Characters you never knew had the same voice actor [ClassicRadar]
Peach is a robot, Spyro sells tacos, and Liquid Snake just can't wait to be king
Happy holidays reader! To celebrate the season, we're gifting you with 12 straight days of some of our best features from the last six years of GamesRadar excellence. Enjoy!
One is a pure, bubbly and pretty-as-pink princess who rarely reveals even the skin of her ankle. The other is a sassy, sexy and no-nonsense computer program who has spent her entire existence in the nude. Within the tightly linked and extraordinarily small world of video game voice acting, however, these two women are the exact same person.
Such behind-the-screen crossovers are countless once you start searching for them. While a physical performer can be typecast or limited by looks, the vocalist is free to transform at will. Good guy or bad guy? Cartoon mascot or lethal assassin? Greek general or Jedi warrior? Human or lombax?
As these 21 strange and surprising matches prove, the best voices can do all of the above.
Princess Peach and Cortana are both played by Jen Taylor
The games: Halo, Halo 2, Halo 3, Super Princess Peach, Mario Kart, Mario Tennis, Mario Golf, Mario Party, Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, Paper Mario, Mario & Luigi
Also known as: Zoey (Left 4 Dead), Cate Archer (No One Lives Forever 2), Toad (Mario series), Princess Daisy (Mario series)
Ken and Dante are both played by Reuben Langdon
The games: Street Fighter IV, Devil May Cry 4, Devil May Cry 3
Tidus and Ratchet are both played by James Arnold Taylor
The games: Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2, Ratchet & Clank (every entry but the original)
Also known as: Obi Wan (Star Wars: Clone Wars), Spider-Man (Friend or Foe), Gabe Logan (Syphon Filter), Fezzik (The Princess Bride Game), Jack Sparrow and Timon (Kingdom Hearts II)
Duke Nukem and Big the Cat are both played by Jon St. John
The games: Duke Nukem 3D, Duke Nukem Forever, Sonic Heroes, Sonic Adventure
Andrew Ryan and Quark are both played by Armin Shimerman
The game: BioShock
The TV show: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Also known as: Toad (X-Men Legends), Dr. Nefarious (Ratchet & Clank), Razs Father (Psychonauts), The Emperor (Jade Empire)
Spyro and the Taco Bell Chihuahua are both played by Carlos Alazraqui
The game: Spyro the Dragon (PS1 original)
The TV commercials: Taco Bell, obviously
Also known as: Deputy James Garcia (Reno 911), Rocko (Rockos Modern Life), Grim Reaper (Maximo: Ghost to Glory), Dr. No (GoldenEye: Rogue Agent)
Damon Baird and Saren Arterius are both played by Fred Tatasciore
The games: Gears of War, Gears of War 2, Mass Effect
Also known as: Hulk (The Incredible Hulk), Beast (Metal Gear Solid 4), Loz (Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children), Frost Tiger (Viewtiful Joe), Atlas and Poseidon (God of War)
The Joker and Wolverine are both played by Mark Hamill
The games: Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Vengeance, X-Men 2: Wolverines Revenge
Also known as: Luke Skywalker (Star Wars), Hobgoblin (Spider-Man), Christopher Blair (Wing Commander), Detective Moseley (Gabriel Knight), Adrian Ripburger (Full Throttle)
Viewtiful Joe and General Raam are both played by Dee Bradley Baker
The games: Viewtiful Joe, Viewtiful Joe 2, Gears of War
Also known as: Gravemind (Halo), Nightcrawler (Marvel: Ultimate Alliance), Gollum (LOTR: Battle for Middle-earth II)
Earthworm Jim and Homer Simpson are both played by Dan Castellaneta
The games: Earthworm Jim 3D, The Simpsons everything
The TV shows: Earthworm Jim, The Simpsons everything
Also known as: Genie (Kingdom Hearts), Mole King (The Tick), Thing One and Thing Two (Cat in the Hat)
Princess Daphne and Smurfette are both played by Lucille Bliss
The games: Dragons Lair, Dragons Lair 2
The TV show: The Smurfs
Also known as: Anastasia (Cinderella), Rozatta (Star Wars: Bounty Hunter)
Liquid Snake and Simba are both played by Cam Clarke
The games: Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2, Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II, Animated StoryBook: The Lion King
Also known as: Leonardo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Prince Crescendo (Eternal Sonata), Hercules (God of War II), He-Man (He-Man and the Masters of the Universe), Anthony (Eternal Darkness), Ryudo (Grandia II)
Crash Bandicoot and Darth Maul are both played by Jess Harnell
The games: Crash: Mind Over Mutant, Crash of the Titans, Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, Star Wars: Racer Revenge, Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, Star Wars: Demolition
Also known as: Wakko Warner (Animaniacs), Sewer Urchin (The Tick)
Eeyore and the Kingpin are both played by Gregg Berger
The games: Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, Kingdom Hearts II
Also known as: Odie (every Garfield TV special), Spirit (G.I. Joe), Grimlock (Transformers), The Pain (Metal Gear Solid 3), Captain Blue (Viewtiful Joe), Jecht (Final Fantasy X), Cornfed Pig (Duckman)
Kratos and Mace Windu are both played by Terrence "TC" Carson
The games: God of War, God of War II, God of War: Chains of Olympus, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Star Wars: Battlefront II, Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
Sonic the Hedgehog and J. Edgar Hoover are both played by Ryan Drummond
The games: Sonic everything (until 2005), Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
Zeus and Santa are both played by Corey Burton
The games: God of War, God of War II, Hercules, Kingdom Hearts II, The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge
Also known as: Dale (Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers), Spike (Transformers), Count Dooku (Star Wars: Clone Wars), Scarecrow (Batman: Gotham Knight), Captain Hook and White Rabbit (Kingdom Hearts)
The Boss and Diane Simmons are both played by Lori Alan
The game: Metal Gear Solid 3
The TV show: Family Guy
Also known as: Invisible Woman (Fantastic Four), Pearl (SpongeBob SquarePants)
LeChuck and WoW's Narrator are both played by Earl Boen
The games: Curse of Monkey Island, Escape from Monkey Island, World of Warcraft
Also known as: Dr. Silberman (Terminator movies), Sergei Gurlukovich (Metal Gear Solid 2)
Prince Alexander and the Beast are both played by Robby Benson
The game: Kings Quest VI
The movie: Beauty and the Beast
Marcus Fenix and Bender are both played by John Di Maggio
The game: Gears of War, Gears of War 2
The TV show: Futurama
Also known as: Wakka (Final Fantasy X), General Grievous (Star Wars: Clone Wars), Rhino (Spider-Man 2), Doctor Drakken and Motor Ed (Kim Possible)
Want more?
Know any other funny voice actor resumes we missed in this classic feature? Let us know in the comments!
Or check out The most annoying fighter cliches (that we still totally love), Why Batman: Arkham City is one of the greatest games ever made, or 25 reasons we still love Mega Man.