Movie adaptations of video games often fall short of expectations. Similarly, action figures based on video games rarely reach the heights of action figures based on comic or movie properties. Fortunately, with beautiful figures coming out from a multitude of video game properties, NECA is working to remedy this. As a fan of everything Uncharted, their Uncharted 4 Nathan Drake figure had me wondering what other Naughty Dog games could use NECA’s magic touch. Here are five:
5. Keef the Thief
Anyone who knows me can tell you that I’m a huge Keef the Thief fan. “A Boy and His Lockpick.” Keef4lyfe, amirite?
No? Alright. Well, Naughty Dog has four very prominent brands and a handful of other games they made pre-Crash Bandicoot. I thought Keef was the coolest of which, so he lands here, at number five.
4. Crash Bandicoot
A “Q Score” measures a brand or character’s discernibility amongst the general public. The Hulk, for instance, has a high Q Score, while the Q Score of someone like Baron Blood would be low. In his prime, Crash Bandicoot had a higher Q Score than Mario. Though Crash’s popularity has marginalized amongst the general public, he still has some die-hard fans, and I believe there are enough of them to warrant a figure.
3. Jak and Daxter
Jak and Daxter is one of the two games that turned me into a gamer (the other being Ratchet & Clank). Who can forget the misadventures of the elfboy and his ottsel (that’s an otter-weasel for those of you keeping score at home). Jak and Daxter were platforming adventurers, and exploring their unique world is one of my first gaming memories.
The series (and character models) adopted a darker tone in the later installations, but I would gladly take Jak and Dax from any of the three games.
2. More Uncharted
As happy as I am to finally have a 7-inch Nathan Drake, it won’t feel right if we don’t get Elena and Sully to complete the team. Many people are asking for villains, though I’m not sure if the creatures or humans would be better suited to accompany our favorite treasure hunters in a wave. Because the Drake we’re getting is tied to Uncharted 4, many want a Drake from an earlier game in the series. It seems to me that the most popular game in the series has always been Uncharted 2, but my heart is set on Uncharted 3 Drake (my personal favorite outfit and game from the series), scarf and all.
1. The Last of Us
What else was it going to be? Uncharted is my favorite Naughty Dog series, but I think Joel and Ellie are more important than a second Drake or an Elena or Sully. If you’ve played The Last of Us, chances are you want Joel and Ellie in figure form. I wouldn’t argue with a Clicker or two to go with them, either.
Naughty Dog has made beautiful, exciting, and emotionally impactful games. It’s about time that we got some beautiful figures on our shelves to match.
