's an incredibly unique experience and is suprisingly accessible to modern audiences. It got ported to the Xbox 360 back in 2008, and an enhanced VR compatible version was released for the PS4 and PC a few years back. Between how long this game has endured and its unique aesthetic, Rez stood out to me as something that would make for a compelling stage.

In this stage, you'll be fighting on a single flat stage with three platforms being guided along the rails throughout the vastness of cyberspace. The platforms will dissapear and reappear to the beat of the music, and everyime a fighter gets knocked out, the aesthetic of the stage changes as you're transported to a different area in cyberspace. Here's just a taste of some of the abstract locations you can look forward to visiting on your cyberspace tour:

View attachment 352459
View attachment 352461
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When you're on your last stock or the timer is close to running out, you'll be transported to the room where none other than Eden resides. The AI will watch over the remainder of your battle without interfering.

View attachment 352464

 

[Tankman from Newgrounds]

I'll resubmit Carrier Zone from Afterburner.

Carrier Zone (Afterburner)
View attachment 352529​

Carrier Zone is a location from Afterburner games and it's a place where F-14 Tomcat starts it's journey in the skies above the ground of our planet Earth. The Carrier swims through oceans while carrying the planes on itself.
The carrier itself appeared ont only in it's home series, but it appeared in Sega Superstar Tennis as tennis court and Sonic and SEGA Allstars Racing Transformed as race track, which it implies that Afterburner is one of SEGA's iconic hit games.

As a stage, it would be walk-off stage that has one cliff edge at left side of the map. There are two platforms that appear on sides of the stage. There are no Hazards whatsoever.
In the background, you could see F-14 Tomcat standing there and in sky background, you could see planes flying around.
(And speaking of F-14 Tomcat, you still can summon planes on this stage)

 

[tonygameman]

Job #211: Bonus DLC Stage - Super Locomotive

Super Locomotive is a 1982 side-scrolling action driving/shooter hybrid game, which was designed and programmed by Fukumura Mizunaga on a custom arcade hardware similar to SEGA's System 1 (utilizing two Zilog Z80 microprocessors and Texas Instruments SN-76496s for sound) and then released for the arcades in December that year. It involves the eponymous American-looking steam engine, "Super Locomotive", traveling from one station to another, while being pursued by enemy locomotives (with angry faces and muscular arms) and aeroplanes dropping down bombs, attacking them back by shooting bullets/anti-aircraft missiles from it's behind or a smokestack. It was also one of the earliest train video games, preceding train simulators such as Ongakukan's Train Simulator & Taito's Densha De Go! series, and inspiring games like Trooper Truck (with a same song being used) & Loco.

(here comes a huge lecture and major reason for this submission, my real-life support person is a music therapist)

Despite it's obscurity (having only made about 35 PCB boards), this hidden gem was known for featuring a chiptune rendition of the most pioneering/influential Japanese electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra (in short, YMO)'s synth-pop hit Rydeen, which was composed by their drummer and lead vocalist Yukihiro Takahashi in 1979 for their Solid State Survivor album. Trust me, those guys were way, (starts exclaiming a long list of "WAYS") ahead of their time, I recommend to give their songs a VERY GOOD listen.

Heck, Michael Jackson himself created his own version of YMO's "Behind the Mask" with additional lyrics back in 1982 (original song), Hideo Kojima's recent Spotify podcast revealed that Solid Snake's codename came from the album and even "Solid State Scouter" from Dragon Ball Z's first TV special, Bardock - The Father of Goku, was made as a homage to the band. Yellow Magic Orchestra basically made electronic/synth-pop music what it is today, and even laid foundations/blueprints for future video game composers back in the 1980's and 1990's, who were also influenced by their work as shown below in this video.

While not ported before at all for 40/forty years since it's original release, Super Locomotive has just been announced as a bonus game for SEGA's Mega Drive 2 Mini console, with M2 themselves having made a port alongside Spatter (also known as Sanrin San-Chan; which also made it in) at some point for their 3D Classics collection in Nintendo 3DS before they were turned down because of their obscure/niche status, replacing Rydeen with Oriental Magic Yellow's "Ryzeen" (consisting of Namco's composers with a founder known for Ridge Racer, Shinji Hosoe), despite SEGA having got a license to use a former and Pengo's Popcorn for their 60th anniversary album in 2020. It's also releasing on the console's international/United States version, too.

Which speaking of, for the stage's soundtrack, Rydeen is guaranteed to return from the base game's Space Harrier stage (going there like how 's Northern Cave has Midgar's two only base Final Fantasy songs joining with a former's nine new tracks in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate) with early 1980's non-Super Scaler games, possibly an aforementioned "Ryzeen" and it's original, licensed full-length YMO version joining in, as well (akin to "Mexican Flyer" from Space Channel 5, Bayonetta's Climax mix of "Fly to the Moon" and some Samba de Amigo songs).

