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5 Forgotten Video Game Mascots

Throughout the course of video game history, we have seen many characters rise the ranks to become iconic mascots.

Throughout the course of video game history, we have seen many characters rise the ranks to become iconic mascots. We sometimes forget, however, that with those that have risen come those that have been lost to time. Many have tried to reach the heights of Mario and Sonic, but could never win the hearts of gamers quite in the same way. Today, we thought it would be interesting to discuss five mascots that sadly have fallen out of the limelight. Before we go any further, keep in mind that forgotten doesn’t inherently mean disliked. Surely some of you out there will hold some of these characters close to your hearts. Forgotten simply means that these mascots never really received the praise that their more famous competitors have. With that said, here are five forgotten video game mascots.

Croc

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Originally meant as a Yoshi spin-off game, Argonaut Games ultimately ended up creating its own game starring a crocodile. While Croc definitely fulfills the cute factor for video game mascots, his game itself left much to be desired. During a time when almost every game-developing company tried to create its own successful platformer, Croc: Legend of the Gobbos got lost in a sea of mediocre games. Ironically enough, the similarity to Nintendo’s Yoshi aided in the mascot’s failure. Many saw him as a ripoff of the adorable dinosaur and therefore tossed him and his game aside. It’s a shame too, as it seems that Croc had the potential for greatness, but was held back poor gameplay and comparisons to a superior reptile.

Ecco

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Ecco is a bit of an anomaly when talking about video game mascots. When initially released, Ecco the Dolphin sold exceptionally well. Best known for its harsh difficulty, players still hold the game in high regards. So what exactly happened? Well, SEGA already had a mascot: Sonic the Hedgehog. Having two mascots for the same company may have been more than SEGA wanted. So while focusing on their golden boy Sonic, Ecco likely got left in the dust. Of course, this is all just speculation, but it seems plausible. Regardless, we’re sure that players wouldn’t mind a revival of the dolphin.

Gex

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Gex represented everything cool from the 90s. With his classic shades and love of television, the gecko embodied what kids loved at the time. Sadly, similar to Croc, Gex immediately got compared to Yoshi. It also didn’t help that his game lacked in ‘it’ factor found in other platformers. Gex certainly had a moment in the spotlight, but it sadly died out rather quickly. The concept had potential too, with Gex traversing levels based of genres of television. Imagine what could be done with that in the modern age of TV? Hopefully we’ll some sort of comeback from this reptile.

Earthworm Jim

Now here’s a mascot that came very close to the top. EarthWorm Jim released in 1992 to much praise. Players loved the idea of a worm in a super suit shooting down bizarre enemies in a 2D platformer. The sequel also did very well critically, but after that, it seemed the worm died off. Somehow, Jim just couldn’t compete with the other mascots, even though he came so close. Remakes of the original game did eventually come, however, they just never seemed to capture the same feeling that was once there.

 Bubsy

Bubsy the Bobcat certainly made his mark on video game history, but not exactly in the way you would think. Though many of his games had ambitious goals like fighting museum exhibits and aliens, the execution went poorly. Most, if not all, of Bubsy’s game currently stand as some of the worst in history. So while not exactly forgotten, the Bobcat has certainly been blocked out of many’s minds. Who knows, maybe someday we’ll see Bubsy in a game that wins everyone over. Based on his track record, however, we don’t really see that as likely. Either way, Bubsy never really received the love his developers hoped for.

What forgotten video game mascots do you adore? Let us know in the comments below! Also, be sure to follow us on all our social media pages for all things gaming!

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