What are video games really for? Why do we play them? This is far more philosophical than I tend to get on a Monday morning, but they’r🐼e interesti🧸ng questions to consider. For many gamers, it’s about filling a little free time, giving us something to do on that soul-crushing morning commute, but everyone’s answer will be different.
Escapism is sure to be a huge factor too. Here in 2019, the real world is becoming ever more confusing and scarier, so who wouldn’t want to hop into a fantasy realm like Hyr𒊎ule for a moment? Here in reality, we may not have༺ a great hulking beast like Calamity Ganon tearing things up, but it sure does feel like it at times.
Part of that escapism is feeling accomplished and powerful. Lots of video games bring us tales of mighty warriors, who single-handedly smite the legions of Beelzebub and send them back down the underworld sewage system from whenꩲce they came. Let’s be real here: that’s always a fꦐun thing to be.
In the real world, you’re a middle-aged stockbroker with a receding hairline, but in games? You can be a revered and unstoppable hero like Mario. The trouble is, though, the heroes and villains of gaming are not created equal. This is an industry where Final Fantasy IX’s Kuja has destroyed an entire world by himself, but also an industry wher𒆙e Magikarp exists.
Let’s celebrate that great discrepancy with some of th🐽e very strongest (and very we𝓰akest) characters in gaming history.
25 ♋ Too Overpowered: Kuja (Fﷺinal Fantasy IX)
We’re going to dive quite deep into spoiler territory here (these details may still be spoilers to some of you 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:if you’re playing the recent Sw☂itch port), so avert your eyes if the ending of Final Fantasy IX is still a mystery to you.
Final Fantasy IX’s Kuja is an🧔 interesting and multi-faceted villain. Yes, he had that whole clichéd megalo🔴mania thing going on, but there was also a bit of exposition there after his defeat. I don’t know about you, friends, but I almost felt just a shade of sympathy for him.
Sure, he set out to shatter the crystal that was the heart of all e﷽xistence, but everyone ha🐟s their little character flaws.
The important thing here is that Kuja, on unleashing his Trance form, was able to overpower his own creator (not by magical means, but simply by kicking him in the face) and destroy his whole home planet (not by kicking it in the face).
24 💦 Too Weak: Pichu (Pok♔émon)
Of course, when the whole baby Pokémon mechanic was introduced, it was just inevitable that Pikachu was going to get one. Pikachu always gets everything. 🅠There may be around 1000 different ‘mon in total, but Pikachu is still absolutely Game Freak’s favorite child.
Hey, Trubbish, Pikachu’s dropped its ice cream cone. You’d better give it yours. Stop crying, trash bag, nobody likes you.
All of that aside, though, Pichu has historically been awful. It has terrible stats in its home franchise (as it would, of course, being a baby Pokémon), and was added to Super Smash Bros. in the s♋econd game as a joke character. It’s super weak, super light, and it damages itself with its special moves.
It wasn’t until Super Smash Bros. Ultimate that anyon꧂e was ever able to take Pඣichu seriously.
23 𓆏 Too Overpowered: Ganondorf (The Legend Of Zelda)
Speaking of characters that are suddenly a great deal better in Smash Ultimate, here comes Link’s nefarious nemesis himself.
As we know, Ganondorf is the wielder of the Triforce of Power, and he certainly lives up to that title in Smash. He might run li꧂ke my gran🀅dpa (fitting, considering the popularity of his Oldmanondorf color scheme), but his attacks land with thunks so heavy you can hear them from three states away.
Smash aside, though, Ganondorf (and his beast form, Ganon) is infamous as one of the biggest and most powerful threats in all the Zelda universe. Link just cannot keep him down.
22 Too Weak: Ashley Graౠham (Resident Evil 4)
Resident Evil 4 remains one of the most𝄹 controversial entries in the series. It was the game that tipped the scales towards a more TPS-style route, and fans around the world have all kinds of colorful things to say on that subject. It’s a can of worms you really don’t want to open.
It’s a good game, that’s a tough one to argue, but a good Resident Evil game? That’s another story entirely. If ther𓃲e’s one thing lots of us can agree on, though, it’s that Ashley Graham can be one heck of🔜 a pain in the behind.
Leon Kennedy’s objective in the game is to deliver her to safety, and he’s got to endure a whole lot of piercing LEEEEEEEEON! HEEEEEEELP! In order to do so.
