Introduction
Retro gaming is one of the most popular pastimes among people of all ages.
What is retro gaming? Retro Gaming is the latest trend when it comes to gaming. If you love classic games from leading companies such as Nintendo, you are probably a fan of Retro Gaming.
In recent years, the popularity of retro gaming has continued to grow. There is little wonder. The characters are lovable and fun. Compared to new game releases, they have an innocence about them.
Escaping into the fantasy world of retro gaming is a great way to spend a couple of hours if you feel like chilling out.
Let’s look at the top 15 bunny characters you encounter in retro gaming.
Here are some of the most popular bunny characters in retro games:
1 Bucky O’Hare
Bucky O’Hare is a fantastic character you will love. If you would like to meet him, you need to check out the game Bucky O’Hare released by Nintendo.
This popular game was released in 1992 and quickly became popular. Today, you can say Bucky O’Hare is a cult classic. If you haven’t played the game yet, you simply must.
What do you need to know about the brave superhero Bucky O’Hare?
Unusually, Bucky is a green rabbit. In the game named in his honour, he leads a motley crew of animals in the fight against the Toad Empire.
Bucky is a fantastic warrior and can use almost any weapon. More than likely, he picked up his fighting skills on his home planet Warren. It is rumoured that he was trained by a mysterious mentor who turned him into a fighter with exceptional skill.
Bucky is a strong leader and hates the Toad Empire with Gusto. Unlike many other leaders, he is not afraid to take on the enemy himself.
This is a great game. If you love the game, you should also check out the comic and the TV series which launched in 1991. By the way, Bucky is sometimes called Captain Bucky.
There is no doubt about it – this is one lean, green fighting machine.
2 Jazz Jack rabbit
Jazz Jackrabbit has some of the biggest ears when it comes to rabbits in retro gaming. As a matter of fact, it is fair to say that Jazz Jackrabbit is more of a hare than a rabbit.
This vibrant character from the planet Carrotus first made his appearance in 1994.
He first appeared in a game released by Epic Mega Games. It did not take long for him to become a popular character both in the United States and Japan.
Since those early days, many more have discovered him and his siblings,Spaz and Lori. Altogether, there have been four releases.
If you are a Jazz Jackrabbit fan,you also want to look out for guest appearances. He made a guest appearance in the game One Must Fall 2097.
Jazz even made a guest appearance in the game Fortnight. This is still a very popular character and will continue to pop up. Jazz made his latest appearance in Doom II.
This is certainly a bunny worth looking out for.
3 Bunnie Rabbot
Do you like cyborgs and rabbits? If so, Bunnie Rabbot is the right choice for you.
If you are familiar with the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, you have probably come across Bunnie Rabbot. This rather provocative cyborg also goes by the name of Bunnie D’Coolette.
She is one of the top members of the Freedom Fighters. Poor Bunnie was badly injured when Dr. Eggman attacked Mobotropolis.
Fortunately, her life could be saved. Professor Charles the Hedgehog replaced several of her body parts with cybernetics. Once she received it,she became one of the leading driving forces against the evil Eggman Empire. Bunnie is a bit of a tomboy, but great fun to be around.
4 Rabbit
Winnie the Pooh in the Hundred Acre Wood is a classic retro game based on the popular characters you find in the Winnie the Pooh books.
Rabbit has always been a popular guy and a great supporter of Winnie the Pooh himself.
Looking at this game, it is hard to believe it was first released in 1984.
It has to be said that, it is a rather simple game. But if you are a lover of classic cartoon characters, you love them!
Needless to say, many other friends of Winnie feature in the game. Before you play, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with Winnie the Pooh and his adventures.
5 Gun Nac
Actually,this rabbit is the boss in the first level of Gun Nac, a rabbit-shaped mechanical armor that launches carrot-shaped missiles.
In the distant future, Earth’s resources will have been depleted, and many Earthlings will have migrated to an artificial galaxy called the Moon Star to live. Like other artificial galaxies built by the Galactic Federation, this is a vibrant galaxy.
However, the peaceful landscape was disrupted by a sudden disaster, as the cosmic radiation from the sun swept across the entire galaxy, giving life to inanimate objects and transforming docile animals into massive, violent species that began to attack the inhabitants of the moon.
