Instead, his designs all fit neatly into a sort of surrealist harmony. NY 10036. A video game mascot is a mascot that is used by video game companies to promote both the company and their specific video game series and franchises. Originally envisioned as the next big mascot star, poor sales put these dreams, along with a planned sequel, out to pasture. as if the the word "Awesome" floating directly above him in letters as big as his own face wasnt over-compensation enough. There was also a horrible pilot for his horrible cartoon show that, if it had become a whole series, would have ushered in a new world order of darkness and decay that would have made Gozer look like amature hour. But there’s another evil glove that wants to stop him, so you two have a showdown in outer space. Originally, this entry was a tossup between Fox McCloud and the vile Funky Kong. Fox is a confident and skilled pilot in his own right, but also isn't afraid to toss out a zinger such as, "Sorry to jet but I'm in a hurry." Any game featuring a mascot and platforming elements was guaranteed to achieve at least modest sales, causing just about every developer in town to try their hand at cranking out a mascot platformer. But being forced into one of the most brazen Sonic clones of the '90s tainted him. A video game can be just about anything. Feb 24, 2020 - Remember these video game mascots from the 90's? While Sonic would give Mario and company a run for their money, poor Alex Kidd never stood a chance of dethroning Nintendo. He was yet another animal mascot with attitude starring in a 3D platformer before most developers had figured out how to do 3D platforming well. During the 80s, the Amiga became one of the most successful home computers on the market, with each iteration of the little gray box topping sales charts. Compound this with Woody's constant wailing, and you've got one lame mascot platformer that never stood a chance of giving Mario a run for his coins. There fixed that title. But a few beloved 90s game mascots may still star in new games despite not making it big like Mario, such as Conker the Squirrel, Banjo Kazooie and Bubsy the Bobcat, who is coming back after 20 years so his new game The Woolies Strike Back had better not suck! Companies tried everything from copying Nintendo's formula to blazing new platforming trails, but the results were always the same: failure. Trying to describe radness feels like describing color to the blind. This explains the huge dump Bubsy left in game cartridges worldwide. 0. The best thing about this guy was a brilliant platform video game on the Mega Drive. Yeah, this game is strange) tried to combine the speed of Sonic with a magic system, and the end result is a bloated, buggy mess. But by the 90s, the Amiga's fortunes had begun to fall, and the company was scrambling to find a mascot that would help the computer to become a serious contender in the video game system race. 90s kids were truly platformer crazy. He was going to top Sonic, Mario, and everyone else in the mascot business. It's also interesting to note that Havoc is apparently a seal, though I wouldn't blame you for thinking him a cat or perhaps an earless rabbit. This forgotten mascot platformer never stood a chance of going toe-to-toe with Mario. Video game mascots are sometimes considered to be similar to those at sporting events, with larger-than-life animals, such as Pikachu or Crash Bandicoot. With the dawn of the 3D platformer, the battle for mascot supremacy really began to heat up. Where do you turn for your inspiration? Thanks for nothing, Awesome Possum. So what exactly happened? It stars a... um... well apparently it's a puppet with a very large bowtie and a detachable head. Because it’s the ‘90s and that’s what you do in video games made in the ‘90s. This is because this once heavily hyped game never even hit shelves. David Houghton What an ass. Two criteria for success on this list: 1. But during the early rounds, teams of contestants answered questions to move "Mikey" across the virtual game … For a time, Gex served as developer Crystal Dynamic's mascot, and it seemed like the wisecracking gecko could give Mario and Sonic a run for their money, but by the third title in the series, sales had slumped, forcing Crystal Dynamics to put an end to the Gex franchise. But the bar for what characters could star in a platformer was forever lowered in 1993 with the release of Cool Spot. How many ad campaigns are petitioned to be a boss in a video game? This ad-free experience offers more features, more stats, and more fun