Secret character
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A secret character (not to be confused with an unseen character) is a playable character in a video game that can only be played by completing some task in the game.
Secret characters are more common in fighting games, which are fundamentally based around a set of different characters. However, they can occur in many game genres.
In some cases, secret characters are given as a reward for completing a game (a process usually described as unlocking a secret character). The Tekken games are one example of this, as they actually provide empty spaces on the Character Select screen for characters that have not yet been unlocked.
Other secret characters, however, are far more secretive, and can be classified as a kind of Easter egg. Some may require the player to accomplish impressive or unusual gameplay feats, and some can only be obtained by using cheats or hacks.
Popular secret characters sometimes return as main characters in sequels of the original game. Ayane was a secret character in the original Dead or Alive but is a main character in every subsequent installment of the series.
[edit] Notable secret characters
- Travis Barker (Tony Hawk's Project 8)
- Akuma (Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Street Fighter Alpha, Pocket Fighter)
- Reptile (Mortal Kombat)
- Gon (Tekken 3)
- Marionnette (Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower)
- Ein (Dead or Alive 3)
- Umaro and Gogo (Final Fantasy VI)
- Yuffie Kisaragi and Vincent Valentine (Final Fantasy VII)
- Metal Sonic, Tails Doll, Metal Knuckles and Egg Robo (Sonic R)
- The Legendary Pokémon (Pokémon series)
- Dan Hibiki (Street Fighter Alpha)
- Luigi, Ness, Captain Falcon, and Jigglypuff (Super Smash Bros.)
- Mewtwo, Luigi, Mr. Game & Watch, Marth, Jigglypuff, Ganondorf, Falco Lombardi, Dr. Mario, Pichu, Young Link and Roy (Super Smash Bros. Melee)
- Minion (Twisted Metal series)
- Smoke (Mortal Kombat 3)
- HUNK (Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4)
- Zero (SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom)
- Castille, Laharl, Etna, Flonne, Salome, Valvoga, King Drake, Pram the Oracle, Lord Zetta, Seedle, Yoshitsuna, Super Robo Suit, and Asagi, (Makai Kingdom)
- Richter Belmont (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night)
- Alucard (Castlevania) (Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow)
- Simon Belmont (Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance)
- Solid Snake (DreamMix TV World Fighters)
- Nordom (Planescape: Torment)
- Ms. Mowz (Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door)
- Roll, Shadow Lady (Marvel VS. Capcom)
- Fred Durst (WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It)
- Officer Dick (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater)
- Super Sonic (Sonic the Fighters, Sonic R, Sonic Shuffle and Sonic Riders)
- Bleu (Deis in the Japanese version) (Breath of Fire II)
[edit] Notable fake secret characters
The following characters are not actually playable in their corresponding games, but rumours and/or hoaxes purporting the contrary were at one point widespread:
- Sheng Long (Street Fighter II)
- Sonic and Tails (Super Smash Bros. Melee)
- Toad (Super Smash Bros. Melee)
- "All Bonds" (GoldenEye 007): A multiplayer mode feature supposedly allowing the player to use any of the actors who had portrayed James Bond in the movie series.
- Luigi (Super Mario 64) (Later became a playable character when the game was rereleased on the DS)
- Goro (Mortal Kombat II) (Became a playable character in later Mortal Kombat games.)
- Ermac (Mortal Kombat) (Became a real playable character in later Mortal Kombat games.)
- Akuma (Resident Evil)
- Inferno (Soul Calibur 1, 2, and 3, and Soul Edge and Soul Edge 2 although could be used in scII by means of cheat devices, but would result in the game crashing at the end of the match, or after Inferno has taken an amount of damage.)
- Night Terror (Soul Calibur 3)