The Galactic Federation realized the seriousness of the problem and invited the Witch to summon the legendary fighter Gun Nac. As the only hope to save the artificial galaxy, the witch piloted her beloved fighter jet and embarked on an unknown and dangerous journey.
6 Bugs Bunny
It is easy to assume everybody knows who Bugs Bunny is. But, that is not the case.
Bugs Bunny was a classic Looney Tunes character before he became what you can only call a gaming bunny.
Thankfully, you will instantly recognize him. In the game Bugs Bunny Lost In Time, he is the main protagonist.
The game was released by PlayStation and Microsoft in 1999. It quickly became popular.
A sequel to the game Bugs Bunny & Taz Time Busters was released a year later. Both games have many twists and turns. Best of all, Bugs Bunny mistakes a time machine for a carrot juicer.
He ends up in a land called Nowhere,where he meets the wizard Merlin Munroe. Surprisingly, both are rather challenging games and great fun to play.
7 Rabbids
Rabbids is a spin-off of the Rayman’s Game video series. Look out for Raving Rabbids if you want a fun game to play.
When it comes to retro-gaming, it is a rather new edition – it is not even 20 years old!
The game was initially released in 2006. Its sequel-Bunnies Go Home was released by Rayman in 2009.
If you love space-style games, this is the right retro gaming franchise for you. Rabbids are rabbit aliens that love to wreak havoc in the human world.
It is a fast-moving game that has taken on a life of its own. Today, the game and TV show have millions of fans and followers right across the world.
If you come across Rabbid merchandise, make sure you pick it up. Not only is the game popular, but Rabbid products are also very collectable.
Professor Mad Rabbid is one of the main characters in the game. You never know what to expect when he is around.
8 Buster Bunny
This game was released as Tiny Toon Adventures in Japan in 1992.
It features many loveable characters, but perhaps the best one is Buster Bunny.
The game was developed by Konami,which means there are many different levels to this game. It is a game that is suitable for different age groups and is great fun to play.
In the game, you go on adventures with Buster Bunny and his friends. If you love well-developed characters, this is the game for you. You even get the chance to pit a pit bull dog.
The game has so much to offer – you never know where gameplay will take you.
9 Sam and Max Save the World
This game has a contemporary feel,and it is not really that old.
It is based on Steve Purcell’s comic book series of the same name. In the series, you are introduced to two vigilante private investigators. One is a dog,and you can say the other one is a rabbit. Both are entertaining and fun to interact with.
If you are thinking about playing the game, it is a good idea to read the comic book first. Honestly, they are great books with fantastic creative storylines.
This is clearly what Telltale Games thought when they picked up the idea. In 2009, the game Sam and Max Saves the World was released.
In 2020, the game was remastered for the Nintendo Switch and Microsoft for Xbox. More recently, PlayStation has picked up the idea and released a new version in 2022 for PlayStation 4.
It is a game that has stood the test of time.Well,If you have a PlayStation, Nintendo,or Xbox, it is certainly worth investing in.
10 Peppy Hare
Who is Peppy Hare? I hear you ask.
Peppy Hare was one of the founding members of the Star Fox team.
He is a pilot,and you can say that he is a rather dapper bunny. Over the years, Peppy has aged and is now slightly more grayer.
Peppy appears in almost all Sat Fox games. But we would be neglecting our job if we did not tell you about Smash Bros as well.
Out of all of the characters included on this list, Peppy Hare is one of the more interesting ones.
If you are a Nintendo fan, you will find Peppy in Starlink: Battle for Atlas. A great bunny – you will love making his acquaintance.
11 Nabbit
Is Nabbit a rabbit? Looking closer at this character created in 2012 by Nintendo, you can see he is a rabbit. He may be purple,but he is certainly a rabbit.
His first outing in New Super Mario Bros. was as an enemy. As a naughty thief, he steals items from toad houses. Once he has laid his paws on them, he runs off with them in his bag.Nabbit always appears as a purple rabbit with round eyes and long ears. He is easy to spot in his orange shoes, and what looks like very sharp teeth. Just make sure he does not leave any pawprints behind; he makes sure he wears white gloves.
