More Strong Badass Women in Video Games of the 1980s and 1990s
Happy International Women's Day 2025!
"The phone rings, in the middle of the night, my father yells, 'What you gonna do with your life?' Oh, daddy dear, you know you're still number one, but girls they wanna have fun, oh, girls just wanna have fun." - Cyndi Lauper, Girls Just Want To Have Fun
Happy International Women's Day to girls and women everywhere! Today, we celebrate the countless achievements of girls and women throughout history, while also drawing attention to the numerous inequities they continue to face to this day. Sadly, the video game industry isn't exempt from such toxic trends. However, there are also plenty of positive depictions of girls and women in video games, including those dating back to the 1980s and 1990s! In keeping with last year's post on this cool topic, I've curated another list of old school video games featuring female protagonists, all of whom continue to prove that "hitting like a girl" need not be an insult. So, without further ado, let's get this show on the road!
Reika "Time Gal" Kirishima, Time Gal, Taito, 1985
Following the trend of Dragon's Lair and other LaserDisc games, Time Gal is an interactive movie video game, featuring full-motion video (FMV) animation by Toei. In the distant year of A.D. 3001, Reika "Time Gal" Kirishima must hunt down a time travelling thief through various historical periods, to prevent him from altering the timeline and ruling the world. However, throughout her pursuit, Reika must dodge dinosaurs and other nasty threats from across the sands of time. Great Scott!
Lizzie, Rampage, Bally Midway, 1986
Long before the Hollywood movie starring Dwayne Johnson, Rampage was a 1986 action game featuring a trio of gigantic monsters razing cities across the United States and Canada. These Kaiju copycats consist of gorilla, George, lizard, Lizzie, and wolf, Ralph. Lizzie used to be an ordinary woman, but one day, she swam in a contaminated, radioactive lake, and transformed into the Godzilla of her group. Lizzie is a destructive force to be reckoned with, capable of levelling skyscrapers, smashing tanks, and snacking on hapless passersby. Like another destructive, hulking green monster, you wouldn't like Lizzie when she's angry (or hungry)!
Princess Peach, Super Mario Bros. 2, Nintendo R&D4, 1988
Though Princess Peach spent the entirety of her debut appearance locked away "in another castle", waiting for Brooklyn plumbers, Mario and Luigi, to rescue her and the Mushroom Kingdom from Bowser, the Western version of Super Mario Bros. 2 broke her chains and made her a playable character for the first time, joining the Mario Bros. and her loyal mushroom retainer, Toad, on an adventure across Subcon. In this particular sequel, Peach is a pro at floating over pitfalls and force-feeding baddies their veggies, teaching them to never mess with the Princess!
Tyris Flare, Golden Axe, Sega, 1989
Set in the brutal, Conan the Barbarian-esque fantasy world of Yuria, the 1989 hack-and-slash, Golden Axe, follows the exploits of fierce amazon warrior, Tyris Flare, and her companions, barbarian, Axe Battler, and dwarf, Gilius Thunderhead, as they seek retribution against tyrant, Death Adder. Ready to avenge her murdered parents, Tyris lays the smackdown on anyone foolish enough to stand in her way. Not only is she a skilled swordswoman, but she can also nuke her adversaries with the most powerful and devastating magical spells in the game!
Sypha Belnades, Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, Konami, 1989
A member of the heroic quartet out to rid the world of Count Dracula in Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, Sypha Belnades is a witch of the Church who battles supernatural threats with her powerful magic, aiding her comrades, vampire hunter, Trevor Belmont, dhampir, Alucard, and pirate, Grant Danasty, along the way. Following Dracula's demise, Sypha and Trevor fall in love and wed, ensuring a lineage of future Belmonts to hunt down Dracula throughout history!
Chun-Li, Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, Capcom, 1991
Chun-Li holds the distinction of being the first female fighter in the Street Fighter series of fighting games, and she remains the most iconic to this day. Arriving on the scene in 1991's Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, Chun-Li is a young Interpol agent out to avenge her father's murder at the hands of ruthless dictator, M. Bison. To accomplish this goal, she must utilize her impressive martial arts skills, such as her famous lightning and spinning bird kicks, to trounce her bigger, burlier, and sweatier male opponents standing between her and her tyrannical target. Yatta!
