The modern world has a lot to answer for. Society has changed, and with it so has the way in which new products are brought to the public eye. Long gone are the times when a simple radio jingle would send people crazy for some new toothpaste. Now is the time for innovation.
Lets be honest, innovation actually means bombardment. Everywhere we turn, there is someone lurking around the corner, ready to pounce on our eagerness of spending and trying to make a quick buck at our expense. Trying to palm off any goods they possibly can in order to part us from our hard earned cash. Of course, some people are more successful than others. What makes them so successful? Why are some companies making stacks of cash when they offer products the same quality of many others? That, my friend, is because they have an image. A fashionable brand. A sense of style. If this isn’t the case, then they probably have a million dollar corporation backing their product, making sure that it will be seen in every magazine, every billboard, and on every television channel.
Of course, videogames are no different. There are certain games or characters that the large majority of the public can instantly relate to, or at least, recognise. I wanted to test this theory and try to shed some light on who is the most recognisable video game character to date. We all have opinions (believe me, the Thunderbolt staff do), but who can argue against evidence?
In order to start my investigation I whittled a huge list of well-known gaming characters down to a list of 26. These would be the characters we considered to be the most recognisable in gaming history, and formed the basis of my simple survey. I interviewed a huge range of people (aged between 9-61), who had varied interests in videogames, if any interest at all. In order to keep it simple for all ages, I asked them one main question: “Who is this character?” It is fair to say I received answers of sheer hilarity, stupidity and even intelligence at times.
It is worth mentioning I only included characters that are considered the main icon of a game or brand. This was so that the survey didn’t become cluttered with characters from the same game (Mario, I am looking at you), and to offer variation in the results I received.
So, the English public have spoken, recognised and identified. Here are the top 10 most recognisable gaming icons of all time, alongside the game they were most recognised from:
10. Master Chief - Halo
Last year saw the conclusion of what can be considered the biggest trilogy ever seen. And that isn’t just in gaming terms. Halo 3 managed to make over $300 million dollars within its first week, propelling Master Chief to huge fame around the world. It also gave Microsoft the power to convert a large portion of gamers to their console, meaning they had the upper hand coming into 2008 in the next-gen war. Master Chief was at the heart of this success, as he is the hero so many adore even now the trilogy is over. Halo was the most important game for the original Xbox, and Master Chief proves to be the biggest icon for the Xbox 360’s influx of new consumers.
9. The Prince of Persia- The Prince of Persia
A somewhat surprising entry into the top 10, as many won’t believe the mighty Prince was recognised more often than Master Chief. When you look at it in gaming terms however, The Prince of Persia franchise has been hugely successful across a wide range of platforms, spanning nearly 20 years in existence. It used to lead the way in 1989, and was brought back into the mainstream in 2003 with the critical and commercial success, The Sands of Time. This meant that both the older and younger members of the public I interviewed could both recognise him, proving that he is a worthy inclusion into the top 10. Whether or not in years to come he would still here remains to be seen, but with plenty of Prince related projects in the pipeline (such as a rumoured Jerry Bruckheimer Disney production), he looks set to put up a fight for his place.
8. Buzz - The Buzz! Quiz Series
Another surprising entry is the inclusion of Buzz, the well-loved quiz host from the successful PlayStation series. Voiced by Jason Donovan, Buzz is the newest member loitering in the top 10, as the first game was released in October 2005. Running alongside Nintendo’s claim that casual gaming is the way to go, this character has already won the hearts of many non-game playing citizens. You only have to visit your local GAME store in order to see a number of middle aged mothers picking up the inviting controllers, asking their children whether this game is “any good or not”. As far as the PS2 goes, the Buzz games offer the most casual, and fun experience for the older, or less interested people amongst us. Perfect for Christmas time, and any social gathering, it is easy to see why this character is so well recognised already. As the series makes the transition onto the PS3 this year, Buzz is sure to continue offering his quick wit and loveable humour for generations to come.
7. Pac-Man - Pac-Man
The original arcade munch ‘em up is one of the finest and simplest concepts in gaming. The fact is, Pac-Man is a living legend amongst gamers. During the survey though, it was clear that the younger generations were unsure as to who or what he is. This could be down to the lack of decent Pac-Man titles since the original, or the fact that he pretty much lives in the past as far as marketing goes. One thing is for sure though; the majority of people interviewed could quickly identify his signature simplicity. Although he holds more of a relationship with older arcade gamers, Pac-Man is recognised as one of the granddaddies of the gaming industry, paving the way for many other characters and titles success over the last 20 years. It is worth noting one of the answers I received here, as one interviewee recognised him as “Mr Happy from the Mr Men games”. Nearly as classic as the game itself.
6. Donkey Kong - Donkey Kong
The release of the original 1981 Donkey Kong title saw the beginning of a huge revolution for Nintendo. Not only did they manage to introduce two of their biggest stars, they managed to break into the Western market with a platform game that is hailed as a classic in today’s world. The story was as simple as it is today, you play Mario (then named Jumpman), as you try and save his beautiful girlfriend. As you can probably appreciate, the game was hugely influential in producing the next wave of platform games. Donkey Kong has continued to produce over many years, becoming a fan favourite in games such as Mario Kart. With his distinctive gorilla styling, it is easy to see why he has become so recognisable. Maybe his similarity to one of film’s most iconic characters is behind the success?
5. Spyro the Dragon - Spyro the Dragon
Spyro was amongst the group of PS1 characters who are now seen as mascots for the legendary console. Surprisingly, he managed to be recognised more often than Crash Bandicoot, someone who many would describe as the driving force behind the PS1’s success. So how is he more recognisable than Crash? First off, he has a distinctive colour. When carrying out the survey, I was surprised to see how many people could work out who he was just through the knowledge that he was purple. Also, he doesn’t follow the trend of being a similar looking to characters such as Crash, Ratchet and even Jak. This shows how important it can be when designing a character to take them in a new direction, as he scores much higher when it comes to being recognised.
