by Letsgojets

What's in a name? Well, in video games, a lot. Most designers will put a lot of effort into thinking of good names for characters. Then you have the others that give their characters ridiculous names just for the sake of being ridiculous. So what's in a name? Think about it. Would Mario have become so popular if he was named Fhqwhgads? This list honors those really...interesting character names that almost rival Fhqwhgads.

#10: "Mr. Mime" - Pokemon Red & Blue (GB)

Now don't get me wrong, I believe that Pokemon names are actually very well thought-out. Most of the time. Unfortunately, some of the less creative ones like Seel the seal or Persian the cat occasionally slip in there. But the one that stands out the most of these imagination lapses has got to be Mr. Mime. The thing that makesthis name even funnier is the fact that Mr. Mime can't even be classified as a mime since he has a distinct sound that appears in almost every game he/she does!

#9: "Solid Snake" - Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (MSX)

Anyone who reads webcomics or anything of that sort saw this coming a mile away. OK, seriously. Do I even have to say anything about this name? WHAT was Konami thinking when they named this character? I understand the whole codename thing going on with Metal Gear/Metal Gear Solid's characters, but of all the adjective and animal combinations out there they had to pick the one with the most perverted implication possible. Well, except for #2 on this list...

#8: "Mr. Giggles" - TimeSplitters: Future Perfect (PS2)

After doing this list, it has become my opinion that names starting with "Mr." are funny, and in the case of Giggles, downright scary. Anyone who has cycled through TS: FP's multiplayer characters has been deeply scared/scarred by this mutant gun-toting cannibal clown. You heard right. Not only is he all those things (and of course, as we all know, clowns are the source of all evil in the world) but he's named Mr. Giggles. It should also be noted that when selected, he jumps around and GIGGLES, asking if you want to see his pocket. DON'T ASK ME WHY.

#7: "Captain Qwark" - Ratchet & Clank (PS2)

No really perverted joke here. No terrifying cannibal clown here. No mime here. Just pure stupidity. Qwark. Honestly, what kind of name is that? But, then you have to remember that the Rachet & Clank series is not known for intelligence, especially not in its naming. Sheepinator, anyone? At the very least, Qwark turns out being one of the best characters in the whole series, unlike many of the others on this list.

#6: "Dog" - Half-Life 2 (PC)

Dog is awesome. Dogs are awesome. Dog is loyal and obedient. Dogs are loyal and obedient. Dog plays fetch. Dogs play fetch. Dog is an eight foot tall robot who can lift thousands of pounds, smash holes in solid walls, and take on a bunch of Combine and a Strider. Dogs play fetch. The similarities end with that. When you're in the middle of a rebellion-torn City 17, and Dog comes up and promptly throws a van on five or so Combine, that's about when you realize this simple fact: he's got a funny and great name.

#5: "Sluggy the Unshaven" - Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES)

I would like to take this opportunity to note that pretty much all of Yoshi's Island's bosses have ridiculous names, and that Burt the Bashful, Tap-Tap the Red Nose and Roger the Potted Ghost were also strong contenders for this spot. Anyway, about Sluggy. Yes, he has a really weird name. But's that's not why he's on here. The main reason he is is that his name has nothing to do with his actual appearance. He's basically a giant grey blob with a face, spots, and a visible heart. Oh, and he has about ten hairson his head. Why that qualifies him as "unshaven", I have no idea, since there are plenty of much, much hairier enemies in the Marioverse.

#4: "A. Bumpkin & B. Bumpkin" - The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES)

This is probably the first example of a name of a character in a Japanese game created specifically for North American audiences, since I doubt "A. Bumpkin and B. Bumpkin" is a direct translation. Either way, they have awesome names. Come on, anyone with the last name Bumpkin has got to be awesome, and the two lumberjacks from A Link to the Past are no exception.

#3: "Cloud" - Final Fantasy VII (PS)

This may come as a surprise to many, since Cloud is so ingrained into gamer culture, and he's been blessed with numerous people calling him the best character ever, that his name has just become insignificant. But think about it. The super-cool, Buster Sword-wielding, magic-using, motorcycle-riding enigma is named after puffs of water vapour floating in the sky. Yup. Squaresoft, I have one question: WHY?

#2: "Hard Man" - Mega Man 3 (NES)

Anyone whos gets the Solid Snake joke not only will get this one, but they probably saw it coming. I hope to God that this can be chalked up as a mistranslation. If not, I don't even want to know what Capcom was thinking when they named this Robot Master.

#1: "Boogenhagen" - Final Fantasy VII (PS)

Need I say more? Boogenhagen. His name is Boogenhagen. The wise leader of Cosmo Canyon, the most prominent researcher of the Study of Planet Life, and one of the few people who knows the workings of the Planet, the universe and even the Cetra, is named freakin' Boogenhagen. Unlike the other characters on this list, Boognhagen's name reflects his personality; they're both pretty strange. Boogenhagen, despite being human, is over a hundred years old, has seemingly no legs, and thus floats everywhere. He is the adoptive grandfather of Nanaki (aka Red XIII) who looks nothing like him, since Red XIII is a talking, intelligent wolf-like creature. And finally, his catchphrase is "ho hooo". You gotta love Boogenhagen.

(It's actually, "Bugenhagen")