Rumour: Akira to feature in Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing?
Posted by Graham. Filed under Europe, G, Microsoft Xbox 360, Multi-platform, News, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, Sonic, Sony PlayStation 3, Video. Tagged with Akira, interview, Magazine, Scan, SegaOnline, SEGAOnline Magazine, Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, Steve Lycett, Tetsuzankou, Virtua Fighter.
Hopefully you will have read that SEGAOnline has launched their own magazine (it’s the article just below!) and that the first issue featured an interview with Steve ‘SOL’ Lycett from Sumo Digital on Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing.
Well, when SEGAOnline asked one of the most obvious questions about unlockable characters, Steve gave a possible hint at one.
SEGAOnline: Can you reveal some hints about other unlockable SEGA-characters?
Steve Lycett: I’d love too - but we’re sworn to secrecy. Someone might do a “tetsuzankou” on me if I did!
For those that don’t know a “Tetsuzankou” is one of Akira’s moves from the Virtua Fighter games.
I’ve met Steve (delightful chap) and I’d be amazed if he knew the Japanese name of a martial arts move like that off the top of his head. Most likely he would have been studying a certain character to learn the name of the move.
And just in case you don’t know what a Tetsuzankou looks like here’s a video (Sorry for the crappy quality, but this was the only video I could find that showed the name of the move as he did it):
However, I also believe that Ryo Hazuki uses the Tetsuzankou move in the Shenmue games (but I’m not certain). So there is a chance that when planning to put Ryo in the game, Steve and the guys studied some of his moves.
But, nothing is certain, for all I know the man could be a martial arts expert - but the topic didn’t come up in conversation. So until SEGA or Sumo Digital confirm that Akira is in the game, we are going to treat this as a rumour.
Also, (if it is true), I wonder what vehicle they would plan on putting Akira in?
[Source: SEGAOnline]
[Special Thanks: Robert]
Comments on this article
There have been 20 responses to this article.
Akira or some other Virtua fighters would be cool.
Hope for more human Sega character in All Star Racing (Joe Musashi and Vyse, and than it’ll be perfect).
City Hunter
Posted October 19th, 2009 at 6:51 pm.
Akira goes along well with a Virtua Racing car.
crackdude
Posted October 19th, 2009 at 7:03 pm.
Wouldn’t Jacky be a much better fit? I mean, he’s an Indy Car driver.
MadeManG74
Posted October 19th, 2009 at 7:35 pm.
Akira ?
Useless in my opinion.
(ryo is too similar like shadow with sonic)
I would like Vyse or yogurt from shining world.
(he is pretty funny)
YU SUZUKI
Posted October 19th, 2009 at 7:35 pm.
I’ll be so blowed if Akira make it into the game instead of Jacky Bryant with his signature quote “YEAH!!!”
Kori-Maru
Posted October 19th, 2009 at 7:59 pm.
Maybe Jacky Bryant will be there also.
I’m hoping Joy from Shenmue will be an unlockable character, she and her bike are uber-cool.
Aika (Skies of Arcadia), Vector Man and Blaze Fielding are others I’d love to see.
Gary
Posted October 19th, 2009 at 8:51 pm.
@Gary:
I thought it was one character per franchise from here on out?
NinMicroSega
Posted October 19th, 2009 at 10:42 pm.
Akira would be considered as a playable character first as he is basically the mascot for Virtua Fighter. Yeah, Jacky is actually a racer, but was Ulala ever a racer? Amigo?
Anyways, there was never a rule that said only one VF character could be in.
Sega Uranus
Posted October 19th, 2009 at 11:25 pm.
lol @ Virtua Soul clip. :)
segamon
Posted October 19th, 2009 at 11:29 pm.
VF 1 Akira in the virtua racing deluxe´s prototype car :D
Instant classic.
gametester
Posted October 20th, 2009 at 12:02 am.
Lol, is this like how “NiGHTS was hinted at Summer of Sonic!” only because S0L was having a joke with us and people read too much in to it?
If there’s one thing i know about S0L he wouldn’t drop hints like that because it’s a little too revealing…unless he was given permission. I think he was just making the article interesting by mentioning the move in context rather than have it as a hint to Akira.
Akira looks too much like Ryo anyway, considering Ryo was originally going to be Akira in the very early days of Shenmue.
I dunno. I suggest people don’t read too much in to this otherwise you might get dissapointed.
DiGi Valentine
Posted October 20th, 2009 at 2:44 am.
@DiGi - Very true. Though that’s why we have it posted as a rumour (so people hopefully won’t get too disappointed if it doesn’t come true).
And also - YES! Akira from VF1 in a Virtua Racing car - that would be brilliant.
Graham
Posted October 20th, 2009 at 5:09 am.