In Battle of AGES, similarly to Spirit Train from Super Smash Bros. 4 (3DS version) and Ultimate, this side-scrolling stage takes place on the Super Locomotive itself alongside coaches from the arcade game's flyer above (with a same design/appearance), as a battle starts from the station before a locomotive whistles and begins letting out steam as it speeds forward to the right through a presumably American grassland, going across bridges, tunnels, signals and crossing intersections with trucks waiting behind them.

During the journey, hazards such as enemy trains and bomber planes will appear as they chase down the Super Locomotive and attempt to damage fighters by either blowing them up or running over them if they fall into rail tracks on the ground. The Super Locomotive sometimes fires out a missile from either behind to destroy enemy trains or above as it flies towards a bomber plane and can hit an aerial fighter on it's way, even turning into a brightly-colored, flashier version of itself to travel much faster for a brief time, even damaging characters in-front of it (sorry Sonic, no Big Blue for you this time).

Finally, after one and a half minutes have passed, the train will stop at the station for a few seconds while filling up with a oil tower nearby, before going away again and thus starting out an another usual rotation.

 

[Flyboy]

Job #211: Fantastic Pinball (Devil's Crush/Kyuutenkai Fantasic Pinball)

Okay, after some deep thought, I really think that more than anything Technosoft representation should be in this game. With the MD Minis, Sega really has been reminding us they have Technosoft's library, and again I do think we'll probably be looking into Thunder Force for DLC but I still can't get the brain itch of Compile and Technosoft's pinball games out of my brain. I think this makes for a cool bonus, and again pointing at what the MD Mini has been using for "bonus games" it's not always been the big hype picks - it's been unique ports, arcade-perfect versions that have never had a home release, or super obscure pieces of work. I think something like this really falls in line with that philosophy.

Job 204 (Second submission): Fantastic Pinball (Devil's Crush/Kyuutenkai Fantasic Pinball)

View attachment 352736

Okay, so, how to describe this one...

When looking at what SEGA properties and ideas we have represented in our project, one big thing I've been going back to again and again is the company Technosoft. Technosoft was purchased by SEGA, including all of their games, and particular is famous for the Thunder Force and Herzog series. Herzog Zwei and Thunder Force IV are considered some of the best games on the Genesis, and I'm like 90% sure we're gonna go back to the Thunder Force series for DLC. Still, I wanted to look into some Technosoft stage ideas, and for a few months now I've been super interested in the game I linked the Let's Play of, Kyuutenkai Fantasic Pinball for the PSX and Sega Saturn.

In researching the game (much harder than you'd expect) I came across something that's sort of a precursor to it, Devil's Crush. You see, Compile, a different company Sega bought, released Alien Crush and later Devil's Crush, and Technosoft was in charge of porting Devil's Crush to the Genesis. So I guess that port job got them to eventually make a pinball game of their own down the line...

Sega also has plenty of experience in pinball-related games. Sonic Spinball or Casino Night Zone, anyone? So yeah, what about a Pinball-themed stage? It could cycle through the aesthetics of different tables with different platform layouts, bumpers, and flipper hazards during the fights, randomly choosing between Fantasic Pinball's three anime-fantasy themed tables (Seriously, watch that video, there's something so bright and charming about this game, and cute, too!) and the more demonic Devil's Crush tables, perhaps even Alien Crush if it's eligible. Maybe there could be a Sonic CD or Sonic Spinball Easter Egg? Hmm.

Anyway, yeah! I just think this is a really fun deep cut that's been gnawing at the back of my mind for a while. I can't get over Kyuutenkai's aesthetic, it just sparks joy and I love the floating castles and big anime characters, and I think watching out for pinball flippers and bumpers in a flashy level could make for something really neat!

 

[Janx_uwu]

Probably the last chance for this stage to get in. It's not like I'm super passionate about it or whatever, I just find this game really interesting and I would love for it to get in!

Bonus Stage: Time Traveler

Time Traveler is a 1991 holographic FMV game where you help a cowboy (Marshal Gram) travel throughout time to stop the evil time lord, Vulcor, and save Pincess Kyi-La. It was groundbreaking for its time, being the first holographic game ever! The gameplay consisted of quick time event's as many other FMV games from its time.
To reflect the original game, the look of the stage would be almost completely black save for outlines of the stage and four three-dimensional shapes in the background.
The stage's layout would be similar to that of The Forest Floor from Rivals of Aether - basically a long base platform with four soft platforms arranged above it. Sometimes the screen will flash a bit, and background elements will appear or be swapped out (such as the aforementioned shapes, cacti from Western times, castles from Medieval times, neon signs from near-future times, and strange metal infrastructure from future times). With hazards on, enemies corresponding to the current time period will appear on the left or right of grounded fighters and do a quick, powerful attack - you'll have to be on your toes for sure!

