Line #99 IAmNotShazam/VideoGames


1	* This is mostly a joke (akin to the ''Halo'' meme mentioned below), but since the player characters in ''VideoGame/AmongUs'' bear only the vaguest resemblance to humanoids of any sort, people have started using "amongus" or "amogus" (plural: "amogi", naturally) as a name for their species.
2	* ''VideoGame/TheAnacrusis'', a ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'' style 4-player coop shooter, takes place on a spaceship... called the ''Isolode''.
3	* ''VideoGame/{{Arkanoid}}'' is a famous case. The paddle that you're controlling? That's called the Vaus. The giant Moai head serving as the final boss? That's Doh (or [=DoH=], depending on the game). The Arkanoid is the spaceship that blows up at the beginning, only appearing in the opening crawl.
4	* The heroine of ''Arkista's Ring'' is named Christine. Arkista is the name of the Elven city that she comes from.
5	* The ''Aretha'' series of [=RPGs=] on the Game Boy and Super Famicom is named after the kingdom in which the games takes place at. The heroine in the original Game Boy trilogy is named Materia, while the later Super Famicom entries replaces her with a new heroine named Ariel.
6	* The player character in ''VideoGame/{{Astroneer}} is'' Astroneer, but the name actually refers to the player's job, and not their name.
7	* The protagonist in the arcade version of ''VideoGame/{{Astyanax}}'' (confusingly localized as ''[[TheTheTitleConfusion The Astyanax]]'') is named Roche, rather than Astyanax as in the NES game.
8	* ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'':
9	** A common mistake is to think that there is a character named Banjo-Kazooie in the ''Banjo-Kazooie'' games, but it is in fact a combination of names of the main characters, a bear named Banjo and his friend, a bird named Kazooie. ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' plays with this; their reveal trailer declares "BANJO-KAZOOIE ARE [[Creator/{{Rare}} RARING]] TO GO!" but they are still listed everywhere else as "Banjo & Kazooie."
10	** Also ''VideoGame/BanjoTooie''. Many thought there was a character added named Tooie, which there wasn't. This was lampshaded in the ending of the first game: Kazooie thought that by the title she was going to be replaced by someone named Tooie.[[note]]In case you haven't got it yet, it's the second game: phonetically, Banjo-2-ie.[[/note]] ''Banjo-Tooie'' players are justified, however, in using "Banjo-Kazooie" as shorthand for Banjo and Kazooie together, since Split Up allows playing as Banjo or Kazooie separately, with different moves.
11	* The main character of ''VideoGame/{{Baraduke}}'' is Toby (or Tobi) Masuyo, nicknamed Kissy. "Baraduke" doesn't seem to refer to anything in the game, and it's unclear where the name came from.
12	* ''VideoGame/BerserkAndTheBandOfTheHawk'' is the English title of what is otherwise known as ''Berserk Musou'', ''Musou'' (無双, literally "unparalleled") being the brand name used by ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' (''Sangoku Musou'') and all of its spinoffs in Japan (e.g. ''Sengoku Musou'', ''Gundam Musou'', ''Kaizoku Musou''). The English title implies that "Manga/{{Berserk}}" is the name of the game's protagonist, as it follows the common CharacterNameAndTheNounPhrase title format, nevermind that the protagonist's name is actually Guts. "Berserk: Guts and the Band of the Hawk", or simply "Berserk: The Band of the Hawk" would have made more sense.
13	* The main character of the ''VideoGame/BoxBoy'' series is not named "Box Boy", but instead Qbby. The other protagonists are Qucy and Qudy. Not helping is that ''[=BoxBoy=]! + [=BoxGirl=]!'' has pop-ups referring to the characters as "Box Boy" and "Box Girl."
14	* The {{Mons}} in ''VideoGame/CassetteBeasts'' are called monsters, not Cassette Beasts.
15	* The protagonist of ''VideoGame/{{Celeste}}'' is not named Celeste. While the game makes use of HelloInsertNameHere, her official name is Madeline. Celeste is the name of the mountain she's climbing.
16	* ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'''s custom mission creator is called the Mission Architect. The fictional company that runs it is called Architect Entertainment. The Architect Entertainment Buildings are marked on the map with its "AE" logo. As a result, most players falsely call the feature "AE" (or, even worse, "the AE").
17	* ''VideoGame/{{Cybattler}}'' doesn't refer to the red-and-white mecha you spend the entire game kicking ass with; it's actually the [[AMechByAnyOtherName name given to the futuristic mecha]] used by both sides. Your mecha is a Cybattler prototype called "Blanche".
18	* The antagonist of ''Franchise/DanganRonpa'' is "Monokuma", not "Danganronpa".
19	* The Bishamon featured in ''[[VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}} Vampire Savior]]'' (aka ''Darkstalkers 3'') is not actually the Bishamon from the previous game, who managed to free himself from the cursed armor of Hanya, but the armor itself, [[AnimatedArmor having acquired a conscience of its own]]. The real Bishamon appears in the ending to ward off the evil spirit that has possessed Hanya. Adding to the confusion is that a) the possessed Hanya and Kien (the sword) ''still call themselves Bishamon'' in VS, because they like the name, and b) the real Bishamon is ''playable'' in the console versions, as Oboro Bishamon. In this case, Bishamon is in full control of the armor.
