You know what I just adore about the nerd community? Each of us has a unique perspective on the thousands of characters, stories, and objects that exist within our favorite movies, books, and video games. And of course, there are many methods of demonstrating these perspectives. From writing fan fiction and creating a separate story for a group of fictional characters, to drawing fan art of characters in different scenarios, nerds do have a pretty cool way of expressing themselves all through these creative means.

Today, we’re going to look at one of these artistic methods by studying art of video game characters from the 90s reimagined as people. However, bear in mind that this is a focus on non-human video game characters, such as Sonic the Hedgehog or the adorable Kirby. What I really enjoy about all the art in this story is how unique each version is. It’s very interesting to see what each person’s take on a character is; does this artist imagine the Pokémon Sylveon as a cute anime girl? Or a very masculine person in a dress? Does this person imagine Red XIII as a guy with a casual or elaborate look?

I hope that the fan art we study today will give you a broader perspective on how some of your favorite 90s video game characters would look like as humans. And who knows? Maybe some of these will give you ideas for your future cosplaying ventures? Regardless, enjoy the art and support the artists behind each of these images.

19 Gotta Go Fast

via Wikipedia

Of course, I had to start out with one of the video game industry’s most beloved icons. Sonic the Hedgehog is known for being blue, collecting rings and, of course, going fast. But how fast would Sonic the Human be? This artist portrayed Sonic in a track suit, keeping the trademark gloves. The artist also kept Sonic’s spikes by having this representation don a spiky blue wig. One aspect that I do enjoy with this piece is that the artist kept the animalistic ears for the character. So even though this artwork is of Sonic as a human, one hedgehog-like trait still remains.

18 Realistic Artwork For Fantastical Creatures

via DeviantArt (AshleyLun)

I really love when artists take characters from video games and create them in a mythical, but very polished art style. AshleyLun from DeviantArt created this beautiful take on Spyro the Dragon. So much detail went into this headshot. From the details on the character’s purple scarf to the details on Spyro’s shoulder piece, it’s clear a lot of love went into this artwork. This also just looks like a casual hairstyle that I’d see just about any average Joe with.

17 Omanyte And Tangela

via YouTube

Remember the artist we just discussed who created that adorable Eevee art? Here’s their takes on Omanyte and Tangela. Both of these designs stay very, very true to the characters. For Tangela, all that’s really needed is a black spandex bodysuit, pale boots, and a type of material that can be used for Tangela’s tentacles. Omanyte’s design is implicit but adorable, with a black tank top, blue shorts, and wide glasses to show the appearance of Omanyte’s huge, spaced-out eyes.

16 What A Pair

Even as mascot characters, you don’t see cosplays outside of the “Sonic” series very often other than the titular character himself. Maybe these concepts will give cosplayers something to base outfits off of? Here we have Knuckles the Echidna and Rouge the Bat portrayed as humans. And these are such casual outfits to do, too. They’re definitely not cosplays that will break the bank, and they’re also very cute to boot. I’m especially loving Knuckles and his very casual look.

15 Group Cosplay Plan

via Pinterest

If you’re looking for a new group cosplay plan for you and your friends to partake in, how about the Koopalings? Here we have Bowser Jr., Bowser’s biological child; and Bowser’s underlings, Larry, Morton, Wendy, Iggy, Roy, Lemmy, and Ludwig imagined as mischievous children. Wendy’s design scares me the most because I don’t like to imagine young children in that much makeup. But regardless, all of these designs are very spot-on to all of the characters. Personally, I can easily see myself cosplaying Iggy.

14 Best Of Buds

via Animalia Life

If you thought I was done talking about “Sonic” characters, well you thought wrong. Here’s another take on Sonic and his good friend Knuckles. These are simplistic but cool concept art sketches of the characters. Sonic is pictured with long blue hair tied back in a ponytail, with a blue tank top and gold earrings to represent the gold rings the character is always seeking. Knuckles also keeps the original character’s hairstyle, wearing a red shirt with white embellishments on it.

13 Hangin’ Out With Yoshi

via Quotes Images

I was hoping I could find a way to not mention this ridiculously odd meme, but explaining will help this picture make even more sense. The “Bowsette” trend was insanely popular for its time, and honestly? I wish Yoshette got more love. After all, what’s not to love about this adorable fan art? I would maybe incorporate one of Yoshi’s creature-like characteristics into this to make the outfit more recognizable, but this is definitely an outfit I’d be comfortable wearing to a con.

12 Bring The Lesser-Known To Life

via AmericanCosplay Paradise

Sure, it’s not a con without somebody cosplaying from “Final Fantasy VII.” Everyone loves to cosplay as spiky-haired protagonist Cloud or motherly, miniskirt-wearing Tifa. But where’s the love for characters like Red XIII? I love seeing cosplayers bring to life the more obscure characters from gaming, and this Red XIII cosplayer did an excellent job. there’s so much detail in every single piece of this outfit. You can definitely tell that there was a lot of love and passion that went into this outfit.

