Today is International Woman's Day and I felt like it was Alt:Mag's duty to make some sort of post to support this. So what better way for a bunch of Nerds to do so than to make a top 10 list of the best girls in video games? When I say video games, of course I mean, 'a load of games that you've never heard of plus a few you have'. What do you expect from a guy who gets called a 'video game hipster' by his friends? Also, thanks to Josh for raising my attention to some of these.
10. Dana Brum (Shadow Of Memories)
I worked my ass off for the whole game to save this girl from being stuck in a really boring time period but when I get there, she tells me she prefers living in the year 1580 rather than 2001. 2001 was when everything was really cool in regards to technology because it was primitive yet reliable. Also, blink-182's Take Off Your Pants And Jacket album was released, what decent music was released in 1580? Nothing, because the earliest recording in history was from like, 1860. So why would you not want to live in 2001? Well the 9/11 attacks were pretty horrific, George Harrison died and the Dreamcast was discontinued but apart from that it was a pretty good year. Anway, I was expecting some sparks between Dana and Eike, but nothing happened. I've heard there are alternative endings to Shadow Of Memories which allow you to see an ending like that, but this game is kind of slow, so I'll probably never bother to get around to it. But Dana gets tenth place in this countdown for motivating me to play this rather long game to the very end, although my efforts were in vain.
9. Mew (Jet Set Radio)
Jet Set Radio is finally coming to Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network! This is fantastic news, as it means loyal JSR fans will be able to play this amazing game in beautiful High Definition. It also means that modern gamers will be able to play a game that doesn't just contain the colours black, brown or grey. Speaking of Jet Set Radio, Mew is probably the coolest character out of all the GG's. She isn't the best, that would be the group's token Goth, Cube (who is also a girl), but Mew is just way too awesome. She has cool graffiti designs, a cool style and she's basically just a total bad-ass.8. Ulala (Space Channel 5)
I have seen the future people. Everyone plays Playstation 30 and news reporters dance around defeating aliens and stuff. Ulala from Space Channel 5 would probably be even higher on this list, if it wasn't for the fact that the game that she stars in winds me up with no end because I suck so much at it (grumble, grumble). But I bet no other female character in a video game (or any male character for that matter) can say that they got to have a dance-off with a futuristic version of Michael Jackson. Thought of anyone yet? Didn't think so.7. Cornet (Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure)
Cornet. What a cheerful individual. She is so full of life. She loves music and is willing to risk her life in numerous battles in order to rescue her beloved Prince while chilling out with a talking fairy, a boxing dog-bear and a bunch of other weird talking animals. What do you expect? She's from a fantasy game. She is an inspiration for females everywhere. Just drop some acid ladies, and you too, can be just like Cornet. Oh dear... I think I just ruined a 7+ game for everyone. 6. Aerith Gainsborough (Final Fantasy VII)
5. Wonder Momo (Wonder Momo)
4. May (Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald)
May was the first female rival in a Pokémon game and also the first character to convince me that there could actually be a romance in a Pokémon game. Of course nothing really happened but you could tell that May fancied the pants off your character. It's a shame that after the battle at Lilycove you never saw her again. At least the Pokémon Adventures manga got it right, although she was called Sapphire in that. Hopefully, one day, the Pokémon guys will take some inspiration from the 3rd generation and put a proper romance in a brand new game. That would be very nice. Do it Pokémon, it is your destiny.3. Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)
Lara Croft is probably one of the most famous female video game characters in history thanks to her success in the Tomb Raider series. She is often seen as the catalyst for more female leads in video games. She also brought the whole idea of 'Girl Power' to gaming. Unfortunately the series went downhill after the third instalment, but there is a reboot coming soon from Square Enix. Let's hope it is a perfect return to form and a fantastic tribute to an incredible gaming icon.2. Nozomi Harasaki (Shenmue)
Oh Nozomi... Sweet sweet Nozomi. Why is Ryo such a douche bag? Anyway, Nozomi was the girl from the first instalment of Shenmue who had a crush on the main character, Ryo, who was too involved with avenging his father's death to even bother thinking about how much she cared about him. Man, I wish I had a 'stop being a douche bag' button on my Dreamcast controller to stop Ryu from saying stupid stuff like, "I don't know how I feel" when Nozomi spills her guts to him. She ends up moving back to Canada at the end of the game without a proper response from Ryo. Ah... Unrequited love is such a bittersweet thing. Let's hope that she returns in Shenmue 3 and is all like "Oi, prick, love me". This addition on the list is more of a personal thing because I love this game and its (unfinished) plot so much, and although Nozomi is simply a normal girl who works at the Aida florist, she always pops up first when I think of girls in video games.1. Faith Connors (Mirror's Edge)
Run really fast, punch some guy in the face, run a little more, shoot someone, slide down the side of a huge building and just scrape a landing onto another building. That's Faith Connors of Mirror's Edge for you. She is probably one of the coolest characters known to gaming... she is more or less a total bad-ass, and the fact that the visuals of the game she stars in are so beautiful probably boosts our reasons for putting her in that top spot of the top 10 girls in gaming. Also, she kind of looks like that hot one from Tron: Legacy, which is a bonus.
