Today's video games are packed with tough characters, but here are ten of them from over the years, who rise to the top.
(from Mega Man Zero for Game Boy Advance)
Zero is an enigmatic type, who made the occasional cameo appearance in the Mega Man X games of the 2D era. Ever since he showed his red helmet-head, fans of the Mega Man series clamored to be able to play as the light sword wielding warrior. He was first playable in Mega Man X3, but in the Mega Man Zero games for the Game Boy Advance, he's a one-man show.
(from Strider 2 for PlayStation)
Strider's been all over the place: from side-scrollers to fighting games. As one of the first futuristic ninja games, Strider was a huge hit in the arcade, then at home. After an awful sequel, Strider Returns, the nimble warrior disappeared...until he made a re-appearance in Marvel vs. Capcom and its sequel, with a brand-new look. The 2D model was taken over to the side-scrolling Strider 2, a combo of a new Strider game and yesterday's classic.
(from Metal Gear Solid for PlayStation)
Metal Gear Solid was the game everyone was talking about when it was released in 1998. At its heart was the main character (codenamed) Solid Snake, who was as tough as they came: an expert with any weapon in existence, Solid is also highly skilled in hand-to-hand fighting (something his mentor, Big Boss from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater taught him).
(from Shinobi for PlayStation 2)
The Shinobi series was one of the 2D era's prized franchises. However, the ninja series took a long powder after the superb Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master for the Genesis system. When the game was revived in 2002, it had a whole new look and a new main Ninja, Hotsuma. But this new guy could run along walls and quickly hack enemies to pieces before they could make the first move (or even become aware of the fact that they had been cut in half). Shinobi's play engine was put to use in the "sequel" where you played a female ninja.
(from Dino Crisis for PlayStation)
Heat-packing special-forces commando, Regina survived two romps through the dinosaur-infested jungles in Dino Crisis and its sequel, Dino Crisis 2. A master in all weapons great and small, the red-haired firebrand was also highly skilled at hand-to-hand combat as well. Unfortunately, Regina was sent packing for Dino Crisis 3 (what the hell was that about?), the most recent game in the series (it was set in space and was a disaster). Too bad--she was one tough cookie.
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