History WolverinePublicity / VideoGames

** Gilgamesh, originally from ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyV V]]'', is a recurring character in several numbered entries (or, if they preceded his game, their [[VideoGameRemake remakes]]), thanks in part to his status as a BreakoutCharacter. To date, he's appeared in more games ''than any other character''. Additionally, [[DimensionalTraveller it is heavily implied]] that it is the ''very same'' Gilgamesh from ''V'' in most of his reappearances.

** The BonusBoss of ''VideoGame/DragonBallZAttackOfTheSaiyans'', none other than "Legendary" Super Saiyan ''Broly'', despite the game covering until the saga before Super Saiyans ''appear on the plot'', about 15 volumes and 150 episodes before the point Broly's movie could happen. Proving why he belongs in this trope, ''they used him on ads for the game''. Broly appeared in a total of 17 games, including a "WhatIf" ''Super Saiyan 3'' form in ''Raging Blast''.

** And ''VideoGame/DragonBallFighterZ'' wasn't even the first Dragonball fighting game to have Goku publicity; Final Bout on Playstation 1 had GT Adult Goku, GT Adult Super Saiyan Goku, GT Kid Goku, GT Kid Super Saiyan Goku, Super Saiyan Z era Goku AND Super Saiyan 4 Goku for a total of 6 playable Goku's! And if one includes Vegetto, that makes 7.

* Heihachi Mishima is the ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'' series' designated cameo character, appearing in ''Xevious 3D/G'', ''VideoGame/SmashCourtTennis'', ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries SoulCalibur II]]'', ''Pac-Man Fever'', ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'', ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'', ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone'', ''VideoGame/PlaystationAllStarsBattleRoyale'' and ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU''.

** Despite the multitude of characters showing up in the games, [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]], [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Link]], Franchise/{{Kirby}} and [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Pikachu]] are usually featured front and center. In the first game Link tended to be in the background behind Kirby. Since then [[Videogame/{{Metroid}} Samus]], [[Videogame/KidIcarus Pit]], [[Videogame/StarFox Fox]], an [[Videogame/{{Splatoon}} Inkling]] or another ''Super Mario Bros'' character like Bowser or Wario might push Kirby into the background, but from the second game onward Mario, Link and Pikachu will always have the spotlight.

** Despite the multitude of characters showing up in the games, [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]], [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Link]], Franchise/{{Kirby}} and [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Pikachu]] are always featured front and center. In the first game Link tended to be in the background behind Kirby and since then [[Videogame/{{Metroid}} Samus]], [[Videogame/KidIcarus Pit]], [[Videogame/StarFox Fox]], an [[Videogame/{{Splatoon}} Inkling]] or another ''Super Mario Bros'' character like Bowser or Wario might push Kirby into the background, but from the second game onward Mario, Link and Pikachu will always have the spotlight.

** Despite the multitude of characters showing up in the games, [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]], [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Link]], Franchise/{{Kirby}} and [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Pikachu]] are always featured front and center.

** From ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', Cloud Strife. In addition to the media directly related to his universe -- ''VII'', ''VideoGame/CrisisCore'', ''[[Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren Advent Children]]'', ''VideoGame/DirgeOfCerberus'' -- he's popping up in other universes with frightening regularity. He gets a ShoutOut in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'', he's an unlockable GuestFighter in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'', a recurring character in ''Kingdom Hearts'', in ''VideoGame/FortuneStreet'', and he's in ''VideoGame/{{Ehrgeiz}}'' and ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'' ([[{{Crossover}} Which he would have been in either way, being the hero of a main numbered entry]]). He also joined ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'' as a playable character, cementing his status as the [[FaceOfTheBand Face of the Brand]]. The character designer of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'', Creator/TetsuyaNomura, was specifically told they wanted a [[DistaffCounterpart female]] Cloud Strife for a main character, which is how he came up with Lightning.

** And FighterZ wasn't even the first Dragonball fighting game to have Goku publicity; Final Bout on Playstation 1 had GT Adult Goku, GT Adult Super Saiyan Goku, GT Kid Goku, GT Kid Super Saiyan Goku, Super Saiyan Z era Goku AND Super Saiyan 4 Goku for a total of 6 playable Goku's! And if one includes Vegetto, that makes 7.

** WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse is featured on the cover of ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2'' alongside the main characters, but he only actually shows up for one scene and as a SecretCharacter in multiplayer mode. Presumably he was on the cover to remind folks that ''Kingdom Hearts'' is still a Disney property, as series mainstays Donald and Goofy are entirely absent outside said multiplayer mode.

