Top Video Game Characters [Archive] - Eyes on Final Fantasy Forums

Pumpkin

11-11-2014, 06:11 AM

First one that prominently comes to mind is Jade from Beyond Good and Evil. One of the best developed female characters of that generation. Probably even better than the Tomb Raider reboot of that generation. She was vulnerable and capable at the same time. She was so human. She was so sarcastic and caring. I was completely charmed at the time :3

I've never played that game. Sounds interesting :o

So I have 5 characters to start off my list

*Remeber, this is in NO PARTICULAR ORDER. I used a random list generator. The only differences will be for games I haven't played yet, I'll add characters if and when there's a character from those games I really liked. Also, my absolute favourite will be saved for last.

So here we go, let's start things off:

Lenna Charlotte Tycoon (Final Fantasy V):
http://st-listas.20minutos.es/images/2012-09/341908/3693495_249px.jpg?1346679769

In game use: Lenna, like every character, can equip a multitude of jobs, making her role whatever you want it to be.

http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130320131729/finalfantasy/images/b/b2/FFV_SNES_Job_Menu.png

Why I like her: I think because she is probably the closest thing I would be in game. She is emotional, but caring. She risks her life for the dragons, something I would do in a heartbeat. She always cares about those around her, but she doesn't really stand out to most people either, kind of falling in the background. But for her selfless and kind nature, she is one of my favourites!

Hix (Suikoden I & II):
http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100313030227/suikoden/images/4/4e/Hix02.gif

In game use: In the first game, Hix is a very average fighter type. In the second game, he is also a very average fighter type, but with a rune on his sword that increases his attack power every turn

http://lparchive.org/Suikoden-II/Update%2025/93-Suikoden_2_-_25_088.png

Why I like him: Hix is an absolute darling. He cares so much about his crazy girlfriend and is willing to go to incredible lengths for her. He isn't the brightest, falling for some terrible acting when the aforementioned girlfriend tricks him in to believing she has some made up disease, but his heart is in the right place.

Iku (Suikoden III):
http://ami.animecharactersdatabase.com/uploads/chars/thumbs/200/6186-476449308.jpg

In game use: Iku is a support character who heals your characters slightly after battle.

http://blog.lib.umn.edu/kras0047/walkthrough_faq/suikodeniii/geddoepunches.jpg

Why I like her: I like Iku because she is sweet and dedicated. She takes care of her cold as ice boyfriend, she's always polite, and she stands up for what she believes in. Also, after battle healing is cool >.>

And I like her hair.

Porom (Final Fantasy IV, The After Years):
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ-Iw4UP-n1hYX1Ar8BPWmb7NS4qnys2Vo-fvZkuaXxWliHan32

In game use: Porom is a white mage, meaning her primary purpose is to heal. Healing is always a good thing.

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSIaF0J2yE3K_xXKogcM8EThp6VzcVL_TSjmPb8reOZ0dxkcSgD

Why I like her: Porom is just precious. She's a powerful White Mage who embarks on a journey to save the world AT FIVE. I was still struggling to reach the toaster at that age. I was happy to see her back in The After Years, all grown up and practically in charge of a whole town. She's a very competent young lady.

Penelo (Final Fantasy XII, Revenant Wings):
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcREEffz21HF971T6hrWl_9YAZiBHThs5JrLb0isuEGBkHbHWksXDQ

In game use: Penelo can be anything you want her to be thanks to the license board system. I personally made her a white mage, but whatever floats your boat.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcREVnSqxrMOkty3t0RbfQ1kfEfIq5mwBg3HOjpl3Gt3jCy-JC2S

Why I like her: She's spunky, caring, and sweet, if not a little overprotective. Like Vaan, she has hopes and dreams, but unlike Vaan, she takes her immediate responsibilities a bit more seriously. She was often his voice of reason. I just enjoyed having her around

So there are the first 5. Stay tuned for more later/tomorrow :monster:

And keep posting your own favourites.

Also, please let me know if the images are weird. They were acting weird in the preview

Night Fury

11-11-2014, 06:13 AM

That image of Penelo is of Tidus :o

Pumpkin

11-11-2014, 06:13 AM

:o Which one?

Night Fury

11-11-2014, 06:21 AM

Penelo (Final Fantasy XII, Revenant Wings):
http://www.ffinsider.eu/final-fantasy-12/pix/penelo.jpg

Pumpkin

11-11-2014, 06:23 AM

Fixed, I think

Pumpkin

11-11-2014, 04:19 PM

Next 5!

Fina (Skies of Arcadia):
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRwhVXF1BSo4uVBK52XfHxqYD7EZbydFItQfJSx86pHnylE7v539g

In game use: Fina starts out as one of the weaker characters physically, but she has very high magic stats and MP. She's great with healing or using other magical attacks, and her special moves can add positive status effects to help heal, or remove positive status effects on enemies.

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQhrpqROQgQhgSQm4372OG99YnXziho0EO6iRyxPQGhewboaYvXYQ

Why I like her: Fina is a sweetheart. She feels a bit awkward at first, but warms up to her friends who are very accepting of her. She's quiet and demure, but she still sticks up for others. She feels bad if she offends anyone and she tries really hard to be a good friend.

Rosa Joanna Farrell (Final Fantasy IV, The After Years):
https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQd3NFV2pFEpgnNm8sOvHRBr-BE462DPOcfozEqIRcf2DxF78Eb

In game use: In both games, Rosa is a White Mage, meaning her primary role is healing. She can also be an archer as well, making her an adequate attacker.

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSp9ayNYS-jmbywcMCrfpTngPRf0mQJsibgC7bbZiFOjJD9Le_BkQ

Why I like her: I like Rosa because I think she's a strong person. She cares about Cecil, she cares about Kain, and she always puts in an effort to help them, even when they try and ditch her to go to the moon. She's well spoken and polite and she was also great with Rydia when they first met. Overall just a really nice lady.

Ricken (Fire Emblem: Awakening):
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In game use: Ricken is mostly a mage like character. He is good with longer distance fighting. He quickly became one of my best characters, being able to take a hit better than most of my mages and deal a devastating amount of damage in return.

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTb_0FTv52pXH-WXl1GErxLa0F0pYyH_9jR7ySprS9YHacjQpY-

Why I like him: Ricken is pretty spunky, but still caring. He's pretty open and honest about how he feels, even if how he feels is like he's being treated like a child. He goes out of his way to prove himself and he stands up for his friend when she's in trouble.

Elize Lutus (Tales of Xillia, Tales of Xillia 2):
https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ0vkkfpfxatNo7x68HkPRKoyRylSpxvvWSblNPZRWKdA-4a6aznw

In game use: Elize uses dark spirit arts and healing mostly. I've always used her as the primary healer. Also linking with her allows for Teepo to drain some HP and TP and give it to you. She also has excellent magic defense.

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTnyGWCfrm1sM7FGm3TeQkkzFgVYXSHQSkdZbLwXQm7j9jImoWv

Why I like her: Elize is one of the nicest characters ever.... sort of. In the first game she lacks confidence and has trouble dealing with people and as such she can say mean things when she doesn't really mean them. But when villagers have thrown rocks at her and treated her like scum and she still waves goodbye to them when she leaves, you know she has a big heart. By the second game, Elize grows more confident in herself and gets calmer and more secure in who she is.

Robo (Chrono Trigger):
https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTPNd6mbPjRspQJnyKp-cJiPx1YIaR3GmJymXI1-8LUm1xsrYH0

In game use: Robo is pretty versatile. He can take a lot of hits and deal a lot of damage, and he can also do some healing. He's slow, but very useful in battle.

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT63YcfHkEMLkW334_9y_lFTzPLkNjr-hvx7SWMjo0kf1l_tbcJ

Why I like him: Robo has some of the most touching moments in game. Like with his friends trying to destroy him, and femrobo... He also sticks around the past to help plant stuff and wears adorable bandanas while doing so. His relationship with Lucca is touching and heartwarming.

That's all for now :monster:

Rez09

11-12-2014, 01:27 AM

Hmmmm . . . I like this idea. :)
But, I have so many favorites, so where to start is going to be rough. T_T
I also think I'll have to narrow it down to one from each series, just so my list doesn't end up plugged with SNK characters. :p

Anyway, first up and representing the Star Ocean franchise:

Maria Traydor (Star Ocean: Till the End of Time)
http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100420234838/starocean/images/d/da/Quark_Leader.jpg

Brevity is not a specialty of mine, but I'll try to keep these nice and short.

I like Maria because she's a strong female character that isn't subverted by the developer's need to make sex appeal part of her primary appeal. She dresses in a sane manner, is both forward and strong willed without being foolish or rude, and doesn't have some crippled emotional side that requires she lean ever so heavily on my character for support. She's also a complete BEAST in combat. :)

Next up, representing Fatal Fury:
Rick Strowd (Fatal Fury: Real Bout 2)

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Rick is a pretty unknown character, only having appeared in one arcade title, but that doesn't change how much of a blast he is to play as. His normals are often very quick and flow together oh so well, and there's a nice bit of trickery in his specials, such as a slow unblockable and evade-strike attacks, as well as a few gap closing dash specials. It's just too bad SNK decided to scrap him and give his moveset/style to Vanessa instead of importing him into KoF. (though I guess there's no real question why). :cry:

60470 60469

I will think of more shortly. :)

Colonel Angus

11-12-2014, 01:58 AM

Here are some of mine, however there's no particular order.

Luigi

Mario's little brother often gets put on the back burner by Miyamoto and the other nerds creating things @ Nintendo. However, he's starred in a few games of his own, from the forgettable Mario is Missing to the epic Luigi's Mansion. On the Wii U, he's taken over w/ his own game, Super Luigi WiiU and by being hardcore on the road in Mario Kart 8.

Toad

What can I say about this Toad-ally awesome fun guy? He's a mushroom. He's a person. He's also one of the best characters to use in Super Mario Bros. 2, where he can pick a veggie as fast as Lindsay Lohan picks a drug dealer. He's also starring in his very own adventure on the WiiU.

T.G. Cid

Probably the baddest of all the Cids in the Final Fantasy series, Cidolfus Orlandeau is probably the most "broken" character outside of a Street Fighter game. He starts with the Excalibur, which gives Auto-Haste. He has every sword skill the other advanced knights can use. There's a reason why he's called the Thunder God.

Balthier

One part Han Solo, another part James Bond. This sky pirate nearly steals the "Bloody Pimp" title from Bartz. Having the baddest airship since the Blackjack, he and his partner Fran sail the skies not only in search of treasure, but to escape their respective pasts. He's handy w/ a gun & quick w/ his tongue, both skills he needs to evade the dastardly bounty hunters Ba'Gamnan and his scaly siblings.

Skyblade

11-12-2014, 07:53 AM

Lyndis (Fire Emblem: Rekka No Ken)

My favorite character in gaming. So well developed. So much depth, so much development. Runs the gamut from strong to vulnerable to supportive, and everything in between.

So glad to see her again in Awakening. Pity it was only as an Einherjar.

Vermachtnis

11-12-2014, 08:52 AM

Ayla
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k273/AKA_Gluttony/Ayla2_zps1d591345.jpg (http://s90.photobucket.com/user/AKA_Gluttony/media/Ayla2_zps1d591345.jpg.html)

So you've got a game where you go all over time and you have characters with katanas and guns and rocket punch and magic. But not Ayla. She punches everything with her bare hands. Some dinosaur, punch it! A magical woman man, punch it! A robot, punch it! A miniature artificial sun, PUNCH IT! A planet eating asteroid from space, throw Crono at it! Also, she puts on a disco with the robot.

Chie
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2500/3704962189_b7325007d6.jpg

You know how I liked Ayla for punching everything? Well Chie kicks everything! Sometimes really, really hard.
http://media.tumblr.com/c22c31926b19091b55ec5561e8fe35e1/tumblr_inline_n9yzg6wKae1rsxqog.gif

And there was that one time in Arena where she gave up investigating and went for steak. I'd do the same. On a more serious note. I liked her character arc the best. She started off purposeless and trained for no reason. And the running off and not thinking things through. But by the end, she found her purpose and she wanted to protect everyone. Including the main character and I loved that. It's usually the other way around, with the guy protecting the girl. And it shows up game play wise too.

Ryona
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k273/AKA_Gluttony/Ryona_zps97c994bf.png (http://s90.photobucket.com/user/AKA_Gluttony/media/Ryona_zps97c994bf.png.html)

She's a masochistic ballerina. What more needs to be said? Seriously though, look at those guns. That's a weird weapon. And is one of the funnest characters to play as. A lot of her attacks involve spinning. And during her school arc, you get her back story and reason for what she and her sister are doing. Even after it turns out what they're doing might not be right and she points it out to her sister. It's too late now and she goes with her sister out of love.

Link mostly WW
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k273/AKA_Gluttony/Link_zps97802e04.png (http://s90.photobucket.com/user/AKA_Gluttony/media/Link_zps97802e04.png.html)

Wink Waker is my favorite Zelda game. Sure it's pretty and being a pirate is awesome and everything. But it's the Link that makes it my favorite. There's just something about his journey. He starts off as just some kid on an island. But because his little sister was kidnapped he risked everything for her. And he had no respect. But then he started traveling the Great Sea, helping the locals and everyone started coming around. He was able to pull the Master Sword. It was weakened, but that did not stop him, he went and powered it up. And he earned the Triforce of Courage. Also, he had the best final fight with Ganon.

Karifean

11-12-2014, 10:19 AM

My top video game characters list is absolutely dominated by visual novel characters. I guess in the interest of any sort of discussion I'll leave them out.

http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20141023200354/finalfantasy/images/thumb/5/55/FFX_Artwork_Rikku.png/150px-FFX_Artwork_Rikku.pngRikku - Final Fantasy X/X-2

Why I like her

Rikku is a really good example of a typically-carefree-yet-serious-when-it's-called-for character. For a lot of the pilgrimage she manages to raise the party's moods beyond what they could normally muster. At the same time, she's as determined as everyone else, albeit for a different purpose. Her struggle is well executed and I can easily relate to her.

In-Game Use

Rikku is ridiculously powerful if you combine Steal and Use well. Her items totally outclass a lot of other characters' abilities. Coupled with her high speed, and access to Al Bhed Potions from Bikanel onwards, and her immensely versatile Mix overdrive, Rikku is definitely one of the most useful characters in Final Fantasy X.

In Final Fantasy X-2, there's not really much of a difference between her, Yuna and Paine. The few differences there are is where Rikku usually ends up being worse than her comrades.

Pumpkin

11-12-2014, 03:34 PM

Glad to see this taking off :jess:

Also, Karifean, feel free to share your visual novel characters. There's a reason I put this in gen gaming instead of gen RPG, despite my list basically being only RPG characters.

Next 5!

Zell Dincht (Final Fantasy VIII):
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In game use: Zell's magics and summons can be customized by the player, but what does stick is his use of fists to pummel his enemies, as well as his limit break, which has the player input certain button combos.

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Why I like him: Zell serves as the comic relief for the game, but he also has a heart of gold. He got picked on a lot, but he doesn't let it keep him down for long. He puts his whole heart in to everything he does, doing it with enthusiasm and positivity.

Lyon (Suikoden V):
60477

In game use: Lyon has pretty solid stats, although a bit low on magic and HP, but she also has pretty high speed.

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ7C1VEaLMncrqU7fyzBQI9cOsO0DUXSr8QvXCqxxcGJ9MlTRzb9Q

Why I like her: Lyon is the definition of dedicated. She has a checkered past, but she is eternally grateful for those who saved her from it being her future. She puts her life on the line for others and never takes her duties lightly. She's also a sweetheart.

Faris Scherwix (Final Fantasy V):
60474

In game use: Faris is a pirate, and like other characters in the game, she can be whatever job(s) you want her to be (the game is as old as I am, I'm gonna go ahead and spoil that one for ya)

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTpXdlWLAULvUMMOPtwtdr49MUGXjyT0-DqSynZW-mq6PJkI7K9ag

Why I like her: Faris, on top of having some amusing lines, is a badass. She climbs mountains she was knocked off of, she has a whole crew of pirates who love her, and really she is very confident in who she is. Even when they find out Faris is a lady, she doesn't suddenly start dressing all girly or acting all feminine. She's just Faris.

Celes Chere (Final Fantasy VI):
60475

In game use: Celes has pretty balanced stats and is one of two characters who learns magic naturally, although you can customize more what magics she uses via Espers. She also has an ability that allows her to negate the next magic attack and use it to restore her MP.

http://www.lordyuanshu.com/images/FF3/Newworld/cidthanks.jpg?672cfe

Why I like her: Celes is a very tragic character that you just can't help but feel for. But still she tries her best. She's more reserved about her feelings, and she can be a bit cold sometimes, but she has some of the most touching scenes in the whole game.

Mishera (Ys Seven (Ys 7?)):
https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSw30ZndGXul4GzSmOk_DZ-axrueO5L___UP8tZ3AjhdNNy_Kyx

In game use: Mishera has some great magic attacks, which I think is probably her main strength. She isn't the best at taking hits, though.

60476

Why I like her: Mishera is basically the calm, intelligent, and caring woman I always strive to be. She doesn't let her emotions get the best of her and is very useful in helping the group in their adventure. She can also kind of predict the future which is pretty neat.

Those are my 5 for today. Stay tuned :monster:

Rez09

11-12-2014, 08:08 PM

Oooooh, those are my favorite PCs from FF 5 and 8, and Lyon was awesome too (way better than Miakis; your sister gets robbed)! Great picks. :D

So, next up, representing the Tales series:

Dhaos (Tales of Phantasia)

60481

ToP is easily my favorite entry in the series, having the combat system, characters, story, and world I appreciate the most, and, in line with that, Dhaos is my favorite villain in the series as well. Someone on this forum once said they appreciate shades of grey in their villains and this character absolutely embodies that concept. His actions appear to live up to his title of 'Demon King' until his motives are understood much later in the game, as he is revealed to be on a mission to save his dying planet, only to find YOUR planet on the verge of repeating the same mistake that doomed his and desperately trying to save both worlds from the dangers of magitech weaponry. When you beat the final boss in a game and HE pulls that 'hopes and prayers of the people on my world' card on YOU, you know you done smurfed up.

http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100221051728/aselia/images/4/4f/ToP_GBA_-_Plume_Dhaos.png

Annnnd up next, representing The Last Blade
Kojiroh (Kaori) Sanada (The Last Blade 2)
http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080727163109/snk/images/a/ad/Kaori_kojiro.gif

So, you know how I mentioned Vanessa being an adaptation of a Rick, inheriting most of his moveset while effectively being a lesser copy of the original? Yeah, SNK tried that 'reinvent a character' thing again with The Last Blade 2, only this time they did it right. Where her brother, the REAL Kojiroh Sanada, in the first game was a boring bonus headswap of another character, Washizuka, Kaori bust onto the scene in The Last Blade 2 with a variation of his moveset and appearance, but with a style all her own. She's faster, uses standard skill motions, has different normals, and her new specials have a flowing elegance to them Washi's shoulder charges and running stabs lack. She is the evolution and divergence of a great character done perfectly, surpassing Washi (for me) in every way, and, with her design and moveset, is easily my favorite character in the franchise.

Some good Washi vs. Kojiroh:
sWr2z7zP95A

Moving along to another fighting series . . .
Shao Kahn (Mortal Kombat series)
http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110422231925/mortalkombat/es/images/f/fb/Shao_kahn_hd_mortal_kombat_9_by_kostasishere-d3cdtns.jpg

I . . . cannot EVER be sick of this guy, I just lack that capacity. Mortal Kombat, like many fighting games, may get passed over for story recognition in most circles, but that doesn't change how impressive the lore can really be. This guy? Usurper of crowns, destroyer of realms, stealer and consumer of souls, all while donning stylish skull themed attire and a voice that melts butter. What's not to love in this villain? Well, maybe his balance in most appearances is something, as he is almost always a boss character, but it doesn't do anything but improve the situation for me, as it just means he's usually as badass as he supposed to be. When controlled by the player he certainly lacks the finesse I appreciate in most fighting game characters, often relying on brute force and single-strike energy attacks more than flowing combos and constant motion, but sometimes that's okay, especially against friends. :roll2 Oh, and Dan Hibiki could take taunting lessons from this guy -- not even company logos are safe from him! D:

m71v9qmeB30

Merciless.

And, to wrap it up for now . . .

Aurica Nestmile (Ar Tonelico)

60480

So, I'm going to be frank here, I don't like harems in anime, I don't like them in games, I don't like ecchi crap, and I don't appreciate dating sims either. Because of all of that it took me YEARS (no joke) to get into Ar Tonelico after I got it, but once I finally did, two things kept me with it for three complete playthroughs and unlocking every conversation tick thingy. The first was the soundtrack, which is amazing, and the second was Aurica. She starts out all but crushed and shy with no self estreem, afraid to open up to people for fear that they will see her for what she is and abandon her or that she'll fail them, believing herself to be a useless, nigh defective Reyvateil; throughout the game some pretty unpleasent things happen to her that almost reinforce some of those beliefs. But, you know what? You stick with her through it all and she becomes more aware of her abilities, what she can do, and that's she's not as useless as she always told herself she was. While it may be a sterotypical character growth, I loved it, and she was always in my team backing me up with awesome buffs, dealing awesome damage, summoning some . . . pretty strange stuff. She is one of the few game characters I felt a connection to and had any investment in and she's not only my favorite from the franchise, but also one of my favorites in gaming overall.

