Unannounced PlayStation All-Stars Characters, Stages Buried in Beta Code

It looks like some carefully laid marketing plans got burned over the weekend as some interested parties with access to the PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale beta have done a bit of digging through the beta's files and uncovered a mess of unannounced content, from characters to background stages.

Folks posting on Reddit and NeoGAF started getting deep into this stuff on Saturday and uncovered the following additions to the game's already announced playable roster.

• Dante (Devil May Cry)
• Evil Cole (InFamous)
• Nariko (Heavenly Sword)
• Raiden (Metal Gear Solid)
• Sackboy (LittleBigPlanet)
• Ratchet (Ratchet & Clank)
• Sir Daniel Fortesque (MediEvil)
• Spike (Ape Escape)

Unannounced background stages were also discovered, including one based on BioShock Infinite's floating city, Columbia, and an Uncharted stage that appears to have players jumping across a series of trucks that are falling out of the back of an airplane. GameSpot has compiled a list of the other uncovered information, including a list of items and unplayable minion characters. GameSpot also contacted Sony, who had no comment on the authenticity of the files. They are, however, totally authentic.

So how does something like this happen? We'll probably never know the whole story, but I bet the people responsible for removing references to unannounced content before packing up the beta are probably hating life right about now. It'll be interesting to see if Sony goes for the old Capcom play of pretending that the leaks never happened and meting out the rest of the roster at Gamescom, PAX, and other similarly opportune points for info distribution.

Now that this next (and presumably last) chunk of the playable character roster is out there, how do you feel about PlayStation All-Stars? Seems like a good group with some nice third-party inclusions, but it's sort of surprising that there's no Crash Bandicoot on the list. Well... there's always DLC, right?

Wheres my dang bandicoot?

Knew this would happen

I'll say this:

These files are from the beta. The beta is from a build of the game they used to first announce the game in April. So it's probably a build from last year. (Also, there is a screenshot in the files that shows a date of 2/24/2011, so theres that)

Yeah, this is legit and reveals characters and levels in the game, but there is NO REASON to believe that it is final, or that it confirms a lack of certain characters or levels.

There is still hope for Crash, Spyro, etc.

Time will tell.

Anyways, Sir Daniel making it in is more important to me than anything else. I'm glad they got him in.

Also, que people crying about day 1 DLC when they have already confirmed that everything on the disc is unlocked and there will be no day 1 DLC

Oh wow its Ninja Theory Dante, oldschool dmc fans gonna be pissed about that decision no doubt.

No Banicoot, no sale.

@RTSlord said:

Wheres my dang bandicoot?

Not owned by Sony? And who knows how much they would've had to pay the current license users to get him. Same goes with Spyro, especially post-skylanders.

Hell yeah Daniel Fortesque ! MediEvil is an amazing game !

This character list is sad. Could have been a lot more.

 I'm still holding out hope for Lavitz Slambert--the faintest glimmer of hope.

@Lazyaza said:

Oh wow its Ninja Theory Dante, oldschool dmc fans gonna be pissed about that decision no doubt.

Don't worry. Classic costume Dante will probably be day-one DLC :/

I think it's interesting that Good Cole and Evil Cole are two separate characters. I hope they play more differently than the "clone" characters in the Smash Bros. games have over the years (because as cool as Ganondorf is, I don't like that he plays like slow Capt. Falcon).

Sir Daniel Fortesque = First Day Purchase

More likely than not, no one was assigned the job of "removing references to unannounced content" specifically. I think many still think of the PS3 as a Secure System.

Also, "games" need to get over themselves wrt shit like this.

No Kevin Butler, No Buy.

Still looks like a poor man's Smash Bros. Sony should have tried something original.

I find it weird that they are pulling a starkiller with the new Dante. Why not use the old design?

Surprised at the lack of Laura Craft, Spyro, Cloud, and Crash. Still, this list of characters is more interesting than any thing Smash Bros can come up with. Parappa alone is more interesting than any Nintendo character.

@Phatmac: @Phatmac said:

Surprised at the lack of Laura Craft, Spyro, Cloud, and Crash. Still, this list of characters is more interesting than any thing Smash Bros can come up with. Parappa alone is more interesting than any Nintendo character.

Crystal Dynamics seem to have been buddying up more with Microsoft for the new Tomb Raider and flat out (and quite rudely) said she would not be in the game to a fan on Twitter. My guess is that Square will be pushing for Lightning to make the cut, instead of Cloud.

I'm excited for this game still- Sir Dan is going to be amazing if true, and while Ratchet and Sackboy were expected, I'm certainly happy for their arrival. Nariko will add a much needed female character to the roster, and I'm sure Raiden will have a more interesting move list than Snake. I prefer the new Dante to classic Dante, so I'm fine with that as well. All in all, this game gets more exciting looking to me with each piece of news, official or otherwise. Looking forward to more reveals not leaked here.

@Overbite said:

This character list is sad. Could have been a lot more.

I agree, seems like they favour some weaker characters just because they are from newer franchises. I guess the reasoning might be that they can still sell copies of those games on the ps3

This is and will continue to be a SMB rip-off. I have a Playstation and couldn´t be less excited for this. Their characters are just incredibly boring. I hope Nintendo hurries to release SMB Universe for the Wii U and 3DS so I can play a real Arcade Brawler.

I'm kind of disappointed in the line up of characters.

Surprised at the lack of Laura Craft, Spyro, Cloud, and Crash. Still, this list of characters is more interesting than any thing Smash Bros can come up with. Parappa alone is more interesting than any Nintendo character.

No Robbit? Shameful.

I sure as hell hope that's not the full character list. Also Nariko? What the fuck?

And that better not be the new fucking Dante!

Does it really need two versions of Cole? Really?

