The Video Game Heroines Project

Game: Pu-Li-Ru-La

Heroine: Mel

System: Arcade

Year: 1991

Developer: Taito

Genre: Beat ‘em up

(screenshots from JACK)

Game: Dragon Age: Origins

Heroine: (nameable)

System: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Windows

Year: 2009

Developer: BioWare

Genre: RPG

Etc: In the expansion, Dragon Age: Awakening (2010) you may choose to import your original Dragon Age protagonist, or create a new one.

(screenshots from curtmondo)

Game: SaGa Frontier

Heroine: Asellus, Emelia

System: Playstation

Year: 1998 (US)

Developer: Squaresoft

Genre: RPG

Etc: The first game in the SaGa series to be released in America with it’s original title
(screenshots from spoonshiro)

Game: The Final Fantasy Legend (Makai Toushi SaGa)

Heroine: (nameable)

System: Gameboy, WonderSwan Color

Year: 1990 (US), 2002

Developer: Squaresoft

Genre: RPG

Etc: While renamed to tie it to the Final Fantasy brand in America, this game was the very first game in what would become the SaGa series.

(screenshots from Vysethedetermined2)

Game: Earth Defense Force 2 (“Global Defense Force” in Europe)

Heroine: “Pale Wing”

System: Playstation 2

Year: 2005

Developer: Sandlot

Genre: Third-person Shooter

Etc: While Storm-1, the male soldier, plays fairly standard Pale Wing is equipped with a jet pack, though she cannot pilot vehicles. The jet pack returned in Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon as optional equipment for soldier Lightning Alpha. Pale Wing units appeared in Earth Defense Force Tactics

(screenshots from pjdaddelgreis)

Game: Heavy Rain

Heroine: Madison Paige

System: Playstation 3

Year: 2010

Developer: Quantic Dream

Genre: Interactive Adventure

(screenshots from LordMune)

Game: SkyGunner

Heroine: Femme

System: Playstation 2

Year: 2002 (US)

Developer: PixelArts

Genre: Third-person Shooter

Etc: Femme’s name is french for woman. The rest of the cast are similarly named. SkyGunner received a doujin sequel called Gunner’s Heart in 2005, with the original cast returning.

(screenshots from あずお)

Game: GrimGrimoire

Heroine: Lillet Blan

System: Playstation 2

Year: 2007

Developer: Vanillaware, Nippon Ichi

Genre: RTS

Etc: GrimGrimoire shares a character with the Nippon Ichi game Soul Cradle

(screenshots from Supremejuka, MasterLL)

Game: Lollipop Chainsaw

Heroine: Juliet Starling

System: Playstation 3, Xbox 360

Year: 2012

Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture

Genre: Hack n Slash

(screenshots from VolitileGabe)

Game: Wild Guns

Heroine: Annie

System: SNES

Year: 1995 (US)

Developer: Natsume

Genre: Shooting