Then and Now

Video game heroes have changed significantly over the past few years. They have transformed from 2-D to 3-D, posses crazier powers and can sometimes choose between taking the moral highroad or getting the job done by any means necessary. They still all have one thing in common -- they're all devoted to saving the day and fighting evil. This week's Retro Rewind pays tributes to video game heroes of all stripes, from then ... and now.

Then: One Man Army: Solid Snake (Metal Gear series)



Solid Snake has been fighting through the Metal Gear games since the series kicked start in 1987. He uses his survival instincts to stay one step ahead of his enemies, and uses stealth to stay away from danger. Sure, he's a much older man now, but he's still as deadly ever. Something tells us we haven't seen the last of Snake...



Now: One Man Army: Cole McGrath (Infamous)



A bike messenger who gets caught in the middle of a powerful cataclysmic blast that rocks Empire City to its very core, Cole McGrath emerges from the wreckage with a newfound power -- electricity. It's up to the player to decide whether Cole will use these powers for good or evil. Going with good enables him to destroy bad guys using concentrated blue energy, without the assistance of police or fellow citizens. Granted, there's also the option of embracing the dark side and frying everyone to bits with red energy. The choice is yours.

Then: Evergreen Hero: Mario (Super Mario Bros.)




Mario's been stomping Goombas and saving princesses since the early '80s. He got his ass to start jumping barrels and hammering fireballs in the original Donkey Kong, and has since moved on to plat forming infamy in the Super Mario Bros. series. No wonder he's considered the Mickey Mouse of the gaming world.

Now: Evergreen Hero: Mario (New Super Mario Bros.)



It shouldn't be a surprise that Mario is as powerful a video game hero as ever. He'll be back later this year, helicopter hat and all, in the multiplayer Wii game New Super Mario Bros., and next year he'll be straddling Yoshi and flying all over the universe in Super Mario Galaxy 2. Needless to say, this plumber's work is never done. We wouldn't have it any other way.