I am a big sports fan. Sports and video games (oddly, not sports games) take up a ton of my free time. Lately, ESPN has been running with this idea of a Mt. Rushmore of sports – basically, the four most influential faces of sports.

I think you can see where this is going.


Like this, but geekier.

I plan on making this a three-part feature. Part two featuring more nominees and the final eight, and part three with the final four. Here are my initial candidates for the Mt. Rushmore of video games:

Mario (Mario series) – No doubt he makes it on. The only slam dunk candidate. His influence spans nearly the entire existence of games and he's featured in so many classic titles it's crazy. Hell, he'd make it on the one-of-each music/literature/games/film Mt. Rushmore he's so popular.

Link (Legend of Zelda series) – Link is a Mario with less titles under his belt, and to some, that's a good thing. The original NES Legend of Zelda practically invented “open-ended” games, while Ocarina of Time is hailed as one of the greatest games ever made. A very strong candidate indeed.

Solid Snake (Metal Gear series) – Although he may not have a the hefty pedigree as the previous two, Snake is iconic for his uniqueness. While his NES title was not as highly played, Metal Gear Solid for the PS is one the best games ever and offered gameplay that was completely different: stealth. As his games blur the line between film and game more and more, he has to be recognized for moving the medium forward.

Sonic the Hedgehog (Sonic series) – People forget due to his recent struggles, but Sonic challenged Mario at the height of his reign. Sonic the Hedgehog and its sequel are wonderful games that offer a sense of speed never before seen in any game, much less a platformer. His X-treme attitude proved to be a mistake once the 90s ended, but he is still widely-loved nonetheless. Please make a great game for him this generation!

Gordon Freeman (Half-Life series) – While the FPS genre was still young, Half-Life pushed it to places no one thought possible and that many games in the genre today have yet to surpass. While he is a silent protagonist, we never leave his perspective during the sweeping narratives. His everyman status makes him all the more appealing.

The straight piece (Tetris) – It may be the most widely played game ever and the straight piece is it's poster child. With nary a word of even human form, the straight piece is a beacon of comfort in an otherwise chaotic world.

Ryu (Street Fighter series) – He is the face of one of the grandfathers of a beloved genre – the 2D fighter. A badass through and through, he spoke softly and carried a big Dragon Punch. It seems he may have been hanging out with A-Rod as of late, but hey, there's no performance enhancing testing when it comes to mountain faces.

Megaman (Megaman series) – The blue bomber is nearly as popular as Mario and Link, but he remains a relic of times gone by. Megaman 9 was a huge success, but his jump to anything but 8-bit greatness leaves a little to be desired as far as his candidacy is concerned. There are some kids who have never played a Megaman game. I doubt there are any who have never played Mario or Zelda game.

Black mage (Final Fantasy series) – Deciding who to represent this venerable RPG series was tough. Do you go with Cloud, the protagonist of FFVII – hailed by many as the best of the series? Maybe Cid, a character who (in name, at least) has appeared in nearly every installment of the series? A chocobo? Ultimately it came down to recognizability and the black mage has got it. The floppy hat, the glowing eyes and an appearance in some form or another in a vast majority of the series gets him the spot.

Master Chief (Halo series) – He may be younger than the other noms, but his influence is clear. His debut on the Xbox pushed FPS' in a much more epic and cinematic direction. It also popularized the two-stick control scheme seen in nearly every console FPS to date. Millions and millions of gamers have taken him to Xbox Live, and while he may be another quiet space marine, he draws a lot of water.

[Authors note: Stay tuned for part two, featuring the rest of the candidates. Also, feel free to nominate your own candidates in the comments. Full disclosure: This also appears on my Examiner page, which you should totally visit.]