Characters only their designers could love

I finally got VF4, mainly because I only recently got a PS2. Great game and all, but why do the characters look like photoshop experiments gone horribly wrong? I've noticed that the characters have gotten progressively uglier as the series has progressed, when considering the advances in graphics you would think the opposite.

In VF3 for instance, the blonde woman (with the annoying voice whose name totally escapes me right now) looked like a crack whore, but at least Pai and the other woman were fairly decent. Now in VF4 they all look like they've been beaten around by the same evil pimp. Somehow the men manage to look worse.

I think the characters in Shenmue look great, if occasionally generic, so AM2 can produce decent character designs, just not for their flagship series. If Tekken and DOA can have nice looking characters, why can't VF4?

So what other characters have made it hard to play the game because staring at their disfigured mug made the bile rise in your throat? :p

Ty the Tasmanian Tiger: Bleh.

Not so much the characters, more the costume design, the menu design, and the general aesthetic of FFX. Bleah.

Kung Fu Chaos is ass-ugly, too.

Most recent 3d platformer characters look about as pretty as eastern european political cartoons to me.

Bubsy
Mick and Mack (from Global Gladiators)
Entire cast of DoA

Blinx

Bubsy was entirely plain but ok, Aero the Acro-Bat and Zero the Kamikazee Squirrel were just plain bad.

also tack on Dr. Muto. i'd go out on a whim and say he's top of the top in bad designs.

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I only recently got a PS2.

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How does it feel to have AIDS? </inside joke>

To answer the question, I'd say every one in Hunter the Reckoning and Brute Force.

Don't be knockin Vanessa, she's one of the few female fighters I use :) .

Turok: Evolution- EGM brought this crap to light, some truly sad designs.

Whacked!- The only mildly redeemable character is Lucy and she is a novelty.

R-Type Complete (Turbo CD)- HOLY **** Irem what were you thinking? Characters look like Star Trek rejects and the first boss actually talks...why?

Pocky and Rocky Advance/ Bonk 3/Perfect Dark- Neo does not enjoy lame palette swaps billed as new characters.

Seven Mansions Dreamcast- Seriously, the designer of this horror game went to the wrong field, all his character art looks like fashions out of Vogue, even the frickin mad scientist is trying to look stylish. *-neo

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Originally posted by Mzo
Not so much the characters, more the costume design, the menu design, and the general aesthetic of FFX. Bleah.

Kung Fu Chaos is ass-ugly, too.

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Originally posted by neoalphazero
Don't be knockin Vanessa

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Damn straight........

Oh, where to begin...

Fighting Vipers
VF series - see a pattern here?
Sengoku Ace (not Blade) - poor, poor Koyori...
Tony Hawk series - sad but true...I still love the games, though
Kingdom Hearts - I hate Nomura's original characters for this game
Kid Chameleon - sorry Regus :)
Quake III - Paul Steed can go suck an egg. I hate his characters, male and female.
Baldur's Gate I/II - Can you get any more generic and cheesy?
Mortal Kombat 3 and onward - bottom of the barrel, right here.

DOA
FFX-2
FF8
FF7
Capcom All-Stars
War Gods

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If Tekken and DOA can have nice looking characters, why can't VF4?

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I remember making the same comments you have for VF for Tekken. The designs are horrible, except for a few. That one PC Engine game as well. . . Strip Fighter.

and though its not really the character designs, I really hated the look of Lady Stalker. Horrible palette for now reason I could discern, and bad color choices too. Combined with an annoying sound effect for every little thing. . .


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Gauntlet Legends series. ICK.

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yes.

Almost forgot: Gauntlet Legends series. ICK.

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Originally posted by jiji
Tony Hawk series - sad but true...I still love the games, though

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Come on man, they're real people! You can even change their clothes if you like.

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Quake III - Paul Steed can go suck an egg. I hate his characters, male and female.

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I don't know about that, some of them are cool.

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Kid Chameleon - sorry Regus :)

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You cut me man, you cut me deep. :(

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Originally posted by Regus
Come on man, they're real people! You can even change their clothes if you like.

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True...I guess the models of real people do look pretty good, though they could stand to have some better texturing. I hate the faces available in create-a-skater mode in THPS3, though. That's more of what I was getting at. :)

Ty is one ugly mother fucker... looks like he got ran over by the ugly truck...