You go, girl, summon them death lasers. >: D

lei4zLtCT-8
(Poor woodland creature. :crying:)

Pumpkin

11-12-2014, 08:12 PM

Lyon was awesome too (way better than Miakis;

You're going to be disappointed in a few days :|

Also that Ar Tonelico seems like an interesting game. I might look in to that

Rez09

11-12-2014, 08:42 PM

You're going to be disappointed in a few days :|

:eek:

Nuuuuuuuu! Really though, Miakis messing with Lym was super entertaining, but I've got double standards to adhere to and she would have driven me nuts if she were my bodyguard instead of Lyon. ;)

Pumpkin

11-12-2014, 08:44 PM

I love Miakis! She's probably probably top 3 Suikoden characters ever.

I'm already spoiling my list :monster:

Rez09

11-12-2014, 08:51 PM

:plotting:

Karifean

11-12-2014, 11:14 PM

http://i.imgur.com/yfTlQf2.png
Beatrice (Umineko no Naku Koro ni)

Picking a favorite character from Umineko is of course impossible, but Beatrice is literally the heart and soul of this visual novel.

Why I like her

Beatrice is one of Umineko's major antagonists, as the figurative culprit of the first four games. Now what could drive someone to commit methodical mass genocide on an island and all the while make it into a murder mystery for those that are still alive? At first glance this might seem like a question with no good answer, but if you've come to understand Beatrice, or rather the person behind her, you may be able to relate to her and accept her motive, something I would not have ever expected going into Umineko knowing nothing. I love that about her. Plus, her coupled with Battler in the Metaworld makes for some of the most amazing character interaction and fascinating sequences ever. The person who came up with the Red Truth is a genius.

http://i.imgur.com/iMIDk1U.png
Kyousuke (Little Busters!)

This is hardly the first time I mention this guy and I reckon it won't be the last. After all, he holds the number one spot on my list.

Why I like him

Kyousuke is a really charismatic leader and he manages to make everyone around him feel happy from the bottom of their heart. This is hardly a feat that's easily accomplished; yet Kyousuke seems to have a natural talent for it. Hell, he was just a kid when he casually saved Masato from his loneliness and isolation, showed Kengo a world beyond his narrow view and snapped Riki out of his depression; all to provide a group of intimate friends for his unsociable sister Rin to feel comfortable around. He is the driving force behind everything that happens in the plot and when the tragedy of Little Busters strikes he's the one that pushes for a happy outcome. Sure, he may be relentless at times - who could ever forget that "CHEAP TRICKS!" scene - but that's because he does not want to freeze a happy time; he wants to keep going forward, even if it means facing a horrible tragedy head on - overcoming it is better than pretending it never happened. That's a focal point of Little Busters in general and Kyousuke embodies it like no other.

Rez09

11-14-2014, 01:18 PM

I'm sad that my visual novel experience is so limited, having only played through Tsukihime back when Mirror Moon finished their translation of it years ago; I liked it a lot despite generally finding myself a bit railroaded at times. I also remember being super happy when I found out it had a fighting game spin-off, which, as it happens, brings me my next favorite character! \ ^_^ /

Riesbyfe Stridberg (Melty Blood: Actress Again)

http://1822.img.pp.sohu.com.cn/images/blog/2012/1/20/19/24/u258750781_135ba3201b2g215.png

Now if there was one thing I NEVER expected from Melty Blood it was for a character to supplant Warakia as my series favorite, but then Actress Again hit and I saw Riesbyfe. It was love at first sight. That weapon? ADORE it. The outfit? Hells yeah. Combo appearance? Punctuated perfectly. Specials and supers? Best of the best, only topped by some of Warakia's arsenal. Her story? A bit questionable, admittedly, but not so much it hurt anything. And her normals? About my only complaint is that they took some getting used to compared to the rest of the cast, but even then I actually ended up liking the feel of them once I got them down. All in all, she was a late delivered package of excellence to the series for me, and though some characters manage to do some things I like better than her, she still supplants Warakia as my number one in the series. :)

iTlVeIKKRnY

Up next, from a game I have spent waaayy too much time with . . .

Malzahar, the Prophet of the Void (League of Legends)

http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/scale_small/0/8272/2140906-90.jpg

Sometimes luck smiles on me. I've been playing League since September of 2010, and I've seen a lot of new characters join the League, yet, somehow, after four years of regular play not a single champion can hold a candle to this guy for me. He was the first character I saved up to buy, and only because he was NEVER on free rotation and no one played him, so I had no idea what to expect. What I got was a character with great AoE damage and scaling, great pushing power, great CC, great passive, great voicework, the versatility to work with most any item build, and a solid mana regen mechanic. Most of all, his skillset allowed me to play more defensively while still farming my lane, something I desperately needed the ability to do when I started playing; it's a play style I still love him for. He certainly isn't the strongest character, or even competitively viable, nor has he ever been near either, but he is still that pick I always happily rely on.

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTCDPZT_A6tMrLSuGN1rirVoJOMwKCEJsDqFB0JexisT9dXwXXY3g
Beeeeeamu

Cynthia (Pokemon D/P/Pt)

http://mii-gamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/cynthia.png

I always have a hell of a time picking between Cynthia and Blue for favorite Pokemon character, but, when it comes down to it, the sheer anticipation I had for Pearl, and the fact it fully delivered and EXCEEDED all of my expectations, pushes her ahead of Blue for me. Cynthia's boss music is my favorite in the series, her team is always a joy to fight ( 'Chomp and Milotic :love:), her design is excellent, and Poke Mythology is a pretty nifty area of study, not to mention she gives me a potion to get those Psyducks out of the way, which I infinitely appreciate. I also feel she has more personality and character when you speak to her than Lance, Steven, or Wallace (good reason for this, though) ever did, and she was certainly more interesting than Alder or Iris (not to mention Diantha, but that's territory best left forgotten) ended up being. I was sooooo happy when I found her in that random beach town in Pokemon Black and got to fight her revised team, and then both her AND Blue showed up in Black 2. <3 Oh, and I think Red might have been there too, but who even cares about that guy. :roll2

whX6TVUDF-E

GAOH (Samurai Shodown series)
http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080704210233/snk/images/6/64/Gaoh-sstenka.png

Samurai Shodown has too many characters I love, most with very distinct fighting styles and personalities to them, but this guy takes the cake. Goah is the final boss of Samurai Shodown V and VI, but he's not too unbalanced to use against friends in casual play (unlike, say, Zanuko of the 'lawl, where's your health?' heavy slash), which I greatly appreciate. His spear gives him a lot of zone control, while his combination of high and low knockdowns and command throw make for great mind games. His specials are also fairly satisfying, especially that dash, but the startup/recovery on them are influenced by button strength a lot more heavily than other characters, so care is due to prevent some nasty retaliation. I also really love how he looks (this is becoming a common theme, I'm noticing. <_< ), especially that silly mustache of intimidation and spear. He may lack Tam-Tam's energy, Ukyo's style, and Gen-An's agility, but as a whole package he's solidly my pick for favorite character in the franchise.

http://www.culturaneogeo.com/personajes2/gaoh/dd.gif

Recson left arm (Front Mission series)

http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100814100154/frontmission/images/thumb/c/cf/Rexon_wanzer_00.jpg/300px-Rexon_wanzer_00.jpg

Parts come and parts go, but one thing remains the same, and that . . . is every Wanzer I build packing a Recson left arm. For those unaware, the Front Mission series is built around customizing your mechs with different parts, each with different stats and functions, and the arms from these particular machines are notable for their extremely high accuracy modifiers, high weight/power consumption, and low defense. Since I don't often dual wield weapons, opting instead for the survivability offered by shields, this makes them excellent gun arms, as their low survivability is offset by the opposite arm I select specifically to take hits for it. This allows me to score more hits with all of my weapons with no real downside; it's a very simple bread and butter combo that has served me well since the model's introduction in FM3, and, though not a 'character' (that'll be coming later), these arms are easily the MVPs of the series for me, and I felt they deserved some credit for all the battles they've won me.

Anyway, that's it for now, more later. :)

Pumpkin

11-14-2014, 03:46 PM

I have 4 today!

Libra (Fire Emblem: Awakening):
60516

In game use: Libra is overall a pretty average character, but he starts out packing a decent punch and also being able to heal. He wasn't the best healer but it was still nice to have a backup and he was physically much stronger than my other healers.

60517

Why I like him: I like Libra because he's kind and supportive of others. Being religious, I can appreciate a religious character in a video game who isn't insane, preachy, or evil. It was quite refreshing actually. Plus the poor guy gets mistaken for a woman by everyone..... myself included.

Emilie De Rochefort (Tekken 6 or 5ish+):
60518

In game use: I'm not a fighting game pro so I can't go in to details about what combos she uses and what they do and any battle winning strategies, but I do know she's relatively fast, she hits hard enough, and she's easy to use.

60519

Why I like her: I really don't care much about her personality, since its a fighting game anyway, but I was so happy when I finally got to play her in Tekken 6. She's easy for me to use, and also enjoyable. I'm not good with slow characters or characters who rely on big combos because I can't pull one off to save my life, so I found her to be easy and fun to use and get the hang of and not get my butt whooped using her.

Ayla (Chrono Trigger):
60520

In game use: Ayla punches things with her fists. She is one of the strongest in game attackers and also has pretty good defense, although she can't use magic. She does make up for it by having some awesome combos. She's also cheaper to shop for.

60521

Why I like her: When I first saw Ayla in the opening intro thingy (me no good with words) I was worried she would be a typical MsFanservice and was not looking forward to it. I mean, how does a cave lady manage to pull off a full body wax and such nicely coiffed hair? My point is further proven when I was googling images of her to share her and ended up seeing strange women in ways I'm not comfortable seeing them. But while I was expecting a MsFanserve what I got instead was AWESOME. She's funny, she's kind, she's positive and determined. All of these things made me love the character despite my prejudice stacked against her. She doesn't let things get her down and keeps pushing.

Zidane Tribal (Final Fantasy IX):
60522

In game use: Zidane is a speedy thief. He uses daggers and he... steals things. He's also your unswitchable protagonist meaning he will be with you FOREVER

60523

Why I like him: Zidane is another person I'd strive to be. The guy is so upbeat and positive. Hardly anything gets him down. He deals with stress in an amazing way. Also, he's an excellent friend, being there for everyone and even taking to them quickly. Overall just a very good guy.

That's all for now!

Rez09

12-02-2014, 11:34 PM

Would I be correct in assuming Colette is one of your favorites now, after playing Symphonia? :)

First up of my next four:

Bruce (Tekken)
http://eng.tekkenpedia.com/images/thumb/6/61/Bruce_Irvin_2588947.jpg/372px-Bruce_Irvin_2588947.jpg

Bruce was a character I actually completely ignored when he was introduced in Tekken 2, mostly due to the game including a boxing raptor (the runner up for this series' slot), but while I felt Alex really fell off in later titles, the ones he was actually included in, Bruce just got better. As he currently stands, I love his pop-up potential and the flow of his attacks. There's this perfect delay between some of his attacks that makes it hard for people to guess if you stopped attacking or not that scores a lot of free hits, or safe block strings if you actually did stop. I also love, surprise surprise, his design, especially the black pants / white tank top combo he rocks as his alternate outfit in T5.

V8gcAMqOzuo

Sooooo good the popups. :crying:

Ryoko (Ring of Red)

http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/square_small/0/4317/597089-ryoko_minakawa.jpg

It's always interesting to encounter a game where you and the game developers don't especially agree on who should be the main character. Ryoko and Masami (the main character) are both arrogant (and borderline offensive at times) test pilots that set off across an alternate history Japan teetering on open war to recover a stolen mech (AFW), but where Masami's main motivation is revenge because someone insulted him during close combat (Really, game? We're going with that?), Ryoko is hunting for her father after he abandoned her and her mother during the events prior to the game. She's got a lot of bitterness driving her, but even with that she also cares about her country and the state it is in, commenting at times about the destroyed homes left behind and growing defensive when comments turn to the sad state of the country. I haven't played the game in a long time, but replaying it now I realized fairly quickly that, while John and Kinasato may be units I prefer in combat, Ryoko is far and away the character I like the most.

Too bad she can't punch Masami in the teeth for me, though! :hot:

Death (Castlevania: Rondo of Blood)
http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121115091617/castlevania/images/thumb/c/c3/Death.png/500px-Death.png

Sometimes a character is the best because of their story or personality, or because they manage to entertain you or are hyper useful. For me, Death is my top Castlevania character because the boss fight with him is the ONE thing I look forward to EVERY Castlevania game (and I am seldom disappointed by it not appearing). For me, he's really the main boss of the series, since his fights are always more interesting and challenging than the Dracula fights, and I often prefer his visual design as well. The best fight with him, for me, was in Rondo of Blood atop that ghost ship where, half way through the fight, he gets sick of your crap and jumps down in front of you for an epic melee duel. >: D Long Scythe vs. Whip! Mano e mano. He's got damn surprising reach with that thing, too. X_X

I assure you it isn't as exciting to watch as it is to play, but, here it is all the same. :)

QolUJ0PqI8o

Love that second half. :love:

Justice (Guilty Gear: The Missing Link)

http://media.eventhubs.com/images/guiltygear/character_header_justice.jpg

So, this character sits in a bit of an interesting place for me. From a story point of view, and I LOVE Guilty Gear's story, Justice is my run away favorite -- no one else comes remotely close. AND MOST OF HER BACKSTORY IS STILL UNREVEALED. What is known is that, due to the treatment and use of 'Gears', she led a massive war to eradicate humanity and would have succeeded in her goal had she not been sealed prior to the first game. But, it's not really as simple as all of that, as is revealed in several endings throughout the series, and her name is a lot more fitting than it initially seems.

What places her in an odd situation for me, though, is that I don't LIKE playing her outside of the original Guilty Gear, and I have different favorite characters in other games in the series. And it's not like she's BAD in later games -- she remains tournament banned in every incarnation that I know of -- but she's nowhere near what she should be. She doesn't do the damage she used to, several of her specials became supers and require meter, and she lost access to dash-modification. She feels like a shadow of herself after the first game (which, all things considered, is amusing), and I've never really felt I was playing the engine of humanity's destruction that I should be. If you are gonna give me a monster, Arksys, give me a damn monster! >_< /

IvGq-Tv9ReU
That's the stuff. >: D

Depression Moon

12-03-2014, 05:03 AM

Is this just for personality and development, or are we including gameplay in this? The list below is going from personality.
Zidane
Vivi
Jade (Beyond Good & Evil)
Alyx Vance
The Boss

Pumpkin

12-03-2014, 05:07 AM

Colette is indeed one of my favourites now!

Also Depression Moon, you can do it however you like. Personality, gameplay, development, boobies all of the above, totally up to you :)

Laddy

12-03-2014, 01:52 PM

The Nameless One. Never has there been a character better-developed, more nuanced, and more malleable without ever deviating from the tone or direction of the characters. He encompasses so many aspects of humanity and can interpreted in so many fascinating ways. Namely, how he handles his previous actions, incarnations, and what he ultimately does when faced with the weight of these.

So yeah, Planescape: Torment probably would have at least five of these characters.

Rez09

12-03-2014, 03:45 PM

Planescape is one of those games I REALLY need to pick up, especially since I loved the Baldur's Gate series so much.

Vyk

12-03-2014, 09:26 PM

This seems like a good opportunity to gush about Dunban from Xenoblade

Consider by most Homs (humans) to be a living legend. Single-handedly driving back a wave of killer robots at the end of a last stand, even after the order to retreat was given. He was actually intending to sacrifice himself for it, it just worked out that his drive and an enchanted weapon were just barely enough to get the job done. But in doing so he ruined the use of his right hand, and amusingly enough his character animations are true to that, he can move it, but most of the time it hangs dead at his side and he's always using his left to climb and fight and whatnot

In normal cases like this, the older hero in a video game or anime trope he'd have a dark past, and either be all uppity or not talk much at all. This hero is actually very human, and humble. He doesn't consider himself a hero, just a tool that did a job when the time was needed. Other than that he doesn't expect or want any adulation and never treats anyone differently. He does however accept that everyone looks up to him. He can't change that, so he does what he can with it. He's a great father figure, and a great brother figure. He uses his fame to try to make a difference in the world and the lives of those he cares about, and generally deals with his own issues on his own and in his own time. Even when people are worried about him, he generally ends up cheering them up or motivating them instead

He's just super selfless and awesome. And I'm always complaining that JRPGs don't have enough worthwhile adult characters. And when they do, they're usually completely unrelatable. Dunban is not only someone I can relate to, but also someone I, myself, can look up to and admire. He's a great guy, and a great character

But if any of that changes over the course of the game, please note that I am only like 2/3 of the way through. But I can't see him falling and failing to be who he's set himself up to be already, and at this rate, even if he does, I'm sure he'll do it admirably and still be a good example of a well developed and humanized character in a video game

Yay Dunban

Karifean

12-04-2014, 01:41 PM

http://i.imgur.com/3fMecdG.png

Black Battler (Ougon Musou Kyoku CROSS)

Black Battler can probably be equalized to "Evil Ryu" or "Devil Jin", but he's so much more than that. First off, let me focus on how he came into being. He is a metaphysical representation of the "Battler's family is the culprit" theory that becomes popular about 12 years after the Rokkenjima incident of Umineko. Of course this is a wink towards the readership who also grew to like that theory over time. As such, he is Battler, but not Battler at all. He's sadistic and commits the Rokkenjima serial murders with literally no motive, simply because "the theatergoers expect him to fulfill that role".

Why I like him

What's great about Black Battler is how you can tell that Battler is incredibly uncomfortable with being put in this position of being the culprit. The characterization differences between Battler and Black Battler are so vast that it just drives the point home that the Battler Culprit Theory is ridiculous. Every time he does an evil laugh it sounds pained, and Battler's harmless sexual innuendos turn into outright rape jokes, things Battler would not ever say. Black Battler is mentally broken is so many ways it reminds me of Kefka.

In gameplay terms, Black Battler is awesome. He is nearly identical to Battler (sadly) but the few differences make them into two pretty different characters. He sports my favorite move from any fighting game ever, his SP2, in which he summons his Black Parents and they repeatedly shoot your enemy in the face. In exchange for this move and a few other changes, he only has 2/3 of the HP Battler has, making him a risky play, but just so much fun.

But one major reason why I like him as much as I do is because of his boss fight. If you beat Arcade Mode on Hard without using a single continue, you get ONE try at fighting a monstrous duo of two Black Battlers. This duo has many character abilities innately and permanently. In a nutshell, they take half damage from all hits, they can use their special moves almost infinitely, they regenerate HP both periodically and when hitting you and their attacks are ridiculously strong. I have tried my luck at them over a dozen times now and not once have I gotten managed to even take away the first quarter of their HP in any given round. But I still love the boss fight, even with how much it's stacked against you. Here's an example video. (http://youtu.be/yrFx_JRstoY)

http://i.imgur.com/2fZicXy.png

Tomoyo Sakagami (CLANNAD / Tomoyo After: ~It's a Wonderful Life~)

THE EYES.

Why I like her

Tomoyo was my favorite CLANNAD heroine pretty much instantly. The similarities yet differences to Tomoya's situation make for pretty interesting comparison. Tomoya used to have a clear path and goal, but because of his father he lost that and became the delinquent he is. Tomoyo used to be a delinquent because of her parents, but because of her brother she gained a clear path and goal.

Tomoyo's storyline route is probably the one most heavily focused on romance, and it's quite well done. If you go through it all the way to the good end, all works out fine, and originally it ended there. But then came Tomoyo After, and with it Tomoyo became my favorite character in the CLANNAD Saga (sorry Akio). As the title implies, it's a story literally set just after Tomoyo's path, and it goes the way Key visual novels usually do; they build up a happy atmosphere where you get invested in seeing the characters you came to like be this happy, and then it puts them in situations that direly threaten that happiness. And I dare say that Tomoyo After does this like no other visual novel. The final storyline arc of Tomoyo After, conveniently titled Tomoyo After After, is right up there with Refrain and After Story as one of my all-time favorite plot arcs in any story. I hate to try and compare how much trout all the Key heroines go through, but Tomoyo is up there, and she manages to deal with her problems in her own way and overcome them. The writer masterfully utilizes your attachment to the characters as a way to both play with your emotions and tell a story that's bound to bring you to tears. And by god do they succeed.

Freya

12-04-2014, 02:51 PM

There's a whole lot of of RPG characters. And while I like them, one of my absolute favorites is Garrus Vakkarian

https://33.media.tumblr.com/aeeb7c7d15a5f64c496708d1ddfe9716/tumblr_ndyv5ocuSO1qi3dxro1_250.gif

He's the best buddy of your MC and he is a general badass. He's with you for all three games and unlike the other characters, when everyone thinks you're dead as a doornail, instead of moping around or being angry, he tries to continue to right wrongs and becomes Archangel. And when you come back and are like, sup, he doesn't question anything he just joins right back with you. No drama, well besides killing things to get to him and get him out, when you ask him to help again. He's loyal and a well developed character.

http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2594433-garrus.jpg

Spooniest

12-04-2014, 03:03 PM

Took me a while to settle on a few of my very favorites. 3 out of 5 are FF characters, of course...and these are presented in no particular order.

