“Iconic Video Game Characters: Then and Now”

No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally – and often far more – worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond.

-C.S. Lewis

Time, it’s been said, is all we have. This great resource brings with it all the experiences of life and the ravages of age. Sometimes it refines a man into a silver fox. Other times a wizened old fool. When it comes to iconic video game characters, we have the luxury of looking across the entire “lifespan” of a digital person from inception to modernity. It can be surprising how much a character concept has changed over the years.

Let’s visit the pasts and the presents of these icons and see just how much they’ve changed. Just like our dear Donkey Kong who became Cranky Kong, we can see these characters side by side: their then and now.

Lara Croft

Tomb Raider (1996) – Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018)

Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong Country (1994) – Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (2014)

Pac-Man

Pac-Man (1980) – Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures (2013-2015)

Super Mario

Donkey Kong (1981) – Super Mario Odyssey (2017)

Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) – Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)

Snake

Metal Gear (1987) – Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008)

Tifa Lockhart

Final Fantasy VII (1997) – Final Fantasy VII Remake (2020)

Link

The Legend of Zelda (1986) – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)

Bleu / Deis

Breath of Fire (1993) – Breath of Fire IV (2000)

Batman

Batman (1989) – Batman: Arkham Knight (2015)

Pikachu

Pokémon Red/Blue (1996) – Pokémon Let’s Go: Pikachu! (2018)

Rockman

Mega Man (1987) – Mega Man 11 (2018)

Scorpion

Mortal Kombat (1992) – Mortal Kombat 11 (2019)

Kratos

God of War (2005) – God of War (2018)

Samus Aran

Metroid (1986) – Metroid Dread (2021)

Jason Voorhees

Friday the 13th (1989) – Friday the 13th: The Game (2017)

Sora

Kingdom Hearts (2002) – Kingdom Hearts III (2019)

Wario

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992) – WarioWare: Get It Together! (2021)

Tom Nook

Animal Crossing (2001) – Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020)

Kirby

Kirby’s Dream Land (1992) – Kirby Fighters 2 (2020)

Bill Rizer & Lance Bean

Contra (1987) – Contra Returns (2017)

Morrigan Aensland

Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors (1994) – Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite (2017)

Ryu

Street Fighter (1987) – Street Fighter V: Champion Edition (2020)

Bowser, Great Demon King

Super Mario Bros. (1985) – Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (2021)

Thanks for reading our list of iconic video game characters: then and now! By all means, let us know who we missed… There’s always another article for another day!

Red formerly ran The Well-Red Mage and now serves The Pixels as founder, writer, editor, and podcaster. He has undertaken a seemingly endless crusade to talk about the games themselves in the midst of a culture obsessed with the latest controversy, scandal, and news cycle about harassment, toxicity, and negativity. Pick out his feathered cap on Twitter @thewellredmage or Mage Cast.