And now for a bit of a tongue-in-cheek entry to tie this list off. There's no denying that Mario's most prominent enemy is Bowser, who has been pestering everyone's favourite Italian plumber for ...

But while Ragebound shows their respect for retro craftsmanship, it feels more like an evolution of the 8-bit originals ... at least in the early game, as the two ancient enemies constantly ...

These video game villains and enemies, then, while opposed to the player and their goals on a superficial level, were actually a friend, even an ally, once the full extent of the story was laid bare.