Over the past 30 years, video games have undergone drastic changes, from the basic entertainment medium of pong to interactive game consoles like Wii and Xbox Kinect. One thing video games have retained over the years along with their success, are famous and infamous characters which have kept players coming back relive adventures with them for decades. Which ones have the best and most memorable roles in video games? Here’s a walkthrough of past and present, going through the most iconic and defining characters of an era (In no particular order).
The Good Guys:
Mario:
What person, any age, does not know the beloved character Mario? The popular plumber in overalls and the trademark moustache has become one of the most popular video game characters ever. Together he and his brother Luigi have battled goombas and defeated Bowser a countless number of times to save the oh-so-wonderful Princess Peach. Mario made his debut appearance in 1980 in the video game Donkey Kong, where he began his legacy of saving Princess Peach. Without a doubt, Mario represents the trademark face of Nintendo.
Sonic the Hedgehog:
Sega’s most memorable icon, the blue, spikey haired, witty, speedy rodent in running shoes has succeeded in taking down Dr.Eggman with his partner Tails for years. Sega released the first Sonic game in the June of 1991. Sonic has the ability to run faster than the speed of sound (supersonic speed, hence the name). Sega’s character Sonic rivals the Nintendo’s Mario.
Link:
Link, the main protagonist from The Legend of Zelda series released in 1986, lives in the land of Hyrule and battles evil villains and eventually the antagonist of the series, Ganondorf, otherwise known as Ganon. Throughout the series Link saves Princess Zelda from the clutches of Ganon and other enemies. Over the years Link has progressed from a small low bit character to a 3D bomb throwing, arrow shooting, sword wielding warrior, and the Legend of Zelda games stand as some of the best video games ever.
The Bad guys:
Bowser:
Bowser, recognized as possibly one of the most familiar enemies in the video games has an irreplaceable role in Mario games. His red face has popped up after the millions and millions of deaths of Mario players throughout the entire Mario series. The infamous evil dragon turtle has become the fearsome antagonist of the loved mario for many a year, but no matter how sinister the plot or how many times he has kidnapped Princess Peach, Mario and Luigi always prevail.
Ganondorf:
Ganon, or Ganondorf, the antagonist and archenemy of the Legend of Zelda’s hero Link, appears as one of the most iconic villains in video games. Ganondorf possesses supreme power as an evil sorcerer and as leader of the Gerudo, a race of desert brigands. Ganondorf represents all evil and hatred, and never stops in his main goal to take over all of Hyrule and ultimately the world. With the power of the triforce, Ganondorf reaches near godlike and immortal strength. Like Bowser in Mario, Ganondorf usually tries to capture Princess Zelda, in addition to his quest to dominate the world.
Dr.Egg Man:
Doctor Ivo Robotnik, also known as Dr. Eggman, is Sonic the Hedgehog’s archenemy and Sega’s version of Mario. Dr.Eggman delves into dark science and cruel experiments with an IQ of 300 and attempts to conquer the world and create his eggman empire, but Sonic and his team always seems to get in his way.
