Who will win Nerd Street Gamers’ Sidekick Madness?

March 9, 2021

by Andrew Kulp

In honor of March Madness, Nerd Street Gamers’ Sidekick Madness tournament is underway on Loading Screen, and the Round 1 results are in. Voting continues this week on Twitter via @nerdstgamers to determine the greatest sidekick in video games history.

There were no big upsets in the voting last week as the field was whittled down from 16, leaving a star-studded Elite Eight where almost anybody has a chance to win. Here’s a breakdown of the remaining field along with some predictions.

No. 1 Luigi vs. No. 8 Duck Hunt dog

Luigi

As strong a No. 1 seed as imaginable, Luigi has to be the overwhelming favorite to go all the way. With a catalog spanning nearly 40 years, dating back to the original Mario Bros. coin-op in 1983, he certainly has more exposure than anybody else on the list. He has even stepped out from behind his brother’s shadow on occasion for some of his own games and adventures. Mario and Luigi sort of go hand-in-hand, so if Mario is the biggest name in gaming, it stands to reason Luigi is the biggest sidekick.

Duck Hunt dog

I was equal parts excited and surprised to see the dog not only make the cut, but seeded relatively high. I was excited because just thinking about Duck Hunt and the classic NES transports me back to my childhood, yet I’m surprised by the following this mutt has. As sidekicks go, he doesn’t do a whole heck of a lot, or even make many other appearances, but people do love him.

Prediction: Luigi

Luigi should cruise to the next round, and likely the finals — unless a bunch of nostalgic ‘80s kids are voting this week. Just remember, nobody wanted to play as Luigi back then.

No. 4 Tails vs. No. 5 Yoshi

Tails

Confession time: In any 2D Sonic the Hedgehog game, if there’s an option to play as Tails, I will pick him every time. His ability to fly over enemies or entire maps makes the game so much easier, plus he can access secret areas that Sonic and often even Knuckles can’t reach. In that respect, Tails is arguably a stronger hero than the main character. Convince me otherwise.

Yoshi

Likewise, you’d always rather saddle up and traverse a world full of Koopas on the back of your pal, Yoshi, than go it alone with just Mario. Your dinosaur friend’s ability to eat most of the dangers in your path and sometimes fly or breathe fire is a huge help. That said, is Yoshi any more of a sidekick than a horse is to a cowboy? You could make the case he’s often treated as more of a vehicle than a supporting character, albeit he is one powerful ride.

Prediction: Yoshi

While I’m a fan of both, my personal vote is for Tails. That being said, I’m not sure younger audiences are as familiar with Tails, while older gamers might not realize how truly superior he is to Sonic. Yoshi has the cute thing working in his favor, too. Could be a minor upset in the making here.

6. Diddy Kong vs. 3. Pikachu

Diddy Kong

Not unlike Tails, Diddy holds some advantages over the main protagonist, though not as pronounced here. He’s quicker and more agile than Donkey Kong, allowing him to make jumps the big guy can’t or more sudden movements to get out of the way. Yet, while I sometimes prefer playing as Diddy, there are situations where DK’s brute strength is necessary, so this is not a case where the sidekick is measurably superior.

Pikachu

My initial reaction to seeing Pikachu on the list was he’s not really a sidekick, probably because I’ve always been a tad confused about the nature of Pokemon. Are they pets? I dunno. PETA thinks trapping and battling Pokemon is animal cruelty, and I’m not entirely convinced they’re wrong. Anyway, Ash will probably just sic Pikachu on any authorities who dare show up at the illegal Pokemon fighting ring, and I for one am not trying to get zapped.

Prediction: Pikachu

Misgivings aside, there’s no denying the popularity of Pokemon, nor the Pikachu cute factor. This shouldn’t be especially close.

No. 7 Clank vs. No. 2 Cortana

Clank

What really sets Clank apart from the rest of the field is Ratchet is nothing without his robot pal. He’s still just sitting on Veldin wondering what could be if he traveled the universe. Clank is often the source of his partner’s abilities as well, whether he’s helping Ratchet get to hard-to-reach places or just holding all his partner’s weapons. Personality-wise, Clank is a little lacking compared to some other sidekicks. His influence is outsized, however.

Cortana

There isn’t a character here with more depth than Cortana, who we’ve come to learn in each successive iteration of Halo is so much more than a simple guide or assistant to Master Chief. An artificially intelligent being, her emotional connection with the game’s protagonist really became a central plot point. And while some didn’t care for her heel turn in Halo 5, it does give the player a sense of just how powerful Cortana can be.

Prediction: Cortana

There’s something undeniably soothing about listening to Cortana, and as her story is fleshed out, she really becomes so much more than a sidekick.

Finals prediction

It’s no secret, I think Luigi is going the distance. Where I think it could get interesting is the finals, where he could very well run into Pikachu. The popularity of Pokemon at least rivals, if not exceeds the Mario Bros. franchise at this point, and even if the venerable plumber does have a bigger following, that doesn’t automatically mean that love extends to Luigi.

Whether it’s Luigi or Pikachu, either way, Nintendo is the big winner here. The company is extremely well represented in Sidekick Madness, proving if nothing else, its designers always understood the value of memorable supporting characters.