Support NeoGAF

[Watch Da Birdie]

I mean as in a single character---it doesn't have to necessarily be from one game, it can be multiple iterations of that character if you so choose, or a particular "imagining" of them for characters who have undergone significant redesigns in their lifetime.

For me it's post-arcade Donkey Kong:

Probably one of the more timeless designs for me, a character who hasn't really undergone many changes since his original redesign for Donkey Kong Country, besides simply being upgraded a bit when it comes to the way he's modeled such as his muscles and fur, the idea to throw a tie onto him is probably one of my favorite decisions ever as that one piece of clothing is extremely iconic to me. Just with the tie, and through his facial expressions, Donkey Kong is a dude you can tell is cool and ready to go on adventures with. He's the coolest video-game character out there without even trying, and maintains his 90s sense of coolness while not feeling like a relic from the era.

So, which video-game character really "clicks" for you?

 

[abstract alien]

To be brutally honest...

Amaterasu

Everything about this character, from it being none human, right down to it's shoulders and color palette/styling, says a great deal about the game itself. It's a perfect design, regardless of it being my absolute favorite or not. Really great work.

 

[PenaltyMan]

I thought Conker (Bad Fur Day) was a nice design/send-up to all the cutesy characters of yesteryear. Pyramid Head as a character designed by someone's own sub-conscious masochism is also pretty decent, not to mention the horrifying design.

GLaDOS is a favorite design; her machine body sculpted as a woman bound and tied upside-down symbolizes her imprisonment at Aperture.

 

[Alvarez]

Wakka.

... and Alistair.

And Isaac Clarke. And Chris Redfield.

I need to go.

 

[Trago]

 

[Gentleman Jack]

Zangief. Looks like a fighter, timeless outfit, cool name, iconic animation and tons of personality as he progressed through the generations of hardware. The gold standard of grapplers in the continuum of fighting games.

 

[Alric]

Kain

or

Raziel

 

[Wawahead]

Greatest!

Also, shocking that she's bare foot in there!

 

[dark_prinny]

 

[abstract alien]

Greatest!

Also, shocking that she's bare foot in there!

She will always be my personal favorite. And you know when take their shoes off when it's time to kick ass, that's why she didn't bother putting any on.

My two favorites in a row? Damn, gaf is watch...

 

[nailbombxx]

To be brutally honest...

Amaterasu

I honestly can't think of many others that can top Amaterasu's design.

 

[Moonlight]

Persona 3 Portable's FeMC. Soejima is the king.

 

[The Bankslammer]

If we're just talking sheer functionality, Dragon Quest's Slime serves any purpose you could ask for. It's insanely marketable, iconic, recognizable and memorable, and does a perfect job setting the tone of the game from the start and essentially being a design base of a whole host of Dragon Quest monsters, cohesively showing a difficulty progression in the enemies you face. It's just really smart.

 

[Shmuely Bully]

Not as a character overall, but just as far as appearance goes I think Squall in FFVIII was very well done. That extends to the game as a whole: awesome-looking, but flawed in character.

 

[Prismo]

Revan.

 

[Rich!]

It's obviously Mario. He's the single most recognizable video game character in the world. I even remember reading that he is known by more people worldwide than mickey mouse.

Theres a reason for that. His design is flawless.

 

[timshundo]

Wakka.

... and Alistair.

And Isaac Clarke. And Chris Redfield.

I need to go.

 

[ComputerMKII]

Francis York Morgan, from Deadly Premonition

 

[Magnet_Man]

.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

Kain

/thread

 

[HyperBitHero]

Dan the man.

 

[DJIzana]

I'd have to go with the Paladin from FFXIV. This guy is decked to the teeth in armor and looks unstoppable. Absolutely love the design.

 

[Silky]

To

perfect.

 

[Watch Da Birdie]

It's obviously Mario. He's the single most recognizable video game character in the world. I even remember reading that he is known by more people worldwide than mickey mouse.

Theres a reason for that. His design is flawless.

Mario has that timelessness, but I also think he's like Bugs Bunny and Mickey in that despite being the most recognizable of his franchise, he's not exactly "cool" because he's too safe and flawless (as time progressed, the original incarnations of those characters were a bit less sanitized) compared to the side characters.

You know, how most people seem to identify and like Daffy and Donald more, Mario's sort of like that in that given the choice of other characters, most players go with the more interesting, less standard ones like Luigi, Bowser, Wario, and Peach.

