Characters: Favourites
A small list of the video game heroes who I looked up to, resonated with or just think are really cool.
List items
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What can you say about Mario? To me, he embodies gaming and the world of possibilities it opens ones eyes to. Not a fully-fleshed out character per se, but through him we can live vicariously and travel to strange and exciting new lands.
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The other half of the "Mario Bros." moniker, and you can't have one without the other as far as I'm concerned. I first met him in the original Super Mario Bros., where I stepped in his shoes to chase after my cousin's Mario. I've had a soft spot for Luigi ever since. It'll always be Mario AND Luigi for me.
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Brought to life exquisitely by Lucy Liu in SSX Tricky, Elise Riggs was a lovable, wisecracking wannabe sex symbol who charmed my heart more through her sense of humour and nonstop banter than her sex appeal. The game's constant overbearing attempt to pass her off as its de facto "hottie" really showed off the claim's lack of sustainability: Cute as she is, Elise is actually pretty bad at her alleged role-she's far too blunt, brash, loudmouthed and standoffish to play a traditional sex kitten, and she seems to know that. This, in fact, puts her more in the vein of a deconstruction of the Ms. Fanservice role than a straight example of the trope. I, for one, love her all the more for it. Combining that with her winning wit and offbeat, irreverent, outgoing and immediately likable personality makes Elise an obvious choice for one of my all-time favourite game characters.
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Describing my connection to Samus would take longer than I have here: I first met her as an unmitigated badass in Metroid I and II and Super Smash Bros. It wasn't until Metroid Prime, however, that she became a personal hero. Like Mario, we see the world through her eyes, but it's more resonant here due to the thoroughly unique narrative delivery. I see a lot of myself in Samus and, likewise, feel a lot of her in me.
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The ubiquitous little Pikachu exploded into global saturation around 1998 and gaming would never be the same. As far as I'm concerned though, Pikachu more than deserves his place in the pantheon of Nintendo and gaming greats like Mario, Sonic and Samus. Despite some initial discomfort and the occasional jaded holdout in my generation, I doubt many gamers would disagree. He's cute, quirky and come on, just look at the guy. He's adorably awesome.
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The other big breakout from the Pokémon series in my opinion. I feel shipping and fan hentai from her anime depiction tend to overshadow her biggest contribution and legacy from the games she appeared in: Misty is a highly developed and likable female protagonist, something we should all be thankful for. She's a rough and rowdy tomboy, but she's also a romantic and passionate dreamer. She can be curt and tough, but also caring and tender. There's also a twinge of loneliness and yearning about her which makes us feel for her and care about her. All of this elevates Misty above the average NPC, female or male. On a completely separate note, I've always dug her ocean motif: I share her passion for the sea and love that she's a swimmer and surfer in her spare time.
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The world's fastest hedgehog and one of the coolest characters in gaming. In the Mario vs. Sonic playground debates of the 90s I was always Switzerland: I loved them both. Sonic has a unique and well-developed attitude and edge that sets him apart and makes him completely endearing and allowed him to lay the foundation for other such characters to come in his wake. His staunch Chaotic Good persona also makes him fun to cheer on.
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At a very early age I was exposed to the hidden depths and nuances of the human psyche, all through a little educational game about geography. Carmen's a villain, but she's not malevolent or evil: Instead, she commits crimes for sport and, rather than cover her tracks and go into hiding like most people in her situation would, she INTENTIONALLY leaves clues and hints for her pursuers-Challenging them to match wits with her and keep up. Carmen is a true sportswoman and one of the most honest, good characters in all of video games...And she's the antagonist in her own series. Plus, she knows how to keep an image, striking a pose with that stylish fedora and trenchcoat of hers. A trenchcoat which, I might add left...quite a bit to the imagination if...you know what I mean (at least in the early days anyway). Carmen Sandiego taught me a good deal more than geography trivia.
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