Close your eyes for a second.
Think back to the hum of a CRT screen, the soft click of a cartridge sliding into place, and the startup chime that meant you were about to escape into something magical. The 90s and 2000s gave us the golden age of gaming icons (Mario, Sonic, Lara Croft) but for every superstar, there was a forgotten hero quietly carrying their game on pixelated shoulders.
Some characters were too strange, too early, or simply buried under marketing budgets they could never compete with.
Yet if you played long enough, you remember them. Maybe it was a quirky sidekick you couldn’t forget, a tragic hero ahead of their time, or a boss who deserved their own game. These weren’t background extras; they were the soul of countless late-night sessions and endless memory cards.
This is a mixtape of underappreciated brilliance, a collector’s corner of hidden legends.
We’ll revisit the ones who didn’t get their victory lap, explore what made them special, and see how time has quietly turned them into cult icons.
Ready to plug back in?
Let’s hit Start and relive the top 10 most underrated retro game characters of the 90s and 2000s.
In 2007, players were busy obsessing over Commander Shepard, but Garrus quietly built a cult following. He wasn’t flashy, just steady; a former C-Sec officer with dry humor and a strict moral compass.
What made him special was subtlety.
His arc from frustrated cop to renegade vigilante mirrored the player’s own choices, making him feel real before “player-driven storytelling” was a buzzword. You could sense he wanted to do good but was always one step away from crossing a line.
Garrus is finally recognized as the emotional anchor of the trilogy, proof that loyalty and quiet strength can outshine cinematic bravado. He’s that one friend you didn’t notice at first but now can’t imagine the story without.
Did you ever choose Garrus for every mission, just because it felt right? Many did, without realizing he was teaching them the value of reliability over glory.
Photo Credit: Charactour
It was weird, clever, and impossible to describe in one sentence. That’s probably why Raz, the scrappy psychic acrobat who ran away from the circus, never got the mainstream love he deserved.
Raz didn’t have the polish of a Nintendo mascot or the brooding edge of a PlayStation antihero.
He had heart. His world was made of literal minds; each level a surreal peek into someone’s psyche. One moment you were jumping through a war veteran’s PTSD; the next, you were stuck in a conspiracy-fueled paranoid dreamscape.
Players who found Raz didn’t just play a platformer.
They explored anxiety, memory, and imagination in a way games rarely dared to show. He was the underdog of underdogs, living proof that empathy could be fun.
Today, after Psychonauts 2 revived his story, fans finally see what was always there: a charming, brave kid who made emotional storytelling in games cool before it was trendy.
Do you remember the Milkman level?
If you do, you probably still smile when someone mentions Raz.
Photo Credit: Wikipedia/Wikimedia
She wasn’t the loudest hero or the most powerful, but she had something rarer. While others saved galaxies, Jade saved her home through truth and courage.
The game itself was overshadowed by bigger names like Halo and Prince of Persia. Yet those who played it found something different. A world that felt alive, characters who felt human, and a heroine who proved you didn’t need armor or magic to be strong.
Jade’s story was about seeing the world clearly, both literally through her lens and metaphorically through the lies around her. Each photo she snapped was rebellion, each discovery a reminder that heroes come in many forms.
Then and now, she represents the kind of protagonist gaming rarely gives enough credit to. Independent, compassionate, quietly fierce. Do you still remember the hum of her hovercraft and the way the music swelled when you took off? That feeling was freedom.
While players were focused on Tidus and Yuna, Auron stood in the background, coat flowing, voice calm, always in control. He wasn’t a flashy swordsman or a cheerful companion. He was wisdom wrapped in mystery.
When he finally revealed his secret, that he had been walking the world as an unsent spirit to protect his friends, it hit hard. He carried the weight of failure, loyalty, and duty, all without asking for praise. Auron showed that strength could be silent and sacrifice could be noble without attention.
Back then, many players saw him as just another mentor figure.
Today, he’s remembered as one of the deepest and most quietly emotional characters Square Enix ever wrote. His presence turned every scene into something heavier, more meaningful.
You could hear it in his gravelly voice when he said, “This is your story.” Few lines in gaming still echo like that.
Photo Credit: Wikifur
His world was a parody playground filled with bad movies, sitcom tropes, and pop-culture chaos. Yet, despite his sharp humor and slick gameplay, Gex was overshadowed by the likes of Crash Bandicoot and Spyro.
