History OneSceneWonder / VideoGames

* Creator/JohnCleese appears as an NPC in a single quest in ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire''. With a name like [[AwesomeMcCoolName Sir Roderick Ponce Von Fontlebottom]] the MagnificentBastard, and being voiced by ''John freaking Cleese'', it's not surprising that he's easily one of the most memorable characters in the game. In his first appearance he BLASTS A ENEMY FIGHTER WHEN THIS WAS PREPARING TO FIGHT HIM. And if you beat him you can claim his musket as a reward. And run around through fantasy Imperial China blasting people with a musket.

* The bug-like sentry turrets in ''[[VideoGame/{{Doom 3}} Doom 3]]'' are only seen in action at one small portion of the game, but their presence gives the player an immense relief. They sport a bright headlight and a machine gun, and will quickly locate and kill any hidden enemies while spouting a series of agitated beeps and clicks. Arguably, they could be the only characters in the game the player may feel an emotional connection to.

*** And of course, [[AllThereInTheManual King Harkinian]]. He only appears in the intro to ''Faces of Evil'' and is only important to the plot of ''Wand of Gamelon'', and even then only appears in the intro and ending. Come the advent of YouTubePoop, he's one of the most popular characters EVER.

** The pirate queen Isabella's only major scene happens when you visit Denerim's brothel for the first time. She'll teach the Duelist specialization for Rogues if you beat her at a rigged game of cards...or if you have sex with her [[BiTheWay regardless of your gender]], which can become a three- or ''four''some depending on your companions. Her character was so popular (mostly due to players asking how to get the foursome or [[GirlOnGirlIsHot all-girl threesome]]), that she was brought back for ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' as a full party member and possible love interest, as promiscuous, morally suspect, and far more pirate-y than ever, and a bottomless well of {{Double Entendre}}s and horrible puns. She also returns in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' for the multiplayer mode, though she doesn't interact with the main story in any way.
** In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', Movran the Under, the Avvar chief who's response to the death of his son is to throw live goats at Skyhold (as in the building itself). He appears only while the player decides his punishment, [[LargeHam hamming it up]] the whole time.
** In ''Inquisition'', you get a MauveShirt treatment of several people in the [[BoisterousBruiser Iron]] [[HornedHumanoid Bull]]'s mercenary company, Bull's Chargers. They're seen again, but mostly as scene dressing in Bull's personal quest. The writers only got one scene to characterize the [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits motley crew]], and by TheMaker they succeeded wildly. Among them are an explosive happy dwarf, a city elf who is quite pleased that she is now paid to kill humans, a medic who never puts down his sword and explains to everyone how a poultice is supposed to be used, and a mute that everyone suspects is an exiled prince, the standout is the exiled Dalish elf who is [[ImplausibleDeniability quite insistent that she is an "archer", and totally not a mage]]. The glowing crystal on top of her "[[MagicStaff bow]]" is just an old elven aiming trick.

* The Green Biker Dude from the ''VideoGame/MegaManX2'' intro. On screen for barely 5 seconds, and he's still one of the most memorable ''X'' series characters.

* Lancer in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight''. He is the first enemy encountered in the game's introduction and does little but fight with Archer and all but kill Shirou, after which he spends most of the time in the background . He only gets a bit of spotlight [[spoiler:in Unlimited Blade Works when he helps Rin and Shirou by keeping Archer occupied, and later rescues Rin by killing Kotomine and scaring off Shinji while ''missing his heart''. Oh, and inadvertently saving Shirou post-humously by making Gilgamesh sooty]]. Outside of that he's basically the poster boy for TheWorfEffect, [[spoiler:being killed off by the TheDragon in the other two routes.]] Yet he's almost as [[{{Badass}} GAR]] as Archer for the fandom.

** It also got a ShoutOut in ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamland''.

* Riordan, in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' is something of one. His debut? He snaps the neck of the man keeping watch over him, whom you have distracted for about two seconds, and then introduces himself with a bow, seeming quite pleased to meet you, with a warm-yet-badass voice. He also reveals he knew Duncan, your mentor. Later, he gives you information and allows you to get some powerful items for free. [[TheStrategist After that, he shows he's not just another BadAss in a game full of badasses, but also knows how to keep his eye on the ball]]. The next time he appears, he makes TheReveal of why the Grey Wardens aren't just useful, but necessary. And then he gets possibly [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome the most amazing send-off of any character, minor or major, in any video game ever]].

** The pirate queen Isabela's only major scene happens when you visit Denerim's brothel for the first time, and she'll teach the Duelist specialization for Rogues if you beat her at a rigged game of cards...or if you have sex with her, which can become a three- or ''four''some depending on your companions. Her character was so popular (mostly due to players wondering how to get the foursome, or have an [[LesYay all-girl threesome]]), that she was brought back in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' as a full party member and possible love interest - as promiscuous, morally suspect, and far more pirate-y than ever, and a bottomless well of {{Double Entendre}}s and horrible puns.

