As part of a yearlong quest to find the “Greatest Animal in the History of Video Games,” MTV’s Multiplayer, a blog for video game players, has its winners for the best reptile or amphibian in video games. The topic was the award’s May category.
Yoshi, the egg-throwing “dinosaur” popularized in numerous Mario games, took top honors. Yoshi sports a brightly colored nuchal crest and a turtle-shell saddle, so Mario can ride him like a Star Wars tauntaun. Yoshi saved the day enough times to warrant his own namesake video game titles.
Gex the Gecko, a wisecracking TV addict, took the second spot. The most realistic reptile of the top three, Gex starred in three video game titles from 1995 to 1999 on the popular platforms PlayStation, Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color.
Bowser, a fire-breathing turtle on steroids, is Mario’s longtime nemesis. Also known as King Koopa, he steals the third spot, much like he used to steal the princess from Mario. He frequently appears in lists for greatest video game villains.