Zombies, Aliens, or Nazis? Designing the perfect game enemy.

by Vladimir Cole { Sep 2nd 2006 at 10:36AM }

The net's full of debate about the perfect game protagonist (ninjas, pirates, or robots?) but too little real debate about what makes the perfect in-game enemy.

In comments on yesterday's post about upcoming Xbox 360 (Japan) zombie stomper Oneechanbara, Joystiq reader Gimbal posited that risen corpses may well be the ideal enemy: "Zombies, like Nazis, are the perfect enemy for video games." Zatso? What makes a perfect enemy anyway?

The perfect enemy is:

Ugly: the perfect enemy generates involuntary revulsion on the part of the beholder. Examples: Alien, Klingons, Predator, zombies, headcrabs, trolls, orcs, snakes.
Inherently dangerous: It's in the enemy's nature to damage humans or the human way of life. If the enemy is to live, humans must suffer. Whether driven by pure malice, the need for a warm, wet place to lay eggs, or mere appetite for brainsss, the enemy's existence must be predicated on human destruction.
Foreign: the perfect enemy cannot share the same values as the protagonist. Whether that means the enemy believes that Democracy is wrong (and Communism right) or the believes that humans are tasty: foreign values allow all sorts of wonderful misunderstanding and conflict. The enemy should not speak our own language.
Sentient: the perfect enemy is smart enough to maliciously plan your death. The Atlantic ocean, for instance, is inherently dangerous, but tends to be at the mercy of winds and doesn't appear to be plotting against us all.
Politically appropriate: the perfect enemy is culturally and politically acceptible to hate and destroy. In ages past, the perfect enemy might have been the Visigoths, Muslims (remember the Crusades?), people with different skin color, whatever. Nowadays, it's generally more politically correct for the enemy to be inhuman. Zombies and aliens make great enemies precisely because it's hard for America's religious extremists to object to ostensibly wholesome themes such as "protect the human race from Martian invaders!" or "Defend your homeland from unholy swarms of undead!"
Difficult but not impossible to eliminate: The perfect enemy needs to be vulnerable (else there's no hope, and no way to win the game), but not so vulnerable that the enemy doesn't pose a credible threat.

Is this definition sufficiently inclusive? Any examples of enemies that fall outside of the requirements?

Tags: alien, game design, ludology, nazi, video games, wolfenstein, xenophobia, zombie

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Kaikara @ Sep 2nd 2006 10:42AM

Vampires. Make great protagonists and enemies. ;)

Chris @ Sep 2nd 2006 10:59AM

I'm tired of these clichés. "Oooh, it's ugly, it's repulsive, so it's got to be bad." Prey is a good case in point. It's clear the game's designers wanted to convey "evil" by making every aspect of the aliens as disgusting as possible. I find it unlikely than an alien race that has the technology to travel across the galaxy would design a vessel with thousands of maws that spewed blood, guts, and severed limbs just about everywhere. (Isn't that bad for the instrument panels?)

I'd like to see game designers convey the enemy's malice through storytelling, giving you some valid motivation for slaughtering thousands of people/aliens/mutants. 'Shoot whatever is ugly' just isn't cutting it for me anymore.

reebo @ Sep 2nd 2006 10:59AM

Nazi pirate zombie robots.

Damn, I should make games...

devian @ Sep 2nd 2006 11:13AM

I believe Jack Thompson falls under all these categories

Intangible 360 @ Sep 2nd 2006 11:00AM

This seems like a list compiling the easiest enemy to create, not necessarily the best. I think some of the best enemies in video games, movies or otherwise are just like you and I, or are very similar on many levels.

BrotherEstapol @ Sep 2nd 2006 11:02AM

I think you failed ot mention Giant Enemy Crabs anywhere in the article...for-shame!

Jay @ Sep 2nd 2006 11:02AM

Must be video game cliche day.

So many problems there, but the one I disliked most was the "should not speak our language" one. I disagree fullheartedly. I find the greatest enemy (in theory) is someone on your side. not only do you get the backstabbing element (006 style), but also the fact this came from your country. A distorted look upon one countries views and tolerances. Parents love their kids, right? Well this enemy would love them so much he kidnaps them and freezes them. silly point, but extreme views of ones own countries beliefs and understandings always makes for a great bad guy.

