Best Medicine: Top Ten Laughter in Games

April 1st is April Fool’s Day but it’s also “Reading is Funny Day” – a time to enjoy the silliness of joke books and riddles. As a child, I was particularly fond of these same books, and I would constantly be looking for someone who would listen to me recite my newest bit. Usually met with groans, I at least knew I had the following characters that would always laugh at me – for better or worse!

Below are my Top Ten Instances of Laughter in Video Games!

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10) Chrono Trigger

Met at the Millennial Fair, this strange head with a pair of hands runs a tent game where you copy poses to win silver points. His haunting laugh makes you wonder if you should have stuck with the singing robot.

9) Street Fighter 2

Lots of victory laughs in this game but E. Honda’s always stood out to me – especially after hearing an onslaught of “haw haw haw haw haw” and “looks tight!” (I have no idea what he’s actually saying).

8) Turtles in Time

You’ve destroyed Shredder’s mechanical armor by throwing a series of foot soldiers directly into him, but he has escaped into time! Shredder cackles with glee from the beyond the portal.

7) Donkey Kong Country

Finally besting King K. Rool aboard his Gangplank Galleon, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong return to their treehouse to…play malicious pranks on each other!

6) Mario Kart 64

Nothing quite as intimidating as being hit with a red shell and then hearing Wario’s dubious roar of laughter to rub it in your face!

5) Zelda II

And thus begins the “game over” portion of my blog post. As if losing your lives wasn’t bad enough, now we have the main villains laughing at our misfortune! Zelda II was especially punishing because it meant you’re usually starting way back at the first temple.

4) Super Mario 64

I heard a rumor that the entire game of Super Mario 64 is just Bowser watching a recording of Mario’s adventure. That’s why every time you die you can hear Bowser laughing in the background.

3) Banjo Kazooie

In a way, Rare’s Banjo-Kazooie improves upon the Mario 64 formula in every way by allowing more open-world exploration and far more involved characters/story. So, naturally, they had to also have a far more devious cackle to heighten your game over experience.

2) Final Fantasy VI

Kefka’s laugh had a way of hitting me right in the gut. Usually we’d hear it before we saw the character, hinting that this evil clown was right around the corner.

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Honorable Mentions:

Final Fantasy X

A list about laughter wouldn’t be complete without this “iconic” moment! That’s all I’ll say about that.

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1) Duck Hunt

Love it or hate it, the Duck Hunt dog has been laughing at gamers since the early 80’s! Time to sit closer to the TV.

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Thanks for stopping by to read my post! What are your favorite instances of laughter in games? Who did I miss? Let me know in a comment!

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