** Also in ''Inquisition'', you get a MauveShirt treatment of several people in the [[BoisterousBruiser Iron]] [[HornedHumanoid Bull]]'s mercenary company, Bull's Chargers. They're seen again, but mostly as scene dressing in Bull's personal quest. The writers only got one scene to characterize the [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits motley crew]], and by TheMaker they succeeded wildly.
*** Among an explosive happy dwarf, a city elf who is quite pleased that she is now paid to kill humans, a medic who never puts down his sword and explains to everyone how a poultice is supposed to be used, and a mute that everyone suspects is an exiled prince, the standout is the exiled Dalish elf who is [[ImplausibleDeniability quite insistent that she is an "archer", and totally not a mage]]. The glowing crystal on top of her "[[MagicStaff bow]]" is just an old elven aiming trick.

** To be fair, the two officers were rather... [[{{Jerkass}} unpersonable]], frequently taking potshots at Leon ([[{{Bishonen}} particularly his appearance]]), and then [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere hightailing it out of there (sans Leon, of course) the moment things started to get hairy]] ([[DeathByPragmatism fittingly enough, they meet a gruesome end at the hand of the Ganados]]). Plus, in Mike's defense, not only did he enact one of the greatest BigDamnHeroes moments in the series, [[FamousLastWords but he also]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPf4sW32zGw knew a good bar.]]

* The Goomba's Shoe from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'' is one of, if not ''the'' most beloved power-up in the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' series, despite the fact that it only appears in ONE level from ONE game of the entire [[LongRunner Mario franchise]]! That is, unless you buy certain e-Reader cards for ''Super Mario Advance 4''. Too bad [[NoExportForYou the U.S. and Europe never got them]]. It did get a reference in ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory'' with the [[http://www.mariowiki.com/Sockop Sockops]], a green pitcher-plant monster that Luigi gets to hop around in at one point.

* The fisherman from ''JakAndDaxterThePrecursorLegacy'' only appears briefly, but is memorable to fans of the game for his insanely creepy laugh, provided by none other than Franchise/{{Batman}} himself, Creator/KevinConroy.

* Riordan, in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' is something of one. His debut? He snaps the neck of the man keeping watch over him, whom you have distracted for about two seconds, and then introduces himself with a bow, seeming quite pleased to meet you, with a warm-yet-badass voice. He also reveals he knew Duncan, your [[TheObiWan Obi-Wan]]. Later, he gives you information and allows you to get some powerful items for free. [[TheStrategist After that, he shows he's not just another BadAss in a game full of badasses, but also knows how to keep his eye on the ball]]. The next time he appears, he makes TheReveal of why the Grey Wardens aren't just useful, but necessary. And then he gets possibly [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome the most amazing send-off of any character, minor or major, in any video game ever]].

* The Great Mighty Poo from ''VideoGame/ConkersBadFurDay''. The living definition of the ultimate ToiletHumor.

* Creator/JohnCleese appears as an NPC in a single quest in ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire''. With a name like [[AwesomeMcCoolName Sir Roderick Ponce Von Fontlebottom]] the MagnificentBastard, and being voiced by ''John freaking Cleese'', it's not surprising that he's easily one of the most memorable characters in the game.
** Also, in his first appearance he BLASTS A ENEMY FIGHTER WHEN THIS WAS PREPARING TO FIGHT HIM.
** And if you beat him you can claim his musket as a reward. And run around through fantasy Imperial China blasting people with a musket.

* On a similar note, Creator/LiamNeeson lends his voice talent to the main character's father in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}''. Although most of the main quest centers around your father, he only appears in the very beginning of the game and for a brief period in the third act. Tragic, really.

* The Goomba's Shoe from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'' is one of, if not ''the'' most beloved power-up in the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' series, despite the fact that it only appears in ONE level from ONE game of the entire [[LongRunner Mario franchise]]! That is, unless you buy certain e-Reader cards for ''Super Mario Advance 4''. Too bad [[NoExportForYou the U.S. and Europe never got them]].
** Note that it did get a reference in ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory'' with the [[http://www.mariowiki.com/Sockop Sockops]], a green pitcher-plant monster that Luigi gets to hop around in at one point.

* Creator/PatrickStewart in The ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion''. Apart from his opening cutscene voiceover, he had maybe 10 minutes of screen time as the Emperor before being killed. Creator/SeanBean gets about 30.
** It's also probably worth noting that the only reason there are so few other voice actors in the game is because they blew an inordinate amount of their budget to get him for that one role.

* [[spoiler:Creator/DavidHasselhoff]] as the American Vice President in ''[[CommandAndConquerRedAlert Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3]]''

* Creator/PatrickStewart in The ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion''. Apart from his opening cutscene voiceover, he had maybe 10 minutes of screen time as the Emperor before being killed. SeanBean gets about 30.