LaughingTarget @ Sep 2nd 2006 11:08AM

I'm with Chris on this one. Evil always being hideously ugly is getting a little old, be it games, movies, or comics. Sometimes, I'd like to see the enemy as a character that really blindsides you.

****SPOILERS FOR ANYONE THAT HASN'T READ AND PLANS TO READ THE WATCHMEN GRAPHIC NOVEL!****

A great example of this would be Ozymandius from The Watchmen. He wasn't ugly, he was in top physical form, ran a company that helped humanity, and was even a hero. He was the perfect villain because he was exactly the opposite of everything above. His revealing toward the end really takes you off guard because he simply wasn't expected to be the bad guy.

****END SPOILER ALERT****

I would also like the main enemy to be actively evil. A lot of what we consider evil is the misguided attempt of another to do good. The Crusades were a perfect example. While at the top it was a mere power game, the people involved were truly trying to do good by eliminating the "evil" Muslims. They thought of themselves as righteous, but in the end, they were evil as well.

The enemy being so cut and dry gets old. I'd prefer to see the crutch removed and use solid storytelling to hit us with an enemy in our midst that we simply never saw coming. While Zombie Nazi Robots are a good mainstay in fast-paced shooters, they should be used sparingly and as cannon-fodder. The true mastermind should not always be the obvious megalomaniac cackling in the castle where the Zombie Nazi Robots are streaming from. A perfect enemy running the show would be a quiet little American guy or a decorated British war hero, not some Nazi general with his Hitler moustache.

Heretic @ Sep 2nd 2006 11:22AM

Basically, all it takes is an extreme and fanatical belief in something. As long as we can be the ones to test if they are willing to die for it (most of the time they are) then we are for the most part happy consumers.

JohnMazz84 @ Sep 2nd 2006 11:24AM

Hmm..
Ugly, Dangerous, Foreign, Sentient, Difficult but not impossible to eliminate, and culturally and politically acceptible to hate and destroy...

So, William Shatner?

John Q. @ Sep 2nd 2006 11:26AM

I don't think ugliness is required for the perfect enemy. Take the Colossi from SotC: many were gorgeously designed and majestic. That only made them better enemies in my eyes. All the others definitely apply, though.

Jay @ Sep 2nd 2006 11:33AM

The best enemies are the one's that are unexpected, empathetic ... think Sephiroth -- attractive, strong, and has a rationale for his actions. I think there is a difference between bosses and minions -- the above listed "perfect enemy" requirements are great for minions, not as good for a villain.

Fish @ Sep 2nd 2006 11:36AM

Seems like drawing a slobbering, angry race is taking the easy way out. Most games do this, and it's almost insulting.

Of course, there is a ballance. Look at Halo or Metroid. The bad guys are alien, but there is an extensive amount of backstory to them. They're not just scary enemies anymore, they've been given depth.

The GTA series doesn't fall into almost any of the above categories with villains, but come on, who didn't hate Tenpenny? Or Lance Vance?

iSage @ Sep 2nd 2006 11:41AM

Ah, but who was really the enemy in SotC? Not enough games have left me feeling conflicted about the "mission" like that game did.

Sarcasmorator @ Sep 3rd 2006 8:48PM

I'd call Half Life 2's Combine the perfect enemy. They're at once familiar, with the use of humans and modified humans in their forces, and entirely alien. You hate the Combine because it has not only invaded the Earth, destroyed its environment and subjugated its people, but also because it has managed to turn a good portion of those people against their own race — and turn others into barely-human Stalkers.

Ritz @ Sep 2nd 2006 11:53AM

Hrm. Well, I do enjoy Prey for its really gross ugly enemies that definatly give the green light to enjoy destroying, I think there is something to be said about enemies hidden within your own side.

In FFVII, I came to hate that big Moogle doll (to the point where I refused to play the character at all, in protest), or in Bleach a powerful member of the good side proves to have been evil the whole time. Then there are characters like Kefka from FFVI or Yggdrasial from Tales of Symphonia. Enemies that delight in evil or those who backstab and betray get the most reaction out of me (right after you start getting attached to them emotionaly).

I love to hate them and they make great enemies. They speak our own language, the appearently share similer views, they're easy on the eyes. ...And then you find out they are the most evil creatures in the universe.

