Top 10 The Best Heroes in Gaming History

1. Link from The Legend of Zelda:

Link might not be as known as Mario, but in terms of hero spirit, Link rubs Mario's face in the dirt. Sure, Mario is worth having around when you need household chores done, but Link takes on real monsters, like dragons that breath fire and mystical hands that drag you into walls; Mario spends his day squashing things that - we think - might be walking mushrooms. In the fan world, everyone likes a new Mario game, but it's Link that ends up on the wallpaper of our computers.

2. Mario:

Mario first made his apperance in the same game as our #7 entry, Donkey Kong, back in 1980. Probably the character most associated with Nintendo, Mario is as familiar as Mickey Mouse, but kicks a lot more butt. He might not be as cool as Link, but in terms of pure recognition, Mario is asked for his autograph more often, and let's face it, most people ask him by his right name. On top of that, he started out a plumber, and that's quite a ladder for fame to climb.

3. Samus Aran from Metroid:

In the original NES Metroid, players didn't realize that Samus was a girl until she reveals her pixilated hair at the end of the game; she immediately became a classic game hero. If it hadn't been for the surprise ending, most people would only remember the game, not the character that made things happen. As it is, the old-school among us remember the final credits probably better than most of the game, and she's a far better female character than Laura Croft could ever hope for.

4. Mr. and Mrs. Pac-Man:

Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man might be two heroes instead of one, but are you really sure of that? Pull a bow, wipe away some lip-stick, and Ms. Pac-Man could easily cameo for her male counterpart. The graphics on the outside of the old arcades had little to do with the graphics on the inside - except both were yellow - yet everyone knows who they were by sight. The fact that everyone still knows despite not being nearly as active a franchise as Mario or Zelda is testimony to their staying power.

5. Little Mac from Super Punch-Out!:

If you were going to take on Mike Tyson in a boxing match, how tall would you want to be? Sam was the hero of the classic boxing games Punch-Out! back in the old console days, and his small stature earned him recognition around the world. Lil' Mac had heart; he got up more times than I would have, given the odds. You can revisit the little guy by playing Fight Night Round 2 on the GCN, where you'll find a copy of Super Punch-Out! included with the game.

6. The Punk from Paperboy:

Rarely has the daily news been more dangerous than when flung by the punk kid in Paperboy. Sure, treaties have been signed and wars started based on stuff written on paper, but when rolled up and used as a physical weapon it has no greater master than that child on his morning delivery rounds. You earned extra points by hitting the door, but it was more fun to smash windows, hit old ladies, and piss off family pets. He was a hero that knew how to be cool - in a 12-year-old sort of way.

7. Donkey Kong:

Throughout his long and illustrious career, Donkey Kong and his children have shifted sides of the good-guy, bad-guy fence more times than I can count. From his days as a barrel throwing archenemy of Mario at the beginning of his game stardom to Donkey Dong Country and Jungle Beat, some iteration of Donkey Kong has always been around. Interestingly enough, the name is a miss-translation of his original Japanese title that meant Stubborn Ape. I’m serious. Donkey=stubborn. Kong=Ape.

8. My Character From Phantasy Star Online: Episode III:

Let me tell you, my Phantasy Star character should have been a real star mascot. Not only was he fiery red and have really big feet, but he packed a one-hit-one-kill rifle and an ultra fast machine gun that fired something like 3 shots per minute. Even without his guns he could punch, kick, and single handedly spruce up any 4th of July celebration with his magic. To top it off, he had a floating slug that followed him everywhere. Man, if that’s not cool, I don’t know what is.

9. Chun-Li from Street Fighter II:

Chun-Li was the hottest thing going when I was 12-years-old and using her lightening kick to take down my friends in Street Fighter II on the SuperNES. One of the most agile characters in the game, she could dance circles around even the fastest yoga master or green Brazilian dude, and had a vertical leap that was over twice her height. What’s not to admire about that?

10. Sir Arthur from Ghosts'n Goblins:

Sir Arthur was a funny guy. Not only was he out to save his girl, but he did it by leaping from his armor whenever a bad guy brushed by. Armor? Modern heroes might need it, but Knights of the Round Table certainly don’t. Arthur battled all sorts of dark creatures from the underworld without once being hindered by his skimpy tighty-whites. It takes a real man to keep up a quest without clothes; he makes the list for not giving up after realizing his armor was spring loaded to eject on touch.