Guinness World Records and BradyGames announced today that the Top 50 Video Game Characters of All Time have been ranked and will be featured in the "Guinness World Records 2011 Gamer’s Edition".
The book’s Top 50 rankings were determined entirely by popular vote from over 13,000 fans on the book’s website. The selections span over 30 years of gaming history.
Though the top three will come as no surprised (Mario, Link, Master Chief), a lot of omissions and what some may consider unfavorable rankings will surely cause a stir. Among those left out were Mortal Kombat icon Scorpion, BioShock’s Big Daddy, and Mario’s own brother Luigi.
Among company characters chosen, Nintendo led all others with 11 of its pixilated heroes and heroines making the list. Following the Big N was Sony with six characters and Capcom with five.
"The world has seen so many pivotal characters throughout the history of gaming that asking our readers to narrow it down to just 50 was a challenge in itself," says Gaz Deaves, Guinness World Records Gaming Editor. "Some of the choices on the list are obvious, some less so, but it’s sure to get gamers talking about their faves."
The book is currently available for purchase via eBook for $12.99.
Without any more delay, you can find the entire Top 50 roster below.
50. Sackboy (LittleBigPlanet, Sony, 2008)
49. Ryu (Street Fighter, Capcom, 1987)
48. Eddie Riggs (Brutal Legend, EA, 2009)
47. Bowser (Super Mario Bros., Nintendo, 1985)
46. Augustus Cole (Gears of War, Microsoft, 2006)
45. Larry Laffer (Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards, Sierra, 1987)
44. Princess Peach (Super Mario Bros., Nintendo, 1985)
43. Jill Valentine (Resident Evil, Capcom, 1996)
42. Max Payne (Max Payne, Rockstar, 2001)
41. Goku (Dragon Daihikyoe, Epoch, 1987)
40. "Ghost" Riley (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Activision, 2009)
39. Spyro (Spyro the Dragon, Universal, 1998)
38. Guybrush Threepwood (The Secret of Monkey Island, LucasArts, 1990)
37. Ash Ketchum (Pokemon Red/Green, Nintendo, 1996)
36. Leon S. Kennedy (Resident Evil 2, Capcom, 1996)
35. Ezio (Assassin’s Creed II, Ubisoft, 2009)
34. The Prince (Prince of Persia, Broderbund, 1989)
33. Donkey Kong (Donkey Kong, Nintendo, 1981)
32. Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII, Square, 1997)
31. Zelda (The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo, 1986)
30. Altair (Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft, 2007)
29. Naruto (Naruto: Konoha Ninpoch, Bandai, 2003)
28. Dante (Devil May Cry, Bandai, 2003)
27. Duke Nukem (Duke Nukem, Apogee, 1991)
26. Jak (Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Sony, 2001)
25. Shadow (Sonic Adventure 2, Sega, 2001)
24. Sam Fisher (Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, Ubisoft, 2002)
23. Mega Man (Mega Man, Capcom, 1987)
22. "CJ" Johnson (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Rockstar, 2004)
21. Yoshi (Super Mario World, Nintendo, 1990)
20. Pikachu (Pokemon Red/Green, Nintendo 1996)
19. Marcus Fenix (Gears of War, Microsoft, 2006)
18. Kirby (Kirby’s Dream Land, Nintendo, 1992)
17. Captain Price (Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Activision, 2007)
16. Nathan Drake (Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Sony, 2007)
15. Ratchet (Ratchet & Clank, Sony, 2002)
14. Samus Aran (Metroid, Nintendo 1986)
13. Nico Bellic (Grand Theft Auto IV, Rockstar, 2008)
12. "Soap" MacTavish (Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Activision, 2007)
11. Crash Bandicoot (Crash Bandicoot, Sony, 1996)
10. Sonic (Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega, 1990)
9. Kratos (God of War, Sony, 2005)
8. Gordon Freeman (Half-Life, Valve, 1998)
7. Lara Croft (Tomb Raider, Eidos 1996)
6. PAC-Man (PAC-Man, Namco, 1980)
5. Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy VII, Square, 1997)
4. Solid Snake (Metal Gear, Konami, 1987)
3. Master Chief (Halo: Combat Evolved, Microsoft, 2001)
2. Link (The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo, 1986)
1. Mario (Donkey Kong, Nintendo, 1981)
