What if video game characters played video games? That's the crux of this article. I've found art from time to time while researching for other articles, but they were far and few between. When I finally started looking for a crop of them specifically for this project it proved to be difficult. It's not that they don't exist as you'll see below, but it gets kind of hard if you don't narrow things down and using the right and or wrong keywords can make all the difference. I'm not complaining that it took me longer than expected, I'm just marveling at the fact that the Internet is such a huge place. It is literally, and I mean literally as in the original definition, impossible to archive everything out there. If a research company started today they would be behind every second with millions of stuff already uploaded. We live in a crazy digital society now. We may not have flying cars, but this present is futuristic to me.
But enough ranting. Let's get back to video game characters playing video games. Now as you can imagine some were easier to find than others. For example, there is a state's worth of art on Mario and his pals alone so of course, there was bound to be some featuring him playing his own consoles. Some other obvious choices included featuring characters that are well known for playing games, or being nerds inside their own games like D.Va from Overwatch. You can find her, Mario, and more right now!
28 Reliving The Glory Days
This art was drawn by winuy and posted on DeviantArt.
Personally, I think Mario peaked at Super Mario World and it has been downhill ever since. Okay that's a bit dramatic and something I don't believe to be true, but my point is Super Mario World is my favorite game in the franchise. I like the concept of Mario retiring and living out his golden years through video games. Is that how the last title will end as a similar twist to Super Mario Bros. 2's dream sequence? Maybe...
27 Spyro Generations
This art was drawn by Thunder-Artist and posted on DeviantArt.
Did you know that Spyro just turned twenty? It's true and I celebrated with a brief retrospective back in September! So I'm on a little bit of a Spyro kick right now and came across this.
Release the dragon!
While I do like it, this artwork is kind of missing some eras. Where are the portable entries? The PS2 and GameCube generation is the same timeline. Sorry. It’s a fun piece so I'll stop nitpicking now.
26 Rivalry By Any Means
This art was drawn by WolfKeyren and posted on DeviantArt.
There's an anime rivalry greater and older than Naruto and Sasuke and that would be Goku vs Vegeta. Goku really doesn't care one way, or the other, but Vegeta, as the Prince of Saiyans, is determined to beat him. He's come close, but Goku is always two, or two hundred steps ahead. Maybe you can win at video games Vegeta, or better yet have Bulma turn you into a cyborg.
25 The Odd Girl Out
This art was drawn by ninpeachlover and posted on DeviantArt.
All right so what's up with Paulina being left out of the Mario timeline? She was the first damsel Mario ever rescued and yet it took nearly thirty years for her to appear in a proper Mario platformer.
One of these things is not like the other.
It's just disgraceful. That said I'm glad they made up for it by making her a woman of power in more than just title in Super Mario Odyssey. That's a burn to these princesses by the way.
24 Real Gamer Wars
This art was drawn by Franck Graetz and posted on Behance.
A stereotype that has plagued gamers for ages is that they are fat slobs that play in their basements. This piece of work imagines that scenario but puts the stereotype onto well-known characters.
Pass me the Cheetos, boy!
It's funnier given the fact that both Kratos from God of War and Ryu from Street Fighter are usually ripped. Seeing them in this form is comforting in a way, but also a little horrifying.
23 The Nerdy Persona
This art was drawn by Don D.A and posted on ArtStation.
Another avid gamer I would be remiss to not include on here is Futaba Sakura from Persona 5. She uses games to get away from society so she starts off as your stereotypical locked-away nerd. After you rescue and console her, she tones that down a bit. Still, as the saying goes. Once a gamer, always a gamer. That said, it’s going to be pretty weird for me to play games as an eighty-year-old.
22 Down Goes Sasuke
This art was drawn by IȻhigo Kurosaki and posted on Zerochan.
Since volume one of Naruto, it was established that Naruto and Sasuke had a rivalry. This transformed into friendship and then progressed into enemies and finally ended with friendly rivals again. As grown-ups, it's probably not proper to fight each other. They have to be role models. That said they could dish out their feelings in fighting games based off of themselves. Poor Sasuke though. Even in the game, he loses.
21 Gaming With Pets
This art was drawn by IȻhigo Kurosaki and posted on Zerochan.
Here's another Pokémon query I have. Even though the world is exciting enough with monsters you can catch and befriend, it's also pretty normal. It's like in Jurassic World wherein they admit that dinosaurs became boring so they had to breed something new.
Who needs an external battery when you have a Pikachu?
So in Pokémon's case, it's safe to say that kids need more than the idea of monsters to entertain. Surely they have video games too.
20 Pokémon Kart Deluxe
This art was drawn by @dcp209 and posted on Zerochan.
Mario Kart 8, or Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, whichever you prefer, finally allowed non-Mario characters into the racing circuit. Link was added along with Splatoon kids, and Animal Crossing pals. The floodgates are now open for whenever we see the ninth core installment. This art brings to mind an obvious omission: Pokémon. While this is a cute drawing, I'd much prefer to race with the critters than the trainers.