What made Gex unique wasn’t just his one-liners.
It was how his world mirrored late-night television itself. Levels switched from horror marathons to kung fu flicks to cartoon madness, each filled with hidden jokes only 90s kids would get. Playing Gex felt like flipping through the weirdest cable channels imaginable, guided by a lizard who thought he was cooler than everyone else.
Then and now, Gex represents the strange, self-aware humor that defined that gaming era. His personality was pure 90s—sarcastic, overconfident, and oddly lovable.
If you ever caught yourself repeating one of his ridiculous quotes, you probably remember why he deserved better. Gex wasn’t just a mascot. He was a mirror of the times, neon and noisy, but impossible to forget.
Yet she was one of the strongest, most fearless women of the 16-bit era. A prehistoric warrior who led her tribe with grit and charm, Ayla didn’t need magic or weapons. Her fists and her heart were enough.
Ayla’s story showed that strength could come from instinct and loyalty, not technology or prophecy. While others spoke of destiny, she lived in the moment, fighting for her people and her friends. Her dialogue was simple but full of life. Every line had the rhythm of a drumbeat, raw and proud.
Back then, most players saw her as comic relief, but time has been kind to Ayla.
Modern fans recognize her as one of gaming’s first confident, muscular heroines who didn’t fit the usual mold. She was bold before it was fashionable.
Do you remember her laugh echoing through the prehistoric plains? It sounded like freedom and fire rolled into one.
Photo Credit: Gameranx
His world looked bright and cute, but beneath the cheerful design was a story about loss and memory that left players quietly heartbroken. Released on the original PlayStation in 1997, Klonoa: Door to Phantomile mixed dreamlike visuals with side-scrolling perfection.
Klonoa wasn’t built for showmanship.
He was a dream traveler, slipping between worlds, helping others without ever belonging himself. His voice, soft and curious, carried more warmth than most fully voiced heroes of the time. When the game’s ending revealed the truth about his existence, it changed how many players viewed “kid-friendly” stories forever.
Back then, few noticed.
The market was crowded with 3D mascots chasing trends. Klonoa’s quiet, emotional adventure didn’t stand a chance. But now, decades later, fans call it one of the best platformers ever made, and Klonoa one of the genre’s hidden treasures.
If you ever replayed that ending scene, you know it still hurts in the best possible way.
Photo Credit: MyCast.io
She was one of the first truly capable female action leads of the 90s, confident, witty, and unflinching even when a raptor lunged from the vents.
Regina had no psychic powers or superhuman strength.
What she had was composure and intellect. She analyzed, adapted, and survived, long before the world began celebrating strong female protagonists. Her sarcasm lightened tense moments, but she was always in control.
Unfortunately, Dino Crisis was labeled “Resident Evil with dinosaurs,” which buried Regina’s individuality under lazy comparisons. Yet her style and grit paved the way for future heroines in tactical and survival genres.
Looking back, she deserved sequels, merchandise, and the fanbase she never got.
When rumors of a reboot surface, longtime players still whisper one hope: bring Regina back. Do you remember the sound of her boots echoing through those metal corridors? It felt like walking straight into danger and smiling anyway.
Photo Credit: Ign
Released on the Dreamcast in 2000, it was a masterpiece lost to bad timing. The console failed, and Vyse never got the spotlight he earned. Vyse was everything early 2000s heroes weren’t.
He wasn’t brooding or sarcastic. He was pure adventure, built on courage, loyalty, and belief in his crew. His positivity was contagious, turning every airship battle into something bigger than a quest for treasure; it was a belief that the sky really had no limits.
The game’s art, music, and heart made it unforgettable to those who played it.
Yet, like many Dreamcast gems, it faded too soon. Today, Vyse lives on through cameos and fan tributes, the face of a world that felt full of wonder before gaming turned gritty.
If you can still picture that blue sky stretching forever as his ship took off, you know why fans still ask for a remake.
Photo Credit: Reddit
Yet, despite breaking ground in storytelling and game mechanics, Max himself was misunderstood. Some saw only the slow-motion gunfights and gritty visuals, missing the tragedy underneath.
Max wasn’t a super-soldier or chosen hero. He was broken, angry, and haunted by loss. His inner monologues felt like pages torn from a detective novel soaked in rain and regret. Every quip carried exhaustion. Every gunfight felt like survival, not spectacle.
At a time when gaming heroes were loud and invincible, Max was painfully human. He didn’t seek redemption; he just kept going. That quiet resilience made him unforgettable.
Today, players revisit Max Payne for its style, but they stay for his voice and the way it captures loneliness. He was gaming’s first true noir soul, a man out of time whose pain still feels raw decades later.
Can you still hear that slow heartbeat as time slowed and the bullets froze midair? That sound defined an era.
They were the quiet backbone of gaming’s golden age. Each carried an idea that was ahead of its time. Jade proved that courage could be gentle. Auron showed that wisdom can speak softly. Raz made empathy fun. Vyse taught us optimism in a darkening world.
The 90s and 2000s were noisy with mascots and marketing.
Yet these heroes slipped through the static, leaving behind something deeper than fame: connection. They spoke to players who looked beyond hype, who felt meaning in a single line, a theme tune, or a lonely pixelated world.
Today’s games may look sharper, but the heart that powered these forgotten icons still beats in every player who remembers them. Maybe that’s the real magic of nostalgia; it reminds us that greatness isn’t always loud. Sometimes it whispers, waiting for someone to listen again.
Think back to the hum of a CRT screen, the soft click of a cartridge sliding into place, and the startup chime that meant you were about to escape into something magical. The 90s and 2000s gave us the golden age of gaming icons (Mario, Sonic, Lara Croft) but for every superstar, there was a forgotten hero quietly carrying their game on pixelated shoulders.
Some characters were too strange, too early, or simply buried under marketing budgets they could never compete with.
Yet if you played long enough, you remember them. Maybe it was a quirky sidekick you couldn’t forget, a tragic hero ahead of their time, or a boss who deserved their own game. These weren’t background extras; they were the soul of countless late-night sessions and endless memory cards.
This is a mixtape of underappreciated brilliance, a collector’s corner of hidden legends.
We’ll revisit the ones who didn’t get their victory lap, explore what made them special, and see how time has quietly turned them into cult icons.
Ready to plug back in?
Let’s hit Start and relive the top 10 most underrated retro game characters of the 90s and 2000s.
1. Garrus Vakarian (Mass Effect, 2007)
Before he became everyone’s favorite space sniper in later sequels, Garrus started as just another supporting squadmate in Mass Effect.In 2007, players were busy obsessing over Commander Shepard, but Garrus quietly built a cult following. He wasn’t flashy, just steady; a former C-Sec officer with dry humor and a strict moral compass.
What made him special was subtlety.
His arc from frustrated cop to renegade vigilante mirrored the player’s own choices, making him feel real before “player-driven storytelling” was a buzzword. You could sense he wanted to do good but was always one step away from crossing a line.
Garrus is finally recognized as the emotional anchor of the trilogy, proof that loyalty and quiet strength can outshine cinematic bravado. He’s that one friend you didn’t notice at first but now can’t imagine the story without.
Did you ever choose Garrus for every mission, just because it felt right? Many did, without realizing he was teaching them the value of reliability over glory.
2. Razputin “Raz” Aquato (Psychonauts, 2005)
When Psychonauts dropped in 2005, it wasn’t a blockbuster.Photo Credit: Charactour
It was weird, clever, and impossible to describe in one sentence. That’s probably why Raz, the scrappy psychic acrobat who ran away from the circus, never got the mainstream love he deserved.
Raz didn’t have the polish of a Nintendo mascot or the brooding edge of a PlayStation antihero.
He had heart. His world was made of literal minds; each level a surreal peek into someone’s psyche. One moment you were jumping through a war veteran’s PTSD; the next, you were stuck in a conspiracy-fueled paranoid dreamscape.
Players who found Raz didn’t just play a platformer.
They explored anxiety, memory, and imagination in a way games rarely dared to show. He was the underdog of underdogs, living proof that empathy could be fun.
Today, after Psychonauts 2 revived his story, fans finally see what was always there: a charming, brave kid who made emotional storytelling in games cool before it was trendy.
Do you remember the Milkman level?
If you do, you probably still smile when someone mentions Raz.
