The 25 Awesomest Hidden Characters

We're a little down that Dead Rising's protagonist Frank West won't be appearing in Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, but at least he got a fighting game outing in bananas Wii exclusive Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom last year. The zombie-smashing protagonist comes equipped with some of his favorite weapons, and he's a blast to play. Unfortunately, unlocking him is a pain in the hiney - beat the game with three different Capcom characters and make sure to land the final hit on the last boss or else it doesn't count.

We've already seen Final Fantasy VII's Cloud Strife turn up in another game, but there were a few secrets in his own to find. One of the best was the mysterious vampire Vincent Valentine, who could join your party if you found him sleeping in a coffin in a basement. The dude proved so popular that he later got his own spin-off game, the sort of dismal Dirge of Cerberus.

So out of all the professional athletes to get into mixed martial arts, the best we have is Jose Canseco? Horrible. Thankfully, the makers of UFC Undisputed 2010 decided to get a little fantasy basketball on our asses with the inclusion of the one and only Shaq as a hidden character. To bring the master of Shaq Fu into the Octagon, input RIGHT, UP, LEFT, RIGHT, DOWN, LEFT, UP, RIGHT, DOWN, LEFT, X, Y, Y, X, START at the game's main menu. Then dunk some suckas.

Am I psyched that there's rumors of a Bayonetta 2? I am! The sexy librarian with the living hair starred in one of the best action games of this generation, so I'm slavering for more. After you complete the game's "Lost Chapter," it opens up a whole new challenge for you with the Little King Zero. This guy is a veritable glass cannon - two hits and he's down for the count - but he can use magic like David Copperfield on peyote. Also he looks and sounds ridiculous.