** Eevee began getting this treatment during Generation 5. It's a rare Pokémon in most regions and there are usually only one given out per game. It was popular for years but eventually Game Freak ''really'' began noticing how cute and popular it is. It also helps that Eevee is a gender-neutral Pokémon liked equally by boys and girls. As a result, Eevee has essentially become the second mascot of the franchise. It has a lot of merchandise and regularly appears in the anime (with May, Serena, and Lana even having one each). Eevee even received [[VideoGame/PokemonLetsGoPikachuAndLetsGoEevee a game]] alongside Pikachu where it's a starter Pokémon.

* ''VideoGame/MarvelPuzzleQuest'' does not hold back on using the most popular Marvel characters over and over. Wolverine himself is present in four versions, and a [[OriginalGeneration game-made iteration]] of his son Daken had him taking the Wolverine name. The only one who might get more proeminence is Spider-Man, who along with Black Widow and Hawkeye is the only one present in all character tiers, from 1 star to 5 stars; along with Captain America and the Hulk, is the only one with two 5* star versions; and just about every Spiderverse character warranted an inclusion - Miles Morales, Spider-Gwen, Spider-Ham, Spider-Man 2099, Silk - while his RoguesGallery is also very present (Venom alone has ''four'' versions, plus Anti-Venom).

* On the subject of Creator/{{SNK}}, there are a few characters you can almost always expect to show up in any crossover. Among the most notable are Terry Bogard, Mai Shiranui, Kim Kaphwan and Geese Howard from ''VideoGame/FatalFury'', Kyo Kusanagi from ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'', Athena Asamiya from ''VideoGame/PsychoSoldier'' Ryo Sakazaki, Yuri Sakazaki and Robert Garcia from ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting''and to a lesser extent Haomaru and Nakoruru from ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown''. In the actual ''King of Fighters'' series, Rugal Bernstein emerged as the most popular villain, and has gone on to appear in multiple entries despite canonically having died way back in ''KOF '95''. Mai is so popular that, in addition to showing up in all of the crossovers with Capcom and the all-female fighting games like ''VideoGame/SNKGalsFighters'' and ''VideoGame/SNKHeroinesTagTeamFrenzy'', she's a playable GuestFighter in ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive5'' and ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive6''.

* On the subject of Creator/{{SNK}}, there are a few characters you can almost always expect to show up in any crossover. Among the most notable are Terry Bogard, Mai Shiranui, Kim Kaphwan and Geese Howard from ''VideoGame/FatalFury'', Kyo Kusanagi from ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'', Athena Asamiya from ''VideoGame/PsychoSoldier'' Ryo Sakazaki, Yuri Sakazaki and Robert Garcia from ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting''and to a lesser extent Haomaru and Nakoruru from ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown''. In the actual ''King of Fighters'' series, Rugal Bernstein emerged as the most popular villain, and has gone on to appear in multiple entries despite canonically having died way back in ''KOF '95''. Mai is so popular that, in addition to showing up in the all of the crossovers with Capcom and the all-female fighting games like ''VideoGame/SNKGalsFighters'' and ''VideoGame/SNKHeroinesTagTeamFrenzy'', she's a playable GuestFighter in ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive5'' and ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive6''.

* On the subject of Creator/{{SNK}}, there are a few characters you can almost always expect to show up in any crossover. Among the most notable are Terry Bogard, Mai Shiranui, Kim Kaphwan and Geese Howard from ''Franchise/FatalFury'', Kyo Kusanagi from ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'', Athena Asamiya from ''VideoGame/PsychoSoldier'' Ryo Sakazaki, Yuri Sakazaki and Robert Garcia from ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting''and to a lesser extent Haomaru and Nakoruru from ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown''. In the actual ''King of Fighters'' series, Rugal Bernstein emerged as the most popular villain, and has gone on to appear in multiple entries despite canonically having died way back in ''KOF '95''. Mai is so popular that, in addition to showing up in the all of the crossovers with Capcom and the all-female fighting games like ''VideoGame/SNKGalsFighters'' and ''VideoGame/SNKHeroinesTagTeamFrenzy'', she's a playable GuestFighter in ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive5'' and ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive6''.

* On the subject of Creator/{{SNK}}, there are a few characters you can almost always expect to show up in any crossover. Among the most notable are Terry Bogard, Mai Shiranui, Kim Kaphwan and Geese Howard from ''VideoGame/FatalFury'', Kyo Kusanagi from ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'', Athena Asamiya from ''VideoGame/PsychoSoldier'' Ryo Sakazaki, Yuri Sakazaki and Robert Garcia from ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting''and to a lesser extent Haomaru and Nakoruru from ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown''. In the actual ''King of Fighters'' series, Rugal Bernstein emerged as the most popular villain, and has gone on to appear in multiple entries despite canonically having died way back in ''KOF '95''. Mai is so popular that, in addition to showing up in the all of the crossovers with Capcom and the all-female fighting games like ''VideoGame/SNKGalsFighters'' and ''VideoGame/SNKHeroinesTagTeamFrenzy'', she's a playable GuestFighter in ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive5'' and ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive6''.

