Video game characters have been with us for decades, and many have become household names. Pac-Man, Mario, Samus, Sonic the Hedgehog—the list goes on. But what does it take to create a memorable character? Before graphics chips could support photorealism and sophisticated animation, how did game designers breathe life into a handful of pixels? Ars Technica Gaming Editor Kyle Orland joins host Social Editor Cesar Torres and Ars Contributor Casey Johnston on this game-themed episode of the Ars Technicast. We revisit a time when a single square stood in as a character on the Atari 2600; we also look back at the 1990s, discussing characters from games like Metroid Prime, Final Fantasy VII, and Pokemon. We talk about how some characters disappointed us when the technology finally allowed them to speak in a game. We packed so many characters into this episode that we’re already working on a future episode of the podcast dedicated entirely to video game villains. Who makes your list of the most memorable game characters, and how far do you think game character development has come? Share your thoughts with us in the comments. Listen Direct Download URL: Ars Technicast, Episode 10: Our most memorable video game characters Subscribe via the iTunes store Subscribe via RSS Listen on SoundCloud Links Nintendo’s Miyamoto stepping down, working on smaller games Gotta Name ‘Em All Bulbapedia Audio Atrocities Birdo entry on Wikipedia Q*Bert entry on Wikipedia
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Video game characters have been with us for decades, and many have become household names. Pac-Man, Mario, Samus, Sonic the Hedgehog—the list goes on. But what does it take to create a memorable character? Before graphics chips could support photorealism and sophisticated animation, how did game designers breathe life into a handful of pixels?

Ars Technica Gaming Editor Kyle Orland joins host Social Editor Cesar Torres and Ars Contributor Casey Johnston on this game-themed episode of the Ars Technicast. We revisit a time when a single square stood in as a character on the Atari 2600; we also look back at the 1990s, discussing characters from games like Metroid Prime, Final Fantasy VII, and Pokemon. We talk about how some characters disappointed us when the technology finally allowed them to speak in a game. We packed so many characters into this episode that we’re already working on a future episode of the podcast dedicated entirely to video game villains.

Who makes your list of the most memorable game characters, and how far do you think game character development has come? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

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Source: Ars Technica

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