The Characters
Beginning in the late 1990s, it became fashionable for Japanese game companies to churn out titles whose dominant theme was simply self-aggrandizing nostalgia. They’d gather up a bunch of their most beloved characters from their reasonably popular past hits, stick them together in a single tile, and hope customers would be too giddy to notice the resulting game — usually a tournament fighter or kart racer of some sort — had little else to offer.
Of Japan’s “big six” video game firms — Nintendo, Sony, Capcom, Konami, Sega, Namco, and Square —every single one has released at least one medley character mash-up game to date.
Atari — Atari Karts (1995)
Atari Karts (1995), a highly forgettable (and now highly obscure) racing game for Atari’s short-lived Jaguar system is usually recognized as the first video game to boast an assembled cast of assorted franchise characters from a single corporation.
Key word: boast.
To this day, no one is really sure if the various characters of Atari Karts actually come from the over 100 games Atari published prior to 1995, or whether they were just made up. So far, only Bentley Bear has been positively identified.
| Character | Franchise | 1st appearance | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Bentley Bear | None | Crystal Castles (1983) |
 | Fire Bug | ? | ? |
 | Haratari | ? | ? |
 | Miracle Man | ? | ? |
 | Miz Tress | ? | ? |
 | Ptarmigan | ? | ? |
 | Pulpito | ? | ? |
 | Pum King | ? | ? |
 | Regius | ? | ? |
 | Skully | ? | ? |
 | Vulky | ? | ? |
Capcom — the “Versus” series (1998- )
The pioneer. Starting in 1998, the Capcom corporation produced a series of fighting games in which heroes from their various video game franchises went to war with characters from various other entertainment franchises, both American and Japanese.
The first offering was Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes (1998), followed by two Marvel-themed sequels, Marvel Vs. Capcom 2: Age of New Heroes (2000) and Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011). The year 2000 saw the release of Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight followed by its 2001 sequel Capcom vs. SNK2: Mark of the Millennium, and then finally Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes (2008). There is also the novel Namco X Capcom (2005), which is basically a tactical role-playing game with some fighting game elements.
The seven games feature over 90 Capcom characters from over a dozen franchises, making Capcom perhaps the most self-indulgent participant in what is already one of gaming’s most self-indulgent fads.
Here’s everyone who’s appeared so far:
| Character | Franchise | 1st appearance | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Akuma | Street Fighter | Super Street Fighter II Turbo (1994) |
 | Albert Wesker | Resident Evil | Resident Evil (1996) |
 | Amaterasu | None | Okami (2006) |
 | Alex | Street Fighter | Street Fighter III: New Generation (1997) |
 | Allosaurus | Dino Crisis | Dino Crisis 2 (2002) |
 | Anakaris | DarkStalkers | DarkStalkers (1994) |
 | Arthur | Ghosts 'n Goblins | Ghosts 'n Goblins (1985) |
 | Astaroth | Ghosts 'n Goblins | Ghosts 'n Goblins (1985) |
 | Balrog | Street Fighter | Street Fighter II (1992) |
 | Baby Head | None | Captain Commando (1991) |
 | B.B. Hood | DarkStalkers | Vampire Savior: The Lord of Vampire (1997) |