20	* ''VideoGame/{{Defender}}'':
21	** In the original, the name of the game refers not to the name of your spaceship but to your mission. Defend the humans on the planet from being abducted by landers. The name of your ship is anybody's guess.
22	** Averted in the 2002 remake, however. The titular [[JackOfAllStats Defender]] is the starting ship, and the player will eventually gain access to a total of six (in order of unlock): [[StoneWall Guardian]], [[FragileSpeedster Nemesis]], [[GlassCannon Defiance]], [[MightyGlacier Judgement]], and the [[EleventhHourSuperpower Retri]][[LightningBruiser bution]].
23	* The PlayerCharacter of ''VideoGame/DigDug was'' named "Dig Dug" earlier in his life, but ''VideoGame/MrDriller G'' eventually renamed him "Taizo Hori". In that series, "Dig Dug" is the name for the events that took place in the game ''Dig Dug''.
24	* Parodied in WebAnimation/DorklyOriginals [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZK509PQuEg Mistaken Hero Identities.]]
25	--> So, which one of you is "VideoGame/{{Contra}}"? ... Is it me? Am I the Contra?
26	* The name of the family in ''Dragon Slayer IV: Drasle Family'' (''VideoGame/LegacyOfTheWizard'') is Worzen; "Drasle" is really a {{portmanteau\|SeriesNickname}} of the series' title. The manual for the NES version didn't help by keeping references to "the Draslefamily."
27	* In ''Erudite'' every trivia question which mentions Captain Marvel refers to him as Shazam.
28	* Up to his appearance in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'', [[VideoGame/FZero Captain Falcon]] was frequently referred to as "Blue Falcon," the name of his F-Zero machine.
29	* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'':
30	** The little 50s mascot is named Vault Boy, not PIP Boy, your wrist/hand (it varies by game) computer. Doesn't help that ''[[VideoGame/FalloutTacticsBrotherhoodOfSteel Tactics]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/FalloutShelter Shelter]]'' got it wrong.
31	** Nor is he called [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Fallout]] [[Music/FallOutBoy Boy]]. That's someone else entirely.
32	* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' has a variation. Sephiroth's most powerful form is often referred to as the "One-Winged Angel", to the point of becoming the {{Trope Namer\|s}} for [[OneWingedAngel monstrous villain transformations]]. Some fail to realize that the real official name for this form of Sephiroth is actually Safer/Seipher Sephiroth, and "One-Winged Angel" is just the name of the music playing during his fight. In fact, the name is even a bit of a misnomer as Safer Sephiroth actually sports a grand total of seven wings, which you may recognize as being more than one. It probably does not help the misconception that the song "One-Winged Angel" has become (in)famous of its own right as '''the''' bombastic over-the-top boss theme ''par excellence''.
33	* ''VideoGame/FruitNinja'', contrary to occasional belief, has no character explicitly named "Fruit Ninja" -- the FeaturelessProtagonist player character, whenever acknowledged, is only referred to as "the ninja", and the guy that appears in most promotional material is Sensei. The series treats "Fruit Ninja" as a title given to people with a knowledge of Juice Jitsu martial art, and most commonly uses it as a collective name for Sensei's four ninjas-in-training (Katsuro, Mari, Han, and Nobu) [[EdibleThemeClothing that wear clothing heavily reminisent of various fruits]] and are supporting non-playable characters.
34	* It is all but forgotten that the Galaxians in the 1979 game ''VideoGame/{{Galaxian}}'' refer to whatever [[TheFederation space organization]] the player's ship (called a Galaxip in the game) works for. It wasn't intended to be the name for the race of enemy aliens. The attract screen includes the game plot summary: ''We are the Galaxians/Mission: Destroy all aliens.'' The name of the invading aliens' race is not stated. However, Bally seemed to forget this and referred to one of the stages in ''VideoGame/{{Gorf}}'' as the Galaxians (note the plural) stage. The yellow flagship has made cameo appearances in many Bally/Midway games including ''VideoGame/PacMan''. It is often referred to as the Galaxian flagship but there's often confusion as to whether they mean the flagship from Galaxian or the flagship of the Galaxians. The former is technically more correct.
35	* ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}}'':
36	** The player's ship is called the Vic Viper. "Gradius" is the planet that it comes from.
37	** In flyers and instructions for the Japanese arcade version, the game was given the alternate title of ''Chō Jikū Fighter Gradius'', which translates to "[[AdjectiveNounFred Super Dimensional Fighter Gradius]]," seemingly implying that Gradius is the name of the ship. It doesn't help that "Gradius" sounds like an Engrish spelling of the Roman sword "Gladius" (which probably explains why some versions of the game went by ''Nemesis'' instead, after the Greek goddess of vengeance), a fitting name for an interdimensional fighter craft, although the developers have claimed that this wasn't the case and they just wanted a cool sci-fi sounding title.