11 Speaking Of Bowsette…

via Dreamwidth Studios

Believe me, I want to avoid talking about Bowsette as much as you probably do. So how about we focus on a take with Bowser that keeps him as a male? King Koopa is portrayed here as a gruff biker type, with studs embossed all over his black jacket and with a turtle shell printed on the back. His haircut also stays very true to Bowser’s original design, with tufts of orange hair atop a green undercut. Even in human form, this is someone I wouldn’t want to be stuck in an alley with.

10 Gotta Draw Them All!

via Dorkly

And of course, we can’t have an article about 90s video game characters without mentioning one of the most iconic Nintendo characters in history. Pikachu from Pokémon is a beloved character for a lot of reasons, and because of this, many cosplayers decide to dress up as the character. This is an adorable, humanized take on the character, portraying Pikachu as a little girl with bright red cheeks and blonde hair with dip-dyed ponytails. For any cosplayer, this is definitely a very easy way to portray the character.

9 There’s An Eeveelution For Everyone

via Bored Panda

Everyone always discusses what their favorite evolution of Eevee is. But what exactly is wrong with the main Eevee itself? It’s fluffy and adorable. What’s not to love? You’ll have to forgive me, as there was a lot of Pokémon fanart that I was very intrigued by. This take on Eevee is adorable and simple rolled into one. The outfit is relatively inexpensive to do, regardless of if you buy, thrift, or make it yourself. I mean, the attention to detail here is fantastic. The character’s hair even looks like an Eevee tail.

8 Vulpix

via DeviantArt (Miyu-chi8)

Vulpix is my all-time favorite Pokémon for a lot of reasons. This adorable fox has been a cosplay dream of mine for ages, and this artist’s rendition just might be what I end up doing when I cosplay the character. The short jacket and cute brown dress are accompanied with a black belt, embellished by a Pokéball buckle. The hairstyle is also extremely perfect and matches the Pokémon’s hairstyle. It’s such a simple design, but it’s also so gosh darn cute.

7 Another Take On A Classic

via Deviantart (Jackarais)

Now, this is a very casual take on an iconic, beloved character. Jackarais on DeviantArt drew this super cool version of Spyro the Dragon. His hairstyle is styled like a mohawk, with purple colors serving as the undercut. The jacket and hairstyle share the same colors as Spyro himself. This is definitely a cosplay that I can see anybody wearing at a con instead of clunky armor. But regardless of armor or casual clothes, there are so many ways to portray the character.

6 Star Fox

via Animalia Life

If you’ve ever wanted to cosplay as Fox from “Star Fox” without having to wear a bulky or warm fursuit, here’s one way you can cosplay the character. The hairstyle stays true to Fox’s original design by having a paler streak go through the middle of his dark brown hair. This character’s outfit is also very true to Fox’s original outfit. Not only is this the original outfit, but this is definitely something casual and easy that anyone can put together.

5 I’d Watch This Anime

via Zerochan

I would definitely watch this anime where Meta Knight from the “Kirby” series is handsome and mysterious knight. Everyone knows that I’m a sucker for anime boys who have mysterious personalities and wear masks. This armor design is cool, polished, but also simplistic for anyone who’s brand new to making any type of armor. Also, I really appreciate the cape design here, as it really looks like Meta Knight’s wings. Honestly, I’d say that the cape is my favorite part of the overall design.

4 King Dedede

via Chicken Smoothie

In all my days of being a nerd, I never thought that I’d find myself becoming attracted to a penguin like King Dedede. And no, I’m not referring to Dedede’s animalistic form. Rather, I’m referring to this artist’s take on the character. This reimagination of Dedede portrays him as a fit, muscular man, with long hair tied in a braid and a shaggy goatee. Now, this is definitely a cosplay that I could see anyone doing at a con, rather than wearing some type of penguin suit.

3 Bowsette And…

via Pinterest

Now I know for a fact that that’s Bowsette, but who exactly is the young, nervous man next to her? Is it a younger version of male Bowser? Regardless, I like his design. It’s cute but also very flattering and handsome, too. What scares me though is the fact that Bowsette looks like she’s going to have him for dinner. That alone absolutely terrifies me. Or maybe they’re just dancing together? Yeah, sure. They’re just happily dancing together, right? Right?

2 Waddle Dee, Waddle Doo

via Pinterest

Now, this is art that I’m very happy to see. Waddle Dee is such an under-appreciated character; I wish that the sidekick/background “Kirby” character got more love from artists and cosplayers alike. Well, thanks to an incredible artist, cosplaying Waddle Dee has become a much easier project. This take on Waddle Dee pictures him as a young boy in a jacket, shorts, and boots, with a blue bandanna atop his head. Some traits from the actual character are kept here with this design, which is a very nice touch.

1 Chompette

via Twitter

And last, but not least, let us end with a creative twist on Chompette, a feminized version of Chain Chomp from the “Mario” series. Here, the character is portrayed wearing Chain Chomps as gloves, with pointed teeth and chain accessories to accompany her look. Her dress is also embellished to look like the mouths of Chain Chomps, which I think is a really nice touch for this look. Honestly, I wish Chompette would’ve been more cosplayed when this “-ette” trend was, well, trending.