Video games have surely come of age and have become an essential part of digital entertainment. Several game characters such as Mario, Sonic and Samus Aran have surely become pop culture icons. But while these characters shined through and became loved by millions, there were some extremely cringeworthy video game characters too. While some of these are simply hated for being totally unfair, some characters will surely make you want to put a bullet in your brain. Please check out the list below.
1. Duck Hunt Dog
There’s a fair chance a lot of young gamers didn’t encounter this classic. Duck Hunt was a rail shooter which was playable with NES lightgun or Zapper. While the gameplay involved shooting ducks using Zapper, it featured an annoying non-playable retrieval dog that laughed at players on missing targets. Coupled with the Zapper’s inaccurate hit detection, made the dog one of the most infamous video game characters of the 8-bit era. In-fact, arcade versions of Duck Hunt also allowed players to shoot the dog and cut its mocking laughter.
2. Ashley – Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4 not only became a defining moment in the franchise, but is regarded as one of the most important games of the PS2 era. However, we cannot say the same about RE4’s damsel in distress Ashley Graham who is one of the worst supporting characters in gaming history. Not only she will constantly put herself in compromising situations, but does absolutely nothing to aid our character Leon. Adding more irk to the situation is her obnoxious yelling for help, making you wish she’d die already.
3. Princess Peach – Super Mario Bros.
Ever got stood up by your date at a restaurant or cinema? Or reached someplace only to find she’s already left? Well this is exactly the kind of woman Princess Peach from Super Mario Bros. seems to us. She not only has a habit of being repeatedly kidnapped by Bowser, but will never show up in places Mario was supposed to meet her. Just like your ex!
4. Red Arremer – Ghosts and Goblins
Ghosts and Goblins on NES is known for being extremely brutal and difficult for even expert gamers. But what makes it even more frustrating is the presence of these vexing red gargoyles known as ‘Red Arremer’. Do not! We repeat, Do not be thrown-of by its small size as it will punish you with blinding speed and persistence. They will dodge most attacks and morph into a white variant, which is even more aggressive. Red Arremer will often rain down fireballs and slash you unrelentlessly, while taking an incredible amount of damage.
5. Voldo – Soul Calibur
Fighting games are often notorious for various useless characters, which would’ve been better left out. Characters deemed as bad upon introduction are often left out in subsequent series in favor of new ones. But an exception to this rule is Voldo from the Soulcalibur series who has been a series mainstay despite of being extremely annoying. Despite of his intimidating appearance, he uses a fighting style that is derived from dance forms. While this might sound like an effective technique, it doesn’t really help in actual combat. His fighting poses coupled with his weird outfit would’ve made him a great LGBT advocate, only if he weren’t batshit insane or mute.
6. Baby Mario – Yoshi’s Island
Yoshi’s Island on the SNES, was a prequel to the Mario series and became one of the best games in the franchise upon its launch. We do not have any prejudice against toddlers, but Baby Mario will make you fear the very idea of reproduction. Yoshi must escort Baby Mario through numerous levels and reunite him with Luigi who is kidnapped by Baby Bowser. While the gameplay was entertaining and fun, the most irate moments come from Baby Mario who is an absolute peeve. He constantly falls off Yoshi’s back and wail endlessly, reminding you why you should never ever have babies.
7. Mutants – Dark Castle (Mega Drive)
What makes a bad game even worse? Well Dark Castle on the Sega Mega Drive will show you exactly that. The game already suffers from frustrating controls, horrible sound effects and a character that will die for no darn reason. But the most aggravating moment certainly comes from the mutant enemies that you encounter throughout the game. While they cannot follow you on stairs, they make pesky noises that sound like ‘Nya Nya Nya’. This might seem harmless now but will imprint on your brain once you play this game.
The above characters may be loathed by several gamers across the globe, but that doesn’t mean all these games are bad. Although it would be a better choice if you never played Dark Castle. So if you remember any more such highly irksome video game characters, please feel free to mention those in comments.