Metamorphosis: Game Icons Through The Years

Considering the youth of the video-game industry when compared to more established media forms, we've managed to amass an impressive number of iconic video-game characters over a short span. Drawing attention to such icons begs the question: how have these characters managed to stay relevant?

The answer? By doing what many of us do at one point in our lives—reinvention. The majority of characters with proven staying-power have gone through some form of physical or emotional transformation in order to keep up with changing times and consumer tastes.

Read on for our gallery of some of the most iconic video-game characters of all time. Browse through and gander at how they have changed through out the years. 


The Rules
How did we go about the image selection process? At the conception of this feature, the decision was made to stick primarily to box art, character renders and other official images. We chose the criteria because the goal is to illustrate changes to the character on a conceptual level, not simply to show off the graphical improvements over the years. Because designers were subject to technological confines in the past, the only true way to do their character justice was through the avenues mentioned above. That change is what intrigues us. 

We chiefly chose console titles in our image selection, but slipped in a handheld release here and there when the character design warranted it. Furthermore, after much thought, the decision was made to include multiple incarnations of an iconic character. For example, Link made the cut even though in the majority of Zelda titles feature a different character united by a common name. The same holds true with The Prince from Prince of Persia.

Enough talk right? This is supposed to be all about visuals. Check out our gallery on the following pages.

The Gallery

Fox McCloud: Fox has also gone through a big string of small refinements in order to make him look a bit more realistic—at least as realistic as an anthropomorphic fox can get. He also ditched the ugly orange flight suit from his debut title.

Frogger: Without a doubt, Frogger has been the most drastically altered character on our list. He was first conceptualize to look like a realistic frog, but quickly changed to a caricature and eventually to a fully anthropomorphic animal. In the last few Frogger installments, he even wears clothing and walks upright.

Jill Valentine: Jill is another character that has changed subtlety throughout the years, most likely to make her true-to-life and relatable. It's worth noting the live-action model used for the cutscenes for the original game. Capcom didn’t even bother to find someone with the same  haircut or color.

Judy Nails: Judy has remained true to her punk-rock persona throughout all the Guitar Hero incarnations. One strange note is the lack of her signature cherry-red hair in Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.

Dante: Dante has held on to his white hair and red and black duds throughout the Devil May Cry series. Alterations made over the years have primarily been to refine his features or slightly alter his hairstyle. While not quite aging, his character also seems to mature a bit in the latest installment.

Link: Because Link is not always the same hero in the context of Zelda lore, Nintendo has a bit more room to get creative. Link started out with brown hair, which has become more golden with each release. He is also depicted as both a child and a teen—depending on the circumstances of the specific title.

Pac-Man: Pac-Man has had several bizarre incarnations. His familiar cheese wheel appearance was substituted for a more complex form when he acquired arms and legs in Super Pac-Man. From there, he has gone 3D and back.

Joanna Dark: Although Joanna has only been in two console titles, her look transformed quite drastically from one installment to the next. Because Perfect Dark Zero is a prequel to the original game, Joanna looks younger. Again note the discrepancies in the print advertisement. Evidently a woman with a gun resembled Joanna Dark enough that the signature red hair wasn't needed.

The Prince: Even though the Prince is a different character in each trilogy of titles, he usually keeps some resemblance—such as his dark and brooding in nature. The switch to a cell-shaded art style in the newest game is one of the more notable transformations.

Sam Fisher: Sam has changed most drastically in his latest pair of games. In Double Agent Fisher becomes a prison inmate and as a result looks much grittier. In Splinter Cell: Conviction (In the early concept art) Sam intentionally disguises himself with longer hair and a full beard.

Samus Aran: Samus’s suit has always been ***, but it has gotten sleeker throughout the years. In addition, the girl underneath has had a slight makeover. The team opted for a more true-to life visage in the Metroid Prime series when compared to her Brawl incarnation.

Solid Snake: Besides an appropriate amount of aging, Snake hasn't changed drastically since his familiar form was established in Metal Gear Solid. Still, he is worth adding to the list for the age factor alone.

 Sweet Tooth: Sweet Tooth from the Twisted Metal series has always had the creepy clown thing down. More recently he has been moving away from his comedic duds and showing off  some man-muscles. Somehow the bare arms make him even more disturbing. 

 

Lara Croft: Lara’s look remained similar for her first five titles, but then took on a much darker look in Angel of Darkness. Tomb Raider Legend proved to be another point of change for Lara, when she was scaled back in order to have more realistic proportions and lost her signature braid.