19 Link Through The Ages
This art was drawn by Chibiterasuchan and posted on Zerochan.
This piece isn't necessarily demonstrating Link playing video games so much as it is a tribute to Link through the console ages. There are some obvious omissions though in the form of all the classic consoles like the NES and SNES. I guess the artist was going for a more modern take on the most recent adventures. Omissions aside it's a great collage and one I'd gladly hang on my wall.
18 School Dating On The Go
This art was drawn by Gokusuna and posted on Zerochan.
Persona 3 Portable is so good even the main characters play it. That's what I'm interpreting at least. Also, that's Akihiro Sanada. Why is he bleeding? He's probably dating some cute girls in the game. Bleeding from the nose is a stereotype in anime depicting whenever someone is excited... I guess is a good way of putting it.
17 Super Smash Bros. With All The Bros.
This art was drawn by Inesanemona and posted on Zerochan.
It's still crazy to me that the last Super Smash Bros. game debuted on 3DS, the series' first portable entry. It had exclusives all it's own like stages, characters, mini-games, and features a unique, cel-shaded style. The Switch port hasn't mentioned if those will be in it, but the visual cel-shading alone would be awesome. There should be a toggle. Anyway, this is a fun imaginative piece that pits the stars of the series against each other, but in a video game. It's very meta.
16 Couch Co-Op Fantasy
This art was drawn by Oddball and posted on Zerochan.
Here's an example of two video game characters actually being avid gamers. All four Final Fantasy XV bros enjoy playing co-op games on their phone. It stands to reason that someone has to have a console too. It's just that, on the road, they couldn't exactly hook anything up. I wonder what Noctis and Prompto are playing. My guess is obvious: Knack 2. Now think about that next time you play either.
15 When Physical Pokémon Aren't Enough
This art was drawn by OokamiPunk and posted on Zerochan.
I think this artwork demonstrates a better understanding of what a typical ten-year-old's room looks like in Pokémon. I'm pretty dumb because after looking at this did I realize every trainer has a Nintendo console in their room.
I wonder if Pokémon can be taught to grind RPGs for me.
So the question I poised before with Red and Pikachu is now obvious. Yes, kids do indeed play video games while they hang out. That's a guaranteed fact.
14 The Not So Final Fantasy
This art was drawn by Waild-Chan and posted on Zerochan.
That drawing depicting Noctis and Prompto playing together was cute, but this plays hard on nostalgia i.e. it's better. Of course, this setup is old now as the artist doesn't have anything beyond PS2, but it's still cute. The art itself is fantastic and it's funny without saying much. The Tarutaru hitting Tidus over the head is probably my favorite. Where's Vaan though? I guess this piece is even older than Final Fantasy XII.
13 It's All In The Wrist
This art was drawn by blux and posted on Zerochan.
Okay, something fishy is going on here. Look. I love and I mean absolutely love Kid Icarus Uprising, but there is no way Pitt is playing his own game with a smile on his face. The reason?
No one is buying that smile, Pitt.
Playing it strained the hand. You had to literally claw your way through. It was agonizing but worth completing. I just wish it would get a Switch port.
12 Game And Wah
This art was drawn by Leonardo Cirius and posted on ArtStation.
First let me marvel at my own title pun and allow me to explain. Wah is, of course, Wario's catchphrase, or involuntarily murmur. Nintendo's first portable was the Game and Watch. Lastly, Wario is playing a game and his girls are watching. Put that together and you get Game and Wah. Okay sorry for tooting my own horn, but I love puns. This gives me an idea to do a whole article on Wario puns. Cross your fingers for approval?
11 The Mayor Of Animals
This art was drawn by imbisibol and posted on DeviantArt.
In Animal Crossing: New Leaf you got to be the mayor of your own town. While this gave you more power on how to shape your universe, it also put a lot of added stress to the situation. More responsibility means more animals yapping at you for this, that, and the next thing. That's why it's handy to have a gaming system close by to alleviate said stress. Beware of Isabelle!
10 Kingdom Links
This art was drawn by jelly-bean-soup and posted on DeviantArt.
What do Sora and Link have in common? Well, a lot and not a lot it turns out. What really bothers me is this tension. I mean they're both stoic in the drawing. Are they having fun? Why is there a big gap in the seat? Is this to denote a sense of uncomfortable aura toward other boys? I haven't the foggiest idea to any of these questions, but it does look like Navi and Jiminy are hitting it off.
9 Pro Gamer For Life
This art was drawn by KNKL and posted on DeviantArt.
Along the same lines as Futaba, it would be an insult to not showcase D.Va on here. It also gives me a chance to complain.
Is she sponsored by Doritos?
I was under the impression that she was an ace StarCraft player, but it turns out that was just an assumption from the fans. What? I don't like Overwatch, but even I knew that piece of lore, or at least I thought I did. Stop retconning, Blizzard!