OCR Mascot Bios - 20 more up for grabs!

[DarkeSword]

Dribble down, not dripple.

[Polo]

As expected of a detail-oriented TF2 admin+player.

The K.G.B. bit has been corrected and the bio now resides among the other Hs in the Hallowed List of Articles.

And I'll take care of the last uncalled mascot, Rayman.

[Dafydd]

Dribble down, not dripple.

Thanks for your concern. I feel compelled to say something witty about that 'e' in your username, but I'd probably regret it at some point.

Looking forward to seeing that Ray-Man bio!

Edited July 21, 2010 by Dafydd

[Polo]

A humble 5th birthday to a tl;dr thread full of articles, edits, and rules about the English language. You're half OCR's age, and although djp hasn't posted in you once (as of this post), eh still thinks you're meritorious and doesn't afraid of anything.

Cheers.

Rayman

"Yahoo! Alright ladies and gents, let's roll!"

Article by: Polo

Pictured from: Rayman 2: The Great Escape

Created by: Ubisoft

First appearance: 1995

Bio

How does one born without arms, legs, or even a neck keep his head and extremities close together? The world may never know, but this enigma doesn't seem the least bit odd to Rayman, who stars in a series of platformers where physics-defying phenomena are commonplace. His distinct anatomy, heroic antics, and personality all help him shine as Ubisoft's official mascot.

A typical Rayman adventure involves the limbless one rescuing his friends and reclaiming his world from whatever swarm of invaders descends upon it. Villains like the cloaked Mr. Dark, the pirate Admiral Razorbeard, and the Rabbids all have their own methods of stirring up trouble, from stealing a world-balancing essence to imprisoning the natives. Among the good guys, there's Lums (magical bugs), Teensies (stout advisors), and Fairies like Betilla and Ly, who grant Rayman some of his powers to fight their would-be conquerors.

Punching is Rayman's primary mode of attack — he winds up and throws his fists not only to pummel enemies, but also to move obstacles from his path. His range increases in the second game when he can shoot energy spheres from his mitts. There's a power-up in the third game called Laser Washing Powder which, when picked up, dresses Rayman in one of several combat fatigues that come equipped with unique abilities, such as lowering platforms, shooting guided missiles, and electrocuting enemies. Even his quaffs of hair have a use: they can spin like a helicopter propeller and allow him to fly or glide through the air.

Whatever the price Rayman must pay for his own freedom and others', at least it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

Selected game appearances

=== Jaguar ===

Rayman (1995)

=== Nintendo 64 ===

Rayman 2: The Great Escape (1999)

=== GameCube ===

Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc (2003)

=== Wii ===

Rayman Raving Rabbids (2006)

References

Wikipedia - "Rayman (character)"

Rayman instruction manual

Rayman 2: The Great Escape instruction manual

Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc instruction manual

Rayman Wiki - "Rayman"

Edited July 26, 2010 by Polo
all right, I'm okay with "alright"

[Mirby]

How does one born? A bit of a grammatical error, methinks.

Also, ironic you mention that, when it seems like the next Rayman game explains that.

[Darklink42]

Actually, it's not a grammatical error, it flows with the sentence. He's stating within the question that Rayman was born with no limbs.

"eh still thinks" is though. Still, happy birthday mascot project. Good article Polo.

[Mirby]

I see that now. Eh, no matter.

[Dafydd]

Haha, I'm a sucker for puns. Good job, mate.

Whatever the price Rayman must pay for his own freedom and others', at least it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

Does "must" work as past-tense?

His distinct anatomy, combined with his heroic antics and personality, help him shine as Ubisoft's official mascot.

I'm not sure which is correct in English, but I feel "help" here refers to "his distinct anatomy", so it should be singular, "helps". I'm probably wrong, of course. I don't think I would have felt this way if you'd written "along with" instead of "combined with". When you combine something, it results in a single something, not several, I think. We've probably had this discussion before, but I don't remember what we ended up agreeing on.

[Abadoss]

Does "must" work as past-tense?

The problem with "must" is not that the sentence is past tense (which it would work in), but that the sentence is in the wrong tense to begin with.

