Mascots and Icons
Out of everything Nintendo has ever created, nothing is more recognizable than the company’s prolific characters and mascots. Some of the most well-known gaming characters of all time have come from Nintendo, and they’ve hit the mainstream like few things ever do.
Characters like Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, Link, and Pikachu may be the most well-known, but they’re just the tip of the iceberg. Nintendo has crafted series after series, adding on even more characters and mascots for themselves over the years like Samus, Zelda, Captain Falcon, Kirby, Fox, Yoshi, Marth, Pit, and more. The list goes on and on with Nintendo characters. Even some enemies from their games are instantly recognizable to so many people, even those who may not play a lot of video games. Just think of how many people know at least what a Koopa-Troopa or Goomba look like, even if they may not know what they’re called. Nintendo helped set the standard for what it means for a gaming company to have a mascot, and you’d see others like Sega with Sonic the Hedgehog following suit for years to come.
