# First \[whatever\] protagonist in games **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 3, 2009, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-whatever-protagonist-in-games/488118 "2009-03-03T06:52:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-whatever-protagonist-in-games/488118/41 "2009-03-06T14:30:22Z")
> [@willthekittensurvive](#): > > [Total overdose](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Overdose) had one That game was so freaking awesome. Leaning out of a car, shooting a drug dealer, diving out of the car, and then watching the car slo-mo crash into a burrito stand filled with dynamite (sending the burrito stand into the air Raiders of the Lost Ark-style) was the best. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-whatever-protagonist-in-games/488118/42 "2009-03-06T14:30:58Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > I remember Shadow Man (1999) > [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow\_Man\_(video\_game)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_Man_(video_game)) Me too. First cartridge game to have load times. What the hell was _that_ about? How old was Kid Icarus supposed to be? ---
**Author:** ![Sofis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Sofis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofis)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-whatever-protagonist-in-games/488118/43 "2009-03-06T17:28:45Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > I can’t offhand think of any Latino game protagonists at all. There’ve been plenty of Asian ones of course, due largely to the many games produced in Japan. There’s Manuel Calavera of Grim Fandango (1998). He may also be the first protagonist that’s dead through the entire game. Anyone know any earlier ones? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-whatever-protagonist-in-games/488118/44 "2009-03-06T17:55:43Z")
> [@Sofis](#): > > There’s Manuel Calavera of Grim Fandango (1998). > > He may also be the first protagonist that’s dead through the entire game. Anyone know any earlier ones? The main character in the old NES game Rygar was reanimated, but you had to read the instruction book to know that. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-whatever-protagonist-in-games/488118/45 "2009-03-06T20:42:06Z")
“WISE FWOM YOUR GWAVE” Altered Beast. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-whatever-protagonist-in-games/488118/46 "2009-03-06T21:31:58Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > “WISE FWOM YOUR GWAVE” > Altered Beast. [Rygar](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rygar_(video_game)) predates [Altered Beast](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altered_Beast) by a couple years according to Wikipedia. ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2009, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-whatever-protagonist-in-games/488118/47 "2009-03-07T15:30:21Z")
The main protagonist from The Dig was a retired astronaut with Grey hair. You could have sex with a male prostitute in Ultima 7, if I remember correctly. ---
**Author:** ![MeDrewNotYou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@MeDrewNotYou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeDrewNotYou)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-whatever-protagonist-in-games/488118/48 "2009-03-07T18:35:25Z")
What about a game where you play a villain? (Not something open-ended where you can _choose_ to be a bad guy.) My best guess is Wario Land for the Gameboy in the mid to late 90’s. I’m mostly drawing a blank, though. The Custer game for Atari, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Dirx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b77776/32.png) [@Sir\_Dirx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Dirx)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2009, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-whatever-protagonist-in-games/488118/49 "2009-03-07T19:23:11Z")
Was just reminded of this the other day: 1st (only?) transgendered character in a video game: Birdo, from Super Mario Brothers 2. If I remember correctly, the manual stated something about him thinking he’s a girl, but is clearly not. I think Nintendo tried to retcon it later, but still. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2009, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-whatever-protagonist-in-games/488118/50 "2009-03-07T19:41:56Z")
Bridget shows up later. (It’s a trap!) Trust me, if it’s japanese, cross dressing isn’t that far away. … then again, the same if it’s british. What was the first movie/tv/book/comic book spinoff? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2009, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-whatever-protagonist-in-games/488118/51 "2009-03-07T20:18:31Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > What was the first movie/tv/book/comic book spinoff? Death Race > **[Death Race (1976 video game)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Race_(1976_game))** > > Death Race is an arcade driving video game developed and released by Exidy in the United States, first shipping to arcade distributors in April 1976. The game was a modification of Exidy's 1975 game Destruction Derby in which players crashed into cars to accrue points. In Death Race, the objective became to run into "gremlins" to gain score. The game could be played with one or two players controlling different cars. The original working title for the game which appeared on some early advertis Th... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-whatever-protagonist-in-games/488118.md?page=2)