Rabbit Run

Jazz Jackrabbit was created by Arjan Brussee and Cliff Bleszinski, who went on to greater fame for their work on Killzone and Gears of War respectively. Few would have predicted that kind of career progression given that Jazz Jackrabbit was a colorful 2D platformer in the style of Sonic the Hedgehog. Jazz finds himself locked in battle with an evil turtle nemesis, and his game is basically a sci-fi parody of the The Tortoise and the Hare. Jazz himself looks like the bastard child of Bucky O’Haire and Rambo, but he was a perfect fit for an era dominated by colorfl cartoon mascots. Like most real jackrabbits, Jazz has the ability to run fast and jump high. He’s clearly not bounded by reality, however, and he uses his ears as makeshift helicopter blades. He also runs around with giant guns, which is something that most rabbits probably don’t do in real life.

Silent Hill is known for its eclectic cast of creepy characters, but none are scarier than Robbie. His large eyes and goofy smile give him a friendly appearance, but his blood-soaked mouth is nightmare fuel. When Robbie made his first appearance in Silent Hill 3, he was depicted as an amusement park mascot with an oversized head who could be found slumped over in various areas of the game. Silent Hill 4 portrayed him as a plush toy who menacingly points toward the player in an obvious attempt to make them shit their pants. Robbie then appeared as an enemy character in Silent Hill: The Arcade where he let out high-pitched laughs before attacking the player with throwing axes or chainsaws. In a bizarre turn of events, Robbie took a break from scaring people with his appearance in Konami’s Krazy Racers for iOS and Android devices.

As the mascot of Nintendo Badge Arcade, it’s the Arcade Bunny’s responsibility to assist players and provide them with news and information about all of the games. It’s the perfect job for him, as he’s a big-time video game expert who wants to share his love of games with others. Although he tries to play it cool, he’s easily excitable when it comes to his favorite hobby. He knows that he can be a little intense at times, and he often apologizes for being too animated. I think his passion is refreshing, and I don’t think he has anything to apologize for. Nintendo Badge Arcade received its final update in 2017, but the Arcade Bunny’s legacy is sure to live on. He has already been featured in Super Mario Maker as an unlockable costume, and it’s fair to say that nobody appreciates the honor more than the Arcade Bunny does.

Erina was a regular, everyday bunny who was mysteriously transformed into a human one day. Although she retained her ears and tail, she wound up looking more like a Playboy Bunny than an actual rabbit. (The “leotard and bowtie” look is unmistakable.) Her transformation looks like a total upgrade on paper, but things are never as simple as they should be. Unfortunately, Erina is pursued by an organization of bunny-obsessed perverts. She is armed with a carrot bombs and a giant hammer, but her enamored fans actually enjoy getting beat up by her. The scantily-clad bunny was alone and afraid after she was initially transformed, but her curiosity served her well. She struggled to stand on two feet at first, but she was eventually dodging bullets and riding dragons like it was going out in style.

Nabbit is a mischievous bunny and a notorious thief. He’s best-known for robbing Toad Houses, but he also has the gall to steal from treasure chests right in front of Mario and his friends if they don’t open them in a timely fashion. The brothers Mario are tasked with chasing down Nabbit if they want to retrieve the items he has stolen. Despite his villainous role in New Super Mario Bros. U, Nabbit was given a chance to play the hero in New Super Luigi U the following year. In that outing, Nabbit joined forces with Luigi and two Toads in their quest to rescue Princess Peach. Nabbit’s skills and abilities are radically different to those of his teammates. He can’t use any power-ups or ride Yoshi, but he makes up for this with his apparent invincibility. Nabbit is completely immune to enemy attacks, which makes him the perfect character for new players.

Fran made her debut in Final Fantasy XII and became a fan favorite almost immediately. She isn’t technically a rabbit, but she’s from a race called the Viera who are known for their rabbit-like features. Fran’s slender frame and elongated rabbit ears give her an uncanny resemblance to a Playboy bunny. (Her long hair, stiletto heels, and exposed ass cheeks only reinforce this allusion.) Viera are sensitive to magic and closely connected with nature to the point that they seldom leave the forests they are born in. When Fran’s restless nature and thirst for adventure cause her to venture to the outside world, she becomes something of an outcast to her family who feel she should be forever bound to the woods. Fran is a warrior and simply isn’t the type of person who can be tied down. She even takes to the sky in a flying airship where she demonstrates skills as a mechanic and co-pilot.

Stories of moon rabbits are prominent in Asian folklore, and cultures all around the globe have perceived images of a rabbit on the moon. Naturally, references to the myth can also be found in video games. Reisen Udongein Inaba is a legendary moon rabbit who fled to the Earth after her home was “invaded” during the Apollo 11 mission. Although she looked nothing like Earth’s rabbits, she still tried to pass herself off as one after abandoning her comrades on the moon. Reisen has the ability to transmit ESP waves with her red eyes in order to induce hallucinations and irrational behavior. She can also receive transmissions with her bunny ears, and this lets her participates in a vast psychic network with other moon rabbits. Reisen is surprisingly level-headed despite her association with lunacy.

Fox McCloud is one of the greatest pilots in the galaxy, but he doesn’t get a lot of support from other members of the StarFox team. Slippy Toad is altogether useless while Falco Lombardi is a sarcastic and self-important asshole. Peppy Hare is the one exception. Having served with Fox’s father as part of the original StarFox team, Peppy brings wisdom and experience to the table. After being betrayed by his wingman and narrowly escaping from the enemy, Peppy had the burden of informing Fox of his father’s death. He has watched over Fox ever since and is always a voice of encouragement for the StarFox team as a whole. The helpful instructions he provides throughout StarFox 64 still resonate with gamers, and his iconic “Do a barrel roll” phrase became an Internet phenomenon and was even incorporated into Google’s search page.

BWAAAAAH! Rabbids are maniacal rabbit creatures who enjoy causing havoc. Despite their unpredictable nature and endless energy, Rabbids are more hilarious than they are dangerous. Characterized by their dimwitted stares and high-pitched shrieks, the hysterical bastards are oddly charismatic. The Rabbids were first seen in Rayman Raving Rabbids, and they immediately upstaged the main character. In Raving Rabbids 2, Rayman had to dress up like a Rabbid himself in order to get more attention. The third game in the series only featured Rayman in cutscenes, while the fourth didn’t feature him at all. Since making their first appearance in 2006, the Rabbids have appeared in dozens of games and have also been the focus of a comic book line and a TV series. There is even a full-length feature film in development.

Jumping Flash! was a fantastic showcase for Sony’s new PlayStation and arguably the best 3D platformer released prior to Super Mario 64. The game focused on an adorable robotic rabbit named Robbit. Robbit seldom speaks, but actions have always been louder than words. Rabbits are known for their jumping abilities, and Robbit is no different. He can perform a triple jump in the air and reach altitudes so high that the PlayStation stops rendering the ground below him. He can also shoot frickin’ laser beams out of his head! Robbit seemed like an ideal candidate to be the de facto face of the PlayStation, but I guess a cute and stoic robot bunny wasn’t what the masses wanted in 1995. Robbit didn’t even make in onto the roster of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, but his position on the top of this list is just as prestigious.