Examples of Iconic Characters - Solid Snake, an example of a more realistic Mascot which is aimed at an older auidence

Not all mascot characters are cute, small and child friendly. It's very possible to have a mascot character for a series while keeping the character more realistic, perhaps even less child friendly and aimed at an older, more mature audience. For this example we will be looking at Solid Snake from the Metal Gear Solid series.

Solid Snake is a genetically engineered to be the perfect solider for the government and is a member of the FOXHOUND organizational. His appearance matches what many people imagine of a grizzled war veteran who has seen his fair share of combat. His outfit also matches this with the sneaking suit he iconiclly wears that perfectly fits the stealth espionage game play very well. His appearance is something that appeals to teenagers and adults, conveying that the game they are going to be playing will indeed cater to an older audience.

Snakes design much like Sonic and Mario has changed slightly over the years, however this was only due to graphical upgrades, making the quality of Snakes model much more high quality, however even the PS1 version of Soild Snake is iconic, so much in fact that in Metal Gear Solid 4 it's possible to unlock a mask that replaces snakes head with his low-poly PS1 equivalent.

Much like Sonic and Mario, Solid Snake has a very recognizable silhouette and shape. This is mostly thanks to his iconic bandanna making his shape stick out a little more.

As for how Snake is a 'mascot' for the metal gear franchise? He's usually on the gamesboxart, examples shown below should illustrate this point: