Characters & Genres

36 questions · Answers revealed below each question · Print this set

1. 1.Which video game character is the silent protagonist of Valve's Portal (2007)?

   • A. Yoshi
   • B. Chell
   • C. Banjo
   • D. Alex Kidd
   Show answer

   Chell

   Did you know? Portal grew out of the student project Narbacular Drop.

2. 2.Which video game genre fills the screen with projectiles to dodge while firing at enemies?

   • A. roguelike
   • B. shoot 'em up
   • C. real-time strategy
   • D. survival horror
   Show answer

   shoot 'em up

   Did you know? The genre is often shortened to shmup by fans.

3. 3.Which video game character is the silver-haired antagonist of Final Fantasy VII?

   • A. Sephiroth
   • B. Yoshi
   • C. Max Payne
   • D. Gordon Freeman
   Show answer

   Sephiroth

   Did you know? Sephiroth's theme, One-Winged Angel, is among gaming's best-known musical tracks.

4. 4.Which video game genre gates progress behind abilities found while exploring an interconnected map?

   • A. massively multiplayer online game
   • B. metroidvania
   • C. stealth game
   • D. battle royale
   Show answer

   metroidvania

   Did you know? The name combines Metroid and Castlevania.

5. 5.Which video game character is Donkey Kong's swift companion who debuted in Donkey Kong Country (1994)?

   • A. Kratos
   • B. Banjo
   • C. Diddy Kong
   • D. Rayman
   Show answer

   Diddy Kong

   Did you know? Donkey Kong Country was developed by Rare for the Super Nintendo.

6. 6.Which video game genre scores players on pressing inputs in time with music?

   • A. rhythm game
   • B. massively multiplayer online game
   • C. fighting game
   • D. platform game
   Show answer

   rhythm game

   Did you know? Dance Dance Revolution carried the genre into arcades and living rooms.

7. 7.Which video game character is the New York detective famous for slow-motion gunplay in his 2001 debut?

   • A. Sub-Zero
   • B. Jill Valentine
   • C. Doomguy
   • D. Max Payne
   Show answer

   Max Payne

   Did you know? Max Payne was developed by the Finnish studio Remedy.

8. 8.Which video game genre has players place defenses to stop waves of advancing enemies?

   • A. survival game
   • B. massively multiplayer online game
   • C. tower defense
   • D. first-person shooter
   Show answer

   tower defense

   Did you know? Plants vs. Zombies popularized the genre on mobile devices.

9. 9.Which video game character is the 1930s-cartoon hero of the 2017 run-and-gun game that carries his name?

   • A. Cuphead
   • B. Alex Kidd
   • C. Zangief
   • D. Luigi
   Show answer

   Cuphead

   Did you know? Cuphead was made by the small Canadian studio Studio MDHR.

10. 10.Which video game genre sends fighters walking through side-scrolling crowds of enemies?

    • A. beat 'em up
    • B. visual novel
    • C. stealth game
    • D. battle royale
    Show answer

    beat 'em up

    Did you know? Streets of Rage and Final Fight are classic examples.

11. 11.Which video game character debuted in Street Fighter II as one of gaming's first prominent female fighters?

    • A. Luigi
    • B. Donkey Kong
    • C. Max Payne
    • D. Chun-Li
    Show answer

    Chun-Li

    Did you know? Chun-Li is an Interpol officer from China.

12. 12.Which video game genre tells its story mainly through on-screen text and choices?

    • A. first-person shooter
    • B. deckbuilder
    • C. role-playing game
    • D. visual novel
    Show answer

    visual novel

    Did you know? The genre grew out of Japanese adventure games.

13. 13.Which video game character is the burly Russian wrestler of Street Fighter II?

    • A. Simon Belmont
    • B. Pikachu
    • C. Zangief
    • D. Max Payne
    Show answer

    Zangief

    Did you know? Zangief debuted in Street Fighter II in 1991.

14. 14.Which video game genre features procedurally generated runs that end with permanent death?

    • A. rhythm game
    • B. visual novel
    • C. beat 'em up
    • D. roguelike
    Show answer

    roguelike

    Did you know? The genre's name comes from the 1980 computer game Rogue.

15. 15.Which video game character is the honey bear who debuted with Kazooie in Rare's 1998 adventure?

    • A. Princess Zelda
    • B. Pikachu
    • C. Doomguy
    • D. Banjo
    Show answer

    Banjo

    Did you know? Banjo-Kazooie was developed by the British studio Rare for the Nintendo 64.

16. 16.Which video game character starred in the 1981 arcade game that also introduced Mario?

    • A. Sephiroth
    • B. Ken Masters
    • C. Donkey Kong
    • D. Blanka
    Show answer

    Donkey Kong

    Did you know? The 1990s game Donkey Kong Country was developed by Rare.

17. 17.Which video game character is the S.T.A.R.S. officer of the original Resident Evil (1996)?

    • A. Jill Valentine
    • B. Chell
    • C. Master Chief
    • D. Sub-Zero
    Show answer

    Jill Valentine

    Did you know? Resident Evil popularized the survival horror genre.

18. 18.Which video game character is the key-wielding boy created for Kingdom Hearts (2002)?

    • A. Ken Masters
    • B. Sora
    • C. Knuckles
    • D. Cloud Strife
    Show answer

    Sora

    Did you know? Kingdom Hearts mixes Disney worlds with Final Fantasy characters.

