Game Character:
John Tanaka
Character Bio
As John Tanaka studied engineering at the University of Io, Professor Masson Summer was his favorite and most influential instructor. Using what he learned from Professor Summer, Tanaka created a series of personal assistants in the form of small robots, his first being J-Love-1.As he spent more and more time with the professor, Tanaka eventually ran into his instructor's daughter, fellow F-Zero racer Jody Summer, with whom he quickly fell in love (hence the name of his robot). After Professor Summer died in a spacecraft crash, Tanaka vowed to take care of Jody and to pine for her love. During races, he can be seen following closely beside her, warding off racers who would dare attack her craft. He has even wrecked the Wonder Wasp to give her the chance to win. This perturbs Jody as she has always done everything on her own. If she does finally win the championship, she may not feel as though she did it on her own because of Tanaka's "assistance."
Other than protecting Jody, there isn't any clear reason why Tanaka participates in the tournament, though J-Love-1 is very adamant about winning. The robot provides Tanaka with assistance in driving, hitting various buttons and aiding in strategies. Apparently, this is a closely guarded secret and the F-Zero Commission has yet to find out about his extra help.
ABOUT HIS MACHINE IN F-ZERO X
A uniquely designed craft, the cockpit of the Wonder Wasp sits high above the ground on two supports. It is from this top-heavy design that the ship loses most of its grip and becomes susceptible to damage. The extremely powerful boosters, however, let Tanaka really move in the straight-aways.
Number: 8
Weight: 900 kg
BODY: D
BOOST: A
GRIP: D
SOURCES:
F-Zero X instruction booklet
F-Zero X official web site, www.fzerox.com
John Tanaka is a trademark and copyright of Nintendo Co. Ltd. ~ Shawn Sackenheim, All Game Guide