Those make the best bad guys, imo.

Sander Scamper @ Sep 2nd 2006 12:13PM

While I love the idea of the inhuman slobbering monster as much as the next violence crazed gaming addict, I have a special place in my heart for antagonists who truly follow the truth "A Monster never sees a Monster in the mirror". Just like Strazynski (sp?) I find myself truly questioning almost everything about the way I look at things when confronted with the "survival of the fittest" outlook of the previously thought to be wholly evil Shadows from Babylon 5. Or, and much more related to video gaming, The Ur-Quan from Star Control 2 (possibly the greatest game ever made, certainly the best story in a game.) are amazing. This is a race that, despite being ugly, despite being inherently dangerous and insidiously intelligent, they were doing what they believed was right. Just like when confronted with a bully who is only that way because he's beaten at home or had a traumatic experience.

I've rambled enough.

Shannon @ Sep 2nd 2006 12:10PM

That's one of the reasons Xenogears is my favorite JRPG, the villains in the game weren't just evil for evils sake. They honestly thought they were doing the right thing.

it's so easy... @ Sep 2nd 2006 12:19PM

So why not alien zombies that are controlled by the nazis and speak German? Then they can scream racial slurs at you, then eat your brains, then lay eggs in your belly!

Ryan Williams @ Sep 4th 2006 9:07AM

I totally agree with #2 (Chris). It's getting fairly ridiculous how poor the storylines in games are, largely driven by cliches and uninspired design. Although this post is rather accurate, it's certainly not something I feel inclined to encourage use of as a basis for creating a good enemy.

The most interesting enemies in my opinion are always those who aren't so predictably evil, and whose threat isn't immediately apparent. The threat becomes more pronounced and sometimes surprisingly so (ie: a twist) as time goes on. A good example is actually the recent film Batman Begins, as is the Watchmen example given above.

Of course, it seems that the most inspired 'guy turns out to be evil' twist that most game writers can come up with is some kind of close ally turning out to be a spy or something. Yawn.

I guess I'm kind of just ranting about the state of video game writing in general here, though. While I do love my action fests from time to time, I'd really like to see more substance start to creep into games as the industry develops. It doesn't seem to really be happening at the moment, and games are largely strictly contextual rather than following an excellently written storyline.

I guess it'll come with time. We're still in the hardware race era after all. :)

rTwelve @ Sep 2nd 2006 12:31PM

"Examples: Alien, Klingons, Predator, zombies, headcrabs, trolls, orcs, snakes."

Wait... Alien Snakes on a Spaceship?

Aikinai @ Sep 2nd 2006 12:49PM

Yes! Sander Scamper, sometimes I forget there are other people who've played Star Control II. And yet everyone should play it. The Ur-Quan were a great perversion on the typical videogame enemy. They seemed to just be anti-human, ugly, killing-machines, but they're backstory is incredible and you really can't blame them for what they're doing. By the way, if anyone's interested in playing the game, the creators rebuilt it open source and you can get it here http://sc2.sourceforge.net/

Dave Arey @ Sep 2nd 2006 12:49PM

Foreign enemies tend to be mind-numbing more than scary or effective. I know I was freaked out a lot more by someone like Psycho Mantis than by any zombie. If a main boss can't even talk to you, it's a lot less of an obstacle than one that can, because evil is about a lot more than just looking or sounding evil.

Metacore @ Sep 2nd 2006 1:16PM

I always kind of dug "my enemy's enemy is my friend" Half the game you fight neo-nazi's who have rissen into power by 2057, then BOOM!? piecefull aliens far away, who were experimenting with stuff that would make them live longer , and turned almost thier whole planet into zombie, mutant cyborg pirates ninjas snakes(kind of like serenity, with they zombie pirate aliens, who were zombie pirate humans) invade. They are unable LIVE on earth, but need some resource on it... Brains? i always thought it should have some comical irony, like they need our rocks. They don;t know we don;t really care, but the rocks are ours, so they assume we would be protective. Then you find out in the end, they wern;t mining for an acient deathbeam, they just wanted the actual rocks. something kind of lame like that that would make you just laugh for 10 minutes straight "I was killing all these guys for rocks ROFL!" ( yes, you would actualy say ROFL, by the way). Back to the "enemy's enemy thing" you have to teem up with the nazi, and eventually the normal aliens(that is when you get to use their awsome guns and stuff, maybe something creative that hasn;t been done, like a teleportation guns, grab a guy, send him into a middle of a tree) but half way the nazi's backstab you and try to go all "Universe domination" on your ass when they find out how to make spaceships, and/or a big ass gun and/or the secret to kill the aliens.

