Almost as long as there have been video game heroes, there have been side-kicks, tagging along, offering help and advice where necessary and generally making your life as a hero an awful lot easier. Or at least, that’s what they’re supposed to do on paper. Unfortunately the reality can often be in stark contrast to that, and side-kicks end up added to games for comedic value, or light relief – or God forbid – to provide the missing voice for a voiceless character. Quite why that requires the voice to be so grating in so many cases is yet to be justified.
This article will celebrate – or berate – the worst offenders of annoying side-kicks from otherwise excellent games, who were almost enough to make us turn off. And it’s all in-game characters, so unfortunately, your brother/sister/unhelpful smug friend don’t make the list, as much as I’m sure they deserve it.
Before you take to the comments to complain about the lack of Ashley from Resident Evil 4, she doesn’t qualify because the game hardly qualifies as a great game. Had it been a classic, and her general unlikability factor, and infuriating tendency to put herself in harm’s way had distracted from an excellent gameplay experience, then she would undoubtedly have made it – after all no-one likes an entitled, spoiled rich-girl with a personality disorder, and it isn’t all that surprising that some players wished her parasite wasn’t successfully removed.
So with Ashley confined to a different pile – which side-kick characters made the list?
Honourable Mention
Navi – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Undoubtedly annoying – thanks to that infamous and almost perpetual “Hey listen!” – but Navi has had way too much hate already, and the little blue fairy was only trying to help, albeit far too frequently, and in a manner that almost inspired violence towards your screens. I’ve decided to call an armistice on Navi hate for this article alone, and while recognising the tidal wave of hate for the little helper, she will find no further barbed criticism from me here. Plus, though after 20 “Hey listens” I was ready to commit murder, by 30 I’d switched off, and she never actually spoiled Ocarina of Time.
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17 Comments
Fi should be #1.
“Master, the batteries in your Wii Remote are nearly depleted.”
And she never shuts up. I don’t like games treating me like a 3 year old.
Then stop playing the Wii, just kidding, but I think the duck hunt dog should be #1.
If Mario is the most known video game character, the dog from duck hunt is the most known annoying character. I think anyone who played duck hunt has tried to shoot that dog several times.
Poor Tails.
WHAT daxter!!? hes not annoying at all. he helps drive the story and is quited hilarous.
Im with rexx to and I also dissagree about Tails. Tails is an amazing mechanic and a great charecter. Thats like saying Picachu is rubbish
I’m with Rexx, daxter was great! I didn’t mind tingle so much either, it’s not like he follows you or anything…
What about that goofball from Infamous? He was sooo annoying!
wtf i loved daxter
This article sucks. Tails is awesome. The dog in duck hunt made the game way more fun even if he pissed you off! How dare you even call Tingle a failure? He’s absolutely hilarious. Maybe not in a typical way but he’s so pathetic it’s funny!
What about Zeke Dunbar from inFAMOUS? That dude was intolerable (though greatly improved by inFAMOUS 2).
natalia from goldeneye on n64 should be number 1, she was glitched and would always get shot- leading to the failure of the mission
Ashley from Resident Evil 4
now that one was annoying
How did Tails end up there!?!
Roman Bellic – “He was a rare blip on what was an exceptional game”.
Exceptional game? Please…
CLAPTRAP!!! you basterd he is funny as hell.
Where the hell is Sheva from Resi 5? She’s the most annoying thing in gaming history!
It was Roman and not Niko who desired riches and power.
I don’t actually see how Roman, or any other in game friend for that matter, can be considered annoying when you are one button from simply refusing to accept their call. Failing that, you are one button from declining to join your in-game friend in whatever activity it is that they are interested in doing.
It’s complaining for the sake of complaining.
Personally, I think it’s the “annoying side-kicks” that make the game as memorable and exciting as they are. Without *most* of them, the games wouldn’t even exist.