 | Batsu Ichimonji | Rival Schools | Rival Schools: United By Fate |
 | Blanka | Street Fighter | Super Street Fighter II Turbo (1994) |
 | Bruce McGivern | Resident Evil | Resident Evil Dead Aim (2003) |
 | C. Viper | Street Fighter | Street Fighter IV (2008) |
 | Cammy | Street Fighter | Super Street Fighter II Turbo (1994) |
 | Captain Commando | None | Captain Commando (1991) |
 | Charlie | Street Fighter | Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams (1995) |
 | Chris Redfield | Resident Evil | Resident Evil (1996) |
 | Chun-Li | Street Fighter | Street Fighter II (1992) |
 | Dan | Street Fighter | Street Fighter Alpha (1995) |
 | Dante | Devil May Cry | Devil May Cry (2001) |
 | Demitri | DarkStalkers | DarkStalkers (1994) |
 | Dhalsim | Street Fighter | Street Fighter II (1992) |
 | Druk | None | Captain Commando (1991) |
 | E. Honda | Street Fighter | Street Fighter II (1992) |
 | Evil Ryu | Street Fighter | Street Fighter Alpha 2 (1996) |
 | Eagle | Street Fighter | Street Fighter (1987) |
 | Felicia | DarkStalkers | DarkStalkers (1994) |
 | Firebrand | Ghosts 'n Goblins | Ghosts 'n Goblins (1985) |
 | Fong Ling | Resident Evil | Resident Evil Dead Aim (2003) |
 | Frank West | None | Dead Rising (2006) |
 | Ginzu | None | Captain Commando (1991) |
 | Guile | Street Fighter | Street Fighter II (1992) |
 | Guy | Final Fight | Final Fight (1989) |
 | Hayato | Star Gladiator | Star Gladiator - Episode 1: Final Crusade (1996) |
 | Hideo Shimazu | Rival Schools | Rival Schools: United By Fate (1998) |
 | Hsien-Ko | None | Night Warriors (1995) |
 | Huitzil | DarkStalkers | DarkStalkers (1994) |
 | Jill Valentine | Resident Evil | Resident Evil (1996) |
 | Jin Saotome | None | Cyberbots: Fullmetal Madness (1997) |
 | Juli and Juni | Street Fighter | Street Fighter Alpha 3 (1998) |
 | Karin Kanzuki | Street Fighter | Street Fighter Alpha 3 (1998) |
 | Ken | Street Figther | Street Fighter (1987) |
 | Kyosuke Kagami | Rival Schools | Rival Schools: United By Fate (1998) |
 | Kyoko Minazuki | Rival Schools | Rival Schools: United By Fate (1998) |
 | Lilith | DarkStalkers | DarkStalkers 3 |
 | Mack the Knife | None | Captain Commando (1991) |
 | M. Bison | Street Fighter | Street Fighter II (1992) |
 | Mega Man | Mega Man | Mega Man (1987) |
 | Mega Man Juno | Mega Man | Mega Man Legends (1998) |
 | Mega Man Volnutt | Mega Man | Mega Man Legends (1998) |
 | Grandmaster Meio | Strider | Strider (1989) |
 | Maki | Final Fight | Final Fight 2 (1993) |
 | Mike Haggar | Final Fight | Final Fight (1989) |
 | Morrigan | DarkStalkers | DarkStalkers (1994) |
 | Nathan Spencer | None | Bionic Commando (1987) |
 | Nebiros | Ghosts 'n Goblins | Ghosts 'n Goblins (1985) |
 | Nemesis T-Type | Resident Evil | Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999) |
 | Phoenix Wright | Phoenix Wright | Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (2001) |
 | PTX-40A | Lost Planet | Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (2007) |
 | Lord Raptor | DarkStalkers | DarkStalkers (1994) |
 | Q-Bee | DarkStalkers | DarkStalkers 3 (1997) |
 | Red Arremer Joker | Ghosts 'n Goblins | Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (GBA version, 2002) |
 | Regina | Dino Crisis | Dino Crisis (1999) |
 | Roll | Mega Man | Mega Man (1987) |
 | Rose | Street Fighter | Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams (1995) |
 | Rolento | Final Fight | Final Fight (1989) |
