Hold Your Horses

Louie (aka Rui as in “kangaroo“) are colorful animals that first appeared in Bomberman ’94. After hatching from eggs, the Louie start pulling their weight immediately by letting Bombermen ride on their backs. There are multiple variations of Louie in the Bomberman series, and each type has its own unique abilities. The green one can dash at high speeds, the purple one can hop over obstacles, the yellow one can smash through obstacles, the blue one can punt bombs over obstacles, and the pink one can taunt opponents with a dance. As impressive as these abilities are, the main reason why Louie are being mentioned on this list is because of their selfless nature. The creatures effectively shield the Bombermen from any explosions. If a bomb goes off, the Louie will perish but its rider will walk away without a scratch.

Many animal sidekicks have lent Kirby a helping hand during his adventures through Dream Land. A wise owl named Coo improved his flying abilities, a fish named Kine guided him through water stages, and Nago the cat could perform a cool triple-jump in the air. All of these animals were useful in their own right, but Rick the hamster is easily Kirby’s most iconic animal sidekick. Rick first appeared in Kirby’s Dreamland 2 and helped Kirby cross treacherous terrain. His ability to gain traction on slippery surfaces was especially practical. (Appropriately enough, Rick’s name is derived from riku, a Japanese word for land.) In subsequent games, Rick gained the ability to jump off of walls and even learned how to perform a devastating power stomp. What more can you ask of a giant ridable hamster?

One of the best additions to God of War II was the introduction of the legendary winged horse, Pegasus. Pegasus is a popular figure from Greek mythology, so his appearance in the God of War series wasn’t especially surprising. It was still greatly appreciated, however. Pegasus plays a very important role in the game, as he provides a way for Kratos to reach the Island of Creation. Pegasus’ flaming wings are a sight to behold as he takes to the skies, and he can swoop past oncoming creatures in a spectacular fashion. Pegasus also acts as a makeshift platform for Kratos to leap from. While Pegasus is in flight, Kratos can jump off in order to fend off attacks from enraged griffins that are attempting to impede their progress. It was just too bad that Pegasus was nowhere to be seen in God of War III.

The Clockwork Knight games revolve around a group of toys who are magically brought to life every night. Barobaro, for his part, is a lovable donkey-for-a-steed that shows steadfast loyalty to a toy soldier named Pepper. Baroaro was but a background character in the first Clockwork Knight game, but was given a chance to shine in the sequel. Admittedly, Barobaro doesn’t seem very befitting for a soldier. Not only is he nearsighted, but he appears to be made out of a wine bottle that was hastily fastened to a wheeled basket. He’s still quite useful, however. He moves a lot faster than Pepper does and he also has the uncanny ability to use the spring in his neck to fire his head at oncoming enemies. Barobaro’s role in Clockwork Knight 2 was one of the main reasons why the sequel was considered superior to the original.

Who needs horses when you have flying dragons? The Panzer Dragoon series has introduced us to many noble dragons over the years, but I’m acknowledging the unnamed dragon from Panzer Dragoon Saga for a couple of reasons. The dragons in other Panzer Dragon games had the ability to morph into a handful of different forms, but Saga featured a sophisticated evolution system that allowed the dragon to take on hundreds of different forms. The appearance of the dragon was largely related to how its attributes were adjusted during the game, so players actually had an impact on how their dragon would evolve. It’s almost as though the dragon is growing in front of your eyes, and this aspect ultimately gives players a reason to become emotionally invested in their dragon’s well-being. Panzer Dragoon deserves more love in general.

The Donkey Kong series is loaded with animal buddies for the titular ape and his friends to ride on. Gamers have been introduced to a giant frog with incredible jumping abilities, an ostrich with the power of flight, and a swordfish that can effortlessly stab underwater foes. I’d be remiss not to mention the adorable baby elephant that can pick up objects with its trunk. The first animal buddy that the Kongs encounter is Rambi the Rhinoceros. Rambi can use his powerful horn to mow down enemies, and he is also extremely useful when it comes to discovering secret rooms and breakable walls. Rambi appeared in the first two Donkey Kong Country games and was later featured in Donkey Kong 64 and Donkey Kong Country Returns. He was also slated to be one of the rides in Donkey Kong Racing before the game was cancelled.

The world of Shadow of the Colossus is both sprawling and barren. There are no characters to interact with and virtually no enemies to speak of aside from the sixteen colossal guardians that inhabit the land. The only company Wander has is his trusty horse. Agro plays a pretty significant role in the game. In addition to serving as a means of transportation, Agro also helps defeat some of the aforementioned guardians. Wander and Agro are obviously very comfortable with one another, and can even pull off a variety of tricks together. For instance, Wander can stand on Agro’s back or hang off of his side while riding. Agro seems to have a mind of his own, however, and won’t always go exactly where Wander wants him to. This ultimately helps make him one of the most believable animals to ever grace a video game.

Chocobos have been part of the Final Fantasy universe since the second installment in the franchise. Chocobos are timid and peaceful animals who are able to move swiftly across a variety of terrains. While riding chocobos, players are usually able to avoid random battles completely. The Final Fantasy series has introduced gamers to several different variations of chocobos over the years, but the majestic gold chocobos from Final Fantasy VII are probably the most iconic. The gold chocobos can basically travel to anywhere they want to go. They can move through forests, climb over mountains, and even run across oceans! Gold chocobos are also extremely elusive, so players typically have to invest upwards of eight hours before they are able to obtain one. It’s hard work, but well worth the effort.

When you really think about it, it’s almost hard to believe that it took four games before Link was given a horse to ride. Epona made her first appearance in Ocarina of Time and immediately proved her worth. The ability to travel by horse was extremely useful, given the vastness of the game’s overworld. Epona’s ability to jump across cliffs also allowed Link to reach places that would not otherwise be accessible. The ability for Link to use his sword or fire arrows from the back of a horse gives him more options in combat. Much like Link and Zelda before her, we have actually been introduced to multiple versions of Epona. Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess take place in separate realities, but Epona is present in both games. Regardless of which timeline she’s a part of, Epona is a loyal companion.

Shigeru Miyamoto wanted Mario to have a dinosaur companion ever since the first Super Mario Bros. was released in 1985. Miyamoto’s colleagues have speculated that his love for western themes influenced Yoshi’s design. It took several years to happen, but Yoshi was finally introduced in Super Mario World. Yoshi has the ability to jump on objects that Mario can’t, and he can eat almost any enemy that he comes in contact with. Yoshi can also flutter in the air, turn enemies into eggs, or use his tongue to swing from one platform to the next. In Yoshi’s Island, it’s revealed that the lovable dinosaur species played an important role in protecting Mario as a child. If you’re still not convinced that Yoshi is the ultimate mount, the fact that he has a saddle built into his body from birth should change your mind.