 

[Speed Weed]

Alright, so!

Today, SEGA did a livestream revealing the final batch of games for the Mega Drive Mini 2. And they surprised us all by revealing not one, not two, but six bonus games. And two of those caught my eye, cause they were based on a game that I hadn't really thought of as potential for this project before, but actually would make for an interesting stage, has a neat place in their history, and is all around just a cool oddity that would make for a fun stage. Fellas, I introduce to you......

Job #211: Party Quiz from Party Quiz Mega Q

Party Quiz Mega Q was a general-knowledge quiz game released by SEGA for the Mega Drive in 1993, in Japan only. The game's made to look like an over-the-top game show, complete with an intro sequence and ad breaks for SEGA products. The game features various different modes, but generally, players gain or lose points based on their performance in the questions. The player with the most points is the winner.

This game was later released for the JP Wii Virtual Console in 2007, and its soundtrack was featured in the 2014 album Mega Drive 25th Anniversary Album Vol. 1. The game was then featured in the JP version of the original Mega Drive Mini in 2019, and was apparently really popular there? But we now have a more recent bit of news on this game, namely that the MD Mini 2 will feature two different versions of the game as bonuses - Party Quiz Mega Q 2022, a version of the game with more contemporary questions, and Party Quiz SEGA Q, a version of the game with SEGA-centric questions. So it's still a somewhat relevant and notable retro SEGA title, all things considered.

We'll be using the SEGA questions for this stage. I'm taking some inspiration from the Buzz! stage in Playstation All-Stars - players will be fighting in the middle of the game show. The funky host dude will then show up and ask one of many SEGA-related trivia questions. The answers will show up at the top of the screen, and players can "hit" the answers and get tagged with the corresponding letter. Once some time has passed and the question is over, players tagged with the correct answer will recieve benefits (healed, buffed, turned invincible, etc...) while players tagged with the wrong answer will suffer for it (damaged, stunned, shrunk, turned into Jogurt, etc...). This will continue until the match ends. So it's a little bit of the Buzz! stage, a little bit of WarioWare, but overall something I feel would be very fun.

 

[Deleted member]

Apartment #203 (Roommaina #203)
Roommania #203 is an very unusual life simulation game released for the Dreamcast in 2000. In it you control the life of a young man in his dorm room. The player does this by interacting with him in various ways, such as chucking balls at him.

The stage takes place in his dorm room on his desk. He'll be chilling there. There are a lot of objects to interact with. However. This js a very wacky stage. Actions from the game, such as sad balls, may happen and change the course kf the stage.

Roommaina is an unusual game. Never released outside of Japan, the game had a PS2 sequal and re relase. It has been featured in anniversary albums and badges and even shows up in the Sega movies title card.

 

[Speed Weed]

Aight time to vote

Here are our stages:

Columns ( KneeOfJustice99 )
Cyberspace ( OrpheusTelos )
Carrier Zone ( Tankman from Newgrounds )
Super Locomotive ( tonygameman )
Fantastic Pinball ( Flyboy )
Time Traveler ( Janx_uwu )
Party Quiz (meeeeeee)
Apartment #203 (@Darkonedagger)

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

 

[Tankman from Newgrounds]

1. Super Locomotive
2. Cyberspace
3. Carrier Zone

 

[Deleted member]

1. Columns
2. Super Locomotive
3. Apartment #203

 

[Janx_uwu]

1. Super Locomotive
2. Roomania
3. Columns

 

[Champion of Hyrule]

1. Time Traveler
2. Columns
3. Super Locomotive

 

[KneeOfJustice99]

Aight time to vote

Here are our stages:

Columns ( KneeOfJustice99 )
Cyberspace ( OrpheusTelos )
Carrier Zone ( Tankman from Newgrounds )
Super Locomotive ( tonygameman )
Fantastic Pinball ( Flyboy )
Time Traveler ( Janx_uwu )
Party Quiz (meeeeeee)
Apartment #203 (@Darkonedagger)

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

1. Time Traveller. Honestly, this would just be a really unique inclusion that would just feel really cool.
2. Apartment #203. Honestly the concept of straight up "an apartment" as a stage is funny in itself, but I also quite like the idea of representing Roomania given its... surprising relevence within SEGA's brand and such.
3. Carrier Zone. I wouldn't really say that After Burner is "THE choice" for a stage, but I can't deny its importance to SEGA's history, and I'll be the first to admit that it would at the very least look and sound really cool with a unique appearance and the like.