38	** The ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'' card game, also developed by Creator/{{Konami}}, features cards based on ''Gradius'' fighters/ships, but erroneously refer to the first Vic Viper as "Gradius" in early iterations[[note]]this is the result of an early DubNameChange; its Japanese name translates to "Super Dimensional Fighter Vic Viper"[[/note]]; cards based on other variants of the ship correctly refer to it as the Vic Viper.
39	* The protagonist of ''VideoGame/GrimFandango'' is named Manny Calavera, not "Grim Fandango." The title of the game is a metaphor for death that is used in one character's poetry.
40	* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'':
41	** "Halo" refers to the massive ringworld superweapons, not the main character who's generally referred to as Master Chief. Though technically, that's still not his name, but his military rank; his ''actual'' name is John-117, but absolutely no one will fault you if you just call him Master Chief.
42	** Whilst never really an issue, a whole meme was spawned off from this in 2007: [[Memes/VideoGames "I think Halo is a pretty cool guy. eh kills aleins and doesn't afraid of anything."]]
43	*** Since then, [[ExaggeratedTrope pretty much every counterexample of this trope]] has been called a "pretty cool guy" by someone or another.
44	** In the context of ''VideoGame/HaloInfinite'', "''Echo-216''" is the name of a [[DropShip Pelican]], not its pilot, who is known only as "[[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep the Pilot]]" or just "Pilot" for most of the game. [[spoiler: His full name is actually Fernando Esparza, and he isn't even a UNSC pilot in the first place, but a civilian maintainence tech who ''stole'' ''Echo-216'' to escape the UNSC ''Infinity'' during a battle with the Banished,]] but his addressing himself over the radio as "''Echo-216''" (per UNSC radio conventions) can make it seem like it is ''his'' personal callsign rather than that of his vessel's.
45	* The bald super-assassin is called Agent 47. ''VideoGame/{{Hitman}}'' is his profession. In ''[[VideoGame/HitmanAbsolution Absolution]]'' however he is occasionally referred to as "The Hitman" by several people as a nickname of sorts. This is justified, since they can not know what his name is.
46	* The PlayerCharacter in ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'' is not called "Hollow Knight", in fact [[NoBiologicalSex they]] have no official name in-game. WordOfGod most commonly refers to them as "The Knight." [[spoiler:The Hollow Knight is the FinalBoss, a Vessel chosen to seal away the TrueFinalBoss, The Radiance.]]
47	* The main character of the ''VideoGame/HyperdimensionNeptunia'' series is named Nep''tune'', not Nep''tunia''. This however is only the case in the English titles. All Japanese titles have Nep''tune'' in the title.
48	* The protagonist of the JRPG-inspired indie game ''Jack Move'' is a girl named Noa Solares. "Jack Move" seems to be a cyberpunk term; as in to jack into something.
49	* The "Jesus" in the Famicom adventure game ''Jesus: Kyofu no Bio-Monster'' (Jesus: The Dreadful Bio-Monster) is not really the name of the monster, but the subtitle (which did not exists in the original Japanese PC versions) makes it seem that way. In reality, Jesus is the name of the space station in which the game takes place in.
50	* ''VideoGame/TheJourneymanProject'''s title refers to the codename of the agency formed to protect history from sabotage, while the protagonist is known as Agent 5(or in the sequels, Gage Blackwood), and never referred to as the "Journeyman".
51	* The bunny girl the player controls in ''VideoGame/KeioFlyingSquadron'' is named Rami, not Keio. Keio is an era in 19th century Japan (between 1865 and 1868) in which the game takes place.
52	* ''VideoGame/KidIcarus'':
53	** The main character is named [[NonindicativeName Pit]], after [[CupidsArrow Cupid]]. Apparently the writers of ''WesternAnimation/CaptainNTheGameMaster'' didn't get the memo and use the [[CharacterTitle game's title as the character's name]], although it doesn't help matters that description on the back of the game's box does the same too.
54	** The Japanese version of [[VideoGame/KidIcarus1986 the first game]] is titled ''Parutena no Kagami'', which translates into "The Mirror of Palutena", a reference to the Goddess that Pit is trying to rescue. Nintendo of America likely tried to came up with a title that would perfectly describe the game without being too wieldy, while also avoiding the same confusion that ''Legend of Zelda'' and ''Metroid'' caused among players who mistook the game's title as the name of the protagonist.
55	** The [[RedshirtArmy Centurions]] actually are called Icarus in the Japanese version; in ''VideoGame/KidIcarusOfMythsAndMonsters'', their forces are called the Icarus Army.
56	** Lampshaded in ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'', where Pit asks who this Icarus guy is and when he can meet him. Since they were just discussing the potential for Pit's power of flight to run out and burn up his wings, [[ChangeTheUncomfortableSubject Palutena quickly changes the subject]].
57	* None of the playable characters in ''VideoGame/LaMulana'' are called La-Mulana. La-Mulana is the ruins the Kosugi family explore.
