McTucket
03-05-2006, 04:27 PM
[[[[from 1up.com]]]
10.Lara Croft
The icon of "mature" gaming in the PlayStation era, Lara, in her first Tomb Raider adventure, proved you could have a quality platforming experience without having to collect 100 golden whatevers. It also introduced a frightening amount of fan fiction and bad Photoshop porn. You go, girl.
Best Game: Tomb Raider 2 (PS1)
Most Embarrassing Moment: The last 20 or so Tomb Raider games.
9.Pikachu
Would Pokémon have been such a colossal phenomenon without this sparky li'l guy as its mascot? Well, probably. But it only would have made $790 gajillion instead of $792 gajillion.
Best Game: Pokémon Gold/Silver (GBC)
Most Embarrassing Moment: Inducing seizures in Japanese schoolchildren during an episode of the TV show. Naughty!
8.Master Chief
Silent but oh so deadly. In just a few years, Master Chief has become the symbol for the Xbox, and maybe even a new generation of gamers. This kid's gonna be a star!
Best Game: Halo 2 (XB)
Most Embarrassing Moment: We bet the Chief got a little red under the helmet when he saw a Microsoft exec sporting a tattoo of the Halo 2 release date.
7.Cloud Strife
Big sword. Spiky hair. Not all there in the head, if you know what we mean. But we love Cloud anyway, and we sure as hell know you love him, too (so stop sending us your cosplayer pics, please!).
Best Game: Final Fantasy VII (PS1)
Most Embarrassing Moment: Dressing up in drag in FFVII.
6.Pac-Man
Yellow ball of life that chomps pellets and hates ghosts? Or symbol of America's gluttony and no-holds-barred competitive mentality in the 1980s? No, yellow ball.
Best Game: Pac-Man (Arcade)
Most Embarrassing Moment: The Mario Party-esque Pac-Man Fever (PS2/GC).
5.Sonic the Hedgehog
How fondly we remember the school-yard arguments between the Mario and Sonic camps. Names were called, hair was pulled, and many good friends were lost. Mario fans were perhaps arrogant in their dominance, but the Sonic team made a good case: Fast games are fun.
Best Game: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Genesis)
Most Embarrassing Moment: The voice of Sonic in the cartoon series was done by none other than Jaleel White, who you may know better as the annoying Steve Urkel from TV's Family Matters.
4.Samus Aran
Remember when you beat the NES hit Metroid, and you thought that this wickedawesome space bounty hunter dude was the coolest thing you ever saw...and then you realized that you were playing as a girl the whole time? Only Nintendo could emasculate an entire generation of teens and tweens in one fell swoop.
Best Game: Super Metroid (SNES)
Most Embarrassing Moment: Could it be the upcoming Metroid movie?
3.Solid Snake
Warrior from birth, Solid Snake is destined to die in combat. Half of the character is undoubtedly developer Hideo Kojima's design, but the growling voice work of actor/screenwriter David Hayter makes the Snake.
Best Game: Metal Gear Solid (PS1)
Most Embarrassing Moment: Solid Snake skateboarding his way around Big Shell in the PS2 version of Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance.
2.Link
How do you get to be the No. 2 best character of all time? By never saying a word. On the surface, Link's somewhat cookie- cutter elfishness seems a little generic. But it's been during his great adventures over the past 18 years that Link's true character has emerged.
Best Game: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)
Most Embarrassing Moment: Any of those god-awful Zelda games for the CD-i.
1.Mario
He had a moustache because there was no other way to show he had a face, and he wore suspenders and a shirt to show that he was actually jumping. It's odd to think that technical limitations inadvertently designed the greatest and most popular game character ever, but here we are, hoping for another 20-plus great years of Mario.
Best Game: Super Mario 64 (N64)
Most Embarrassing Moment: Hotel Mario (CD-i)
10.Lara Croft
The icon of "mature" gaming in the PlayStation era, Lara, in her first Tomb Raider adventure, proved you could have a quality platforming experience without having to collect 100 golden whatevers. It also introduced a frightening amount of fan fiction and bad Photoshop porn. You go, girl.
Best Game: Tomb Raider 2 (PS1)
Most Embarrassing Moment: The last 20 or so Tomb Raider games.
9.Pikachu
Would Pokémon have been such a colossal phenomenon without this sparky li'l guy as its mascot? Well, probably. But it only would have made $790 gajillion instead of $792 gajillion.
Best Game: Pokémon Gold/Silver (GBC)
Most Embarrassing Moment: Inducing seizures in Japanese schoolchildren during an episode of the TV show. Naughty!
8.Master Chief
Silent but oh so deadly. In just a few years, Master Chief has become the symbol for the Xbox, and maybe even a new generation of gamers. This kid's gonna be a star!
Best Game: Halo 2 (XB)
Most Embarrassing Moment: We bet the Chief got a little red under the helmet when he saw a Microsoft exec sporting a tattoo of the Halo 2 release date.
7.Cloud Strife
Big sword. Spiky hair. Not all there in the head, if you know what we mean. But we love Cloud anyway, and we sure as hell know you love him, too (so stop sending us your cosplayer pics, please!).
Best Game: Final Fantasy VII (PS1)
Most Embarrassing Moment: Dressing up in drag in FFVII.
6.Pac-Man
Yellow ball of life that chomps pellets and hates ghosts? Or symbol of America's gluttony and no-holds-barred competitive mentality in the 1980s? No, yellow ball.
Best Game: Pac-Man (Arcade)
Most Embarrassing Moment: The Mario Party-esque Pac-Man Fever (PS2/GC).
5.Sonic the Hedgehog
How fondly we remember the school-yard arguments between the Mario and Sonic camps. Names were called, hair was pulled, and many good friends were lost. Mario fans were perhaps arrogant in their dominance, but the Sonic team made a good case: Fast games are fun.
Best Game: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Genesis)
Most Embarrassing Moment: The voice of Sonic in the cartoon series was done by none other than Jaleel White, who you may know better as the annoying Steve Urkel from TV's Family Matters.
4.Samus Aran
Remember when you beat the NES hit Metroid, and you thought that this wickedawesome space bounty hunter dude was the coolest thing you ever saw...and then you realized that you were playing as a girl the whole time? Only Nintendo could emasculate an entire generation of teens and tweens in one fell swoop.
Best Game: Super Metroid (SNES)
Most Embarrassing Moment: Could it be the upcoming Metroid movie?
3.Solid Snake
Warrior from birth, Solid Snake is destined to die in combat. Half of the character is undoubtedly developer Hideo Kojima's design, but the growling voice work of actor/screenwriter David Hayter makes the Snake.
Best Game: Metal Gear Solid (PS1)
Most Embarrassing Moment: Solid Snake skateboarding his way around Big Shell in the PS2 version of Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance.
2.Link
How do you get to be the No. 2 best character of all time? By never saying a word. On the surface, Link's somewhat cookie- cutter elfishness seems a little generic. But it's been during his great adventures over the past 18 years that Link's true character has emerged.
Best Game: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)
Most Embarrassing Moment: Any of those god-awful Zelda games for the CD-i.
1.Mario
He had a moustache because there was no other way to show he had a face, and he wore suspenders and a shirt to show that he was actually jumping. It's odd to think that technical limitations inadvertently designed the greatest and most popular game character ever, but here we are, hoping for another 20-plus great years of Mario.
Best Game: Super Mario 64 (N64)
Most Embarrassing Moment: Hotel Mario (CD-i)