 

[OrpheusTelos]

1. Party Quiz
2. Roommania
3. Fantastic Pinball

 

[Flyboy]

1. Time Traveller - What a unique and cool piece of Sega history! I'm lucky enough to have recently seen one of these babies in the wild and it's such a bizarre and cool machine. Plus...FMV games are part of Sega's DNA, and this proves they were there even before the Sega CD! What a fun way to represent that!

2. Roommania - As we've found out, the relevance it has is shocking. It's a cool stage idea, and probably a shoe-in if this game was real, let's not kid ourselves.

3. Party Quiz - Relevance and such a cool gimmick. I love WarioWare and Buzz-style stages.

I just want to say I am HEARTBROKEN at not being able to vote for the Rez stage. I REALLY hope we do more bonus stages in the future because I'd absolutely love to see it.

 

[tonygameman]

1. Party Quiz
2. Fantastic Pinball
3. Super Locomotive

 

[Qwerty UIOP]

1. Columns
2. Party Quiz
3. Time Traveller

 

[osby]

1. Party Quiz
2. Apartment #203
3. Carrier Zone

 

[Speed Weed]

Alright!

First up, a reminder that moveset submissions for Football Manager are still open. I forgot to mention that yesterday, but yeah.

Anyway! Time for the results!:

Columns: 9 points
Cyber: 2 points
Carrier: 3 points
Locomotive: 10 points
Pinball: 4 points
Time: 10 points
Quiz: 11 points
203: 11 points

......Oh **** we have a tie. Alright then I'm gonna do a quick poll for a few hours get your votes in fast GOGOGOGOGO

Le vote - StrawPoll.com

What is your opinion? Vote now: Apartment #203, Party Quiz

strawpoll.com

 

[Speed Weed]

And we have a winner! Our bonus stage will be none other than Apartment #203!!! Congrats to @Darkonedagger for getting their submission in!

So, tracklist submissions for Apartment #203 are now open. I'll be a bit more lax with tracklist jobs going forward, just throw one in if you want to. I might do one myself - but in case any of you want to chip in, I should mention that you can find the Serani Poji album that the first Roommania's music comes from on YouTube, it's called Manamoon. Any other music you need, you can prolly just look up by searching "roommania ost". It's a more obscure game, so I do want to help out somewhat.

Anyway, we'll now start to get into the real meat of DLC, but before that:

Discussion: What do you want to see in DLC?

Yeah I figured that now that we're done with the bonus stuff and are about to get into the Real ****, I'd gauge the thread's interests, see what people would like to see going forward. So what are your hopes for this new era of Battle of AGES?

 

[HyperSomari64]

I don't wanna see any Guest characters on the three Season Passes. It shiver my timbers when i hear that idea.
Come on, are there any non-SEGA characters we can see here? (aside of Miku or a Warhammer marine).

 

[Deleted member]

I don't wanna see any Guest characters on the three Season Passes. It shiver my timbers when i hear that idea.
Come on, are there any non-SEGA characters we can see here? (aside of Miku or a Warhammer marine).

the plan (unless things have changed) is to do a single guest at the end of DLC

 

[Flyboy]

I have said it before but I really would like to see some bonus stages at least once every pass if that's possible. This last job was really cool because it shows that we still have plenty of places to dip into where a character may not work but a stage would be wonderful. Rez, Project Rub, Mr. Bones, and more...

As for characters and franchises in DLC, I'd LOVE a 7th Dragon round, and I'm really excited for our additional reps since it allows us to dive deep into some super cool picks from stuff like Phantasy Star, House of the Dead, Shining, etc. For more new franchises, it'd be so sick to get some of the characters we've agreed are fun unusual or deep cuts like Jack Cayman, Horatio, King, Love & Berry, Leanne, and more. I'm looking forward to getting some Sammy and Technosoft representation in here if we can (and hey, I wanted Billy & Sheila as assists but maybe it's time to think about them as playable even if it's not super realistic that they'd be added...)

Overall I'm just excited! And I think it's gonna be super fun when we get to the eventual guest round - it's been super funny discussing how shockingly deep the potential pool is (and how off-the-wall some of the ideas are). I'm all about the SEGA history and I think we've managed to really dig and get some awesome history represented in this project. I hope we continue to have fun and challenge ourselves like this.

 

[osby]

I think now that the base roster has a pretty solid line-up, I don't have any "must-haves" for DLC.

Adding some more unconventional picks for series that already have multiple characters can be cool down the line. If I'm being honest, fighter selections for Sonic and Virtua Fighter, in particular, plays it a bit too safe. Also, while ATLUS has plenty of content already, it'd be kinda weird if we finish the DLC and Shin Megami Tensei still has no characters. Some of Sumo Digital's "All-Stars" games cast would be entertaining to see here, such as Amigo or B.D. Joe. And I still think we're overdue for a Total War character, it's easily on par with some of SoJ's biggest hits these days. And I'll probably love seeing a horror game character from Condemned, Illbleed, or Alien.

