One for the die-hard Sega fans, 90’s Japanese Sega Saturn mascot “Segata Sanshiro” will be a playable unit in Project X Zone 2.

From iconic classics to the obscure, Project X Zone and the upcoming sequel host a plethora of characters from the legacy of Capcom, Namco Bandai and Sega. Project X Zone 2 is looking to add some of the more “niche” characters from the collective pool of history, with the likes of Nightshade‘s Hibana, Aty of Summon Night 3, and the recently announced Captain Commando of Capcom fame.

In a bizarre twist, another character from Sega’s archives will make his way into Project X Zone 2 not from an existing game franchise, but an advertising campaign. The character may be lost to Western audiences, but Sega Saturn mascot Segata Sanshiro will be added to the game as a “Solo Unit”. Sanshiro was a character present in the Japanese ad campaign for the Sega Saturn, appearing in various commercials shown on 90’s television.

Sanshiro will of course exist as a 2D-sprite, however the TV character was portrayed by actor Hiroshi Fujioka. Fujioka is famous for playing the original Kamen Rider in the early 70’s; his voice appears in the Japanese versions of Final Fantasy VII spin-offs Crisis Core and Last Order, Shenmue 1-2, and Kingdom Hearts II.

Apart from Segata Sanshiro, three other characters have been added to the expanding roster; Captain Commando (Captain Commando, Capcom), Heihachi Mishima (Tekken, Namco Bandai), and June Lin Milliam (Star Gladiator, Capcom).

Project X Zone 2 will release exclusively for the 3DS later this year for Japan, and early 2016 for North America and Europe.

Source: Famitsu (via Esuteru)
Images courtesy of Sega, Capcom, Namco Bandai