58	* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel'': The protagonist's name in the game is ''Rean Schwarzer'', not ''Rean Coldsteel''. How the wrong name got created is unknown, but it's widely believed to be created by trolls to provoke fans of the games.
59	* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
60	** First and foremost, we have... Zelda. A number of people seem to be under the impression that Link, the protagonist, is named Zelda himself (which in turn causes some people to believe Link is a ''[[ViewerGenderConfusion girl]]'' -- not helped by the fact that he's often portrayed as very {{Bishonen}}). Zelda is, in fact, [[DamselInDistress the princess]]. This is a major FandomEnragingMisconception. The fact that the games [[HelloInsertNameHere allow you to name Link anything you want]] means that, if you like, you ''can'' make "Zelda" the main character (except for ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'', where you can't name your save file; therefore, Link remains Link throughout the story). In fact, Zelda is the second most common thing for players to name Link (after, well, Link). Probably helps that inputting ZELDA as your name in some games unlocks special features; for example, the original ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI'' unlocks the [[NewGamePlus second quest]] early, while ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening Link's Awakening]]'' has a different arrangement of the main theme play on the file selection screen as an EasterEgg .
61	** The Skull Kid's name is not [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora]]. [[ADogNamedDog It's just Skull Kid]]. For that matter, neither is the mask itself, which is only ever called Majora's ''Mask'' by the narrative. {{Fanon}} has it that Majora is the name of an evil entity who was sealed within the mask using a method similar to the Song of Healing. This is never confirmed in the games, but instead the manga adaptation.
62	** "[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]" isn't the name of Link's talking dragon boat in the game (he calls himself the King of Red Lions), but rather the name of the magic wand Link uses to control the weather in the game.
63	** The frequency at which Link's name is thought to be Zelda is poked fun at by the [[MemeticMutation internet meme]] "What if Zelda was a girl?"
64	* In a rare video game company example, LJN has this happen. In their Enteractive Video Games, some people have mistook Enteractive for a separate gaming company. Enteractive was a brand label LJN used on some of their games during 1987-1990.
65	* ''[[VideoGame/{{LISA}} LISA: The Painful]]'' is about a man raising his daughter, the last woman on Earth... whose name is Buddy, not Lisa. In fact, nobody in the game is named Lisa -- Lisa is actually the name of the man's late younger sister, who killed herself decades before the game's beginning. (''The Painful'' is technically a sequel to ''LISA: The First'', a game which does feature Lisa as the protagonist -- but, in a case of SequelDisplacement, most fans have only ever heard of ''The Painful''.)
66	* The VideoGame/LocoRoco are a species, and each of the different colors has their own name.
67	* The ''VideoGame/MechWarrior'' games are named after the pilots of [=BattleMechs=], not the [=BattleMechs=] themselves. Luckily, no one seems to mistake the 'Mechs as the name of the [[TabletopGame/BattleTech miniatures boardgame it was based off of]].
68	* ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'':
69	** The main hero is not a "Franchise/MegaMan", and the two words are only added in to associate it with the rest of the series. ([[MyHeroZero After all, the "Zero" handle isn't exactly rare these days...]]) The games themselves never screw this up, but the English manuals do -- and the manga adds to the mess by ''distinguishing'' between Zero and Mega Man Zero, making the latter Zero's SuperMode.
70	** Lampshaded in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' by Zero himself during his ending: "I'm Zero, not Mega Man Zero."
71	** ''VideoGame/MegaManZX'' retroactively makes the title "Mega Man Zero" make sense. In the ''ZX'' series, anyone who can use a [[TransformationTrinket Biometal]] is called a [[TheChosenMany Mega Man]] (male or female). Zero didn't ''use'' a Biometal, but Model Z is based on his data, so the term extends naturally to him.
72	** ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' did not help matters, as it uses the "Mega Man Zero" designation to officially refer to the ''Zero'' series incarnation of Zero. Conversely, ''VideoGame/MegaManXDive'' uses the label "Zero (Z)", presumably in response to ''Ultimate'' and to prevent any more misconceptions in general.
73	* The title of ''Metal Combat: Falcon's Revenge'', makes it seem like Falcon is the villain, when it's actually the name of the player's own mech from the first game, ''VideoGame/BattleClash''.
74	* ''VideoGame/MetalGear'':
75	** Metal Gear is the name of the nuclear-equipped walking tank that the player must destroy in [[VideoGame/MetalGear1 the first game]], so naturally you would assume that ''VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake'' would follow suit and named its mech "Metal Gear 2", but it's actually the "Metal Gear D". (Ironically, ''VideoGame/SnakesRevenge'', the non-canon NES sequel, did named its mech "Metal Gear 2", despite not using the "Metal Gear" name on the title.) Likewise, the mech in the first ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' is called the "Metal Gear Rex", with the "Solid" on the title simply being a representation of [[VideoGame3DLeap the series's transition from 2D to 3D]].