** The cute "Pikaclones" (Pichu, Plusle/Minun, Pachirisu, Emolga, Dedenne, and Togedemaru) tend to get a lot of focus, especially in the anime, where it's become a tradition since generation 4 for one of the main characters to own the one introduced in the current generation of games.

** Then after trying again and failing with [[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite Zoroark]] (an {{Expy}} of Lucario), the Pokémon Company noticed how popular Zekrom was, and proceeded to give it a prominent appearance in nearly ''everything'' (including as the main Pokémon in ''Manga/PokemonReBURST'' and ''VideoGame/PokemonConquest'').
** Similar to Charizard, Blaziken received a Mega Evolution and a distribution event when X and Y came out, with no word of its counterparts Sceptile and Swampert getting a similar treatment until Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.
** Goomy also ended up with a lot of representation due to its unexpected popularity for being an "underdog", UglyCute, and evolving into a pseudo-legendary. The anime even has a CharacterArc dedicated to the little Dragon-type, which includes Ash catching and fully evolving it.

** For the [[VideoGame/PokemonGo Pokemon GO]] 2017 Halloween update, a new hat item resembling Mimikyu was added. Mimikyu is from generation VII and not available to capture, while the game was only on generation II.

* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'' does this with New Donk City and by extension, Pauline. You don't reach New Donk City until the middle of the game, and in the grand scheme of things neither it nor Pauline are important, however it is ''the'' level that is most marketed for the game. Pauline isn't actually that major of a character but advertisements treats her like she is in the main female. The reason why New Donk City gets this treatment is due to it being one big CallBack to the original ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong'', with Pauline also having [[TheBusCameBack her first major appearance in years]].

** Mega Man in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'', to the point that he gets twice as much screen time as Sonic and Pac-Man in the game's intro.

* Mario, his supporting cast, and to a lesser extent Link has a habit of making cameos in games on Nintendo systems. The ''Mario'' gang has made appearances in even third party games for Nintendo systems, sometimes even as playable characters. The Gamecube release of ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soulcalibur II]]'' was the best selling version of that game almost entirely because Link was a character in it. This has even been {{lampshade|Hanging}}d in some of the ''Mario'' [=RPGs=].

* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'': ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'' does this with New Donk City and by extension with Pauline. You don't reach New Donk City for several levels into the game, and in the grand scheme of things neither it nor Pauline are important, however it is ''the'' level that is most marketed for the game. Pauline isn't actually that major of a character but advertisements treats her like she is in the main female. The reason why New Donk City gets this treatment is due to it being one big CallBack to the original ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong'', with Pauline also having her first major appearance in years.

* Marisa Kirisame of ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' is the second playable character, having been in the games since the second on the PC-98. To date (up to UFO), her head is the icon for all ZUN-made Touhou games in the Windows domain -- even the one where she doesn't even appear in, ''Shoot the Bullet''. Not even Reimu (''the'' lead) is capable of boasting that she's appeared in every game in one form or another. Marisa is '''not''', however, the icon for ''Double Spoiler'' or ''Fairy Wars''. She is, however, fightable in both, and Reimu isn't in ''Fairy Wars'' outside an ending appearance. As {{doujinshi}} are a major part of Touhou, it also happens to all the fangames Marisa takes a starring role in, more than Reimu by far.

** Sackboy from VideoGame/{{LittleBigPlanet}} can also qualify as a mascot to Sony with his status as a Mascot to boot.
* Five of the first eleven characters revealed for ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'' were ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' characters. [[http://www.nerfnow.com/comic/1014 Commented in this webcomic.]] This was then bumped up to ''ten'' characters from the Batman franchise[[note]]Batman, Robin, Harley Quinn, Joker, ComicBook/PoisonIvy, ComicBook/{{Bane}}, ComicBook/RedHood, ComicBook/TheScarecrow and ComicBook/{{Deadshot}}, with Mr. Freeze available as an [[PaletteSwap alternate]] [[MovesetClone skin]] for Captain Cold.[[/note]] in ''VideoGame/{{Injustice 2}}''. For comparison, Superman and Wonder Woman only got two characters each from their respective franchises (three in Superman's case if you count ComicBook/{{Darkseid}}).

* On the subject of Creator/{{SNK}}, there are a few characters you can almost always expect to show up in any crossover. Among the most notable are Terry Bogard, Mai Shiranui, Kim Kaphwan and Geese Howard from ''VideoGame/FatalFury'', Kyo Kusanagi from ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'', Athena Asamiya from ''VideoGame/PsychoSoldier'' and Ryo Sakazaki, Yuri Sakazaki and Robert Garcia from ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting''. In the actual ''King of Fighters'' series, Rugal Bernstein emerged as the most popular villain, and has gone on to appear in multiple entries despite canonically having died way back in ''KOF '95''. Mai is so popular that, in addition to showing up in the all of the crossovers with Capcom and the all-female fighting games like ''VideoGame/SNKGalsFighters'' and ''VideoGame/SNKHeroinesTagTeamFrenzy'', she's a playable GuestFighter in ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive5'' and ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive6''.