19. 19.Which video game character gives her name to The Legend of Zelda series despite rarely being the playable hero?

    • A. Princess Zelda
    • B. Lara Croft
    • C. Solid Snake
    • D. Ryu
    Show answer

    Princess Zelda

    Did you know? Princess Zelda rules the kingdom of Hyrule.

20. 20.Which video game character is the machine-hunting heroine of Horizon Zero Dawn (2017)?

    • A. Tails
    • B. Ryu
    • C. Aloy
    • D. Master Chief
    Show answer

    Aloy

    Did you know? Horizon Zero Dawn was developed by Guerrilla Games, the Dutch studio behind Killzone.

21. 21.Which video game character is Ryu's friendly rival in the Street Fighter series?

    • A. Pit
    • B. Ken Masters
    • C. Simon Belmont
    • D. Princess Peach
    Show answer

    Ken Masters

    Did you know? Ken trained alongside Ryu under the master Gouken.

22. 22.Which video game character is the purple dragon who debuted on the PlayStation in 1998?

    • A. Alex Kidd
    • B. Spyro
    • C. Scorpion
    • D. Little Mac
    Show answer

    Spyro

    Did you know? Spyro the Dragon was developed by Insomniac Games, later the studio behind Ratchet & Clank.

23. 23.Which video game character is the rookie police officer who debuts in Resident Evil 2 (1998)?

    • A. Leon S. Kennedy
    • B. Alex Kidd
    • C. Jill Valentine
    • D. Cuphead
    Show answer

    Leon S. Kennedy

    Did you know? Resident Evil 2 received an acclaimed remake in 2019.

24. 24.Which video game character is the Pokémon famous for its many possible evolutions?

    • A. Luigi
    • B. Kirby
    • C. Eevee
    • D. Knuckles
    Show answer

    Eevee

    Did you know? Fans commonly call Eevee's evolutions Eeveelutions.

25. 25.Which video game character is the hero of The Legend of Zelda, a series that began in 1986?

    • A. Sub-Zero
    • B. Sonic the Hedgehog
    • C. Princess Peach
    • D. Link
    Show answer

    Link

    Did you know? In his early adventures Link was usually shown as left-handed.

26. 26.Which video game character is the unnamed space marine of id Software's Doom (1993)?

    • A. Chun-Li
    • B. Zangief
    • C. Doomguy
    • D. Master Chief
    Show answer

    Doomguy

    Did you know? Later games in the series call the character the Doom Slayer.

27. 27.Which video game character was Sega's company mascot before Sonic the Hedgehog?

    • A. Alex Kidd
    • B. Kratos
    • C. Little Mac
    • D. Creeper
    Show answer

    Alex Kidd

    Did you know? Alex Kidd in Miracle World came built into some Master System consoles.

28. 28.Which video game character is Sonic's two-tailed fox companion who first appeared in 1992?

    • A. Mega Man
    • B. Blanka
    • C. Tails
    • D. Zangief
    Show answer

    Tails

    Did you know? Tails debuted in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on the Genesis.

29. 29.Which video game character is the limbless hero Ubisoft introduced in 1995?

    • A. Rayman
    • B. Donkey Kong
    • C. Princess Peach
    • D. Crash Bandicoot
    Show answer

    Rayman

    Did you know? Rayman's floating hands are a signature image of the series.

30. 30.Which video game character is the sun-goddess wolf of Ōkami (2006)?

    • A. Knuckles
    • B. Amaterasu
    • C. Max Payne
    • D. Spyro
    Show answer

    Amaterasu

    Did you know? Ōkami's art style resembles Japanese ink-wash painting.

31. 31.Which video game genre follows Dark Souls' demanding combat and checkpoint-based difficulty?

    • A. massively multiplayer online game
    • B. deckbuilder
    • C. roguelike
    • D. soulslike
    Show answer

    soulslike

    Did you know? The genre's name comes directly from FromSoftware's 2011 game.

32. 32.Which video game character is the vampire hunter of Castlevania, a series that began in 1986?

    • A. Cloud Strife
    • B. Spyro
    • C. Simon Belmont
    • D. Master Chief
    Show answer

    Simon Belmont

    Did you know? Castlevania debuted in Japan on the Famicom Disk System.

33. 33.Which video game genre grows a card deck during each run to meet escalating challenges?

    • A. deckbuilder
    • B. role-playing game
    • C. first-person shooter
    • D. metroidvania
    Show answer

    deckbuilder

    Did you know? Slay the Spire set the genre's modern template.

34. 34.Which video game character is the angel warrior of Kid Icarus (1986)?

    • A. Eevee
    • B. Sonic the Hedgehog
    • C. Earthworm Jim
    • D. Pit
    Show answer

    Pit

    Did you know? Pit received a Nintendo 3DS revival, Kid Icarus: Uprising, in 2012.

35. 35.Which video game character is the worm hero in a powered suit from the 1994 run-and-gun game?

    • A. Earthworm Jim
    • B. Cloud Strife
    • C. Gordon Freeman
    • D. Doomguy
    Show answer

    Earthworm Jim

    Did you know? Earthworm Jim was created by Doug TenNapel at Shiny Entertainment.

36. 36.Which video game character is the underdog boxer of Nintendo's Punch-Out!!?

    • A. Aloy
    • B. Alex Kidd
    • C. Kirby
    • D. Little Mac
    Show answer

    Little Mac

    Did you know? The arcade Punch-Out!! appeared in 1984 and the NES version in 1987.

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