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Originally posted by Sl1p
DOA
FFX-2

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They look like real people... whats the problem?

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Originally posted by 88mph
They look like real people... whats the problem?

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obviously Sl1p has issues with reality... as do many other gamers...

i dig Q3A's designs... Unreal's character designs are ass, though.. beefier, but assier.

and Ty the tasmanian tiger... and blinx for that matter.. WTF is up with these mascots born in stockholder meetings?

Blinx's design actually appeals to me for some reason. I was interested in the game for a short while because of it. As soon as I played the game, though, I found myself nice and straightened around. :)

Now, as for Pinobee (another Artoon/Ohshima character)...blech!

Ratchet & Clank.

I haven't played this game yet, and lord knows the character designs certainly aren't drawing me in. What the fucking munchkin is that thing supposed to be?

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Originally posted by Box Drink
Ty is one ugly mother fucker... looks like he got ran over by the ugly truck...

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Actually he looks more like he got run over by the 23 fucking years too late truck.

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Originally posted by ShineAqua
Actually he looks more like he got run over by the 23 fucking years too late truck.

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haha.. oh thats so good...

Add Jack & Dax to the pile while we're at it.

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War Gods

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Kabuki Joe pwnz j0o!!!!1

How could any of us forget the endless pallatte swaps in the MK games? I'll just lump them all in there at once since they're so generic looking.

Gameplay aside, I have to say that the inhabitants of Zelda OOT are some of the ugliest character designs around. Link and Zelda are OK, and Malon and the Cucoo chick aren't bad, everyone else is just butt ugly.

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Originally posted by Yamcha
Gameplay aside, I have to say that the inhabitants of Zelda OOT are some of the ugliest character designs around. Link and Zelda are OK, and Malon and the Cucoo chick aren't bad, everyone else is just butt ugly.

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especialy that dancing couple... they both look like guys and it's kinda wierd...

The new Link isn't looking much better either. He looks like some kind of circus midget with the faces he makes in Wind Waker.

I agree about OoT, but you must admit that Ganondorf's design kicked all kinds of ass.

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Originally posted by Box Drink
Ty is one ugly mother fucker... looks like he got ran over by the ugly truck...

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Originally posted by ShineAqua
Actually he looks more like he got run over by the 23 fucking years too late truck.

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Originally posted by Box Drink
haha.. oh thats so good...

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I really don't understand your hostility. I was simply commenting on how very dated a character Ty is as far as overall concept, design and implemetation. It's not as though your initial post was a work of pure genious and I clearly wasn't mocking you. No wonder you're pissing people off, stop being an ass.

~Shine~

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Originally posted by Wilykat
Ratchet & Clank.

I haven't played this game yet, and lord knows the character designs certainly aren't drawing me in. What the fucking munchkin is that thing supposed to be?

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i don't like the character designs there either but the game itself is solid. I have a friend who won't play certain games, which are fun and enjoyable, because of the character designs. He refused to play Jojo's Bizarre adventure.

VF4 is a great game and you can customize the outfits at least (even moreso in Evo). I don't think the chars are that bad. The majority I like. You want horrible characters? Remember James Pond, Zero Divide, Pit Fighter (and almost every fighting game that had digitized people as characters), Time Killers, Clay Fighter, Ballz, killer Instinct, Double Dragon whatever the horrible fighting game was, Rise of the Robots, Tongue of the Fat Man...damn a lot of fighting games sure had sucky chars.

PIT FIGHTER WAS PEOPLE!

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Originally posted by Box Drink
obviously Sl1p has issues with reality... as do many other gamers...

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What the hell...?

The characters in FFX-2 look like freaks who fell in and out of too many closets owned by ravers.

All the characters of DOA are either extremely generic or cliche.

They can look as real as you'd like to think that they are, but it dosen't hide the fact that the designs are bad.

Oh, and tone it down Box Drink. You're not really impressing anyone (I'm such a poseur).

You mean to say that generic busty blonde #939039930 in DoA and Hulk Hogan-lookalike #95 aren't the most original character designs ever? Bah...