#1. Ramza Beoulve
from Final Fantasy Tactics
60758

I've always admired Ramza for the simple fact that there is no inherent reward in anything he's doing over the course of the game. He battles the bad guys not for his own benefit, but simply because what they're doing is wrong. This quality of integrity is not often highlighted in video games, so Ramza comes to mind immediately.

#2. Cyan Garamonde
from Final Fantasy VI
60759

Nothing much is made of it over the course of the game, but Cyan's journey of personal growth far outweighs anything any of the other characters have to go through. His life is utterly destroyed early on in the game. His entire country gets pretty brutally murdered, up to and including his wife and young son. He makes a big deal out of not being able to forgive Kefka for this, but if you notice, this sentiment is gone by the second half of the game.

It's not entirely obvious why he never speaks of any desire for revenge again, but it's logical (and fun and heartwarming) to presume that he eventually just let it go. He does want to kill Kefka (and who could blame him), but he espouses no desire for revenge. I guess you could think that he just keeps his blinding rage to himself, but that doesn't sound like him, to me.

#3. Cecil Harvey
from Final Fantasy IV
60760

I know that in Final Fantasy V, you can make your character a Knight, but that's really not the same thing as the story of the game being centered around knighthood. In Final Fantasy VIII, perhaps, Squall is metaphorically referred to as a Knight, but this concept is not well-examined.

Final Fantasy IV is the only game in the whole Final Fantasy series that is about knighthood. And the cool thing about it is that, although Cecil does do some bad stuff at the beginning, the point is immediately made that he really didn't enjoy doing it. The seeds of what would become his redemption are already there; the satisfaction of bringing them to fruition is what playing through Final Fantasy IV is all about. And you can't not feel your heart swell up when you hear this fanfare. (http://youtu.be/9KYlT0FH4H0)

There's something universal about the character's appeal, because even the most jaded among us has things in their past that they aren't proud of. The idea of overcoming one's past is something that anybody, in any age of the world, can and would understand.

#4. Sanic
60762

Seen here in his very first appearance ever in a video game, that of the air freshener attached to the rearview in the early Sega arcade game "Rad Mobile."

Yeah, I know his series has kind of crashed and burned over the years, but Sonic the Hedgehog was the first game I ever got hyped about. :D And I still play the hell out of it.

And finally...

#5. Chun-Li
from Street Fighter
60763

Because I like strong, intelligent women. ;)

metagloria

12-04-2014, 03:41 PM

This seems like a good opportunity to gush about Dunban from Xenoblade

*gush*

Yay Dunban

Oh man you're gonna be so mad when you find out he's the final boss

Rez09

12-04-2014, 07:56 PM

But I still love the boss fight, even with how much it's stacked against you. Here's an example video. (http://youtu.be/yrFx_JRstoY)

I've seen that video before. It looks like a pretty awesome fight! >: D
I love bosses like that in fighting games, things that REALLY challenge the player.

Angela Belti (Power Instinct)

http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20091017054833/powerinstinct/images/7/74/Angela_Belti.jpg

And it's a bit too bad I couldn't follow up that statement with Sissy from Power Instinct, who is, out of all the fighting games I've played, my hands down pick for the most overpowered boss character. Instead, I've really got to go with Angela. She's actually fairly unique for one of my selections in that I didn't like her design at all originally (I'm okay with it now), and I didn't even bother giving her a chance until the SIXTH game in her series because of it. Holy crap was I missing out. Angela. is. AWESOME.

In a bit of an unconventional twist, Angela, along with White, serves as the 'hulking' character for the series, packing a lot of muscle and an unfriendly in-your-face style. What really surprised me about her, though, was exactly how fast she manages to get on people despite that. Her heavy punch is a fast, forward moving one-two that will get you wherever you need to be, and it combos gloriously into either her whip, her pillar, or her supers. Additionally, she has crazy good zone control with her whip and electric pillar, allowing you to lock people roughly into the exact area you want them, and the former allowing a bit of leeway when fighting characters with projectiles.

It's just too bad both her game series, 7 games in and counting, and design will likely leave her a mostly passed over character in the genre. :(

Some footage from the newest game (which I still haven't gotten to play yet! :crying:)

bXGCdnOuMvg

Dr. Nusakan (SaGa series)

http://lparchive.org/SaGa-Frontier/Update%2016/nusakan.jpg

So, this pick came down to three people: Robin (Romancing SaGa 3), Zoe (Romancing SaGa 3), or Dr. Nusakan (SaGa Frontier). Robin I love for his design, Zoe for combat prowess, and Nusakan . . . for both, though to lesser degrees, but that glasses and white lab coat look pushed him over for me.

There is a chance I like that design combo.

Combat-wise, he's a mystic, so his stats and combat abilities are largely determined by what monsters he can stuff into his mystic gear, and since all mystics roughly end up with access to the same mobs, this means all should be roughly created equal. However, all mystics aside from Mesarthim and Nusakan are forced to use a special un-removable piece of armor that prevents them from using suits and greatly diminishes their equipment versatility. This gives Nusakan a better equipment selection than (almost) all of his peers and makes him an excellent character in the two stories he can be recruited in, and one I always pick up.

Story wise, well, I do like what little we gather of him. He's a creepy back-alley doctor who loves to study illness and disease, and, though there might have been more to him than that had Frontier been fully completed, that's really all that the players knows about him. I like to think he's making a Frankenstein Monster. >: D

60769

FOR SCIENCE!

The Princess (Ogre Battle)

http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/ogrebattlesaga/images/8/85/PLC_Princess.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130727044044

To be fair, this isn't a character so much as a class, but if you are a fan of the series, you understand this pick.

Unlike most princesses, this lady is, with almost no competition, the BEST unit in the game. Her back row attack is a multi-targeting spell with nice power to it, but her true strength comes from her unique ability to grant all characters in her squad another round of attacks -- this is monstrously powerful, especially when paired with Liches in the first game. There is, basically, nothing in the game that will stand against a decently constructed team with a princess in it.

Of course, there is a downside to the class, if one can call it that, in that obtaining a princess requires a rather rare item, but it's a pretty minor thing and doesn't change that the princess is the single unit I most look forward to getting. :)

http://shrines.rpgclassics.com/snes/ogrebattle/images/rashidi.gif

(Two Liches and a Princess, the Holy Grail of Ogre Battle units. :heart:)

Astaroth (Soul Calibur Series)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0f/Astaroth01.png

Not gonna lie, Voldo was my man in Soul Blade, and I had no love for Rock. When I picked up Soul Calibur 2 (missed out on the first one on the DC :cry:) I didn't expect I was going to like Rock's replacement any more than the original and stuck with the V-man. And times were good. Then I actually SAW Astaroth in action, and the raw power he was pumping out FORCED me to give him a try.

Disappointment was not had.

Where Voldo is tricky, and I still love to use, Astaroth is direct, with no stance swapping required, and has some of the most satisfying attacks in the series. Essssssspecially that hook spin-throw (qcb+horizontal, I believe?)! The reach of his axe lets him fight with people at a good distance, and it combines well with some of the surprising speed on his kicks and shoulder charge -- people often think they've got you at a disadvantage when they get close, but then you knock them right back. And then you have his command throws for when you parry an enemy hit and they are just SOOOOOOOO good. >_<

I don't really have much else to say about him, he's just a character I have a blast using. :)

Pumpkin

12-04-2014, 10:54 PM

I suppose it is my turn again!

Why don't I start off with Colette since I just finished Tales of Symphonia (awesome game btw)

Colette Brunel (Tales of Symphonia):
60771

In game use: Colette is actually a decent damage dealer, and she can fight both long range and close range. She also gets angel abilities that can cause a lot of damage or shield your party. She also steals from enemies by falling on them.

60772

Why I like her: Because Colette is the sweetest thing in the world. She goes through so much, but she always puts others first. She's caring, devoted, and optimistic. She even makes friends with her wannabe assassin. She shows great strength through everything and just stays the nicest girl ever.

Cruxie (Ys Seven):
60773

In game use: Cruxie is mostly a physical attacker, cabable of dealing a lot of damage. I think she might actually be the strongest character physically.

60774

Why I like her: The girl is like terminally ill, but she still manages to get out of bed and help save the world. I have trouble getting out of bed on bathroom cleaning day. She never gives up, she is very sweet and kind to those around her, and in general is just kind of a badass

Red XIII/Nanaki (Final Fantasy VII):
60775

In game use: Like most FFVII characters, Red XIII can pretty much be customized to use however you want. I had him use Fire magics and Enemy Skills, so kind of like my Blue Mage.

60776

Why I like him: To me, Red XIII is the best part of FFVII. It's a shame he got such a minor role. His story at Cosmo Canyon was very touching. Overall, he is mature, strong, and kind. Seeing him open up and accept his father was one of the best scenes in game

Yuna (Final Fantasy X/X-2):
60777

In game use: Yuna serves as both the White Mage of the party and the Summoner. When she summons, the Aeon will take over the battlefield until it dies, the fight ends, or it is dismissed.

60778

Why I like her: Like Colette, Yuna is willing to sacrifice her own life for the sake of everybody else, and she does so with grace and kindness. Unlike some people, I actually enjoyed her development from X to X-2, because I thought it showed her growing in to her own person instead of a tool for Spira. She started standing up for herself more, being more assertive, but she still did it in a nice and sweet way.

Luserina Barows(Suikoden V):
60779

In game use: Luserina is a supporting character who will change your party members for you if you ask her to.

60780

Why I like her: Luserina comes from a messed up family, but she still manages to be a normal and decent human being. She cares deeply for everyone, including the messed up family, but she still knows when to draw the line and tell them to shove it. And she's pretty :P

That's all for now :monster:

Having fun reading everybody else's :jess:

Rez09

12-05-2014, 12:34 AM

Luuuuuuuuserina! :omgomg:

It's been so long since I played Suikoden V that I sometimes forget about her, but she was so awesome! I always wished there was a way to pair the prince up with her, especially since the game teases you with it, but it was sadly not to be.

Rez09

12-06-2014, 02:16 AM

:party: In praise of our mechanical soon-to-be overlords! :party:

Wise Duck (Tech Romancer)
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSDy2-mqKhRjq37XEczfSZMJK4rM4ynkdaoFYpQAjgn_yoE_Yu0

I have . . . too many good things to say about Tech Romancer, and if you have any interest in fighting games and love mecha anime, you need to own this title if you have a Dreamcast. Absolute must buy.

Regarding the character itself, the Wiseduck is a walking arsenal, with land mines, electric net-missiles, dumb-fire missiles, plasma blasts, a grippy hand, and a pile bunker -- it's got everything. It pays for this payload with severely reduced mobility compared to the rest of the cast though, lacking the ability to jump and having generally poor approach options (though the machine is no slouch when near enemies).

And that's what I love about the thing -- its unique playstyle. You have all the tools you need to fight people, you just have to know how to use them. They all have options you lack, but you have ones they lack as well; you aren't weaker, you're just different. You have to adapt to them, they have to adapt to you, and it feels good to beat down Gundams, Evas, and Valkyries with this thing once you figure out how, always without feeling outclassed. And that machine gun!
papapap~ papapap~ :flirt:

9aY1IP_UOOA
A bit of the Wiseduck story and combat footage, for the interested. :)

Metal Sonic (Sonic series)

http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/173/9/5/metal_sonic_sprite_animation_by_metalsilverfan18.gif

I'm shallow.

I know he's unoriginal. I know he's little more than a tweaked Sonic. I don't care, though, I love Metal Sonic.

Most of it comes from two places, the first one of which is his design. He's blue like Sonic -- but metal! He's fast like Sonic -- but because of rocket propulsion! He's got eyes like . . . uh, most people, really -- but they are beady, red LED eyes of cold hatred! At least, I like to assume there's hatred in them. With machines you really never can tell. There's also a simple sleekness to his design I love; no gears are jutting out, and the rivets are even smooth and rounded. Sega tried to recreate the wheel with Shadow later on, but I've never figured out why with a design like this.

And that leads me to the second thing I really like about the character, because I've always felt the best boss involving Shadow was his final showdown with Sonic on the collapsing raceway in SA2 -- a fight that was CLEARLY a Metal Sonic style of battle. In a game series supposedly all about speed, the majority of Robotnik/Eggman fights are fairly static, taking place in closed areas with fairly restricted speed and movement. Metal Sonic fights, on the otherhand, generally involve the speed he's supposed to be emulating from Sonic, taking places along raceways and various tracks more often than not. Even in the cases where Metal Sonic is fought in a static arena, Triple Trouble for instance, there's usually a lot of speed involved still, with him zipping in and out of the screen in said example. The fights are just sooooo good most of the time, and are always the fights I remember the most after I've finished the games.

9euWB6birZ8
Easily my favorite boss in the game. :)

Machinedramon (Digimon series)
http://images.uncyc.org/pt/0/09/311machinedramon.gif

Before we begin, let me take a moment here to explain to you how I play a Digimon game -- any Digimon game. I load up the game, I open a guide for it on GameFAQs, and I ctrl+F Machinedramon. I plot my course accordingly. Any game he is obtainable in, he will be obtained in. Any game he is not obtainable in, I will try to fight him. If I can't fight or obtain him, I will . . . wonder what I did wrong in my search, because really, this 'mon is just iconic. That's almost like not having a Pikachu in a Pokemon game somewhere.

SO, what is so special about this machine, then? Well, first off, if you are wondering that then you somehow missed that Machinedramon was a giant DINOSAUR, who was also a ROBOT, with DEATH CLAWS, and a giant DUAL-BARRELED LASER on its back. I know, its easy to miss. ;)

It's more than just a design thing though, because Machinedramon is pretty well always a powerful Digimon with access to great attacks. He was also the final boss in the original Digimon World, which was a game I spent waaaaaaayyy too much time with as a kid, and when I got to him he tore me apart. D: It was one of those great defeats that made me love him, and beating him was that grand goal I needed as a I poured all my effort into making a better Digimon to take him down. Then, after beating him, I got to use him in multiplayer against everyone I could con into playing with me! The ultimate weapon was mine. >: D

-sigh-
Good memories.

-ogiuiCV1OI
Maybe this boss fight is a lot easier when you aren't 12. :confused:

This Machine (Power Rangers)

http://morphinlegacy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/MMPR-SNES3.png

No, not the Megazord. My love for this thing also came from my childhood and getting my ass kicked. Power Rangers was a pretty big thing, and a friend of mine had the SNES game which we played all the time. At the end of the game, after five or so stages of foot missions, you get two boss stages in the Megazord, and while the first stage is a joke, the second one actually gave us a lot of trouble, being two matches in a row against this unnamed moon-bot and his powered up form. I remember being so happy when we finally beat this thing.

But then, after finishing the game and sitting through the credits, we saw . . . them. Three passwords. What could they unlock? The game's done, right? What mystery awaited us with the three unexplained codes?

Multiplayer.

Upon completing this great single player experience, you are rewarded with a great, albeit limited, multiplayer one, where player one gets the Megazord and player two gets either the snail . . . thing, or one of the last boss' two forms. We played the crap out these stages, making up our own stories for each fight in that way only kids can, but it became obvious after a while that . . . whoever had the Megazord was going to win. It had great specials, comboed fairly easily, and had the most ridicuously overpowered dash slash in the history of ever, ever. And this was against a snail thing that had pretty terrible offensive and defensive options, a weak mid form boss, and a just . . . outclassed final boss. Games weren't much fun if character selection alone determined the victor, regardless of skill.

Then I discovered this machine. I actually spent the time figuring out what it was good at, its general combo structure, and when to save and when to use my super meter.

The fight was back on.

My entire love of fighting games may be completely traceable to this one, unnamed machine, as well as my appreciation for losing in a game more than winning, and lover of overcoming that one crazy powerful move your opponent will happily spam if given the chance. Mysterious moon bot, I salute you.
o_o 7

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That dash slash. We hates it. We hates it, forever!

Phobos (Dark Stalkers series)

http://www.sfgalleries.net/art/darkstalkers/vh/ending/phobos.gif

Do people actually remember Darkstalkers has a cast outside of Morrigan and Lillith? Yes? Really, who else? Oh, Felicia, right right. Cat girl and fan service, the double legacy of a doomed Capcom franchise.

I'm not going to lie though, despite a lot of people knowing the series for those two (and a half) characters, there were a lot of great designs in the games. I had a pretty rough time picking Phobos actually, with Jedah and Pyron both high contenders for the spot, but Jedah has an annoying dash and Pyron takes a fair presence of mind to use properly, while Phobos is much more lenient with his constant projectile spam.

In fact, he reminds me a lot of Wise Duck in this regard, as you really are just a versatile walking arsenal, although Phobos did retain the ability to jump, and he's just as much fun to use. Transforming into large gun to just blow away the enemy is soooooo satisfying, and that mix of bombs, high and low lasers, and anti-air make him annoying to play against. And he also has cool glowing red LED eyes. :)

UPlAx-IRFd8
He's not such a popular character, but here's something at least.

Night Fury

12-06-2014, 06:28 AM

60807
Tali'Zorah vas Normandy

Tali is adorable. She is well fleshed out, while still having a mystique. I love her naivety and the way she views the world as a young Quarian woman, her backstory is also fantastic and was probably one of my favourites in Mass Effect 2. Fighting for her in the Quarian courtroom was nerve wracking and emotional and I really felt like I was right there. In Mass Effect 3 she finds peace with Legion and uses that to influence her people - all in the dream of taking back Rannoch, her home planet, and she does it all with a wide-eyed and endearing nature. Not only that but she's a hilarious drunk and doesn't take herself too seriously. I love Tali and she is possibly my favourite video game character.

Sephiroth

12-06-2014, 08:33 PM

http://fs1.directupload.net/images/141206/c3snu694.jpg

Sephiroth
Compilation of Final Fantasy VII

The main antagonist and villain of Final Fantasy VII's world.
Sephiroth was born as the #I result of "Jenova Project Sephiroth" and is the biological child of biogenetic scientists Dr Lucrecia Crescent and Dr Hojo as well as the super intelligent, instinct-driven alien lifeform known as "Subject JENOVA".
His life was planned from the very beginning as the those in lead of the power-hungry "ShinRa Electric Power Company" were seeking the Promised Land, an old legend apparently only to be found by the Ancient nature-loving nomad race and culture called the "Cetra". With Jenova being excavated and confusing it with an Ancient as it was sealed away in a shapeshifted form the Jenoova Projects have begun, giving birth to many unfortuante fates as well as Sephiroth.
Sephiroth is the only character connected to JENOVA that has full resilience against it. The alien cells cannot mutate inside of his body to physically weaken him or mentally break him. Instead he has full access to the benefits he got from his alien "mother" and keeps on getting stronger, making him more resilient against any harm like Jenova or whatever could possibly threat him. His will, continuously getting stronger helps him making full use of his abilities in an incomparably destructive and strategic form.
Instead of being a Cetra, he is the son of what managed to almost completely eradicated them anf his perfection means the full nature of Jenova as his own instinctive side that he alone decides to follow. This way, while the animal of Jenova not individually being alive as an actual person as it is nothing but a manifested Id, nothing but a super-intelligent animal at last, Jenova keeps on staying inside of her son, a far more powerful and personificated version of what the original ever was.
Feeling betrayed by ShinRa he decided to make himself the chosen one as he did not accept that the pride he felt from being special came from an experiment, being confused over and over again and in the end just choosing to go the path of his mother and using his superiority to overcome any obstacle and rule over the natural power of life and death. Combining his will and abilities he has been proven to be Cloud and the others most fierceful enemy, yet Sephiroth has nothing in life to fight for than his own pride and joy surpassing others as well as his revenge against Cloud so Cloud managed to defeat him more than once as he actually fidoes not only fight for vengeance but also for people he loves, no matter if they have been altready taken away from him by Sephiroth or not. Sephiroth's arrogance is pretty much the only thing that always stands in his way, even more than Cloud does. This human weakness, ironically enough, yet being an actual person other than JENOVA is, adds a weakness to his alien powers that his "mother", though not being as strong as him and only following its meaning of life, never had to bother about.
And yet Sephiroth never gives up. Being Jenova's legacy he continues to haunt Cloud and the others with no ultimate solution of how to get rid of him in sight.