3. Jade (Beyond Good & Evil, 2003)
In 2003, Beyond Good & Evil gave us Jade, a photojournalist armed with a camera, staff, and unshakable sense of justice.Photo Credit: Wikipedia/Wikimedia
She wasn’t the loudest hero or the most powerful, but she had something rarer. While others saved galaxies, Jade saved her home through truth and courage.
The game itself was overshadowed by bigger names like Halo and Prince of Persia. Yet those who played it found something different. A world that felt alive, characters who felt human, and a heroine who proved you didn’t need armor or magic to be strong.
Jade’s story was about seeing the world clearly, both literally through her lens and metaphorically through the lies around her. Each photo she snapped was rebellion, each discovery a reminder that heroes come in many forms.
Then and now, she represents the kind of protagonist gaming rarely gives enough credit to. Independent, compassionate, quietly fierce. Do you still remember the hum of her hovercraft and the way the music swelled when you took off? That feeling was freedom.
4. Auron (Final Fantasy X, 2001)
Auron was the quiet storm in Final Fantasy X.While players were focused on Tidus and Yuna, Auron stood in the background, coat flowing, voice calm, always in control. He wasn’t a flashy swordsman or a cheerful companion. He was wisdom wrapped in mystery.
When he finally revealed his secret, that he had been walking the world as an unsent spirit to protect his friends, it hit hard. He carried the weight of failure, loyalty, and duty, all without asking for praise. Auron showed that strength could be silent and sacrifice could be noble without attention.
Back then, many players saw him as just another mentor figure.
Today, he’s remembered as one of the deepest and most quietly emotional characters Square Enix ever wrote. His presence turned every scene into something heavier, more meaningful.
You could hear it in his gravelly voice when he said, “This is your story.” Few lines in gaming still echo like that.
5. Gex the Gecko (Gex Series, 1995–2000)
Before witty mascots became a trend, there was Gex, the wisecracking gecko in sunglasses who surfed through TV channels instead of galaxies.Photo Credit: Wikifur
His world was a parody playground filled with bad movies, sitcom tropes, and pop-culture chaos. Yet, despite his sharp humor and slick gameplay, Gex was overshadowed by the likes of Crash Bandicoot and Spyro.
What made Gex unique wasn’t just his one-liners.
It was how his world mirrored late-night television itself. Levels switched from horror marathons to kung fu flicks to cartoon madness, each filled with hidden jokes only 90s kids would get. Playing Gex felt like flipping through the weirdest cable channels imaginable, guided by a lizard who thought he was cooler than everyone else.
Then and now, Gex represents the strange, self-aware humor that defined that gaming era. His personality was pure 90s—sarcastic, overconfident, and oddly lovable.
If you ever caught yourself repeating one of his ridiculous quotes, you probably remember why he deserved better. Gex wasn’t just a mascot. He was a mirror of the times, neon and noisy, but impossible to forget.
6. Ayla (Chrono Trigger, 1995)
In a game packed with time travel and unforgettable heroes, Ayla often got lost behind Crono and Frog.Yet she was one of the strongest, most fearless women of the 16-bit era. A prehistoric warrior who led her tribe with grit and charm, Ayla didn’t need magic or weapons. Her fists and her heart were enough.
Ayla’s story showed that strength could come from instinct and loyalty, not technology or prophecy. While others spoke of destiny, she lived in the moment, fighting for her people and her friends. Her dialogue was simple but full of life. Every line had the rhythm of a drumbeat, raw and proud.
Back then, most players saw her as comic relief, but time has been kind to Ayla.
Modern fans recognize her as one of gaming’s first confident, muscular heroines who didn’t fit the usual mold. She was bold before it was fashionable.
Do you remember her laugh echoing through the prehistoric plains? It sounded like freedom and fire rolled into one.
7. Klonoa (Klonoa: Door to Phantomile, 1997)
Klonoa was never meant to be a superstar, yet those who met him never forgot.Photo Credit: Gameranx
His world looked bright and cute, but beneath the cheerful design was a story about loss and memory that left players quietly heartbroken. Released on the original PlayStation in 1997, Klonoa: Door to Phantomile mixed dreamlike visuals with side-scrolling perfection.
Klonoa wasn’t built for showmanship.