while also helping to support Sporcle. It's been theorized that he had them amputated to keep more blood in his head and torso, so he'd be less likely to faint from high g-forces. Widely considered one of the worst mascots in video gaming, there was a time when the makers of this obnoxious bobcat truly believed Bubsy could be bigger than Mario. Problem was, the best they could come up with was Zool. Be as '90s as possible. And boy, did he like being cool. But the dreams of a cartoon, much like the reviews for the Bubsy franchise, tanked, leaving this punchline of a character to linger in forgotten mascot obscurity, far from its initial dreams of dethroning Mario. While the 90s saw plenty of characters come incredibly close to eclipsing Mario in popularity, all would eventually fall to the plumber. For a time, it even seemed as though Crash would surpass Mario, but declining quality and sales would stop this possibility in its tracks. Turn on push notifications and don't miss anything! You'd be hard pressed to find a more 90s video game character than Gex. But by the 90s, the Amiga's fortunes had begun to fall, and the company was scrambling to find a mascot that would help the computer to become a serious contender in the video game system race. Despite Glover's boring design, Glover managed to be a competent enough platformer, even if the game failed to bring anything new to the platformer genre. With the introduction of Mario and the gang came a new subgenre of video games, dubbed the "mascot platformer," in which a marketable lead character hops and bops his way through a colorful world. Unfortunately, despite being a solid game, Dynamite Headdy got buried under all the other mascot bozos on this list. While Nintendo staked their claim on the genre with 1996's Super Mario 64 on the N64, the PlayStation would quickly fire back with mascot stars of its own. But by 2001, Naughty Dog would sell off the Crash IP, leading to the bandicoot to going multiplatform, with subsequent titles receiving middling reviews and lukewarm sales. Hitting the PS1 in 1998, Spyro The Dragon introduced players to the diminutive dragon, who spent the game torching baddies with his fire breath and gliding around a variety of levels. Over three PS1 games, the Spyro franchise went claw-to-toe with Mario, and genuinely gave the Nintendo star a run for his money. Thus, Jersey Devil was born. Hes not overtly offensive. Against all odds, this glorified commercial received a sequel and two spin-offs, but eventually, gamers realized a video game starring a soft drink mascot was ridiculous, and the franchise, along with the mascot, would be out to pasture. I could really just end this list here. In the 90s, kids were suddenly convinced there was nothing cooler than protecting the planet. But we bet kids would have willingly up-ended a bucket of trash directly onto the streets if they had to hear this message from Awesome Possum. His nemesis is Queen Slug-for-a-Butt. The PlayStation has had a lot of mascots over the years. If you look closely at the backgrounds you can see how they're made to look like hand-made sets. 7-Up gave us one of the coolest mascots. There was a time, largely in the mid-Nineties, when the world of video games was overrun with a certain type of character.The Mascot with Attitude is a snarky Funny Animal with kickin' powers, improbable jumping abilities, and usually some form of girlfriend or world to save (or something).Generally, the Mascot with Attitude can be defined by the presence of three or more of the following traits: Last known whereabouts: Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (2014). When Sega launched the oft-forgotten Master System in 1985 to compete with the NES, the system came complete with its own platforming mascot: Alex Kidd! For the intrepid gamer, this mindset created a whole slew of bizarre gaming mascots all vying for your parents' money. 