Blaze Fielding, Streets of Rage, Sega, 1991
When a big city police department is proven to be corrupt in Streets of Rage, police officer Blaze Fielding and two of her fellow officers, Axel Stone and Adam Hunter, turn in their badges to take on the organized crime ring ruled by Mr. X. Though the only female in this trio of ex-cops-turned-vigilantes, Blaze is just as formidable and deadly to the enemy as her male comrades. Blaze would continue kicking butt in the following sequels, dishing out pain to all those who deserve it!
Sonya Blade, Mortal Kombat, Midway, 1992
As with Chun-Li in Street Fighter, Sonya Blade was the first female fighter in the far bloodier, and much gorier, Mortal Kombat series. When we first meet her, Sonya is a highly skilled Special Forces officer in hot pursuit of cutthroat crimelord, Kano, whom she tracks down to a mysterious island hosting an equally mysterious tournament. In this deadly competition, the winner takes it all, including the loser's life. Sonya has no intention of losing, and a kiss from her is literally the "kiss of death". Flawless victory! Fatality! Kano had better watch his back!
Asha, Monster World IV, Westone, 1994
In Monster World IV, the Wonder Boy has been replaced by a Wonder Girl: Asha, a young empath on a quest to aid the troubled spirits in need of her assistance. Hearing their cries for help, Asha sets off on an extraordinary adventure across the land, aided by her pet monster (ah, My Pet Monster...does anybody remember that old toy?), Pepelogoo, and the Lamp Spirit, a genie...in a lamp!
Jill Valentine, Resident Evil, Capcom, 1996
In 1996's seminal survival horror classic, Resident Evil, police officer, Jill Valentine, must navigate the house of horrors she finds herself stranded in with extreme caution, if she hopes to find her missing partner, Chris Redfield, and get out alive. One wrong move in this monster-infested mansion and she'll become "a Jill sandwich". Luckily, Jill's a "master of unlocking", an excellent shot, and adept at solving puzzles. Don't forget to stock up on ink ribbons for those typewriters!
Tifa Lockhart, Final Fantasy VII, Square, 1997
A member of the player's party in RPG masterpiece, Final Fantasy VII, Tifa Lockhart is as strong as she is wise, serving as the voice of reason within her team. A specialist in hand-to-hand combat, Tifa prefers to get up close and personal in a fight, doling out "knuckle sandwiches" with her vast array of brass knuckles!
Coco Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot: Warped, Naughty Dog, 1998
Coco Bandicoot officially joined her big brother, Crash, as a playable character in the 1998 platformer, Crash Bandicoot: Warped. In this time travelling tale, Coco rides her pet tiger, Pura, across the Great Wall in ancient China, hits the waves of the pirate era Caribbean on her jet ski, a la Wave Race 64, and takes to the skies of World War I Europe in her biplane (watch out for Snoopy)!
Amy Rose, Sonic Adventure, Sonic Team, 1998
Though Amy Rose had been around since the Sega CD era, it was in 1998's action-adventure, Sonic Adventure, where she received her modern makeover and officially joined Sonic's team as a playable character. Armed with a giant hammer, Amy's mission is to bodyguard her feathered friend, Birdie, from Dr. Robotnik's relentless killer robot, E-100 ZERO, in a role akin to that of Kyle Reese from The Terminator!
And that's a wrap! I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! Again, to all girls and women out there, Happy International Women's Day! Do you have any thoughts on this post? If so, feel free to reach out by leaving a comment, dropping me a line, or signing my guestbook to share your opinions on this or any other topic. Also, feel free to press the "like" button if you enjoyed this post, as "likes" help me gauge audience interest in the content I post. After all, I don't want to bore anyone, ha-ha. Until next time, love, peace, and chicken grease!
Posted in "Nerd Alert" on Saturday, March 8, 2025.