History Main / HeadSwap

* The players in ''VideoGame/InazumaEleven'' have a few different body types (normal, short, fat, etc.) with a unique head sprite and model for [[CastOfSnowflakes each and every one of the 1000+ characters]].

* Party member Aschen and antagonist Cardia in EndlessFrontier have virtually identical facial expressions and poses in their dialog portraits, bodies that are a few minor details away from being a PaletteSwap, and use several similar or identical moves in battle. A {{justified|Trope}} example, since they're both androids from the same series and build by the same creator.

* The ''NeverwinterNights2'' engine only has one male and one female body for each race. Everyone is a head-swap except for the few [=NPC=]s with unique models.

** ''VideoGame/TheOldRepublic'' is comparatively luxurious, having ''four'' models (regular, skinny, fat, and tall) of each gender that are expected to serve as everything from a human to a Gand with only changed heads, [[SkinSwap changed skins]], and in a very few cases features like spines or spikes. (Basically, RubberForeheadAliens, but applied to basic models rather than actors.)

* Villainess Sophia Leigh in ''VideoGame/TombRaider III'' shares the same face model as the protagonist, Lara Croft, with the differences being in the hair and makeup. Funnily enough, both characters are voiced by the same woman.

* In ''VideoGame/ThePunisherCapcom'', not only were most of the enemy grunts head-swaps of each other, but the two sole female [=NPCs=] (a bystander in Stage 1 and a hostage in Stage 2) are head ''and'' torso swaps of each other. They both wear the same type of skirt and high-heel pumps, but one of them is wearing a white blouse and the other a halter dress.

The [=3D=] equivalent is a SkinSwap, where two or more characters share the same wireframe model with different textures applied.

** In the arcade version of ''Double Dragon II'', all of the returning enemies (except for Jeff and Willy) are head swaps of their predecessors.

** ''Double Dragon Advance'' added even more head swapped characters. In addition to Billy and Jimmy, we have head swap variants of Abobo (bald, mohawked and afro-haired), Steve, Chin and the Five Emperors of Gen-Setsu-Ken.

* All the warriors in the ZXSpectrum game ''Dark Sceptre''.

The [=3D=] equivalent is a SkinSwap, where two or more characters share the same polygonal model with different textures applied.

* The Witch Doctor does this in the first ''VideoGame/AdventureIsland'' - he gets a new head each time you defeat him. If you pause immediately after defeating him, you can even see what his next head will look like.

[[folder:Platform]]
* Done literally in both, the original ''VideoGame/WonderBoy'' and ''VideoGame/AdventureIsland''. The boss in each world is actually the same bad guy with a different head. Every time he is defeated, he literally loses his head and gains a new one for the next round.
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* Foreman Spike in ''VideoGame/WreckingCrew'' is a head swap of Mario (and Luigi).

[[folder:Maze]]
* Foreman Spike of ''VideoGame/WreckingCrew'' is basically [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario's]] body with a meaner-looking head.
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[[folder:Puzzle]]

[[caption-width-right:279:Take Ryu, swap his head, and then change the color of his skin and clothes, and you'll get a new character.[[hottip:*:In Akuma's case, he gets a different pair of arms as well.]]]]

* RyuAndKen and their various [[{{Shotoclone}} clones]] (Akuma, Dan and Sean) from the ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' franchise are the quintessential examples of this trope in action. Although Ryu wore red slippers and gloves, while Ken fought barefooted and wore armbands in the very first ''Videogame/StreetFighter'', their respective outfits became more or less identical from ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' aside for the differences in color. Akuma on the other hand, usually wears a prayer beads around his neck and a pair of sandals and his hands are drawn differently in the ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha'' series, while Dan wears an undershirt and bends his knees differently.

