PlayStation icons come in sizes large and small and we here at PlayStation LifeStyle have profiled some of the most iconic PlayStation characters such as Crash Bandicoot, PaRappa the Rapper, and Nathan Drake lately. However, now it is time for something a little different. What about the PlayStation characters that never quite caught on, the cult favorites, and the characters that are relegated to being trivia answers. We’ve compiled a list of ten characters that could have been PlayStation icons, but for whatever reason never ended up fulfilling their potential.
There you have it, our list of ten PlayStation characters that could have been icons if handled differently. While we may not live in a world that has Mr. Mosquito toys available at Toys R Us, most of Sony’s deserving characters have caught on. Hopefully this look at failed PlayStation icons, made you appreciate the success stories of the series that became gaming sensations (such as God of War and Ratchet and Clank). Just think, those great series could have easily been on this list if a few chips fell differently.
Let us know what you thought of our list, and what other PlayStation icons you think could have been great, but ultimately failed. We look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments!
Icons that Could Have Been
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10 Characters That Could Have Been PlayStation Icons
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Blasto
While celebrity involvement in games is more of a common occurrence now, that wasn't the case in 1998. The titular Blasto, a space captain, was voiced by the legendary Phil Hartman. It sadly was one of Hartman's last roles as he would pass away two months after the game's release. There was really no way for the series to continue after losing such an iconic voice.
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Gomy
Trash Panic has found its place as a cult classic PSN downloadable title thanks to its challenging but satisfying gameplay. It also featured adorable creatures called the Gomy, who never quite caught on as a mascot.
Despite the praise for the original game, there was never a spin-off that focused on the Gomy which is a real shame. Who wouldn't want to play a puzzle platformer starring these creatures? It doesn't seem it will ever happen though, as aside from some PlayStation Home costumes there hasn't been much of a mention of the Gomy since Trash Panic released.
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Croc
The biggest stars of the PlayStation era were not owned by Sony. While a certain dragon and a bandicoot ended up becoming icons, the same cannot be said for Croc.
Debuting in Croc: Legend of the Gobbos, Croc was the star of a successful Fox Interactive published game. It seemed like Croc was on his way to joining Spyro and Crash until Croc 2 was released to mixed reception.
After that, Croc would fade into obscurity as just another trivia answer.
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Lammy
Few characters are more associated with the PlayStation brand than PaRappa from PaRappa the Rapper. Sadly, the same can't be said for his guitar playing friend, Lammy. Lammy never quite garnered the same attention as her rapping counterpart despite being the star of an arguably better rhythm game. Sadly, she has faded away while her guitar gently weeps.
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Kingsley
This adorable fox swordsman was Sony's answer to the Legend of Zelda series. Sadly, Kingsley would never go on a second adventure (and his first adventure never even saw release in Japan). It probably didn't help that the PlayStation 2 was released about a half year later, and players were saving their money for the new system.
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Yoshitsune
While Genji: Days of the Blade became more known for its giant enemy crabs rather than great gameplay, there is no denying that it featured a pretty awesome protagonist.
Minamoto Yoshitsune, a samurai belonging to the Genji clan, is an action hero capable of defeating thousands of enemy soldiers (or crabs). Sadly, two okay, but not great games killed any chance for Yoshitsune to become an icon.
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Jersey Devil
Behaviour Interactive's 3D platformer was promising enough that it was published by Sony in North America. Featuring a recognizable character of American folklore, the Jersey Devil, it seemed poised to be one of the next platforming stars. The game wasn't a huge success, thanks in part to a terrible camera, and the Jersey Devil was never heard from again.
This is too bad since controlling the Jersey Devil is a pretty awesome concept for a game.
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Knack
There was a lot of excitement around Knack, as it was Mark Cerny's PS4 showpiece. The game didn't manage to live up the hype though, as its platforming played second fiddle to its combat. Which made Knack play more like an E rated God of War rather than a Crash Bandicoot game.
Despite the game's shortcomings, the actual character of Knack showed a lot of promise in the game's many CGI cutscenes. With the ability to grow gigantic or become adorably small, Knack could have been the next great PlayStation icon. There is still time for Sony to get Knack to his full potential, but it certainly had a rocky start.
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Jinx
Never heard of Jinx? This PS1 platformer was exclusively released in Europe and to make things worse, it came out in 2003. Yes, three years after the PlayStation 2 came out. Despite, a colorful art style and a fun jester protagonist, Jinx just never had a chance.
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Mr. Mosquito
Mr. Mosquito was a star of a game that was so weird that Sony decided not to publish it in North America. So without the support of its original publisher, our blood sucking hero was destined for obscurity.
Just think, somewhere there exists an alternate timeline where Sony puts all of its marketing money behind Mr. Mosquito and it became the face of the company.
