Jest in Time: A Look Back at the Clowns of Nintendo

Jest in Time: A Look Back at the Clowns of Nintendo

Lola Pop, the newest addition to ARMS, might have you thinking Nintendo’s just clowning around with their character design. But a look back at Nintendo’s long game design history actually reveals an affinity for these face-painted juggalos. Here’s a look back at some big-time big-top dwellers from Nintendo’s lineup.

MAD CLOWN – SUPER PUNCH OUT

Don’t let ARMS trick you; Nintendo was advocating the punching of clowns as early as 1994. In Super Punch-Out!! for the SNES, Mad Clown was ranked #1 in the World Circuit, making him one of the tougher opponents Little Mac faces. And yes, that weird looking blonde guy is technically still Little Mac.

RUDY THE CLOWN – WARIO LAND 3

Oh jeez, as if Steven King’s It wasn’t already enough nightmare fuel… Rudy The Clown was the final boss in Wario Land 3, and his ability to give the player a game over by merely grabbing Wario only added to the terror. He would later return as the antagonist in Dr. Mario 64, because hey, why not keep the demonic clown monster in as many games as possible huh? This wasn’t even the only clown poor Wario would have to contend with; In Wario World for the GCN, mini-boss Clown-a-Round would throw fake heads at the player. No. Just, no.

MR. MIME – POKÉMON

Admittedly not very useful or popular, Mr. Mime WAS fairly rare in the original Pokémon Red and Blue games. Short of that, this barrier making mimic is a few tricks short of a full routine, but he’s still clowntastic. And Delia Ketchum seemed to like him well enough, so he can’t be all bad.

FYER AND FALBI – THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: TWILIGHT PRINCESS

The owners and managers of Fyer and Falbi’s Watertop Land of Fantastication, these two run a never ending cycle of cannonball rides upwards and cucco falling mini-games back down. Their opposing personalities work well together, with Falbi’s upbeat, effeminate style countering Fyer’s “tears of a clown” type depression. Oh, and they’re super creepy. Really creepy. But in a fun way. Kind of.

PIETRO – ANIMAL CROSSING

This sheep in clown’s clothing is one of the most polarizing villagers in the Animal Crossing franchise. Some people love him, considering him one of their favourite villagers. Some people hate him with a passion that should really only be reserved for Tabby and maybe Beardo. Either way, he’s one of the more memorable residents of the Animal Crossing world, and with a cast of over 300 characters, being that memorable has got to count for something.

KOOPA CLOWN CAR – SUPER MARIO WORLD

Less of a character and more of a vehicle, the Koopa Clown Car is still the best way to get around town. Falling into relative obscurity for years following Super Mario World, this funny-faced-flier has recently become a mainstay part of the Mario universe, appearing in a number of more recent titles. Nintendo even included a drive-able version in Mario Kart 8 DX for the Nintendo Switch.

KEFKA – FINAL FANTASY VI

Here he is, the king of clowns. Seriously, there can’t be a more amazing video game joker than this guy. Kefka is, to many people, one of the greatest Final Fantasy villains to ever fight a 4-person team of heroes in turn based combat. In addition to yelling at his subordinates for having sand on his boots in a desert, literally ascending to godhood and decimating half the world, he also became the last villain in main-series Final Fantasy titles on a Nintendo console.

 

Gamer by day, game designer by night - Lukas studied Digital Arts in school, and grew up in the age of the N64 and Gamecube. He's the youngster of the bunch, but that doesn't keep him from shouting out at every available opportunity on Infendo Radio. He often finds himself at the edge of counter-culture (hates Metroid Prime, loves Other M), but isn't afraid to dive into the next big budget AAA title with the best of 'em. Favorite game: Sonic Adventure 2 Battle/Skyward Sword/Ocarina of Time/Zero Escape 2/You get the idea