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Posted June 28, 2013 by Amy in Features
 
 

Our Favorite Video Game Heroes

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20110709122005_bah2

Video games, as well as game reviews, have grown with enormous popularity over the years. Rather than being relegated to the small niche they once were, the advent of the Xbox360, PS3 and Wii has made them tremendously popular among people of all ages. It has even gone on to gain fans in the poker arena, with many people beginning to play video poker and make online video poker reviews on various websites.

Just as sites such as http://www.slots.com/casino_games/video_poker are known to be great places to play free poker, many game franchises are made popular by their heroes alone. In much the same way there are iconic characters in comics and movies, there are certain heroes in video games that can represent a whole era. These video game heroes resonate with people not just through their actions, but through what they represent. In a similar way to comics, people can relate to certain characters or simply feel nostalgia over playing a game featuring one of these mascots when they were younger. Check out our favorite video game heroes below.


Master Chief

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First there was the Xbox, and then there was Halo. The Xbox surged in popularity in that era almost solely thanks to the Halo game series and the unique gameplay mechanics it brought to the first-person shooter genre. At the heart of it was Master Chief, the silent hero of the Halo series. Not only did he resonate with players in his quest to save his world, but the silent masked-marauder type persona gave him a sort of cool vibe. The character was so well-liked that it spawned hundreds of cosplayers at various conventions as well as a Halo fan base that continues to grow even today.


Mario

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You can’t have a list of iconic video game heroes without Mario. He is considered to be the one, one of the very first major video game heroes aside from Pacman and that space-invader thing from Galaga. Seeing as how he is part of one of the largest video game series to date, raking in billions of dollars for Nintendo, there is no doubt that he is a most well known character in video games. Some people even think that Mario as a mascot may be more well known around the world than Disney’s Mickey Mouse or even The Simpsons. Regardless, there is no denying the influence Mario has had on the video game world. A lesser known fact is that Nintendo has made a video poker game utilizing the Mario brand in games like Super Mario 64 DS and New Super Mario Bros. DS.

Link

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Nintendo sure does have a knack for creating iconic video game heroes with Link from the Zelda series being another major one. The Zelda game series is enormously popular, and is known for its epic adventures. It’s these games that have caused gamers to form a bond with the many different iterations of Link. In the games, Link is on a quest to rescue the princess Zelda from the evil demon king, Ganondorf. Even though the rescuing the princess trope has been done so many times in a variety of games, movies and comics, there is something unique about the way it is done in Zelda. Disregarding the fact that Zelda: Ocarina of Time was one of the first fully 3D adventure games, Nintendo has truly mastered the art of making players feel and empathize with the players. It’s no wonder Link is as popular as he is.

Nathan Drake

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The PS3 being the incredibly popular gaming console that it is, it has garnered a number of games in a multitude of franchises. The most notable of these, though, is the Sony-exclusive series Uncharted. Uncharted takes great inspiration from the well known Indiana Jones movie series featuring an adventurous hero, a wise sidekick, and a femme fatale in a quest for a mythical treasure. That adventurous hero is considered to be the reason the series has skyrocketed in popularity with his wit, well meaning antics, and crazy stories inspiring many players. And for the poker fans among us, Nathan Drake is also known to play poker.

With such iconic heroes to love, it’s no wonder video games are as popular as they are. Movies may allow you to emphasize with the protagonist, but video games take it to another level by allowing you to truly feel what it is like to be in the character’s position.


Amy

 
U.S. Senior Editor & Deputy EIC, @averyzoe on Twitter, mother of 5, gamer, reader, wife to @macanthony, and all-around bad-ass (no, not really)