Game character - The most iconic?

[ratzz]

http://battles.uk.msn.com/Tech-Gadgets/StarsBattles.aspx?cateId=822

[Blanka]

Katamari!
Thousands of fans dress up like them every week!

[BUCKETHEAD]

Without a doubt!

The PAC-MAN.   

[ChadTower]

[ratzz]

I'm with you on this Chad.

Although not necessarily my all time best game, I feel that it was a defining moment in arcade history.

[leapinlew]

Definitely Pacman for the most popular well known among even non-arcade types


But one of my favorites is attached.

[shmokes]

If you're talking about mere mind share or recognizability alone, I think it's definitely Mario.  I remember seeing a study once that showed that among five or seven-year-olds or something, more kids recognize Mario from pictures than Jesus Christ or Santa Clause.  Maybe in terms of endurability, too.  Mario has been in countless games, from Donkey Kong to Super Mario Galaxy, and everything from Mike Tyson's punch out to golf, tennis, soccer, fighting-game, etc.  He's as popular now as he's ever been (which can't be said of other icons like Pac-Man or the Space Invaders monster or even Sonic the Hedgehog.

On the other hand, the fact that the Space Invaders franchise has not endured maybe makes its monster more iconographic.  After all, the Mario we see today bears little resemblance to the Mario we started with.

[Malenko]

arcades? pac-man
video games in general? Mario

[leapinlew]

Funny... I didn't even think of Mario.

[Hoopz]

Funny... I didn't even think of Mario.

Me too, but I agree with Malenkos' idea.  If you say arcade, I think Pac-Man. But if you save video games, I think Mario.

[Ginsu Victim]

arcades? pac-man
video games in general? Mario

Yeah, this is my thinking as well

[Jack Burton]

Mario is #1 no question in my mind.


Distantly, I would say the Space Invaders and Pac Man are tied for second.  Especially if you are counting on a worldwide basis.  Not as many Americans would be able to identify a Space Invader, but every Japanese over the age of 30 will have no problem.

Third belongs to legendary characters who have yet to transcend gaming as a genre.  That includes Sonic the Hedgehog, Link, Donkey Kong, the Tetris Blocks, the casts of SF and MK, the Final Fantasy characters, Solid Snake,  Mega Man, the guys from GTA, and a whole lot of others.  Sorry, not many arcade only characters in here. 


Also, honorable mention for the #1 spot goes to Master Chief.  Halo is VERY VERY VERY popular.  But, it is sort of isolated from the rest of gaming as a community.  The average Halo player would not be able to recognize many of the classic characters of gaming because they have been in the hobby for such a short time, and in my experience, have some sort of blinders on their eyes that make them think Halo is the only video game in existence worth playing.  BUT, their raw numbers are massive, so you can't discount Master Chief as a serious competitor when it comes to most recognizable character now.

[leapinlew]

so you can't discount Master Chief as a serious competitor when it comes to most recognizable character now.

Yes I can... I doubt many folks over 40 know who he is. They keep remaking pacman - so I don't think "distant second" is accurate either.

[pinballwizard79]

everyone is right, arcade = pacman....console = mario

Master chief?

no way man, no more than tommy vercetti imo

[javeryh]

Master who?  I would think that in order to be iconic a character would have to appear in at least one game that was actually fun to play.   

[TOK]

Atari Adventure dude. He's graphically perfect.

[Jack Burton]

everyone is right, arcade = pacman....console = mario

Master chief?

no way man, no more than tommy vercetti imo

Well, I mentioned the guys from GTA.  While people may not know them by name, they definitely will at least know what game series they are from.  The same goes for Mario or Pac-man, a lot of people know them as "that guy that jumps on those one things", and "the little thing that goes around eating the little pellets".

But, no matter how much anyone may hate Halo, or think it is unfun, to deny it's fame at this point is just being overly sentimental for the games you love.  I don't like Master Chief any more as a character than the next classic gaming fan, but for a generation of gamers, those who stated with the original Xbox, he is THE GUY, and will likely not pass out of that status.

[leapinlew]

But, no matter how much anyone may hate Halo, or think it is unfun, to deny it's fame at this point is just being overly sentimental for the games you love. 

It's more like realizing that Halo appeals mainly to a younger crowd. Those who play Halo are aware of Mario and Pacman. While many who have played a game with Mario or Pacman don't even know who master chief is.

[djruden]

While Mario and Pac-man have their history, I think its fair to give props to Master Chief as an up and comer.

Let's not forget the marketing blitz around Halo 3.  I was constantly barraged with images of master chief almost everywhere.  Maybe it's because I drink Mt Dew on occasion, but his face graced the can and bottles for a good time and there were plenty of posters in every convenient store promoting Mt Dew AND Halo 3.  Then there's the Halo themed Zune Mp3 player and the themed xbox system. 

I remember getting mario toys in my happy meals back in the day, but lately Mario is getting a little under the radar. 