Characteristics/Skills/Abilities:

Sephiroth is normally a very calm person except when it important to him. He never was the kind of guy to have a pillow fight with but his "extovertive" side has been lured out by the likes of his former friends Genesis and Angeal. When he is full of himself again he also shows what he thinks of himself as he is proud of his power.
Since he left his path as a human most of his emotions have gone and he became more like Jenova, which is an emotionless, instinctive animal. Yet as he still is, though, superhuman, a human person, he feels joy when it comes to surpassing others. Also there is his grudge when it comes to his past with Cloud who has proven him he is not invincible, at least not in his arrogant moments. In the past only people like Zack, Genesis or Angeal were able to make him smile.
Sephiroth's main hand is his left one, though he is skilled enough to use both equally efficient as shown multiple times. Nevertheless he is never called ambidextrous and his left one gets a special focus most of the time.
Being the #I of JPS he has a tatoo depicting a "I", though this is explained very confusing in FFVII and even the Ultimania Omega does not actually mention him which means, it was retconned, forgotten or not thought of as too important.
Sephiroth's greatest power comes from his will. It keeps on getting stronger and holding more power which strengthens his will again. He is one of the only people who can resist the lifestream and keep on existing as an individual self as long as he wants. Resisting the power of the lifestream he also can make use of it which is how he becomes stronger. The energy and information he gets from it is the greatest and most important aspect about his powers. He can also use most magic other than other people without tools and except for magic, his will can be offensively used for his psychic powers like telekinesis, reading minds, creatig illusions or flying as well.
Sephiroth wields the Masamune, a 2m long Odachi that no one else can use the way he can.
Sephiroth, being a Jenova-human hybrid, has a mono-wing mutation and during his metamorphosis he has proven tto appear in form of other mutations as well, it being a cocoon like state for rebirth or a seraphic form in which his wing appeared for the first time.
He has demonic/cat-like pupils and his eye-colour is turquoise like those of the Cetra or that of those who have too much Jenova connection. Cetra have no demonic pupils though.
Sephiroth has silver-white hair which is also a trademark of those who are very much connected with Jenova.
He can shapeshift and manipulate Jenova cells so he can regenerate or even form new bodies and animate them with his conciousness. This way he can even be present on different places. He can also manipulate Jenova cells inside of other bodies and call out for them like a subconscious echo, similiar to Cloud's supressed psyche fragment which was no actual individual yet tried to wake Cloud up. Sephiroth on the other hand called out for him withour Cloud noticing.
Sephiroth was mentioned as a leader of SOLDIER in the manual of 1997 this was retconned however in Crisis Core by mentioning Zack might be a new leader as Sephiroth is not the kind of guy who is interested in doing these things. Nevertheless he very well gave his commands and lectures so as a first he still had a leading position that even Zack respected. His power was not insignificantly important for that, of course.
He used to have different shampoos with rose or vanilla smell and needed a full bottle every day.

Karifean

12-24-2014, 11:49 PM

If no one has any objections, I'd like to revive this thread. I liked it when it was lively.

Well one guy is gonna have an objection...

http://i.imgur.com/dF7pQRa.png

Phoenix Wright (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney)

It was tough picking between Phoenix and Edgeworth as my favorite character, but in the end I went with Phoenix. Because while I love Edgeworth's backstory and conflict I just like Phoenix as a character more.

Why I like him

Phoenix Wright is the ace attorney, the defense attorney that will get his clients off the hook no matter what kind of intricate plot the real culprit wove to implicate the defendant. A seigi no mikata in the purest sense. But he is far from just a superhero. He struggles with proving his case as well as his own faith in his clients every now and then. His view of how reality works is screwed up every now and then (NO YOU COULD NOT POSSIBLY HAVE COMMITED AN ACCIDENTAL MURDER, IT'S JUST NOT YOU) and he nears total breakdown in Justice for All Case 4 in which he heavily questions his own path and what he should do.

Phoenix is just a total good guy, but he doesn't come off as stupid, stupidly perfect or anything like that. It works well. Plus, "Objection!", "Hold it!", "Take that!", who could ever forget those?

Rez09

12-24-2014, 11:57 PM

I really loved the first Phoenix Wright game, and Phoenix has always been a pretty likable guy. :D Did you happen to play the Phoenix Wright and Professor Layton crossover, Karifean?

61415Rise from your grave, thread! I, too, have more characters to share!

The Snakeoids (Zombies Ate My Neighbors)

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fDziZtTIHfM/UJF2YLHDEjI/AAAAAAAAJxg/JTou3vJ-J98/s1600/ZAMN19.png

To my continual amazement, Zombies Ate My Neighbors is actually a pretty hit or miss game, and I know as many people that adore it as utterly loathe it. Personally, it is one of my favorite multiplayer games on the SNES, with challenging stages, awesome music, an amusing arsenal and stage titles, a unique premise, and a rare example of combined co-op and head-to-head gameplay. It also houses one of my secret gaming pleasures: the Snakeoid.

Before I get into that though, if you are unfamiliar with the game, its entire enemy roster is inspired by famous film monsters, from attacking alien invaders to Creatures from the Black Lagoon, giant ants to Blob monsters, werewolves to killer dolls with hatchets. It's a dream come true for the classic horror movie fan in every household -- and everyone else that happens to come along. Best of all, while the simple 'save everyone' premise can get kind of old after a while, seeing new, recognizable monsters every couple of stages never really does, adding a bit of new challenge as the players progress through the game while keeping things interesting. The Snakeoids on level 20 were such an addition, and when I first encountered them it was love at first sight.

And by that, or course, I mean they killed the trout out of me and I was terrified of the things for the longest time afterwards.

Inspired partially by the Graboids from the Tremors film series, as well as every other burrowing terror in the history of ever, these happy creatures COMPLETELY belie their size when you first see them, appearing as little more than a moving mound more indicative of your garden variety moleman than anything else. Then they burst forth from the ground in all their tongue-wagging glory and eat your health bar. Suddenly my trusty weed whacker seemed less formidable than I initally imagined. (I'm not the only one that uses that thing, am I?)

That surprising nature of theirs is actually why they are one of my great gaming pleasures, as I NEVER warn people about these things their first time through the game. That first reaction when the Snakeoids attack them is always priceless. Even better, though, these things soak up TONS of fire (or one monster potion, you cheater, you), so on top of the, 'What the hell is that?!' reaction these things elicit, there's that bit of panic that sets in when they just won't die either.

Then their friends show up.

It's really the highlight of the game for me, and far and away the single thing I most look forward to in the multiplayer experience. They are also the element I most look forward to in single player as well, as I really like fighting them. As great as the game is overall, every other boss in the title is completely 'meh', either being completely boring to fight or, in the case of the UFO, being a thing most people don't even know is an ENEMY. Only the Snakoids are worth looking forward to. Great job, LucasArts, 5 points. ._.

And, since I've spoiled all the fun already and won't be playing with any of you anyway . . .
_NTo94ty0yA
I love that they don't even get boss music. XD

Dr. Karbunkle (Biker Mice from Mars)

http://www.vgmuseum.com/end/snes/b/bikekarl-2.png

I don't even remember this show. Or, rather, I remember it existing, and I know I watched it, along with Street Sharks and Cowboys of Moo Mesa, but I don't remember it being anything but an inferior Ninja Turtles and nothing about it stuck with me. I mean, except that, also like Turtles, Konami got ahold of the license.

Interestingly enough, instead of making an inferior Turtles product in the vein of the source material, Konami decided to make a racing game -- one I consider to be among the best the SNES has to offer. The isometric perspective puts off a lot of people, and the game might as well only have two characters, but the game is great mechanically and everyone has a unique feel to them.

For his part, Karbunkle, not being Moto or Vinnie, isn't one of the best characters in the game, but he's the character I always take. Riding a mechanical bug, he lacks the ability to wheelie, so rough terrain tears him up, and he put the rocket booster on the BOTTOM of his bug bot instead of behind it, so he's fairly slow, but, as one would expect from a mad scientist, he's got tricks up his sleeve.

First of all, his sharp turn fires a grappling hook into a wall, auto-piloting the turn for the player as long as the button is held -- this is important because properly executed sharp turns maintain the players speed, and it's fairly easy to get that perfect 90 degree turn every time with the good Doctor without losing any momentum.

Secondly, for all characters, Dr. K included, rapidly tapping the acceleration button provides a brief speed boost. With other characters you only want to do this at certain times, as tapping the button means you aren't holding it and slows you down overall. However, Karbunkle doesn't loose speed when grappling a wall, allowing a player to mash like mad during the turn and surge forward with bonus speed. This effectively makes almost every turn in a stage a free boost pad for him.

Thirdly, Karbunkle seems to get more air time than all other racers who aren't named Vinnie, making every jump with ease and clearing CRAZY distances at times. Due to the mechanics of the game allowing you to grapple walls in mid flight, it is possible for Karbunkle to turn corners while in the air as well, allowing him to avoid enemy attacks and maintain maximum speed for longer than (most) others characters can.

Finally, whenever you hit an enemy with his primary weapon he yells 'MARVELOUS!' and turns them into a little three eyed mutant (which I have affectionately dubbed, "The Sausage") for a few seconds, which is FAR more satisfying than it has any right to be. You can also drop his weapon as a little landmine as I recall, though it's less useful than directly firing at people since wheelies ignore the mines. It's all worth it when you sausage someone across the stage and hear him yell, "MARVELOUS", while flying through the air, though.

In the end, it's the way that properly using his mechanics rewards the player that makes me really love this character and his bug car, especially when playing against another person that knows how to play the game. You have all the tools that will let you overcome any other racer (who isn't named Vinnie), but you have to properly use them, and it just feels awesome learning to weave all of your little advantages in a stage into a big one and crossing that finish line before them.

Of course, all the impressive videos are of Vinnie players, but here's one I found of someone playing Karbunkle. He's in battlemode, so he's more interested in axing other racers than finishing, but it's still a good example of the character in action. :)

p8NsVvdC0cI

MARVELOUS!

Karifean

12-25-2014, 12:24 AM

I did not play the crossover, sadly. I played all other games in the series besides Gyakuten Kenji 2, though.

Since it's Christmas, it might be a good time to present this particular character.

http://i.imgur.com/aoKtTGU.png

Ushio Okazaki (CLANNAD)

Her sole existence is a spoiler, but I guess it can't be helped. I'll be as discreet about other spoilers as possible though. Why is Christmas such a good time to present her? Well her mother's birthday is December 24th, and while Ushio herself has no known birth date in the original CLANNAD visual novel, she is supposedly also born on December 24th according to the (somewhat terrible) movie adaptation.

Why I like her

Ushio doesn't appear until about the last twentieth of CLANNAD's plot, but she is probably THE main reason why CLANNAD is as memorable as it is. No kidding. What's so great about her is the fact that she manages to bring out the best in the other, already very thoroughly developed characters of CLANNAD and creates some of the absolute best character interactions and growth I have ever seen. Need I mention the trip? It moved me to tears. Every time.

Well of course Ushio herself is just a five-year-old kid so her character is not all that developed, but the bit of character and development she does get is sufficient to prevent her from being nothing but a device, and apart from that she is directly involved in not only the saddest scene I have ever seen in a game, but also the saddest ending I have ever seen in a game (the two are separate scenes). Holding back the feels is not possible with this girl.

If it hadn't been for Ushio I'd have probably missed out on quite a few of what are now my absolute favorite visual novels.

Ayen

12-25-2014, 09:11 AM

http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110422231925/mortalkombat/es/images/f/fb/Shao_kahn_hd_mortal_kombat_9_by_kostasishere-d3cdtns.jpg

Shao Kahn!

http://morphinlegacy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/MMPR-SNES3.png

Oh, man, this game. I love this game so much. I had it on the Sega Genesis and used to play the crap out of it. I was so psyched when I unlocked Tommy.

I plan to make up my own list later, I just need to give it some thought.

Rez09

12-27-2014, 03:28 AM

Looking forward to your list, Tori. :)

Annnnnd . . . MOAR CHARACTERS!

Kasumi Todoh (Art of Fighting)

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/snk/images/9/96/Kasumicvs2.gif/revision/latest?cb=20100411124837

This is a cheatsy pick, because I actually didn't enjoy or really play Art of Fighting 3, which is both Kasumi's debut game and the only AoF title she was in. Instead, I picked her up in KoF '99, where she ended up one of my surprise favorites and has remained a KoF go-to since then. When she actually shows up, that is. ._.

But what do I like about her? Well, first off, and as is the case with almost every other person on my list so far, I love her design. She doesn't have a lot of flair to her, but she also completely avoids both the ridiculous and skimpy getups a lot of fighting characters find themselves dropped into, which I infinitely appreciate. No excessive belts or crazy hair, instead she's rocking what reminds me of a kendo outfit, which I dig, a simple red headband with her hair up, and what appear to be fingerless gloves. I'm also a fan of her white and blue color scheme. As I said, it's a simple design, but I love it.

Second, while her design is nice, it's ultimately how fun Kasumi is to play that makes me love her. There are two elements of her combat style in particular I really like. First, roughly half of her special attacks are counters, a trait she shares with similar-pants-wearing Geese Howard and the man-god Krauser. You use a high, low, or mid counter, and if you guess/bait properly, you damage the enemy and knock them down. You even have a 'super' version of the counter that will stop (most) enemy supers, which is a damn nice feeling when you pull of. It's a simple gimmick that allows you to be a bit tricky, while also leaving you open to trickery as well. Outside of the counters, the other thing I love about Kasumi's moveset is how flowing it is. Most of her non-counter specials, her 'projectile' excluded, have a forward movement to them, and many are chain specials where you input multiple commands to keep the attack going -- even her single strike palm-upper special includes a forward step to it. There's a great offensive momentum to the attacks, and I greatly appreciate it.

So overall, she has a design I like and a moveset I love, with fun mindgames and a great combo flow to her, and that's why she's one of my favorites. ^_^ b

A combo demonstrating that forward movement.

6Y5tnJLFduI

Because I don't think anyone else cares about full matches. XD

Dr. Wily (Mega Man)

http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr353/Caduceus349/eyebrows.gif

I'd say this is a no brainer, but I actually really like a lot of Mega Man characters -- Sigma, Dr. Weil, Magna Centipede, Zero, Proto Man, Dr. Cossack, ect. It's a surprisingly long list, and I have no idea why I even like most of them, seeing that at least two of them are genocidal asshats.

But in the end Wily's the only real choice; there's something timeless about him that I just never cease to appreciate. He's a generic mad scientist, but his attitude through the games, from the eyebrows to him begging for mercy when defeated, have endeared the cranky old man to me. I mean, even thinking about my favorite scenes in the series, they almost all come back to Wily. Him beating his broken machine with a hammer then laughing at you when it starts working again in Powered Up, the 'And this time, and this time, and this time' scene in Mega Man 9, slinking away as Mega Man holds up his collapsing Skull Castle in MM5 -- the MEGAPHONE in the original Marvel vs. Capcom. Hell, I even love that SOMEHOW all the people of Mega Man world haven't gotten it fully into their skulls he's EVIL yet, as seen in MM9 where he convinces people Dr. Light is the bad guy (I wonder if MatPat is on his payroll :shifty:).

Additionally, my appreciation for the character goes beyond the elements of his personality and actions, because Wily almost always puts up an awesome fight as well. Sure, some of his fights are busts, like in Mega Man 6 and 8, but then the 7 and 9 fights MORE than made up for that. I mean, I still remember my response to the first time I saw the Wily 9 machine -- I paused the game and cracked up, because it was a SKULL FACE DINOSAUR THAT DROPPED FROM THE CEILING LIKE A TON OF BRICKS. Genius. Absolute Genius. And it was a good fight as well! I wouldn't have found the fight half as memorable if it were just an amusing design, but you have to learn how the boss fights and how to fight it, otherwise it'll just plow you under, which is exactly what a good final boss should do. Several other final bosses in the series match Wily machines here and there, MMX Sigma and X6 Gate coming to mind, not to mention MMZ3 Omega - which I consider the ultimate boss fight in the series, but, on the whole, no one else quite reaches the bar Wily sets for me.

He's got the most fights I enjoy, the attitude I love, a design I appreciate (though I saved you all the babble about that for once), and he's just that perfect mix of everything that makes a great reoccurring villain. Wily, you are my far and away favorite MM character, and you even managed to beat out the white labcoat and glasses look.
http://eod.notart.org/images/sprites/drcossac.gif

Oh, this is neither here nor there, and I don't know where everyone stands on comics in general, much less Archie comics, but they have been doing a GREAT job with their Mega Man series (barring that headache of a crossover), and I'm liking how they've done Wily thus far. If you have any interest in the Mega Man series from a story point of view, I'd suggest checking the series out.

Also

hD3hGcLDQQI#t=15

And this time! And this time! And this time!

Iris Sepperin (Rosenkreuzstilette)

http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090602135936/rks/images/2/26/Profile-iris.jpg

Now, anyone who recognizes this character instantly understands this pick after the Wily gush. Iris is RKS' Dr. Wily, right down to the eyebrows and UFO, but she's also a character in her own right, being more of a perverted mirror image of the mad doctor than a traditional clone. Where Wily is a cranky old man, Iris is a sing-songy little girl. Where Wily strives to rule the world, Iris strives to destroy it. Where Wily seeks the power to enact his will, Iris already has it. Dr. Wily is evil in the Saturday morning cartoon sense, more amusing than dangerous (Zero virus and that whole mess notwithstanding); Iris is more traditionally evil. Nothing and no one else matters to her, everyone else is below her, and all that matters is her amusement.

And what is it that amuses her? Why, open warfare, of course. Like Wily, she's very intelligent, and in the original RKS she feigns an assassination attempt and stages her own kidnapping in order to incite a war between the magi and the church for the sole purpose of her entertainment. She even turns the main character against her (Tia's) friends and kills her own father, the man who started the war to protect her, because, well, why not. It's not like any of these people matter, anyway -- she's basically the rebirth of a God, why should she care about them? You even feel the condescension in her voice, and her eyebrow waggle takes on a slightly different feel when you know just how below her she thinks you are. Unlike many villains I appreciate, Iris is one of those characters that is evil without a reason. She is unchecked chaotic evil with a cute grin out to set the world ablaze.

You know what else she's out to do? What evil demi-gods are also really good for? Boss fights. And I have to say, like Wily's absolute best days, both Iris boss fights are amazing. I mean that. A m a z i n g. I don't mean they visually blow things away either, I mean I'm a putz that ONLY fights Mega Man bosses with my buster, and these Iris fights keep you on your toes and feel super satisfying to complete. She isn't cheap, but you have to pay attention, ESPECIALLY in the second game -- and her music in the first game! Ahhhhhhhh!

So, ultimately I end up liking Iris for similar reasons to why I like Wily, her attitude and how it manifests to the player, her design I avoided babbling about, and her great boss fights. RKS is still a very small, very high quality series, and I reeeeeeeally hope a third game comes out, but until it does Iris is my clear cut favorite from the franchise. Cute psycho who has mastered the eyebrow waggle, I salute you. :salute:

And your awesome boss fights.

1ER6II3-LGk

Soooooo goood. :omgomg:

Sagat (Street Fighter)

http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120506085243/villains/images/9/9b/511px-Street421.jpg

Sagat's an interesting pick for me because he isn't my favorite character in any of the games -- that always changes. T.Hawk in SFII, Dudley in SFIII, Skull-o-Mania in EX, Gen (Or Sodom) in Alpha, Balrog (Or Hakkan) in SFIV. But where my overall favorite shifts around, how high up on my list Sagat is never really does, and as an overall pick he actually comes out ahead.

So what do I like about him? Well, there is, of course, his design, which is the simple trunks and muscle combo most male fighting game characters grace the world with. It's simple and looks good, and I like it.

What I end up really liking about him, though, is his reach. He doesn't have Dhalsim reach, but it gets the job done, and his kicks are great for keeping people at bay. They also feel so good to land and look like they have so much power to them. His crouching heavy punch is also pretty nice, especially in CvS2, dealing good damage with odd priority. I seriously get so many clean hits with that thing that should have been trades. X_X I'm really waiting to pit Bruce and Sagat against each other in Tekken X Street Fighter, assuming that title is ever released. It's one of those odd dream matches I suspect I'm the only one dreaming about. Oh well.

Normals aside, I also like his simple special set. It's not much beyond the standard Shoto fare, but there isn't much wrong with that. The Tiger Uppercut has good priority and deals with jump-ins your kicks won't catch in time, the Tiger Shot is a simple projectile that does its job well, and the Tiger Knee catches a lot of people off guard. He's got the basic tool kit for every job. Well, almost any job . . . no command throws, but that's not much of a concern. It balances well with his normals and makes him the stand-by, go-to character that neither Ken nor Ryu ever managed to be for me.

Beyond that, I have almost nothing else to say about him, honestly. He's got good specials, great normals, a nice design, and I always enjoy using him. Go, Sagat! ^_^ b

guUpDUAAQvc

Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!

Ayen

12-27-2014, 01:11 PM

Counting down from eleven.

11.
Holly from Monster Rancher
http://i.imgur.com/6M4ty5F.jpg

Holly acts as your assistant in the original Monster Rancher from taking care of the ranch; interacting with other characters in the game; gauging how your monster is feeling, and letting you know about important events. If you're being an asshole at any point in the game she isn't afraid to scold you, and glare at you in that way that only women know how to to make you fall to your knees and beg forgiveness. Despite only being represented by an animated avatar she shows a lot of personality in the game, and you can see how much she cares for the monsters you're breeding. She was so popular that she made a cameo appearance in the second game and played an important role in the anime. I love her. I want to marry her and have her little monsters.

