Birds of a Feather

Don’t be fooled by his harmless appearance: Beat is a tough little bird who shows no fear. Mega Man’s mechanical bird buddy is a combat robot designed by the brilliant Dr. Cossack. He was first introduced in Mega Man 5 and made himself useful by homing in on enemies and relentlessly attacking them. In later games, Beat was effectively used as a safety net for Mega Man and could rescue him if he fell into a pit. (He has a similar role in Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U and 3DS.) Over the years, Beat has demonstrated an ability to act as a shield or grant temporary invincibility, and he has also helped Mega Man retrieve various weapon chips. He is inflicted with wanderlust and easily distracted, but Beat is a loyal friend despite his short attention span. Without question, Beat is Mega Man’s most adorable animal sidekick.

Owls are often depicted as symbols of knowledge, and Kaepora Gaebora is gaming’s most prominent example of this trope. A recurring character in the Zelda series, Kaepora Gaebora assists Link by offering sage advice throughout his adventure. He demonstrates a profound understanding of all things Hyrule, and his vast knowledge can be attributed to the fact that he is a reincarnation of an Ancient Sage. Kaepora Gaebora is one of Link’s most trusted allies, and their eternal friendship transcends time and place. His ramblings can be a little longwinded at times, but he clearly knows what he’s talking about. Kaepora Gaebora shares many traits with the owl from Link’s Awakening, but he’s a completely separate character even though the two have similar roles. I guess Link just naturally attracts the attention of all-knowing owls.

Devised as a merger of man and machine, Songbird was specifically designed to watch over a telekinetic girl named Elizabeth who had been kidnapped and imprisoned in a tower in the sky. When Songbird escaped from the lab, he crashed into Elizabeth’s tower by pure happenstance. After Elizabeth repaired the damage Songbird incurred, a psychological pairbond was formed between them. Henceforth, Songbird vowed to watch over Elizabeth as a relentless guardian. Although Elizabeth initially appreciated Songbird’s friendship, she grew to resent him over time for the role he played in keeping her imprisoned. After Elizabeth escapes from the tower, Songbird makes it his mission to bring her back. Songbird is a steampunk machine, but he’s fair game for this list if Beat from Mega Man is.

The evil Queen Slug-for-a-Butt acts as the final boss in Earthworm Jim, but Psy-Crow is Jim’s true arch-nemesis. The intergalactic bounty hunter was employed by the queen to deliver a hi-tech “Super Suit” to her, but Jim came into possession of the suit after it fell out of the sky. The suit bestowed Jim with newfound powers, and Psy-Crow chased him across the galaxy in a desperate bid to retrieve it. In the sequel, Psy-Crow apparently got tired of racing around the galaxy and made a power play by kidnapping the beautiful Princess What’s-Her-Name and challenging Jim for her hand in marriage. Earthworms and crows were never meant to get along, and Psy-Crow is the perfect rival for Jim. Even before Jim came into possession of the Super Suit, the two were enemies by virtue of the fact that Psy-Crow killed his parents.

Squawks played a minor (miner?) role in the first Donkey Kong Country. Appearing in only one level, the parrot followed the Kongs through a pitch-black cave and helped guide them with a much-needed lantern. His role was greatly expanded in Donkey Kong Country 2 when he put his flying abilities to use by carrying his primate friends over various obstacles and navigating through dangerous environments. Donkey Kong Country 2 is widely considered the best in the series, and Squawks was involved in many of the game’s most iconic moments. In Donkey Kong Country Returns, Squawks helped out by alerting the Kongs to nearby puzzle pieces. Squawks has taken on more roles in the Donkey Kong Country series than any of the other animal buddies, and his flying abilities are more prominent than any of the other birds on this list.

Falco Lombardi is an ace pilot who has been Fox McCloud’s wingman in almost every StarFox game to date. He’s known for his arrogant personality and condescending remarks, and he hates having to rely on others for assistance. His egotistical nature makes him difficult to work with, and he has even left the StarFox team to fly solo on a number of occasions. I guess birds need to leave their nest from time to time. Falco is the type of guy who actively seeks adventure, and he apparently spent his youth as a space delinquent of sorts. His skills as a pilot are on display in the StarFox series, and his fighting style in Smash Bros. highlights his jumping and aerial abilities. He’s kind of an asshole, but he’s not quite as annoying as Slippy Toad. Although he insists that he’s just in it for the money, Falco secretly respects Fox.

The Angry Birds games have been downloaded over three billion times, making it one of the most-played video game franchises ever. The gameplay basically consists of players slingshotting flocks of multi-colored birds at enemy fortresses in an effort to retrieve eggs that have been stolen by hungry pigs. (You’d be angry too if you were in that situation.) Although there are various birds in the series, I’m specifically recognizing Red since he’s the first bird that players are introduced to and depicted as the leader of the flock. He’s well-known for his leadership abilities and he has a caring nature despite his short temper. If this list was based on popularity and fame alone, Red would be a lock for the number one position. He has the most visibility in promotional materials and is instantly recognized by people all over the world.

The self-proclaimed King of Dream Land is known for his brash personality and gluttonous nature. His oversized hammer can level entire buildings and his oversized appetite puts the entire continuum at risk when he and his minions steal all of the food in Dream Land. It’s not explicitly clear what kind of bird Dedede is, but he looks an awfully lot like a penguin and even makes a habit of sliding around on his belly. Even though he lacks wings, he still has the power of flight thanks to his ability to inflate himself up like a balloon. Dedede performs no administrative duties and many of his actions are unbecoming of a monarch, but his followers are fiercely loyal to him for some unknown reason. To his credit, Dedede occasionally acts with the greater good in mind and even teams up with Kirby on a number of occasions.

Chocobos first appeared in Final Fantasy II in 1988, making them the oldest entry on this list. They have been featured in almost every subsequent Final Fantasy game since then and have also been the focus of numerous spinoff games – including Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon and Chocobo Racing. Chocobos are usually characterized by their yellow feathers, distinct odor, and their unforgettable chirp, but certain rare breeds exist that have different colors or abilities. Some chocobos can use magic, some can climb mountains, and some even have the ability to fly! The birds are primarily used as a method of transportation, but they can also be summoned to battle in certain situations. The Final Fantasy franchise has introduced hundreds of characters over the years, but chocobos are the de-facto mascots of the series.

Banjo and Kazooie are recognized as one of gaming’s greatest duos, but Kazooie was actually created as an afterthought. During the planning stages of Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo was intended to be the game’s sole protagonist. As a means of giving Banjo a double-jump maneuver, the developers decided that wings should sprout out of his backpack. It was later decided that it would make more sense for a second character to reside in the backpack, and the rest is history. Kazooie is “red crested breegull” who improves Banjo’s mobility significantly and grants him the power of flight. Her beak is an effective weapon against enemies, she uses eggs for projectile attacks, and her smartass comments cause considerable pain to friend and foe alike. Kazooie’s sharp wit provides a perfect contrast to Banjo’s dimwitted personality.