1. 10 Greatest Second-Bananas In
Gaming
http://www.gamebasin.com/news/10-greatest-second-bananas-in-gaming
In a time where superheroes are more popular than they have ever been, we felt it was time to
take a look at the unsung heroes that lurk in the shadows. These under‐appreciated characters
usually play a supporting role in the story being told and the one thing they all have in common is
that they take a backseat to someone else. Some of them are classy, some of them are annoying
but all of them are memorable. Without these reliable second‐bananas, most of gaming’s most
legendary heroes wouldn’t have inferior foils to make them look better, and let’s be totally honest;
would Batman look anywhere near as awesome if he didn’t have an idiot number two in green
boy‐shorts following him around to open doors for him? (He probably still would.) The criteria is
simple. With one exception, all the entries on this list are NPCs, or non‐playable characters.
Secondly, none of the entries selected outshine their heroes, because that’s not how a good
sidekick does business. Finally, to be fair to all entries listed, we only chose one character per
franchise. So pull out a cold one and join us in toasting gaming’s greatest second‐bananas.
10. Tails – Sonic The Hedgehog

2. What else can be said about Tails that hasn’t been said already? He’s Sonic the Hedgehog’s faithful
sidekick, forever doomed to die. And die. And die. In all seriousness, Miles “Tails” Prower is one of
the most iconic sidekicks in video game history. Like Mario and Luigi, the sight of Sonic the
Hedgehog and his buddy Tails together is just gaming bread and butter. You don’t typically see one
without the other. Perhaps the most memorable thing about Tails is that he faithfully follows Sonic,
with complete disregard for anything that happens to him. Tails frequently gets left behind, falls to
his death, can drown, can be blown sky high and can even be exploited to deal extra damage to
the boss. Unfortunately, aside from copying Sonic’s jump attack and occasionally air‐lifting him to
an unreachable platform, Tails really doesn’t bring anything else to the table, which is both why
he’s on the list and why he’s not any higher. As remarkable as his dedication to his hero is, the next
nine characters all take it a step further.
9. Barbas – The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

3. Most people who have played Skyrim can agree on one thing; the game is awesome. Until the
recent release of The Elder Scrolls Online, the open‐world environment of Skyrim was by far the
most impressive in Bethesda’s fantasy epic franchise. Of course, with a world as expansive as
Skyrim’s, there are a lot of dangers. Bandits lurking around every corner, civil war conflicts to get
dragged into and scores of dragons ready to swoop down and attack any time you’re in the middle
of dialogue with an important NPC. As such, Skyrim continued the Elder Scrolls tradition of being
able to recruit followers to your service. These loyal minions will carry equipment for you, do
menial labor, fight enemies and generally follow your every command without question. Still, there
are few things quite as annoying as loading up Lydia with awesome gear, marrying her, and then
having her get offed by the dragon she was trying to kill with her bare hands. While a follower’s
death could be easily rectified by loading your most recent autosave file, it didn’t solve the root
problem of having to worry about them dying in the first place. That’s when players discovered
Barbas. This quirky and telepathic Irish Wolfhound is actually the companion of Daedric Prince of
Power Clavicus Vile. Upon encountering him for the first time, a quest will begin that sees the
player attempt to reunite Barbas with his wayward master. As long as the quest is active, Barbas
will follow the player anywhere and attack any hostile enemy on sight. The best part? As an
essential NPC and a part of a major side quest, Barbas cannot die. While his barking may get
annoying, an immortal dog that follows players around and kills all who oppose them definitely
deserves a spot on this list.
8. Slippy Toad – Star Fox 64
It’s hard to have any sort of discussion about the greatness of Star Fox 64 without prefacing it with
“Slippy is a pain.” The chattery toad with the effeminate voice shares the common issue, alongside
Peppy Hare and Falco Lombardi, of being absolutely useless in a firefight. Slippy spends most of
the game flying around Fox and chasing enemies that he can’t hit, which he’ll frequently regret
mere seconds later when he begins screaming at the player to save him. While Slippy’s voice and
constant penchant for getting shot by enemies will grate your nerves throughout the course of the
game, there’s one thing that sets him apart from the rest of the Star Fox team. Slippy is in charge