1992's Zool would go on to spawn a sequel, but poor sales would put an end to this failed Mario wannabe. Despite terrible critical reception, developer Accolade truly believed Bubsy to be the next big name in gaming, even going so far as to sign off on a pilot for a Bubsy cartoon. Released for the PlayStation in 1997, Croc: Legend of the Gobbos served as one of the first 3D platformers for the console, causing the title to sell like hotcakes. Crash Bandicoot - Crash Bandicoot series. His game is crap, he looks like a scrawny, cross-eyed stimulant abuser and, to top it all off, his title screen appearance has him weakly exclaim "I'm awesome!" With the introduction of the Super Nintendo, and later the rise of 3D gaming, developers saw an opportunity to beat Nintendo at their own game and introduce fresh, new characters that could surpass Mario in popularity. The thought of the video game mascot has been available since the first times of gaming, with names like Pac-Man and Mario becoming symbolic of the medium. Up to four players could race against each other, but instead of just rolling down a single track there was a surprisingly amount of platforming involved (hence the need for a grappling hook). The 25 Best Switch Games of 2020 By Garrett Martin and Paste Games Writers December 22, 2020 5 Great Board Games for Young Children By Keith Law December 31, 2020 © Alex Kidd was featured in six games throughout the late '80s and early '90s, but never rivaled Nintendo’s Mario in popularity. But Wild Woody, like the Sega CD, was doomed to fail. It went from a distant first from the PS2 to a distant 3rd. World-class Italian plumber Mario is beyond just a gaming superstar. Stage hands will pull new props onto the screen, and there are spotlights and other theater trappings strewn about. Some had smart, creative designs that have endured to this day - but most were just total crap. The universe is a harsh place. Such was the case with Punky Skunk. Featuring a Tim Burton-esque aesthetic, replete with haunted houses and spooky creatures, the looks of Jersey Devil helped to set the game apart from the avalanche of mascot platformers, but clunky gameplay and poor sales halted any chance of Jersey Devil achieving mascot platformer fame. Unlike Sonic, Ristar featured a slower pace and emphasized utilizing Ristar's arms to interact with the environment. Whether one tried to create these icons for a series, or to create awareness for a console, the 80s and 90s were full of them. Theres a fine line between having issues and being a self-indulgent prick. Despite a brash print advertising campaign that saw Croc eating Mario, Croc ultimately proved to have no bite, causing the franchise to fizzle out. While most entries on our list at least tried to outsell Nintendo's mega-popular Mario franchise, Socks The Cat Rocks The Hill never even got the opportunity. Years before the Uncharted series and The Last of Us, developer Naughty Dog created a mutated marsupial who would act as the PlayStation's de facto front-runner in the great '90s mascot race. Maybe it's time for a gritty reboot... Last known whereabouts: Earthworm Jim HD (2010). Last known whereabouts: Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko (1999). Best known for its harsh difficulty, players still hold the game in high regards. Just look at Mullet Jr. up there. Gex was "cool." Posted by Rich Knight at 8:48 PM. Mikey from Nick Arcade (1992) - In the early '90s, I remember watching Nick Arcade on Nickelodeon which was a fun game show that put you inside a video game for the bonus round. Click here to see who made our list! Success in Japan doesn't always translate to the West. But with the passing of the millennium, it seems our collective tastes have matured, and we no longer have interest in a hero earthworm and his juvenile antics. But it's kind of an unspoken rule that your video game mascot should at least be visually interesting. Sometimes, there are games released that just scream "We totally thought of the title first and then tried to create a game around our groan-inducing title." The battle for video game mascot supremacy between Mario and Sonic is legendary. But the Blue Blur wasn't Sega's first crack at trying to dethrone Nintendo's goomba-stomping plumber. Spot: The Video Game came first in 1990 to home computers, NES, and Gameboy. Kids loved him, parents didn't understand him, and Jim earned himself four games and a Saturday morning cartoon series. In his backpack is a green alien creature named Snott. The 80s certainly saw plenty of games come and go that tried to steal Mario's thunder, but it wasn't until the 90s that game companies began to usurp Mario's throne in earnest. Such was the case with the punnily titled Aero The Acro-Bat, which, despite its truly lame title, was pushed as the next big name in mascot platformers. List items The very best mascots are instantly recognisable from their silhouette alone, and ideally distill the essence of a company's ethos. 