Mercifully, the player only has to directly control Ashley for one ten-minute section of the game, and throwing those l🅺anterns at the enemies is slightly satisfying.
21 Too Overpowered:🙈 Isaac (The Bind𒀰ing Of Isaac)
As anyone who’s played The Binding of Isaac will know, this entry’s definitely one heck of a ༺curveball. Stick with me, though, I know where I’m going with this.
If this cult♛ classic title is known for anything, it’sಞ for… well, a whole lot of jokes. If it’s known for anything else, though, it’d be its wild unpredictability.
With everything being procedurally generated, you never know which 🐽power-ups you’re going to acquire. Certain combinations can doom a run to failure, while others can make it effortless.
Isaac෴ fans know how very satisfying it can be to breeze through a run, armed with a hilariously broken set of abilities. Until you’ve seen the true potential of the power-up system in action, you have no idea how overpowered the unassuming Isaac can be.
20 Too ꦏWeak: Bayonetta (Bꩵayonetta Series)
Speaking of curveballs, here’s a character that you wouldn’t often expect to see on the ‘too weak’ side of the rundown. After all, Bayonet𒅌ta is a formidable Umbra Witch, who spends most of her time in her home series tꦇearing through angels, demons, and mythical beasts.
In Smash, too, she was notorious for being overpowered ☂when she was first introduced as DLC. You’ll have noticed, though,🎉 that nobody seems to be playing Bayonetta any longer. Why? Because she’s been nerfed to oblivion, that’s why.
It’s always good to see a previously-problematic character being dealt𝓀 with𓆏, but to this heavy-handed extent? Ouch.
19 Too Overpowered: Albert W𓃲esker (Resident Evil Series)
Crossing back over to the Resident Evil franchise for a moment, it was super tempting to include o🧜ur old buddy Chris Redfield here. After all, the man’s become a huge meme in his own right, what with his boulder-ꩵpunching shenanigans and the gigantic Greek demigod arms he suddenly grew out of nowhere.
For me, though, series stalwart Albert Wesker takes the title of strongest character in the franchise. Forget the Tyrant, Mr. X, Nemesis, and othe🌊r nigh-unstoppable beinඣgs, this guy’s got all the moves.
His appearances throughout Resident Evil 5, in particular, show off all the Matrix-inspired moves, rocket-catching, and otherౠ abs🌳urdity Wesker was capable of.
18 𓂃 🌸 Too Weak: The Cleric Beast (Bloodborne)
I know what you’re thinking: look at this darn thing! It’s not often that you get to call a vast, towering, horned abomination from the depths of Hades’ undergarments hamper ‘too weak,’ but there’s something we’ve got to bear in mind here: t꧟he Cleric Beast is more of a tutorial boss than anything.
The first boss that most Bloodborne players will encounter, it’s an optional battle that occurs on the far end of the Great Bridge. It’s an incredibly intimidating opponent, and is capable of bringing you to a swift and intense end if you’re reckless, but still. Its purpose is to teach new players the art of Bloodborne comb♑at: watch your enemy, be observant, take your chances when they’re presented to you.
17 Too Overpowered: Bowser ✤Jr (Mario Tennis Aces)
Mario Tennis Aces was intended 💞as one of the big-hitters of the Switch’s sometimes-questionable 2018, but it managed to really rankle some players. Firstly, there was its shockingly barebones content, and secondly, there was the menace that was Bowser Jr.
This little guy just had it all. He had the reach of a Defensive character, the strength of a Power character (being able to move while charging helped there)… there was little doubt that he was the best character in the game. As we reported𒁏 at the time, he was ne🗹rfed soon enough, but it took lots of players registering their discontent (that’s putting it 🐎mildly) to make it happen.
16 Too Weak: Glass Joe (Punch-Out!!) 🍷
Now, as is the case with the Cleric Beast of Bloodborne, Glass Joe isn’t supposed to be super tough. The first opponent of Punch-out!! ♐is also all about trying to break you in gently, teaching 𝄹you the ropes.
The poor Frenchman has become synonymous with weak characters in video games. He’s just too predictable, an⭕d unlike later opponents, he doesn’t try to hide his glaring weakness at all.
It’s right there in his ꦡname. One well-aimed punch froജm Little Mac, and he’s down for the count.
On the plus side, Punch-Out!! Does have some famously super difficult opp🔥onents to offer later, with a c♈ertain iconic and notorious boxer making an appearance.