4. of displaying the boss characters’ health meters. Yes, that means if you allow him to get shot down
(or if you’re one of the many who shot him down on purpose), you have to fight the boss blind.
While that may not be an issue for veteran Star Fox players who can breeze right through the game,
imagine playing through the game for the first time and gleefully letting Slippy go down, only to
realise that you now had to fight the boss without seeing his health. Despite Slippy’s otherwise
general uselessness, his control over enemy health displays made him the one essential team
member when facing off against the game’s numerous bosses and for that, we salute him.
7. Potato GLaDOS – Portal 2
Admit it; you totally got the ending theme song of the first Portal game stuck in your head for
weeks on end. The catchy jingle was sung by the game’s memorable antagonist GLaDOS (Genetic
Lifeform and Disk Operating System). While GLaDOS spends the entirety of the game trying to
intentionally lead you to your untimely demise, she ultimately proved to be a worthy adversary
with an irritatingly clever wit. So, imagine the surprise and joy of gamers everywhere when they
loaded up Portal 2 and eventually found themselves packing around a potato containing the
consciousness of the homicidal CPU. While the first half of the game sees players palling around
with an AI named Wheatley, he eventually becomes a homicidal CPU himself and overthrows
GLaDOS who, to her great displeasure, spends the rest of the game imprisoned within a potato at
the player’s mercy. Despite her reluctance GLaDOS is a valuable companion, begrudgingly offering
advice, witty dialogue and relentless mockery should the player die trying to complete a level. After
defeating Wheatley at the end of the game, players are rewarded by seeing Chell escape the
Enrichment Center while GLaDOS sings a ballad about finally getting rid of her. And you got it stuck
in your head for weeks on end.
6. Navi – The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of
Time

5. Let’s just get it out of the way right now. Yes, Navi is annoying. Despite best being known for her
incessant repetition of the words “hey”, “look”, and “listen”, Navi was important in ways gamers
still don’t appreciate to this very day. The chatty fairy is Link’s faithful companion for the entire
game and it is because of Navi that the Z‐targeting system exists in the first place. For those needing
a memory jog, the Z‐targeting system is what made the Zelda franchise’s leap to 3D so fluid,
allowing players to engage in dialogue easily with characters from any direction and, of course,
making the game’s combat fun and user‐friendly. Still, the usefulness of this feature isn’t truly felt
until right towards the end of the game. Upon finally reaching the top of Ganon’s Tower and
encountering Ganondorf, Navi is initially weakened by dark magic and unable to help Link Z‐target.
That means that players have to target him manually, using the N64’s notoriously clunky joystick.
While Navi can easily make an appearance on anybody’s list of most irritating video game
characters, the important role she played in what is widely regarded as the greatest Zelda game
ever can’t be denied. Without the success of Navi and the Z‐targeting system, games like Twilight
Princess and Skyward Sword wouldn’t even have been possible. With credentials like that, we
simply can’t deny Navi her props.
5. Rush – Mega Man

6. The second dog to make an appearance on this list, Rush the robo‐dog was kicking serious enemy
tail long before Barbas was even a blip on the gaming radar. As Mega Man’s faithful companion,
Rush fills whatever role is required of him. He could be a moving platform, a submarine, and even
a spring coil to perform those otherwise impossible jumps. While Mega Man gets all the glory for
dominating Dr. Wiley’s nefarious robot masters, Rush sits faithfully in the background, waiting to
become whatever his buddy needs in order to achieve victory. As the franchise changed and
evolved, so did Rush’s abilities. By the time Mega Man 8 rolled out, Rush could turn into a
motorcycle, had healing powers and could search out items for the player. Still, Rush’s best feature
came in Mega Man 7. Upon combining the Rush Power Adapter and the Rush Jet Adapter, Rush
can use the Super Adapter to join with his master to become Super Mega Man, replacing the buster
cannon with a flying fist attack and adding a double‐jump powered by built‐in rockets. Any sidekick
that can add the prefix “Super” to a hero whose first name is “Mega” is definitely worthy of
inclusion among the elite of video game second‐bananas.
4. Cortana – Halo

7. Surprise surprise, Master Chief’s signature holo‐babe made it onto a list about supporting
characters! When you’re an emotionally disconnected super soldier fighting a race of nigh‐unstoppable
aliens bent on the domination and complete obliteration of the human race, it’s hard
to make friends. While the Chief can always rely on his teammates to help him get the job done, it
was the companionship of his faithful AI partner Cortana that truly humanised him. When the
world is crashing down in flames around the feet of Master Chief, Cortana is always there to provide
a useful tip or encouraging dialogue. While Cortana’s sanity depleted with every game and her
personality became more erratic, her constant companionship is a boon to the gameplay,
emotionally connecting players to the story in ways that the bloody war between humanity and
the Covenant simply can’t. In a sea of games featuring AI companions and sidekicks, Cortana stands
the test of the time as arguably the most famous, the most respected and, oddly enough, the most
attractive of them all.
3. Otacon – Metal Gear Solid

