Positive black role models in games

[shopkins]

As a joke on tonight's X-Play (GTA: San Andreas Special) they did a segment on positive black role models in games. They couldn't think of any except for the black guy in Half-Life.

I'm trying to come up with a real list myself and I I'd like suggestions. This probably should exclude sports games, but not necessarily games that feature sports stars, like Shaq Fu. Fighting games are okay, but only if the characters rise above the blatant stereotype level.

My list so far:

Mick (or is it Mac) from Global Gladiators
Michael Jordan in Chaos in the Windy City
Shaq Fu
Buffalo Soldier in Red Dead Revolver
A character who appears as a "virtual actor" in D2 and I think Enemy Zero
Some of the Joes in the G.I. Joe NES games
Storm in all of the X-Men games she's appeared in
The Sarge in Halo
Static Shock from the GBA game
Green Lantern in the Justice Leauge Games
A couple of characters in Jet Set Radio

And now I'm reaching. Suggestions? Why are they good role models?

[Hovoc]

Jax from MK?

[Daria]

I forget his name, but your partner in Parasite eve is an older black Cop. Definately role model material.

[ReaXan]

I heart Morgan Webb

[Eternal Tune]

Seth from the King of Fighters series.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

You can't go wrong with Mace Windu in Star Wars: Jedi Power Battles. This party's over, Dooku!

[ReaXan]

Dont forget Marvin Branaugh from Resident Evil 2

[SoulBlazer]

PLus one of the Jedi in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is black -- was it Jolee? VERY strong guy. :D

[-hellvin-]

I like the character from Dynamite Cop, forgot his name though...he BEAT fools down. Mustafa from Cadillacs & Dinosaurs coinop beats some heads in as well.

[motley6]

Donkey Kong or GonGon from Super Monkey Ball

[robotriot]

Taurus in Interstate 76

Mike LeRoi in Shadow Man

[kai123]

The guy at the start of RE Code veronica. He lets you out of your cell. I think he has something else to do in the game I can't remember because it has been so long since I played it. :P

[kai123]

I forgot Mark and Jim in RE Outbreak. :frustrated: Mark is ex military and a family man and Jim plays on many stereotypes out there. :/

[Eternal Tune]

Jim plays on many stereotypes out there. :/
And looks exactly like Dennis Rodman.

[Cauterize]

Dont forget Marvin Branaugh from Resident Evil 2

I was gonna mention him!

[jdc]

Good thread!!

Let's see...what hasn't been mentioned yet?

-Can we include some of the elf races in Norrath?

-THere's an amateur snowboarder, just a young guy, in Coolboarders 2001. I always use him...he rips.

-Same with the English guy, Moby, in the SSX series.

-don't forget Tiger Woods!!!

-Barrett, from Final Fantasy 7

He's already been mentioned, but my fave black character has to be Mike LeRoi aka Shadowman. I MUST finish that game someday!!! I just found the official guide.

[Oobgarm]

Eddie from Tekken

DeeJay from SSF2

The dude from DOA...Zack?

This isn't much of an 'influential' list, more of a 'quick name every black person in a videogame you can think of' list. ;)

[FantasiaWHT]

All the football/basketball players?

Well, the ones that aren't rapists I suppose :P

[Flack]

OJ and Kobe! Er ...

Oh yeah, and Mr. T

And the Godfather from WCW and Bradshaw from WWE.

And Mike Tyson!

[The Manimal]

The one kid in McKids or whatever it was for NES...

[Mr.Faxanadu]

Michael Jackson (does he even count anymore ?) from moonwalker for the sega genesis

[Nez]

Afro Thunder!

From Ready 2 Rumble.

[Neil Koch]

Bradshaw from WWE.


Bradshaw's a white guy who's currently working a semi-rascist gimmick. You were probably thinking of Faarooq.

[video_game_addict]

Jet Set Radio, I disagree with this one. Wasn't their whole thing to spraypaint graffiti all over the city & cars & buses, etc? How can that be a 'good' role model? Not sure about the fighters either, some are harmless, but some might be questionable..

[digitalpress]

Don't forget Adam Hunter from Streets of Rage. He's such a great role model that he got himself kidnapped and all his pals went to rescue him in SOR2. A lovable brother, indeed.

[christianscott27]

i cant believe anyone would go looking for good role models of any race in a video game...put down the controller and leave the house already LOL

but while we're on the subject have video games followed the Mcdonalds inclusion formula?

if there are three kids one must be black

if there are four one must be an asian

if there are five go with the ambigously brown kid who could be indian, mexican or SE asian

if there are six kids one must be in a wheelchair

are there any wheelchair characters in gaming? what about gay characters?