76	** Since the "Solid" in ''Metal Gear Solid'' is also a reference to protagonist Solid Snake, you would naturally assume that the protagonist in ''VideoGame/MetalGearAcid'' is "Acid Snake", but not quite. The main character in the first ''Acid'' is still Solid Snake (or at least [[AlternateTimeline an AU version of Solid Snake]]) and while the protagonist of ''VideoGame/MetalGearAcid2'' is a different Snake (specifically a clone of the Solid Snake from the first ''Acid''), he's simply called "Snake" throughout the game and never "Acid Snake".
77	* ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'':
78	** The series is named after [[AntagonistTitle the parasitic aliens]] that appear throughout the series. The main character is Samus Aran, whose goal in the [[VideoGame/Metroid1 first]] [[VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus two]] games was to exterminate the species. Because the weapon-equipped suit of armor Samus wears makes her resemble a humanoid robot, and "Metroid" sounding like a portmanteau "metal android", Samus is often erroneously referred to as being named Metroid.[[note]]The reasoning with the name isn't too far off. The name really is a portmanteau, with the second word being android (either referring to her suited appearance or the EarlyInstallmentWeirdness of her being a cyborg rather than a [[BioAugmentation bio-augmented human]]). However, the first word is "metro"; as in a metro or subway system, referring to the labyrinthine, underground world Samus explores in that first game (and in many to follow).[[/note]] Compounding the issue is that Samus technically ''is'' a Metroid: she biologically becomes part-Metroid later on in the series' chronology (''VideoGame/MetroidFusion''), and both that game's manual and the ''VideoGame/MetroidPrimeTrilogy'' established that "Metroid" is a Chozo word meaning "ultimate warrior", which nicely doubles as a descriptor for what the [[InterspeciesAdoption human child they raised]] grew up to become (as well as the monstrous creatures they created). [[spoiler:Come ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'', Samus has now mutated into becoming a full-on humanoid Metroid, even getting the nickname "Ultimate Metroid", turning the name of the franchise into a ProtagonistTitle.]]
79	** Lampshaded in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' in the "[[VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising Palutena's Guidance]]" conversation for Samus. Viridi calls her "Metroid", but Palutena corrects her, leading to them and Pit joking further about Link and Pit (both above) also falling under this trope. This is also discussed in the trophy description for the Queen Metroid in the "Wii U" installment.
80	--->''Have you ever met people who thought Metroid was the name of the game's heroine? Adding Queen to the title would just make it worse. But if you show them what a Queen Metroid REALLY looks like, they won't make that mistake again in a hurry. Metroids are fearsome creatures, and the queen is the nastiest of the lot.''
81	** Perpetuated in the animated series ''WesternAnimation/CaptainNTheGameMaster'' where [[BigBad Mother Brain's]] hideout was called "Planet Metroid" instead of Planet Zebes. Apparently an EnforcedTrope at Nintendo's request, for the same reason Pit goes by "VideoGame/KidIcarus" in the show -- they wanted the name of the game said as often as possible so the kids would know which game to buy. (Samus herself never appears in the show though, as the writers didn't know she existed, though she does appear in the comics.)
82	** A popular meme poking fun at the trope itself are those that pretend "Metroid" (Varia Suit Samus) is the [[SamusIsAGirl male hero]], while (Zero Suit) Samus is his girlfriend. There's one ''Metroid'' fanfic that [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2391151/8/See-You-Next-Mission runs with this idea for a chapter]]: a fellow bounty hunter, [[ImpossiblyCoolClothes jealous of the Varia Suit]], catches Samus off-guard and steals it while she's lounging around in her ship. He at first assumes she's a prostitute that Samus bought the services of, before "realizing" that she's his lover after she hunts him down to reclaim it. He doesn't learn the truth until he sees Samus wearing the suit (sans helmet) moments before he dies.
83	---> ''You're Samus Aran. The stupid little girl is Samus Aran.''
84	* The mouse heroine of the virtual reality game ''VideoGame/{{Moss}}'' isn't named Moss. Her name is Quill.
85	* The protagonist of ''VideoGame/MrDriller'' is named Susumu Hori, not "Mr. Driller", which is the name of the title awarded for a NoDamageRun. Even the localizations get this mixed up on occasion, and are very [[InconsistentDub inconsistent]] about it.
86	* Subverted with ''VideoGame/NieR''. [[WordOfGod According to]] Creator/YokoTaro, "Nier" was originally supposed to be a WordPureeTitle rather than the name of the protagonist. However, thanks to the ExecutiveMeddling the protagonist was eventually named "Nier" in the official side materials related to the game (inadvertently turning it into an ArtifactTitle since the future entries in the series don't feature him as a protagonist). The reasoning for this was that the protagonist couldn't have stayed completely nameless in these types of media, though the follow-up games ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'' and ''VideoGame/NierReincarnation'' still avoid mentioning him by name, instead referring to him as [[spoiler:"the Destroyer"]] or [[spoiler:"the man who destroyed the world"]].
