A good video game character is often identified by their appearance, perhaps even more than how they act. Early 8-bit games struggled to get personality into a character through speech and cut-scenes, so creating a defined look was important – think Dizzy from the old Spectrum games or even the early Mario.
As technology advances, characters have been made much deeper, given rich backstories and tales steeped in lore. Lara Croft extends back many years, but her iconic look has remained largely the same, even as we’ve learned more about her character and motivations.
Today, video game characters are often customizable, meaning everyone playing a game can have a slightly different version of a character. However, some are still iconic and recognizable purely for their appearance. One way this has been achieved is by using sunglasses, a great way to stylize a character and make them unique.
To illustrate the point, we’ve looked back and found some iconic characters who wore sunglasses.
Kid Chameleon
Kid Chameleon is an early example of creating a character that had a familiarity because of his glasses. The nature of the game saw him don several masks, so he didn’t wear his sunnies all the time, but he is still known for his iconic look, suggesting the developers did their job when designing the character.
He has a classic 50s James Dean feel, with slick hair, leather jackets, and those achingly cool shades. Dean wore Ray-Ban Wayfarers in the 1955 film Rebel Without a Cause, almost precisely the same as Kid Chameleon. Sadly, we haven’t seen Kid Chameleon since 1992, but if he did resurface, we guess he’d still be all about the James Dean look.
Duke Nukem
Duke Nukem is a video game legend, with appearances spanning two decades between 1991 and 2011. He was a reflection of the movie action heroes of the time, and his very first appearance was as the silent protagonist looking to save Earth from a mad scientist who had interrupted his soap opera!
Looking a lot like a certain Last Action Hero, Duke Nukem always wore a pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarers, much like Kid Chameleon. He often paired that with a cigar, fingerless gloves, and a red vest, creating the perfect film and video game crossover. He was once called ‘the ultimate cheese hero, and a true remnant of 80’s action flicks’ which underlines the flexibility of the shades he wore. Indeed, Ray-Ban sunglasses have been the staple of action heroes ever since the mid-80s.
Funky Kong
Part of Donkey Kong’s extended family, Funky Kong has recently appeared as a special heavy driver in Mario Kart 8, as well as many other games featuring his friend (and possibly brother). Given how many Kongs there are (Dixie, Tiny, Chunky, Kiddy, Candy, Swanky, Lanky, Bluster… the list goes on), it could be difficult to differentiate between the primate clan. That’s why Funky tends to wear a pair of smart sunglasses, as well as carrying a surfboard and wearing a bandana, to set him apart from his peers,
Given his sporty outlook, there’s no doubt that his eyewear is closely modeled on Oakley sunglasses. Their sunglasses are synonymous with extreme sports such as surfing, climbing, and karting, making them perfect for personalizing Funk Kong. They closely resemble the Sutro TI model, with narrow frames and huge lenses for maximum vision. They’re perfect when lining up a red shell with Princess in your sights!
Adam Jensen
In Deus Ex, Adam Jensen’s eyewear played a significant part in the story – they’re surgically attached cyborg augments, which might be a little out of the reach of the real-life sunglasses wearer. They completed a memorable look, topping off an otherwise unremarkable black ensemble.
Undoubtedly, these glasses were 100% bespoke, but video gamers can achieve the Deus Ex look. The sleek, narrow frames are not unlike the Oakley M2 glasses, and the branding on the M2 aligns with the markings of Jensen’s pair. The M2 might not give you superpowers, but who knows? With the advances in smart glasses technology, it could only be a matter of time!