Pac-Man Anniversary: Underappreciated Video Game Mascots that Deserve a Revival - "Mascots are equal parts protagonist and marketing tool"

The Video Game Mascot

Video game mascots have been around nearly as long as video games themselves. Starting in the 1970s with games like Pong, simple shapes in video games have evolved along with the medium to a wide range of highly graphical and colorful characters. Nintendo and its mascot Mario have become synonymous with video games and are household names. Other companies like SEGA made their own mascot to compete against Mario in the console wars of the 80s before starring in a game together at the Olympics. Many major developers and even indie games have been defined by their characters who eventually became their mascots as a result of their design, personality, and attachment. Over the years, improvements in technology and a shift to a more mature audience lead to the decline of cartoonish mascots in favor of characters like Master Chief and Kratos. But, thanks to a resurgence in platformers, characters like Crash and Spyro have seen a return in remasters and new games. However, not all mascots have received the same treatment and a few have gone underappreciated for far too long.