Summary
Whether it was due to technical limitations at the time, or to appeal to kids, video games have had animal protagonists since the 1970s. There wasSharkon the Commodore PET in 1978, Bentley Bear in 1983’sCrystal Castles, and Sqij, the mutant bird from the infamous 1986 ZX Spectrum gameSqij!
Some of them have since become icons that have represented whole eras in gaming, let alone heading up a few top games. But some of their games are better than others, be it through slight shifts or big chasms. From stealthy raccoons to wacky bandicoots, flying dragons to fluttering dinosaurs, these are some of the best games with animal protagonists.
Early 3D games aren’t pretty, but they were the new frontier in the early 1990s. Pixellated sprites just looked like yesterday’s news next to polygonal models. When Rare first showed the originalDonkey Kong Countryat the Consumer Electronics Show in 1994, and revealed its smooth SGI-produced models were made on the SNES and not the then-upcoming ‘Nintendo Ultra 64’ machine, they received rapturous applause for their technical wizardry (to contrast Gunpei Yokoi’s less enthusiastic reaction, considering it to be “too 3D” for his tastes).
But as is typical of video games, the sequels are often a step above the first game.Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Questoffered more levels, more enemies to avoid, more playable animal friends like Squitter the Spider, and more agile playable characters. Despite being the title character, Donkey Kong was big and slow inDKC1. So he was replaced in the plot with his buddy Diddy, who could run, roll, and leap about, and his girlfriend Dixie, who could jump higher and glide. Even as the game gets harder, they offer more fluid fun thanDKC1.
After dominating the 1990s, animal platforms took a backseat in the 2000s. First-person shooters and other heavy action games began taking the forefront to the point where, often unfairly, cutesy mascot games were seen as old hats. But not everyone was old enough back then to getMetal Gear Solid 2at either the level of its labyrinthine plot or literally because it was a Mature 17+ game. As such, TheSly Cooperseries might’ve been more up their alley.
Its games combine action platforming with sneaking around, alongside a fun plot where Sly and his buddies Bentley andTheMurray try to stay ahead of Detective Carmelita Fox. The second game,Sly 2: Band of Thieves, is generally considered to be the best of the trio, as it has larger levels, smarter foes, gives Bentley andTheMurray more to do via their own special abilities and levels, and it gives the player more mercy by giving Sly & co multiple hit points instead ofSly 1’s one-hit deaths. The other games are still fun, butSly 2is the peak.
There’s no shortage of animal platformers, though animal space shooters are much thinner on the ground. The only name in the game is theStarfoxseries, where Fox McCloud and his band of buddies blast the forces of Andross, Star Wolf, and other baddies from the cockpits of their Arwings. The original game was a true 3D pioneer for the SNES, but aged as soon as the PS1 got popular. It was going to receive a sequel for the same console, but it got relegated to emulation (and the Super NES Classic) when Nintendo EAD had other ideas.
Star Fox 64was basically a remake ofStar Fox, in that it told the same story, but threw in more levels and controllable vehicles. Players can access new stages depending on how well they did on other stages (e.g. fly through the arches on Corneria to fight a new boss), and earn medals for high scores. It was a simple formula that Nintendo has since tried to expand, be it by having Rare turn theirZeldacloneDinosaur PlanetintoStarfox Adventures, or PlatinumGames using motion controls onStar Fox Zero. But none have outdoneStar Fox 64yet.
TheSonicseries has seen something of a critical re-evaluation as of late,as younger fans look back on the games the 2000s maligned and don’t see what all the hubbub was about. Part of the negative hyperbole may also be a response to the hype the Classic games got, asSonic 1turned mascot platformers into a phenomenon for better (Rocket Knight Adventures) and worse (Bubsy). However, as popular asSonic 1and (especially)2were, the Classic games hit their peak withSonic 3 & Knuckles.
Sonic & Knuckles' lock-on technology lets it combine withSonic 3to produce an epic campaign through all of their levels with 3 characters, each with their own quirks, and multiple special stages to obtain Chaos Emeralds and Super Emeralds. They were worth grabbing beyond getting Super/Hyper forms too, asS3&Kwas the first game to give Super Sonic his own special boss stage. It was just a shame thatit was one of the hardest games to track down too, as it’sonly turned up (officially)on theSonic Mega CollectionandSonic Originscompilations.
While Nintendo had Mario, and Sega had Sonic, Sony needed their own platforming mascot. Thankfully, then-fledgling game company Naughty Dog decided to make their own animal-based platformers based ona high-energy Australian marsupial. After much cajoling, they madeCrash Bandicoot, a fun if unforgiving platformer that made Crash the PS1’s unofficial mascot.