Shit! Take away the nazi, and replace them witht he word covenant... How much does that sound like "Halo 2"? Fuck it, creativity doesn;t exist, everything's been done!

Wild Homes @ Sep 2nd 2006 1:51PM

to the poster who suggested zombie robots: I can't remember if I've ever fought a zombie robot in a game. you might be on to something. but a zombie robot ninja would be totally better. like Grey Fox, only better.

actually, I want to make sports games starring zombies. like, NFL Zombie Blitz. that way I wouldn't have to deal with current players, and the NFLPA.

oh, and NBA Zombie Jam, just because it'd totally give me an excuse to reuse Shawn Kemp.

Sidescroller @ Sep 2nd 2006 1:59PM

I find it interesting how such a light-hearted topic turned into such an interesting look at culture trends.

This has already been mentioned a few times, but this element is what separates Halo from every other FPS today, IMO. I'm sure that scary, bulbous organisms with dubious motives and strange technology were scary at one point (maybe when 'War of the Worlds' was written).

Almost all FPS, from Doom to Doom 3, Prey, Gears of War, Unreal... and even the non-sci-fi ones (WWII shooters, I'm looking at you) are all getting stale in the enemy design department. Halo (and almost every game by Bungie, for that matter) has had a strong, understandable motive for the nemesis, and, usually, it contains a unique twist on the enemy that changes your perspective.

Best example? In Marathon *SPOILER IF YOU CARE*, one of the most fearsome enemies in the game, the S'Pht (a floating, disembodied robotic head and spine with a cloak that can hack termnials and eerily floats toward you), ends up joining you halfway through as you liberate them from their captors, and then in the sequels, you discover on their homeworld that they were created by an ancient benevolent race that had sealed up a universe-consuming evil. That turns the whole story upside down.

If that's not enough of a twist, the AI you originally thought was working against you, Durandal (who's name origin is closely linked to Cortana, mind you) ends up being the one giving you orders as he messes with your mind (*your* mind, not the characters) in his attempt to gain immortality. HOLY CRAP!

*END SPOILER*

Eggman @ Sep 2nd 2006 2:04PM

Nah, don't agree with half that stuff. I'll give u sentient and inherintly dangerous, but thats about all i'd agree with.

MGS for example is a great example of breaking away from tradition. The conflict revolves around not only "the bad guy" but ur own govt, and people you thought were your allies. It changes things up, keeps things interesting and adds a degree of unpredictability thats far more entertaining then shooting alien zombie nazis for 10 hours straight. Games like XIII are also worth a mention, where you don't even know who you're enemy is.

Enemies shouldn't know your language? This would lead to pretty bland games i'd imagine. Understanding the ememies side of the story can be a lot more engrossing then again, shooting nazis all day. Good example here would be games like KOTOR, yea the dark side is evil but they have their own philosophy. Heck you can even join that side if you agree with their viewpoint more, which is again a LOT more immersive/enjoyable than the game forcing on you whats right/wrong.

Why do enemies have to be ugly? Uglieness kinda puts you above the enemy at which point its just a battle of "it's different than me, kill it". It can work but leaves a lot of breadth out of the game. Or if the enemy is just a huge ugly monster, the game will probably feel like an ordinary survival scenario. The enemy isn't something that could outwit you on ur own level (or with its own strengths/weaknesses), its a big mindless monster in ur way to the end. Not trying to diss this style of game tho. For example half life had a lot of ugly aliens to shoot thru, however was that the real enemy? The game would've suked (imo) if all it was about was shooting aliens without the greater plot behind it.

(spoiler if you haven't seen the movie, the perfect storm)

Oh and difficult but not impossible. True, but i think there could be some interesting things done on the contrary. Like the movie "The perfect storm", i was thinking towards the end "hah, i wonder what kind of bull shit miracles gonna get them out of this", with the ending surprising me more than if it had ended like a traditional movie. "and they lived happily ever after" thing is kinda getting old.

