Origins of video game characters: from doodles to epic worlds, fierce battles!
Did you know that many of your favorite characters started as mere doodles or technical accidents? Well, from characters born out of licensing failures to those inspired by actual pets, the stories behind their debuts are frequently as entertaining as the games themselves.
However, the creation of a gaming icon often involves a mix of hardware limitations, late-night inspiration, and sometimes just a bit of sheer luck. So, you might want to keep this thought in mind while you spend hours guiding your favorite characters through epic worlds and intense battles! Now, get to discover how they came to be. Let’s begin with the first batch:
Mario’s career change
Before Mario became the most recognizable plumber in the world, he was not a plumber at all. He was a carpenter in the original Donkey Kong and was even nicknamed “Jumpman” early on. Nintendo gave him a mustache and a hat to hide the fact that they could not render facial expressions and hair with the limited pixels in the early ’80s.
Sonic’s need for speed
Sega’s hedgehog was not always supposed to be a hedgehog. An early concept for Sonic featured him as a rabbit with powerful ears that could pick up objects. There was also an armadillo version at one point.
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Reference: Navigating the Scanning Pathway to Digital Transformation
Pikachu’s sweet inspiration
While many believed Pikachu was based on a mouse, Pokémon designer Atsuko Nishida has confirmed that it was actually a squirrel. Pikachu’s design was inspired by the ability to store electricity in its cheeks, just like a squirrel stores nuts in theirs. Pikachu’s designer also added large ears to differentiate it from other Pokémon.
Pac-Man’s lunch break
Game designer Toru Iwatani found inspiration for Pac-Man’s character design after staring at a pizza with a slice missing. While developing the character, he felt he should make a game that focused on “eating” instead of the typical shooting games at the time in order to attract more female players.
Lara Croft’s accidental curves
Lara Croft was accidentally given larger proportions by developer Toby Gard, who was adjusting her proportions in the initial Tomb Raider build. When the team noticed, they encouraged him to keep the figure, as they believed it would help sales. Lara Croft was even intended to be male at one point.
Kirby’s placeholder look
Kirby was supposed to be a simple yellow ball character but ended up sticking due to Kirby’s saucer-like appearance when his face was created. Designer Masahiro Sakurai simply used Kirby as a placeholder sprite and worked on the character’s mechanics throughout Dream Land’s development.
Reference: 20 origins of popular video game characters
