So this past week Sony finally announced the top-secret (yeah right) Smash Brothers inspired mascot brawler known as Playstation All Stars: Battle Royale or PSASBR for short because the other way around is a mouthful (Surely Playstation All-Stars would have sufficed?). Anyway along with the unveiling came the announcement of a handful of fighters including Parappa the Rapper, Sly Copper, Fat Princess, Sweet Tooth, Coronel Radec and Kratos. Some of the choices were a given and others a bit more inspired but the real question turning to gamers minds now is who else? Sony promises character reveals leading up to the games release and there is no reason to think that we aren’t still due some Sony mainstays as well as the occasional ‘out of left field’ fighter,  after all Sony has  promised not just 1^st party mascots but also combatants from games with a rich Playstation history. So I believe it’s time to speculate on just who else we can expect to see stepping into the ring come this Holiday season.

THE SHOE INS

Nathan Drake (Uncharted Series)

He may not have been around as long as Kratos or Sweet Tooth but his impact on the Playstation brand has been just as massive. The Uncharted series has been the benchmark for just what the PS3 is capable of. Fans already know that Nathan can handle himself in a fistfight and from the looks of the early PSASBR footage we’ve seen there is no reason to believe that he wouldn’t be allowed a firearm or two. The chances of the PS3 cover boy being left out of this one have to be slim to none.

Jak & Daxter/Rachet & Clank 

Back in the PS2 days gamers were lucky enough to be given not one but two great ORIGINAL platformers in the Jak & Daxter series and Rachet & Clank series. The cartoonish duo’s each tried to up each other’s ante after each instalment and the friendly competition by Naughty Dog and Insomniac game greatly benefitted the gaming public. With each new title came new innovations and additions that helped cement the two series in Playstation History. With a fighter like Sly Cooper already on the roster there is no reason to believe that Jak, Daxter, Rachet and Clank won’t be stepping into the arena perhaps letting some fans settle some long-standing arguments in the process.

Sackboy (LittleBigPlanet Series)

Another next-gen rookie, Sackboy has to find his way into PASBR. Just think of what Sackboy could bring to the table, his moveset could be one of the more inspired in a similar way to Game and Watch in Super Smash Brothers. I like to imagine a world in which Kratos, filled with the fury of a the gods charges in for the kill only for Sackboy to stick a smiley face sticker over his face before finishing him off by riding a giant skateboard into him. There is a lot that the team at Superbot could do with him and it’s the characters like Sackboy, the ones who offer something different that I am most intrigued by.

 THE HOPEFULS

Sora (Kingdom Hearts Series)

While the Kingdom Hearts series has been seeing spin-offs outside of Sony consoles it’s home, first and foremost was the Playstation 2 and while Square-Enix isn’t the Sony loving fanboy it used to be it is hard to think of many PS2 games which generated as much fanfare as Kingdom Hearts. Sora would be quite the fit as he wields his powerful keyblade in battle and perhaps even gain the assistance of some familiar Disney faces in the process. He is a bit more of a long shot considering the Disney factor in it all but if Sony really wants to compete with Smash Brothers than they are going to have to step up their game and fork over the dough. Superbot said they would be digging into titles that have helped shape the Playstation brand and if Kingdom Hearts didn’t have some effect during the PS2 days than I don’t know what did.

Hero (3D Dot Game Heroes)

Another Sackboy type inclusion is the standard ‘Hero’ from 3D Dot Game Heroes. The game for those unfamiliar was a action-adventure-RPG in the Zelda vein that had a unique 2D, pixelated look which was rendered in 3D. The game proved more than just a pretty face as it generated positive reviews across the board and like LittleBigPlanet the game also featured a high customization component which games tend to love, I know I do. I also am a fan of the fighters having more diversity amongst their looks ala Parappa and the standard Hero (or perhaps one of the games bosses) would make for another inspired choice.

Lara Croft (Tomb Raider Series)

Yes she’s gone multiplatform as of late but the big busted beauty got her start and made her name on the PS1. Lara would obviously play somewhat similarly to another fighter on this list, one who owes alot to Ms. Croft, Yes Sackboy…Oh alright Nathan Drake. Nathan is basically just the male version of Lara but so what? PSASBR is supposed to be a celebration of the Playstation and Lara Croft was there from the beginning, she was raiding tombs before anyone had ever thought of Nathan Drake and as she is set for a comeback it could be the perfect welcome back party for one of gaming’s leading ladies. Oh and I want old school Lara, you know what I mean.

Crash Bandicoot (Crash Bandicoot Series)

Another oldie from the Sony back catalogue but there apart from Lara above there may be no face more recognizable as a Playstation founding father as Crash Bandicoot. Crash, Sony’s answer to Mario and Sonic was meant to be THE next big thing and while he never reached the heights of his Nintendo and Sega peers he nevertheless remained a Sony mainstay for a very long time. Nowadays you need to go out of your way to find Mr. Bandicoot, I hear he motors by every now and then in a cart racer looking for spare change but given a nice shower and haircut there is no reason to believe that Crash couldn’t fit right in with the likes of Sly Cooper and other cartoon like mascots. Personally I think not including Crash would be Sony basically spitting in their own face.

The Longshots

Tony Hawk (Tony Hawks Pro Skater Series)

Yes THAT Tony Hawk. I am not a fan of skateboarding and am less of a fan of skateboarders but something about the Pro Skater series was just plain fun. Maybe it was the out of this world stunts you could pull off or wealth of hidden characters (Darth Maul for the win!) but the series first few instalments proved some of the most enjoyable moments of my younger gaming days. Tony as a fighter might be a hard sell but think a bit outside the box and he could fit right in with the gang. Perhaps if he doesn’t make it in as a fighter we could at least have a Pro Skater themed level complete with the letters S-K-A-T-K-E to collect.

Ape (Ape Escape Series)

The way-way back book is opened again this time to the Ape Escape series. The series which started WAYYYYY back in 1999 (it sickens me to think that someone reading this may not have been born by then but anyway I digress) has seen various sequels and spinoffs over the years but has remained a sony mainstay to this day. Surely such loyalty should be rewarded in some way? A random Ape(s) from Ape Escape would be right at home in a zany throw down between mascots, what with their mischievous ways and all.

AND THE REST…

There are so many characters from the Playstation catalogue which have helped shape gaming but sadly not all will make it, some for legal reasons, some for money reasons and some because people just don’t care but apart from the list above there are several series that Sony should look to filling the roster with some of which I’ve listed below:

• Anyone from Final Fantasy
• Anyone from Metal Gear Solid
• A Colossus
• Spyro
• Rayman
• Cole from Infamous
• Anyone from Resident Evil
• Anyone from Tekken
• A car from Grand Turismo
• A PS2 controller
• Now I’m running out of ideas….

Anyway that is our list, at least some of it as there are literally dozens if not hundreds of deserving fighters to put in this game. So what say the rest of you, who do you think we’ll see in Playstation All-Star Battle Royale and who would you like to see? Who may sneak in under the radar and who doesn’t have a snowballs chance in hell? Sound off and let us know.