Hiro Protagonist @ Sep 2nd 2006 2:06PM

Robots and Zombies are clearly the best enemies.
Anyone played System Shock 2? That was some epic shit.

And it has a plot twist some people have mentioned, I suggest those of you who haven't played it to do so. Get the multiplayer addon and the mod to get all the textures better looking so your eyes don't burn at the sight of it.

It's really awesome.

Scott @ Sep 2nd 2006 2:05PM

I don't think aliens and zombies are popular because of America's "religious extremists" but rather because America's cultural diversity extremists disapprove of anything that could be construed as encouraging negative racial or cultural stereotypes.

Anonymousaurus @ Sep 2nd 2006 3:37PM

-you guys got it ALL WRONG!

-dont you know that the perfect gaming antagonist is a right wing conservative parent?

gamer9190 @ Sep 2nd 2006 4:53PM

Am I the only one who would find a game with a sympathetic, humane and fleshed out enemy fascinating? Add some moral aspect to the thing, where you might actually care about killing the enemy? Y'know, good storytelling and all that?

LongshotX @ Sep 2nd 2006 5:15PM

"Islamic Facist" are the perfect enemy.

1. Effective users of propaganda.
2. Fight and hide amidst civilians, thereby if ever targeted the enemy is forced to attack within civilian populations, effectively creating anger amid the people in an attempt to make it look like the enemy (Often the Western World) is trying to attack their way of life.
3. Blatant hatred of people who do not follow their beliefs and way of life.
4. Does not care for their own live only the goal of an Islamic World Regime.
5. Well versed in foriegn security measures, which allow them to find and effectively exploit potential areas of weakness.
6. Highly secretive and difficult to follow.

El Guapo @ Sep 2nd 2006 7:04PM

Either Jack Thompson or Nazis who have been mutated to look and act like him. Noone goes wrong with that solution, its like killing two evil birds with one stone.

Edmund @ Sep 2nd 2006 6:26PM

This is from an MSNBC article about how Hollywood's staple villains have changed throughout the years. I thought it was kind of interesting...

"Disaster films such as “Armageddon” were just one way Hollywood dealt with the end of the Cold War. The fall of the Soviet Union not only opened up long dormant ethnic rivalries around the world but it closed off the chief source of Hollywood’s action movie villains. The Russians had been good to Hollywood, and they had been preceded by Nazis, who had been preceded by Indians, who had been proceeded by handlebar-mustachioed landlords. Most of these wouldn’t do anymore."

The article argues that Hollywood's new enemy is the natural disaster. I disagree, since that trend was also seen in the 70's. Instead I would say that the Russians have been replaced by terrorists. And I don't mean Islamic terrorists, I mean terrorists in general. In fact, the same article brings up another great point...

"Despite the complaints of some Arab-American groups, Hollywood was an Equal Opportunity Employer with its terrorists. Sure, Arab terrorists wanted U.S. troops out of the Persian Gulf (“True Lies”), and one Arab extremist wanted to strike the sword of Allah deep into the heart of the infidel (“Executive Decision”), but our cinematic heroes were also threatened by terrorists from England (“Passenger 57”), Kazakhstan (“Air Force One”), Bosnia (“The Peacemaker”), Germany (“The Sum of All Fears”) and Colombia (“Collateral Damage”), each with their own set of demands, each with their own brand of crazy, each meeting their own horrible ends."

As for the Russians, I would say that The Hunt for Red October was their swang song, handing the torch over to terrorists by means of a little film called Die Hard. They were two years apart, but who cares?

And come to think of it, Delta Force was sort of a pioneer, huh? Chuck Norris will never cease to amaze me.

If you want to read that article go to http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9230038

B-Mo @ Sep 2nd 2006 6:13PM

I believe this Article should be read "how to copy paste enemies into games, thereby further stagnating the industry." Everything has been done before from the list. Alien Nazis, Alien Zombies, Zombie Nazis, Vampires Killing Nazis... It gets old. Unless it's already in a series (Resident Evil, MoH), using any combination of these enemies or in their pure form are nothing more than laziness on the developer's side. You can add Demons to that list, although that's not quite as overdone as the other three are. What about the Soldiers in Half Life? they spoke english. Here's what I propose for a list of perfect enemies in a game:

A driving force - something that drives the protagonist to go against these enemies, be it Revenge, Ordered to, or even self defense.

