MIPS - Super Mario 64
We’re pretty fond of MIPS, the mysterious yellow rabbit hidden in Princess Peach's basement in Super Mario 64. That sounds strange to write out. But as a fun little diversion whenever you visit the basement, plus the fact that this is where many of those chase sequences in later Mario games came from, we had to pay tribute to one of the OG bunnies in Mario. Those two Power Stars aren’t bad, either.
MIPS only appears twice in Mario 64. Once after you've collected 15 stars, and again when you've got 50. Each time you'll need to chase him around the basement and catch him to get one star. And, that's it. MIPS did appear in Mario Party 3 very briefly, but we always remember trying to catch the speedy little rabbit and bumping into the wall for the first time.
Arcade Bunny - Nintendo Badge Arcade
Ahh, RIP Free Play days. Okay, enough reminiscing about what's lost in Nintendo Badge Arcade, and more looking at the Arcade Bunny.
This incredibly-expressive rabbit has found a home, and his perfect job, at the arcade that you visit in Badge Arcade. This is his dream, and he's extremely knowledgeable, becoming your source of information during your every visit to this badge paradise. He's also a skilled craftsman, building the collection of statues that you accrue throughout this free-to-start title.
Rather brilliantly, Arcade Bunny became an Assist Trophy in Smash Ultimate, using the grabber claw to pick up your enemies. So we reckon there's a future for this popular pink friend.
Alice - Bloody Roar: Primal Fury
Who remembers Bloody Roar? The series has mostly been in arcades or on PlayStation systems, but Alice Tsukagami (or Nonomura) has been in every single entry, including the only Nintendo outing for the series — Bloody Roar: Primal Fury.
So, technically, Alice isn't a rabbit — she's a Zoanthrope, a human who can transform into a beast or animal. Alice was experimented on as a child, and her Zoanthrope transformation is that of a bunny. Fighting a bunny might not sound terrifying, but think about a human-sized bunny, and think about a kick from that bunny. Hurts, doesn't it? Her kind and loving nature hides a deadly bunny rabbit transformation, and it suits her personality. We want to see more Bloody Roar, and we're sure Alice would return if it made a comeback.
Rayton - F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch
We called Kaze badass, but Rayton might actually take the carrot for this title. F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch stars the grizzled former soldier as he fights back against the Machine Legion who have overtaken Torch City. His weapon of choice? A huge mechanical arm.
Rayton is unlike any other rabbit on this list. He's combat-hardened, adept with machinery, and oil-slicked in a diesel-punk world. Until we saw Rayton, we didn't think rabbits could get rough and ready, but then this Metroidvania hopped in from nowhere with its brutal combat and platforming. And now we know better than to doubt. We want to see more Rayton in the future.
Despotic Arsene - Xenoblade Chronicles
We're sorry for bringing back painful memories for Xenoblade Chronicles fans here, but we had to pick Despotic Arsene, a unique monster and superboss in the original and Definitive Edition of the game.
Tucked away in Satorl Marsh new the Glowing Obelisk, this level 108 enemy can be encountered after completing the Mechonis Core. Despite being pretty darn cute, Despotic Arsene has the highest agility stat out of all enemies in the game, meaning it's incredibly hard to hit. The key is Night Vision gems and increasing your own agility. We're used to superbosses being big, not cute!
We promise we were originally going to put the bunnits on this list, but after suffering through the pain of this ourselves, well, we have a fondness for this fight.
Scorbunny - Pokémon Sword & Shield
Azumarill. Buneary. Lopunny. Bunnelby. Diggersby. We're honestly surprised there aren't more Pokémon based on rabbits. Still, the newest — Scorbunny, the Fire-type starter from Sword & Shield — might be the best.
Bursting with a peppy personality and tons of energy, Scorbunny captured many people's hearts when it was first revealed. And it's got a solid evolutionary line in Raboot and Cinderace, becoming a soccer-loving rabbit with a blazing kick. You can't go wrong with Scorbunny as your starter in the Galar region, particularly if your Cinderace has the Libero Hidden Ability — the bane of many competitive players' existence.
