As long as there have been video games, there have been guys that want to play them. The medium hardly needed any help getting the boys into the arcades. The video game companies figured that if 100 guys would play a game then 10,000 guys would play a game with hot female characters. So with that in mind, Mr.Gone is proud to present.


Pixelated Love (The Bad Kind)


10) Princess Peach- Mario Bros.


She was always in another castle, always getting kidnapped, but for some reason Mario kept searching for her no matter what. Princess Peach (Toadstool) has been the driving force in the majority of Mario games. It must be true love that motivates the plucky plumber and the fact that the Princess is a hotty. Add to that the fortune that is synonymous with royalty and you can understand why Mario puts up with the constant mushroom/turtle bites.



9) Lucca- Chrono Trigger


If you are like most gamers of the SNES era, there were few RPGs that lived up to the raw fun factor of Chrono Trigger. Regarded to this day as one of the most enthralling and replayable RPGs of all time, partly due to it's motley crew of heroes. Lucca was quick with a fix, and always ready to lend a hammer in a fight. Cute and witty, she was the one I hoped Chrono would end up with (pfft princesses are over rated, give me a smart girl in glasses!)



8) Morrigan- Darkstalkers


Okay, okay, I agree that there is no such thing as too much cleavage, but for the love of God. This sultry succubus stunned gamers of the day with her illegally low cut costume and undulating ready stance. Veterans of the Street Fighter circuit took a break with Darkstalkers. It's a straight forward brawler with all the quarter-circle forward punches and super attacks to keep a Ryu fan interested. Not to mention scantily clad vampire babes.



7) Princess Kitana- Mortal Kombat


MORTAL KOMBAT! Sorry, couldn't resist. Do you think that guy gets a quarter every time someone says that? Ah, Princess Kitana, favorite of the ladies, always broke up the MK experience with a feminine touch. Sure Sonja was still there but she was a little butch. Metal fans and a skin tight costume? Sign me up! Round one! Oogle!



6) Kyoko Minazuki-Rival Schools: United By Fate


With a title like Rival Schools: United By Fate, you knew you were in for some crazy Japanese fighting game fun. Colorful characters and over the top special attacks are par for this course in this flashy brawler. It a game about high school kids kicking each other around, you really have feel bad for the school nurse. In this case though, the school nurse Kyoko Minazuki, jumps into the fray in an attempt to limit the damage done to the student body and the student's bodies. This Hippocratic hypocrite has all the fans taking a flying leap into the lockers hoping they get the school nurse with the curves. Ouch! Hurts so good.



5)Samus Aran- Metroid


You blasted your way through one of the best games you've ever played. You put the evil Mother Brain in her place. You escaped by the skin of your teeth. You can't wait to dress up as Samus this year for Halloween. Samus is... a chick? A shocking revelation from one of the best games of all times. Over the next several years we learned that not only was Samus a lady, but a dang foxy one at that.



4) Mai Shiranui- King of Fighters


Long before Dead or Alive and "realistic" physics got all the fan boys drooling, this bouncy ninja chick got the hard core fighters all worked up. King of Fighters was Neo Geo's answer to Street Fighter. It was just different enough to hold it's own and has developed a fan following around the world. Mai was the KoF answer to Street Fighter's curvy ladies. Granted the SNES version of the game was "stabilized", arcades were still prolific and bad boys could still play as their favorite Jello inspired vixen.



3) Lara Croft- Tomb Raider


What can I say about Lara that hasn't already been said. She really jump started the female-lead trend in video games. Never before as a main character been so feminine and yet so tough. In her early days she wasn't much to look at, but as technology progressed so did the pixel count. Lara gives "bump mapping" a whole new meaning.



2) Tifa Lockheart- Final Fantasy VII


Charges with revitalizing the RPG genre, Final Fantasy VII is a gem in the PS2 crown. A twisting story line, epic battles and love cut tragically short. None of these mattered when compared to a tiny white shirt stretched to the tactile limits. Cloud mourned the loss of Aries right up until he remembered that Tifa was in the party. This lovely fist fighter practically had a Summon hidden under her top. It's not tough to figure out what demographic this game was aimed at.



1) Chun Li- Street Fighter

You stand, victorious, by the cigarette scared cabinet. The sweat beads on your brow and you bladder aches from the Big Gulp you just finished. Your hands ache and your vision blurs but as long as she's by your side you can't be defeated. Chun-Li was more than just eye candy for some Street Fighter enthusiasts, she was an ace in the hole. Powerful as she was beautiful she was the fastest of the world warriors and skilled players could mop the floor with any challenger. Chun Li has faired very well over the years (let's not bring up the Street Fighter movie okay) and still stands as one of the most recognized and most loved video game lady of all time.


Also, without here we wouldn't have Chun Li cosplayers Reeeowwwrr!






Well that does it for another of Mr.Gone's top 10 lists. Keep your eyes peeled for my next list, "When good girls go hot." A top 10 list of when cartoon tom boys go sultry.

Make sure to check out my previous top 10 lists:

Cartoon Love (TBK) Cartoon: Hotties of the 80's
http://www.retrojunk.com/details_articles/280/

Cartoon Love (TBK) Strikes Back: Cartoon Hotties of the 90's
http://www.retrojunk.com/details_articles/433/

Return of Cartoon Love (TBK): Cartoon Hotties of '00-'07
http://www.retrojunk.com/details_articles/1093/

Tough on the Heroes Easy on the Eyes: Cartoon Villainesses
http://www.retrojunk.com/details_articles/1112/