Summary
- Sonic Racing CrossWorlds offers a diverse character roster, including Sega characters outside the Sonic series.
- The game is set to feature customizable vehicles and DLC characters, expanding on its predecessors.
- Familiar Sega characters like NiGHTS, Kazuma Kiryu, AiAi, Joker, and Ulala may make appearances in the game.
Sonic Racing CrossWorlds is an upcoming kart racing game focusing on characters in the Sonic series. It features elements from various Sonic racing games, such as the Extreme Gear hoverboards from the Sonic Riders trilogy and the transforming vehicles from Sonic & All-Stars Racing: Transformed. One notable feature from many previous Sonic racing installments that is expected to return is Sega characters outside the Sonic series.
These characters were notably absent in the recent Team Sonic Racing, as the game had only 15 playable characters, and Sega cited a desire to focus exclusively on the Sonic series for that installment. Yet CrossWorlds is expected to be a much larger game, with a wide variety of customizable vehicles and a larger roster of playable characters than any Sonic racing game before. After the game’s launch, DLC characters will be added in addition to the 23 present at launch, including those from other Sega titles. These guest characters should join Sonic and friends on the track.
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5
NiGHTS
NiGHTS Into Dreams
- From a series developed by Sonic Team
- Frequently crosses over with Sonic
NiGHTS is a rebellious Nightmaren, a being created by Wizeman the Wicked, created with the purpose of gathering a dream energy known as “ideya.” NiGHTS instead gathered the rare red ideya of courage, to use it against Wizeman and his forces. With the success of NiGHTS Into Dreams, NiGHTS has become something of a fixture in various Sega crossover games. When they were not playable in Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing, a successful fan campaign was launched to ensure their presence as a traffic guard. All-Stars Racing: Transformed included NiGHTS, alongside their rival, Reala, as a playable character.
Additionally, NiGHTS’s likeness is present in many Sonic games, and Sonic actually made his fully 3D playable debut in a mini-game present in Christmas NiGHTS Into Dreams, a Christmas-themed sampler of the original game. NiGHTS was also an unlockable character in the first two Sonic Riders games, being the only guest character with this distinction. Sharing a development team and many appearances with the blue blur, NiGHTS is the Sega guest character that most frequently orbits the Sonic series. Their appearance as DLC seems like not only a solid inclusion, but perhaps even a forgone conclusion.
4
Kazuma Kiryu
Like A Dragon / Yakuza
Action-Adventure
Beat ‘Em Up
- Released
-
September 5, 2006
- ESRB
-
Mature 17+ // Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Playable in almost every Yakuza game
- Like A Dragon / Yakuza is one of Sega’s most successful series.
Kazuma Kiryu is a semi-retired yakuza known as the Dragon of Dojima. Despite not wanting to live a life of crime, Kiryu’s obligations to those he cares for tend to see him occasionally still involve himself in gang politics. As the Like A Dragon series grows in popularity, Kiryu, among other characters from the franchise, has consistently made guest appearances in other games. He has even appeared alongside Sonic in games such as Sega Heroes and Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania.
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Beyond his bonafides as a popular Sega character, Kiryu is no stranger to racing. Yakuza 5 features Kiryu acting as a taxi driver under an alias. Some of his missions he completes as a taxi driver tend to involve him racing against the Devil Killers, a gang that frequently participates in street racing. While believability as a competent driver is a fairly minor factor when it comes to deciding characters for these games, it is worth noting that Kiryu is not only a popular Sega character, but a noteworthy racer in his own right.
3
AiAi
Super Monkey Ball
- Released
-
November 18, 2001
- ESRB
-
E For Everyone due to Mild Violence
- A humanoid animal in a universe full of them, much like Sonic.
- Has frequently rubbed shoulders with Sonic, inside and outside of Super Monkey Ball.
AiAi is a banana-loving monkey who often goes on adventures with his friends and family. Beyond the primary gameplay, which revolves around controlling a character inside a ball, recent Super Monkey Ball installments include a variety of party games.
AiAi was in both Sega All-Stars racing games and also is one of a few unlockable guest characters in Sonic Riders. Additionally, Super Monkey Ball itself has become a recent hot spot for crossovers, with Sonic and friends appearing in a few of its newer installments. As a regular fixture of many Sega crossovers, AiAi would be a solid choice for CrossWorlds.
2
Joker
Persona 5
RPG
Dungeon Crawler
Adventure
- Released
-
September 15, 2016
- ESRB
-
m
Ren Amamiya (codename: Joker) is the protagonist of Persona 5. After being framed for a crime he didn’t commit, Joker is transferred between high schools after being put on probation as a consequence. He befriends a group of students, who collectively become known as the Phantom Thieves, and seek to use their powers to change the hearts and minds of malevolent adults, so they confess to their crimes. Persona 5 has exploded in popularity since its debut, eclipsing even the Shin Megami Tensei series it was spun off from and obtaining a number of spin-offs itself.
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Consequently, Joker and his likeness have since spread across other titles, most prominently Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where he was one of the first DLC characters. His outfit was even included in Sonic Forces as a pre-order bonus. However, Joker himself has not appeared in many Sega crossover games compared to other characters. His inclusion would represent one of the most popular Sega-owned titles in recent memory.
1
Ulala
Space Channel 5
- Released
-
June 4, 2000
- ESRB
-
e
Ulala is a popular news reporter known for engaging in dance battles against the likes of rival reporters and hostile aliens in a retro-futuristic time period dated 2499. Her swingin’ report show is part of the programming on the titular network, Space Channel 5.
She remains a beloved and iconic character, and is a near-constant fixture in most Sega crossovers. In addition to every Sega All-Stars title and even Sonic Riders, she has been present in Sega crossovers even Sonic himself has been absent from, such as Project X Zone and its sequel. In those games, she leads a handful of other Sega characters, such as Alex Kidd and Opa-Opa, to help her fight off enemies. As an enduring character with a huge presence across the greater Sega series, she would be more than worthy as a guest character for CrossWorlds.