 | Ryu | Street Fighter | Street Fighter (1987) |
 | Sagat | Street Fighter | Street Fighter (1987) |
 | Saki Kanebou | None | Quiz Nanairo Dreams (1996) |
 | Sakura | Street Fighter | Street Fighter Alpha 2 (1996) |
 | Servebot | Mega Man | Mega Man Legends (1998) |
 | Shin Akuma | Street Fighter | Super Street Fighter II Turbo (1994) |
 | Shturm Jr. | None | Captain Commando (1991) |
 | Solo | Strider | Strider (1989) |
 | Soki | Onimusha | Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams (2006) |
 | Strider Hien | Strider | Strider 2 (1999) |
 | Strider Hiryu | Strider | Strider (1989) |
 | Ton Pooh | Strider | Strider (1989) |
 | Trish | Devil May Cry | Devil May Cry (2001) |
 | Tron Bonne | Mega Man | Mega Man Legends (1998) |
 | Unknown Soldier (Blue) | None | Forgotten Worlds (1988) |
 | Unknown Soldier (Red) | None | Forgotten Worlds (1988) |
 | Vega | Street Fighter | Street Fighter II (1992) |
 | Vergil | Devil May Cry | Devil May Cry 3 (2005) |
 | Viewtiful Joe | Viewtiful Joe | Viewtiful Joe (2003) |
 | Yum | Street Fighter | Street Fighter III: New Generation (1997) |
 | Zangief | Street Fighter | Street Fighter II (1992) |
 | Zero | Mega Man | Mega Man X (1994) |
Nintendo — Super Smash Bros. (1999- )
Smash Brothers is a multi-player fighting game series featuring characters from the various franchises of Nintendo, the iconic company that has produced some of the world’s most beloved video games of all time.
The original Super Smash Bros. debuted on the Nintendo 64 in 1999 and was followed by three sequels, Super Smash Bros. Melee (Gamecube, 2001), Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii, 2008), and the rather bluntly titled Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (2014). A 3DS version of the Wii U game entitled Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS was released in 2014 as well.
Though Nintendo’s most famous characters appear in all four titles, each subsequent Smash Bros. features a larger cast than the one that came before it.
| Character | Franchise | 1st appearance | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Bowser | Mario | Super Mario Bros. (1985) |
 | Captain Falcon | F-Zero | F-Zero (1991) |
 | Charizard | Pokemon | Pokemon Red and Blue (1998) |
 | Diddy Kong | Donkey Kong | Donkey Kong Country (1994) |
 | Donkey Kong | Donkey Kong | Donkey Kong (1981) |
 | Dr. Mario | Mario | Dr. Mario (1990) |
 | Duck Hunt | None | Duck Hunt (1984) |
 | Falco Lombardi | Star Fox | Star Fox (1993) |
 | Fox McCloud | Star Fox | Star Fox (1993) |
 | Ganondorf | Zelda | The Legend of Zelda (1987) |
 | Ice Climbers (Popo and Nana) | None | Ice Climber (1988) |
 | Ike | Fire Emblem | Fire Emblem: Dark Dragon & Sword of Light (1990) |
 | Jigglypuff | Pokemon | Pokemon Red and Blue (1998) |
 | King Dedede | Kirby | Kirby's Dream Land (1992) |
 | Kirby | Kirby | Kirby's Dream Land (1992) |
 | Link | Zelda | The Legend of Zelda (1987) |
 | Lucario | Pokemon | Pokemon Diamond and Pearl (2007) |
 | Lucas | Mother | Mother 3 (2006) |
 | Lucina | Fire Emblem | Fire Emblem: Awakening (2012) |
 | Luigi | Mario | Mario Bros. (1983) |
 | Little Mac | Punch-Out!! | Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (1987) |
 | Mario | Mario | Mario Bros. (1983) |
 | Marth | Fire Emblem | Fire Emblem: Dark Dragon & Sword of Light (1990) |
 | Meta Knight | Kirby | Kirby's Adventure (1993) |
 | Mewtwo | Pokemon | Pokemon Red and Blue (1998) |
