My Top Ten: Gaming Rivalries

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  • Lara Croft/Nathan Drake – Sure, Lara probably has a better education. She certainly has a better figure. In truth though, Nathan probably has to win this one thanks to his rapier wit and generally brilliant level design. Lara would win for longevity though. For now.
  • Ratchett & Clank/Banjo & Kazooie – As 3D platform jumping duos go, there probably isn’t anyone else who could compete with these two examples. I think Ratchett & Clank have to edge this one thanks to the universal appeal of all their titles. Banjoo Kazooie split fans a couple of times with some claiming brilliance and others mediocrity.
  • Sonic/Mario – There is no real contest here. Mario has to win this one. He has a greater number of top-class titles with a super-strong sales record. Mario also managed to make the transition to 3D successfully. I personally would take the original Sonic game over anything Mario ever appeared in but then I’m aware that I might be  a little bit strange.
  • FIFA/PES – This is a titanic struggle that pushes its way to the forefront every Autumn. No contest though, FIFA wins. Hold on though, it has been an epic battle, worthy of a scene in Rocky. PES has always been the underdog but seemingly had FIFA beaten in the middle years of this decade. Thanks to continuous evolution FIFA has bounced back and, if the recent demos are anything to go by, will be winning the battle again this year.
  • Master Chief/Doom Character – Alright, only one of our combatants has a name but everyone still knows who the other one is. It’s arguable that Master Chief is the most influential video game creation of the past 10 years. Would he ever have been born without the work of that nameless Doom protagonist though? I call this one a tie.
  • Frank West/Harry Mason – Frank is the photographer from Dead Rising. Harry is the protagonist from Silent Hill. It’s hard to remain objective on this one. Silent Hill was a brilliant game with at least one fantastic sequel (opinions are split over the others). Dead Rising has a sequel on the way and appears to feature a different protagonist. So Harry wins and I don’t even have to mention the fact that Dead Rising’s controls were the worst I’ve had to suffer in a modern video game.
  • Kyle Katarn/Galen Marek – One is a Jedi Knight with a shady past. The other is a Sith apprentice who might just turn out alright in the end. Kyle has a 1970’s beard which would ordinarily lose him points but he has featured in a number of sequels. All in all though I think Galen’s demonstration of power is probably enough to give him this one.
  • Alex Mercer/Cole MacGrath – One has the ability to morph into anyone and make huge stabby hands out of blood. The other has electricity flowing through his body. I’d rather have Mercer’s powers but all things considered I think I’d rather play MacGrath’s game. A narrow win for Cole.
  • Dog Meat/Fable II dog – One is a post-apocalyptic companion that you find battling scavengers at a scrap yard. The other is an impossibly old magical pet that pesters you into finding treasure instead of fighting evil. I got to name my own dog in Fable II though so I’m giving her the victory.
  • PlayStation/Xbox – Are you mad? I’m not even going to start with this one…