2. Oh no, Bubsy. Today, radness in popular culture has fallen by the wayside, replaced by sleek, simple elegance. Kicks Dr. Machino's [Behind] in 1993. The game's protagonist, an x-treme skateboarding possum, stressed the importance of recycling and protecting the planet, all while engaging in ho-hum platformer action. In fact, Croc: Legend of the Gobbos started as a pitch by developer Argonaut Games to Nintendo as a Yoshi-starring title, but when Nintendo declined, Argonaut kept the Mario-inspired gameplay, re-skinned the main character, and introduced the world to Croc. In another game, in another time, he could have been a star. It takes nerve of steel to not only challenge Mario for mascot supremacy but to challenge the beloved video game icon on his own console. This mustached face has been featured in over 200 video games since his debut in Donkey Kong in 1981. Starring the titular, undoubtedly insane anthropomorphic pencil, Wild Woody whisked our hero through levels based on various time periods, where Woody would use his pencil powers to draw items into existence. The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. Be sure to look this one up if you haven't already. Debuting 1990's Bonk's Adventure, Bonk was a bald caveman who utilized his sizable noodle to break blocks and battle baddies. Get the best gaming deals, reviews, product advice, competitions, unmissable gaming news and more! Kids. Visit our corporate site. The mid-90s release of the Sony PlayStation and Nintendo 64 brought a new generation of possibility, as companies battled to create a hip, fresh character that could serve as the face of this new console generation. Dynamite Headdy is yet another gem in developer Treasure's collection. 20 Video Game Mascots From The 90s That Tried (And Failed) To Dethrone Sonic the Hedgehog - The mmascot that launched a thousand mascots. Comment. Plus, he wears jean shorts. Since the dawn of video games companies have been trying to create mascots for their brands. 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If forced to give an answer on the nature of radness, I'd say it's both crass and loud, but also unrestricted and a lot of fun. And as I'm sure many of you Nintendo fans already know, Fox almost certainly doesn't have any legs below the knees. Problem was, the game was aggressively French (featuring a theme song from an obscure French comedian) and featured "pick up and throw enemies" gameplay that essentially made the game feel like a watered down Super Mario Bros. 2, which caused gamers to avoid this platformer in droves. Titus The Fox stood as much chance of dethroning Mario as you stand in putting out the sun by spraying a garden hose on it. The game's protagonist, the bucktoothed little crocodile dubbed "Croc," would return in 1999's Croc 2, but by this point, better 3D platformers had released for the PlayStation, causing the game to slip under the radar. Well, why not a legendary New Jersey cryptid? Ranked: The 5 Best Video Game Mascots (& 5 Worst) Games in the '80s and '90s weren't much without the help of their friendly mascots. When Gex's mother tried to break up this pity party, Gex chose homelessness, only to return after she had inherited a life-changing sum of money - which Gex then used to buy an even bigger TV. New York, However, some video game mascots, especially modern ones, are more human, … The competition for 90s mascot platformer supremacy was so intense, developers from every corner of the globe were throwing their hat into the ring. While there would be several characters introduced that gave Nintendo's plumber a run for his money, there were plenty of mascot platformers that barely even made a blip. Heck, one of the most prolific mascots in gaming is a blue hedgehog. Introduced to the world in 1998's Banjo-Kazooie, Rare's bear-and-bird duo practically reinvented the mascot platformer genre, introducing elements such as collectibles, backtracking, and a connective hub world. For many years Pac-Man was not just a star for Namco, but he was like the icon for arcade gaming as well. In this 1993 game, players controlled Rocky as he battled baddies with his interchangeable hairstyles, which granted the slobbering hero with different abilities. Heck, Earthworm Jim IS the '90s. They need to … The Best Video Game Mascots Of All Time (Image taken from: Complex-mag.com) I recently did an article on the best video game mascots of all time for Complex. You can fire the head in eight different directions around Headdy and collect power-ups to change your head's appearance and alter its abilities. , Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, new York, 10036... The game in high regards seals do not need ships to navigate the sea with pipe cleaners shoved them! 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