*** To put it in perspective, she's the sole Darkstalker in FOUR games: ''Marvel vs. Capcom'', ''Capcom vs. SNK'', ''Capcom vs. SNK 2'', and ''Tatsunoko vs. Capcom''. Given that she's essentially a [[ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything Pirate Who Doesn't Do Anything]] (succubi are supposed to use their charms to corrupt good men's souls, not get modelling gigs), that's pretty impressive.

* ''VideoGame/MarvelPuzzleQuest: Dark Reign'' has roughly thirty playable heroes and villains (at the time of this update). Wolverine and Black Widow, each in three different costumes, are six of them.

** Lucina, who first appeared in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' and has since appeared in every single spinoff and sequel since (barring ''VideoGame/TokyoMirageSessionsFE'') in some form or another. She constantly tops popularity polls, appears to represent the series in crossovers like ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' and ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone'', and even has multiple versions of herself appear as playable characters in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemHeroes''. While she's mostly an extremely popular character, her heavy marketing and constant presence in the spotlight has attracted the ire of fans, particularly of the older games, who feel that other equally popular characters get disproportionate amounts of love from Nintendo and Intelligent Systems.

** Zero, EnsembleDarkHorse was a supporting character in the first ''VideoGame/MegaManX1'' who got promoted to co-protagonist in the sequels, had a [[EarlyBirdCameo retroactive cameo]] in the [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic original series]], gained his own series in the form of ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'', and [[spoiler:returns from the dead]] as a [[TransformationTrinket Biometal]] in ''[[VideoGame/MegaManZX ZX]]''. Aside from that, he was also mentioned in two more (''[[VideoGame/MegaManLegends Legends]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork Battle Network]]''), with the latter even including an {{expy}} in one of its {{Gaiden Game}}s as well as the [[Anime/MegaManNTWarrior anime]]. ''[[WhatCouldHaveBeen Legends 3]]'' was set to introduce a character who would fill that series Proto Man/Zero niche before it was canceled by Capcom. Last but not the least, he appears as a playable character in ''VideoGame/SNKVsCapcomSVCChaos'', ''VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom: [[UpdatedRerelease Ultimate All-Stars]]'', ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'', ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone'' '''and''' ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomInfinite''. The only series he hasn't appeared in, ''yet'', is ''[[VideoGame/MegaManStarForce Star Force]]''.

* Always expect [[Franchise/StreetFighter Ryu and Chun-Li]] to pop up in [[VideoGame/CapcomVs Capcom's crossover games]]. Excluding the ''Street Fighter''-less ''VideoGame/CrossEdge'', they're the only characters with a perfect attendance record, and Ken would had got it too if it wasn't for him being one of Ryu's transformations in ''Marvel vs. Capcom'', [[Anime/ScienceNinjaTeamGatchaman an entirely different character with the same name]] in ''Tatsunoko vs. Capcom'' and the developers deciding Akuma was enough in ''Marvel vs. Capcom 3''. And predictably, the trope namer has appeared in nearly all of Capcom's Marvel-licensed fighting games. He even has two versions of himself in ''Marvel vs. Capcom 2''.

** Zangief is also present in nearly all of the crossover fighting games; his absentee counts are ''SVC Chaos'' (where he's replaced by Hugo from ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII: 2nd Impact''), ''Tatsunoko vs. Capcom'' (where he's replaced by Alex from ''Street Fighter III''), ''Marvel vs. Capcom 3'' and ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomInfinite'' (both of which replace him with Haggar from ''VideoGame/FinalFight'' as the Capcom side's grappler) as the Capcom side's grappler.

** From ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', Cloud Strife. In addition to the media directly related to his universe -- ''VII'', ''VideoGame/CrisisCore'', ''[[Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren Advent Children]]'', ''VideoGame/DirgeOfCerberus'' -- he's popping up in other universes with frightening regularity. He gets a ShoutOut in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'', he's an unlockable GuestFighter in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'', a recurring character in ''Kingdom Hearts'', in ''VideoGame/ItadakiStreet'', and he's in ''VideoGame/{{Ehrgeiz}}'' and ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'' ([[{{Crossover}} Which he would have been in either way, being the hero of a main numbered entry]]). He also joined ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'' as a playable character, cementing his status as the [[FaceOfTheBand Face of the Brand]]. The character designer of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'', Creator/TetsuyaNomura, was specifically told they wanted a [[DistaffCounterpart female]] Cloud Strife for a main character, which is how he came up with Lightning.