Top 10 Strong Gaming Heroines
Feminism? In my video game tapes?
More often than not, female protagonists in video games tend to exist as little more than a shameless attempt to rope in young male audiences looking for cheap thrills (Much like the banner image I used above for this article).But what about those female heroines that transcend the basic law of jiggly tits=$$$? No really, I’m being serious… I’ve even gone so far as to compile a list of the top 10 gaming heroines that are more famous for their contribution to the artform than they are for their propensity for up-skirt cinematography.
Ms. Pac-Man (Ms. Pac-Man)
You may have thought that Ms. Pac-Man was nothing more than regular Pac-Man with a bow on his head meant to rope female gamers into playing arcade games, but you would be very wrong sir (or madam). Whatever Pac-Man could do, Ms. Pac-Man could do faster and better. Most old school arcade enthusiasts will tell you that Ms. Pac-Man is just quite simply a smoother and more enjoyable experience than her male predecessor.
Jade (Beyond Good And Evil)
Not many video games star a female journalist struggling to uncover a worldwide military conspiracy using stealth and photography. Jade is probably the best example of a female protagonist being treated with the same respect as a male lead, in one of the best and most under-rated games of all time. Her uncle is a humanoid pig, which is kind of a turnoff, but they’re technically not blood relatives so at least there probably wasn’t any pig-lovin’ in her direct line of lineage.
Princess Peach (Super Mario Series)
No longer content to sit around waiting to be rescued by Mario and Luigi, Princess Peach has been a major player in dozens of Mario titles, including Super Mario Bros. 2, Mario Party, Mario Kart, Smash Bros, countless Mario sports games, and even an adventure game of her own, Super Princess Peach DS. She loses a few points for combating enemies with her “emotions” in that game, but what can you do, she is a princess after all.
Hana Tsu Vachel (Fear Effect Series)
Not too many people are likely to remember the Fear Effect series, and it’s a shame. Not only did Fear Effect have awesome cel-shaded artwork and unique gameplay, but also a really great and very adult cyber-punk story involving global pandemics, prostitution, business, terrorism, white slavery, lesbians, mercenaries, Chinese mysticism, suicide and existentialism. Hana is our very sexy guide through all of this, using her wits, guns and sex appeal to navigate a dangerous maze of lies that reaches back to the very dawn of mankind.
Tyris Flare (Golden Axe Series)
Amazon warrior Tyris Flare was one of the first female characters to star in a side scrolling beat-em-up, most of which were about saving your kidnapped girlfriend from gang members or something (Double Dragon, I’m looking squarely in your direction). Eschewing the gang war backdrop for a fantasy setting, Tyris joined her fellow barbarians in an adventure that involved riding on giant mythological turtles, kicking the crap out of thieving gnomes and battling the evil Death Adder and his minions with her blade and fire magic. This year, she makes her triumphant return to the world of sword and sorcery in Golden Axe: Beast Rider, the coolest animal themed action adventure since The Beastmaster!
Summoner Yuna (Final Fantasy X)
Yuna was not the first major female protagonist in a Final Fantasy game (nor the most effeminate) but she was one of the deepest party members ever to appear in the popular RPG series. She also holds the distinction of being the first FF character to carry a proper sequel to the usually unrelated series with Final Fantasy X-2. Her character is a great deal more multi-faceted than most of the melodramatic lady-boy FF heroes that came before and even after her… A lighter side that examines the themes of friendship, love and celebrity balances Yuna’s dark story of religion, destiny, theology, sacrifice and self-discovery. She may not have been quite as memorable as Aeris (or Aerith for you otaku out there), but at least she didn’t kick the bucket halfway through the game!
Chun-Li (Street Fighter Series)
Chun-Li was the first female fighting game character to be able to hold her own with the guys, with cool moves and a unique fighting style that made her one of the most memorable fighters ever created. Before she came along, female characters were smaller, faster and weaker throwaways meant to give you some practice on your way to the real fights. In modern times, when fighting game chicks are relying more on their jiggling boobs to distract opponents than actual fighting skills, Chun-Li continues to keep it real by keeping her shirt on.
Ada Wong (Resident Evil Series)
Resident Evil has no shortage of strong female characters like Jill Valentine and Claire Redfield, But Ada Wong is so cool she makes the rest of them look like chumps. While everyone else in the series is struggling to stay alive and learn even the slightest bit of useful information about their current zombie-affected predicament, Ada Wong rappels in and out of the scene with ease (while wearing a cocktail dress!), working both sides of the fence and appearing to be privy to info that even Albert Wesker would kill to have. Plus the “Assignment Ada” bonus missions in RE4 were one of the best parts of what was already a pretty incredible game.
Lara Croft (Tomb Raider Series)
Lara Croft is the prototype for the strong, sexy female lead in a video game. Tomb Raider was one of the first titles to really take advantage of 3-D graphics to portray implausibly enormous digital breasts, but that didn’t detract from the fact that she was and still is a more than able adventurer! Lara Croft has had a couple of missteps in her time, but is undeniably a certifiable celebrity of the gaming world and maybe the only one to have an A-list actor like Angelina Jolie play her in a movie.
Samus (Metroid)
What can be said about Samus that hasn’t been said already? Young boys may have initially been tricked into identifying with Samus before they even knew she was a girl, something that was not revealed until the very end of the first game… But today she is one of the most beloved characters in all of gaming. Only Mario, Link, Sonic and possibly Mega Man are even anywhere near the same level when it comes to name-recognition and worldwide mass appeal. The whole “rolling into a ball” thing is kinda weird, but after seeing her in her “Zero Suit Samus” getup I think we’re all willing to keep an open mind about it wouldn’t you say?