 

[RomanceDawn]

I mean as in a single character---it doesn't have to necessarily be from one game, it can be multiple iterations of that character if you so choose, or a particular "imagining" of them for characters who have undergone significant redesigns in their lifetime.

For me it's post-arcade Donkey Kong:

Probably one of the more timeless designs for me, a character who hasn't really undergone many changes since his original redesign for Donkey Kong Country, besides simply being upgraded a bit when it comes to the way he's modeled such as his muscles and fur, the idea to throw a tie onto him is probably one of my favorite decisions ever as that one piece of clothing is extremely iconic to me. Just with the tie, and through his facial expressions, Donkey Kong is a dude you can tell is cool and ready to go on adventures with. He's the coolest video-game character out there without even trying, and maintains his 90s sense of coolness while not feeling like a relic from the era.

So, which video-game character really "clicks" for you?

Wow you read my mind. Donkey Kong's design really speaks to me, it's very simple and timeless.

I have this thing about hating overly designed characters. If everything is too cool then nothing is cool. When I look at square characters they just appear so messy to me.

 

[GalacticaN7]

I'm a fan of most the ME character design though.

 

[nawwafh]

Nariko from Heavenly Sword

 

[Yondy604]

 

[Aureon]

I'd have to go with the Paladin from FFXIV. This guy is decked to the teeth in armor and looks unstoppable. Absolutely love the design.

Paladin XIV outfit is amazing.
Also, Auron. But i don't really count.

 

[Kuroyume]

Garou had a pretty all around awesome cast really

 

[dancingphlower]

I really like the iconic look of the Assassins in Assassin's Creed. A simple white hood is all you need to associate someone as an Assassin.

 

[phip3]

 

[Silky]

Garou had a pretty all around awesome cast really

My man.

 

[Glass Rebel]

I don't know about best but Basch from Final Fantasy XII is my favourite character design in any game.

Love the light armor over the half-open shirt, the weirdly-placed scar and his rugged looks.

 

[Alienous]

I really like the iconic look of the Assassins in Assassin's Creed. A simple white hood is all you need to associate someone as an Assassin.

Too effective, perhaps. Weirdly iconic.

 

[entremet]

Of late?

Probably the VLR crew.

 

[A Link to the Past]

I was split between Samus and Alyx Vance, but Alyx has a pretty great overall design. Samus has some things that bother me, particularly the Zero Suit (which seems to have gotten worse with every single game).

 

[Dits]

The GG's

 

[Mdot]

Always like the Assassin's Creed character designs, especially Ezio:

 

[RM8]

It doesn't get more simple, effective and emblematic of the industry than this, really.

Same with Chun Li, I think. The female chinese fighter became a trope because of her, but she was easily the most original charcter out of the original SF characters. It's a timeless design.

 

[Green Biker Dude]

the tetris L block

you have no idea how many times i've masturbated to it. real talk

those curves :hhhhhnnnnggg

 

[dark_prinny]

Of late?

Probably the VLR crew.

Fantastic choice.

 

[kitsuneyo]

I can't pick a character, but I'll pick a series: Street Fighter, hands down.

 

[sleepykyo]

To

perfect.

I don't see a to/from, both versions are perfect.

 

[A Sentient Keyboard]

Portal turrets, arguably a 'character'.

So cute and sleek and elegant. Don't you just want to hug one?

I'd advise not to.

 

[LilWayneSuckz]

 

[revolverjgw]

Mega Man, so simple and clean, it still works. Especially compared to over-designed stuff like Mighty Number 9.

 

[Marc]

Revan.

[/thread]

Yep, better than the movies which is saying something.


Also fond of...

Isaac Clarke
Altair
Master Chief
Sam Fisher (1st game)
Most of Mass Effect
French Knight dude from Dragons Dogma
Guy from Full Throttle
Spider-Man games (it counts!)
Lara Croft

 

[Platy]

Mario.
... I don't have to post a picture =P

You can just look at the sprite and understand how much life you have and what powers do you own.

Also, it always impresses me how every single thing from the original game were copied .... EXCEPT for the fact that Mario is just a regular dude. Fat, kinda ugly, moustache, everyday work clothes. It doesn't try to make you "i am awesome" because you look cool, but because of your actions in the game. And you even go "if this chubby dude can do this, I can do it too"

 

[TatteredHat]