(Yes, we admit, we totally forgot Azumarill was a bunny, too. It evolves from a mouse! Explain that, science.)
Nabbit - New Super Mario Bros. U
Since his debut in New Super Mario Bros. U, Nabbit has become a bit of a mainstay. Mostly sticking to the New series, this sneaky suspect often steals from Toad Houses, meaning you need to chase after him to get the goods back. But in New Super Luigi U and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, you can play as the burglar bunny — and he's immune to enemy attacks, too. That's not fair!
Nabbit has actually helped Mario out on a number of occasions, such as in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. The rabbit has also taken up a side hobby of golf in Mario Golf: World Tour. He's even appeared in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Ultimate, in the background of the Mushroom Kingdom U stage.
Nabbit is here to stay, and we have a little smidge of hope that we'll be seeing him in the next 3D Mario game. Or perhaps the Mario Movie sequel. Whenever those happen.
Jazz Jackrabbit - Jazz Jackrabbit (GBA)
To any kid growing up in the '90s who played video games, Jazz Jackrabbit might ring a familiar bell. Amidst all of the animal mascot platformers released at the time, Jazz Jackrabbit stood out for his proficiency with a laser gun and his rather unmissable neon-green fur colour. Jazz hasn't made many appearances on Nintendo consoles, but he did get one GBA game in 2002, where Jazz underwent a bit of a makeover with much darker fur and a more restrained appearance. However, this was the first time he could aim his fun in all eight cardinal directions.
This series has since been dormant, though you can get the games on GOG if you're feeling a bit nostalgic. The GBA Game, though, has been lost to time. NSO, maybe...?
Max - Sam & Max Save the World
One of the most iconic rabbits on this list by far, Max is the loud, brash, destructive, mischievous partner of Sam in the Sam & Max series. Sam is the brains while Max is the brawn — as in, Max just wants to destroy everything. Yet the pair of opposing personalities create a perfect and hilarious partnership that makes this adventure game series stand out.
Even with Max's over-the-top personality, what makes the character work is his relationship with Sam. He'd do anything for him, even if he shows most of his affection through violence. A star both in the adventure game genre and in comic book and graphic novel history, Max might just be one of the funniest characters in media. Don't call Max a rabbit, though. He's more of a "hyperkinetic, three-foot rabbity thing", or a lagomorph.
Comments 62
These Rabbits are cool and all but one I’d like to add is Captain Bucky O Hare from the NES game. That was actually a pretty good game back in the day.
A friendly reminder
that them
MIPS from Super Mario 64. I did not know the name. So the name is MIPS. Alice from Bloody Roar I was completely forgot that. That game was amazing it was on the Gamecube. A fighting game it was. I do not know which Alice this is from Bloody Roar maybe there are more Bloody Roar games on the Gamecube.
Someone didn't appreciate the first edition print in mint condition from the Ogler's Digest issue 1 in Dragon Quest XI
I never want to hear that NL are out of ideas for articles!
Its Kaze hands down.
Happy Easter everyone and what a fun article to celebrate it here on Nintendo Life!
There's Pinky the ghost who transforms into Romp the Bunny ghost and gains the power to super jump at Pac-Man's position, does she count?
Big Chungus is on this list, I'm satisfied
The very first one I think of is easily the Nintendo Badge Arcade bunny followed by Peppy. I don't know why I think of that one first but he is the most memorable to me! 😄
Broodals being a dishonourable mention makes me want to hit the dislike button... If there was one. Not that they are iconic or anything, but they were not particularly annoying either. Looking at the other options, their design stands out as some of the better ones tbh.
Also, Happy Easter!
I'm all for accessibility or difficulty options, but I still despise nabbit. It's just so ugly and weird looking. Also, I would add chicory to the list - now that is a lovely rabbit.
Happy Easter everyone
Zipper T. getting a dishonorable mention makes sense, but why is Ravio here? Like Zipper T., He just has a rabbit themed costume on.