12 Cream Rabbit
Cream Rabbit is one of the sweetest rabbit characters you will come across in retro gaming. If you are into Sonic the Hedgehog, you have probably already met her.
It is hard to describe in words how cute this character is. If you are familiar with her, you may know that she is the daughter of another famous rabbit.
Vanilla the rabbit is her mom. When you first meet her, you realize that she was living a rather sheltered life until she met Sonic the Hedgehog.
Cream Rabbit has a rather unique fighting style. She is possibly one of the few bunnies that can fight off enemies with her large flapping ears.
In the Sonic the Hedgehog series, she is one of the most polite and friendly characters. She has a certain innocence about her,which makes her adorable.
If you are looking for a bunny friend, Cream Rabbit is an excellent choice. She is a good role model,as she is nice but not afraid to stand up for herself. Cream Rabbit made her first appearance in 2002 and has been a popular character in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise ever since. In Japan, she is one of the most popular anime characters.
13 Paws of Fury
When you are looking for a fast-moving game that is easy to play, look no further than Paws of Fury.
In this game, you get the opportunity to meet all sorts of characters, including what look like rabbits.
One of the characters in the game is Kung Fu Bunny. He is a martial arts specialist who knows how to kick.
Kung Fu Bunny delivers a series of kicks and punches that most enemies find hard to withstand. Altogether, Kung Fu Bunny only has eight moves, but every one of them packs a punch. This is one bunny that can take out almost any component with a few simple kicks.
He is not the most loveable bunny. However, as Kung Fu Bunny is such a unique character, he certainly deserves to be on this list.
If you are a lover of martial arts, Paws of Fury is the perfect game for you. It has to be said that it is one of the most serious combat games offered by Sega.
Not only do you get the opportunity to meet Kung Fu Bunny, but you also enjoy gameplay with a range of other tough animal companions.
14 Wiz and Liz
Wiz ‘n’ Liz Wabbit Wescue is another game developed by Sega. The game feels surprisingly fresh although it was first launched in 1993. The main characters of the game are Wiz and Liz.
When the game was first launched, it took some time to catch on. However, Wabbit Wescue has gone on to become a cult game that is popular right across the world with Sega fans and followers.
What can you expect when you play Wiz ‘n’ Liz? This game takes place on a series of levels. Each level has been divided into eight worlds.
A lot of development went into this game. Every world you encounter has unique music and graphics,giving it a different vibe. For an early game, it is advanced as far as graphics and gameplay go.
The two friends have to run through the landscape of each world while they stick to a certain time.
The player collects floating leets that appear when one of the wabbits as Sega calls them, spells out a word. When you have collected the completed word, you can rescue the wabbits.
This is not a game for the faint-hearted as you only have three minutes to complete it. You need to be fast to help save all of those bunnies.
It takes time to acquire the skills you need to win. Wabbit Wescue is different from the sort of game you sit down to play when you only have a few minutes to spare – you need to concentrate.
A real brain test and an opportunity for you to appreciate that even retro games are challenging.
This is a game that is suitable for all ages. It helps with spelling for younger users and improves mental agility for more senior players.
15 Ninja Rabbits
We would not be doing our job right if we did not mention Ninja Rabbits.
This was one of the first retro games to feature a rabbit. First brought out in 1991 for Atari St, Amiga,and Commodore 64, it featured a ninja bunny!
Yes, you read that right. The main character in the game is called Usagi Yojimbo,and he is indeed a samurai.
Looking back, the main reason this game was probably released was because of the movie Karate Kid.
This was in the early days of gaming. As a consequence, the industry did what it could to make the most of current trends.
If you have seen the movie Karate Kid, you will instantly recognize some of Usagi Yojimbo’s moves. Today, the game looks basic, but believe me when I say that in 1991, it was state of the art. Incidentally, it was released on DOS in 1992.
Final Thoughts
There are some great retro video game characters on this list. Which one is your favorite? I like all of them, but I have to admit I have a T-shirt featuring Cream Bunny. There is just something special about this bunny,and it instantly appealed to me.Click here to find more about bunny merchandise,such as toys and game accessories.