Some of the greatest and most iconic video game characters came out of the 1980s. In fact, the eighties were a decade of great innovation and growth for the video game industry. Whether you were around during these times or not you will have heard of most of these characters’ names. We are talking about Pac-Man, Super Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, and so many more recognizable video game legends.
These games were known for their simple, addictive gameplay and fun graphics. I think the best video game characters of all time were born in the 1980s and most of them are still relevant today with new games and spin-offs still revolving around them.
- Pac-Man
- Donkey Kong
- Mario
- Link
- Ms. Pac-Man
- Little Mac
- Alex Kidd
- Q-Bert
- Mega Man (Rockman)
- Samus Aran
- Bill Rizer & Lance Bean
- Billy Lee
- Joe Musashi
- Kid Icarus
- Bomberman
- Chef Pepper
- Duck Hunt Dog
- Jaffar
- Frog
- Dig Dug
- Jacky
- Hockey Fat Guy
- Luigi
- Super Joe
- Tyris Flare
- Gilius Thunderhead
- Questor
- Alis
- Snoopy
- Kanzo Hattori
- Wonder Boy
- Kage
- Centurion
- Hayato
- Giana
- Lady Bug
- Lion-O
- Arthur
- Larry
- Knight & Ostrich
- Mike Tyson
In no particular order, we give you the big list of eighties video game characters:

Pac-Man
- Debuted – 1982
- Developer – Atari
- System – Atari 2600
- Game – Pac-Man
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– HandHeld Pac-Man Console
– Mini Collectible Pac-Man Game

Donkey Kong
- Debuted – 1982
- Developer – Coleco
- System – ColecoVision
- Game – Donkey Kong
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– Donkey Kong TableTop Arcade

Mario
- Debuted – 1985
- Developer – Nintendo
- System – NES
- Game – Super Mario Bros.
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– NES Classic Edition System

Link
- Debuted – 1986
- Developer – Nintendo
- System – NES
- Game – Legend Of Zelda

Ms. Pac-Man
- Debuted – 1986
- Developer – Nintendo
- System – NES
- Game – Mrs. Pac-Man
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– Ms. Pac-Man Counter Arcade

Little Mac
- Debuted – 1987
- Developer – Nintendo
- System – NES
- Game – Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out

Alex Kidd
- Debuted – 1986
- Developer – Sega
- System – Master System
- Game – Alex Kidd In Miracle World

Q-Bert
- Debuted – 1983
- Developer – Parker Brothers
- System – Atari 2600
- Game – Q-Bert
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– Q-Bert Mini Handheld Game

Mega Man (Rockman)
- Debuted – 1987
- Developer – Capcom
- System – NES
- Game – Mega Man

Samus Aran
- Debuted – 1986
- Developer – Nintendo
- System – NES
- Game – Metroid

Bill Rizer & Lance Bean
- Debuted – 1987
- Developer – Konami
- System – NES
- Game – Contra

Billy Lee
- Debuted – 1987
- Developer – Konami
- System – NES
- Game – Double Dragon


Joe Musashi
- Debuted – 1988
- Developer – Sega
- System – Master System
- Game – Shinobi

Kid Icarus
- Debuted – 1987
- Developer – Nintendo
- System – NES
- Game – Kid Icarus

Bomberman
- Debuted – 1985
- Developer – Hudson Soft
- System – NES
- Game – Bomberman
View On Amazon
– Bomberman On Switch Console

Chef Pepper
- Debuted – 1982
- Developer – Data East
- System – Atari 2600
- Game – BurgerTime

Duck Hunt Dog
- Debuted – 1985
- Developer – Nintendo
- System – NES
- Game – Duck Hunt

Jaffar
- Debuted – 1989
- Developer – Broderbund
- System – Apple II
- Game – Prince Of Persia

Frog
- Debuted – 1983
- Developer – Konami
- System – Atari 2600
- Game – Frogger

Dig Dug
- Debuted – 1983
- Developer – Namco
- System – Atari 2600
- Game – Dig Dug

Jacky
- Debuted – 1986
- Developer – Namcot
- System – NES
- Game – Kung Fu Heroes

Hockey Fat Guy
- Debuted – 1988
- Developer – Nintendo
- System – NES
- Game – Ice Hockey

Luigi
- Debuted – 1985
- Developer – Nintendo
- System – NES
- Game – Super Mario Bros.
Options To Play Game Today
– NES Classic Mini Console

Super Joe
- Debuted – 1986
- Developer – Capcom
- System – NES
- Game – Commando

Tyris Flare
- Debuted – 1989
- Developer – Sega
- System – Master System
- Game – Golden Axe

Gilius Thunderhead
- Debuted – 1989
- Developer – Sega
- System – Master System
- Game – Golden Axe

Questor
- Debuted – 1985
- Developer – Tengen
- System – NES
- Game – Gauntlet

Alis
- Debuted – 1988
- Developer – Sega
- System – Master System
- Game – Phantasy Star

Snoopy
- Debuted – 1983
- Developer – Atari
- System – Atari 2600
- Game – Snoopy and the Red Baron

Kanzo Hattori
- Debuted – 1986
- Developer – Bandai
- System – NES
- Game – Ninja Kid

Wonder Boy
- Debuted – 1987
- Developer – Sega
- System – Master System
- Game – Wonder Boy

Kage
- Debuted – 1987
- Developer – Taito
- System – NES
- Game – The Legend Of Kage

Centurion
- Debuted – 1989
- Developer – Sega
- System – Master System
- Game – Altered Beast

Hayato
- Debuted – 1988
- Developer – Sega
- System – Master System
- Game – Kenseiden

Giana
- Debuted – 1988
- Developer – Time Warp
- System – Commodore 64
- Game – The Great Giana Sisters

Lady Bug
- Debuted – 1982
- Developer – Universal
- System – Coleco Vision
- Game – Lady Bug

Lion-O
- Debuted – 1987
- Developer – Gargoyle Games
- System – Commodore 64
- Game – Thundercats

Arthur
- Debuted – 1989
- Developer – Capcom
- System – Master System
- Game – Ghouls’n Ghosts

Larry
- Debuted – 1987
- Developer – Sierra
- System – Apple 2
- Game – Lesire Suit Larry

Knight & Ostrich
- Debuted – 1982
- Developer – Atari
- System – Apple 2
- Game – Joust
View On Walmart
– Joust 14-1 Legacy Arcade

Mike Tyson
- Debuted – 1987
- Developer – Nintendo
- System – NES
- Game – Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out

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