 | Mii Fighters | None | None, characters are based on the design of "Miis," customizable player avatars used on various Nintendo systems beginning with the Wii in 2006. |
 | Mr. Game & Watch | None | None, character is composite based on various characters who appeared on Nintendo's Game & Watch handheld systems (circa 1980-1991). |
 | Ness | Mother | EarthBound (1995) |
 | Captain Olimar | Pikmin | Pikmin (2001) |
 | Lady Palutena | Kid Icarus | Kid Icarus (1987) |
 | Pichu | Pokemon | Pokemon Gold and Silver (2000) |
 | Pikachu | Pokemon | Pokemon Red and Blue (1998) |
 | Pit | Kid Icarus | Kid Icarus (1987) |
 | Dark Pit | Kid Icarus | Kid Icarus: Uprising (2012) |
 | Princess Peach | Mario | Super Mario Bros. (1985) |
 | Pokemon Trainer | Pokemon | Pokemon Red and Blue (1998) |
 | R.O.B. | None | None, character is based on the 1985 "Robotic Operating Buddy" accessory for the Nintendo Entertainment System. |
 | Robin | Fire Emblem | Fire Emblem: Awakening (2012) |
 | Princess Rosalina and Luma | Mario | Super Mario Galaxy (2007) |
 | Roy | Fire Emblem | Fire Emblem: Dark Dragon & Sword of Light (1990) |
 | Samus Aran | Metroid | Metroid (1986) |
 | Toon Link | Zelda | The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2003) |
 | Villager | Animal Crossing | Animal Forest (2001) |
 | Wario | Mario | Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins (1992) |
 | Wii Fit Trainer | None | Wii Fit (2008) |
 | Wolf O'Donnell | Star Fox | Star Fox 64 (1997) |
 | Yoshi | Mario | Super Mario World (1991) |
 | Princess Zelda | Zelda | The Legend of Zelda (1987) |
Super Smash Bros. Brawl featured Snake and Sonic the Hedgehog as playable characters despite the fact that they are creations of the Sega and Konami corporations, respectively. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/DS added several other interlopers: Cloud (Square), Mega Man (Capcom), Pac-Man (Namco), and Shulk (Square).
Konami — Konami Krazy Racers (2001)
In 2001, Konami produced a rather perfunctory kart racing game for the Game Boy Advance, titled simply Konami Krazy Racers. Though it featured a decent cast showcasing their diversity of franchises, it remains the company’s sole multiple-character offering.
| Character | Franchise | 1st appearance | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Dracula | Castlevania | Castlevania (1987) |
 | Goemon | Goemon/Mystical Ninja | Ganbare Goemon! Karakuri Douchuu (1986) |
 | Pawapuro-kun | Jikkyuu Powerful Pro Baseball | Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 2000 (2000) |
 | Moai | Gradius | Gradius (1985) |
 | Ninja | Metal Gear | Metal Gear (1988) |
 | Nyami | Pop'n Music | Pop'n Music (1999) |
 | Pastel | TwinBee | TwinBee (1985) |
 | Takosuke | Parodius | Parodius (1988) |
Sega — the “All-Stars” series (2004- )
Since 2004, the Sega corporation has released a series of titles featuring an assembled “All-Star” cast of their various game franchises in a variety of different settings.
Sega Superstars (2004) was the initial offering, and featured a number of franchise-themed mini-games based around the PlayStation 2’s EyeToy accessory. It was followed by the multiplatform Sega Superstars Tennis (2008), and then the more ambitious Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (2010), a racing game which was followed by a 2012 sequel Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed.