But overall, I just want to see more recent characters. It makes sense to focus on SEGA's most well-known eras but it's a bit glaring how the 2010s and 2020s each have a single fighter to their names.

 

[Speed Weed]

Alright, discussion over!

First things first, I wanna bring y'all's attention to the fact that I am now opening submissions for achievements and Mission Mode missions. I meant to do them in that big fleshing-out phase, but that didn't go anywhere, so I'll let yall submit them whenever you want. We do have a cap though - 50 for missions, 128 for achievements.

Anyway, it's time. We did the bonus stuff, but now it's time for the real ass DLC. So with that, I officially declare that Season 1 has begun!!!

And now, we're starting with our first true proper DLC character. And there's probably no better way to kick things off than:

Job #212: Submit a fifth Sonic character

Yeah kicking DLC off with another Sonic rep is prolly an easy way to generate hype and attention. So go for it! Submit a fifth Sonic character! I don't have much to say here, other than that deconfirmed characters are back on the table.

 

[Tankman from Newgrounds]

Job 212:

Shadow the Hedgehog

(Debuted in Sonic Adventure 2: battle)​

Shadow the Hedgehog is an anti-heroic hedgehog/black arm hybrid from Sonic the Hedgehog franchise and he was created by Gerald Robotnik 50 years ago on Space Colony ARK. His purpose was meant to be cure for incurable human diseases, especially to cure Maria Robotnik's disease (Eggman's cousin).
50 years later, he was released by Dr. Eggman to use him as part of his plan for world domination. He was Sonic's rival throughout the games.

He is one of most known Sonic characters and he would be obvious choice for a DLC Sonic character.


His moveset could consist of his abilities such as chaos control or even usage of his gun. Some of his moves would be similar to Sonic, which it could make him a potential semi-clone for the game.
Also his super move would be his super transformation, where he becomes super shadow just like Sonic becoming super Sonic.


Since he is one of popular Sonic characters, he could make sense to be in the game since many Sonic fans could recognize him well due to his nature.

 

[KneeOfJustice99]

So. There's going to be a lot of obvious picks out there and I know for a fact that I'm going to be either ninja'd or fall into complete and utter obscurity if I submit them. I am the funny Knee. I submit weird and unusual picks. I am the one who knocks. (wait **** wrong one) So uh this is just a longwinded way of me explaining why this isn't Shadow or Metal Sonic or something lol

Character Name: Jet the Hawk
Character Origin: Sonic Riders (2006)

Okay, so this is a weird pick. Sonic's a series which seems to be really well known for its rivals. There's the funny red one, the edgy black one, the beep boop metal one, the really, really hot cat one (NOT IN THAT WAY) and the shrill-voiced bird one - yeah, I'm going with that last one right there.

Okay so, here's a thought. Battle of AGES is a crossover between SEGA's history, a representation of everything the funny blue company has to offer. Now, their flagship IP - Sonic, right? So, here's a thought - Sonic is more than its main series, to which I'd like to point to Sonic's weirdly storied history of contrived racing games.

Ever since 1994, when Sonic Drift hit the small, dimly-lit screens of Game Gears across Japan, Sonic's lust for speed has seen him moving at high speed not just when platforming, but on tracks too. It's an obvious way to take it - his whole thing is going fast so of course, right? Except the genius, 10,000IQ move was to put him in a car. (And then he raced on foot in 1997 and everyone hated it but GOD DAMN THAT MUSIC BACK IN TIIIIIIME TO ANOTHER WORLD im sorry)

So, fast-forward to 2006, and there's an unholy fusion of something that, when you think about it, makes sense. Sonic's very identity has always had that element of "coolness", and something that will pretty much always be cool? Extreme sports. Why do you think he was grinding down rails in SOAP shoes back in Adventure? That feeling of "coolness" is closely related to the Sonic series, and even now - in more recent titles such as Sonic Dash and Sonic Forces, the blue blur is still hitting tricks when he leaps from ramp to ramp. So, combine the idea of "coolness" with freakin hoverboards, as well as just a dash of cocky rivalry, and you get... Vegeta a funny bird.

FINALLY getting to the idea of why Jet makes sense, the Riders spin-off series is probably the best-recieved and most important Sonic spin-off series out there. Whilst it died a slow and horrible death after not leaning forward far enough for the Kinect sensor to pick it up, Riders has absolutely been remembered more than stuff like, uh... Sonic Shuffle? What I'm getting at is that this is an opportunity for us to represent a unique part of Sonic's history - a side not usually seen in crossover media.