* There's exactly one playable Pandaren in the whole ''Warcraft'' series (so far), he's an optional character in a campaign that you don't even need to play in a regular playtrough, he became so popular that Blizzard have been teasing WoW players with making Pandaren a playable race since the early stages, they will finally get their own expansion (they included the race's name in the title of the expansion). Oh, and the character wasn't even planed to be included in the game, one of the designers made a concept artwork as an april's fool joke. And said character ends up getting included in ''VideoGame/HeroesOfTheStorm''

* ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' has so, so many; minor bosses who are only in one stage tend to be among the most beloved in the fanbase. This includes the likes of [[WarmUpBoss Batta the Beast]], [[SmallNameBigEgo Glass]], [[BrokenRecord Denning]], [[MemeticMolester Gheb]], and [[MemeticSexGod Oliver]], the last of which was popular enough that he returned in the next game [[spoiler:as a recruitable unit]]. There's also the 3-13 Archer, a nameless allied NPC from ''Radiant Dawn'', who is often considered one of the greatest units in the game. However, one of the most major examples is Dheginsea, the Black Dragon King, who is one of the world's most powerful beings and plays an essential role in the backstory of the Tellius games... he appears ''three times between the two games''.

* The fisherman from ''JakAndDaxterThePrecursorLegacy'' only appears briefly, but is memorable to fans of the game for his insanely creepy laugh, provided by none other than {{Batman}} himself, Creator/KevinConroy.

* [[ColdSniper Captain MacMillan]] from ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty 4: ModernWarfare'' is extremely popular within the fandom and has achieved a MemeticBadass status despite only appearing in two levels. He returns in ''[[VideoGame/ModernWarfare Modern Warfare 3]]''.

** It also came back in ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamland''.

*** Link in The Wand Of Gamelon He only appears in the opening and closing cutscenes.

** Speaking of which, Zero from ''Kirby's Dream Land 3'' is equally famous, appearing right out of nowhere with absolutely no foreshadowing and immediately becoming the most memorable part of the game, largely for the shocking scene where it [[EyeScream rips it's own bleeding eye out.]]

* The bug-like sentry turrets in ''[[VideoGame/{{Doom}} Doom 3]]'' are only seen in action at one small portion of the game, but their presence gives the player an immense relief. They sport a bright headlight and a machine gun, and will quickly locate and kill any hidden enemies while spouting a series of agitated beeps and clicks. Arguably, they could be the only characters in the game the player may feel an emotional connection to.
* The Green Biker Dude from the ''VideoGame/{{Mega Man X}}2'' intro. On screen for barely 5 seconds, and he's still one of the most memorable ''X'' series characters.

* The opening cinematic of ''VideoGame/StarCraft'' Brood Wars, we get to see what would be a terran defense against the zerg, as well as some of the units not being affected by GameplayAndStorySegregation and fighting as good as they should in theory (this means that a single marine '''will''' lose against a lone zergling, and that the [[KillItwithFire firebats]] attack can kill both enemy and friend), afterwards we get to see a random marine who [[OneHitKill easily]] takes down two zergling, which a previous one couldn't even [[MoreDakka after depleting his entire ammo]] with his rocket launcher[[note]]In the Starcraft universe, the type of Gauss Rifle that was used in the first war had a secondary fire option, [[/note]], earning mentions of being the first [[StarCraftII marauder]].

* Poseidon in ''VideoGame/GodOfWar 3''. All of the other gods have at least one other appearance in the game, but Poseidon only shows up during Kratos and the Titans' siege of Mount Olympus [[spoiler:due to being killed during it]]. But boy, is his role in that part [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome memorable]].

* Nightmare only appeared very briefly as the FinalBoss at the very end of [[VideoGame/KirbysAdventure one game]] in the ''{{Kirby}}'' franchise, yet he remains one of its most iconic villains. Probably helps that he's the one who started the VileVillainSaccharineShow trend the series is famous for.

* Creator/JohnCleese appears as an NPC in a single quest in ''JadeEmpire''. With a name like [[AwesomeMcCoolName Sir Roderick Ponce Von Fontlebottom]] the MagnificentBastard, and being voiced by ''John freaking Cleese'', it's not surprising that he's easily one of the most memorable characters in the game.

* The Puffstool from the first {Pikmin} game. Only appears once, yet turns your troops into the BrainwashedAndCrazy Puffmin, giving them mushrooms for heads and having them beat the living shit out of you. Don't do shrooms, kids.

* The Puffstool from the first [[VideoGame/Pikmin]] game. Only appears once, yet turns your troops into the BrainwashedAndCrazy Puffmin, giving them mushrooms for heads and having them beat the living shit out of you. Don't do shrooms, kids.