87	* Ryu Hayabusa is not "''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden''" -- gaiden means "side story," or "anecdote" -- a title which is [[GratuitousJapanese nonsensical in Japanese]] and was only chosen because someone at Creator/{{Tecmo}} believed that the [[MarketBasedTitle Japanese title]] of ''Ninja Ryukenden'' (which loosely translates to the "Ninja Dragon Sword Tale") was difficult for non-Japanese speakers to pronounce, due to how commonly the Japanese word/name Ryu gets mispronounced as "Rye-you". Unfortunately, that still didn't prevent people from [[ViewerPronunciationConfusion butchering the pronunciation]] of ''gaiden'' (hint: it rhymes with "guy", not "gay").
88	* In a rare reversal of this trope, Alice in ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes2'' actually refers to Travis Touchdown as "The No More Hero" because he was able to walk away from the life of an assassin after reaching the top ranking in the first game.
89	* In the NES game ''VideoGame/NutsAndMilk'', the hero is Milk, not Nuts; that the player's number of lives is labeled "MILK" should be a clue. The WaddlingHead with TertiarySexualCharacteristics is neither of the title characters; her name is Yogurt. Nuts is the antagonist.
90	* The wolf's name is Amaterasu, not VideoGame/{{Okami}}. Ōkami is simply a title, which means "wolf" and is Japanese wordplay, as it also means "great god."
91	* ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' has an unusual example with Cassidy's ultimate ability. Officially, its name is "Deadeye," but thanks to the [[MemeticMutation memetic]] voice line played whenever he uses it, it's hard to find someone not calling it "High Noon."
92	* ''VideoGame/{{Owlboy}}'': The protagonist is an owl, and he's a boy. Surely his name must be Owlboy, right? ''Wrong!'' His name is Otus. "Owlboy" is an alias for [[spoiler:Solus, who eventually broke under bullying and became distrustful of anyone, leading to him becoming the AntiVillain FinalBoss]].
93	* When ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' was at the height of its popularity, there were a surprising amount of people who thought the series name referred to Pikachu and Pikachu alone.
94	* Due to Huggy Wuggy being so prominent on the promo material, quite a lot of first-time viewers thought the name ''VideoGame/PoppyPlaytime'' referred to ''him'', this despite the fact the two are separate toys and Huggy is very implied to have died at the end of the first chapter.
95	* ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo'' is a Japanese onomatopoeia for squishy, gooey things. Nothing in the series is actually called that; the main characters are named Arle, Amitie, and Ringo, while the slime-like creatures used as pieces are simply "Puyos".
96	* Zig-zagged with ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}'', whose title in the original concept actually was the protagonist's name, while in the finished game it's the codename of the BigBad, who turns out to be the [[EldritchAbomination Lovecraftian deity]] [[MotherOfAThousandYoung Shub Niggurath]], while the protagonist is known as the Ranger.
97	* ''VideoGame/RuneScape'' isn't the name of the game's fantasy world. The world is called Gielinor. ''VideoGame/RuneScape'' is instead a descriptive nickname used to refer to Gielinor's geography (the name combines "rune" and "landscape", as magic rune stones and altars are found across Gielinor's kingdoms).
98	* The Encore version of Sonic.exe seen in ''VideoGame/VsSonicExe'' is not Sonic.exe or Xenophanes, or is it the FanNickname Luis, but is "actually" Grimbo. Since naming him something else leaves you completely wrong.
99	* Out of the many characters in ''VideoGame/SenranKagura'', not one of them is named "Senran" or "Kagura". The first word isn't even a real Japanese word.
100	* Nobody in ''VideoGame/{{Shenmue}}'' is named "Shenmue" -- it's actually the name of a tree that doesn't get introduced until the end of [[VideoGame/ShenmueII the]] ''[[VideoGame/ShenmueII second]]'' [[VideoGame/ShenmueII game]].
101	* ''VideoGame/{{Shinobi}}'' comes from the noun form of the verb ''shinobu'' (to hide one's presence), which is another word for ninja. The protagonist for most of the series is Joe Musashi.
102	* Not about a person, making it a close one between this and CowboyBebopAtHisComputer, but Alpha Centauri in ''VideoGame/SidMeiersAlphaCentauri'' is the name of the sun. (It isn't something the designers came up with; it exists in real life as a binary star system; see [[Website/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Centauri for details]]) The planet's name is Chiron (aka Planet).
103	* ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}'' is not the name of an organization that the playable characters are in; rather, the Skullgirl is a HumanoidAbomination that serves as the main antagonist. Part of the confusion is probably because the game's roster is almost entirely female outside of two characters (and said characters were only added after the game was long-released). Also, the plurality is misleading because only one shows up outside of the backstory and endings.
104	* The tall, faceless entity that's stalking you in ''VideoGame/{{Slender}}'' is called "The Slender Man." Despite this, a lot of people think its name is "Slender", which can often lead to [[FandomEnragingMisconception anger]] coming from fans of [[Franchise/TheSlenderManMythos the original stories]], as anybody calling the character Slender has probably only played the game. There's also [[InvertedTrope an inversion]], as some people get the character's name right]] but extend it to the game.
