Over the years, many have wondered what the official mascot is for the PlayStation brand. While Sony has never stuck to one exclusive character as the face of their console platforms, Mario, Master Chief and Sonic have respectively been the mascots for the competing platforms. The fact of the matter is that the PlayStation brand covers a much wider range of audiences and genres than the competition, so pinpointing one character to be the face of such a successful brand seems counter-productive. However, there is no denying that there are several PlayStation characters who have not only made a huge impact on the PlayStation brand, but also the gaming industry as a whole. Below are our top 5 Current PlayStation mascots:
Kratos
The God of War series began on the PlayStation 2 platform in 2005. The first title was met with huge critical acclaim as the title continued the PlayStation 2’s consistency of AAA titles even in the later years of its lifespan. Kratos, the main character of the series, is a bloodthirsty Spartan warrior set on revenge in a Greek Mythological world filled with minotaurs, gods and golden pillars. The animalistic behavior and brutal appearance of Kratos quickly set him apart from the main characters in other series seen on any platform. The precise gameplay and grand scale of the series he stars in is regarded to by many as the best in the industry. Now that God of War III has released and the trilogy has been completed, many are wondering if Kratos will make a return. Even if not, Kratos has had a huge impact on the PlayStation platform with four AAA titles spanning three platforms.
Nathan Drake
Nathan Drake is the protagonist in the Uncharted series, which was created by the widely-respected developers at Naughty Dog Inc. Naughty Dog were the company that created the popular Crash Bandicoot series on the PlayStation 1, as well as the Jak and Daxter series on the PlayStation 2. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves retain the high amounts of quality in polish found in both other series, but appeals to a more mature audience. Nathan Drake is a cunning treasure-hunter who adventures through the most dangerous of areas in hopes of a treasure reward. His handsome appearance and charming personality voiced by none other than the talented Nolan North make him one of the most likable characters on any PlayStation platform. The Uncharted series currently has two games released, both of which have received huge acclaim, with Uncharted 2: Among Thieves being one of the top 10 highest-rated games of all time.
Ratchet
Ratchet and his sidekick Clank have found home in the PlayStation family since 2002 with the original release of Ratchet & Clank. Since the original inception of the series, nine lovable titles have been released on the PSP, PS2 and PS3 which have all received very positive review scores. Ratchet himself is a Lombax mechanic whom along with Clank goes on long dangerous adventures to stop evil from destroying the world. The series is appealing to a wide-range of audiences with its genuine Pixar-like charm mixed with fun weapons and humorous dialogue. Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time was released in late 2009 and was the ending to the beloved series, and rumor has it that Insomniac will be creating a new series to succeed Ratchet. However, that doesn’t keep Ratchet from being one of the greatest PlayStation mascots of all-time.
Sackboy
What Sackboy lacks in experience he more than makes up for in global impact. Released in late-2008, Little Big Planet was one of the most unique and influential titles of the current generation. The sheer level of detail and player-friendly creatable content has made it one of the highest-rated titles in recent years. Sackboy, the main character of Little Big Planet, is merely an adorable little being standing 8 centimeters tall filled with stuffing. While the design of Sackboy is highly-customizable by the player, the original brown sackcloth with a large zipper in front remains an iconic figure on the PlayStation 3. While Sackboy is the newest mascot to join the PlayStation family, his huge success has given spur to a potential sequel which may be announced later this year.
Solid Snake
While Solid Snake didn’t start his rise to popularity on a Sony console, the most successful titles of the series have been on PlayStation platforms. Solid Snake is a highly-trained and intelligent mercenary of the fictional FOXHOUND special force unit created by the mastermind Hideo Kojima. Voiced by one of the best in the business, David Hayter, Solid Snake has hit home runs on every PlayStation platform ranging from the record-setting PlayStation 2 with Metal Gear Solid 2 to the handheld PlayStation Portable with Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. Not only has he made a huge impact on the PlayStation family, but the Metal Gear Solid series has remained one of the most successful series of all-time.
Other Notable PlayStation Mascots:
Big Boss
Cloud
Cole MacGrath
Crash Bandicoot
Gabe Logan
Gex
Jak & Daxter
Lara Croft
Parappa the Rapper
Nathan Hale
Sly Cooper
Sora
Spyro
Sweet Tooth
Helghast Soldier
