Kai Dracon
Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
Alright, I'm just pondering who the all time, all-star champions are of video and computer game character design. Which characters do you think are the truely great, timeless designs - at least as much as we can determine based on the relatively short history (for now) of gaming design art.
Don't just post the name of your pick - take a moment to explain why that character is a true classic. If you can be objective, don't restrict your picks to characters you adore personally - why do you think a given character lasts so long, even if you don't like 'em yourself?
My pick, to start it off:
Samus Aran has got to be one of the true champions.
For starters, the classic Power Suit is one of the greatest (some argue, the greatest) powered armor designs of all time. The strength of the design is apparent given that it uses what would normally be seen as cartoony, gaudy colors - yet it works for the Power Suit. The suit also lends itself to reinterpretations and variants without compromising the essence of what makes it distinctive. More than intital appearance, there's a strong creativity to Samus' design that also makes her well-suited (har har) to flexible game mechanics. The morph ball for example, perhaps one of the most innovative concepts ever for a mechanical design. The morph ball's full potential has only recently been tapped by the Metroid Prime games. But what other character out there has something like it? It truly is something uniquely Samus. And it lends itself to innovative play.
In addition to all this, many other small details add to the overall aura of the character. That Samus is a woman and put in the role of the silent, stoic explorer/hunter lends a dissonance for our expectations and an air of mystery. We're not sure just what Samus is capable of doing. After all this time there is still depth to be explored; the character doesn't seem worn out.
Don't just post the name of your pick - take a moment to explain why that character is a true classic. If you can be objective, don't restrict your picks to characters you adore personally - why do you think a given character lasts so long, even if you don't like 'em yourself?
My pick, to start it off:
Samus Aran has got to be one of the true champions.
For starters, the classic Power Suit is one of the greatest (some argue, the greatest) powered armor designs of all time. The strength of the design is apparent given that it uses what would normally be seen as cartoony, gaudy colors - yet it works for the Power Suit. The suit also lends itself to reinterpretations and variants without compromising the essence of what makes it distinctive. More than intital appearance, there's a strong creativity to Samus' design that also makes her well-suited (har har) to flexible game mechanics. The morph ball for example, perhaps one of the most innovative concepts ever for a mechanical design. The morph ball's full potential has only recently been tapped by the Metroid Prime games. But what other character out there has something like it? It truly is something uniquely Samus. And it lends itself to innovative play.
In addition to all this, many other small details add to the overall aura of the character. That Samus is a woman and put in the role of the silent, stoic explorer/hunter lends a dissonance for our expectations and an air of mystery. We're not sure just what Samus is capable of doing. After all this time there is still depth to be explored; the character doesn't seem worn out.