Games with female lead characters

[XYXZYZ]

Now that I think of it, there haven't been that many video games with female lead characters until recently. And there are only a few more with playable female characters. Maybe it's because for a long time the primary video game audience was little boys, and they figure he wouldn't want to play as a girl (Lest he contract cooties). Perhaps there weren't enough older guys who may be into that sort of thing to invest in that kind of game.

Here are all the games I can think of with female lead characters. Notice I don't know any pre-NES (console) games- can anyone fill in those blanks?


NES
Metroid
The Guardian Legend of the Ghost Lion
Arkista's Ring
Athena
Wing of Madola (Famicom)
Mugen Senshi Valis (Famicom)
WURM
Salamander (see the ending) (Famicom)
Krion Conquest

Master System
Alien Syndrome? (Never played it)
Uhh...

Genesis/Mega Drive
Alisia Dragoon
Fantasm Soldier Valis
Valis III
Syd of Valis
El Viento
Monsterworld IV
Dahna

Super NES
Valis IV
Seiken Densetsu III
Final Fantasy III(FF6)
Kendo Rage
Sailormoon games
Aretha (SFC)

PC Engine/DUO
Valis
Valis II
Valis III
Valis IV
Hellfire S
Basted
Effera & Jilliora
Shubibinman III
Princess Minerva
Sylphia
Sapphire
Fausette Amour
Galaxy Fraulien Yuna
Fray in Magical Adventure
Metal Angel
Cotton

Sega Saturn
Keio Kukigettai
Cotton 2/Boomerang
-?

Playstation
Time Gal
uhh...
(I don't have a very broad knowlege of Playstation and later consoles.)

Anyway, I know I'm missing some, and at the moment I'm too lazy to make a list for arcade games. Can you guys add anything?

Oh, and later I think I'll make a post in this thread about games with playable famale characters. (not nessicarily the lead characters) Everyone loves those, right?

[GrandAmChandler]

How about the Tomb Raider series? That comes to mind first.

[Gapporin]

MobyGames has a whole classification for these games:

http://www.mobygames.com/game_group/sheet/gameGroupId,712/

[pseudonym]

SMS
phantasy star

NES
the krion conquest
faria (?)

[tom]

They missed some:

Strip Poker (Artworx)

Snowball, Return to Eden, (Kim Kimberly) (although Level 9 stated that it could be either, male or female)

Sam Fox Strip Poker

Maria Whittaker X-Mas Strip Poker

Asia Carrera Asstroids

[Ruudos]

What about Ms. Pac-Man?

Adventures of Lolo 3 (NES) - Wasn't Lala a lead character together with Lolo in this game?
Alien 3 (multiple)
Barbie (NES)
Gauntlet series- One of the 4 lead characters is a female.
The Little Mermaid (NES/Genesis)
Shadow of the Ninja (NES) - One of the lead characters is a female.
Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon (CDi)
Zelda's Adventure (CDi)

For PC there was the Jill of the Jungle series.

[LinkOracle]

NES Super Mario Bros 2

one of the four you can pick from is the Princess

[DDCecil]

Wonder Momo (Arcade, PC Engine)
Fairy Dust Story (PC Engine)
Lost Kingdoms (GC) - Not sure about part II
Final Fantasy 10-2 (PS2)
Perfect Dark (N64 and GBC) and Zero (360)
Bloodrayne
UmJammer Lammy (PSX)
City of Lost Children (PSX)
Zombies ate my Neighbors (SNES and Genesis)
Run Saber (SNES)
Dino City (SNES)
Bebe's Kids (SNES)
Legacy of the Wizard (NES)

[keiblerfan69]

Final Fantasy X-2
Fatal Frame Series
Silent Hill series

[Mr_Elimin8]

Playstation
Resident Evil 2- Claire (Yeah, I know Claire and Leon are both the lead characters, but you know what I mean)
Resident Evil 3- Jill
Dino Crisis- Regina
Clock Tower- Jessica
Clock Tower 2- Alyssa
Fear Effect- Hana
Fear Effect 2- Hana

Those are a few off the top of my head.

[tom]

Barbie on C-64 (Epyx)

[CYRiX]

An no Perfect Dark for N64 *shakes head*

[NeoZeedeater]

I know I'm forgetting a bunch but here are some early ones that come to mind -

Crazy Balloon(Arcade, 1980) You can't see the character in game though.
Wabbit(2600, 1982)
Halloween(2600, 1983)
Cosmic Soldier(PC88, 1985)
Elidon(C64/CPC, 1985)
Flashgal(Arcade, 1985)
Sega Ninja/Ninja Princess(Arcade/SG-1000, 1985/1986)
Alpha(PC88, 1986)

I guess the first female character in a video game would be in the Simon Says overlay for the original Odyssey although she doesn't really fit the topic.

[davepesc]

Hmmm...

Sega CD:
Popful Mail

PS2:
Xenosaga (Shion et al)
Metal Gear Solid 2 (lol)

PS1:
Steel Harbinger

[LiquidPolicenaut]

Sega CD:
Keio Flying Squadron
Anet Futatabi (mega CD)
Yumimi Mix (Mega CD)
3x3 Eyes (Mega CD)

Saturn:
Magic Knight Rayearth
Magic School Lunar

PC-FX:
Team Innocent
Queen of Queens

PSOne:
Spice World (Did you actually play as the Spice Girls?)

Nintendo DS:
Trace Memory

[ubersaurus]

Beyond Good & Evil has a girl, albeit that's not classic in terms of consoles it's on yet.

Pokemon Crystal allowed you to play as a girl character. Castlevania Legends involves a Sonya Belmont as the lead character, and it is arguable that Lizzie from Rampage is supposed to be a girl :P

Oh yes, and Space Channel 5 had a female lead! And Zillion for the SMS has one of the three main heroes a girl.

[Haoie]

Off the top of my head. Those not mentioned.

PS: Danger Girl, Misadventures of Tron Bonne

Every single Puyo Pop game too.

Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town [the girl version]

[Mr.FoodMonster]

I thought of one not on the list!

Threads of Fate. You can play as either a boy or girl (I think the girl's name is... Maya? But I'm not positive...)

[Queen Of The Felines]

Parasite Eve I & II
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
P.N. 03
Resident Evil Code Veronica and 4
Still Life
Enter the Matrix
Rumble Roses
Dead or Alive Volleyball
Ghost Manor
Eternal Darkness
Darkened Skye

Kristine

[tom]

Jenna Jameson Strip Poker TV Game:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Jenna-Jameson-Strip-Poker-Plug-and-Play-TV-video-game_W0QQitemZ8252577070QQcategoryZ62053QQssPageNa meZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

that is so cool.

[youruglyclone]

Rhapsody musical adventure has a female lead.

Lifeline for PS2 had you speaking to a female character

Ghost in the Shell (PS1 ver. or Stand Alone Complex)

Kim Possible, That's So Raven...GBA

[tom]

Mary-Kate and Ashley games
VIP Pamela Anderson
Kylie Minogue in SF The Movie
X-Man the blonde (She gets into the action)
Lady Sia
Sabrina Teenage Witch games

[LinkOracle]

Just remembered Paperboy 2, you can play as Papergirl!

[Yago]

Ms. Pacman! :D

[Tron 2.0]

Saturn
Princess Crown/The princess in it is the lead character 8-)

PS1
The MissAdventure of Tron Boone/Man Capcom should give her another game.