Believable for the given setting - I'm not saying you can't have aliens or zombies, but keep them in their respective place. Aliens are for sci-fi style games. I don't want to see your zombie cop out filler missions when I thought I was playing a WWII game. Return to Castle Wolfenstein, I'm looking at you.

you can lack brains, but you better have Brawn- Sometimes I don't want an enemy that's borderline insane because he's so smart. It's Okay to have masses of enemies that are hulkingly ginormous that take a shot to the face and don't flinch. Case in point, Serious Sam. Yes, sometimes it's fun to lie down in the mud and watch enemy movements ala Ghost Recon, but sometimes It's even funner to be so overwhelmed with enemies you don't have time to think.

Having Brains don't hurt either- You know, I've seen games where I've been the stealthy super smart badass that sneaks up on people and cracks their neck off with my little finger while keeping my sweet haircut perfectly groomed in the handy pocket mirror I keep. Why can't that happen to me once in awhile? Has there ever been a game where you're just some security guy who's all alone at Big-ol-Megacoprorate-secret complex and had to keep on the lookout for a single saboteur? Interesting concept if you ask me.

Is hate really the answer? a lot of the games I've played had enemies that I didn't downright hate, but I had reason to smack em around. Shouldn't that be enough? yeah, I could hate a group of enemies to the point of getting rid of them, but in the end, isn't that making me the real enemy?

Edmund @ Sep 3rd 2006 8:48PM

I know that was a little off subject but I think the argument applies to much more than just movies. The article is talking about how villains have changed in Hollywood over the years. I think that statement can also be applied to American culture in general, across all forms of media.

Brad Lee @ Sep 2nd 2006 7:35PM

I think the problem with video games is they are still stuck in the 'Romantic' era. Too many video game developers look to romanticism for inspiration. In case you don't know, Romanticism was an artistic movement which emphasized exaggeration, emotion, nature, tradition, etc. In romanticism, if you want to convey an emotion such as sadness, you use dark colors. If you want to convey evil, you make the person ugly. And so on.

I think video games use this art style simply because it is easier. There are a lot of costs to produce a video game: graphics and game engine being the most expensive I'd imagine, and I'm sure story and characters are probably a lower priority than other aspects of video games. Lets also keep in mind that most video games' stories are not produced by professional writers (or good ones anyway), so it is simply easier to use romanticism than try and craft a realistic story with characters you can relate with.

It is much easier to make a story about demons rampaging through the world and there is only one guy who can stop them (you) than to create a story about real people just struggling to do the right thing. Also, I think a lot of game developers just don't know any better, because I'm sure many game developers don't bother to take creative writing classes or to learn how to craft a good story. I'm sure many of them think they shouldn't have to simply because they are focused on the game part and not the story or the characters.

And one last thing. Game developers are likely game developers because they love GAMES, not because they love great stories. And so, when those game developers aren't working they are likely spending their time playing other video games. If those game developers took some time to read good literature and watch classic movies we would probably have better stories and characters in our games. Until that happens, I'll be expecting to slaughter many more hordes of zombies, nazis, demons, and aliens in the years to come.

Image Maker @ Sep 2nd 2006 11:08PM

The *perfect* enemy, at least for a game that requires thought (as opposed to a shooter like Doom) is far, far removed from "ugly, culturally objectionable, and foreign". The *best* enemey is one so *beautiful* that even after it's been revealed what horrible things it's done to you, and you've risked everything to get it in your sights, you have a hard time pulling the trigger...

John Lucas @ Sep 2nd 2006 11:46PM

Great commentary on this board.
And great points Brad Lee!

We must remember that story development in gaming is VERY VERY young.
At one time it was just a simple cut & dry ping-pong game & your garden variety intergalactic space shooter for survival.

Brad's right in that gamemakers are gamemakers FIRST & often times storyline takes a back seat. Some would say this the minus point against Nintendo with their usually simple storyline frameworks. Arguable in my view but I understand it.

Really GREAT storyline writing in a videogame is dependent on socio-cultural viewpoints.
Imagine a black person who went through Hurricane Katrina who would one day become a gamemaker. Imagine either through a fantasy or realistic interpretation what his or her characters would be like.