I miss Cream, even in Sonic Rush she played an important part in the story.
After that, Sega was like "off to the vault of forgotten characters with you!"
I know the dub of Frontiers mentions her, but like, they also mention SATAM, these callbacks are as useful as Sonic is underwater.
@AlienX SATAM isnt in Frontiers. Thats IDW
Usagi Yojimbo?
Happy easter Nintendolife
Nice feature of all long eared game rodents! Happy Easter, and for those who follow the Zodiac lunar calendar, happy year of the rabbit!
yessss ravio
Let's not forget Peppy Hare's daughter, Lucy Hare. Not only is she an accomplished pilot, being able to take down the Anglar forces, she also teaches astrophysics (a rather difficult subject) on Fichina (the ice world). So she is a VERY capable woman in her own right. She deserves a spot on this list, right up there with her father. Heck, maybe even her deceased mother, Vivian Hare, deserves a spot as well, even though we don't know about her that much.
Klonoa, kinda?
Rabbits and Hares are two different things, sure the look similar but calling a Hare a Rabbit is like saying Japaese and Chinese are the same thing.
So Peppy shouldn't even be on the list.
Good to see Rayton on here. Oh and Happy Easter everyone.
I did not know MIPS had a name. I liked Star Bunny from the Mario Galaxy games.
I think Cream should be put back in Sonic, in some form at least. She works in the Sonic Advance series.
Nice list!
@TYRANACLES I still have a Bucky O'Hare toy I got at a carboot sale in the 90s. sits proudly on the shelf at my parents house.
What about Jumping Flash??
Is Klonoa a rabbit? I always thought it was a cat but it's ears aren't cat like. Got spaniel ears but not a dog face so I assumed it was a rabbit??
Fran is one of my all time favourite FF characters, and the Viera race is so interesting. At first I was kinda against seeing male Viera, but after reading the lore and how they operate, they just made the Viera race even cooler to me. I play as a Viera monk in FFXIV.
I love the games set in Ivalice and am hoping for a FF Tactics HD-2D collection.
As for Pokémon, I don’t care what people say or think, Lopunny is the best rabbit Pokémon.
And Coco? Seriously? When there’s Bonbon, Chrissy, Francine, Sasha and Gaston?
I like Bugs Bunny. He's a big star, and a teacher and Principal of Acme Looniversity, school of Higher Learning and Lower Comedy, and one-time Easter Rabbit after the events of "Easter Yeggs." He might have passed the job onto his prized pupil, Buster Bunny (Eh, watch the Tiny Toons Spring Break Special to get an idea). Also, he starred in numerous games from Sunsoft, like Rabbit Rampage and Looney Tunes B-Ball (which used the Super Multi-Tap). Now, I wonder what kind of material makes for good whiskers for my Build-A-Bear Bugs Bunny.
"we didn't think rabbits could get rough and ready"
laughs in Bigwig from Watership Down
"My chief told me to defend this run, and until he says otherwise, I shall stay here!"
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/watershipdown/images/0/04/Bigwig_Fullbody.PNG/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/350?cb=20220612065927
Also, what about Lagombi from Monster Hunter Rise? Close enough, I should say.
@Samalik Sonic saying "Let's do it to it!" is 100% from SATAM.
Either way, point is the same.
I don't mean to correct anyone, just bring a fun little piece of trivia: while the male viera appearance debuted in FFXIV endwalker, they already existed in lore in FFXII, just didn't appear due to their reclusive nature.
FFXIV models for male Viera come directly from XII concept art
Happy Easter NL Staff. This was a fun list. Though I gotta give mad props to Azumarill and Bucky o Hare.
@OwenOtter Bigwig is best WD bunny.
Luma rabbits
Uh, ALICE from BLOODY ROAR... great memories... However, personally my best "rabbit in videogames" is ROBBIT from the playstation series "JUMPING FLASH!"
Jazz Jackrabbit is here. All is well.
