@BreadKnight: But...he always was a serial killer with dementia. Maybe a bit more gleeful about it in the comics, but it depends on the writer.

This is less a list of great characters and more a case of "let's list the characters who happen to be in our favorite games."

Does anyone even consider the iPad a gaming device? People have called it a mini-laptop, an oversized iPhone, a shameless cash-grab by Apple, a futuristic game-changer; all sorts of things. But I don't think anyone in the general press or public sees it as the next Nintendo DS. It's a very different type of device,…

@Koda89: I don't know. A story in a fighter can help, but it's not necessary. My favorite fighter ever is still Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Yes, it technically had a story, but unless you read the instruction manual it's never brought up.

HULK!

@Yokai: You know what? I'm going to go ahead and give Ms. Shoda mad props for FF12's story. It's easily my favorite in the entire series.

Well, it all depends on what kind of game it is. A fighting game or a puzzle game doesn't need a story. An RPG does; it's an integral part of that genre.

@nsseegee: Another thing they have in common with WRPG's.

@ghost4: Action-Adventure was the term Nintendo used to describe the very first Zelda way back in the old days. I think the term still fits.

@Jandau: I think calling them different genres is taking it way too far. I find the differences between JRPGs and WRPGs are mostly superficial, and only get any attention because they've been blown out of proportion by internet flamewars.

@Nethlem: Well, considering that it's their JOBS to keep track of this sort of thing...zero?

That's a pretty nasty tumble you took there, Blizzard. From number one to number eighty? Ouch.

@!Skyline!: Because quality does not equal sales.

I'm with Coppola on this one. I'm getting tired of the current glut of 3-D movies. Yes, Avatar looked nice, but let's face it: the only reason it was such a big hit is because it was charging more for tickets than any other movie released last year. If you go by attendance numbers instead of just dollar amounts, not…

@Foxstar is in love with Kotaku's two Brians.: I imagine he also makes collects insane royalties. Between that and the Nintendo stock (worth quite a bit lately) he doesn't really need to draw a big salary.

I really doubt Nintendo would ever fully retire him. Even if they relieved him of most of his duties, he would probably remain in some sort of "company ambassador" capacity, like Stan Lee.

Once upon a time I started all my sentences with the same cliche in an attempt at reinforcing a theme. It came out sounding kind of cheesy.

@FDFreaK: Is that...a guitar playing Pichu?

@Kaydot: @TheIrishNinja: Yes, I played it. I didn't really like it, although it is certainly pretty to look at and well-written, to me it was a huge letdown, especially after 12, which I loved.

The AV Club review put it very well: This is a game that seems like it doesn't want to be played. It almost seems annoyed at the player's presence, leading you by the nose from one linear corridor to the next, refusing to let you do anything of real sigifigance lest you interfere with the oh-so-important story it's…