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Backimproved on its predecessors with better graphics, more inventive levels, and giving Crash new abilities like sliding and belly-flopping. But Crash hit his pinnacle inCrash Bandicoot: Warped, where he and his sister Coco have to travel to different eras in time to stop the evil Uka-Uka (and perennial series foe Dr Cortex). On top of its new jet-skiing, tiger riding, and motorbike racing levels, it arguably predicted the popularity of speedrunning with its Time Trials,where players had to earn relics by racing non-stop through levels.
Crash Bandicootmay have gained unofficial mascot status for the PS1, though its corridor-style levels weren’t exactly expanding the limits of 3D gaming.Super Mario 64’s open-world, non-linear approach would end up defining platforming at the end of the 1990s. Different developers tried replicating its approach on the PS1, leading to lowlights likeRascal, midlights likeCroc: Legend of the Gobbos, and highlights likeSpyro the Dragon. His gliding, running, and fire-breathing put him on par with his marsupial rival, peaking withSpyro: Year of the Dragon.
This time, Spyro has to recover the Dragon Eggs from the evil Sorceress and her apprentice Bianca. Which requires either finding them hidden in different nooks and crannies within its 37 levels, or beating new minigames and levels…and bribing Moneybags the Bear with gems. He’s worth it though, as he also unlocks Critter levels, where players can control Spyro’s friends like Sergeant Byrd and his rocket launcher, and Agent 9 with his laser-blasting. It offered a great time on the PS1, and an even better time on modern consoles via itsReignited Trilogyremaster.
Giving theMariogames a chronology or a timeline is a bit of a fool’s errand. YetYoshi’s Island, the first game to make Yoshi the protagonist, was a sequel toSuper Mario Worldthat shouldn’t be forgotten. It makes sense, as that game introduced Yoshi and his dino buddies in the first place as Mario’s steed. Though it’s also a prequel to all theMariogames, since Yoshi has to reunite Baby Mario with his family without letting him fall into the clutches of Kamek the Magikoopa.
But that’s for lore nuts to worry about. What’s important is that it offered 6 worlds with 48 levels for the Yoshis to relay Baby Mario across. Yoshi can take plenty of hits (bar instant-death hazards like pitfalls), but each hit knocks Mario off his back. If he doesn’t get Mario back before the time limit expires, he loses a life. He can fight back by swallowing his foes and turning them into eggs to chuck at other foes, or to get past obstacles. Alongside the plethora of power-ups, minigames, level gimmicks, it was a rich game that would make Yoshi an icon in his own right.
Rare may have an impressive library to their name, even after being purchased by Microsoft in 2001. However,Grabbed By the Ghoulies,Perfect Dark Zero, andSea of Thievesjust couldn’t compare to their classic output, like theDonkey Kong Countryseries,Killer Instinct,Goldeneye 007, and their own 3D animal platformerBanjo-Kazooie.
Not even Playtonic Games, which consists largely of the 90s Rare crew, could replicate the bear & bird’s charm withYooka-Laylee(but they did replicateDKCwell inYooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair). ClassicBanjo-Kazooieoffered the 3D nonlinear platforming popularized bySuper Mario 64, but witheven more collectiblesthat opened up new levels, led to new minigames, and encouraged the player to use Banjo and Kazooie’s different skills to get ahead. Combined with its arched sense of humor,Banjo-Kazooiewas the top platformer to get for N64 owners.
Okamiwon several awards and gained even more nominations prior to and after its release, gained an HD re-release, and was popular enough for Capcom to include Amaterasu, its wolf-based hero, inMarvel Vs Capcom 3and itsUltimateupdate, where she became one of its best characters. Yet despite critical reception, underwhelming sales meant that it’s possible the studio behind its creation, Clover Studio, was shut down shortly after.
This has since turned out not to be the case, as Clover heads Shinji Mikami, Atsushi Inaba, and Hideki Kamiya had already left to form Seeds Inc (aka PlatinumGames) by then. But players can still see how Kamiya’s last game for Capcom turned out, as it’s a beautiful action-adventure game that effectively replicates old Japanese woodblock paintings. On top of its nifty combat sequences, Amaterasu’s Celestial Brush is a neat tool that lets players use the analog stick/motion controls, etc, to solve puzzles, repair platforms, and more by drawing patterns.
Strangely enough,Okamiwasn’t the only action-adventure title where the lead spends a good chunk of their time in the form of a wolf released in 2006.The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princessbrought back more modern aesthetics that fans craved, especially for those who were burned byThe Wind Waker’s cartoony looks.
Twilight Princess' Link is still the green-clad elven-looking guy he’s always been. He just gets the ability to transform into a wolf after Hyrule gets trapped in twilight by Zant. With the help of Midna, a snarky imp-looking thing, he has to find a way to beat Zant, and save both Hyrule and the twilight realm of Twili. All the while switching between his regular human self and his more furry, quadripedal form.
