While Pulseman is a SEGA character, he is also connected with Pokemon, one of the most successful Nintendo franchises, bridging the console gap long before Super Smash Brothers Brawl and the Sonic & Mario series of games. Most Pulseman references appear in the Platinum version of Pokemon, especially in the electric/ghost pokemon Rotom, who was made to resemble Pulseman in many aspects. Pulseman also resembles a Megaman/Rockman character by his name and his style of design, and is often drawn in crossovers with Megaman. Because he is one of the only two platforming games released by Game Freak, the other being Drill Dozer (Screw Breaker in Japan), he is sometimes drawn with characters from Drill Dozer, especially Jill. However, in designing Pulseman, his creator Ken Sugimori intended for him to be his personal take on Sonic the Hedgehog. Instead of blue, Pulseman is red, and instead of just being able to move faster than sound, he can travel at the speed of light.