| Character | Franchise | 1st appearance | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | AGES | None | None, character is based on the VMU accessory for the Dreamcast system (1999). |
 | Aiai | Monkey Ball | Monkey Balll (2000) |
 | Akira Yuki | Virtua Fighter | Virtua Fighter (1993) |
 | Alex Kidd | Alex Kidd | Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars (1986) |
 | Amigo | Samba de Amigo | Samba de Amigo (2000) |
 | Amy Rose | Sonic | Sonic CD (1993) |
 | Baby | Monkey Ball | Monkey Balll (2000) |
 | B.D. Joe | Crazy Taxi | Crazy Taxi 1999 |
 | Beat | Jet Set Radio | Jet Grind Radio (2000) |
 | Big the Cat | Sonic | Sonic Adventure (1999) |
 | Billy Hatcher | None | Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg (2003) |
 | Bonanza Bros. | None | Bonanza Bros. (1984) |
 | Chao | Sonic | Sonic Adventure (1999) |
 | ChuChus | None | ChuChu Rocket! (2000) |
 | Dr. Eggman | Sonic | Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) |
 | Gillus Thunderhead | Golden Axe | Golden Axe (1989) |
 | Gongon | Monkey Ball | Monkey Balll (2000) |
 | Gum | Jet Set Radio | JSRF: Jet Set Radio Future (2002) |
 | Jacky Bryant | Virtua Fighter | Virtua Fighter (1993) |
 | Joe Musashi | Shinobi | Shinobi (1987) |
 | Knuckles | Sonic | Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994) |
 | Mee Mee | Monkey Ball | Monkey Balll (2000) |
 | Metal Sonic | Sonic | Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) |
 | NiGHTS | NiGHTS | NiGHTS Into Dreams... (1996) |
 | Opa-Opa | Fantasy Zone | Fantasy Zone (1986) |
 | Pudding | Space Channel 5 | Space Channel 5 (2000) |
 | Reala | NiGHTS | NiGHTS Into Dreams... (1996) |
 | Ryo Hazuki | Shenmue | Shenmue (2000) |
 | Sarah Bryant | Virtua Fighter | Virtua Fighter (1993) |
 | Shadow | Sonic | Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) |
 | Sonic | Sonic | Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) |
 | Tails | Sonic | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992) |
 | Ulala | Space Channel 5 | Space Channel 5 (2000) |
 | Vyse | Skies of Arcadia | Skies of Arcadia (2000) |
 | Zobio And Zobiko | House of the Dead | The House of the Dead EX (2008) |
Namco — Namco X Capcom (2005)
The participation of the Namco corporation (know officially known by its post-merger name, Namco-Bandai) in the franchise character melee genre is limited to a single title, the aforementioned Namco X Capcom (2005), an action-packed tactical role-playing game that saw a surprisingly large roster of Namco characters team up with an equally enormous parade of Capcom heroes. As the game was never released in America and has a rather complex, text-heavy interface, it remains somewhat mysterious in the west.
| Character | Franchise | 1st appearance | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Amazona | None | Wonder Momo (1987) |
 | Andaba | None | Genpei Toma Den (1986) |
 | Armor King | Tekken | Tekken (1994) |
 | Black Bravo | None | Bravoman (1988) |
 | Black Valkyrie | None | The Legend of Valkyrie (1989) |
 | Bravoman | None | Bravoman (1988) |
 | Charade | Soul Calibur | Soul Calibur II (2002) |
 | Devil Kazuya | Tekken | Tekken (1994) |
 | Devil Jin | Tekken | Tekken 3 (1996) |
 | Dig Dug | Dig Dug | Dig Dug (1982) |
 | Druaga | Drugga | The Tower of Druaga (1984) |
 | King Enma | Shadow Land (1987) | |
 | Gilgamesh | The Tower of Druaga (1984) | |
 | Guntz | Klonoa | Klonoa 2: Dream Champ Tournament (2002) |
 | Heihachi Mishima | Tekken | Tekken (1994) |
 | Hiromi Tengenji | Burning Force (1989) | |
 | Ishtar | The Tower of Druaga (1984) | |
 | Janga | Klonoa | Klonoa Heroes: Densetsu no Star Medal (2002) |
 | Jin Kazama | Tekken | Tekken 3 (1996) |