He was a dream traveler, slipping between worlds, helping others without ever belonging himself. His voice, soft and curious, carried more warmth than most fully voiced heroes of the time. When the game’s ending revealed the truth about his existence, it changed how many players viewed “kid-friendly” stories forever.
Back then, few noticed.
The market was crowded with 3D mascots chasing trends. Klonoa’s quiet, emotional adventure didn’t stand a chance. But now, decades later, fans call it one of the best platformers ever made, and Klonoa one of the genre’s hidden treasures.
If you ever replayed that ending scene, you know it still hurts in the best possible way.
8. Regina (Dino Crisis, 1999)
In the shadow of Resident Evil, another Capcom survival horror title quietly roared. Dino Crisis traded zombies for dinosaurs, and its red-haired lead, Regina, was as sharp as her tranquilizer darts.Photo Credit: MyCast.io
She was one of the first truly capable female action leads of the 90s, confident, witty, and unflinching even when a raptor lunged from the vents.
Regina had no psychic powers or superhuman strength.
What she had was composure and intellect. She analyzed, adapted, and survived, long before the world began celebrating strong female protagonists. Her sarcasm lightened tense moments, but she was always in control.
Unfortunately, Dino Crisis was labeled “Resident Evil with dinosaurs,” which buried Regina’s individuality under lazy comparisons. Yet her style and grit paved the way for future heroines in tactical and survival genres.
Looking back, she deserved sequels, merchandise, and the fanbase she never got.
When rumors of a reboot surface, longtime players still whisper one hope: bring Regina back. Do you remember the sound of her boots echoing through those metal corridors? It felt like walking straight into danger and smiling anyway.
9. Vyse (Skies of Arcadia, 2000)
Before open-world exploration became standard, Skies of Arcadia let players sail through floating islands as Vyse, a sky pirate with boundless optimism.Photo Credit: Ign
Released on the Dreamcast in 2000, it was a masterpiece lost to bad timing. The console failed, and Vyse never got the spotlight he earned. Vyse was everything early 2000s heroes weren’t.
He wasn’t brooding or sarcastic. He was pure adventure, built on courage, loyalty, and belief in his crew. His positivity was contagious, turning every airship battle into something bigger than a quest for treasure; it was a belief that the sky really had no limits.
The game’s art, music, and heart made it unforgettable to those who played it.
Yet, like many Dreamcast gems, it faded too soon. Today, Vyse lives on through cameos and fan tributes, the face of a world that felt full of wonder before gaming turned gritty.
If you can still picture that blue sky stretching forever as his ship took off, you know why fans still ask for a remake.
10. Max Payne (Max Payne, 2001)
When Max Payne arrived in 2001, it introduced bullet time, noir narration, and a lead drowning in grief.Photo Credit: Reddit
Yet, despite breaking ground in storytelling and game mechanics, Max himself was misunderstood. Some saw only the slow-motion gunfights and gritty visuals, missing the tragedy underneath.
Max wasn’t a super-soldier or chosen hero. He was broken, angry, and haunted by loss. His inner monologues felt like pages torn from a detective novel soaked in rain and regret. Every quip carried exhaustion. Every gunfight felt like survival, not spectacle.
At a time when gaming heroes were loud and invincible, Max was painfully human. He didn’t seek redemption; he just kept going. That quiet resilience made him unforgettable.
Today, players revisit Max Payne for its style, but they stay for his voice and the way it captures loneliness. He was gaming’s first true noir soul, a man out of time whose pain still feels raw decades later.
Can you still hear that slow heartbeat as time slowed and the bullets froze midair? That sound defined an era.
Hidden Legends That Time Forgot
These ten characters were more than side stories or supporting roles.They were the quiet backbone of gaming’s golden age. Each carried an idea that was ahead of its time. Jade proved that courage could be gentle. Auron showed that wisdom can speak softly. Raz made empathy fun. Vyse taught us optimism in a darkening world.
The 90s and 2000s were noisy with mascots and marketing.
Yet these heroes slipped through the static, leaving behind something deeper than fame: connection. They spoke to players who looked beyond hype, who felt meaning in a single line, a theme tune, or a lonely pixelated world.
Today’s games may look sharper, but the heart that powered these forgotten icons still beats in every player who remembers them. Maybe that’s the real magic of nostalgia; it reminds us that greatness isn’t always loud. Sometimes it whispers, waiting for someone to listen again.