Or a child of a Mexican illegal immigrant who grew up to be a gamemaker.
Or even someone who went through the terrible Indian Ocean Tsunami from a couple of years back who became a future gamemaker.

Art History, Literature , & even Political History may seem unrelated to game design but these things are INDEED important to this medium. Many gamemakers take cues from popular culture or established works for their own interpretations of the ideas.

Shigeru Miyamoto was no doubt inspired by the movie King Kong when coming up with Donkey Kong. To many people's surprise, King Kong was originally a metaphor for fear of interracial relationships between blacks & whites as well as a sign of the curiosity towards exotic animals from far-off regions. Shigeru created Mario inspired by worker rights' movements throughout the world in the 1800's & 1900's. Movements that put the common working-class man on a higher plane. He always said he wanted a non-stereotypical hero. An average man who wasn't that good-looking motivated by a sense of doing what's right.

Super Mario Bros.' powerups were influenced by the "gimmicks" in Alice in Wonderland (as well as the variety of strange creatures I would imagine) & Miyamoto came up with the warp pipes inspired by the beam-ups of Star Trek.

How many games were influenced by the movie adaptation of the Wizard of Oz which was originally a fantasy-flavored statement on the state of business/governmental corruption & the general political climate of that time in the 1890's?
How many drew from the stories of the mythical Wild West for inspiration?
Or ancient Anglo-Saxon lore?
Or ancient Japanese lore?

Videogames are a reflection of the culture they live in. As well as a statement on that culture & a hope for inspiration of a future one. The mechanics & technology of videogames tend to flavor the type of story told. 'One Man Against The World' will always be popular because in real life one man against the world doesn't seem to always work. In real life standing up against real corruption can get you killed or ruined but in the gameworld I can be a hero if I just try hard enough.

As a matter of fact all mediaforms play to this. Comicbook superheros always have powers because in real life people often feel powerLESS. Hence all the stereotypical muscles & extraordinary abilities. You could say this all the way back to ancient Greek mythology or any mythology or lore. The difference with videogames is that it puts it in an interactive more accessible form. You can do MORE than just imagine; you can SEE yourself DOING the deeds & performing the acts.

However we don't want to get TOO caught up in the story aspect of gaming to the point where it detracts from the GAMING aspect. Else all we have are interactive stories. Video BOOKS that we read by playing the characters along with the script. The gaming/challenge aspect must be there & sometimes you just don't need a heavy storyline for this.
Sometimes no story at all. Sometimes at least a basic framework.

To create more heartfelt characters whether hero OR villain we must look at what is being said & discussed in the culture...then draw inspiration from there.
And the character must strike a deep chord with a large segment of the populous to truly be embraced.

Is it any wonder why Mario strikes such a lasting impact on the gaming public? A common average man who can do extraordinary things. The TOTAL OPPOSITE of what is usually seen as a hero. Short, Fat & Middle-Aged. A blue-collar man who can rise up against kingdoms! The short pudgy man who can bag wealthy princesses! TELL me that this doesn't strike a chord with many people around the world. He even resembles people you see everyday.

Link, a country boy from the backwoods who takes his natural ability with tools & innate fearlessness to strike up a ruckus in the big city taking down lords in the process. The country boy with know-how who can go wherever he wants to go even forbidden realms. But in the end no matter where he inhabits at heart he's still the same old country boy.
A child with the ability of a fullgrown man.

There ARE no rules on making a great character be it hero or villain. I myself have fresh ideas on heros & villains based on what's being shown in the culture. Can't share 'em with you. Sorry.
The clichés will always exist but the key is always examining aspects of the culture & striking a chord with the audience.

Is it any wonder why the so-called "feminine" male heros of many RPG's have grown? The idea of the musclebound gung-ho grizzled Rambo man may have gone out of style & this could be reflection on differing attitudes about masculinity/manhood.

In Pikmin for example, are the Pikmin REALLY the good guys? Or is it neither? Is it just a statement on natural ecology? The Pikmin fight other creatures just as the other creatures would fight them? Or are they exploiters of resources like the humans themselves?

I like my traditional villains as well as the ones that make me rethink what villain is all about.
Most times it's all about perspective...like in real life.

