So last week we found out who the proverbial dimwits of the sidekick world are. This week, to make up for all my nay-saying, I’m going to divulge who I think the best sidekicks of the video game world are. I admit, I had a lot to choose from and it was hard to break it down into just five. However, I’m trying anyway.

A sidekick doesn’t have to be an amazing asset, or be capable of turning into a huge weapon. Just so long as they’re faithful and willing to go into battle. Not being annoying also helps. *coughNavicough* Some of the best sidekicks are the strong silent type.

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Back in the old days of yore, when I would wake up early to watch Saturday morning cartoons, I always marveled at the way superheroes always had a handy, competent sidekick following them around. In the cultural transition that has been the video game phenomenon, it’s interesting to see how the role of a sidekick has transformed as well. Gone are the days of spandex costumes and lame “Golly-Jiminee!” catchphrases. Now we have robots, boogers, foxes, breegulls, the list goes on.

But not all sidekicks are useful or even fun to be around. Most of them are whiny snots, scantily clad women, or just plain cowards. Who was the best of the worst? Let’s take a look.

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It’s true you know. Video Games will bring around the end of civilization as we know it. We’ll either be addicts, virtual-junkies, slavering over our screens and snarling at the rest of the human race - or we’ll be nicking cars and driving over random pedestrians.

Ever since Death Race came to the attention of the press, back in 1976, games have been blamed for everything - from theft to assault, from swearing to murder. Games have responded to criticism by becoming bloodier, more sexual, and allegedly racist, homophobic, and sexist. So here’s a top ten of the craziest, most controversial games in gaming history.

1. Death Race

The first video game to stir-up major protest. The object of the game was to run down ‘gremlins’, that resembled people. Sadly, the ‘gremlins’ looked like people, and the working title of the game had been Pedestrian. The media went into overdrive, discussing the psychological impact of games and eventually the game was banned - though not before protestors supposedly dragged the consoles out to burn in parking lots.

Later on, we got Carmaggedon (The Carpocalypse). Instead of gremlins, they were zombies. Times, they are (not) a-changin’.
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To follow up my Top Ten Stylish Games post, I decided to court controversy by posting my ten favorite box covers. This has the advantage in that I don’t need to have liked (or played) the game. When I came to write the post, however, I quickly found I had far far more than ten. Grand Theft Auto, Halo 3, Age of Empires III… all great covers, and none made it onto the end list.

The list also began to modify itself when I investigated the differences between European and American covers. Final Fantasy, for example, has long carried a stark white cover and beautiful logo in Japan and Europe, whilst in America they tend towards a more normal character focused cover. Equally Ico, a game that has a classic cover by anyone’s definition, turned out to have been mutilated for an American audience. On the other hand, the US cover of The Legend of Zelda became a classic, whilst the Japanese cover was rather more ordinary.

The result is that this list is even more arbitrary than the last. If you’ve got a favorite, and it doesn’t appear, let me know about it!

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I adore the weird, the wonderful, and the bizarre. Occasionally games bore me - I have a “Oh look, I’m a secret agent with a gun and I get to shoot people. How about that?” attitude. The nice thing about video games, however, is that unlike Hollywood, even the mainstream games can be absolutely off-the-wall. With the possible exception of sport and racing games anyway - and even some of those franchises slide into the surreal and the odd.

With this in mind, I’m going to bring you my top ten most stylish games. Some of them are weird, and some of them are wonderful. They are all interesting. Before we get started, a disclaimer: these are only games I have played, and is not an exhaustive list. There are some notable games missing, so I encourage you to drop me a comment with a recommendation for your own twisted and fantastical favourite.

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Ever fancied a replica keyblade? Or even some replica materia? Really? WHY?!

Video games have always been used to sell us crap we don’t need. Just like movies. Seems like you can’t turn around from a good game without finding a flood of shoddy plastic action figures or lame photoshopped posters screaming Buy! Buy! Buy! I’m now going to name and shame some of the ones that personally piss me off. Do you disagree? Can you not live without your daily supply of sonic-flavored cola? Let me know in the comments!

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