10 Video Game Character Redesigns NOBODY Asked For

9. Knuckles The Echidna - Sonic Boom: Rise Of Lyric

The Sonic franchise is defined by its rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, fans having to live with the anxiety of never knowing if a new game will be basically decent or commit itself to actively butchering aspects of the franchise.

There was plenty to complain about in 2014's Wii U-exclusive Sonic Boom: Rise Of Lyric, not least the fact that Sonic's pal Knuckles was needlessly turned into a hulking gym rat.

"Boom Knuckles," as the fanbase calls him, ditched the wiry, rail-thin original design which nevertheless screamed "attitude!," and reinvented him with comically broad shoulders and 30-inch pythons which would make Hulk Hogan himself blush.

Director Bob Rafei explained in an interview that Knuckles' buff new look was part of a wider initiative to broaden the characters and make them more accessible to a wider audience, but honestly, was mutating Knuckles into a roid-gobbling jock ever going to be the way to do this?

Clearly not, as Rise of Lyric was critically panned and became the lowest-selling entry in the entire Sonic franchise. Yikes.

On the flip side, playing as Knuckles allowed players to execute a jump glitch which would let them bypass most of the game and beat it within an hour. Silver linings...