[FantasiaWHT]

i cant believe anyone would go looking for good role models of any race in a video game...put down the controller and leave the house already LOL

but while we're on the subject have video games followed the Mcdonalds inclusion formula?

if there are three kids one must be black

if there are four one must be an asian

if there are five go with the ambigously brown kid who could be indian, mexican or SE asian

if there are six kids one must be in a wheelchair

are there any wheelchair characters in gaming? what about gay characters?

Fear Effect 2 for gay.

Wheelchair...

Xmen games I suppose, with Professor Charles Xavier

[Push Upstairs]

Michael Jackson (does he even count anymore ?) from moonwalker for the sega genesis


LOL Michael Jackson? The black aspect it highly questionable...but who in thier right mind would ever want him as a *role model*?

"I wanna grow up and be a freaky alien, just like Michael Jackson!"



Don't forget Adam Hunter from Streets of Rage. He's such a great role model that he got himself kidnapped and all his pals went to rescue him in SOR2. A lovable brother, indeed.

Adam was badass in the first SOR game. It kinda sucks you never got to play as him in the sequals :(


This whole thread reminds me of the Hooper X rant in the movie "Chasing Amy" LOL

[unbroken]

yea barrit(ff7) needs to be on the top of your list

[evilmess]

If we use christianscott27' fomula then the Power Rangers is a no brainer.

Keeping on topic...

Big Landman from Burning Rangers. Playable with password
Red Zone and Zero Tolerance both feature playable black characters.
And John Torque (?), Taurus' alter ego from Vigilante 8,

[wufners]

The police character from Twisted Metal Black. And in a game about a group of insane homicidal maniacs, he was one of the few whose insanity wasn't the result of being evil, but rather do to tragedy and guilt. I guess that qualifies him as a good roll model (wanting to make ammends for past sins and mistakes.)

[TheSmirk]

are there any wheelchair characters in gaming? what about gay characters?

Wheelchair? The final boss in final fight.....but he somehow musters up the ability to jump out and unload on you right before he dies, maybe he just liked the better parking spots?

Gay? ChoAniki, 'nuff said, also Otakon is a little, erm, ambiguous. Vega I think is just very concerned about his looks, but I've heard others declare that he is gay.

[Flack]

In Police Quest 3, in the part where all the police officers are in the training room getting their daily briefing, the fourth guy over in the third row is black.

[rbudrick]

And Mike Tyson!

Yeeesss. Yes indeed. Forsooth.

How about Jar Jar Binks?

Oh, wait...

-Rob

[cheesystick]

One of the characters in the SNES version of "Super Smash TV" was black. I recently picked up the genesis version and I noticed that they changed the black guy to a white guy. Does anyone know why?
-Chris

[spider-man]

Jaguar from neo contra.

[Queen Of The Felines]

Michael Edwards, in Eternal Darkness. He's a fireman putting out oil rig fires in Iraq when he falls down into that old forbidden temple thing and fights the Cthuluhu rip-off.

Now THAT'S a role model. :D

Kristine

[shopkins]

I've thought about it a little more. I guess as far as video games go the definition of "postive black role model" has to be a little looser than in real life. I think to qualify a character needs to:

Be vaguely heroic. At least not a murderer or a carjacker or something. Engaged in behavior that, given allowances for videogame fantasy, is positive and emulable instead of negative.

Be more than a pallette swap or a way to distinguish characters in two player games.

Not be a walking stereotype. A lot of the fighting game characters unfortunately fall short of this.

I can't believe I forgot Barrett, either.

As for the Jet Grind Radio kids, I like to think of them as engaging in a non-violent protest against conformity. Yeah, that's the ticket.

[postulio]

Michael Jackson (does he even count anymore ?) from moonwalker for the sega genesis


DAMNIT you stole it out of my mouth!!!


hes a role model to catholic priests everywhere.

[SegaAges]

OJ and Kobe! Er ...

Oh yeah, and Mr. T

And the Godfather from WCW and Bradshaw from WWE.

And Mike Tyson!

come on flack, he said role models, not famous black guys in games :)

murderer, rapists (convicted or not), and a crazy guy that will knock you out for looking at him wrong. flack, you're crazy @_@

[ubersaurus]

There was a black general dude in Suikoden 2, if I remember correctly.
How about Dudley from Street Fighter 3? And Elena, for that matter.

Sarge from Halo is the greatest ever though. "We're gonna rip their heads off, laughing! AMIRIGHTMARINES?"

