Sonic the Hedgehog is currently experiencing a resurgence in popularity thanks to his two financially and critically successful theatrical films. Video game history has given players any number of anthropomorphized animal icons to control as they seek to (typically) save their family or loved ones while simultaneously collecting any number of rings or jewels or gems or tokens. Sometimes they’re pretty standard species most players are used to seeing, provided they live in the animal’s preferred environment.
But Sonic isn’t alone, as there are other icons of equal (or slightly less than equal) popularity that are based on true-to-life species. However, like the blue Sonic in comparison to his spiked inspiration, some video game characters view their real-life counterparts’ appearances as merely an option.
Knuckles The Echidna
An echidna (AKA a spiny anteater) is, alongside the platypus, one of the only living egg-laying mammals. The Sonic the Hedgehog games seem to avoid this part of the Echidna’s life cycle, but to be fair there’s also not much adherence to any other aspect of the real-life animal.
Knuckles the Echidna has had a long history in the Sonic the Hedgehog games, first debuting in the third installment. Earning his name via the spiked knuckles that protrude from each hand, the red echidna can run with the best of them, but he can also burrow, occasionally giving him the edge over even the franchise protagonist.
Earthworm Jim
There are but so many ways an animator can mess up the appearance of an earthworm. For the most part, the creators of Earthworm Jim got the real earth-crawler right but gave him arms and eyes in the process. Of course, there’s also Jim’s massive, Johnny Bravo-type muscles and jokester attitude.
To be fair, there isn’t exactly a list of attack moves a game developer can give a crawling (perhaps flopping) earthworm. Instead, Jim comes armed with a laser gun and a very active sense of humor.
Falco Lombardi The Falcon
The best Star Fox games incorporate his chatterbox teammates. Perhaps chief among them is Falco Lombardi, whose real-life variant is only similar in that it has a beak. With that being said, Lombardi’s first name is the falcon’s genus, and like the bird’s video game counterpart, it can fly. But Lombardi needs a ship, and the falcon is a naturally fast and effective hunting machine.
Falco (sometimes lovingly called “Birdbrain”) is a crucial member of the Star Fox team and every bit as competitive a pilot as his leader. Falco soars through the air with attitude, and he’s probably the most abrasive member of the team. But he’ll also lay his life on the line, even if he doesn’t look much like an actual falcon while doing it.
Crash Bandicoot
The bandicoot is a small to medium-sized marsupial local to Australia. Crash Bandicoot is an upright walking variation with his iconic spinning abilities, but apart from that, he actually looks pretty close. A bandicoot was a pretty great choice for a video game mascot. It’s hardly known outside its territories, and would be especially little-known were Sony’s massive game franchise not in existence.
The Sony Playstation’s classic Crash Bandicoot gave birth to one of the console’s most prolific and renowned mascots. Even if just looking at the Playstation game, including the trilogy, CTR, and Crash Bash, the character has led a number of classic games. He just also happens to be an Australian mammal with a proclivity for shorts.
Mr. Resetti The Mole
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is one of the best animal games on Nintendo Switch, and even though it’s extra cartoonish, the game’s version of a mole is pretty exact. With its protruding nose and tiny eyes, the mole is a burrower, but at least Animal Crossing has thus far left out its pale, naked hands.
In the wildly popular series of Animal Crossing games, Sonny Resetti serves several purposes. On one hand, he reminds the player to save, but on the other hand, he reminds the player that not every character in the series is friendly. Mr. Resetti comes close to looking like an actual mole, he’s just one decked out in miner’s garb.
Sonic The Hedgehog
The hedgehog is a small mammal found in parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa. A distant relative of the shrew, the hedgehog is for the most part a docile little creature that keeps to itself. However, if threatened, they’ll curl into a ball, allowing their spines to protrude from whatever angle the predator chooses.
If SEGA has ever had a true mascot, it’s beyond a shadow of a doubt the lightning-speed Sonic the Hedgehog. Admittedly, Sonic doesn’t look too similar to a real hedgehog, but the spikes coming from the back of Sonic’s head are a nice reference to the hedgehog’s defense mechanism.
Donkey Kong The Gorilla
The gorilla is the largest living primate, and every game featuring Donkey Kong (particularly Super Smash Bros.) finds a way to incorporate a gorilla’s brawn. The gorilla is also known to be extremely defensive of its young, even to the point of taking life.
Starting with his personality-free debut as an antagonist in his self-titled arcade game, Donkey Kong has been inspiring subsequent platformer video games left and right. And, in terms of inspiration, Nintendo got DK fairly right in comparison to his real-world counterpart. The character has expanded since his antagonistic debut, especially in terms of showing protectiveness.
Sly Cooper The Raccoon
The raccoon is one of the cuter North American mammals, but it’s not harmless. With a gray coat of thick fur, the raccoon is fortified for the nightlife. And, while in the dark, the raccoon likes to do one thing, which is stealing.
Raccoons are also known to be quite smart, which is something the heist-themed Sly Cooper games have nailed from the beginning. Furthermore, the concept of focusing a game series on heists is in and of itself tailor-made for a raccoon mascot. And Sly‘s done well in his job, having led three Playstation 2 games and a Playstation 3 installment for good measure.
Conker The Squirrel
Conker the Squirrel was initially positioned as another kid-friendly mascot from Rareware in the vein of their Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong. Instead, his most notable venture was N64 cult classic Conkers Bad Fur Day.
Nothing about Conker, save for his clothing and comprehension of the English language, is far off from a flesh and blood squirrel. This is as applicable to his debut in Diddy Kong Racing as it does his cult classic N64 game.
Fox McCloud The Red Fox
The fox is known to be a sly creature. Star Fox gets this right with Fox’s attitude, but it gets the visual right as well. Fox feels like a walking, talking fox who just so happens to know how to operate a spaceship. It works, and the games even include other fox traits such as triangular ears and upturned snouts, but one thing it doesn’t get is the fox’s occasionally isolationist attitude. Whereas, in Star Fox, there’s always a team at work.
Ace pilot Fox “Star Fox” McCloud is easily one of Nintendo’s most successful non-Mario protagonists. McCloud was taught the importance of determination early on, well before he was piloting a ship much less leading his own team. In other words, McCloud has long held what could essentially be called the main character trait of a red fox.
