Video Game VIPs

(Page 2 of 2)

The stars shine brightest when they're in the spotlight. Read on to find out who else makes the guest list.

Link

Trouble-prone Princess Zelda owes more than just her kingdom to perpetual adventurer Link - she owes him every measly fan letter she's ever received. Time and again Link must rescue the eponymous ruler of Hyrule from some ungodly fate, yet somehow she gets top billing while Link gets stuck with the bill. It's not fair, but the squeaky clean star never complains, instead delivering awesome adventure after awesome adventure and cementing his status as the best good guy in gaming.

WATCH REEL

Believe it or not: Link was initially written as being left-handed.

Ms. Pac Man

Okay, so she's really just Pac-Man with lipstick, an eyeball and a bow (and eerily sexy legs in the key art). But there's simply no denying the fact that the missus has outperformed her iconic Mr. when it comes to contemporary street cred. Walk into any bar in America and chances are pretty good that you'll find a Ms. Pac Man machine instead of plain old Pac-Man. Why? Because it's simply a better game - with 6 different mazes, more randomized ghost movement and bouncing fruit, it's actually still quite fun. Score one for the ladies.

WATCH REEL

Believe it or not: Ms. Pac Man started off as an unauthorized bootleg of Pac-Man called Crazy Otto.

Kratos

Revenge is a dish best served cold, and there's no better pantry chef in the business than the determined demigod Kratos. In only two PS2 outings, he took down the god Ares, swore vengeance against his father Zeus and even escaped from Hell. Talk about a one-track mind. But while most of his in-game actions were born out of selfishness and runaway pride, he's gifted gamers with some of the most divine (and oft-copied) gameplay of all time. Besides, we couldn't keep this brute off the guest list if we tried.

WATCH REEL

Believe it or not: A God of War film adaptation is in the works with a tentative release date of 2008.

Gordon Freeman

In his ten-year career, the elusive star of the vaunted Half-Life series hasn't spoken a word. Not one syllable. Nor has he stared into a mirror. In fact, the only time we even catch a glimpse of Gordon is during the original game's expansion Half-Life: Blue Shift. But by allowing us to experience every minute of Half-Life through Gordon's eyes - including the in-engine cut scenes, a stroke of genius - Valve has unwittingly created the most relatable character in the history of the medium.

SEE ORANGE BOX SCREENSHOTS

Believe it or not: Gordon is named after real-life physicist Freeman Dyson.

Ryu / Ken

We still can't tell the difference between these two, so they both get in. The dynamic duo of Street Fighter fame revolutionized gaming by introducing what is now considered the core control mechanic for the fighting genre: Quarter-circle forward = fireball! They've appeared in ever Street Fighter entry (including the long-forgotten arcade version) as well as every Vs. crossover game. While the Street Fighter series has sort of plateaued over the past several years, Ryu and Ken's archetypal impact is still felt far and wide. Hadooken!

WATCH REEL

Believe it or not: The original Street Fighter coin-op featured punchable pads rather than conventional buttons...until they broke.

And lest we forget the SIPs (Somewhat Important People):

Mega Man
In Japan, he's called Rock Man. In America, he's called a hit franchise.

Samus Aran
The maiden of Metroid has more tricks up her robotic sleeve than David Copperfield.

Duke Nukem
The first FPS superstar kicks ass and chews bubble-gum. Pray he isn't out of bubble-gum.

Crash Bandicoot
Sony's original mascot has seen better days, but he almost gets in on the strength of those awesome commercials alone.

Cloud Strife
Dumb name, great game. The hero of Final Fantasy VII introduced a generation to materia, Shinra, and those pesky Chocobos.

Donkey Kong
Remember when he was an imposing, barrel-lobbing kidnapper? Now he wears a necktie and no pants. How the mighty have fallen.

Kirby
Equal parts gumball and vacuum cleaner, Nintendo's puffy pink poof is flirting with the big time.