Just as video games grow and change, so do their characters. Several prominent gaming figures have evolved with their franchises, and that’s often reflected in their designs. However, this can sometimes tread on thin ice.
If developers have a design that works, changing it can easily compromise its appeal. Sadly, many popular characters have fallen victim to this. Artists may add unnecessary details to a streamlined look, take away what made the original design unique, or start from scratch altogether. At the end of the day, though, audiences were left with an inferior product. Rather than meaningful growth, these redesigns are poor imitations. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
8Spyro The Dragon
This little lizard isamong the most beloved platforming mascots, and much of that comes down to his design. It’s cool enough thatSpyrois a dragon. However, he distinguishes himself among these mythical creatures while being unmistakable as one of them. He sports sleek proportions, an unorthodox color scheme that’s still pleasing to the eye, and a smug mug full of youthful personality. Adding anything to his streamlined design would feel unnecessary.
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The reboots are a mixed bag in this respect. Although theLegend of Spyrotrilogy maintains the hero’s simplistic appeal, the same can’t be said forSkylanders. This toys-to-life title uses Spyro as a selling point, but the once-proud dragon now looks like roadkill. The darkened colors, scrunched snout, caveman brow, andPac-Man-esque mouth are devoid of personality. In a cruel twist of fate, Spyro is now one of the misshapen monsters he used to fight. Due to theSkylandersseries' popularity, fans were stuck with this mistake until theReignited Trilogyrestored the dragon to his former glory.
7Sly Cooper
This master thief may be a raccoon, but he’s undoubtedly stylized. The originalSly Coopertrilogy has a comic book aesthetic. Its characters are anthropomorphic animals with exaggerated features and low textures. Subsequent attempts have pushed the series toward a more detailed direction, yielding mixed results.PlayStation Move Heroescopies the original design with more textured fur. Meanwhile,Thieves in TimeandPlayStation All-Stars Battle Royalefind a pleasant middle ground between realistic and cartoonish.
The proposed movie, on the other hand, failed in that balance. In the trailer, Sly has an ill-fitting outfit, dirty fur underneath, and facial features all mushed together, complete with more animalistic touches like whiskers. These changes make the hero seem slimy rather than suave. It’s just a blessing that this flick never saw the light of day.
6Dante (Devil May Cry)
This blunder is emblematic of bad redesigns in gaming, since it rejects what made the original so special. The smart-mouthed monster-slayer changes slightly over the first fewDevil May Crytitles, but he always sports the red overcoat and flowing, silver hair. It’s a little “anime” for some people’s taste, but it gives him an identity among other action protagonists. Plus,it’s a good indicator of his demon ancestry.
As such, it’s perplexing that these distinguishing aspects are gone in the reboot.DmC: Devil May Cryturns Dante into some random guy off the street. He dresses like a slob with a black hoodie and grungy tank top. Finally, he forgoes his silver locks for a black fade that makes him look like a boy band member. The developers clearly tried to reach the kids of the time, but they spit in the face of longtime fans. No wonder the following entry goes back to the familiar demonic hero.
5Dr. Eggman (Sonic The Hedgehog)
An easy target in theSonicfranchise would be the hedgehog’s initial design inthe 2020 movieor the maligned aesthetic ofSonic Boom, but his nemesis was vandalized long before. How fitting that this example comes from the series' lowest point: 2006’sSonic the Hedgehog.
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The misguided vision for this anniversary entry is a more realistic direction, which means a world populated by photorealistic humans. Eggman is a vile hybrid of that approach and his more exaggerated appearance of old. He still sports iconic features like an oversized mustache, big belly, flamboyant jacket, and slick shades. However, these are all restrained and rendered with detail that they shouldn’t have had. As a result, the villain is creepy in a way the developers never intended, akin to aTerminatorwith an Eggman skinsuit.
4Mega Man
Since his 8-bit inception,Mega Manhas been one of the sleeker gaming heroes. His series has undergone many styles, but he always has the blue power suit with oversized gloves and boots, equipped with a built-in blaster. Topping it off is a lean, youthful appearance with large anime eyes. It should be easy to translate such a character to a crossover, especially one as anime-esque asStreet FighterXTekken.
Fans were in for a rude awakening when the cybernetic hero finally emerged. Mega Man’s character model here brings back the vomitous yellow costume of his original box art. It accentuates that revulsion with a beer gut and a mean, middle-aged mug belonging to a dopey henchman instead of a confident hero. This version is so blatantly disrespectful that it feels like a prank. Sadly, it’s not the only time the designers let Mega Man down.
3The Joker
Speaking of fighting games, the Joker has also seen his share of woes in this genre.Batman’s archenemy may not originally be a game character, but his redesigns are no less repulsive.Injustice 2, the sequel toNetherRealm’sDCbrawler, brings back the Clown Prince of Crime for a contrived cameo, yet it abandons the classic suit and vest that fans recognize. Instead, he’s shirtless and covered in tattoos. He supplements these with a dirty jacket and greasy hair. This Joker resembles the maligned Jared Leto version fromSuicide Squadcrossed with a failed punk rocker.
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Sadly, NetherRealm isn’t done, as they recruit the Joker once againas a guest fighter forMortal Kombat 11. He may have regained his iconic outfit, but his rounder frame makes it seem like a Halloween costume instead of a twisted supervillain garb. Hopefully, they’ll get it right inInjustice 3.
2Bomberman
Another armored action hero from the classic era, Bomberman is hard to dislike. He’s a tiny stick figure with no facial features except for his eyes, which are little more than cute dots. It’s a minimalist design, but it lets him embody the same innocence asMario. He cements that impression with his white, pink, and purple attire. Considering these aspects, one would think he’d be one of the last candidates for a “dark and gritty” reboot.
Unfortunately,that’s exactly what befalls him withBomberman: Act Zero. This 2006 title gives the hero humanoid proportions and decks him out in imposing armor, complete with chains and a built-in scar on the helmet. He’s essentially the poor man’sDoomguy. Any trace of innocence is lost. Once again, however, the developers realize their mistake and give the plucky protagonist his previous design back for the following games.
1Every Character In Captain N
Throughoutthe ’80s and early ’90s, the folks atNintendowere full of themselves. They put out countless cash-grabs and outsourced their IPs to unworthy hands, convinced that consumers would buy anything with their brand on it. Nothing exemplifies this mindset more thanCaptain N. In this cartoon, a kid teams up with iconic game characters to save the realm, but those characters are utterly unrecognizable.
Pit fromKid Icarusis no longer a high-flying rogue with an ancient Greek flair; he’s a ginger Cupid with the frame of aRugratsreject. Mega Man is a doughy dork with a short stature, beady eyes, and a chain-smoker’s voice.Castlevania’s Simon Belmont goes from a medieval warrior with a primal edge to a big-chinned fop with feathered hair and a mountain-climbing jacket. Finally, Mother Brain fromMetroid, rather than a cranial cyclops, is a wad of chewing gum with bulging lips. The showrunners took away any appeal behind the characters, making them downright painful to look at. The fact that they thought fans would accept these abominations is insulting.