WORST DESIGN EVER:

http://www.gamegen.com/fightgen/char.../rasputin.html

Incase you weren't aware, Gamegen is an awesome site. it has the most comprehensive list of fighting game characters in the world, and an assortment of art accompanies each entry.

You know, I have a lot of respect for Gamegen. They've done a good job on their tracking of fighting game characters.

But a 9.0 for Quan Chi of Mortal Kombat 4? Uncle Fester? Err...Please. Give that man a 0.0 as well.

The characters in World Heroes. Truly, Street Fighter doused in toxic waste.

Double Dragon V. Why god...

VS. :wtf:

agreed, sl1p. as good a site as it is, I doubt the guys taste.

Just about all Neo Geo game characters outside the KOF series are terrible.

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Originally posted by Mzo
Not so much the characters, more the costume design, the menu design, and the general aesthetic of FFX. Bleah.

Kung Fu Chaos is ass-ugly, too.

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As I already said in Kungfu Chaos thread, characters look that way intentionally. Its one big spoof of kungfu and exploitation films of 70s so the funny look is just right.

I still dont see what is the big deal with people hating FFX characters??? They look fine to me.

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Originally posted by Box Drink
obviously Sl1p has issues with reality... as do many other gamers...

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You probably right. Some people would prefer cartoonish/super deformed look over something more real looking. Not me though :)

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Originally posted by Wilykat
Ratchet & Clank.

I haven't played this game yet, and lord knows the character designs certainly aren't drawing me in. What the fucking munchkin is that thing supposed to be?

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Alien creature, and his small robot sidekick. What soo hard to get about that game? It had great style and character designs were both inventive and funny. Some people just never get it.

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Originally posted by ShineAqua
The new Link isn't looking much better either. He looks like some kind of circus midget with the faces he makes in Wind Waker.

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Ha, Big Eyed Midgets with stubby legs is the rave ! The ultimate design !

Lets see...
KAKUTO CHOJIN:characters look like crack addicts,and whores rather than fighting game characters.


Q from street fighter 3 third strike:who thought it was a good idea to put inspector gadget in a fighting game.

The last boss of last blade 2:is it just me,or is that guy wearing a chicken costume?

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Originally posted by Tracer
PIT FIGHTER WAS PEOPLE!

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So was Soylent Green

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Originally posted by Despair
It had great style and character designs were both inventive and funny. Some people just never get it.

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Wow, I would say the same thing about Wind Waker!

I personally really like designs in FF8/FFX/FFX-2.

The two character designs I probably hate more than anything:

Chang and Choi - King of Fighters

Yuck, can't stand 'em...freaking Korean team!

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Originally posted by Wilykat
Ratchet & Clank.

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The little robot that rides on the main character's back is a complete rip-off of The Iron Giant.

And I thought Sarah was lookin' pretty good in VF4...

As for worst character design, hands down- ANY 3DO game.

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Originally posted by Wilykat
Ratchet & Clank.

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oh, and, I think Trish from Devil May Cry is pretty damn ugly too.

There's nothing I hate worse than an assy character design.

The first two that popped into my head are:

Mortal Kombat. So fucking lame, in plain English. Ugh.
Gauntlet Legends. See above.

American designers are the biggest offenders, especially when it comes to platformer characters. The worst always seem to come with utterly corny names, not to mention.

jet set radio future!

well, ok, it's definately not bad character design. quite good, actually.. i just think the character design of the first game is much better.

as for genuinely bad design, how about bmx xxx?

I always thought Rayman had too goofy character design.


But a real bad one, Ashley Riot with his ass-ventilated pants. What the hell.

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Originally posted by Rob
But a real bad one, Ashley Riot with his ass-ventilated pants. What the hell.

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i'm a fan of that character designer, but i'm going to have to agree with you on that one. at least his design is innovative, though.. it's most likely the first case of assless chaps on a main character.

epmode, you're not a fan of square tits?

Seriously, every character rare has ever made stand above even Skunny the Squirrel and Bubsy for suckitude. And Lara croft is one ugly bitch too. Oh, and much as I love the game, what the hell was up with the character design in Relentless?

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Originally posted by johnk_
WTF is up with these mascots born in stockholder meetings?

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Yeah, like that Sonic the Hedgehog crap!:mad:

Seriously, I like Blinx. The character I mean. And Pinobee for that matter.