Vyk

12-27-2014, 06:08 PM

Oh man, now I want to sing the anime's theme song lol I did love that show

Pumpkin

12-27-2014, 07:50 PM

Millie (Suikoden II):
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In game use: Millie uses a boomerang and a bonaparte (some weird mole creature who eats things), and has decent stats. She's good with a lot of runes, but her main affinity is Fire or Lightning.

http://lparchive.org/Suikoden-II/Update%2006/29-Suikoden_2_-_6_026.gif

Why I like her: I like Millie because she's just... adorable. Everything about her from the outfit to the personality just makes me go :omgomg:. She's not the best character in the game, but you do get her early on, allowing you to build and customize her a good bit and get her to fit well in to your party. Her long range is also helpful

Totooria Helmold (Totori) (Atelier Totori/Atelier Meruru):
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In game use: Totori is the protagonist of Atelier Totori and the teacher of the protagonist in Atelier Meruru. She's very weak physically, kind of slow, but because she's an alchemist, she is one of the few characters who can use items in battle. This makes her useful because she can heal with items, or use items like bombs to deal good area damage. In Atelier Totori, she's obviously crucial to finishing the game and can synthesize many useful items.

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Why I like her: Totori is just an incredibly sweet girl. She's nowhere near perfect (although she's got a lot more going for her than the game would have you believe) but she still goes after what she wants. I find her incredibly relatable as a protagonist because she doesn't have everything figured out, she doesn't always know what to do, she makes mistakes and gets confused, but she still does her best and pushes forward. She's also very kind and caring (and cute) and it was great seeing how she matured in Meruru and gained more confidence in herself.

Xiao (Dark Cloud):
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In game use: Xiao uses slingshots. She is very weak physically, but is one of the fastest characters. She's also essential to jumping over some holes in the floor in dungeons. She can get more powerful with the right weapons.

http://lparchive.org/Dark-Cloud/Update%207/19-83840ddc188.jpg

Why I like her: Because she is just precious. She doesn't get much in game development and she doesn't speak much (no one does in this game), but she is fun to use. Actually my favourite to use. And she gets a talking, wise-cracking slingshot named Steve who makes dungeons 100x more fun.

Natalia Luzu Kimlasca-Lanvaldear (Tales of the Abyss):
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(She makes up for all the characters that don't have last names)
In game use: Natalia is pretty much an archer/healer, or that's how I used her at least. As such she has good magic, and being an archer, is a good distance character to use.

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Why I like her: When I fist saw Natalia, after a few scenes, I thought she was kind of a... not very nice person let's say. And I was sad because I love using archers. But she actually turned things around and became my favourite in the game. Despite being royalty she stood up for the people when they needed help, she takes matters in to her own hands when she thinks something needs to be done, and she cares deeply about others. And her love story is just awww inducing.

Alice (Record of Agarest War Zero):
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In game use: Alice is basically a very powerful mage. She has some healing, making her very useful before you get your second healer. Her INT is incredible, although she is very weak physically

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Why I like her: Looking at the little game booklet, Alice actually had me the least interested in her character. Well she ended up being my favourite! She's just a nice, smart, well balanced woman. Seriously. She makes some jokes, teases her friends, comes up with some good observation, helps with whatever the party is doing, raises her friend's son, and also has a beastly crabish man as her servant. Who she is nothing but kind to. She's just a great, well rounded person. Oh, and she has an adorable battle shuffle

Ayen

12-27-2014, 08:38 PM

Xiao looks familiar, and yet I'm fairly certain I never played Dark Cloud.

10.
Kakurine from Evil Zone
http://i.imgur.com/WbGDwKy.jpg

I'm going into obscure territory here. Kakurine was a character in the fighting game Evil Zone for the PlayStation. She appeared as a child, but was actually 10,000 years old and possessed mystical powers that made her one of the hardest characters to fight in the game, and her voice could drop faster than a boy's testicles. Kakurine had a connection with the main villain Ihadurca who was her friend before turning evil, so she sets off to defeat her in order to get her friend back. Their chemistry on screen together rivals that of Raiden and Shao Kahn in my mind.

Evil Zone was a good game that showed that fighting games can have a good story and characters, so I'd recommend it for any fighting/anime fans out there.

Vyk

12-27-2014, 08:45 PM

Holy crap, I had forgotten all about that game. I had to look it up, and seeing pictures didn't really jog my memory much, but seeing it in action, I'm pretty sure I rented it, and there was something about it that I really enjoyed. It was in the early awkward days of the 3D fighter genre with the original Tekken, Virtua Fighter, DoA, and Toh Shin Den. Though Toh Shin Den ended up becoming kinda garbage by the third game, I enjoyed the first one on the Sega Saturn. And Evil Zone, now that I recognize and remember it. Thanks for the blast from the past. I might have to look into rekindling that flame

Vermachtnis

12-27-2014, 09:31 PM

Natalia's my second favorite character behind Jade and she's who I use in battle too. And when I first saw Totori, the fancy lettering made me think it said Satori and I almost bought it right there. I kind of want to go it now.

Anyway, I want to add Beryl to my list.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k273/AKA_Gluttony/Beryllevelup_zpsa31d45be.png (http://s90.photobucket.com/user/AKA_Gluttony/media/Beryllevelup_zpsa31d45be.png.html)

In game she's the mage, in case it isn't obvious from her outfit. And she hit hard, really, really hard. She out damages everyone else in the party for awhile and even when the others start catching up to her damage wise she's still laying waste to everything and unlike a certain other leggy character she doesn't kick them two miles into the air where no one else can do anything. Goddammit Kohaku.

I liked her from the start. Her introduction was her kidnapping Kohaku and holding her ransom by threatening to write on her face with ink that won't wash off for weeks! Yup, her role in combat may the mage, but outside of combat she's a painter with the dream of becoming a court painter. And outside of combat she is the least threatening person. And sadly she gets picked on a lot. But she doesn't take it laying down. She's the snarkiest character in the game.

When she joins, she thinks her role is the strange one. But not in this group and over the course of the game she becomes the straight man and only sane guy of the party.

There's this one scene after the arena that really stands out to me with her. She just won a trout ton of money, but GASP Kohaku got sick and the only room available is a stupidly expensive one. And everyone else is just expecting her to shell out her money and she barely gets a thank you for it cause everyone is so worried about Kohaku getting better. And she flips out and storms out of the room. And I think the game wanted you to not be on her side for that, but I was. Everyone in the whole smurfing world loves Kohaku and bends over backswards for her. Character development kicks in for the both of them and they become besties by the end of the game.

And speaking of character development, she has no real stake in the final battle like the rest of the party. Well apart from the end of the world, but that's not why she's there. She's there because she became so close to everyone.

And remember how I said she became the straighman of the group, well there's a few scenes at the end of the game where goes in a routine with Corundam as the wise guy and Beryl plays the straight man.

Ayen

12-27-2014, 09:53 PM

9.
Jill Valentine from Resident Evil
http://i.imgur.com/UJxkeM2.jpg

I'm a sucker for a woman in uniform. Jill may not have been as relevant to the plot as Chris, but damn if she wasn't fun to play. Her scenario was a godsend after running through Chris' in the first one. I love her broness (is that a word?) with Barry, and her banter with Carlos in the third game. She was the first female character in the series to get her own game and quickly became one of the first names you think of when writing down famous female characters in gaming. I would have preferred her default costume stayed as the RCPD uniform, but you can unlock that so it isn't too big of a deal. The woman took on what many considered to be the greatest tyrant of all time in Nemesis and lived to tell the tale. Girl got balls!

Colonel Angus

12-27-2014, 10:12 PM

Did 4, here's 2 more

Ludwig Von Koopa

The Koopaling w/ the pimp hair. He's generally seen as the top dog of that crew; he's the boss of World 7 in Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, as well as the Wii games. He's also a badass on the cart track in Super Mario Kart 8. But the hair...

http://www.mariowiki.com/images/thumb/8/8e/LudwigNSMBU.png/230px-LudwigNSMBU.png

Penelo

When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are... you need a conscience. Penelo perfectly fits that role to the eyes in the sky Vaan in Final Fantasy XII. She makes sure he keeps his feet on the ground as well as his head kept on his neck. Not only that, but she's a more than capable adventurer herself. Her high MP makes her an excellent choice for team mage.

http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100417011035/finalfantasy/images/d/df/Penelo_and_vaan.jpg

Pumpkin

12-28-2014, 04:03 PM

Reimi Saionji (Star Ocean The Last Hope):
61487

In game use: Reimi is the archer character, making her good for distance attacks and combos. Being long distance, it's also pretty easy to blindside the enemies when using her, which helps build up the bonus board for critical hits.

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Why I like her: Well, I find her to be absurdly pretty. But really, first of all, she's an archer character, which I very much enjoy playing. I actually think she may be my favourite archer to use from any game. Second of all, I just find her to be a really nice girl. She steps up to command when Edge is out of commission and she does a surprisingly good job. It was unexpected because she doesn't emit an air of leadership, but she still did what she had to do. She always tries her best for others, despite her own fears and insecurities, and she's a really nice person

Fran (Final Fantasy XII):
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In game use: Because of the way FFXII is played, Fran can be pretty much whoever you want her to be in battle. She does start out as an archer with some black magic. I personally made her in to a Black Mage Archer (my favourite Final Fantasy job combo) and also gave her some ninja swords.

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Why I like her: As much as I like upbeat and sweet characters, Fran provided a refreshing change from that. She's not quick to open up, but she is still very loyal to the people she trusts. We don't learn much about her until later in the game, but seeing her scenes with the other viera was truly touching, because we got to see a side of her we normally didn't. Also, I like her voice

March (Eternal Sonata):
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In game use: March is a very well rounded character. She has low HP, but the rest of her stats are good. She's also one of the best characters at building combos, and has some of the more useful special attacks. She attacks with giant moon rings

http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/eternalsonata/images/5/5a/Eternal_Sonata_%28178%29.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110622003200

Why I like her: March provides a good contrast to her sister, Salsa. I like how calm and polite she is. I preferred using her in battle as well. She's very easy going, quiet, and takes her responsibility seriously. It's a shame she comes in later in the game.

Miakis (Suikoden V):
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In game use: Miakis has pretty well rounded stats and good rune affinity, meaning you can make her fit almost any role in the game. She as good damage output, and her magic attack is good as well if you'd prefer to use her as a mage.

http://lparchive.org/Suikoden-V/Update%2004/79-s5-04-164.jpg

Why I like her: Because she's spunky and silly, acting as kind of a comic relief, but she'll still kick your ass, and her more touching and serious moments are very sad and give me the feels. Her relationship with the princess is just precious, and she acts more like a big sister to her than anything.

Kimahri (Final Fantasy X):
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In game use: Kimahri is pretty well balanced, and having the smallest sphere grid means you're free to pursue pretty much anyone else's sphere grid to make him whatever you want to make him. I usually follow Tidus' path, so for me, Kimahri usually ends up being a more effective and stronger Tidus. He's also a blue mage, and unlike most FF Blue Mages, he can restore HP while learning abilities, instead of the other way around

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Why I like him: Because I'm shallow, he was the character that originally interested me the least. Like a giant blue lion man thing? No. I like pretty sweet girl characters! But Kimahri won my respect. He is fiercly loyal to Yuna, he cares about his friends, he's useful in battle, he's strong willed, calm, level headed, wise, and when he finally gets his moments, they are awesome. Him finally gaining the respect of the other Ronso was great, and while I would normally hate 2 against 1 battles, this one had me excited because I wanted to win for Kimahri

Ayen

12-28-2014, 04:41 PM

Reimi's bow looks cool. Yay Fran and Kimahri!

8.
Ellie from The Last of Us
http://i57.:bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou:/rkwkue.jpg

This kid won herself a place into gamers' hearts everywhere just a couple of years ago with the release of Naughty Dog's "The Last of Us," and props to Naughty Dog for fighting to keep her on the cover. Ellie is a child who grew up in a post-apocalyptic world, and sadly that all she knows. She forges a father-daughter relationship with Joel and sees a lot of things for the first time ever on your travels. She's also a handy NPC to have around. Finding ammo to give to you, and fighting actual enemies you come across is just a couple of examples I can think of off the top of my head. And with the latest development in the DLC she broke the internet! Ellie laughs in the face of dicks. No, really.

Ellie: *holds up dirty magazine* How do you walk with those things?

You have to have a perfect balance structure to align with your-- It's very complicated you wouldn't understand the process.

Rez09

12-28-2014, 10:21 PM

There are so many new posts! :'D

I remember Kakurine and Evil Zone; she used to run me over with an energy Hula-Hoop all the time. >_< I never did get the control scheme in that game down.

I remember Reimi, too. She became my main character once I figured out how useless Edge was. Sonic Thorn! Sonic Thorn! Sonic Thorn!
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I still haven't played The Last of Us. I should probably get it, since my PS3 just sits around unused all day now. Everyone tells me it's good, and a lot of people like Ellie a lot. :(

Annnd now . . . fun with strategy (and one tactics) games!

The Darloks (Master of Orion)

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/1369/osg22m1ov9.jpg

While I love playing the Silicoids as well, and I think them being so repulsive no one will deal with them diplomatically amusing to no end, ultimately the Darloks are the race I come back to when I went to enjoy the game.

As a race, they are easily among the weakest in the game, and NONE of the AIs - humans excluded - remotely appreciate their existence on the map. One wrong breath and everyone collapses on them. Additionally, the Darloks don't have an always present/useful bonus like most other races -- no bonus production, no ability to ignore pollution, no breeding bonuses, no science perks. Instead, their bonus only opens up with diplomacy. So, what's that bonus? Spying. And what's fun about using that bonus? Being a complete sneaky asshat and watching the Galaxy fall to pieces all around you. Played properly, and with some luck, you can bait other races into costly wars with each other, while you silently pick their technology from them, sabotage their planetary defenses from the inside, and mass your forces for the right moment to strike. Small wonder everyone in the galaxy hates them. Except for me, of course. ;)

The Inca (Civilization V)

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/civilization/images/7/76/Pachacuti_%28Civ5%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20130209193945

I remember when the Inca DLC came out for Civ V. I remember playing them in a few test games and pushing them aside as completely mediocre. I also remember being new to the game and thinking Japan had the straight out best ability.

Then 655 hours of Civ happened.

The Incans have one of the most amazing sets of passives in the game, potentially THE most amazing if not for Poland: they almost always start on or near hills and mountains, guaranteeing a strong production base; they have the ability to build farms on ANY hills, giving both food and production in cases where either may be scarce; they have the ability to traverse ANY hill as though it were plains, giving nigh unimpeded movement across almost every map; they have free roads on hills and half price roads elsewhere, often granting lossless city connections; and they have a UU that comes super early and often withdraws from melee attacks, allowing them to fight barbarians with less down time.

It gets better, though: with every clear perk of theirs, there also comes a sometimes less clear secondary one. The hills and mountains make them more difficult to attack, and those same mountains are required for observatories, Machu Picchu, and the Neuschwanstein, three of the best buildings in the game. Their ability to traverse hills stacks with Altitude Training, which cuts hill movement costs in half, effectively doubling your already doubled hill movement. And those roads? One of the most valuable assets you can have against a competent human player in times of war is a good roadway, and where those roads tear up everyone else's wallet, the Inca shrug off the insignificant costs and just keep building. About the only down to their special traits is that their slingers make terrible bodyguards for settlers. That's it.

But as nice as all of that is, it's not even what I truly appreciate about the Civ, at least not directly -- it's just icing on the delicious Incan cake. No, what I appreciate almost beyond expression about Pachacuti is his ability to salvage almost any start, no matter how hopeless it seems. In a game that loves to stick me in barren tundra with Egypt more often than not, being able to force a decent game from even the stupidest crap the world generation can throw at me is priceless.

Adder (Advance Wars)

http://advance-wars-net.com/articles/awds/_co/pic/adder.jpg

Advance Wars is a bit of a mixed bag for me. On the one hand, I think it is a solid strategy endeavor, with a good balance between units and a nice flavor being added by CO passive abilities. That said, the other hand drops and most CO powers flat out ruin the game. There comes a point when my strategy is no longer concern, because no matter what you do the enemy has the ability to dump units all over the map and only pay half price for the damn things, AND they get an offense bonus to boot. Good thing most people quickly realized that and just started playing nothing but Hachi, Sensei, and Colin. Out of a cast of 25 or so characters.

God I hate Hachi.

Unfortunately, nothing Adder has is a counter to Hachi, nor is he a counter to anyone else really, but I always found him the most interesting of the 'non-specialized' characters, and certainly the most fun to use in the game. Most characters have some form of passive bonus to them, either bonuses for fighting in a certain terrain type or for certain unit classes, but Adder actually doesn't have ANY passive bonuses. Instead, he has the shortest CO meter in the game, allowing him access to his bonus power almost annoyingly often. When activated, all of his units receive a small attack boost and gain +1 movement. His second tier skill grants the same bonus and +2 movement.

Though sounding unimpressive, this short charge time and bonus movement is what defines the character, as it means you always have an ace when you need it and both vulnerable enemy units and escape are almost never out of reach. Additionally, he is the only (that I recall) CO who can use his CO power twice in a row, assuming his bar was full when you used the first CO power, allowing you two turns of boosted movement and combat power. Because of this little edge, his playstyle is all about nifty counterattacks and first strike strategies, and that's what I love about him. I find it's a lot of fun working around the enemy's advantages and locating best place to apply yours, pressing here, irritating there. About the only thing I don't like about him is that they made Adder 2.0 with Koal, who is an all around better character.

Still, that doesn't change anything for me. Adder is a solid pick, and much like Wiseduck, the Darloks, and Dr. Karbunkle, he's all about finding that way to make your abilities work for you and surprising people when you come out ahead.

(Also, shocker, I like his design quite a bit too, though I do admit he doesn't quite match up to Snifit Sturm.)

http://advancewars.neoseeker.com/w/i/advancewars/1/18/Sturm.png

Chryssalids (X-Com: UFO Defense)

http://michaelgmunz.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Bravery.jpg

I love X-Com, and Enemy Unknown was so much more than I ever expected it would be. I like how it looks, I like the new two-TU system it uses, I like the skill trees, I like the specialization, I like the satellite mechanic, and the new Snakemen/Tallmen and Sectopods were just amazing. But, that said, I still enjoy the original more. Maybe it's how much darker the game feels, maybe it's the extra freedom I felt I had in almost everything I did, mayb -- nah, it's the old Chryssalids.

If you aren't familiar with these happy, smiling lobstermen (not to be confused with the ACTUAL lobstermen from the second title -- those are neither happy nor smiling), they are basically hyper fast one-hit kills that multiply when they kill something, and they like to busy themselves killing people offscreen and multiplying before you have the misfortune of bumping into them. That's exactly how the new ones work too, minus the 100% instagib thing -- they'll probably still kill you in one hit, but that's just because they do craptons of damage now instead.

So, what is it that makes them my favorite characters in the series? It's that rush when you first see them and you know trout has hit the fan. The game can be a little rough up to the point you first see these, Cyberdiscs in particular being a VERY nasty surprise when first encountered, but it is beyond possible for your game to just END when these things pop up. There have been times where I've carelessly pushed one of my units ahead too far to scout, ended in a safe looking spot, then had a Chryssalid burst out of a door, run across the street, kill me, run to ANOTHER of my units, kill IT too, then stare at the rest of my troops in all its lobstery glory.

Whut!

In all honesty, I should be completely happy with the new Chryssalids, since they embody all of the old qualities of the mob with substantially more balance to them, but it's just not the same. The way enemy reveals work in the new game means I'll never have one burst from nowhere and kill me off without warning. The two TU system means they'll never kill off more than one person a turn. The new Zombification rules mean they aren't the terror to my units they used to be. And the new design means I'll never find myself giggling at something I supposed to be terrified of. Everything about the new game is, as I said before, well done, especially when it comes to general game balance, but it's the complete lack of game balance that these guys represent that makes me love them so. Firaxis, you done good. MicroProse, you done amazing. And happy lobstermonster? You done the best of all. :salute:

http://lparchive.org/X-COM-UFO-Defense/Update%2029/53-xcom333.png

Fox

12-29-2014, 12:53 AM

Lots of fantastic characters here. Just want to add one:

Yuri Lowell
Tales of Vesperia

http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120418024004/thebiogateroleplay/images/b/be/Yurilowell.png

Do you want a protagonist who is witty, compassionate, yet still ruthless enough to make the hard decisions? Yuri Lowell is your guy. A former knight of the Empire, he quit because their form of 'justice' didn't ally with his own. Yuri has a strict set of his own ideals that he follows, but he is also a realist who understands that the reality of the world, and behaves accordingly. He can't fix the world by himself, so he relies on his friend Flynn to be the poster boy for goodness and justice within the Imperial Knights.

He is also given fantastic voice by a certain Troy Baker, in what was arguably one of his real breakout roles.

Yuri has many fantastic OP abilities, most notably "Destruction Field" which can be used about a billion times in a row during Over Limit and kills pretty much everything except the last few bosses.

Leigh

12-29-2014, 01:38 AM

Haytham Kenway
61505
Sadly I am not as intuitive as most here, I'm superficial, so forgive my lack of postmodernist literary critique of his character.

