9. Ghosts – Pac-Man
Sometimes you just get credit for being one of the first. Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde aren’t really anything more than foes that chase after you as you play Pac-Man. They don’t offer any deep insight into some deep lore or interesting backstory. In fact, their personalities border on non-existent; they’re just ghosts who really don’t like Pac-Man. Yet, you’d be hard-pressed to find a gamer who doesn’t know who these little guys are. There’s a bit of an elegant simplicity to their designs that leaves a surprising impact despite their lack of actual depth beyond just obstacles for the player. You take one look at these guys and you’ll remember them.
Iconic doesn’t necessarily mean the best or most interesting. Sometimes it just means important, and the ghosts are very important, indeed. They were one of the first groups of villains to be featured in a widely successful game. Collectively they’ve appeared on almost every gaming platform imaginable. While that might not make them the most thoughtful choice out there, it certainly does make them iconic.