@Deusx said:

This is and will continue to be a SMB rip-off. I have a Playstation and couldn´t be less excited for this. Their characters are just incredibly boring. I hope Nintendo hurries to release SMB Universe for the Wii U and 3DS so I can play a real Arcade Brawler.

Don't you mean Super Smash Bros?

And I'll give it a shot if it's more fun than Brawl. What a disappointment that one was. At least we have Project M.

Also, yeah, where are Crash and Spyro?

The lack of a Crash Bandicoot in this game is sad. He is basically Playstations Mario during the PS1 era.

@Phatmac said:

Surprised at the lack of Laura Craft, Spyro, Cloud, and Crash. Still, this list of characters is more interesting than any thing Smash Bros can come up with. Parappa alone is more interesting than any Nintendo character.

This isn't the unpopular opinion thread. But, either way your opinion sucks.

Evil cole as an extra character slot is kinda meh.

Kessler as an extra character slot would work. Hell, the whole thing could have been him fucking around with Time to train Cole in the first place, then causing something that made realities leak into each other.

Ninja Theory Dante being included is poor taste, although I wonder if Ninja Theory made it a requirement for them to get Nariko, or something.

Other than that, the rest of the picks look pretty great. Still want Snake in there.

Also, if we're going for Esoteric picks, Parappa needs to be counterbalanced with Gitaroo Man

I feel like they're putting in these third party game characters/stages just to sell games on the PS3. BIOSHOCK INFINITE, DMC, METAL GEAR RISING, BEST PLAYED ON PS3! Granted MGS and DMC were big PS2 franchises.

Also Ape Escape kid looks really weird.

@TheKing said:

@Phatmac said:

Surprised at the lack of Laura Craft, Spyro, Cloud, and Crash. Still, this list of characters is more interesting than any thing Smash Bros can come up with. Parappa alone is more interesting than any Nintendo character.

This isn't the unpopular opinion thread. But, either way you're opinion sucks.

Talk to me when Nintendo lets me fight as a rapping dog. I love Smash Bros, but I like this roster better since it has such a wide variety of strange characters that are in the same game.

Is Heavenly Sword worth playing? I bought my PS3 with the intention to play all of it's exclusives, but I haven't got around to that one yet.

@Hailinel: Play the game first troll.

Well there still has to be more characters they are planning to announce...right...right?

@Phatmac said:

@TheKing said:

@Phatmac said:

Surprised at the lack of Laura Craft, Spyro, Cloud, and Crash. Still, this list of characters is more interesting than any thing Smash Bros can come up with. Parappa alone is more interesting than any Nintendo character.

This isn't the unpopular opinion thread. But, either way you're opinion sucks.

Talk to me when Nintendo lets me fight as a rapping dog. I love Smash Bros, but I like this roster better since it has such a wide variety of strange characters that are in the same game.

KK Slider sings and plays guitar. That's close enough.

@Enigma777 said:

I sure as hell hope that's not the full character list. Also Nariko? What the fuck?

The beta files had no reference to Big Daddy, so it certainly isn't the complete list. Nor can we say for certain that all of these characters will be in the final version - it's hardly unheard of for games to cut content if they're not happy with it after all.

@JDillinger said:

@Hailinel: Play the game first troll.

I'm not trolling. It just looks bad.

@Hailinel: Back up your claim otherwise you're just trolling.

@Phatmac said:

Surprised at the lack of Laura Craft, Spyro, Cloud, and Crash. Still, this list of characters is more interesting than any thing Smash Bros can come up with. Parappa alone is more interesting than any Nintendo character.

Yeah... I'd argue that Mr. Game & Watch was just as exciting as Parappa.

@Dagbiker said:

No Kevin Butler, No Buy.

No Tretton, No Buy.

@JDillinger said:

@Hailinel: Back up your claim otherwise you're just trolling.

It looks like a generic Smash Bros. clone with no sense of originality or cohesive style. The gameplay, as demoed at E3, did not look fun.

But above all, it's my personal opinion. If you have a problem with that, feel free to disagree. Otherwise the only one trolling here is you.

@TooWalrus said:

@Phatmac said:

Surprised at the lack of Laura Craft, Spyro, Cloud, and Crash. Still, this list of characters is more interesting than any thing Smash Bros can come up with. Parappa alone is more interesting than any Nintendo character.

Yeah... I'd argue that Mr. Game & Watch was just as exciting as Parappa.

Sure!

That makes it 20 total characters, that's too few for a crossover game, they need at least 30.

@Ravenlight said:

@Lazyaza said:

Oh wow its Ninja Theory Dante, oldschool dmc fans gonna be pissed about that decision no doubt.

Don't worry. Classic costume Dante will probably be day-one DLC :/

Or it could be his Devil Trigger super since that's what happens in DMC.

The inclusion of the dude from Medieval is a great pick. Kid from Ape Escape is also good.

As for the rest... ehhhh. Also, no Crash Bandicoot? seriously, wtf?

Pretty awesome. Especially having MediEvil guy. I'm liking this more and more.

@Hailinel: You're free to have your own opinion but when you go around popping off at the mouth on things you don't know about you're going to get called out on it. Especially when you don't provide anything to back your assertions.

@JDillinger said:

@Hailinel: You're free to have your own opinion but when you go around popping off at the mouth on things you don't know about you're going to get called out on it. Especially when you don't provide anything to back your assertions.

My opinion is based upon my own observations. Whether or not you or anyone else agrees with it is not my concern. Why you're concerned that I'm not falling in love with this game, I have no idea. Surely there are better things that you could be doing with your time.

The cole and evil cole thing seems pretty dumb. Why not just make it a skin. Other than that I think it's a decent roster. I have a feeling they'll have a good chunk of character dlc.

For a second there I thought Spike was Cloud in his original FFVII overworld blocky look.