I was going to suggest that Segata Sanshiro should be in the game, but his special ability would probably be to reach out of the screen and strangle the player to death with the cord of a Sega Saturn controller for playing the game on an inferior console.
I’d still play it.
SemiNormal
Posted October 20th, 2009 at 6:35 am.
This could be a good way to separate the likeness beetween Ryo and Akira,by having them both in the same game,It gives SEGA an oportunity to carve there background story as different so they dont look like twins,but I do think they already look a bit different from each other now,just compair Akira’s portrait on VF5 to Ryo’s on Shenmue online,all they have to do now Is establish the difference between both of them compaired to Kazuma Kiryu from Yakuza/Ryu Ga Gotoku.
PENNY PINCHER
Posted October 20th, 2009 at 6:44 am.
@SemiNormal
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA/LLLLLLLLOOOOLLLLLLLL!!!!!!
Nice one,I like your comment!
It diffinitely would be cool to have Segata Sanshiro In the game,even If he got angry for not playing on a SEGA console.
Thing Is though he was exclusive to the Japanese market,so that might put SEGA off having him in the game as they will think that western players won’t know who he Is.
last word
Posted October 20th, 2009 at 6:52 am.
Ryo Hazuki uses the same move, two times forward B+Y? can’t remember.
I don’t see Jacky less of an icon to the series than Akira, actually most of the original VFs are iconic enough to me, how can we forgot about Tao Pai Pai reincarnation in Lau? dammit, even Lan Di was a re-skin of him!!
landman
Posted October 20th, 2009 at 10:04 am.
I agree that blocky Akira would be awesome.
Dr. SEGA Monkey
Posted October 20th, 2009 at 12:42 pm.
I have come up with some sort of SEGA algorithm to help me figure out what the final roster could be. What I did is look for SEGA characters that would cause Sumo Digital to “grasp at straws”. Once I found those characters, I eliminated them from the list. Using the 24-character model, this is what I came up with:
Race Car (on-road vehicles)
Sonic
AiAi
Beat
Amy
??? (one of the Crazy Taxi characters; most likely BD Joe or Axel)
??? (see last section)
Motorcycle / Scooter (average vehicles)
Alex Kidd
Ryo Hazuki
Big the Cat
Shadow
??? (Vectorman in his motorcycle form)
??? (see last section)
Monster Truck / ATV (offroad vehicles)
Amigo
Dr. Eggman
Knuckles
Billy Hatcher
??? (Gilius Thunderhead)
??? (see last section)
Plane / Flying (airborne vehicles)
Tails
??? (Opa-Opa)
??? (ToeJam & Earl are not likely, but I added them anyway just to fill up the flying gap)
??? (Vyse)
??? (NiGHTS)
??? (see last section)
Characters not placed in any vehicle category yet, but are rumored/confirmed to be in
Ulala (could be race car)
Ristar (could be flying)
Akira Yuki (could be motorcycle)
???
Barring ToeJam & Earl, this gives us 2 more unknowns that are now leading to “grasping at straws” territory. There are only so many characters that can be placed in this game, and this list seems the most plausible.
NinMicroSega
Posted October 20th, 2009 at 2:31 pm.
Akira is only famous because he fits the fighting game requirement for “generic karate man” that Capcom established in SF, not to mention a Japaneese game company wouldn’t be caught dead without a honegrown hero as the face.
Really though, Akira barely does shit in VF. It’s mostly about Vennesa, Kage, J6, Sarah, Goh, Wolf, and yes Jacky….maybe Lion too. :P
Akira’s whole schitick is the power of infinite shoving. Jacky is much much better choice for this.
Wanna know why? Because he runs on pure confidence!! He can drive the hornet from Daytona USA but when he uses his All Star move
PIT CREW: Jacky you’re doing great, we’re almost at first place
JACKY: It’s like it’s moving in slow motion. Com’on Let’s Rumble!
*Jacky uses All Star move: gets out of car and…keeps driving, like an invisible car…made of confidence*
PIT CREW: JACKY?! WHAT DID YOU DO?!
JACKY: I’VE GOT HANDCUFFED LIGHTING!!
PIT CREW: WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CAR?!
JACKY: It was waay out of it’s league! I’m gonna whip these guys into shape! THERE’S NO WAY THEY CAN STOP ME!!!
PIT CREW: BUT YOU’RE DEFYING THE LAWS OF PHYSICS?
JACKY: That wasn’t your best shot. I’VE GOT NO TIME FOR YOU!
PIT CREW: ………….
JACKY:…………YEEEEAH!!
Elf Jones
Posted October 21st, 2009 at 2:12 am.
I thought Akira was Ryo,just older.Don’t their birthdays match or somthing like that.I think Yu was going to tie that in had things gone according to plan.
jimj
Posted October 21st, 2009 at 10:36 am.