Guest Character

Overview

Not to be confused with Cameo Appearance.

Guest characters have no intention of making themselves scarce and generally have entire campaigns devoted to them. They frequently appear on box art as part of the main design, or are mentioned in a feature bubble. The goal of incorporating a guest character is generally to appeal to fans of that character in an attempt to introduce them to a new franchise and increase sales. As a result, as welcome and integrated as these guest characters are made to feel, they are rarely invited back for a follow up visit in subsequent titles because any influence they might have on expanding the fanbase has already been exploited. Additionally, no one ever really expects them back.

History

The term was popularized by Soulcalibur II with the inclusion of console-exclusive guest characters in order to cause excitement among players. While the appearances of Spawn and Heihachi weren't poorly received, Link's appearance made Soulcalibur II a must-own for many Nintendo fans that generally didn't purchase fighting games. The tradition has been continued in the franchise since then, becoming an expected feature.

Games and Guests