Link Destroys Samus and Mario

Nintendo's stable of heroes is the envy of every other videogame company on the planet. Who wouldn't want a catalog of characters that can be relied on for regular hits? But not all Nintendo heroes are created equal in the eyes of gamers. You all have your personal preferences based on favorite franchises or the general characteristics of the heroes themselves. Maybe Mario's dogged pursuit of Bowser has defined your gaming career for your whole life and that's why you love him best. Or you just appreciate the way Link can tear through bad guys with the Master Sword?

We asked IGN readers to pick their favorite Nintendo hero from a list of ten choices. (Sorry, Birdo fans.) Over 80,000 readers logged their preferences with an authoritative click of the mouse. The results are now in and Hyrule is awash in the blood of the losers:



Link: 36%

Mario: 22%

Samus Aran: 10%

Fox McCloud: 6%

Donkey Kong: 6%

Yoshi: 5%

Pikachu: 5%

Luigi: 5%

Kirby: 4%

Pit (Kid Icarus): 1%


This was not even much of a contest. IGN readers by and large herald Link as their favorite Nintendo hero, beating the original Nintendo superstar Mario by a 14-point spread. It's not necessarily a surprising outcome considering how much readers love Zelda games. You certainly like to read about Mario's adventures, but you really click on those Zelda games, such as the newly announced Spirit Tracks for the Nintendo DS. Samus Aran, star of the Metroid franchise ranked third on your voting roll. She's always had her hardcore fanbase to be sure, but Link and Mario are definitely in a different league than the space-faring heroine.

Once you get past Samus, though, the rest of the poll participants jockey around with just a few thousand votes between them. Donkey Kong muscles his way to the top of that lagging tier, followed by Yoshi and Pikachu. Between the cuteness of Pikachu and the pink seductiveness of Kirby, though, sits Mario's brother, Luigi. The poor guy just cannot get a break, can he? He's busted ghosts and assisted his brother in over 20 years worth of exploits and escapades. What does he need to do to earn your respect?

And finally, Kid Icarus trails the entire pack with the least amount of votes. Is it his prolonged absence from the scene that keeps him from scoring better in the poll? Or is it just that Link and Mario are just that much more beloved? Hit the comments and tell us why you voted the way you did. And if you skipped out on the vote (shame on you), tell us how you would have voted.

http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/972/972748p1.html