7 Pointless Video Game Characters (Who Were Actually CRUCIAL)
Never count out the little guys.
We're at a pretty spectacular time for video game storytelling right now.
The cinematic highs and blockbuster production of the triple-A scene, the occasionally more cerebral fare of the indie circuit - regardless, it's safe to say we've mastered the art of interactive narrative.
With that in mind then, what happens when transplanting the various beats of a three-act structure, set of genre tropes or memorable sequences directly onto a video game?
Maybe thanks to production woes, the closing parts of something now rely heavily on setup that never came. Maybe the plan all along was to intentionally throw you off base; tossing you a characterful curveball in such a fashion that you'd never expect the killer was... well, exactly.
Point being - and it's been the case for decades now - any number of characters you might write off in the moment can come back around to being essential when all's said and done.
7. Mayor Es Cade (Pokémon Colosseum)
Although Pokémon Colosseum was ostensibly sold as a souped-up Gamecube update of N64 favourite Pokémon Stadium, its largely tacked-on story mode is not as terribly sh*t as you might imagine.
In fact, though somewhat insubstantial, it's arguably the most interesting and original single player Pocket Monsters romp of, ooh, let's say the last twenty years or so.
Rather than being a ten year-old whose mother rather irresponsibly sends you off to all the world's caves, cruise ships and casinos, you're the trench-coat swishing Wes, a silver-haired bad boy who has a big line across his face for some reason. As an ex-thief in Team Snagem, you don't catch Pokémon, but steal them from the disgruntled former gang-mates you meet across the Mad Max-esque world of Orre.
Oh, and you start with an Umbreon and Espeon, and every battle is 2 vs. 2. It's all very refreshing - quite apt for a story whose main thrust is purifying corrupt pokeys.
Along the way, you'll stop off in the oasis town of Phenac, a bit of a tedious tourist spot, all told. By the time you've plumbed the depths of Orre's seedier locales - such as the finger-clicking Pyrite Town and its underground fight pit - you'll have completely forgotten about the marble-arched opening area.
And by the climax of the game, you'll definitely have displaced its mayor, Es Cade from your memory - only for him to dramatically reveal himself as the game's big baddie. The clue was in the 'tache.