[-hellvin-]

Michael Edwards, in Eternal Darkness. He's a fireman putting out oil rig fires in Iraq when he falls down into that old forbidden temple thing and fights the Cthuluhu rip-off.

Now THAT'S a role model. :D

Kristine

Defenitely. That fireman kicked ass, so many demons fell by the axe.

I also second Zack. I unleash terror with Zack in DOA. I always wear the alien suit too.

[Chunky]

And Mike Tyson!
at least Mac.

http://www.coolass.net/meta/images/mac-beatup.jpg

[calthaer]

Superfly Johnson from Daikatana.

[youruglyclone]

there's wheelchair bound skater named paulie in thug 2 in fact he's so handicapable that he gets chosen to be on a team before your character in the game.

[koolkid13]

Tom the jamican hot dog vender in Shenmue. He held a stable job and didnt run aroudn trying to avenge his fathers death... *glares at ryo*

[racecar]

lance and carl( both from gta vice/san andreas)..

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

Wait a minute...just thought of something. Haven't there been a few Deep Space Nine games? Hello! Captain Sisko!

'Nuff said.

[evilmess]

Wait a minute...just thought of something. Haven't there been a few Deep Space Nine games? Hello! Captain Sisko!

'Nuff said.

You just had to go there didn't you! LOL

I see your Captain Sisko and raise you one Jordie LaForge

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

Yeah, but Sisko once head-butted a Klingon. I like Geordi, but I'd want Sisko watching my back. Or Tuvok! Hey! Voyager: Elite Force! There's another one.

http://www.thelogbook.com/pf/ef/voyef_02.jpg

[RCM]

Donkey Kong or GonGon from Super Monkey Ball




Yikes!

I don't know if this is a positive role model but Vanessa from Virtua Fighter 4 is black and shes pretty hot too. Also a powerful character that is far from a negative stereotype.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[charitycasegreg]

just play gta 5.

[evilmess]

Yeah, but Sisko once head-butted a Klingon. I like Geordi, but I'd want Sisko watching my back. Or Tuvok! Hey! Voyager: Elite Force! There's another one.

http://www.thelogbook.com/pf/ef/voyef_02.jpg

If you're gunna throw Tuvok out there then let's give Warf some credit too. He was both TNG and DS9. And you know Warf can throw down in a heavy situation. :D

http://home.comcast.net/~evilmess/imgs/TNG_Echos.gif

[Anexanhume]

X Play has jokes?

[The Manimal]

Donkey Kong or GonGon from Super Monkey Ball




Yikes!




I didn't even notice that! LOL

I'm surprised nothing was said. LOL

[Neozeed]

Donkey Kong or GonGon from Super Monkey Ball




Yikes!




I didn't even notice that! LOL

I'm surprised nothing was said. LOL

[Ed Oscuro]

COME ON!!!

Nobody in their right mind leaves out Superfl...oh wait.

Other Best Choice Then!

SHAFT!

From Dracula X: Chi no Rondo!

Who's one bad motherSHUT YOUR MOUTH!

He gets killed once..at least once, for real...and then comes back as a ghost, and while he gets killed again he takes all the punishment a boss that fills half the screen can, and then some.

Anyhow, thought this was interesting:

Harvard Gazette: 'Shaft is a bad mother(shut your mouth)' (http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2002/10.03/13-blaxploitation.html)

Also I'd like to mention that one of the Nameless Warriors from Forgotten Worlds, who has some pretty awesome lines and determined facial expressions. <3

[kainemaxwell]

lance and carl( both from gta vice/san andreas)..

Yes Lance shows us that even with a crappy name, you can still stick it to the man.

[Queen Of The Felines]

I'm surprised nothing was said. LOL

I didn't notice it either until later but trust me, he got a talking to.

Kristine

[qbertandernie]

no one to mention James 'Buster' Douglas?

or George Foreman? FOR REAL!


or would they both be encompassed under 'sports figures'?

tyson was mentioned...

and didnt holyfield have his own boxing game? they were champions of the world for christs sake!

[Promophile]

lance and carl( both from gta vice/san andreas)..

Yes Lance shows us that even with a crappy name, you can still stick it to the man.

Ermm. I thought this was POSITIVE rolemodels. Lance is a criminal and a

SPOILERS













TRAITOR





and Carl is a criminial gangbanger. Thats not really positive to me.

[Push Upstairs]

Gunrock from the Power Stone games.


Truely an inspiration to all those that wish they could morph into a rock creatures and beat up an evil chef.