Indiana Clones

Panama Joe is one of the most blatant Indiana Clones out there. He’s basically Indiana with a moustache. “Montezuma’s Revenge” is a colloquialism for traveler’s diarrhea, but the game is focused on treasure hunting and puzzle solving. As he canvases the labyrinthine underground pyramid of a 16th century Aztec emperor, Panama Joe will climb ladders, slide down poles, and jump from chain to chain. The labyrinths are full of conveyor belts, trap doors, fire pits, and laser gates. Joe can also expect to encounter a multitude of skulls, snakes, and spiders. Fortunately, there are many items for our hero to use. Swords are used to attack enemies, torches can light dark areas, and keys will naturally unlock doors. There are nearly 100 rooms in Montezuma’s maze-filled catacombs, but Joe seems up for the challenge.

The Dizzy series was one of the most popular video game brands on European computers in the 1980s. Hanna-Barbara even considered making an animated TV show based on Dizzy, but it was ultimately decided that he was not popular enough worldwide. Dizzy himself is an egg-shaped character, and his name is a reference to the tumbles and somersaults he performs in lieu of jumping in a traditional manner. Dizzy’s adventures have taken him to many magical lands, and he’s explored haunted mines, tree-top villages, and underwater caverns. He’s encountered pirates, wizards, leprechauns, trolls, vampires, and pretty much everything in between. The Dizzy games are defined by inventory-based logic puzzles, and Dizzy has made use of many interesting items. In one instance, he literally needed to obtain a cloud’s silver lining.

Technically speaking, most of the main characters in Borderlands would be a good fit for this list. The games center around “vault hunters” who are searching for ancient alien chambers hidden on the hostile world of Pandora. These vaults hold within them tremendous power and knowledge, but looting items is the primary objective. Maya from Borderlands 2 is the best fit for the parameters of this list. In the Borderlands universe, Sirens are women with mystical, unknown backgrounds and incredible powers. (In Maya’s case, she is able to send foes to another dimension and lock them in stasis.) Maya is one of only six Sirens in existence, and she travels the galaxy with the specific purpose of learning more about her people and the powers they hold. Many vault hunters on Pandora are just in it for the loot, but Maya is looking for answers.

Many view Locke as a common thief, but Final Fantasy VI describes him as “a treasure hunter and trail-worn traveler, searching the world over for relics of the past.” In any regard, his abilities have made him a valuable asset to a resistance movement, and he has proven his worth as a spy and saboteur. Locke is able to steal items from his enemies in battle, and he can pick locked doors to gain access to rooms are off limits to other party members. Despite his willingness to take what doesn’t belong to him, Locke is surprisingly selfless in many regards. Events in his past have caused him to develop a hero complex of sorts. Locke throws himself into a struggle to overthrow Imperial forces, but he’s really just an adventurer at heart and was routinely exploring dangerous caves well before he was trying to save the world.

Henry Hatsworth holds the distinction of being the “#1 member of the ‘Pompous Adventurers’ Club.” (His rival Leopold Charles Anthony Weasleby the Third holds the #2 position in the club.) Henry wears a derby, dons a monocle, and arms himself with a cutlass. He’s rather unassuming as far as gaming heroes go, but he comes across as classy and dignified in everything he does. Henry technically hails from a place called Tealand, but he’s basically a walking British stereotype. He travels the world in search of treasure, but he always finds time for a spot of tea. Henry frequently uses dated phrases like “poppycock,” but there’s nothing dated about the mecha he summons in battle or the many robotic enemies he encounters. He’s clearly a guy who thrives on new experiences. Few characters embrace the spirit of adventuring like Henry Hatsworth.

Toads have been a part of the Mario series for several decades and were first introduced as hapless individuals with the unfortunate responsibility of informing Mario that the princess was in another castle. When Super Mario Galaxy was released, Captain Toad eschewed tradition. As the self-proclaimed leader of the Toad Brigade, Captain Toad followed Mario around the galaxy offering his assistance. After being featured as a playable character in Super Mario 3D World, Captain Toad was finally given a starring role in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker alongside his adventure pal, Toadette. His heavy backpack prevents him from jumping or running too fast, but the Captain is able to fend off enemy attacks with turnips, pick axes, and other items. During his adventure, he rides in mine carts, raids tombs, and finds all kinds of treasure.

With his khaki shorts, pitted helmet, and giant white moustache, Sabreman certainly looks the part; but he’s on this list because of his accomplishments rather than his appearance. In his quest to find treasures and artifacts, Sabreman journeys into dense jungles and extensive underground caverns. Along the way he encounters a giant wolf and imposing guardians. In an ironic twist, he becomes his own worst enemy when he’s inflicted with lycanthropy. Sabreman seeks out the help of a wizard to cast aside his werewolf form, and eventually becomes a wizard himself. Sabreman made real progress during his adventures and was in a position where he had to constantly adapt to his surroundings. After rising to fame on the ZX Spectrum, Sabreman made a cameo appearance in Banjo-Tooie and took the starring role in a 2004 GBA game.

Pitfall! was released in the wake of Raiders of the Lost Ark and went on to become one of the best-selling Atari 2600 games. The objective in the game was for Pitfall Harry to navigate through a jungle in an attempt to find treasure. In order to do this, Harry has to swing from vines, avoid quicksand traps, and use crocodile heads as makeshift platforms. Other hazards include rolling logs, raging fires, rattlesnakes, and scorpions. The success of Pitfall! led to Harry being featured in CBS’ Saturday Supercade cartoon lineup in 1983. Harry would go on to star in a well-received sequel, but soon faded into obscurity due to the turbulent video game market. A 16-bit sequel called Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure was released in 1994 that starred Pitfall Harry Jr., but the game failed to live up to the legacy forged by the original Pitfall Harry.

Nathan Drake is witty, resourceful, and strong-willed. He draws inspiration from pulp fiction and was given an everyman persona to make him more relatable. He’s basically a regular guy in a t-shirt and jeans, and he responds to his environments in a realistic way. He stumbles while running, he struggles to get enough distance when jumping, and he’s completely aware of how absurd his predicaments are. Drake is well-known for his sarcastic sense of humor, and he dances the line between jerk and lovable rogue. He’s often compared to Indiana Jones, but Drake is governed by a different set of morals. Indiana’s adventures occur for altruistic reasons whereas Drake is just in it for the money. You can’t argue with results though. Drake finds El Dorado, discovers Marco Polo’s lost fleet, and enters a rivalry with Sly Cooper for some reason.

Lara Croft is a beautiful, intelligent, and athletic archaeologist of noble birth who travels the world in pursuit of priceless artifacts and lost civilizations. Tomb Raider was a massive success from a critical and commercial standpoint, but Lara received more attention than the game itself. Lara Croft is one of the few video game characters that has truly transcended the medium. In addition to video games, Lara has been featured in movies, comic books, novels, and a series of animated short films. During her early adventures, Lara explored snow-covered mountains in short shorts, dispatched sharks with harpoon, and took down dinosaurs with handguns. Her more recent adventures are more modest and focus more on survival, but Lara’s still not afraid to get dirty and somehow comes across as looking like an even bigger badass.