The Skinny: Haytham is an awesome character. Nuff said...

Ayen

12-29-2014, 12:19 PM

Nuff said.

7.
Jodie Holmes from Beyond: Two Souls
http://i.imgur.com/CFfK5Mn.jpg

This is a game I only played fairly recently, but it quickly became one of my favorites. Jodie is a girl bound to an entity from another world named Aiden that interacts with this one granting Jodie paranormal abilities. I love her relationship with Aiden and other characters she comes across during the course of the story. This one is hard to gauge since her character traits can be decided by the player, but my Jodie was awesome. Couldn't make her crack. Look at all these boys trying to get a piece of this. REJECTED!

Pumpkin

12-29-2014, 03:15 PM

This morning I am going to do a special mans edition of shion's favourite characters. A large chunk of my favourite characters are female, so I'll post up 4 of the men on my list for this update (and save the others for whenever I pull their name out of the hat)

Balthier (Final Fantasy XII):
61507

In game use: Because it's Final Fantasy XII, Balthier can be customized however you want him to be customized. I had him focus on guns, hand-bombs, and poles, and time magic.

http://i.imgur.com/bJeeD6z.gif

Why I like him: No one is surprised he's made someone's top character list (he's already been posted by someone else), but here he is. I like him because there's something about a confident, suave man. Looking at him, I don't even think he looks very good (personal taste) but his personality is what makes him attractive. He takes charge, he takes care of his friends, and he manages to be confident without being arrogant. Well.. most of the time. And he's not like many other FF characters. I think they did a fresh take with a new personality instead of always using the same tropes and it worked well here

Gau (Final Fantasy VI):
61508

In game use: Gau is kind of a berserker/blue mage thing. He can imitate certain enemies after some conditions are met, and then he fights like the enemy, gaining some of their move set

61509

Why I like him: His father went crazy and LEFT HIM in a monster infested area to raise himself. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? And he's still the nicest, sweetest young man. His story just tugs on my heartstrings so much.

Viktor (Suikoden I&II):
61510

In game use: Viktor, in both games, is basically pure strength. He's great at dealing damage, has a lot of HP, but sucks at magic. He's a mandatory party member quite often, but he's actually a really useful character

http://lparchive.org/Suikoden-II/Update%2009/29-Suikoden_2_-_9_024.png

Why I like him: Viktor is kind of like the stereotype of the giant bear like man with the heart of gold. He's constantly helping the practically child heroes with the stuff they have going on, and he always fights on the side he believes is right. He's a good friend, and a good fighter. He also comes up with the worst disguise names ever

Jr. Rubedo (Xenosaga series):
61511

In game use: Jr. has pretty good stats, not many are subpar, but not many are great either. He fights with handguns, and does have some of my favourite tech attacks

61512

Why I like him: Jr. was one of my favourite characters to use in battle, which probably boosted his popularity with me. I also enjoy his story and how he interacts with and what his relationship is with one of the antagonists. Those were always my favourite scenes in the series

Forsaken Lover

12-29-2014, 03:29 PM

I recently just played Dragon Age origins and Dragon Age II for the first time.

These were the best:

Zevran - Unlike Morrigan, Zevran is actually likable in how evil he is. He handles everything with a flippant flair that makes it seem like he's less a monster or a killer and more just....excitable. He's simply the most fun to talk to of everyone in DAO, even if Sten is more interesting to talk to. Zevran is the ultimate bro - albeit a very sexy bro I slept with gladly. But it's not all skin deep. You can sleep with him but if you start to actually get close to him, he holds off on the sex because he wants to make sure it's something more. His life, no matter how glamorous he tries to make it, has clearly hurt him in many, many ways and helping re-establish his ability to form meaningful bonds with other people is a very warm and satisfying thing.

Merrill - I romanced her on my second playthrough. Friendmance, if you are wondering which one. I was initially put off by the face tattoos but if you just talk to Merrill, it's impossible to not love her.

Merrill: Your armor is very shiny, Sebastian. Doesn't that make you an easier target?
Sebastian: The Light of the Maker is my armor, Merrill. I am not afraid.
Merrill: Maybe you could ask Him to make His Light less shiny? Then you wouldn't need as much armor.

Perhaps I just have a weakness for the "cute bubbly one" because I also fell in love with Leliana in DAO. But Merrill has an earnestness about her that you can't help but find endearing. She's doing the best she can, in spite of being raised by a bunch of superstitious racists. They deserved to die. Now she can live a more happy life with Hawke, someone who truly appreciates her.

Pumpkin

12-29-2014, 03:32 PM

I had no idea those games had a dating sim aspect to them

Ayen

12-29-2014, 03:41 PM

I think every BioWare game can turn into a dating sim.

6.
Kane from Command & Conquer
http://i.imgur.com/IJsUz7V.jpg

Kane is one of the all time villain greats in video games, and Joseph D. Kucan is one of the greatest actors I've ever seen. He puts so much love into his role and you can tell he's having fun with it even when the game is troutty *coughcoughcnc4coughcough* Not afraid to get his hands dirty, the first time you see this character is when he's shooting a traitor point blank in the head and shoving him out of his chair. Kane alone made the Tiberian series worth playing. He had all the cool lines, all the cool clothes. Kane had it all and you wanted to be Nod and rule the world. Peace through power! Peace through power! Peace through power!

Rez09

12-29-2014, 04:01 PM

Viktor (Suikoden I&II):
61510

In game use: Viktor, in both games, is basically pure strength. He's great at dealing damage, has a lot of HP, but sucks at magic. He's a mandatory party member quite often, but he's actually a really useful character

http://lparchive.org/Suikoden-II/Update%2009/29-Suikoden_2_-_9_024.png

Why I like him: Viktor is kind of like the stereotype of the giant bear like man with the heart of gold. He's constantly helping the practically child heroes with the stuff they have going on, and he always fights on the side he believes is right. He's a good friend, and a good fighter. He also comes up with the worst disguise names ever

His interactions with the Star Dragon Sword are usually pretty great too. I love that he finally manages to pawn it off on someone in the third game. XD

One day I will play the Command and Conquer series. ._.

Pumpkin

12-29-2014, 04:07 PM

Yeah Suikoden managed to write a better relationship between a man and a snarky sword than some games manage between two main characters x)

Ayen

12-29-2014, 04:17 PM

One day I will play the Command and Conquer series. ._.

Yes you do, and I recommend stopping as soon as EA takes over development of the series because they ruin it. They absolutely ruin it!

5.
Garrus Vakarian from Mass Effect
http://i60.:bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou:/ka1qwx.png

Garrus Vakarian is the best of the best of the best. He ain't got time to mess with no C-Sed regulations, he's on the road after Saren! He's bringing back the color blue. He's the only legitimate relationship option in Mass Effect 2.

I love Garrus 'cause he's a baller. He doesn't mess around and has a zero tolerance policy for scumbags like that guy you go after in ME2. I can't remember his name because he is scum. And he's loyal just like Freya said. He took the fight to Omega and smurf up their trout. Garrus took a missile to the FACE and got right back up again. Garrus is love. Garrus is life. For the love of God, BioWare, give us a Garrus Vakarian spinoff game!

Rez09

12-29-2014, 04:30 PM

Would you believe I haven't played Mass Effect either? I own it, too. It's just sitting in my Steam library with Dragon Age Origins. ._.

I like everything I've seen of Garrus, though. :D

Fox

12-29-2014, 04:58 PM

You know, regarding Garrus, I would love to see a Mass Effect game from a non-human perspective. Like, playing as a Turian commander during the Human-Turian war? That would be incredible. They're still close enough culturally to humanity that it would still make sense, but different enough that it would completely change the feel of the game. Different value systems, different types of character...

That would be the best.

Ayen

12-29-2014, 05:10 PM

Would you believe I haven't played Mass Effect either? I own it, too. It's just sitting in my Steam library with Dragon Age Origins. ._.

Sounds like you have some Steaming to do. ME1 is probably the weakest of the trilogy gameplay wise, but well worth the playthrough to have your decisions carry over to the next game. I have my issues with ME3, but I still enjoyed playing it.

Forsaken Lover

12-29-2014, 06:45 PM

I'm getting the ME Trilogy this week and will be playing all the games for the first time.

If anyone is interested, I can do a thread on my playthrough. Then everyone can yell at me for my moral choices like people did elsewhere with DA.

I'm sorry but the Desire Demon was very nice and just asked me to leave her with Connor. She even offered a deal and honored her word. Honestly, she was one of the nicest, most reasonable people I interacted with in Origins.

Sephiroth

12-29-2014, 07:15 PM

Pumpkin

12-29-2014, 07:30 PM

More characters :plumcheer:

Sofia De Sainte-Coquille (Rune Factory 3):
61514

In game use: She uses a sword for fighting, but due to the nature of the game, I don't really bring her along often. Instead, she is one of the potential romantic interests, and she is the daughter of the wealthy man Sherman and also has a sister who is a fashion "designer". She sometimes speaks in opposites, which will be displayed in red text. She likes junk items like weeds and cans.

61515

Why I like her: On top of being adorable, I find her to be such a sweet girl. When you find out why she speaks in opposites it's very touching and she often shows how much she cares about her family. She's a good friend and very kind. Also, its sweet and endearing when she falls in love with you and tells you that she's burned everything that reminds her of you in a ritualistic bonfire, so you should get together sometime!

Anju (The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask):
http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/zelda/images/6/67/Artwork_Anju_MM.png/revision/latest?cb=20130103142901&path-prefix=es

In game use: Anju is an NPC, but has one of the biggest sidequests in the game, that of reuniting her with her fiance, Kafei. She's also the Innkeeper of Clock Town

61516

Why I like her: She has such a sweet story. Her fiance was cursed so he's in hiding until he can do some things he needs to do. She, meanwhile, waits for him, knowing the world is about to end. The whole thing is just heartbreaking and seeing them reunite at the end is beautiful. Although bittersweet if the moon falls afterwards. On top of that, she's just a kind and sweet lady and you really feel for her throughout the game.

Talim (Soul Calibur series):
61517

In game use: It is a fighting game, so she's used for fighting! As far as I know, she's considered a lower-tier character, but she's very quick and good for someone like me who can't memorize move sets

61518

Why I like her: Well she seems like a sweet girl, but its a fighting game so the personalities aren't super fleshed out. I like using her because she is (very quick) and its easy to figure out some moves. Basically, she's easy to use and fast, two things I like in a fighting game character because... well I suck at fighting games

Miyuki Itsumi (Xenosaga series):
61519

In game use: Miyuki is only playable in Episode III, where she fights with Shion's weapon from Episode I. In other games, she is a colleague of Shion's, an inventor, a system's programmer, does some engineering, sends you some weapons, basically just a bunch of stuff.

61520

Why I like her: Well, on top of apparently being able to do everything, Miyuki is adorable and silly. She brings a light heartedness to her scenes that you don't often get in this series, and I always enjoy seeing her thrive at whatever she's doing, despite Shion's verbal abuse.

Viki (Suikoden series):
61521

In game use: Viki makes an appearance as a star of destiny in every Suikoden game (twice in one of them) and her role is that of a mage character. She can also teleport your hero and his ensemble to any previously visited areas

61522

Why I like her: Because she's a lovable goofball. She's not the brightest, but she's sweet. And confused. Very confused. About everything. She also brings some mystery to the game, but not serious mystery, just... mystery. She's very lighthearted, apparently can teleport through time (she lives the Suikoden games out of order) and once had a child Viki appear who was much smarter and more serious than the Viki we all know and love. Plus it gets tiring walking everywhere so its always useful to be able to teleport around

Ayen

12-29-2014, 07:46 PM

4.
Revolver Ocelot from Metal Gear Solid
http://i57.:bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou:/2qi30pw.jpg

To think that the first boss you ever face in MGS would wind up being the last boss you face at the end of the Snake's story. Ocelot was one of many senior characters in the series to show that age was just a number. His look, his choice of weapon, and his unpredictability makes Ocelot one of the best characters coming out of the franchise. Ocelot stole the show for me in MGS2 and made the Tanker scene one of my favorite scenes of all time as a kid. It's a shame that his role in 4 was reduced to just emulating Liquid Snake. IMO Ocelot blows Liquid clear out of the water, there's no comparison. Ocelot is so cool that even Stan smurfing Lee cosplayed as him!

http://36.media.tumblr.com/f149c51e156194d5ebfe3c7f99e79a32/tumblr_nf3wym8EcP1tda61ao2_400.jpg

This is one old man you don't want to mess with.

Rez09

12-29-2014, 08:47 PM

Viki is super interesting once you begin to consider who she is and where she is from in the larger scope of the game universe. It's VERY possible she is from the corridor linking worlds mentioned, and shown as I recall, in Tierkreis, and she has been shown to travel interdimensionally as well as through time. I can't help but wonder is she's a lot smarter than she lets on and has a hidden motive in the games. :o A bit too bad Konami isn't interested in making Suikoden VI and giving more explanation to her. (And Jeane)

I love Ocelot in the original MGS. :D His boss fight wasn't my favorite, but it was one of them, and I agree he was a far better villain in every way than Liquid.

EDIT: Also, for whatever reason, Sophia liking weeds and cans is beyond hilarious to me. XD
Come to think of it, doesn't Viki's Blinking Rune drop trash on people in Suikoden II. They could be best buddies! :o

Fox

12-29-2014, 09:32 PM

Rita Mordio
Tales of Vesperia

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y9/KitMishima/Tales%20of%20Vesperia/Rita.png

Man, I love Rita. Most Tales games have a character in this kind of role (the 'young genius' archetype) but never has it been pulled off as well as Rita. She's not only extremely knowledgeable, but also extremely logical. She often acts almost like a vessel for the player, by picking up on anything that seems like a tired game trope and makes fun of it. She's scathing and confident and I adore her. She's also a great mage who isn't completely useless when she's low on TP and needs to get stuck into some melee combat.

http://lpix.org/693492/tov55_ss022304_rita.jpg

Dat Matt

12-29-2014, 09:34 PM

Fun fact. Rita is mai waifu.

She is the love of my life (Sorry Shauna).

Pumpkin

12-29-2014, 09:47 PM

I'm not digging Rita too much yet. I do like using her in battle though

Galuf

12-29-2014, 09:50 PM

I like Quina From Final fantasy IX.
S/He is ok in battle. using a plethra of blue magic.

But i like her because of her funny scenes. IE. when she marries vivi or when she is always being found in random place's like being fished out by eiko.

Vyk

12-30-2014, 02:18 AM

I had no idea those games had a dating sim aspect to them

I think every BioWare game can turn into a dating sim.
All the way back to Baldur's Gate 2, yes

Though I've always felt their romantic writing was more organic and natural than the few dating sims I've had experience with (though I've never played any, so my perspective and opinion may be skewed and biased)

But speaking of BioWare gold

Minsc!

61523

He definitely deserves a place on this list. Appeared in both Baldur's Gate games. He was easily one of the strongest party members you could have in the game. With such an amusing and charismatic personality. And completely insane. And also probably a bit ... "special" ... or slow... And awesome. His quotes ruled the internet in its early days. He's hilarious. Always has something to say for events, and makes the adventure a lot less tedious and much more entertaining

Evil 'round every corner

Careful not to step in any...

Pumpkin

12-30-2014, 06:06 AM

I don't have much experience with BioWare games, so I had no idea about that part of them. Or many parts really

Doing more characters so I can get through my list sometime this century >.>

Nera/Flora Briscoletti (Dragon Quest V):
61526

In game use: One of the game's potential brides, Nera is the most magic oriented of the three. Meaning she is good at using magic and stuff. Yep

61527

Why I like her: Dragon Quest V is nice enough to let us talk to our party members after... well everything. As such, you can hear her thoughts on pretty much everyone you talk to, and she is just the sweetest lady. She doesn't have a mean thought in her head. She always thinks the best of everyone, she stays positive in the face of everything, is immensely supportive and is just overall a sweetheart. She's not the bride of choice for most, but for me it was a no brainer

Yoshi (Marioverse):
61528

In game use: He's in so many different games, I can't even fill this out. I enjoy playing tennis with him

61529

Why I like him: He's adorable. I mean really just... adorable. And those noises ohmigosh. He seems like a swell dude too, I dunno, I can't understand him. BUT SO CUTE

Routier (Record of Agarest War Zero):
61530

In game use: Routier is very much a mage character, and also was used as my main healer, being able to heal, revive, and cure status effects. She's also one of the potential bachelorettes of the first generation and my personal favourite

61531

Why I like her: She's extremelly shy, but very sweet. She tries her hardest, even trying to learn how to use a sword at one point to better be of help and defend herself. She always puts other before herself, and she cares deeply for everyone. She's also a good cook as you find out in one of the few scenes where she actually talks about herself, and I liked learning that little detail about her since she's usually so modest

Oerba Yun Fang (Final Fantasy XIII):
61532

In game use: You can make her any role you want, but she starts out with Commando, Saboteur, and Sentinel. I personally made her my main Commando, as she was very good at dealing damage, but I found her to be a subpar sentinel

61533

Why I like her: Fang grows on me more each time. I think she's a breath of fresh air, being different from most other ladies in the series. Or heck, most other men too. She's just a different character from most. I like who she is, showing strength and confidence without being arrogant, and I always loved her relationship with Vanille and how protective and caring she was. They should have kept them officially as a couple because it would be one of the better written romances in the series I think

Ruby (Dark Cloud):
61534

In game use: Ruby is a magic character. She can change the elements on her weapons to suit the situations, and its in some cases necessary to open certain doors

http://lparchive.org/Dark-Cloud/Update%2016/22-724bbdc396.jpg

Why I like her: Again, most characters in Dark Cloud get minimal dialogue and development, but Ruby is one tough cookie. She's the genie in the bottle, but with some sass to her. She's also super fun to use in dungeons, has decent speed, and is pretty easy to get the hang of

Fox

12-30-2014, 11:15 AM

Judge Drace
Final Fantasy XII

http://i1144.photobucket.com/albums/o491/xmsrabbit/drace/2efcef77-dee6-4490-98f5-01fc00b264a4_zpsf65861f7.png

"Spare me your lies! I see the serpent coiled here before me!"

It makes me very, very sad that Drace didn't get more screen time. She was an honourable, noble Judge Magister and a mentor and protector to young Lord Larsa. She speaks her mind even when it is dangerous for her to do so, because she believes in true justice, not in being the puppet of some political tyrant. All the Judges are interesting in FFXII, but to me Drace was the best of them. That she only ended up being a 'minor' character is one of the game's biggest failings. Because they were onto a winner here.

Ayen

12-30-2014, 11:23 AM

3.
Clementine from The Walking Dead
http://i62.:bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou:/24w96gw.jpg

Can you guys tell I like zombie games yet? Clementine is the most adorable thing to ever be created by man's hands and I would have left that whole smurfing group from Season One to die if it meant keeping her alive. Her relationship with Lee gave me so many feels I felt like trout when the game finally ended. Watching her grow up into a hardened survivor and distant was heartbreaking, but the natural progression that has to take place in order to survive in that world. Clementine is love. Clementine is life. She's bringing purple back.

CZ11_Jakku

12-30-2014, 04:35 PM

I impart to everyone my top twenty, in no particular order:

Jack
Cloud Strife
Zack Fair
Vincent Valentine
Sephiroth
Cait Sith
Rude
Reno
Kefka Palazzo
Shadow
Umaro
Mog
Cecil Harvey
Kain Highwind
Exdeath
Beatrix
Vivi Ornitier
Auron
Crono
Varric Tethras

Pumpkin

12-30-2014, 04:55 PM

Adelbert Steiner (Final Fantasy IX):
61541

In game use: Steiner is a physical attacker. He can also use sword magic if Vivi is also in your party, which is very useful, especially against some early bosses. During Trance, his attack power TRIPLES

61542

Why I like him: Steiner was originally one of my least favourite Final Fantasy IX characters. I thought he was a huge bummer for not letting the Princess explore. But now I've grown to appreciate his character that much more. He has a lot of development, learning that what the Queen says is not always what's right, and that he has to think and decide those things for himself. I also learned that his over protectiveness of the princess came from a place of love and concern. Also, he's goofy and it makes for some funny scenes

MOMO Mizrahi (Multiple Observative Mimetic Organicus) (Xenosaga series):
61543

In game use: MOMO is a realian, or artificially created life. In all games she is a strong magic user and good healer. In the first game, she is extremely weak physically and attacks with rods. Where she really shines is in the next two games when they make her an archer and up her strength a good bit.

