The voices behind the characters
Charles Martinet defined the voice of Mario for nearly three decades, turning a cartoon plumber into one of the most recognisable vocal characters in the history of entertainment.
Cam Clarke lent his voice to Liquid Snake in Metal Gear Solid and Leonardo in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon, making him one of the most versatile voice actors to cross between animation and early voice-acted games.
David Hayter voiced Solid Snake in the Metal Gear Solid series from 1998 through 2012, creating a raspy, stoic baritone that became the definitive voice of stealth-action gaming and one of the most recognised character voices in game history.
Mark Hamill's portrayal of the Joker across the Batman: The Animated Series and Arkham game series established the most celebrated version of the character in any medium and set the standard for theatrical villain work in games.
Tara Strong is one of the most prolific voice actors in game and animation history, with a range spanning Bubbles in The Powerpuff Girls, Harley Quinn, Twilight Sparkle, and dozens of game characters across four decades.
Norio Wakamoto's thunderously deep and dramatically flexible baritone made him the premier voice for gods, emperors, and villains in Japanese gaming, most iconically as M. Bison in Street Fighter and the Emperor in various titles.
Shigeru Miyamoto performed the original Mario voice grunts and shouts in early Nintendo titles and promotional material, making him the first voice of the character before a dedicated voice actor took the role.
Jennifer Hale is widely regarded as the finest dramatic voice actress in games, most celebrated as Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect trilogy and with roots in 1990s PC gaming that span dozens of classic titles.
Steve Downes voiced Master Chief in the Halo series from the original Combat Evolved in 2001, creating a stoic, weathered characterisation that became the defining voice of the Xbox platform.
Lani Minella is one of the most versatile and prolific game voice actresses of the 1990s and 2000s, known for voicing both male and female characters across hundreds of titles and for pioneering the casting of women in male roles.
Rob Paulsen voices Raphael and later Donatello in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise and Yakko Warner in Animaniacs, bringing warm comedic range to game adaptations of animated properties throughout the 1990s.
Barry Stigler provided the iconic booming announcer voice for the Mortal Kombat arcade series — his "FIGHT!", "FINISH HIM!", and "FATALITY!" calls became cultural shorthand for the fighting game genre across the 1990s.