I Smell a Rat

Aero the Acro-Bat was one of many obnoxious animal mascots that surfaced during the Sonic boom of the early 1990s. Aero himself is not eligible for this list (contrary to popular belief, bats are not rodents), but his squirrel nemesis is fair game. Zero is a martial arts master who attacks his enemies with karate chops and shurikens. Like most squirrels seeking to rescue their girlfriends from evil lumberjacks, Zero pilots airplanes, ascends to the sky in helium balloons, and rides jet-skis during his quest. As a flying squirrel, Zero is able to perform a number of diving and swooping attacks. These acrobatic maneuvers can put Zero in harm’s way and are presumably why he’s referred to as a “kamikaze” squirrel. Zero didn’t exactly make a big impact on the industry, but he was a product of his time and an accurate snapshot of an era long past.

Freya has a relatively small role in Final Fantasy IX and might not be the most obvious choice for this list. Her face is usually obscured by her decorative hat and long white hair, so she would be pretty easy to overlook. Freya belongs to the Burmecian race, who are depicted as anthropomorphic rats. (The Japanese name for her race literally translates to “rats.”) After the love of her life went missing, Freya left her people and devoted many years of her life to searching for him. Although she’s burdened by her lost love, she’s still a humble and friendly individual with a sharp mind and a great sense of humor. In battle, Freya dazzles her opponents by leaping into the air and impaling them on her way back down. Discounting characters who are able to change their class, Freya was the first female dragoon in the Final Fantasy series.

The Waddlewings from New Super Mario Bros. U were strongly considered for this list, and the ability to emulate them with the flying squirrel suit was one of the best things about the game. In the end, Monty Moles are still the most iconic rodents from the Mario universe. They were first seen in Super Mario World and made an immediate impact by busting up through the ground before attacking Mario. They helmed a cannon in Super Mario Sunshine, drove a tank in New Super Mario Bros., and are frequently portrayed as nuisances in the Mario Kart series. In Mario Superstar Baseball, Monty was finally given his chance to shine when he was featured as a playable character. Remarkably, Monty even landed a spot on Mario’s team rather than being relegated to a team of misfit enemies.

When Muddy Mole’s wife and children were kidnapped by an angry farmer named Jinbe, he immediately set out to rescue them. Unfortunately for Muddy, Jinbe constructed some elaborate puzzles to impede his progress. Muddy frequently has to dig underground, and his spatial reasoning abilities are constantly being put to the test. In order to proceed through the game, Muddy needs to move barrels, lay pipes, and reposition weights. He also has to be mindful of dangerous enemies and obstacles. During his journey, Muddy will contend with rolling bombs, boxing kangaroos, and giant dinosaurs! I understand that moles can be troublesome for farmers, but I’m legitimately impressed by the lengths that Jinbe went through. Regardless of how dire his situation seems, Muddy keeps his cool and never even takes off his sunglasses.

Mouser made his first appearance as a stage boss in Doki Doki Panic, which would later be given a makeover and released as Super Mario Bros. 2. Doki Doki Panic wasn’t technically a Mario game originally, so I’ve decided to include Mouser on this list even though I’ve already recognized a character from the Mario universe. Besides, Mouser needs all the exposure he can get. Unlike other Mario 2 characters, Mouser has never been invited to take part in subsequent Nintendo games. Birdo spends her time playing tennis with princesses and Shy Guys are invited to race go-karts in space, but Mouser has been MIA for decades! Everyone is probably just intimidated by his cool shades. Mouser’s explosive offense and frantic movements make him a memorable boss even if he hasn’t gotten many gigs in recent years.

Kirby can absorb powers from nearly every enemy he encounters and has been blessed with the power of flight, but he still sees value in riding around on the back of a giant hamster. Rick’s size limits his mobility somewhat and prevents him from accessing certain areas, but he is able to use his incredible girth to crush his foes. Rick is also able to keep his traction on slippery surfaces and can climb up walls with ease. Rick has demonstrated inhaling abilities similar to Kirby’s and has been known to catch rivals by running at them with a gaping mouth. Although he lacks Kirby’s copying technique, Rick is able to combine his powers with Kirby’s to allow for creative new moves. Their coolest combination maneuver involves Rick turning into a stone ball and rolling around while Kirby balances on him. It’s so adorable!

While the first Animal Crossing was in its testing phase, Nintendo became of a potential exploit. By turning back the game’s internal clock, players could refresh the daily stock at the game’s store. To discourage this behavior, Nintendo created Mr. Resetti. If players shut the game without saving first, they would be greeted by Mr. Resetti the next time they played. Mr. Resetti would emerge from the ground and give a long-winded lecture about the importance of saving. If players continue to shut the game off without saving, Mr. Resetti would make them repeat phrases before they were allowed to play again. Mr. Resetti’s rants are intentionally annoying, but they are also entertaining and informative at the same time. His words can be harsh at times, but by discouraging players from breaking the rules, Mr. Resetti is protecting the flow of time itself.

Promoted as “the ultimate cat and mouse game,” the goal in Mappy is for players to help a police mouse name Mappy retrieve stolen goods in a mansion while avoiding enemy cats. The stolen items in question include televisions, radios, computers, safes, and… the Mona Lisa!? It sounds like someone at the police depo has a lot of faith in Mappy’s abilities. Like real-life mice, Mappy is able to move from one floor of the mansion to another by bouncing off trampolines. (The trampolines will break if they are jumped on four consecutive times, which is well below the acceptable industry standards.) Mappy went on to star in a console-only sequel and has been referenced in many other games including Namco × Capcom, Donkey Konga 3, and Project X Zone. He also appeared as one of the sprites in Pac-Man’s move-set in the fourth Super Smash Bros.!

When Conker’s Quest was revealed to the world in 1997, Conker was presented as a happy and colorful character. This take on Conker was reinforced when he appeared in Diddy Kong Racing and his own Game Boy Color game. During the development of Conker’s Quest, Rare became concerned that it would be lost in a sea of other platformers and decided to market the game towards a mature audience instead. Conker’s Bad Fur Day launched in 2000 with an “M” rating from the ESRB, and Conker himself was given an attitude adjustment. Conker swore like a sailor, drank like a fish, and urinated in public. Nothing was off limits for Conker. He made sexually-charged remarks, referenced drugs and alcohol, and made a shitload of poop jokes. Conker was so vulgar that a lot of his language had to be censored in the Xbox remake.

I know Pikachu isn’t really a mouse, but I figure if Kangaskhan counts as a marsupial, then it’s only fair to recognize Pikachu as a rodent. A mouse-like creature with the power to manipulate electricity, Pikachu is a low-level Pokémon that can be found in nearly every Pokémon game. Pikachu had a minor role in the first Pokémon game, but was a central character in the Pokémon anime series and became an icon of Japanese culture as a result. Pikachu has starred in many of his own spinoff games and has been used to promote other events and merchandise. He’s been featured as a float at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, appeared on the side of a 747 for a Japanese airline, and has been featured in The Simpsons on many occasions. As the most iconic Pokémon character, Pikachu is the face of an entire media franchise.