Suffice it to say, I still give most iconic to Mario.

[lettuce]

Its got to be this guy hasnt it....


His been in the most Arcade games 

[Franco B]

I'm with you on this Chad.

Although not necessarily my all time best game, I feel that it was a defining moment in arcade history.

Me three. It was a Space Invaders cocktail that I first played on when I was 8 in a hotel in Blackpool that got me hooked . I have become quite infatuated with those few pixels. My project reflects this.

[Hemi]

Sonic the hedgehog.

Ken and Ryu from Street Fighter.

Scorpion and Subzero from Mortal Kombat.

Link from Zelda.

[pupu]

Only because I am a pig

[shmokes]

It's funny that Pac-Man represents arcade, while Mario represents videogames in general, because Mario has been in far more arcade games than Pac-Man.  Lots of them were revolutionary, genre-defining classics, too.  Nevertheless, I'd tend to agree.

[leapinlew]

Mario has been in far more arcade games than Pac-Man. 

Think so? Lets see here:
Mario
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong Jr.
Super Mario Bros.
Mario Bros.
Dr. Mario


Was there anything else at the arcade?
Pacman
Pacman
Ms. Pacman
Pacman Plus
Pacman Jr.
Baby Pacman
Pac'nPals
Super Pacman
Pac-land
Professor Pacman
Pac and Pal
Pac Mania
Pacman and Chomp Chomp

Am I missing some Mario titles?

[Jack Burton]

[

Was there anything else at the arcade?

Am I missing some Mario titles?

Mario Kart Arcade GP has Mario and Pac-man in it!

[shmokes]

I actually had no idea there were so many Pac-Mans.  They look mostly like derivatives, though, that do nothing but cash in.  Actually, even the big/relatively-big ones like Ms. Pac and Baby Pac are pretty derivative. 

[ChadTower]

Well, I mentioned the guys from GTA.  While people may not know them by name, they definitely will at least know what game series they are from. 

I wouldn't recognize a GTA screenshot if it were labeled and I have a of games from all eras of videogaming.

[ChadTower]

Think so? Lets see here:
Mario
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong Jr.
Super Mario Bros.
Mario Bros.
Dr. Mario

Mario Kart Arcade GP and GP2

[RandyT]

Let's see if I can throw a monkey wrench in.  I tend to lean toward the Space Invader, mainly because it can stand alone and be recognizable.

Without the dots as part of the "character", PacMan is a circle with a wedge cut from it.  Standing alone, the design is far less "iconic" as the word is defined.

RandyT

[leapinlew]

[ChadTower]

Awesome. 

[MrMojoZ]

Its got to be this guy hasnt it....
His been in the most Arcade games 

I'd vote for Ken/Ryu as well, they are the acrade reps for my generation. But then again I am a heathen, I don't like most of the classics.

[shardian]

If you show kids a yellow pizza pie pacman, they will recognize it. Show kids a pic of the pacman in the original arcade artwork, and many of those people won't have a clue what it is. Pacman has not been represented by that art in a LONG time.

Mario is by far the king of video games, with Ms. Pacman pulling a close second. Sorry pac fans, but the misses is far more popular in pixel form and art form.

[Hemi]

I actually had no idea there were so many Pac-Mans.  They look mostly like derivatives, though, that do nothing but cash in.  Actually, even the big/relatively-big ones like Ms. Pac and Baby Pac are pretty derivative. 

They are all alike in some way, how many games can you make with a yellow character eating dots in a maze and make it original.

[shmokes]

Ask yourself how many games you can make with a red and blue character who specializes in jumping and you have your answer.  He can be anything from a guy who climbs up girders to rescue a chick from a monkey, to a guy who squashes mushrooms and rescues a chick from a dragon.  Hell, he can referree professional boxing, play tennis, play golf, play soccer, play baseball, drive go-karts competitively, play interactive board games, ride dinosaurs, prescribe medicine as a licensed medical practicioner, etc., etc., etc..

Obviously, by definition, a sequel is going to be derivative.  But there's a difference between milking a franchise and building a franchise.

[Hemi]

The limits are especially harder since Pacman never really made it into the latest gen. Mario is much easier to come up with new ideas for based on 3D and better looking graphics and level design. There is not much you can do with a 2D character to make it new when the core appeal is in a 2D maze. Taking Pacman out of his 2D maze loses all his appeal and then becomes just another bad platformer, unlike Mario.

[surface tension]

I'd say this Invader is the most iconic... although someone commented on the one on my t-shirt the other week about it being some kind of frog 

Pac-man is close second.

[protokatie]

Am I missing some Mario titles?

SMB3 was also on Arcade, if you count Playchoice 10.

[shardian]

SMB3 was also on Arcade, if you count Playchoice 10.

PC10 games don't count as arcade games IMO. Vs. games are a different story - they were actual arcade hardware with obvious changes from their console brethren.