Ulala

Ulala is the protagonist of Sega's Space Channel 5 series of dancing video games, and debuted with the eponymous original title on its release for the Dreamcast in December 1999.

When anyone wants to hear funky news, they turn immediately to Space Channel 5. The highlight of the station is Ulala, the foxy reporter who aims to the best in the galaxy - a dream she has had ever since she was rescued by a broadcaster for the channel when she was a little girl. Ulala hosts the Swinging Report Show, which has become a massive hit around the universe after she stopped the Morolian invasion from turning everyone into dance-a-holics. She is voiced by Apollo Smile.

Sonic series
Ulala's relation to the Sonic the Hedgehog series comes in the form of an appearance as an unlockable character in Sonic Riders. The reporter is in fact one of the fastest characters in the game, with speed stats rivaling those of Sonic the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog and Jet the Hawk. Her Extreme Gear board is the "Channel5."

She is also a playable character in the game Sega Superstars. In her minigame, she needs (like in Space Channel 5) to remember different dance moves when they are shown by the Morolians, then repeat it in time with six different buttons.

The dancing newscaster makes another playable appearance beside Sonic in SEGA Superstars Tennis. Here, she tends to attract wolf-whistles from bystanders, including NiGHTS, despite the fact that the Nightmaren jester is said to be asexual.

Ulala also appears with Sonic and his friends on the track in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing. In that game, she needs to be purchased, and 12,500 miles are needed. She races on the track in her Astro Glider, a kind of floating pod that resembles the Astrobeat.

In Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, she drives a futuristic three-wheeled sports car with the Space Channel 5 logo on the hood, kind of like Sonic's Speed Star but has a big resemblance to her Astro Glider from the previous games, with an overall resemblance to the Astrobeat.

Even more-so than with NiGHTS, Ulala's canonical relationship with the Sonic universe is dubious at best. She is only present in spin-off games, and then only as a supplemental character, not tied in to the actual storyline.

Trivia

 * Interestingly enough, Ulala was the only other SEGA character besides Sonic to guest star in Samba De Amigo Wii.
 * Ulala's All-Star theme in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing is different in the Nintendo DS version from in the home console versions. It is the same song but it has the beginning of it rather than the end of it.
 * Space Channel 5: Part 2 was rereleased as a part of Dreamcast Collection, which also included Sonic Adventure and many other titles.
 * Ulala is referenced by Doctor Eggman in Sonic Colors in the Tropical Resort stage. He says over loudspeaker if she would come to the desk (allegedly because "a white egg-shaped vehicle" that was believed to be owned by her had been broken into), and then says "Wait a minute-What the Heck?" before finishing his sentence, presumably because he realized that the vehicle was actually his Egg Mobile.
 * In 2006, Kierin M. Kirby (vocalist for the band Deee-Lite) filed a lawsuit against Sega corporation for allegedly using her Lady Miss Kier persona for Ulala. She ultimately lost.
 * In 2008, the band's popular single "Groove is in the Heart" was used for a stage in the game Samba de Amigo. This stage featured Ulala.
 * Ulala is one of only four non-Sonic characters to be featured in more Sonic games than their own, the others are Amigo, Billy Hatcher and NiGHTS.