In terms of how Jet would play, I think it almost writes itself - a combination of aerial prowess, oppressive speed, and ridiculously stylish hoverboard-bound tricks utilising the Extreme Gear to its fullest potential, Jet would be a character designed to not only rival Sonic, but almost surpass him. Whilst Knuckles surpasses Sonic in terms of strength, Metal represents a "perfect" Sonic, and Shadow represents the conflicting ideologies between the pair, Jet is probably the most... simple to understand rival - he's a fast-flying, treasure-hunting punk that answers to nobody but himself, and I think that boundary to the point where he's not really a villain, nor an anti-hero, but just an undeniably cool character to act as a counter to the face of your franchise, is a really cool one to see.

Not only this, but Riders has plenty of content for us to represent if we wanted to - be it great music, lots of unique stage potential, or even the opportunity for us to bring in some other representation of other Sonic spin-off media in other forms - such as perhaps Capsule Toys of characters we might not have otherwise seen here! (This is me subtly suggesting that something like the Cyclone would be an amazing Capsule Toy to see - hell maybe also the Speed Star and oh my god if it had the low-poly look from the DS game I would cry please)

Also, we have a SIGNIFICANT lack of green characters and I think the concept of "hoverboard stunts" in the form of a character lends exceptionally well to a platform fighter okay thats enough from me i think jet is a good pick bye

 

[Deleted member]

Amy Rose
Introduced in Sonic CD. Amy is more than a simple damel in distress. She knows how to handle herself. Armed with her Pico Hammer, Amy is a capable fighter. She'd of course use her hammer. But would also pull on her varoius apperences through the years, with a lot of heart based attacks.

 

[tonygameman]

Job #212: New Sonic Fighter - Blaze the Cat

Blaze is an anthropomorphic cat who resides in an alternate/parallel dimension where she is the Sol Empire's princess and guardian of the Sol Emeralds (hence Knuckles' role) as she protects them from Eggman-Nega, despite having a tendency of escaping her castle and acting rather freely & independently like her counterpart, Sonic the Hedgehog himself, who she first met when his team ended up in her dimension on a handheld title Sonic Rush, which was released on Nintendo DS in November 23th, 2005. Being originally shy and anti-social, Blaze's time with Sonic and Cream the Rabbit allowed her to discover the true meaning/concept of friendship and learn opening up to others, thus freely traveling between dimensions to visit them in various titles/installments throughout the series.

Don't let the same name as Streets of Rage's female hero confuse you for a while, we have two Roys in Smash and she is a fan-favorite, after all. Anyway, being a skilled fighter, Blaze has hand-to-hand combat techniques in addition to kick/ballet-based attacks like sliding, pirouettes, twirls and somersaults. She also has pyrokinetic abilities which allow her to naturally summon and manipulate fire for various attacks such as Axel Jump/Tornado (a flaming tornado), Fire Boost (turning herself into a flying fiery projectile), Spinning Claw (a ballet twirl that creates a wide ring of flames), Fire Claw (her equivalent of Homing Attack), Burst Dash (her variant of Spin Dash) and Burst Hover (used for hovering). For her All-Star Move, Blaze will obviously use the Sol Emeralds to turn into Burning Blaze, her own version of Sonic's iconic Super transformation.

 

[OrpheusTelos]

Job #212: Team Chaotix

The Chaotix are a trio of detectives-for-hire who are willing to take on any case and will do everything in their power to solve them. While the Chaotix have been around since 1995 as some of the stars of Knuckles' Chaotix, it wouldn't be until Sonic Heroes that the group solidified into the lovable detective trio we know today. The team leader is Vector the Crocodile, a loud-mouthed goofball who might seem greedy, but is willing to help people in need for free and takes his job very seriously. The main investigator of the group is Espio the Chamelion, the straight-laced and intelligent spy who uses various ninja techniques to gather intel. Lastly there's Charmy Bee, who if we're being completely honest, is mostly just there for moral support.

You might be wondering why Team Chaotix specifically? Surely there are other, more prominent characters in the Sonic universe who deserve the spotlight more, and surely these guys could work as individual fighters. And to that first point, you're probably right, but also consider that they're really fun characters who could offer an incredibly unique playstyle, which brings me to Point B. While I won't argue that Espio and Vector have plenty to work with for an individual movesets, the Chaotix have always been about team synergy. Whether it be Knuckles' Chaotix or Sonic Heroes, a lot of the team's major appearances focus heavily on their teamwork, and I think it only makes sense to reflect that in their playstyle. I'd imagine the Chaotix working as somewhat of a mix between Icies and Aegis in Smash, where players switch between Espio and Vector being in the lead depending on what the situation calls for. You need a quick and agile fighter who can overwhelm the opponent with a barrage of ninja-based attacks and camoflauge? Go with Espio! You need a heavy-hitter who, while not super mobile, can easily finish opponents off with powerful attacks? Go with Vector! Charmy would most likely just be there for recovery and maybe a few other attacks, unless the person making the moveset really wants to make him work. The sky's the limit for what you can do with these guys.