 | Joker | Klonoa | Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (1997) |
 | Judas (Leon Magnus) | Tales of Destiny 2 (2002) | |
 | Kamuz | Valkyrie | The Legend of Valkyrie (1989) |
 | Ki | The Tower of Druaga (1984) | |
 | King | Tekken | Tekken 3 (1996) |
 | Kiso Yoshinaka | Genpei Toma Den (1986) | |
 | Klonoa | Klonoa | Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (1997) |
 | KOS-MOS | Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht (2002) | |
 | Krino Sandra (Whirlo) | Valkyrie | The Adventure of Valkyrie: Legend of the Time Key (1986) |
 | Lolo | Klonoa | Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil (2002) |
 | Minamoto no Yoritomo | Genpei Toma Den (1986) | |
 | Mitsurugi Heishiro | Soul Edge (1995) | |
 | Mokujin | Tekken | Tekken 3 (1996) |
 | MOMO | Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht (2002) | |
 | Ogre | Tekken | Tekken 3 (1996) |
 | Rutee Katrea | Tales of Destiny (1997) | |
 | Sabine | Valkyrie | The Legend of Valkyrie (1989) |
 | Saito Musashibo Benkei | Genpei Toma Den (1986) | |
 | Shion Uzuki | Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht (2002) | |
 | Stahn Aileron | Tales of Destiny (1997) | |
 | Taira no Kagekiyo | Genpei Toma Den (1986) | |
 | Taki | Soul Edge (1995) | |
 | Tarosuke | Shadow Land (1987) | |
 | Toby Masuyo | Baraduke (1985) | |
 | Valkyrie | Valkyrie | The Adventure of Valkyrie: Legend of the Time Key (1986) |
 | Waya-Hime | Bravoman (1988) | |
 | Wonder Momo | Wonder Momo (1987) | |
 | Zouna | Valkyrie | The Adventure of Valkyrie: Legend of the Time Key (1986) |
 | Zule | Valkyrie | The Adventure of Valkyrie: Legend of the Time Key (1986) |
Sony — PlayStation All-Stars (2012)
Sony’s entry into the character mash-up genre came quite late, with their first title PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale not released until late 2012. Reflecting the fact that Sony proper has not produced a great many video games in its own right (merely systems on which to play them) PlayStation All-Stars actually features a lot of non-Sony characters including — uniquely for a game of this type — several characters from American companies and franchises.
| Character | Franchise | 1st appearance | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Big Daddy | BioShock | BioShock (2007) |
 | Cole MacGrath | inFamous | inFamous (2009) |
 | Evil Cole MacGrath | inFamous | inFamous (2009) |
 | Mael Radec | Killzone | Killzone 2 (2009) |
 | Dante | Devil May Cry | Devil May Cry (2001) |
 | Emmett Graves | None | Starhawk (2012) |
 | Fat Princess | Fat Princess | Fat Princess (2009) |
| Heihachi Mishima | Tekken | Tekken (1994) |
 | Jak and Dexter | Jak and Dexter | Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (2001) |
 | Kat | None | Gravity Rush (2012) |
 | Kratos | God of War | God of War (2005) |
 | Nariko | None | Heavenly Sword (2007) |
 | Nathan Drake | Uncharted | Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (2007) |
 | PaRappa | PaRappa | PaRappa the Rapper (1997) |
 | Raiden | Metal Gear | Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001) |
 | Ratchet and Clank | Ratchet and Clank | Ratchet and Clank (2002) |
 | Sackboy | LittleBigPlanet | LittleBigPlanet (2008) |
 | Sir Daniel Fortesque | MediEvil | MediEvil (1998) |
 | Sly Cooper | Sly Cooper | Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus (2002) |
 | Spike | None | Ape Escape (1999) |
 | Sweet Tooth | Twisted Metal | Twisted Metal (1995) |
 | Toro Inoue | None per se, though as the mascot of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) he has made cameos in a number of titles. | Doko Demo Issho (1999) |