105	* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'':
106	** Some people call Sonic "Anime/SonicX", after the title of an anime series based on the games. This was a common issue when the anime was popular. It caused a NewbieBoom of new ''Sonic'' fans, however if you read forum posts or fanfics you'll see that many children didn't realize that Sonic's name wasn't "Sonic X".
107	*** It's possible that the show's theme song is partially responsible, due to including the line "Watch out for ''Sonic X!"'' [[Creator/FourKidsEntertainment 4Kids]] themselves referred to Sonic the Hedgehog as "Sonic X" on their website, which makes it even more baffling since the dub itself [=IDs=] the character correctly.
108	*** A Norwegian boy wanted to change his name to [[http://www.destructoid.com/six-year-old-boy-asks-king-to-change-his-name-to-sonic-x-129705.phtml Sonic X.]] The problem... Sonic doesn't really have a surname, and it certainly isn't X.
109	*** Even better -- pretty much every country that bought the [=4Kids=] version were apparently ''told'' to use the "Sonic X" name for the character (in promotional materials, ads, etc.. Not in the series itself). And pronouncing "X" in English, no less.
110	*** The subtitles for the first episode of ''Sonic X'' on Netflix identify Sonic as "Sonic X," despite the episode ending with him saying "I'm Sonic the Hedgehog."
111	** Similarly, the ''WesternAnimation/SonicBoom'' version of the character has been referred to as "Sonic Boom," despite the show also using the "Sonic the Hedgehog" name, at one point even referencing it in a gag.
112	--->'''Sonic:''' "Capable" is my middle name.\
113	'''Knuckles:''' I thought your middle name was "The".
114	** Despite the title, and what both comic adaptations claimed, there wasn't a team called Chaotix in ''VideoGame/KnucklesChaotix''. The name is just a reference to the game's chaotic gameplay; the player characters aren't part of an officially named team. This confusion stems from how three of the characters from the game eventually went on to form the Chaotix Detective Agency (aka Team Chaotix) in ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'', with said game displacing the characters' first appearance in ''Chaotix''. This means that contrary to popular fan belief, Knuckles and Mighty were never members of the team.
115	* ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'' is the name of the series, but it isn't the name of the arena-inking game the Inklings and Octolings play in the context of the Splatoon universe. The name of that main game mode is "Turf War". "Splatoon" is what the teams of four are called in-universe (though it would probably be more accurate to call them splire teams), with the New Squidbeak Splatoon also being the name of the militia you join in each game's story mode.
116	* ''VideoGame/StarFox'':
117	** The title refers to the mercenary team from the game rather than its leader, Fox [=McCloud=].
118	** Parodied in one ending in ''VideoGame/StarFoxCommand'', where Falco's team is called Star Falco.
119	** This confusion is understandable, since throughout ''VideoGame/StarFox64'', all the enemy characters keep addressing the player as "Star Fox". They mean the entire team, but it's easy enough to think that they're just talking about Fox [=McCloud=]. There's also one instance where Fox is entirely alone, yet Andross still calls him "Star Fox." Fox himself is only called "Fox" by his allies.
120	** Also applies to Star Wolf, a rival team to Star Fox. The leader is named Wolf O'Donnell, not "Star Wolf."
121	* ''VideoGame/{{Strider}}'' is named after the organization of ninja-like assassins/saboteurs that the main character (Hiryu) is part of. The Japanese title of the game is actually ''[[MarketBasedTitle Strider Hiryu]]'' and the main character is commonly referred to as such, even in his later fighting game appearances in the ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'' series. There are other Striders in the series such as Strider Cain and Strider Sheena from the manga and NES version, as well as Strider Hien from the arcade/[=PS1=] sequel ''Strider 2''.
122	* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'':
123	** Mario isn't named "Super Mario." "Super Mario" is just the name for the form he has after he's eaten a Super Mushroom, not the character's actual name.
124	*** It doesn't help that ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'' called him Super Mario in the title demo.
125	*** However, calling the hero "Super Mario" is commonly used and justified in countries that have "Mario" as a common people's name.
126	** A lot of people in Poland refer to the red-suited protagonist of Nintendo's platformers as one "Mario Bros." This is also true for Spanish-speaking contries and Brazil (where offenders will always pronounce it like "bross").
127	* According to ''The Third VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsZ: Tengoku-hen'', The Edel is apparently a general term for "the person who acquired the great power from the Black Knowledge" and doesn't refer to a specific entity. (This makes sense, considering it's an adjective in [[GratuitousGerman German]].)
128	* ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia''. "Symphonia" is not the name of the combined worlds, nor is it the name of the tree. The tree's name is [[spoiler:[[WorldTree Yggdrasill]].]] Although admittedly you don't learn the true names for the world or the tree until you play ''VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia''.
129	* In ''VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom'', people call Yatterman-1 simply Anime/{{Yatterman}}. Yatterman is actually the name of the team, and Yatterman-1 and Yatterman-2 are the aliases. Yatterman-2 herself would be added to the game's UpdatedRerelease, but the problem still persists for some. Similarly with Anime/{{Karas}}; that's closer to his title or even his race than to his name (Karas are humans empowered by making a contract with the "Will of the City", giving them jurisdiction over a particular city on Earth; the Karas in ''Tatsunoko vs. Capcom'' -- the main character of the OVA -- is actually named Otoha).
