The best thing about brawler games is that they allow us to pick and choose characters we like and try to beat up other characters with them. Really, that’s the whole concept. The downside is that as fun as it is to try out different characters, games are somewhat restricted by rights and licensing agreements.
That is to say, Capcom can’t just make a Street Fighter game and throw in Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat and Batman from Injustice. This might be one of the reasons that some of the best brawlers of all time – Marvel vs. Capcom and Super Smash Bros. to name a few – are the ones that include mixes of characters from multiple franchises.
So what if we took the Super Smash Bros. concept and extended it to the entire world of video games? What if licenses and rights didn’t matter, and some developer got permission to build a brawler with characters from all across the industry? It’s purely a just-for-fun idea, but this would be the cast of characters if it were up to me….
Donkey Kong
He may not be as important to Nintendo as Mario, but Donkey Kong still feels in some ways like the quintessential gaming character. He’s been around forever, he’s absolutely beloved, and he’s even part of the Super Smash Bros. franchise, which means there’s some precedent for how he could be used in a brawler. D.K. would be essential.
Master Chief
Master Chief is an iconic character to a generation of Halo players, to the point that at least one publication has ranked him as the best video game character of all time. That’s clearly a distinction that people can debate, but the idea stands: he’s one of the most famous possible inclusions, and one who’s particularly combat-oriented, which isn’t essential but doesn’t hurt.
Lara Croft
Recently revived in a resurgent Tomb Raider game series, as well as on the big screen (where she was this time depicted by the talented Alicia Vikander), Lara Croft transcends era and truly deserves a spot on the Mt. Rushmore of gaming. Naturally, that also means she deserves a spot in this hypothetical video game.
Sonic the Hedgehog
Here again we have a legendary, Mt. Rushmore-type character, and one that has been beloved for decades. Sonic actually seems like a particularly enjoyable brawler character in that his basic skillset – speed, more or less – would set him apart. Granted, brawlers can basically grant various attacks and fighting styles to any character regardless of fit, but Sonic seems like the kind of character whose moves would make him different. He’s the sort of character that people particularly good at the game would know how to use far better than anyone else.
Bowser
Bowser is another legitimate icon of gaming. He’s been a villain and an ally, a Mario Kart racer and a brawler. Most everyone knows his name. You can get a Bowser build-a-bear. He’s about as big as an original gaming character can get, and frankly he’s more interesting for a brawler than his arch-nemesis, Mario.
James Bond
James Bond has been the subject of enough video games that any generic Bond would be appropriate for a game like this. However, it would be particularly fun if the game embraced the Pierce Brosnan-modeled version of Bond from GoldeEye 007, which is not just the best Bond game ever but which helped pave the way for a whole genre of first person shooters. Being able to play as this crudely animated, block-headed version of Bond would be a blast.
Sub-Zero
People can quibble about the top characters from the most famous brawlers of all time, but it’s hard to argue against Sub-Zero where Mortal Kombat is concerned. It wouldn’t feel right if a game like this didn’t have at least one character from each of the major fighting franchises, and Sub-Zero just feels like the right pick from Mortal Kombat.
Dhalsim
Here again, there could be plenty of legitimate argument about which Street Fighter character fits best. Ryu and Chun-Li are perhaps the most famous; Ken is more or less Ryu’s exact counterpart; E. Honda, Vega, and Sagat have always made an impression on players. But none is so unique as Dhalsim, even if he tends to be somewhat difficult to play as.
Gonzo
Gonzo might be the most obscure character on this list, but he’s still known to millions. Those millions play casino games online, and the sites’ variety of games are expansive and interesting. They include more story-like experiences than some might guess, and one – about the quest of an explorer named Gonzo in the 15th century New World – has become a massive hit. Planting Gonzo in this brawler would broaden the audience and add a surprising but fitting character.
Link
Some people might prefer to see Zelda herself in a game like this, but Link is the true playable protagonist from the Zelda games, which are among the very best games in history. As he exists already in Super Smash Bros., Link is fairly straightforward to play with, though he can also be a very strong character, and a fun one to use. A straightforward adaptation of this version of the character would be a lot of fun.
Pikachu
Pikachu was already an absolutely iconic figure, and with Pokémon’s recent resurgence through some new modern games, it feels as if he’s all the more important. Plus, it’s fun to have a cute little creature who can summon lightning in a game like this!
Any Assassin
By this I specifically mean any assassin from the Assassin’s Creed series. Fans of this series have their opinions as to which of the assassins is the strongest or most interesting, but the truth is they look and act more or less the same, and would do so within a brawler. So in a way, a generic version of the series’ protagonists, simply named “Assassin,” would almost be most appropriate.
Any Clash Of Clans Warrior
Here we have another modern game, and one with a fairly particular yet massive audience, not unlike that for Gonzo. In fact, come to think about it, they’re almost animated similarly. Be that as it may, a good-natured warrior from the smash mobile hit Clash Of Clans would be a treat for a ton of gamers, and would seem like a lot of fun to control as well.
Nightmare
SoulCalibur may not quite be on the level of Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat, but it’s a long-running and successful brawler franchise with some awfully fun characters. Nightmare (or Siegfried), who’s been in games dating back to the mid-’90s now, is one such character who’s particularly strong and entertaining. Plus, the game needs some villainous-looking types, and Nightmare fits the bill.
Pablo Sanchez
Pablo Sanchez would be something of a joke inclusion, but these games are best when they’re somewhat lighthearted, and Pablo would also delight all kinds of fans. If you’re not familiar, he’s the character at the center of a cult classic game known as Backyard Baseball (and Backyard Soccer as well). He’s incredibly endearing, awesome at sports, and would somehow, inexplicably, be the strongest character in the game.
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