Hm... What's about Amusement Park Rabbit from NieR:Automata The End of YoRHa Edition? 😉
"Dishonourable Mention: The Broodals"
Spot on. Awful charmless characters, maybe the worst creations in the Mario series.
@FantasiaWHT Klonoa resembles a cat, so no he wouldn't be considered as one.
Where's Hoppy from ClayFighter 2: Judgment Clay
The Broodals do suck, I agree, but worse than the Rabbids? Hook me up with whatever you're smoking because I'd also like go to the moon.
What of the Bunny Link form from A Link to the Past when you first enter the Dark World?
Fun fact: Sonic the Hedgehog was originally going to be a rabbit.
We need more rabbits in our lifes xD Happy Easter!
27 chances to include Erina from Rabi-Ribi, all blown. Not sure if the game flew under Alana's radar or if Erina herself was mistaken for an actual human at a glance (then again, the game description addresses it almost out the gate). And I thought viera were more hare-like, but that may be a technicality I'm biased enough toward Fran to overlook.😄
Rabbits are me second-least-favorite animals after horses, but I absolutely love the thoroughness of this article and I might have to bump them up a notch. Now I have to decide what my previously third-least-favorite animal was.
Idk why u didn’t just go with rabbids in general but oh well still a good list
I hope this article inspires game developers to create more quality rabbit characters in games!
You missed the Captain, Bucky O Hare
How could I forget to mention Zero III from Zero Escape?!
@Outlander999 Yess Alice from Bloody Roar I remember that from Gamecube version.
Max and Rabites are my favourite from here. There IS a Rabite plushie in Japan. Once in a blue moon one surfaces on Ebay, but typically goes for a lot of money.
@TYRANACLES I was just about to reference Bucky! I rented the NES game many times, got some of the toys and watched the short lived Saturday morning cartoon.
I absolutely love articles like this. Nice soothing fun reads all around.
Mirurun - Tetris Battle Gaiden.
Giving us electric animals before Pokémon made it cool.
@Uncle_Franklin koopling superiority
Scorbunny's the cutest of the lot. I'm surprised that furry-bait Lopunny wasn't given a dishonourable mention. The Nintendo Badge Arcade bunny also deserved to be lumped in that category, who has a special place in hell for his predatory monetisation tactics.
But Spaz from Jazz Jackrabbit 2 has a special place in my heart as my sister has spastic cerebral palsy, and the game also introduced local multiplayer, which allowed us to play the main game together. Spaz was such an out-of-left-field inclusion but one that we wholeheartedly welcomed (no doubt many nowadays would deem him to be "problematic" rolls eyes).
He was also quite refreshing as it was the first (and only?) time that I had seen a playable protagonist with a very conspicuous disability. The only other disabled video game character that even springs to mind is Lincoln Broadsheet from The Urbz: Sims in the City on GBA/DS, who was paraplegic, and (as his name implies) a journalist. I can't even recall any other such characters, though they would have been minor side characters at best.
What about Tappy from HarmoKnight? Not only is he so ridiculously cute that Game Freak and Nintendo should be ashamed of themselves for never making any merchandise of him, (he is a major part of why HarmoKnight’s opening cutscenes is one of the cutest ones I’ve ever seen) but despite being the only non-warrior in the group of traveling characters, he still has a significant role. He’s not just a cute animal in distress for the child protagonist to rescue or a defenseless buddy to protect; he uses his eye for detail to scout the terrain ahead. He gives tips on how to approach the obstacles, etc. ahead, if he sees enemies on distant platforms, he calls in Lyra, and if he sees thick, heavy enemies (and Ampliflies) he calls in Tyko and Cymbi. Tappy also tends to translate for animals that can’t speak a human language and is a sweet and supportive buddy character. There’s nothing generic or forgettable about him.
Also, why only mention the Streetpass Mii Plaza bunnies as salesbunnies when there were also Helper Hares and rabbit wandering heroes that brown shirt Miis could summon?
Plus, the more obvious: where is Arcade Bunny?
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