Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid

The most famous smoker in gaming history, Solid has been lighting up for decades with little care of the consequences. Whether it’s on a battlefield, escaping Outer Heaven, or sneaking around Shadow Moses, he usually keeps a pack handy no matter what his superiors say. Even when dropped into a hostile base in the first Metal Gear Solid, he snuck a pack in his stomach, unknown to his displeased CODEC friends.

In gameplay, the cigs lend him steady aim, allow him to see infrared lasers and restore his psyche, while at the same time decreasing his health bar and - in MGS4 - possibly giving away his position with the scent. The addiction was probably inherited from his clone-daddy Big Boss, though he preferred cigars, which he used to burn off leeches and see in the dark, on top of scoring with sexy ladies.

Snake’s nasty habit has led to some funny and strange moments in MGS history. And the best celebration of it would have to be during the lengthy, multiple game install sequences for MGS4. 

Above: Snake makes fifteen minutes of installing classy

Spy in Team Fortress 2

Since the Spy is more of a class than a character, there isn't much to say about him outside of his ever-present cigarette. You'd think the scent of the smoke could give away his position, but that's a sacrifice he'll make for his addiction. From his in-game accent, one could guess he's French in origin, which would explain his love of smoking. Because if one culture could be xenophobically painted as smokers, it’s the French, with hip, ‘60s French spies even more likely to say “c'est la vie” to emphysema.

Now that we've reached our combustible end, we hope that this article about how awesome fake smoking looks didn't turn you, gentle reader, into a real-life smoker. If so, shame on you. What would your mother think? May we suggest the best anti-smoking game around to help you quit? It’s called My Stop Smoking Coach with Allen Carr, and it’s better than some patch or gum - it has minigames!

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