4. Sonic the Hedgehog - Sonic the Hedgehog
Making his way into the top 4 is the legendary, super-fast, super-stylish Sonic. Like Spyro, Sonic has an instantly memorable and distinctive colour. It is funny to think that he was produced by Sega to initially rival Nintendo’s iconic Mario character. It must be said, for a long time he managed to do that. At least through his first two games on the MegaDrive, Sonic became a gaming legend through his lightning fast gameplay and inspired level design. He also became a favourite amongst female gamers, as the inclusion of sidekick Tails in his second instalment gave the duo the “cute” factor amongst women. Unfortunately, in recent years Sonic hasn’t been able to maintain the pace with Mario, as a rush of mediocre releases saw him stumble, both critically and commercially. As Mario keeps adding to his legacy of excellent games, Sonic is becoming less and less stable as a modern favourite. As far as he is recognised though, the numerous television shows, comics and games are always going to add to his appeal and ensure he is being seen around the world. As one of the original platform characters, he will always be viewed as a legend amongst casual and hardcore gamers alike.
3. Lara Croft - Tomb Raider
It is fair to say that Lara Croft has become a symbol of video gaming. She has become the sign to show the entire world that there is an increasing amount of money in the industry, and that the gaming medium is growing rapidly. Who can deny that her skimpy outfit, twin pistols, and expertise in the action adventure genre isn’t worth the money? Unfortunately, that is a genre which is rapidly dying. As the last generation made the long awaited transformation to the next, players have had little to enjoy when it comes to the exploration adventure side of things. Sure, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is a quality game, but it has been way too long for Tomb Raider fans who simply aren’t content on playing rehashed missions from the original games, and it is only on the PS3. Luckily, a lack of quality doesn’t always mean a lack of success. The Tomb Raider franchise, and Lara herself, continue to grow even to this day. Her place in the gaming hall of fame was cemented when Angelina Jolie signed up to play her in the two mediocre films, proving that you don’t always need to be on form to generate revenue. Hopefully the next few years will see Lara back to her best, but it is safe to say she has become the Queen of gaming characters in the last decade through her first batch of genre defining titles.
2. Pikachu - Pokemon
Every so often a craze comes about which sends the general public into complete madness. In 1999, Pokemon was this craze. Fore fronted by the extremely adorable Pikachu, there is little wonder why this franchise has gone on to become a global powerhouse. We all remember the trading cards, no matter how old you are. If you were an adult, the trading cards represented a hole in your wallet as you satisfy you’re over excitable children. However, if you were a child, the trading cards represented a feeling of sheer excitement, anticipation and ultimately, bragging rights against your friends. Children everywhere were engulfed within the franchise which managed to lure them in and captivate their minds. Even to this day, the Pokemon franchise is still going strong as new, high quality games are released often enough. More recent franchises have begun to steal the concept in order to make money (Yu-gi-oh and Digimon are the biggest culprits here). One thing is remarkable though: How can the public identify Pikachu, but would struggle to name any other of the Pokemon crew? The answer is this; simplicity. When designing the character, the creators managed to execute everything in order to make Pikachu a global phenomenon. It really is strange how a small, yellow, mouse based creature can capture the hearts of so many. The perfect mixture between style, power and cuteness means that Pikachu appeals to more than most with such arrogant ease, backed up by the quality of the Pokemon games for a decade now.
1. Mario- Super Mario Bros
Unsurprisingly, the plump plumber from Italy has made it to the top of the list. When collating my results, I found that nearly everyone could identify Mario without any hesitation at all. No matter what age or how much interest someone had in gaming, nearly every person I asked managed to recognise the moustached hero in the blink of an eye. This is a reflection of just how well Mario games have produced over the years, and shows that throughout the modern history of gaming, Nintendo have created a character that rightfully deserves to be at the very pinnacle of any popularity hierarchy. From the first time we saw him in Donkey Kong, to the latest Super Mario Galaxy game, there has been little falter in his ascension to the throne as a gaming god. With a number of critically acclaimed series behind his name, Mario always seems to be one step ahead when it comes to level design or innovation on a number of platforms. It is fair to say there will be little rest bite over the next few years as well, as fans can expect a number of Mario based releases within the next year across an array of consoles. Mario is not only the king of the virtual world, but also a true jewel amongst the entertainment medium. The number one spot is rightfully his.
So, there we have it. A number of surprising results which show that even the most basic concepts in gaming can become successful. More often than not, that is the way forward. What have we learnt from this survey? Simplicity is the key. Looking at the top ten, there is a familiar theme which runs throughout. The first is that characters whose name features in the title of the game they are in are more likely to be remembered or recognised. Remember, bombardment will hammer home the point. Also, many of the non human characters in the list follow one similar trend: being only one, strong, prominent colour. Who can forget a blue hedgehog or a purple dragon? It is much more likely to stick in the mind of the consumer than something which is seen everyday. The final point to make is that each character in the top 10 is found in games which are of the highest quality. This shows that the public won’t be fooled, and that for a game to succeed, it needs to consistently be at the peak of the particular market it is in.
I would like to thank everyone who took part in the survey for giving up their time, and providing me with the results to my research. All in all, the results I received were hugely detailed, giving me the best idea of who is the most recognised character on the game scene. There were surprises along the way, but we love a bit of controversy here at Thunderbolt, so many thanks. If you would like to comment on this article, or air your disgust at the results, then head on over to the forums to get in on the action.
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