130	* The male protagonist of the ''VideoGame/{{Tenchu}}'' series is named Rikimaru -- Tenchu just means "divine punishment" (the point of the game).
131	* ''Franchise/TombRaider'' is not Lara Croft's name; it's her vocation. The [[VideoGame/TombRaiderI first]] [[VideoGame/TombRaiderII three]] [[VideoGame/TombRaiderIII games]] in the series make this clear (the first has the words "featuring Lara Croft" on the box art, the second is titled ''Tomb Raider II: Starring Lara Croft'', and the third carries the subtitle ''Adventures of Lara Croft''), but this is still occasionally an issue. The films used the title ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' to avoid this, and one game doesn't even use the "Tomb Raider" title (''VideoGame/LaraCroftAndTheGuardianOfLight'').
132	* It's easy to think ''[[http://toren-game.com/ Toren]]'' refers to the game's heroine. In truth, it is a Portuguese word (the developers are Brazilian) for "tower," as the entire game takes place on a sky-high tower.
133	* No ''Franchise/{{Touhou\|Project}}'' character falls victim to this individually, but they do all get plastered with it collectively, overseas at least. [[JustifiedTrope To be fair]], there's no canonical collective name for all the characters, but what else do you call the entire FantasyKitchenSink?
134	* ''VideoGame/{{Turrican}}'' is the name of the battlesuit, not the person piloting it.
135	* ''VideoGame/TwistedMetal'':
136	** In ''Twisted Metal'', there is an ice cream truck with a giant clown head atop it. This is Sweet Tooth. The driver of Sweet Tooth is a flaming-headed MonsterClown. ''His'' name is Needles Kane. 989 Studios got this mixed up, calling both the car and its driver Sweet Tooth; once Incog, Inc. (formed by former [=SingleTrac=] employees) got the rights back, they restored Needles Kane's proper name back to him.
137	** Not helped by the fact that TV ads for ''Twisted Metal III'' featured convicts spreading the news that "Sweet Tooth" got out of prison recently and was now driving an ice cream truck.
138	** ''Twisted Metal: Black'' also has Sweet Tooth as the name for both the clown and the driver, but it doesn't appear to take place in the same continuity as the main series.
139	*** Reading the character bios (in the form of patient files for the asylum), "Sweet Tooth" was actually the ''alias'' of Needles Cane, while it listed his vehicle as the "Tasty Treats Ice Cream Truck."
140	** Sweet Tooth is probably the most obvious example, being the series mascot, but he's far from the only -- pretty much any "character" you can name off the top of your head, from Roadkill to Grasshopper to Mr. Slam, is actually the name of the vehicle, not the driver -- those ones are driven by either Captain Spears, Marcus Kane, or John Doe; Krista Sparks; and Simon Whittlebone, respectively. The two major exceptions are Mr. Grimm and Axel -- these bear the same name for both vehicle and driver, as Mr. Grimm's "driver" is just an extension of itself, and Axel is physically fused with his vehicle. The fact that early games had the driver names as literally AllThereInTheManual and even later games more conspicuously feature vehicle names than driver names probably contributes.
141	** Some versions, such as the 2012 game, seem to have Sweet Tooth as his clown/serial killer name.
142	* ''VideoGame/{{Valis}}'' is the name of the mystical sword wielded by Yuko Aso, the heroine of the game. Yuko herself is given the title of "Warrior of Valis," but she herself is never actually called just "Valis." It doesn't help that the full Japanese title of the original PC-8801 version, ''Mugen Senshi Valis'', translates to ''[[AdjectiveNounFred Phantasm Soldier Valis]]'', which seems to imply that "Valis" is the name of a character.
143	* In ''VideoGame/WURMJourneyToTheCenterOfTheEarth'', the WURM of the title is a nickname for the DrillTank your characters get around in. That name's never used outside of the title and the manual, despite the surprising amount of dialogue and story scenes for an NES game. In-game it's always called the VZR.
144	* The ''[[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles Xenoblade]]'' series has the signature red sword of their respective protagonists:
145	** ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'': The sword on the cover is ''not'' the "Xenoblade". The game's name certainly refers to it, but the sword's actual name is the "Monado".
146	** ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'': Likewise, the sword on display here is not the "Xenoblade", but rather the "Aegis Sword". The "blade" in the name now refers to Blades, a race of {{Mon}}s, to one of which the sword belongs.
147	** ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'': Once again, the red sword isn't called the "Xenoblade". It is called the "Veiled Sword", with this game's use of "blade" being the general term for the weapons used by the characters (be them swords, giant hammers, guns, etc.)
148	* ''VideoGame/YumeNikki'' means "Dream Diary", referring to the main character's diary that she writes in when the game is saved. Her name is Madotsuki, ''not'' Yume Nikki.

Context IAmNotShazam / VideoGames