Someone should really shoot the mascot platform genre out of its misery. Awful characters like Awesome Possum used to be lame Western imitations of the great games in the genre. Now they're the genre's norm.

You think Pit Fighter's designs are bad? This easily tops it.

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Originally posted by Jeremy
epmode, you're not a fan of square tits?

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:D

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Originally posted by Frogacuda
Seriously, every character rare has ever made stand above even Skunny the Squirrel and Bubsy for suckitude.

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umm how about conker? donkey kong (country)? banjo? no no no.

there must be a good rare character. i'll try to come up with something.

Vexx is a lame character, but the game is fantastic. Just a lame ass character.

Ty is really lame, why would anyone think it looks like a Tiger?

Xenosaga characters, from what I have seen they are some of the worst ever. That girl with the glasses is super lame!

Amy from Sonic, bleh!

Rascal from the awful looking platformer Rascal for the PSOne, yikes.

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Originally posted by Freeter
You think Pit Fighter's designs are bad? This easily tops it.

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Hahaha. I played this game too. It was ass. I like the fact that the women have paunches and have droopy features--tres sexy.

In terms of Rare characters-Joanna Dark ain't bad--sorta generic. The jet force gemini chars were okay, blast corps robots were good. Star Fox Adventures seemed like they had some polished chars. In general, though, rare designs are goofy and/or pretty uninspired.

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Originally posted by soundwave

Remember James Pond, Zero Divide, Pit Fighter (and almost every fighting game that had digitized people as characters), Time Killers, Clay Fighter, Ballz, killer Instinct, Double Dragon whatever the horrible fighting game was, Rise of the Robots, Tongue of the Fat Man...damn a lot of fighting games sure had sucky chars.

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'Umm...Zero Divide had awesome characters! :mad: :D

Abobo from Double Dragon. And Margulis from Xenosaga. Chang and Choi from KOF.

Sl1p: I'm surprised you didn't say "Chun-li!" ;D heee

Wow, no one has mentioned Raiden from MGS2.

My vote goes for Rare's version of Donkey Kong. I just can't stand him for some reason. Maybe I don't have enough soul in me.

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Originally posted by Satsuki
Abobo from Double Dragon. And Margulis from Xenosaga. Chang and Choi from KOF.

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.....................

:eek:

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Sl1p: I'm surprised you didn't say "Chun-li!" ;D heee

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MMPH! Yes! Chun-Li. Put me down for Chun-Li and her big turkey legs! *Covers head from Bahn*

Someone else said Xenosaga and I'll go along with that one too. Characters are either lifeless or just really cliche.

And definetly Jet Set Radio Future. Every cool character got slaughtered design wise except Beat...and I don't even like him.

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Originally posted by Despair
I still dont see what is the big deal with people hating FFX characters??? They look fine to me.

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I hope you let DJ dress himself.

ZING!

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Originally posted by usagi
My vote goes for Rare's version of Donkey Kong. I just can't stand him for some reason. Maybe I don't have enough soul in me.

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No, it's probably because he's a crudely made peice of crap that looks like he was made by someone who can't draw and just got 3D studio last week.

Oh! I was just reminded by another thread of the real bottom end of character design... Poy Poy!

The Xenosaga girls with the heads like little children look terribly odd.

Oh yeah, that new Pitfall Harry thing.

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Originally posted by Wilykat
Ratchet & Clank.

I haven't played this game yet, and lord knows the character designs certainly aren't drawing me in. What the fucking munchkin is that thing supposed to be?

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I kind of like Clank. Ratchet is abit awkward though. Also that superhero guy is pretty cool and Drek looks pretty good too. I guess I just like cartoony.

I'd have to nominate Crazy Taxi. Of course, the series is excellent, but I can hardly tell a difference between the three casts of characters. Boring.

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Originally posted by rezo
The Xenosaga girls with the heads like little children look terribly odd.

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:lol:

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Originally posted by Tain
I'd have to nominate Crazy Taxi. Of course, the series is excellent, but I can hardly tell a difference between the three casts of characters. Boring.

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true that...

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Originally posted by Sl1p
MMPH! Yes! Chun-Li. Put me down for Chun-Li and her big turkey legs!