61544

Why I like her: MOMO was always my favourite because of how sweet and caring she was. Her story is also pretty sad, but I won't spoil it. She starts out pretty alone until she makes some friends, and she's very grateful to everyone and will do whatever she can to help. You can also imagine how happy I was when they took my favourite character and made her an archer :omgomg: Although it was pretty unexplained for her to go from using a rod to an ether bow in like an hour between Episode I and II, I still liked it much more. By Episode III she is at her best, although has little relevance to the story at that point,having finished most of her loose ends in Episode II

Rorolina Frixell (Rorona) (Atelier Arland Series):
61545

In game use: She is the main alchemist and protagonist in Atelier Rorona, the teacher of the main alchemist in Atelier Totori, and makes a return as an eight year old child in Atelier Meruru. She's physically weak, but being an alchemist means she's one of the few characters who can use and craft items

61546

Why I like her: I've never played Atelier Rorona, and I didn't like the eight year old Rorona in Meruru. But I did very much enjoy her in Totori. She's a quirky flake of a woman, disappearing for months on end, finally being fished out of a river she fell in to, having weird teaching methods. It's always amusing seeing her with Totori because she's less serious than her student who is like 14 at the time. It's hard to not have some good laughs during a lot of her scenes, and she's certainly an individual. It's also funny hearing her student, who very much likes her, admit that she's not the best teacher. But as flaky as she is, she always means well

Eclair/Dark Eclair (La Pucelle Tactics):
61547

In game use: Having two personalities, Eclair has different stats depending. She's overall balanced as Eclair, while she has poor defense but great attack as Dark Eclair

http://lparchive.org/La-Pucelle-Tactics/Update%2039/39-LPT-00032.jpg

Why I like her: I usually like split personality characters because I like seeing the contrast between two totally different people who are actually the same person. I do prefer Eclair to her darker half, because she's just a nice sweet girl who cares about others and wants to help out.

Ayen

12-30-2014, 05:09 PM

2.
Alma Wade from F.E.A.R.
http://i.imgur.com/A1OB3b6.jpg

Those who follow my reviews, or just my posts in general, shouldn't be the least bit surprised to find this girl on my list. Alma Wade, and the entire F.E.A.R. franchise, is the reason I got back into reviewing games in the first place. Alma is a powerful psychic who was experimented on at a young age, betrayed by her father, and had her own children taken away from her at birth. That's enough to scar any woman. Combine her with a desire for revenge and she becomes the most dangerous thing you could ever meet. She fills a much needed criteria of more women villains in video games. Something I find to be in even shorter supply than the heroes, and I love everything about her. There's a reason she's my mascot on Social Media.

Pumpkin

12-30-2014, 10:15 PM

Never played F.E.A.R. Seems interesting

Next 4!

Electra De Sainte-Coquilles (Rune Factory Tides of Destiny):
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In game use: Electra works pretty much everywhere in town and is the mayor's daughter. She loves making accessories and is a potential romantic interest. Not sure how the Rune Factory universe works or if there's any relation to Sofia of the same last name

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Why I like her: She actually wasn't one of the characters I had considered for a romantic interest, but I found her very endearing. She's sweet and kind and hard working. She has a lot of qualities I wish I had and that I aspire to. Although I do think her and her maid make the best couple

Melia Antiqua (Xenoblade Chronicles):
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In game use: Melia is a mage type character. She can use different "elements" and stack them on her weapons, which will do things like restore minor HP to party members or up their attack, and then she can unleash them on to the enemy to do some damage.

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Why I like her: She is my preferred character to use in battle, but most of the reason I like her is because of the sidequests. She gets so gung ho to help people out, but she's incredibly awkward about it, and lacks some social skills. But she tries and she puts her heart in to it! Her story is very interesting and I admire her for standing so strong in light of what happens

Viola (Eternal Sonata):
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In game use: Viola is an archer, which automatically puts her ahead in my book. She also hits pretty hard compared to most video game archers and can also do some decent healing. The only bummer is trying to aim with her because I... I am not good at that

61556

Why I like her: Viola stands up for herself. She's confident without being arrogant, she fights for what she believes in, and she doesn't take crap from others. She's also just a nice, fun girl who seems like she'd be cool to hang out with. Also awesome archer is awesome. One of my favourite archer characters from any game.

Princess Daisy (Marioverse):
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In game use: Like Yoshi, she can do anything from racing to golf. Whatever you need her for. My favourite is still Tennis :3:

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Why I like her: In a land where the mild mannered Princess Peach getting kidnapped is like a weekly routine, Daisy provides some kick to the royals. She's just so spunky! I really liked using her, especially when I was younger and a lot of the girl options were "girly girl" and "girly girl"

Fox

12-30-2014, 11:01 PM

Plus one for Melia. She and Sharla carried my team through the 2nd half of that game.

Vyk

12-31-2014, 01:04 AM

Hurray for Xenoblade characters in general~ But yeah. It took a minute for her to originally grow on me due to her uppity attitude, but that quickly wears off, and turns out it was just her being what she thought was proper, and when you get to see the real her, it's much better. And still the silvery accent. She's a little wonky to use in combat, but the computer knows how to use her pretty well. I need to up her healing because at the moment I'm at in the game, I need a dedicated healer, and Sharla is way more prepared for devastation. But I have grown to really like Mellia as a character. And she's really fun to have in battle when I'm not fighting for my life

Rez09

12-31-2014, 02:12 AM

So many more characters! :D

I was thinking about adding Minsc this time, but Vyk beat me to it. I guess I can move him into a different category for now and post him later. :)

And I liked Drace a lot too. I heard there was a battle with all the judges in the International version of the game, did she show up in that fight? I don't remember seeing her in battle anywhere else in the game, so it'd be kind of cool if she did.

Up next . . .

Vice (King of Fighters)

http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080427232046/snk/images/c/c6/Vice-sprite1.gif

Another fairly hard pick, because SNK's KoF series has a roster of far too many characters I love waaaayy too much. Fortunately, due to its cross-over nature, I did manage to squeeze at least one contender for this spot into her original series, making the pick slightly easier.

So, what do I love about Vice? Well, I can tell you it has nothing to do with her visual design -- I don't like how she moves in the least, though her outfit I don't mind so much. In fact, I was so off-put by her design that I didn't even bother to seriously try her until drafting in KoF 2K2 UM kept dropping her into my lap. Turns out, Angela and Vice are a LOT alike, and I adore both characters for almost the same reasons. Both characters unexpectedly throw their enemies around a lot, and both have awesome methods of closing gaps -- though Vice's shoulder charge is a far cry from Angela's f+HP. But what Vice has that Angela lacks are followups, particularly in her airthrow which she can link from her shoulder charge and, in some games, one of her other command throws. It's a really nice one-two feeling that I love. On top of that, one of her super throws includes a leap that dodges (most) projectiles, which feels beyond great to land on someone after you land the one-two and dash away to bait a projectile.

Not really legit, but it shows off what she can do either way.

kTw6n7AW1fY

(So much throwing! <3)

Firebrand / Red Arremer (Ghosts 'n' Goblins)

http://thepunkeffect.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/71c956fea3a17e18c719aba9a2c6264f.jpg

I love this guy, or these guys if you want to consider their whole race. In an already irritatingly tough game, these are what I've always found to be the toughest enemies. They move quickly, they dodge your shots, they eat multiple hits, and they'll chase you for miles. I always liked to imagine them as something like the T-800s of the G'n'G universe. Without a doubt they are one of the most exciting enemies to fight in the game (at least until you've mastered the titles to the point no enemies are noteworthy anymore).

But even though that alone is enough to put their race almost up to Arthur level for me, Capcom gave them the chin-up needed to completely beat him out with Firebrand, the little Red Arremer that could. Across three Demon's Quest titles you get to explore the demon world with him, growing stronger as you do, learning to fly longer, jump higher, hit harder, and make platforms on spike walls so you can climb them. You see and feel the improvement with each new or strengthened ability you get, and you reach new heights and locations together. Because of that I ended up with an attachment to Firebrand that I never had with Arthur; Firebrand was mah buddy, and that made him and his race my favorite in the lands of Ghosts 'n' Goblins.

It's just too bad Capcom didn't decided to continue the series. :'(

ifPay4RMxCc

Lenneth (Valkyrie Profile)

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSSXjdlJyJPAPkNNAIq2Owo04EYhxMxLSYAyFkpLDr4rHPoI0cFng

Valkyrie Profile is very likely, unless we are counting Tales of Phantasia, my favorite game Tri-Ace has ever made. I love how the combat plays out, the stories of each soul you recruit, the puzzles, the skills and item customization trees, the time units for exploration, the bonuses hard mode opens for the player -- all of it.

And above everything else, I love Lenneth. In combat, she's always a great unit, able to use both swords and bows to your preference, with good combo potential using either. Personality wise, she's strong and confident, maybe seeming a bit cold at times, but her compassion for those she recruits is shown in the game, such as offering Llewelyn a final farewell.

But it's interesting to think that, despite all the sadness the player sees through her eyes, her own story may be the most tragic of all. Neither she nor the player has any indication she has ever been anything but Odin's loyal reaper, but assuming the player pays attention to little hints here and there through the game, her true story can be unlocked. The life she had as a human, tragic and lost, and a love still yearning for her even through her death -- a love she feels deep in her soul somewhere. Cracking that mask with her, piece by piece, and brushing it away for the game's true ending is such a great experience, and it makes Lenneth an easy pick for my favorite character in the series.

Oh, and Nibelung Valesti is all kinds of badass. >: D

MMmsRQ-NehY

Onikage (Tenchu)

https://38.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m94myjorq71ruhuwio1_400.gif

Easiest choice ever. I like Rikimaru, and in terms of actual character I feel like he is better developed, but that doesn't mean Riki is anywhere near as awesome as Onikage. This guy is a ninja in the service of the demon lord Mei-Oh and serves as one of the series' reoccurring antagonists, constantly messing with Rikimaru and Lord Ghoda throughout the series, usually bringing war along for the ride.

I don't really care about that though, I love him because he's hilarious -- and not intentionally so. I have had more silly things happen to me in the Tenchu series than I have encountered glitches in the Elder Scrolls games, and this guy is almost always at the heart of things. I have knocked this man off of a pagoda, only to have him run up the stairs behind me almost instantly afterwards, kick me over while I'm using my health potion, pick it up while I'm on the ground, then drink it himself. I've had him inform me that, 'I cannot beat him when he tries', then dash forward into a grenade I was throwing, knocking me backwards into guards I was running from, who in turn knocked me into caltrops I dropped while fleeing, where he dashkicked me, knocking me BACK into the guards and onto the caltrops AGAIN, where he summarily kicked me in the face and killed me. Glorious. I've also shot exploding arrows at people using him in multiplayer while they dash attacked me, missed, had it land underneath him, launching him through the air and over the building, all while he lets out the best scream EVER. And speaking of multiplayer, he has a special jumpkick in T3 that causes UNGODLY lag sometimes for NO reason. Like, you don't even have to hit people and it randomly causes lag. I've had matches where I just sit on top of buildings and try to fall on people in their crippled frame rate with the damn thing -- it's amazing. Of course, sometimes it doesn't cause lag and I just fall in front of people as well, but, eh, what can you do.

I'll tell you what you do: you go find ANOTHER building, then do your dashing attack off of the building and try to hit people with THAT instead -- SCREW lag. They'll hear that scream, they'll know you're coming for them, legs flailing like a madman, but they never expect from WHERE you're coming. It's like living that Winnie the Poo quote, you just yell, 'Halllooooo!' when you go over, and when they look up . . . you fall on them.

Or you fall on your ass next to them, it's all the same really. This character is always a blast to play as or against, and I absolutely adore him for all of the wrong reasons.

God, I even love his music.

wU6odaJDpkM

OoooOoooOoOOOOOOOOOOOO~~

Forsaken Lover

12-31-2014, 02:35 AM

So I did DA, now for my other recently played games.

Magus - Chrono Trigger
Kid - Chrono Cross

I loved them both so much. Magus had the best motivation and character arc of anyone in Trigger and Kid was just a whole lot of feisty fun who turned out to have a lot more to her than that.

Vermachtnis

12-31-2014, 02:57 AM

Melia's my controlled character too, but because I thought the computer was ass with her. But I went full DPS when I played and never worried about healing.

And Daisy's my favorite Princess too. I always use her in the Mario Party and Sports games and I use her colors in Smash Bros. And I can't remember what game it was, I think it was one of the Party games on the Gamecube, but in the intro cutscene she slaps the crap outta Bowser.

Pumpkin

12-31-2014, 06:12 AM

I've thought about playing Valkyrie Profile, but I'm still undecided

Next 4!

Squall Leonhart (Final Fantasy VIII):
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In game use: Squall is the main hero of the game. He fights using a gunblade, and has perfect accuracy. Most of his stats will depend on how you Junction him, but I believe he naturally has one of the higher defenses in game as well

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Why I like him: Yes, Squall is on this list. Not even ashamed. I think he's the best written FF protagonist, and the one I could identify with most. Sure, he acts like a cold jerkass, but I loved seeing the difference between his inner thoughts and the attitude he put out for everyone to see, because they were very different. I like that we got an insight in to his mind, his thoughts, and it helped me realize he was more like a child putting on a tough front rather than an emo jerk. He's scared of losing the people close to him, which is understandable when you think of his past, and so he tries to keep people at a distance, but he always cares underneath it all. I also really loved the love story with him and Rinoa

Ling Xiaoyu (Tekken 3 onward):
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In game use: Again, I'm really not a fighting game expert, but she's a fast character. That's what I know about her. Very quick

http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/tekken/images/0/07/Asuka_versus_Xiaoyu_-_T6_BR.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110910173845&path-prefix=en

Why I like her: Probably my favourite Tekken character to use (although that spot is on its way to being taken over by Lili) because she's very quick, and I'm actually good at remembering her moves. I know! I'm awful at combos and stuff in fighting games, but I actually managed to memorize a few with her. I still can't use her to her full potential, but I'm pretty good and I think she's fun to play

Mistral (Mayumi Kurokawa) (.hack series):
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In game use: Mistral plays a Wavemaster job, which is basically a mage like character. Although physically very weak, she can unleash some incredibly powerful spells

http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu31/topherscott/hack%204/Screenshot-7_26_201010_16_57PM.jpg

Why I like her: Despite her liberal use of smilies, Mistral is just... awesome. Seriously, play the game. Not only is she useful in battle, but she's bubbly and cheery and just so much fun to have around. Her irl character is a maried woman who enjoys cooking, does some type of admin work, and eventually leaves the game for a while because she has a baby. AWWW. She's just bright and happy and cheery and sweet but she manages to do all of it without it being annoying

Sayane (Record of Agarest War Zero):
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In game use: Another mage like character, and also a potential romantic interest for your first generation hero.

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Why I like her: I was actually worried about not liking her, because she came off as Miss Perfect at first. She's obviously quite pretty, smart and funny and sweet and her only fault being she is so bad at directions that she can't tell left from right. But actually in game she just came across like a really nice lady. She's a bit mischievous, but she also does a good job at being Team Mom and caring for others

Ayen

12-31-2014, 12:38 PM

1.
Yuna from Final Fantasy X
http://i.imgur.com/snLqg7g.png

pfft, don't even act surprise, you knew this was coming. You didn't? I'll try to confess my Yuna love harder in the future.

Yuna is a character I have more in common with than any other character I've come across in video games. We're both rather quiet (I know it's hard to imagine, but in real life I am), had to learn to stick up for ourselves, was brought up in a religion we never really questioned, stubborn, conservative, etc. I love her kindness and how self-sacrificing she is. I love the way she grows up and becomes independent in X-2. I just love everything about her. Yuna is my soulmate. Move over, Tidus.

sharkythesharkdogg

12-31-2014, 04:17 PM

This is in no particular order, but here's the first.

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz318/sharkythesharkdogg/Samus_zps06bc9b13.jpg

Metroid Game Series.
Favorite Appearance to date. Super Metroid (no surprise)

This is the "real" Samus to me. None of this 5'1" crap or whatever she's supposed to be now. She's a no nonsense 6'3" 200lb cybernetically enhanced bruiser, but she's smart and she has morals. I actually didn't mind the approach they took towards her personality in the prequels. She hardened up over the years full of tough jobs in remote settings working alone.

Pumpkin

12-31-2014, 04:53 PM

Yuna is pretty awesomesauce! I have never played a Metroid game, all I know is she gets progressively girlier looking as time goes on

Mimi Houllier von Schwarzlang (Atelier Totori/Atelier Meruru):
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In game use: Mimi was actually a pretty decent character to use. She wasn't the toughest, but she was quick and still packed a decent punch. She uses spears in battle

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Why I like her: While I didn't dislike her in Totori, she really shines for me in Meruru. I like seeing how far she's come since Totori, while still being herself. It's obvious she's making an effort to be a better, more grown up person, and it shows. Her relationship with Totori is probably my favourite in game because they both know and respect who the other is. Totori doesn't pressure her to open up more or faster, she just lets Mimi be her friend in Mimi's way, and vice versa. And I really liked that

Leia Rolando (Tales of Xillia, Tales of Xillia 2):
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In game use: Leia can do all kinds of stuff in battle. She can heal and buff and attack. She uses staves in battle. She was my favourite to use because she's quick and easy to get the hang of

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Why I like her: I thought I wouldn't at first because I have a low tolerance for high energy. It just exhausts me. And Leia is introduced as VERY high energy. But as I got to know her and see who she really was, we see that she acts that way because she's insecure on the inside, something I can understand all too well. But she's incredibly sweet and caring, even sticking by Elize when Elize has her moments of mean. There's still some stuff she does or has done to bug me, but she always means well and she has a big heart. And she's goofy and fun

Olivia (Fire Emblem:Awakening):
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In game use: Olivia starts out as a Dancer, which is mostly a support role. She's not a great attacker and her defense is pretty lacking, but she can do stuff like give a unit a second turn in battle.

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Why I like her: Olivia is a sweetheart, although ridiculously shy. But she has a good heart. She also has some of the funnier support scenes, like mistaking Kellam for a tree

Margeurite Fatima (Margie) (Xenogears):
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In game use: She supports you in battle that one time. I think its just that once. Other than that is an NPC

http://lparchive.org/Xenogears/Update%2031/2-SLUS_006.69_31072007_013531_0234.jpg

Why I like her: Oh look, a Xenogears character I actually care about! It's a shame she isn't playable. But I like her because she's a kind woman, and always has everyone else in mind, even when she's in a bad situation. I also enjoy how she interacts with others. The character felt very real and likeable to me

Ayen

12-31-2014, 04:56 PM

This is in no particular order, but here's the first.

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/metroid/images/d/d8/Samus_Aran_Varia_suit_Super_Metroid_Player%27s_Guide_1994.jpg/revision/20130627200457

Metroid Game Series.
Favorite Appearance to date. Super Metroid (no surprise)

This is the "real" Samus to me. None of this 5'1" crap or whatever she's supposed to be now. She's a no nonsense 6'3" 200lb cybernetically enhanced bruiser, but she's smart and she has morals. I actually didn't mind the approach they took towards her personality in the prequels. She hardened up over the years full of tough jobs in remote settings working alone.

They made her 5'1? The poor woman is shorter than my mother.

sharkythesharkdogg

12-31-2014, 05:38 PM

Forsaken Lover

12-31-2014, 05:47 PM

Ya know Pumpkin, what you said you liked about Margie, it also completely fits Elly too. The two ladies have very similar personalities, even if Elly's role in the story is far greater.

Pumpkin

12-31-2014, 05:48 PM

I just didn't like Elly very much. I guess she didn't imprint on me as well or something :/

Vyk

12-31-2014, 08:03 PM

Elly is very ... conflicted in the first branch of the game. A very long branch. But she gets much better as she comes to terms with things about herself and her world. Her problem is that she thought she had it all figured out and turned out she was completely wrong about everything and had no idea how to deal with it, so she kinda spazzed. It made her bipolar for a long while. And then she relaxed and came to terms with how messed up things are and what she needs to do to fix it. The only problem I have with her is that once she sets her sights on righting all the wrongs, she immediately simply becomes Fei's tag-along and love interest and nothing more. I kinda wish she was able to keep her spunk and independence, but I can understand why they changed her. And as much crap as I give the Japanese for their stories and tropes and treatment of women in games, I'm glad her and the rest of the cast were handled as well as they were for as long as they were. And she wasn't forgotten in the last leg of the game, her role just changed. But if you didn't make it that far, I could understand how she would grate on your nerves or something. Especially during her bipolar phases

Pumpkin

12-31-2014, 08:34 PM

She didn't grate on me. I've read the whole script. The thing about Xenogears is that I really don't care about any of the playable characters. I don't even care enough to hate any of them. I love love love the story, but as you'll see when I do my top games list, it is nowhere near as high as some games with far worse stories because characters, for whatever reason, are most important to me in most games. Xenogears didn't manage to write any characters that I actually like which automatically makes me less invested in the game

Its sad, because I think a lot of them are well written, but I dunno. Just didn't do it for me I guess

Pumpkin

01-01-2015, 05:55 AM

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Let us celebrate with more characters!

Selphie Tilmitt (Final Fantasy VIII):
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In game use: Most of it depends on how you junction her, but she fights with nunchaku and her limit break kind of jumbles some stuff around and long story short, she can use The End, which basically ends any boss fight ever

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Why I like her: I like her for the same reason I like Zell. She's fun, she's boisterous, she's spunky. She... has a weird violent side? She loves trains, so she also has something in common with my 4 year old child. And that's always a plus for a parent. She just makes everything more fun!