8. Hal Emmerich, known to fans of the Metal Gear franchise as Otacon, comes very close to being the
ultimate sidekick. Upon meeting him in the first Metal Gear Solid game, one of the first things he
does is…pee his pants. Despite his less‐than‐manly introduction to players, Otacon would go on to
become one of Metal Gear’s most enduring and beloved characters as Snake’s only true friend and
faithful support. At any time during the Metal Gear Solid games, players need only tune into their
Codec to contact Otacon, who can assist them with saving game files, reiterate current objectives
and offer general advice on the best ways to use different weapons and items procured. In addition
to his helpful dialogue, Otacon also provides Snake with a variety of useful equipment throughout
the games, including the Metal Gear series’ now signature Stealth Camouflage. While he can prove
to be a bit whiny and irritating at times, his helpfulness far outweighs his oversensitivity. For added
fun, there are numerous secret easter egg conversations players can trigger with Otacon, just for
laughs. Still, as good as the eccentric doctor is, there are two who are better.
2. Alyx Vance – Half-Life 2

9. Alyx Vance is to Half‐Life 2, what Otacon is to Metal Gear Solid. She is the ultimate supporting
character. Not only does Alyx provide emotional and mental support to game protagonist Gordon
Freeman, she also fights alongside of him and acts as his voice of reason. While most supporting
NPCs are functional and have decent dialogue, Alyx is intelligent and does far more than simply
repeat the same few lines of dialogue. As the game progresses, Alyx reacts to situations uniquely,
even shielding her eyes if the player shines the flashlight in her face. In addition to her intelligence,
she proves equally useful in combat, coming to the player’s aid repeatedly throughout the course
of the game. Considering the fact that Half‐Life 2’s hero does not speak once throughout the entire
game, Alyx also acts as his voice, putting spoken words behind Dr. Freeman’s actions as he takes
the fight to the Combine and their human puppets. While Alyx may prove to be the greatest AI
controlled supporting character, there’s just one name that trumps all the rest.
1. Tidus – Final Fantasy X

10. Surprised? So were fans of the Final Fantasy series when this game released. When thinking back
on the legacy of Final Fantasy games, there’s one protagonist who stands head‐and‐shoulders
above the rest. The measuring stick against which all future RPG heroes would be compared; Cloud
Strife. So, if there is any one character that does not epitomise the badassery of Cloud, it’s Tidus.
As the game progresses and the storyline develops, so does the game’s protagonist. Initially a whiny
and overly sensitive young man, Tidus slowly grows alongside the other characters, and ultimately
the gamers themselves, into a strong‐willed and brave hero. Heck, the guy’s voice even matures as
the game progresses. Still, there’s an Aeon sized elephant in the room that needs to be addressed.
How can the poster boy/hero of Final Fantasy X end up on a list of second‐bananas? Simple.
Because he’s not the star of the game. Indeed, the bulk of the game’s amazing and long‐revered
story centers around the Summoner Yuna and her pilgrimage to defeat and vanquish Sin from the
world of Spira. As Tidus and the other guardians protect her on her journey, the player is shown an
incredible love story that unfolds between Tidus and Yuna, ultimately discovering that Tidus is but
a dream, doomed to fade away once Sin is defeated once and for all. Despite the fact that Tidus is
the primary protagonist, does all of the work, drives all of the dialogue and even narrates the game,
he still takes a backseat to Yuna and plays a defining supportive role. And if the main character of
a game can manage to live in his girlfriend’s shadow and get none of the credit for saving the world,
he must be the ultimate second‐banana.
PC Game CD Keys:
 EA Games CD Key http://www.gamebasin.com/publisher/ea.html
 RPG Games CD Key http://www.gamebasin.com/pc‐games/rpg‐game.html
 ACT Games CD Key http://www.gamebasin.com/pc‐games/act‐game.html
 FPS Games CD Key http://www.gamebasin.com/pc‐games/fps‐game.html
 Adventure Games CD Key http://www.gamebasin.com/pc‐games/avg‐game.html
 Racing Games CD Key http://www.gamebasin.com/pc‐games/rac‐game.html
 Sport Games CD Key http://www.gamebasin.com/pc‐games/spt‐game.html
 FTG Games CD Key http://www.gamebasin.com/pc‐games/ftg‐game.html
 RTS Games CD Key http://www.gamebasin.com/pc‐games/rts‐game.html
 SLG Games CD Key http://www.gamebasin.com/pc‐games/slg‐game.html