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Hey, you leave Chun-Li out of this, bitch.

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Originally posted by ShineAqua
Hey, you leave Chun-Li out of this, bitch.

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he is kind of a bitch, isn't he?

edit: ok I fixed it...

Box Drink, do everyone a favor and try to make sense the next time you post. I'd like to add nearly the entire roster of the World Heroes series on my dogpile of a list.

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Originally posted by Regus
How does it feel to have AIDS? </inside joke>

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Heheh, I'm surprised I even remember that. Luckily, I found that a Japanese PS2 only gives you cancer and since virtually everything gives you cancer these days, I can't really blame Sony.

Back to the thread, just because a character is forgettable or generic doesn't make them ugly. Heck, if you can forget them it's proof that they aren't mentally scarring enough.

I can't believe I forgot to mention Hugo of SF3, or rather Andre the Giant dug out of the ground and then given a good beating.

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Originally posted by Ammadeau
I can't believe I forgot to mention Hugo of SF3, or rather Andre the Giant dug out of the ground and then given a good beating.

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He got nicknamed "The Drunken British Soccer Fan" by a couple friends of mine. I do wish they'd stop pulling characters out of Final Fight for the SFs; Birdie was also ugly as sin.

Huge was just the Anadore (or Andre) characters from the Final Fight games. A classic Capcom character though.

Anything Tekken.

I'd like to add the Tiger Mask wannabe King to my list.

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Originally posted by Clash_Master
Xenosaga characters, from what I have seen they are some of the worst ever. That girl with the glasses is super lame!

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I thought this too, before I played it.

Here's one, everything in Stretch Panic, especially that oversized balloon headed girl you play as.

Not Alex Kidd, he's so cute!!!

you do know that you are not actually Alex Kidd right?

Randar ;)

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Originally posted by Box Drink
you do know that you are not actually Alex Kidd right?

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You do realize that this isn't Fight Club right? Stop making bad attempts at trolling and shut your mouth until you use that annoying thing inside your head and start posting this kind of crap in the right forum.

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Originally posted by Sl1p
You do realize that this isn't Fight Club right? Stop making bad attempts at trolling and shut your mouth until you use that annoying thing inside your head and start posting this kind of crap in the right forum.

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For once I'm going to come to the defense of assho...err Box Drink. He wasn't "trolling" on Alex, he was, instead, responding to Alex Kidd's "troll." Relax Sl1p, besides he's hardly FC material given that statement.

As to not muck it up anymore, I'll just PM you :p

Recieved, read, and understood. Understand that he's teh n00bie. Give him some time and if he keeps it up then we can roast him in FC.

Maybe i missed it somewhere, but why hasn't anyone mentioned Ms, Lara Croft's fugly ass yet?

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Originally posted by Sl1p
You do realize that this isn't Fight Club right? Stop making bad attempts at trolling and shut your mouth until you use that annoying thing inside your head and start posting this kind of crap in the right forum.

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*notes the irony*

um, yeah, you missed it.

I should have just noted it myself :lol: Yes I realized it too. The good outweighs the bad, damnit!

I'd like to add Rogue the Bat from Sonic Adventure 2 to the bad design list. Shes a bat, with gigantic boobs, and shes a spy for the President. Uhhhh....what!?

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Originally posted by MechDeus
I hope you let DJ dress himself.

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No, I try to get all DJ clothing to look ala FFX, and hopefully soon I will have my own Mini-Tidus ;)

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Originally posted by Despair
No, I try to get all DJ clothing to look ala FFX, and hopefully soon I will have my own Mini-Tidus ;)

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http://www.ifrance.com/TheSquareland/kh/Tidus.jpg

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DJ!?:confused:

LOL! Good ol Ty.......Vexx is bad aswell.

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Originally posted by Dolemite

As for worst character design, hands down- ANY 3DO game.

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What about Gex?

Titus from FFX is a pretty stupid looking character as well.

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Originally posted by Sl1p
http://www.ifrance.com/TheSquareland/kh/Tidus.jpg

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DJ!?:confused:

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:lol: Sl1p :lol:

That pic is perect ! :lol:

Mike: Street Fighter 1
Mikey: Art of Fighting

John Crawley: Art of Fighting.