The Average Gamer

The Greatest Hairstyle in Gaming… Ever

If I was to ask you which is the best hairstyle ever seen in a videogame, what would you say? Would you respond with any of the crazily sublime styles seen in the countless Japanese RPGs? Cloud Strife of Final Fantasy VII is one of my top contenders.

Or would you go for something a little more wind-swept? Leon S. Kennedy’s curtains from Resident Evil 4 are interesting.

None of these are close, for there is no hairstyle greater, more audacious, and more gravity-defying than that of the great Mr Eddie Wachowski. Does the name not ring a bell? Hardly surprising, as the hair pretty much defined the man. If I was to mention the classic SSX Tricky, does his wavy ginger afro pop back into your memory?

See, Eddie Wachowski’s ‘fro marked a turning point for EA. EA Sports BIG was founded in 2001, with the sole purpose of developing more outlandish and crazy versions of their leading sports titles. SSX came first that the same year, a slightly conservative effort with forgettable characters and a somewhat reserved approached to snowboarding. Then EA Sports BIG stormed out of the blocks with SSX Tricky in 2002; the Tony Hawk’s of snowboarding.

Right there, storming down the snow white slopes, was Wachowski’s huge ginger ‘fro. While Cloud and Leon are busy blowing hair out of their eyes, Eddie is busy blowing opponents away with his awesome tricks.

Eddie’s microphone-esque locks have sadly been reigned in a little in the upcoming SSX, though I think we can all agree it is a style to behold. Next February’s SSX sees the return of the franchise, but with a completely new approach and a new focus on narrative in which a group of boarders seek to ride down some of the most deadliest slopes on the planet. SSX gives players two primary objectives, first: to survive the mountains, and secondly, pull off some amazing tricks along the way.

It makes me sad to learn that Eddie is limited to a pre-order bonus from GameStop in the US. Hopefully it won’t be the same in Europe.

If there is one way to look impressive while hitting the slopes, it’s to have a giant afro. Eddie Wachowski certainly has that. This is why I feel he has the best haircut in gaming.

What do you think? Who do you believe possesses the best ‘do’ in the biz? Let me know in the comments.

SSX will be out in the UK on 17th February 2012 on PS3, Xbox 360

Mo’ ‘Fro