* RyuAndKen and their various [[{{Shotoclone}} clones]] (Akuma, Dan and Sean) from the ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' franchise are the quintessential examples of this trope in action. Although Ryu wore red slippers and gloves, while Ken fought barefooted and wore armbands in the very first ''Videogame/StreetFighter'', their respective outfits became more or less identical from ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' aside for the differences in color. Akuma on the other hand, usually wears a prayer beads around his neck and a pair of sandals and his hands are drawn differently in the ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha'' series, while Dan wears an undershirt and bends his knees differently.
** Yun and Yang from ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII'', who originally started out as having the same move set (even sharing the same slot on the character select screen), but evolved into different characters from ''2nd Impact'' and onward. Urien, who also introduced in ''2nd Impact'', is a head swap of Gill (the series' boss character).
** Juni and Juli from ''Alpha 3'' are both head-swaps of Cammy and in turn, of each other.
** Averted with Fei-Long, who was supposed to be introduced alongside a head-swapped rival in ''Super Street Fighter II''. The rival ended up being replaced by Dee-Jay, who has a unique design.
** Karin Kanzuki was originally planned as a head swap of Sakura as well in her [[WhatCouldHaveBeen aborted]] video game debut in ''VideoGame/MarvelSuperHeroesVsStreetFighter'', but her final design in ''Alpha 3'' gives an entirely different fighting stance and style.

* In ''VideoGame/SmashTV'', the Evil M.C. is a head and torso-swap of the first boss Mutoid Man.

* All the warriors in the ZXSpectrum game ''Dark Sceptre''.

* All of the boxers (except King Hippo) in the NES version of ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' (Glass Joe and Don Flamenco; Von Kaiser and Great Tiger; Bald Bull and Mr. Sandman; Soda Popinski and Super Macho Man; Piston Honda and Mike Tyson/Mr. Dream).

* All the players in the ''VideoGame/NBAJam'' series during the Midway/Acclaim-era (back when the games featured digitized sprites) were head/palette-swaps of the same stuntman with a different NBA player's face for each.
* In ''VideoGame/ThePunisherCapcom'', not only were most of the enemy grunts head-swaps of each other, but the two sole female [=NPCs=] (a bystander in Stage 1 and a hostage in Stage 2) are head ''and'' torso swaps of each other. They both wear the same type of skirt and high-heel pumps, but one of them is wearing a white blouse and the other a halter dress.
* Foreman Spike in ''VideoGame/WreckingCrew'' is a head swap of Mario (and Luigi).
* ''VideoGame/GuardianHeroes'' featured quite a few head-swapped enemies. Katie and Gash, two imperial knights, are head-swaps of Serena and Han respectively (with Gash wearing a body armor), and there's also a one-armed skeleton knight who is a head-swap of the undead hero who accompanies the player. Manon F. Brown, Randy's mentor and a non-playable character, is a head-swap of Kanon G. Grey.
* In ''VideoGame/BloodyWolf'', the Player 2 character is just Player 1 in desert fatigue and a bald head.

** Karin Kanzuki was originally planned as a head swap of Sakura as well in her [[WhatCouldHaveBeen aborted]] video game debut in ''MarvelSuperHeroesVsStreetFighter'', but her final design in ''Alpha 3'' gives an entirely different fighting stance and style.

* The ''NeverwinterNights2'' engine only has one male and one female body for each race. Everyone is a head-swap except for the few [=NPC=]s with unique models.

* Party member Aschen and antagonist Cardia in EndlessFrontier have virtually identical facial expressions and poses in their dialog portraits, bodies that are a few minor details away from being a PalletteSwap, and use several similar or identical moves in battle. A {{justified|Trope}} example, since they're both androids from the same series and build by the same creator.

* Party member Aschen and antagonist Cardia in EndlessFrontier have virtually identical facial expressions and poses in their dialog portraits, bodies that are a few minor details away from being a PalletteSwap, and use several similar or identical moves in battle. A [[JustifiedTrope justified]] example, since they're both androids from the same series and build by the same creator.

* Party member Aschen and antagonist Cardia in EndlessFrontier have virtually identical facial expressions and poses in their dialog portraits, bodies that are a few minor details away from being a PalletSwap, and use several similar or identical moves in battle. A [[JustifiedTrope justified]] example, since they're both androids from the same series and build by the same creator.

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFight'', most of the enemies have head swap variants: Bred and Dug, Jake and Simons (who are themselves head swaps of Bred and Dug, but with jackets), El Gado and Holly Wood, Axl and Slash, and the three fat men (G. Oriber, Bill Bull, and Wong Who). Abigail, the boss of the Bay Side stage, is himself a head swap of Andore. Roxy and Poison, as well as all five Andore variants, are plain palette swaps, [[SubvertedTrope on the other hand]]. [[DoubleSubversion The boss Abigail is a headswap of them though.]]
** They continue this trope in Final Fights 2 and 3 as well.