I'm not sure which is correct in English, but I feel "help" here refers to "his distinct anatomy", so it should be singular, "helps". I'm probably wrong, of course. I don't think I would have felt this way if you'd written "along with" instead of "combined with". When you combine something, it results in a single something, not several, I think. We've probably had this discussion before, but I don't remember what we ended up agreeing on.

In this particular case, you're right Dafydd. "Helps" is correct in both cases. "[...]Combined with his heroic antics and personality[...]" is seperate from the rest of the sentence. When dealing with the verb, treat it as though the extra information wasn't there.

[Mirby]

Yep; when something is in between commas you can treat it as if you could remove it completely.

[Polo]

The problem with "must" is not that the sentence is past tense (which it would work in), but that the sentence is in the wrong tense to begin with.

I'm hinting at what Rayman does in the games from a present tense, like if the reader is following an instruction manual that lays out the current situation at the start (or in the middle) of whatever game is being talked about. I know a cursory reading would tell them "oh, he first defeated so-and-so and then did such-and-such in the end," but it would feel awkward if I suddenly ditched an otherwise consistent tense for another in the last line.

"Villains come. Good guys help him time and again. He attacks like this. His powers include the following. Whatever he must do, at least it isn't too much."

Make sense?

As for "helps" instead of "help," you're right that if I focused on just one aspect (Rayman's anatomy), it would be "helps." My intent was to note that the three aspects I bring up all contribute to his presence as a company mascot. I changed the wording in an effort to reflect this.

I do appreciate the feedback, guys. Thanks.

[Dafydd]

Alright. Better now. Thanks!

[Polo]

Aaaaaand Rayman's been added to the Wiki, sans limbs.

All that remains is Tensei-San's Zephyr bio and Arek's Zidane bio (if indeed he claimed him). Could you adjust the thread title, Daf?

[Dafydd]

For some reason, this thread didn't show up in my subscriptions, or I missed it. Will change thread title now.

[The Derrit]

hey this is probably a bitch question but does anyone keep these updated with new games and such? i just happened to see a couple that weren't exactly exhaustive (ex: bomberman has been in plenty of other games outside the ones he's listed as)

it doesn't make a huge difference but completionism seems to be what you guys are going for.

[Polo]

If a mascot appears in a newly ReMixed game, then yes, we link to the game in the appropriate appearance list(s).

Bomberman was one of the first attempted bios written with an emphasis on a nearly full list. While that's a noble endeavor, it's not trim or practical enough for the casual reader. We introduce the mascots rather than give a complete history, so key titles/linked games would suffice in this manner. It's why we say Selected game appearances.

[Polo]

Zidane Tribal

"You don't need a reason to help people."

Article by: Polo

Pictured from: Final Fantasy IX

Created by: Square

First appearance: 2000

Bio

Zidane Tribal is a consummate thief and the hero of Final Fantasy IX. Since infancy, he was raised by the Tantalus Theater Troupe, a traveling group of thieves who perform for audiences while surreptitiously swiping their goods. Zidane's repertoire is detailed further in battles: he can steal up to four items from the same target, detect what goods they have on them, and up his chances of acquiring rarities. When fighting, dual daggers and thief swords are his weapons of choice. He also has a distraction aptly named "What's That!?" that makes enemies turn around in confusion, allowing for back attacks.

Outside of battles and thievery missions, Zidane is as relaxed and easygoing as any confident individual. Being brought up in a cohesive family unit has its long-reaching advantages: aside from his streetwise skills, his heart has been forged by a sense of belonging, meaning new allies that feel out of place or unsure of themselves get support from their "big brother." Although normally flirtatious when it comes to women, Zidane grows to respect runaway Princess Garnet, whose athletic skills, self-appointed nickname after Zidane's trusty blade (Dagger), and basic obligation to the throne prove she's not just another skirt to chase. One of Zidane's in-battle skills, Protect Girls, can be seen as a reflection of his chivalry in the form of parrying blows meant for female party members. Taken as a whole, Zidane fits perfectly into his social network.

Or does he?

As the story of Final Fantasy IX unfolds, clues about Zidane's own origin come to the fore. Why does he see a blue light in his dreams? Why does it symbolize home? And how is this man named Kuja, the end boss of the game, related to our monkey-tailed hero? Zidane may be carefree, but his congenital desire to know where he came from — and the answers — may be the greatest challenge he faces yet.