John Lucas

g_man @ Sep 3rd 2006 1:15AM

I honestly have to say that the greatest enemy was Ganondorf. He had that ugly aspect yet had sharp, humanly features...plus he was on the side of Zelda but endded up stabbing them in the back. This creates a better storyline which is why games like Zelda and Goldeneye were some of the greatest ever.

Mich @ Sep 3rd 2006 1:32AM

Zombie alien Nazis.

Yon @ Sep 3rd 2006 2:16AM

Imagine somthing generic like "Foreign, Ugly, Sentient, Zombie, Mutant, Alien, Cyborg, Andriod, Pirate, Ninja, Gangster, Terrorist, Gov.agent, etc. MURdErSIM 400Xtereme" and while playing it there is a twist that at the end that forces the player to recognize his pycosis making it obvously clear that you have been controlled by your (by your i mean protaginast) own offspring as a tool to secure a seat of power for capturing you(the lunatic murdering people while yelling horribly insane catch phrases while locale police officers/armies try to assasinate him but, fail becase of his determiation to kill anything with a notable difference in opinion or physical makeup. THE ULTIMATE ENEMY IS HIM SELF!

Ok So I'm Serious @ Sep 3rd 2006 6:58AM

Ok, so honestly, why not combining Zombies and Nintendogs?

NO SERIOUSLY!

I mean it worked in "Day Of The Dead" right? Remember that zombie the scientist dude was "training"?

I mean c'mon, it doesn't get any better than training a zombie. Instead of buying the dog toys and other crap it doesnt need, you can buy like human limbs and stuff.. you know, to let it chew on!

Also, maybe you could invite "friends" over, only to have the zombie jump from behind the door and bite them on the neck. LOL, God, this would be a great game!

They could be Nazi friends too.

Then if there was WiFi capabilities (cuz i see this on a handheld more than console) you could battle zombies with your friends!

My zombie would fuck your zombie up! Damn straight!

-the_mole- @ Sep 3rd 2006 1:36PM

i am planning on moving in to the video game industry as a developer- right now i am an unpaid journalist. but i have always wanted to write a story where the good guys lose. because that's realistic. you almost never see a single person prevailing over many thousands of "villains". you just don't see it, because it doesn't happen. i want a game to challenge a person's belief over what is right and wrong, and in a way really be confused. i want them to be enlightened and a better person for playing the game. and there is no reason why we can't do that. none at all. so in a sense, i agree that we are stuck in the early ages of gaming. but i am confident that, given a few years, the game industry will stabilize, and we will start seeing longer generations, more studios writers and genres, and we will really see all that "games" can become.

Johny @ Sep 3rd 2006 6:09AM

Anyone who says stor isnt important is a moron Would people have liked FF7 if it didn have a story(good or bad) i am intially attracted by theg aemplay and stay for story a game is a game but also a vehicle for a story movies begin in wrting just as games do remember when people said9well at least to me) games are stories you play? and to an earlier post i actually think America is trumping japan in story save for the metal gear series actually scrath that america bit i mean the whole west beacuse of bioware and alot of pc games. also games dont need a intricate story to be good i guess im a moron like i said but now that i think about story is important but not all games need it like Super metroid te best game ever its more of a adventure wuth sublte clues to fill in your own story

Otter @ Sep 3rd 2006 6:54AM

It's easier to get a teen rating on a game if you're not dismembering humans and I think thats all it comes down to.....do nazi's qualify as human?

Jack Coleman @ Sep 3rd 2006 9:00AM

so baisicly just a sony fanboy

danithew @ Sep 4th 2006 8:37AM

Demons from hell should probably be added to the list (a la Doom - the game, not the movie).

Also, there's that special category of human mutants who have been debased and deformed by falling into radioactive slag.

There are some special characteristics that, when combined with evil, make for a great enemy.

Insanity ... (ex: the Joker, in Batman or Mr. Glass in Unbreakable). It can't simply be a matter of mental illness ... evil has to be added to the mix.

Intelligence ... (Hannibal Lecter).

It certainly is interesting to consider the role that deformity plays in making fictional evil characters more interesting. Often that deformity has to be covered with some kind of mask. Darth Vader, Dr. Doom, etc. and etc.