Claves (Eternal Sonata):
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In game use: Claves fights with a rapier and is one of the healing characters. She starts out as a rather subpar character. She really starts to shine after you get her back later in the game (if you do) and becomes a really good character and talented healer

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Why I like her: I'll be honest, a large part of it is her character design, which I adore for some reason. Besides that, she's overall a really sweet lady and her love story is pretty engaging, although tragic. What I don't like is her being a walking spoiler and also how she's optional late game

Yayoi (Record of Agarest War):
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In game use: Yayoi is kind of like a Black Mage character in Final Fantasy terms, although you can customize her to heal. She has great magic stats, and is one of the potential romantic interests in generation 2.

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Why I like her: Well for one thing, she was gracious enough to take all of the clothing missing from the other potential brides and add it to her pants. Mostly she's just a really nice and sweet girl and has the added bonus of being an awesome magic user. She also touches on things we don't often get to see in games like homesickness and a sisterly friendship with her romantic rival

Quina Quen (Final Fantasy IX):
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In game use: Quina is a blue mage. S/he learns abilities by eating enemies who are low on health. When in Trance, Quina can cook the enemy, meaning they won't need to be quite as weak before Quina can eat them. S/he fights with forks

61603

Why I like him/her: Such a pretty sight after miss Yayoi! Now I don't care what anyone thinks, Quina is my second favourite FFIX character. S/he is so positive, so upbeat. S/he even gives support to his/her companions when they need it in his/her own way. S/he gets so excited and happy that I can't help but get excited an happy! Also, food is awesome and Quina knows it. Quina doesn't care what you think

Ayen

01-01-2015, 12:17 PM

Yes! Selphie and Quina are awesome. They should team up.

Karifean

01-01-2015, 01:09 PM

Having just finished reading G-senjou no Maou, I am naturally awestruck and cannot help but present one particular character. It seems characters with the name Kyousuke have a flair for being amazing.

http://i.imgur.com/qPmLNb8.png

Azai Kyousuke (G-senjou no Maou)

I love how quickly G-senjou throws all ambiguity regarding this guy out the window. The best anti-hero I've seen in quite a while.

Why I like him

It's going to be hell trying to describe Kyousuke without spoiling like half of G-senjou's plot, but I'll try as good as I can. Kyousuke is the adopted son of yakuza boss Azai Gonzou, who is to be blamed for Kyousuke's current situation. He helps with his father's work, but not because he likes being a yakuza; because he wants to pay off his debt. The reason he became Gonzou's adopted son is because his father left with a huge debt, and Gonzou's loan sharks would show no mercy, and so Kyousuke starts working for him so that at the very least his mother can continue living. It goes without saying that Kyousuke cares little for his foster father and would probably kill him if he could.

But that's just one side of Kyousuke. On the public side of things, he's just a normal high school student, albeit the brother of a highly successful ice skating prodigy.

Enter Usami Haru. A rather strange girl who transferred to Kyousuke's school with the apparent goal of catching a person called 'Maou'. Shortly thereafter, Gonzou also tells Kyousuke to catch this person, because they cause trouble for the Azai Corporation. And this is where the plot really does throw out all ambiguity regarding the connection between Kyousuke and Maou, for you see Kyousuke is a "frightfully forgetful" person, suffering from "headaches which cause temporary memory loss on recent events". Seeing the plot unfold with a perspective switching between the Kyousuke who knows nothing and the Maou who is the mastermind behind all the events makes for a very engaging plot.

Kyousuke is a character with quite variable character development depending on which story route you go through which is always great. Sometimes he turns into the most sadistic monster imaginable, other times he becomes a most loveable Paulus-type character. There are several more reasons why I love him, but discussing those would be inevitable spoilers. I already spoiled too much, although it's mostly from the first 2-3 hours of gameplay.

I shall leave you with this image of our most beloved Maou.

http://i.imgur.com/YU8ym2H.png

2015, you better live up to the expectations I now have of you.

Pumpkin

01-02-2015, 06:30 AM

Lily (Rune Factory Tides of Destiny):
61611

In game use: Lily runs the Inn with her two sisters. She also sings songs and plays the lute. At least I think its a lute? She's clumsy and she's a terrible cook. She like fruit parfait, fruit almost anything, but not baked apples!

61612

Why I like her: Lily is the eldest of the three sisters on Fenith Island. And that's what she feels like. A big sister. I've never really had a video game character make me think 'I wish I had a big sister like her". She's sweet, she's caring, she can't cook but she sure does try, and she loves her sisters so much. They get along so well its ridiculous.

Anna Williams (Tekken 1 onwards):
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In game use: Anna basically started out as a different looking Nina, but as the games have progressed, she's developed her own moves. I find her generally easier to use than Nina, but that's probably a personal preference

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Why I like her: Hey remember when Anna had black hair?! Really the reason I like her is because when Tekken started, there were limited female characters and Anna was pretty. So I kept using her and now I'm just used to using her. She's a terrible sister though. I think its funny she's following Lily. Also, she's had some gosh awful outfits (that octopus thing?) but overall I enjoy her style and I also enjoy her confidence in herself

Squirtle (Pokemon):
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In game use: Squirtle is a water-type Pokemon, and also one of the three starters available to you in the first Pokemon game. He is a turtle and evolves in to Wartortle and Blastoise

61616

Why I like him: Yes, I'm counting Squirtle as a character. Deal with it. I like Squirtle because he is a cool water pokemon who is also adorable and badass. And because you get him so early, there's plenty of bonding time!

Jade Curtiss (Tales of the Abyss):
61617

In game use: Jade is basically a powerful Black Mage who uses Spears. But he isn't as weak as more spellcasters. He starts out overpowered but because no game will just give you that, he gets downgraded a few notches. He's still one of the more useful party members, though

61618

Why I like him: I wasn't expecting to like him at all. He's snarky and conceited and a sociopath. No seriously, he is actually a sociopath. Which is where his character started to get interesting. Instead of just making him Mr. All Powerful Cool Guy, they actually made a DEEPLY flawed character and they wrote him very well. His story is one of the more interesting in the game, and I think the character was really well fleshed out

Forsaken Lover

01-02-2015, 05:25 PM

Hey now! Anna isn't so bad! You might recall Tekken 3 in which Nina, Anna's sister, lost her memory. Anna helps her and takes her to their parents' grave and Nina rewards her by slapping her across the face. Or punching her. Something like that.

Tiny me loved Anna for...obvious reasons. Ahem.

Ayen

01-02-2015, 05:58 PM

On the subject of Nina, I found two moves with Nina in Tekken Tag 2 that I just used over and over again and the computer never blocked the attack. They would just stand there and die.

Pumpkin

01-02-2015, 05:59 PM

Well no, she's not all bad. But let's face it, she's not going to win any sister of the year awards. Neither of them are. They're kinda psycho o.o

Vyk

01-02-2015, 06:19 PM

One of them got their own action spy game on the PS2. I don't recall it being all that good..

Forsaken Lover

01-02-2015, 06:41 PM

It was Nina and it wasn't that good. Although I think Nina's VA in the game was Mary-Elizabeth McGlynn who is awesome.

Isn't Ninja Gaiden the only example of a fighter spinoff that did well? That guy was from Dead or Alive i think? But compared to MK Mythologies Sub-Zero, Death By Degrees, Ninja Gaiden is a super hit.

Unless we count Dead or Alive XTreme Beach Volleyball. That did well.

Ayen

01-02-2015, 06:52 PM

He was in Dead or Alive, but they've been making Ninja Gaiden games since the NES days.

Forsaken Lover

01-02-2015, 06:58 PM

Really? I didn't know that. Interesting. So DOA is more like a spinoff of Ninja Gaiden, kinda-sorta.

You just play it for teh bewbies anyway.

Ayen

01-02-2015, 07:03 PM

I haven't hit puberty yet when I first played so I played it for the ninja.

In an attempt to stay on topic, Christie from DOA5 was a beast and I made my nephew cry.

Vyk

01-02-2015, 08:03 PM

Hitomi and Helena are my girls in that game. But if you want to talk about good fighting game spin-offs, the Shaolin Monks game from Mortal Kombat was pretty entertaining

Amusingly enough I'm playing two new games that were off my radar until this recent Steam sale. The Fall has you play as an almost sentient A.I. on-board a power suit that crash landed from orbit onto an alien planet that is home to a decommission station full of rogue A.I. that want to dismantle and recycle you. Your pilot occupant is unconscious and barely alive. You have full autonomy over the suit so you can attempt to find him medical treatment and hope to save his life. The suit's A.I. is called A.R.I.D. and one of the friendlier AI took to calling "her" Arid. And she quickly became one of my favorite video game characters. So blunt and to the point and robotic and super dedicated to her mission, just like an A.I. would be. Very well done

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And then there's Kovac from How To Survive who is writing a survival guide on the zombie apocalypse going on, on these islands the game takes place in. Whenever you find a chapter a little animation pops up narrated by Kovac. They're really entertaining and mildly educational to the ways of the game. One of the better tutorials, and one of the better tutorial characters in games. He's one of those engineer types whose motto is that "if it looks stupid, but it works; it's not stupid". And his zany no-care attitude towards you and the zombies helps push it that extra little mile into campy surreal over-the-top amusement. As one reviewer said, Kovac should have his own show

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Hurray for obscure indie characters. It's been a good christmas. Hopefully I haven't typo'd very much and am at least mildly understandable. I'm a bit tipsy. First couple days off after the holidays in retail. Needed to relax. Enjoy my games. And share their awesome characters in the process~

Rez09

01-20-2015, 08:54 AM

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It's been a while and, after pondering back and forth, I've selected a few new characters to add to the list. :D

Numbah 1!

Handsom Jack (Borderlands 2)

http://www.gamesabyss.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/handsome-jack.jpg

Did you know that some people actually don't like this guy? Like, seriously, some people don't. :o And maybe it's because they kind of grew attached to certain characters, or maybe they have that whole empathy thing down better than I do, but, I dunno, he kept me entertained the entire time I was playing Borderlands 2 and he's a pretty easy pick for my favorite in the game. I mean, Claptrap was almost close, what with his birthday party making me feel terrible for him and that scene where he's all ready to go after Jack and the door opens and . . . you know what, I love this game.

But, talking about Jack himself, he . . . is a complete self-absorbed jerk, claiming to be bringing peace to Pandora while being, quite simply, the worst thing to ever happen to it. He conducts live tests on animals and people, relishes torture, destroys towns, murders innocent people, intentionally sacrifices at least two people 'close' to him, twists his way into ownership of a massive conglomerate, and the list could go on. He is ingeniously devilish, and I love it.

And his dialogue, man oh man, I find most villains end up the most interesting characters in games, but Jack is a cut above the rest. Usually there is a point where I'm not terribly interested in what they are saying and just want to continue the game, but this is one of the few instances where I was almost always looking forward to hearing him, even when he was just babbling about looking forward to killing me. He's always so mocking and condescending, and it makes getting under his skin just that much more satisfying, especially his reaction to relatively minor things like destroying his statues in Opportunity. His voice actor does an amazing job too, and really brings the whole character to life.

I honestly had pretty low expectations for Borderlands 2, since it fits snugly into TWO genres I don't enjoy, but this character ALONE made the game worth playing, regardless of the fact the game outside of him is super enjoyable. Mr. Jack, I tip my hat to you.
:hattip:

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Numbah 2!

Aran Ryan (Punch-Out!!)

http://static.gamesradar.com/images/mb/GamesRadar/us/Games/P/Punch%20Out%20Wii/Everything%20Else/Stereotypes/PO_Ryan02--article_image.jpg

So, funny story, I love the Punch-Out series, and Punch-Out!! on the Wii is actually my favorite in the series so far, and no small part of that is due to the added character each opponent was given through their pre-fight cutscenes and ring animations. Everyone has TONS of character to them and SUPER enjoyable to fight, ESPECIALLY when the rematches happen and, quite frankly, trout gets completely ridiculous (A manhole cover, really? That . . . that's allowed?!).

The biggest surprise of the game, for me anyway, came from Aran Ryan, an opponent added in the previous installment on the SNES. An EXCEPTIONALLY BORING and EASILY THE MOST DISAPPOINTING addition that game made. When I saw he was the first match in the final circuit of the new game, I was sooooooo disappointed, especially after the Flamenco fight. Seriously, what the hell were they going to do with this guy? Uggggh. Then his loading screen came up.

I was completely sold.

Aran is pretty well COMPLETELY remade for the game, and, much like Jack, he is a complete DICK. He is hyperactive during the loading screen, hopping around and yelling in your ear, he's a menace and a vandal in his cutscene, and he is all over the place in the fight. Even better, not only is he constantly moving, he is one of two fights with unique mechanics to them, as his attacks have to be countered instead of dodged to do any meaningful damage to him, so you have to shake up the normal strategy to fight him. OH, and if the intro scene didn't give it away, he is completely down with cheating during the fight and packs a pretty nasty headbutt, then in the rematch a brick (I think it was) inside a glove. He's an easy fight in both matches once you know what you are doing, something shared with his SNES counterpart, despite cheating, but it still adds tons of flavor to what was otherwise a crazy generic character.

That said, he's also extremely entertaining outside of straight fight mechanics as well. His corner actions between rounds can be extremely amusing, as sometimes the crowd boos at him while throwing things and he yells at them. I'd almost feel bad if I wasn't always amused by the event. He also taunts you while you are down, as seen in the image above, which other people kind of do, only not really, while he has a complete blast with it.

After finishing both runs through the game and, after God knows how any attempts, finally beating Donkey Kong, Aran Ryan was EASILY my favorite fight in both the game and series, and that makes him my easy Punch-Out pick. :)

Also, to highlight JUST how much of an improvement he got between Super Punch-Out and Punch-Out!!, here are videos of both fights with him (they aren't that long, don't worry).

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Numbah 3!

Cranky Kong (Donkey Kong Country)

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I just realized my entire list is composed of jerks so far. <_<

Cranky, however, isn't so bad as the previous two, and I have a lot less to say about him. I just love his 'everything was better in my day' attitude, and he always amused me. There's just something about that cranky old grandpa character beating people with sticks. It's too bad he never yelled at DK to get off of his lawn.

http://2e130c55e0c2763c8a20-c7a4d0feffd26319b59c92c4aecae366.r18.cf1.rackcdn.com/e955bc88fbb00e11212f22c6c96048a318b93697.jpg

Really, that's all I've got for the guy too. I mean, he showed up and did more stuff in the series (See also: mad scientist in DK64 for whatever reason. :o), and he does offer semi-helpful tips for finding secrets in DKC, but I just visited him for the silly scoldings between stages.

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I wish I could've found that phonograph in a stage somewhere. :(

And, finally, numbah 4!

Star Man (Pro Wrestling)

http://cdn.wikimg.net/strategywiki/images/3/39/Pro_Wrestling_Star_Man.png

Hey! The first person on the list who might be a genuinely nice person! I mean, once you get past the kicks /punches to the chest / face, suplexes, brainbusters, and body slams. And flying cross chop and somersault kick. Man, bro's 6' 3" as well, never noticed that. Ack. X_X

Anyway, if you've never played Pro Wrestling, there's no story, just matches, so there isn't any backstory or personality to Star Man. What he does have, however, are two super easy special attacks and a rocking pink outfit. The somersault kick is easily the most visually impressive attack in the game, unless you manage to brainbuster someone out of the ring, and the crowd applauds whenever you land it, which pretty much makes you a total badass for using it. You do have to lock up with people to pull it off though, which can be a bit shady if you aren't as quick with your fingers as they are.

Fortunately, you also have to magical ability to propel yourself at high speeds into their face with the flying chop (I swear it's really an elbow to the face), also garnering applause, which is also, it turns out, completely badass, and thus makes an excellent plan B if you space yourself right. Like, seriously, that thing comes out super quick and does great damage. It does suck if you miss though, because you fall on your face and the enemy will totally take advantage of that, but it's worth the risk.

Everything is worth the risk when you do it for the crowd.

So yeah, Starman had great offensive options, cool looking attacks, an awesome pink suit to shame your foes, and is my favorite wrestling game character. :D

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Pumpkin

01-20-2015, 04:48 PM

Ooooh I was actually planning to do this myself because I has new game characters from playing new games :D
I haven't played any of the games you've listed though :<

Flonne (Disgaea):
http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100618130049/disgaea/en/images/2/20/Flonne_Avatar_%28Disgaea%29.jpg

In game use: Flonne is an Angel type, and she is best at magic, starting off with healing and learning attack magic later on.

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Why I like her: Well, she's adorably sweet, but more than that she's just funny. She's not the brightest by any means, so she comes out with some weird stuff. Such as her introduction of telling someone she's an assassin. And her sneaking, "sneaking", which includes her going through the halls like "Nin nin nin nin nin". I don't even know. Buts she makes me laugh :lol:

Medli (Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker):
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In game use: Medli can kind of be controlled for a little while in the Earth Temple. Her main use is as a non playable character where she assists Link in other, spoilery ways.

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Why I like her: Well she just looks adorable to begin with. But I was happy to find that she's very kind and very polite. Someone I would love to have as a friend. She takes her duties seriously and she works really hard.

Eryn (Fair Fencer F):
http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/fairy-fencer-f/images/b/b0/Alyn.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width/250?cb=20140511045622

In game use: Eryn is a Fairy and inhabits the main characters Fury (weapon). She defaults as a sword, but can also turn his weapon in to an axe, knuckle, and gun. So for those of you confused, she is basically playable in battle as a weapon to the main character.

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Why I like her: Eryn plays kind of the straight man for a good chunk of the game, calling the main characters out on their crap. But she does it because she cares. She's also a part of what I think is (surprisingly from this of type of game) one of the better love triangles I've seen, acknowledging who the object of her affection really has feelings for an respecting that, staying his true friend until the end. She gets annoyed but she's very caring and sweet.

Pearl/Blackpearl (Legend of Mana):
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In game use: As Pearl, gameplay wise, she's fairly useless. However, as Blackpearl she is one of the best guest characters in the whole game, being able to kill certain bosses with minimal effort.

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Why I like her: If you remember from the Eclair post, I enjoy characters with split personalities. On the one hand, Pearl is as sweet as can be, which I really like and would have also added her to this list if she was just Pearl. But Blackpearl is awesome in a different way, coming off as strong but with her own issues to face. They're both well written and interesting characters merged in to one

Rez09

01-21-2015, 03:25 PM

I love Flonne; she's the only reoccurring character from the original game I'm always happy to see. :D I love when she steals the introduction scene from Etna (who I actually don't really like at all) in the first game, and Flonnezilla! >: D

http://www.siliconera.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/20130723123046_thumb.jpg

That said, she's actually tied for my favorite character from the series, and since you already got her I'll go ahead and pick my other favorite! \ ^_^ /
(And a few other NIS characters :roll2)

Seraph Lamington (Disgaea: Hour of Darkness)

http://www.tradecardsonline.com/img/cards/weiss-schwarz/1898/big/DG-S02-043.jpg

Depending on how one looks at it, either Lamington or Vulcanus is what can be considered the 'villain' of the original game, though Vulcanus generally fills the role more accurately, being the generally despicable asshat that he is. Lamington is actually a pretty damn nice guy, perhaps even a bit unfortunately so, and is fully worthy of the praise Flonne gives him, even if it isn't apparent to the player why until the end of the game.

Needless to say, as the leader of Celestia he is much better aware of the events in the Netherworld than it initially appears, and his thoughts are a lot more in line with Flonne's than Vulcanus'. Assassination isn't his card, so there's a lot more to his intentions than meet the eye, especially when one begins to examine Vyers. I won't say anymore because it's something the player should piece together, but when all is said and done in the game, Lamington ended up the most interesting character to me, and although he's basically been forgotten by NIS he's an easy tie for my favorite character in the franchise.

Marona (Phantom Brave)

http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/nipponichi/pb-12.jpg

You know who puts up with a lot of crap? Marona. She uses her special abilities to help everyone, and they basically spit on her for it. Still she presses on, hoping against hope that eventually people will appreciate her, doing what she's doing because it's the right thing. She even gives up her shot at her dream to help someone who has not only done nothing but mean things to her, but was effectively trying to steal that dream from her in the first place.

Now, normally this hyper-self sacrificing personality doesn't especially resonate with me, but there are a few things she says during the game, and the fact that she is 13, that I find make it work, as I can believe in her unwhittled optimism and determination to both make things better and that they will become better. She's one of those fairly rare characters I felt the ups and downs with as I played the game, and I greatly appreciate her for both that and her personality.

http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/029/8/7/87a9a62b3dce3848ae77cbfe4cb3d7bc-d4o0h71.gif

Asagi (various NIS titles)

http://images.sgcafe.net/2012/11/Asagi-the-Eternal-Next-Main-Character-500x291.png

The card says it all. Asagi is a character without a game, as her's was continually delayed until inevitable cancellation, who often invades other NIS titles with the intention of beating the main character and stealing the game from them. I believe she first appeared in Makai Kingdom (at least that's where I first saw her), but my personal favorite appearance of hers was in Soul Nomad where she has a legion of fans cheering her name. She doesn't have the most consistant personality, nor does she have much of a story to speak of, but she is generally hilarious and probably the NIS character I most look forward to seeing in any game, barring perhaps the Pringer-X. I also really love her visual design. :D

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That's all I've got for now. :)