Selected game appearances

=== PlayStation ===

Final Fantasy IX (2000)

References

Wikipedia - "Zidane Tribal"

Final Fantasy Insider - "Final Fantasy IX Characters"

Final Fantasy Wiki - "Zidane Tribal"

Forget Me Not

Edited September 19, 2010 by Polo
+1 for the silly Swede

[Dafydd]

The silly Swede would have preferred "Since infancy" to "Since he was an infant". Other than that, thanks for another job well done!

Edited September 19, 2010 by Dafydd

[Polo]

No prob Bob. "Since infancy" works better too. Thanks.

Uploaded.

[Dafydd]

Great! Zephyr still isn't done yet, is he? I'll send Tensei-San a PM.

EDIT: PM sent.

Edited September 19, 2010 by Dafydd

[Polo]

I guess Tensei can't be bothered to finish Zephyr. (I PM'ed him twice myself with nary a reply.) I say we polish up the bio in his stead and get it over with. The following is an edit using the suggestions I felt worked best while keeping as close to his words as possible.

Zephyr

"Wisdom flies with the wind."

Article by: Joren de Bruin (Tensei-San)

Pictured from: Heroes of Newerth

Created by: S2 Games

First appearance: 2010

Bio

Zephyr is one of 60+ playable heroes in the PC game Heroes of Newerth. While the game is based on a Warcraft III modification called "Defense of the Ancients" and borrows many ideas and elements from it, Zephyr is an original creation by S2 Games.

According to the in-game lore, Zephyr is part of the Beast Horde, a faction of anthropomorphic animals who have allied themselves with the Legion of humans to combat the nefarious Hellbourne faction and defend the land of Newerth. Zephyr does not have a lot of characterization, but he is described as a riddler, a sage, and a lover of sweets. In combat he is simply known as the warrior of the winds. Zephyr's design is based on the looks of real-life horned owls.

In-game, Zephyr utilizes his wind-based powers for both offense and defense, allowing him, for example, to blow his enemies into a desired direction, or use a wind shield to deflect blows and increase his movement speed. One skill involves him conjuring a huge typhoon that slows down and damages any enemies caught within, dealing more damage the closer they are to its center. His cyclones give him the ability to heal himself, and in addition, they help him gather gold in battle quicker than others. Because his offense and defense are quite balanced, Zephyr is fairly easy to learn for new players.

Zephyr enjoys considerable popularity among the Heroes of Newerth community due to his relatively goofy appearance, which made him the focal point of several forum memes. "Party-time Zephyr" depicts him surrounded by rainbows and disco balls, and a variation on "haters gonna hate" features the owl with a decidedly smug look on his face.

Selected game appearances

=== Windows ===

Heroes of Newerth (2010)

References

Heroes of Newerth - Heroes Database - "Zephyr"

Heroes of Newerth Wiki - "Zephyr"

Edited September 28, 2010 by Polo
Fxs

[Dafydd]

Ntpx:

Completely original? Sounds like a tv commercial. Entirely original?

Legion of humans...? Legion of Humans?

Ultimate skill? Most powerful skill? Premier skill? Ultimate sounds like once you have this, you don't need any other. Help me find a better word here.

Isn't hard to learn -> Is fairly easy to learn?

Gather gold in battles or in battle?

[Polo]

Zug zug! (Acting on your orders, sire/master/my liege.)

I suppose "an original" (creation) would suffice.

Human(s) is capitalized only when it's written as "Human Legion" (a prefix to describe the officially capitalized Legion). Elsewhere, lowercase wins the majority vote.

How about we say "one skill" to avoid future "yes it is/no it's not ultimate" remarks.

Fairly easy... sounds friendlier, so why not.

Since battles are common rather than random, sure, the lifestyle noun (battle) it shall be.

[Dafydd]

Ok. Glad I could help You gon' get this uploaded?

Edited September 29, 2010 by Dafydd

[Polo]

I dun git it done, pardner. Yeehaw!

And thus the Mascot Bio Project returns to its eternal slumber... at least for now...