Not quite having the staying power as Mario, Luigi, and Sonic the Hedgehog are these eight of the most irrelevant video game mascots from gaming history.

Video game mascots have served as some of the most popular pop culture icons in history. From Italian plumbing brothers Mario and Luigi to loveable lump of burlap, Sackboy, there's a good handful of famous faces attached to game franchises.
But what about the video game mascots who never had as much staying power? What of the characters that most gamers have since forgotten about? In this list we round up eight of the most irrelevant video game mascots.

Polygon Man

Created to be the mascot for the PlayStation 1's launch in North America, the blocky faced character featured in a few advertisements before unceremoniously being given the boot. Global head of PlayStation, Ken Kutaragi hated Polygon Man's shading and so the character "was taken out into the car park and quietly shot," according to former Sony executive Phil Harrison.

Polygon Man did make a brief return in Sony brawler PlayStation All-Stars as the game's big bad, but don't expect him to become the face of the brand (again) any time soon.


Bubsy the Bobcat

bubsy the bobcat

Alliterative and furry, Bubsy the Bobcat was the star of several platforming games in the 1990s. The series, which includes brilliantly named titles such as Bubsy in Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind, were envisioned as a rival to Super Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog.

While Bubsy never became as famous as Mario or Sonic, a television pilot based on his adventures was made. Sadly, it was never picked up for a full series, with poor Bubsy fading into irrelevancy.


Aero the Acro-Bat

aero the acro-bat
Created by David Siller (who also created Crash Bandicoot) Aero the Acro-Bat was a red bat fighting against the evil ways of a former clown. Publisher Sunsoft may have used Aero as a mascot during the 16-bit days, but these didn't last and neither did the bat's popularity.
Both of Aero's games were released on Virtual Console in 2010, but even so, it's unlikely that he'll ever be relevant again.

Gex

Before it was making Tomb Raider games and insta-classics like 102 Dalmations: Puppies to the Rescue, Crystal Dynamics hit it big with Gex. A gecko who loves TV, Gex was the developer's mascot for a while.
With three games, released between 1995-99, Gex's adventures shifted over 15 million copies across all platforms. So while the gecko may be irrelevant now, in his heyday he was quite a big deal.

Zool

Although he looks a bit like an ant, Zool was a gremlin who has to complete boss battles in order to become a ninja. He was the star of two games in 1990s, with Zool's adventures reaching critical acclaim.

But despite people having high praise for both Zool games, the ninja gremlin/ant-looking mascot wasn't a good enough rival to Mario and Sonic (as intended) and so he finds himself on this list.


Awesome Possum

awesome possum

The star of Awesome Possum...Kicks Dr. Machino's Butt, Awesome Possum made history as the second video game character ever to have recorded dialogue (the other was Bubsy the Bobcat). Such voice lines included "I'm so cool!"

Unfortunately for Awesome Possum, he was the only one who thought he was cool, as Kicks Dr. Machino's Butt was panned upon release. Clearly, the plans for Awesome Possum to be a rival to Sonic the Hedgehog didn't quite pan out.


Cool Spot

cool spot
Also trying to seem 'cool' and, presumably, "down with the kids," was 90s mascot Cool Spot. Throughout his platforming game (also titled Cool Spot), the goal is to rescue other cool spots from captivity.
Cool Spot did get a sequel called Spot Goes to Hollywood, but having been created to promote soft drink brand 7 UP, Spot's success was never built to last and he became irrelevant once the marketing campaign ended.

 Ty the Tasmanian Tiger

Looking like Crash Bandicoot's copyright-dodging brother, Ty the Tasmanian Tiger sports funky shorts and is fighting to free his family. Ty's games (there are four in total) have sold millions, even being part of the PS2 Greatest Hits re-releases in the early 2000s.
Unlike the many other irrelevant video game mascots that populate this list, Ty the Tasmanian Tiger does actually have a shot and becoming popular once more. Ty the Tasmanian Tiger was remastered and released on Steam Early Access earlier this year, so, should PC gamers take well to his return he could just mount the greatest comeback in history.

Which video game mascots do you love? And which ones do you think are 'irrelevant'? Let us know in the comments.