Gaming's 10 Greatest Moms
Posted by Steven Collier on Apr. 29th, 2016
Video games are all about providing the player with a kind of power fantasy. When you plug in your system of choice, you want to feel like you're exploring fantastic worlds, conquering distant kingdoms, and realizing your own personal legend! It's you against an unforgiving universe, and it feels great! So, it kind of makes sense that games try to avoid inserting parents into their narratives. After all, having a digital mom chaperoning all your adventures tends to feel more than a little stifling. However, that doesn't mean it's always the case. Here are the ten best moms in gaming history:
10. Amelia Croft from Tomb Raider
The mother of Lara Croft, is pretty much entirely responsible for inspiring her daughter's questionably ethical career path of Archaeologist and part-time treasure hunter. (That's a bit like being a teller and part-time bank robber.) Back when Lara was only 8 years old, she and mommy crash-landed a plane in the Himalayas. Things only got more complicated from there, when Amelia discovers Excalibur and accidentally transports herself to the magical realm of Avalon. Little Lara then dedicates herself to tomb raiding, until she can find her mother, creating one of gaming's most iconic heroines.
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9. Pokemom from Pokemon
She may have an extremely hands-off approach to parenting. But then, isn't there something to be said for letting kids figure things out for themselves? Your mom in Pokemon never seems to leave the house or do much to encouarge you on your quest to capture and/or destroy every animal on the planet. But, she never gets rid of your stuff or remodels your room while you're away. She makes sure you always have a place to crash as you ramble across the globe. She doesn't even charge you rent. And honestly, that's pretty awesome of her.
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8. Shigeru Miyamoto from The Real World...Maybe?
Yes, the former general manager of Nintendo and creator of the original Donkey Kong is also a mother. At least, that's what he claims. Back in 2015, Miyamoto answered a ton of Mario related questions to promote his latest game. One of those questions was if he knew the elusive identity of Bowser Jr.'s mother. Miyamoto nodded and then motioned that it was none other than himself. This revelation was...unexpected, to say the least. I think it's best not to think too much about the relation between Miyamoto and Bowser. However, considering that their kid has already come close to conquering the world on multiple occasions, it's hard to deny they've raised a serious over-achiever.
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7. Jenova from Final Fantasy VII
As long as we're talking about problem children in gaming, let's look at their poster boy: Sephiroth, the galaxy-smashing big bad from Final Fantasy VII. Sephiroth had a strange upbringing. It's morbid, and FILLED WITH SPOILERS! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED! He's both the clone and adopted "Son" of Jenova, an extraterrestrial monstrosity, that likes to joyride across the universe on the husks of dead planets she's destroyed. And guess what? In that respect little Sephi's very much his mother's child. A great role model? No. However, it's hard to argue that Jenova's unconventional parenting directly resulted in one of the greatest villains and adventures in gaming history.
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6. Samus from Metroid
As long as were talking about women who raise horrible monsters, let's look at Samus. Samus Aran may be the single most accomplished woman in gaming. She's the most feared Bounty Hunter in the universe. She's saved the galaxy on more than a few occasions. And she's known to routinely destroy entire planets in her down time. But on top of all that, she's done it all as a single, working mother. Kind of. In Metroid II: Return of Samus for the Nintendo Gameboy, she's hired to wipe out every Metroid in the Universe. She almost accomplishes this goal, but along the way she discovers a newly hatched Metroid which imprints on her, assuming the destroyer of worlds is its mommy. Samus is reluctant to kill the little critter, and adopts it instead. Considering that it's the last of a race of nearly indestructible bioweapons, that have toppled countless civilizations, this may seem reckless. But, this is also Samus we're talking about. If anyone can raise the thing, it's her.
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5. Rosalina from Super Mario Galaxy
Rosalina is yet another adoptive mother. In her case, she is the acting parent for an entire race of sentient-star creatures called "Lumas." The Lumas, recognizing Rosalina's kindness, nominated her to be their mother after their own parents went missing millenia ago. This is charming, until you understand that every Luma is both immortal and possesses almost infinite power. Any Luma has the potential to transform into an entire galaxy. So the fact that Rosalina commands an army of the little darlings is both adorable and horrifying. Fortunately, Rosalina is a wise and benevolent parent. Despite all temptation, she's never used her limitless power for evil, and continues to raise the Lumas to make the universe a better place.
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4. The Boss from Metal Gear Solid 3
How amazing is The Boss? Well, for starters: "The Boss" isn't just a title. It's her actual name. Among her many accomplishments are inventing the American Special Forces Unit, as well as the most devastating form of hand-to-hand combat the world has ever seen. As a parent, her achievements are no less awesome. She first learned she was pregnant while attempting to assassinate a former Manhattan Project Scientist. And nine months later, she gave birth while simultaneously storming the beaches of Normandy. Unfortunately, the child was almost immediately kidnapped by the Illuminati, and she spent the remainder of her life trying to create a world where her child could grow up free from her many, many enemies. She was not entirely successful in this goal. Her kid grows up to be a psychotic, gun-slinging, quintuple-agent, who nearly destroys the world. And even her star pupil, Jack, goes on to become an international warlord called "Big Boss."The Boss is the unintentional instigator behind all the madness of the Metal Gear franchise, and while her kids may not be the most well-behaved, it wasn't for her lack of trying.
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3. Yoshi from Yoshi's Island
Wow. There are a LOT of adoptive parents on this list. But none, are anywhere nearly as selfless as Yoshi. One day, Baby Mario literally falls out of the sky, and on the spot, Yoshi decides to risk everything to take care of this kid. No hesitation. This dinosaur will die for the child of a stranger. That's dedication. Especially, considering how annoying the kid can be when he cries. And cries. And cries. And never stops crying. I'll be straight with you: I don't know I could look after baby Mario for an afternoon. So in my book, the fact that Yoshi protects the kid to the ends of the Earth, is more than enough to earn the Dinosaur a spot amongst the greatest gaming moms of all time.
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2. Ness's Mom from Earthbound
Ness' mom is the definition of amazing parenting. In EarthBound, she is the mother of a psychic 13 year old, who lives in a world filled with dangerous monsters. One day, her kid decides that he wants to leave home, and go on an epic quest to save the world. Her response? "Right on! Go get 'em, tiger!" As Ness progresses on his adventures, he can always call home to get an encouraging pep talk from his mom, who completely supports him in his dangerous exploits. Whenever, Ness gets too weary he can go home and his mom will fully heal him and make him a steak dinner to boot! She even covers for her son's absence from school, telling all of his teachers that he's been too sick to attend classes. In all of gaming, there has never been a mother as phenomenally supportive as Ness' mom. Except for one...
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1. Your Own Mother from Your Own Life
Almost everyone I know received their first video game system as a gift from their parents. So, when you think back on all the good times you've had gaming over the years, try and remember where it all started. Your mother is directly responsible for introducing you to the digital worlds that defined your childhood. She might also be responsible for selling all your games while you were away at camp, but I'm sure she only meant well. Regardless of whether you grew up playing Nintendo, Sega, Playstation, or anything else, as long as that system was a gift from your folks, the most important mom in your personal gaming journey is doubtlessly your own.
Okay, enough with the sappy stuff. What do you think of our list? Are there any women, or aliens, or dinosaurs, or Nintendo developers I missed? Be sure to let me know in the comments section. And until next time, I speak for all of DKOldies when I wish you and yours a happy Mother's Day!