• by Jonny Svarzbein
• (10) Comments 

May 12, 2011 at 10:00 am

Every video game needs a hero. But every video game hero needs a good video game sidekick. It doesn’t matter if the sidekick is big or small, human or robot, even alive or inanimate, sidekicks are the guys that heroes fall back on during the tough times. Whether they talk, morph or just hang around, these are the 10 Best Video Game Sidekicks of All Time:

Cortana

Halo Series

The Hologram sidekick who guides the biggest bad ass in the video game  galaxy. The Halo Series’ Master Chief wouldn’t even know where he was going if it wasn’t for his spunky hologram sidekick. It doesn’t hurt that she’s super sexy, either.

Rush

Mega Man Series

Dog + vehicular robot = Awesome video game sidekick. Not only is he a submarine, a hover board and a coil but he’s also your companion through battles with every kind of robot imaginable. Starting as a sidekick in Mega Man 3, Rush is truly Robot’s best friend.

The Ball

Katamari Damacy Series

The Ball in Katamari Damacy was technically the sidekick to the Prince of the Cosmos. He helped the hero by picking up everything from a pencil to a planet. The Ball was such an important video game sidekick that most people forgot there was even a Prince to begin with.

Clank

Ratchet & Clank Series

Clank’s never-ending supply of gadgets and witty quips helped Ratchet through some difficult challenges. Clank is an adorable lil video game sidekick with an adorable lil British accent. Let me put it this way: who wouldn’t want a British robot sidekick who always has anything you need?

Jerome “Doc” Louis

Punch-Out Series

Doc was a sidekick who never left your side while you battled through countless ethnic stereotypes,  from monarchs to circus clowns, and even helped you defeat Mike Tyson himself. He even rode by your side on a bike while you trained. This video game sidekick’s bug-eyed encouragement will never be forgotten.

Yoshi

Mario Series

A tiny dinosaur sidekick that can eat anything is a fun idea. Make him ride a go-kart and carry a baby on his back and he becomes a video game sidekick legend. Yoshi could handle things on his own, but by letting a plumber ride him around for 5 console generations, he truly is a wonderful sidekick.

Navi

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

THE sidekick in arguably THE greatest action/RPG of all time, Navi guided Link and didn’t interfere with any game play mechanics, which a bad sidekick tends to do. Sure she’s just a fairy, but she gave Link a ton of important information, like “Listen”, “Watch out” and ” Look”.

Roman Bellic

Grand Theft Auto IV

In most video games, you need a strong sidekick. In GTA 4, it takes a weak, spineless family member to remind you of how strong your character is in the expansive landscape that is Liberty City. Roman is a sniveling, cowardly, gambling addict, but Niko’s loyalty to his cousin teaches a valuable lesson to gamers and forces them to choose meaningful mission branches to the plot. Plus, you’ll never get his accent/voice out of your head. Cousin Niko!

Weighted Companion Cube

Portal Series

Sure, WCC is an inanimate object, but he’s just as much of a video game sidekick as any living thing on this list. Like all good sidekicks, he helped you through the levels. Unlike most sidekicks, you had to toss him into an incinerator to finish the game. The WCC’s sacrifice for your own good earns him a spot on this list.

Luigi

Mario Series

Luigi is the quintessential video game sidekick, and he is one of the few sidekicks to have his own solo game. In Luigi’s Mansion for Nintendo’s Game Cube, you chased around ghosts with a flashlight. It was a critic AND fan favorite… And they STILL went back to Mario. Luigi will always be the first 2nd place, and the absolute best video game sidekick of all time.

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