Smash Rosters

[E-Man]

Yeah, but the Assists followed some kind of pattern. Sonic was in, but we didn't randomly get Scratch and Grounder. We got a character who was directly related to that series of games.

As amusing as Scratch and Grounder are (as well as any character in the Archie Sonic comics), it's understandable that they aren't featured in any official games due to Sega not considering them part of the official Sonic canon. While we do consider them official characters, part of the reason why is due to growing up with them and how they are a product of the American branch of Sega. Even if American Sega does something like… I dunno… Say confirm Sonic and Tails are brothers (as a more extreme example), Sega of Japan would never go for it. Sure, I think the Archie Sonic characters appeared in this one pinball game and there was Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, but I actually think that those games were the work of Sega employees of the west without any input from the main Sega in Japan.

I'm not implying anything that would demote the status of great characters like Scratch and Grounder, but I am saying that only the west would regard American Sonic character with such enthusiasm because most Japanese gamers never grew up with the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and are probably more interested in reading manga adoptions of Sonic games as opposed to Archie Sonic due to cultural differences. Besides, I think Sega of Japan probably acknowledges what we Americans had done with their blue mascot in officially licensed media, but their reaction is a delighted chuckle and nothing else. In fact, Shigeru Miyamoto reacted in a somewhat similar manner when someone interviewing him mentioned the late Captain Lou (he didn't know what the interviewer was talking about, but he paid his respects for his passing regardless).