Remember when it felt like there was a new mascot platformer game coming out every week in the 90s and early 2000s? We miss those days. Games like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon fueled many of our nostalgic nights, and now? We don’t really see many of these familiar faces anymore. Sure, some of them are luckier than others. Crash Bandicoot got an excellent remaster and a brand new game on the current generation of consoles. But what about some of the more forgotten mascots? Those we could only dream could get a game of their own? That’s what this Waypoint Wishlist is all about. Come with us and find out which characters we’d love to see get a chance to shine in the spotlight. Welcome Back to Waypoint Wishlist, But Make It Animal ThemedScreenshot: Tango GameworksMatt Vatankhah – ContributorShe’s undeniably the mascot of the game, but I’d argue that 808 is also the actual star of Hi-Fi Rush. Sure, you may control Chai throughout the game, and he’s a great sidekick! But let’s be real – we’re all here for our robokitty queen, our lovable little friend who bleeps! and doinks! around like the signature drum pad she’s named after.Hi-Fi Rush is not only my favorite game of 2023, but easily one of my favorites of all time. Starting a year as stacked as 2023 by shadowdropping a banger like that? That’s bold as hell. But that’s just how Hi-Fi Rush rolls – confident, stylish, and unapologetically loud. Microsoft pulled a big dumb dumb when they dismantled Tango Gameworks last year. But, thankfully, Krafton understood the assignment. With Tango now back in business, maybe we’ll see 808 and the gang return for a Hi-Fi Rush sequel. I mean, it doesn’t necessarily need one; the game’s perfect as is. But I sure wouldn’t complain about bashing robot face to the tune of The Prodigy some more. But this time, as a cat. Meow. Screenshot: BioWare CorporationAnthony Franklin II – contributorI’m cheating a little bit because the character I’m choosing is Max from MDK2. My favorite six-legged homie fought through so many alien hordes. He deserved his own game. Or maybe, just maybe, we could get a new MDK. I’m down for that too. I mean, look at him. Who wouldn’t want to control a dog with six legs and a love for destruction? It’s like Rocket Raccoon without the kleptomania. Perfection.Screenshot: MicrosoftSHaun Cichacki – COntributorHe’s small. He’s cute. But most importantly, he can turn back time. That’s right, ladies and germs, I’m talking about Blinx: The Time Sweeper. A forgotten mascot that Microsoft is likely hoping to forget as well. But I think he deserves another chance. This series got some pretty alright reviews, but sold poorly overall. Maybe it’s because the Xbox, at the time, was aiming more at the “hardcore” fans. But I think that Blinx is unique enough to deserve another shot at the limelight. As more and more folks are feeling nostalgic for those “childhood” games, a quick little remaster and Xbox Game Pass release may do well for the magic cat. Funnily enough, the original two games aren’t even backwards compatible. Meaning that the only way you can play a game with Microsoft’s first attempt at a mascot is by playing on the original hardware. This won’t do. It’s time to bring back Blinx. If we got Gex to come back, we can see another snarky little guy make their return.Oh, and if anyone from Crystal Dynamics or Eidos is reading this? We need another Whiplash game, please and thank you. Screenshot: ModernXP/YouTubeBrent Koepp – ContributorThis week’s Wishlist was kind of difficult for me, because I have already nominated Banjo-Kazooie in a previous feature we did in May. And despite being a ’90s kid surrounded by animal mascots, I was pretty much raised in a Nintendo Rare household. So if you are willing to humor me, I’m going to throw a couple of ideas at the wall to see what sticks. This first one might get me into some hot water, but I want to nominate Conker’s Bad Fur Day as a mascot game I would like to see get a second chance.Now, I don’t know if most of the juvenile humor even holds up today. I know some of the “comedy” in that game wouldn’t pass in 2025. That said, I would still like to see someone tackle Conker with modern sensibilities. Hey, if Rockstar Games can do it, surely we can work something out here. But I’ll fully admit, maybe this is a really bad idea that couldn’t work. Still, I can’t help but feel a little bit nostalgic for the platformer. This is probably due to it being one of the first “adult” games I ever played as a teen. Plus, after looking up some walkthroughs on YouTube, my memories of it being a fun platformer weren’t far off.There’s Only One Diddy Now, and He’s Involved in Our Waypoint WishlistThe second mascot I would like to nominate is Diddy Kong. I specifically want a new Diddy Kong Racing game. With Mario Kart World having an open-world map and airplane vehicles, it just made me realize how much I miss DKR. The 1997 kart racer was seriously ahead of its time. It not only had a fully explorable overworld map, but it had three different race-course types with cars, hovercrafts, and airplanes. Did I mention it even had boss fights and secret levels? Yeah, give me a fully fleshed-out Diddy Kong Racing game with the engine of Mario Kart World, and I would be in heaven.Waypoint Wishlist has come to a Close for now. But Just like ‘Crash’, We’ll Be BackThinking about all these characters has me stuck in my feels a little bit. There are so many fantastic games that are stuck on older platforms, and IPs that have been just hanging around in whatever the video game form of purgatory is. Like Brent mentioned, I would love to see Diddy Kong Racing come back, especially with the power of the Switch 2. While we’re still waiting on many of our Waypoint Wishlist wishes to come true, we can always hold onto the hope that it’ll eventually happen. The post Waypoint Wishlist: Critter Mascots We Wish Would Come Back Edition appeared first on VICE.