CHARACTER
INFORMATION
Name: Ray
Nicknames:
N/A
Race:
Flying Squirrel
Gender: Male
Age: Unknown
(In his video game portrayal, it is unknown
as to whether or not Ray's age is 15 as he is in the Archie Sonic the
Hedgehog comic series. It doesn't seem that likely, since, if anything,
Ray seems like a very young Sonic character, especially when taking
his voice into account. Anywhere between 7-10, maybe?)
Date of birth: Unknown
Birthplace:
Unknown
Height:
Unknown
(SegaSonic the Hedgehog seems to skew the
heights of the characters, since in spite of his evident young age,
Ray is as tall as Sonic & Mighty in the game. So this one perplexes
the hell outta me. I can just guess anywhere between 85 to 95 centimeters
[2'9" - 3'1"].)
Weight:
Unknown
(Speculation: He is evidently young, but he
is also apparently on the tall side. So the best thing to do is go with
the medium between the two, so a good weight for Ray would be anywhere
from 25 to 30 kilograms [55 to 66 lbs].)
Physical
techniques:
(1). Spin Jump
Description: Also referred to as the "spinball jump,"
Ray is able to leap into the air and curl into a spinning, tightly compacted
ball of destruction which can destroy enemies and break barriers.
In-game debut: SegaSonic the Hedgehog, Arcade, 1993
Abilities
and aptitude:
(1). Ray's tail is not only very strong and durable, but he uses it
as somewhat of a prehensile third hand.
(2). Can obviously glide by catching air under the membrane of furred
skin between his arms and waist when they are spanned.
(This ability is not indisputably confirmed as a skill of Ray's,
but man, come on. He's a flying squirrel.)
Hobbies
and talents: N/A
Weaknesses: No known weaknesses.
Physical
Appearance:
- Golden yellow fur
- Dark tan muzzle, inner ears, and tummy/chest
- Black eyes
- His hair tapers into a small, tufted tip, making his head somewhat
shaped like a teardrop
- A flabby membrane of furry skin connects the lower sides of his waist
to his lower arms
- Small, triangular and perked ears
- Round and bulbous, shiny black nose
- Long and durable, club-shaped tail
Attire:
- A pair of white gloves with large, sock-like cuffs
- Red, evidently "soleless" sneakers embraced with a white
buckle-strap
- White socks
Items
& weapons: N/A
Vehicle(s):
N/A
Personality
details: Ray the Flying Squirrel possesses a personality just
as mysterious as any other scrapped Sonic character. You could only
get hints of it through the small amount of voice acting he did in Segasonic
the Hedgehog, which was nothing but mostly screams, grunts, or "Yes(!)'"
in reaction to events in the game. Judging by his evident youth and
occasional cheek to cheek grin seen on his sprites, he seems like a
real nice and courteous youngling. However, he seems very cautious and
gets frightened easily. This is because in the beginning of the game
when Sonic, Mighty and Ray are being pursued by the giant Eggman machine,
Ray is the one who looks the most scared with his small, beady eyes
that are wide open, and agape mouth that is obviously screaming. However,
this is all just one big assumption. Your guess on Ray's personality
is as good as mine.
Historical
biography:
Along
with Sonic and Mighty, Ray was the third unlucky visitor of Eggman Island
that was captured by the giant Eggman machine and thus imprisoned inside
of Eggman's Volcanic Vault. The three of them made friends and in a
very well consolidated effort, they managed to escape their incarceration
and cut through Eggman's island of doom like a hot knife through butter
and thereafter access the tower the Egg-shaped doctor himself watched
over them in. Push comes to shove, the three escape, and the entire
island blows up into one huge, towering inferno. Unfortunately, all
three of them went their separate ways, and for Ray, it was for good
— he has not been seen since.
Personal
information:
Greatest friend(s): Sonic the Hedgehog
and Mighty the Armadillo.
Other friend(s): Unknown.
Rival(s): N/A
Enemy(s): Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik .
Likes: Unknown.
Dislikes: Unknown.
Favorite food(s): Unknown.
Favorite color(s): Unknown.
Occupation: N/A
Place of residence: Unknown.
GAME INFORMATION
Franchise name: Ray the Flying Squirrel.
Original purpose: Supporting role in SegaSonic the
Hedgehog.
Current purpose: N/A, character is scrapped.
Date of first promotion/presence in the industry: Ray's
debut in the industry came along with the release of the Arcade title,
SegaSonic the Hedgehog, released first in Japan on June of 1993.
Years in service: Not even a year: Ray's first and
last appearance was SegaSonic the Hedgehog, released in 1993.
Likelihood of a possible return: Very low. SegaSonic
the Hedgehog's release was on an even lower scale than Sonic the Fighters.
And to make matters worse, Ray is just as shallow, if not more shallow
than Bean and Bark. Ray's return is veeeery unlikely. Hell, the only
video game Ray was even in hasn't even been ported to some game collection
yet.
Original Designer: Unconfirmed.
Design process: Unconfirmed. Ray's design process was
probably similar to how all of the others were made. Many design sketches
were made, and Ray was chosen. Simple as that.
Possible design inspirations: No known design inspirations.
Ray seems to be completely original.
Prestigious design variations: 1
+ - current design
— - original design
- 1, Segasonic the Hedgehog, 1993 — + (image)
*The picture on the left is for pure decoration. Although it is completely
faithful to Ray's original appearance in general, it has been stylized
to fit the new generation and is not how Ray's original design appears.
Known Game Voice Actors:
SegaSonic the Hedgehog (JP): Hinako Kanemaru (is now known as Hinako
Yoshino)
Sonic Games he has been playable in:
(1). SegaSonic the Hedgehog (Arcade)
Sonic Games he has made an appearance in: N/A
Non-video game portrayals:
(1). Sonic the Hedgehog, SOA-licensed by Archie comics (Comic series)
Personal character analysis/commentary (by Nuclear Envoy):
Ray
the Flying Squirrel is just as lacking in depth as Bean and Bark (if
not, then more). However, what he's got on his side is a career in the
Sonic the Hedgehog comics, making him a lot more reputable in the fanbase.
But even then, his popularity is nominal. The only reason anyone can
be a fan of Ray is because of how he looks since he has no known personality
to admire. Even Bean and Bark are more widely recognized than Ray is,
and man, that's saying a lot. There is no interesting history to Ray,
no remarkable inspirations that would make him an out of the ordinary
character, and his depth is incredibly shallow. He is just another inexplicable
scrappee.