10 Hidden Video Game Bosses You Weren't Supposed To See
6. Ash - Streets Of Rage 3
The case of Ash in Streets of Rage III is a most curious one, because this mini-boss did actually appear in the opening South Pier Warehouse level of the Japanese version of the game, entitled Bare Knuckle III, before being taken out for European and American audiences.
In the Japanese release, Ash would rock up with a speedboat and sic two of his goons on you before getting involved himself, and defeating him would leave Ash blubbering on the floor.
It's never been officially confirmed why Ash was cut from overseas versions of the game, but we'd hazard a guess that such a stereotypical, offensive portrayal of a gay man would definitely cause issues.
Ash does however remain in the game code across regions, and though his mini-boss coding is disabled for Europe and the U.S., he can still be accessed as a playable character with a cheat code.