 

[Qwerty UIOP]

Job 212: Eggrobo

One of the more memorable Sonic enemies

I think we should have an enemy fighter in this hypothetical game

 

[Janx_uwu]

Metal Sonic

Metal Sonic was created by Eggman to be the ultimate copy of his nemesis, you-know-who. Due to the nature of his purpose, Metal Sonic has but a single goal in his robotic life - to be the one, true Sonic. He made his debut in Sonic CD by capturing Amy Rose on Little Planet, but was defeated by his biological counterpart in a really badass race. He was soon afterwards threatening Knuckles' Chaotix with his new form, Metal Sonic Kai (who was thankfully defeated - the bad ending suggests he would've laid waste to the planet if he was not defeated). Metal dipped for quite a while, even though it was hinted that Eggman was tweaking his design during the Adventure games. He reappeared in Sonic Heroes as the secret main antagonist, with some new models to boot - Neo Metal Sonic and, soon after, Metal Overlord. He was defeated, though, by the titular Sonic Heroes and the power of friendship (and the seven most powerful artifacts in their known universe, of course). Due to Metal Sonic rising up against his creator in Heroes, Eggman tweaked the robot to have less of a personality, thereby decreasing the chance of him breaking free of his empire again. After a somewhat notable role in Sonic Rivals 2 (which confirms the aforementioned personality wipe), Metal is, as far as the games go, reduced to a cool boss fight or playable spinoff role whenever possible, as he is a fan-favorite character. Thankfully though, the IDW comics have continued Metal's arc, with Neo being the main antagonist of the first arc, Master Overlord (and Metal having a bit of an existential crisis in the second one, Metal Virus).

Some might say Metal would just be a Sonic clone or echo. I don't think it would be appropriate for Metal to have no moves relating to Sonic, but it would be quite silly to reduce him to a clone as well. Metal's got more than enough in terms of his sharp claws, flexible joints, boosters, chest exhaust, electricity manipulation, and starfish-shaped spindash. Having Neo in some form (possibly a meter built up over time, or an All-Star move) would also be very based.

Metal Sonic would be a FANTASTIC way to start of DLC, as he's an instantly recognizable character who a lot of people love (Sonic fans or not), but he's also not an obvious pick for a Sega fighting game (then again, after our four and Shadow (and maybe Amy) no one's really 'obvious'). The good guys of Sonic take up 3/4 of that series' place on the roster, so giving Eggman a companion on the villain's side would be nice, plus we just need more villains on the roster in general.

Also, while Metal Sonic is a part of YoshiandToad 's Eggman moveset, that same writeup does say that Mecha Sonic (I'm presuming the 3&K variant) would replace Metal if he made it in. So even if you're not a Metal Sonic fan, you gotta admit, having this dude in AGES would be awesome.

also, below is an emerl writeup I scrapped but I spent too long on it to delete it all

Spoiler

Emerl is a gizoid - an ancient and powerful robot that adapts from other creatures it observes - hails from the 2003 2D arena fighter Sonic Battle. If the unique genre alone wasn't enough to grab your attention to this little oddity of a GBA spinoff, it's also known for having one of the best Sonic stories, mainly because of this guy. Emerl was created by the Fourth Great Civilization, found and given a "soul" centuries later by Gerald Robotnik (which was based on his beloved granddaughter Maria), and tossed away by Eggman years later to be found by Sonic & friends. They cared for the dude and, after learning how powerful Emerl was, trained him in battle (a Sonic Battle...). Emerl appreciated this immensely, and over time developed something of a personality. Emerl was extremely powerful, but he also hungered for power, leading him to lose control at times when a large energy source was near. This was at its worst when Eggman fired upon him with the Final Egg Blaster (which is comparable in power to the Eclipse Canon from SA2). Emerl absored the Blaster's energy, losing sight of who he was as he became the superweapon he was originally designed as, and attempted to aim the canon at earth. Sonic was able to stop him, but, sadly, this resulted in Emerl's destruction. He started out as a blank slate who could only speak a few broken sentences and throw a mild punch, but by the end of the game, he was an extremely potent character who was noble, kind, and witty. Emerl's story is remembered fondly by many Sonic fans, and even though his Eggman-built successor, Gemerl, lives on as the reprogrammed protector of Cream The Rabbit, the original gizoid lives on in our hearts.

