9 Video Game Mascots We Absolutely Hated

4. Awesome Possum

Gex Gecko
Tengen

In the early '90s, a fast-paced platformer landed on the Mega Drive, in which a certain spiny hero battled his way across the land saving wildlife from the clutches of an evil doctor's robotic army. Anyone with even a passing interesting in games will immediately recognise this familiar narrative as Sonic the Hedgehog, right?

Wrong. It's actually Tengen's significantly less groundbreaking but infinitely more terribly named Awesome Possum. If it sounds the same as SEGA's iconic hedgehog, that's because it is - only much worse.

The company actually were sued for copyright infringement, though it wasn't the Yuji Naka and co. on the blower. In 1997 - a full four years after the inconsequential game gathered dust in bargain bins - comic artist Paul Roginski charged the IP holder Time Warner with copyright infringement, claiming the character stole from one of his original concepts. As if anyone would fight over Awesome friggin' Possum.

 
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Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.