So, that was a lot. TL;DR, Gemerl was a really kind and compassionate character who was really strong and learned as much as he could to become as strong as he could, which was both his greatest strength and his fatal flaw.

But why should he be in Battle of AGES? There are plenty of robots with more popularity than Emerl. Take, for instance, the Eggrobo, or one I'm surprised has not yet been submitted, Metal Sonic. But I think Emerl stands out for his adaptive nature. I like the idea of having a Copy Ability-like move for this game, and Emerl would be great for that.

Anyways, Metal Sonic is cool! Vote for the one, TRUE Sonic today! (or tomorrow or whenever voting starts)

 

[YoshiandToad]

Job 212# Chaos

Who is Chaos?
Formerly an ordinary Chao, Chaos mutated when it interacted with the Master Emerald, with the emerald giving it godlike powers and liquid abiliies over 3000 years ago and it became the original guardian of the Master Emerald, Chaos Emeralds and Chao. Originally peaceful, Chaos became friends with Tikal, the Knuckles Clan's chieftan daughter. A strong bond of trust between Chaos and Tikal was formed, with Chaos allowing Tikal to visit the alter and the Chao.

However Tikal's father, Pachamac, was a greedy man and seeked the Chaos Emeralds for his own power. Seeing Pachamac mow down Chaos' fellow Chao and even Pachamac's own daughter to obtain the Emerald caused Chaos to become enraged, absorbing the Chaos Emeralds and losing it's self to the negative energy within the emeralds, Chaos became 'Perfect' and wiped out the majority of the Knuckles Clan, sans Tikal.

With Tikal's remaining strength she sacrificed her body to use her spirit to trap herself and Chaos inside the Master Emerald attempting to soothe it's spirit.

Eons later, both Chaos and Tikal's spirit were freed from the Emerald when Dr. Eggman shattered the Master Emerald, and he came into conflict with Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, Amy Rose and Big the Cat, eventually being defeated by Super Sonic and ascending into the heavens with Tikal's soul to watch over Chao everywhere.

Why Chaos would make for a good Battle of Ages fighter?
Whilst already a boss in his Perfect Form, I feel like Chaos offers something unique to the roster as a playable fighter with his stretchy rubber/water like limbs, shape shifting, hydrokinesis and the potential to evolve in combat over time into new forms. As a shapeshifting water spirit, Chaos can create multiple tentacle like tendrils to keep his attacks unpredictable as well as reduce himself to a puddle for escaping his foes attacks.

To seperate himself from the boss Chaos, his Perfect Form would(and should) only be used briefly as his All-Star Move. He could reset his form by summoning the spirit of Tikal to cleanse his soul.

Whilst not as important as his unique fighting style, he would also add an additional 'villain' character to the roster, something we are somewhat lacking currently. Outside the above Metal Sonic, it's hard to argue that Chaos is one of the best recieved non-Eggman antagonists in the Sonic series, and many people have fond memories of Chao raising, which Chaos is the (mutated) embodiment of.

 

[osby]

Most of the prominent characters are already suggested so I'll bring back one of my old ones back:

Job #130: Cream the Rabbit & Cheese

Cream is a young rabbit who never goes anywhere without her friend and companion Cheese. Initially, the duo had an original life but this changed when they had a chance encounter with Sonic after one of Dr. Eggman's evil plans threw them into a world of adventure. Despite her polite nature, her endless curiosity always gets Cream into sticky situations, which allowed her to develop some fighting abilities, aided by Cheese acting as her protector.

Similar to Tails, Cream is a Fly-type character who can move around in the air by floating her ears, as Cheese follows her with their wings. However, the duo would have unique puppet-style gameplay that so far has no example in the game, even with the duos like Blue Dragon or Megami Tensei summoners. On top of attacking their own, Cream and Cheese can execute powerful skills by working in tandem or having the former give commands to the Chao such as forming tornadoes or healing them.

 

[Speed Weed]

Alright, it seems to me we've got our bases covered, so I'll go start the vote!

Here are our candidates:

Shadow the Hedgehog ( Tankman from Newgrounds )
Jet the Hawk ( KneeOfJustice99 )
Amy Rose (@Darkonedagger)
Blaze the Cat ( tonygameman )
Team Chaotix ( OrpheusTelos )
Eggrobo ( Qwerty UIOP )
Metal Sonic ( Janx_uwu )
Chaos ( YoshiandToad )
Cream the Rabbit and Cheese ( osby )

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

1. Shadow
2. Amy
3. Metal

 

[Deleted member]

1. Shadow
2. Blaze
3. Metal

 

[Qwerty UIOP]

1. Chaos
2. Eggrobo
3. Chaotix

 

[OrpheusTelos]

1. Metal
2. Blaze
3. Amy