When we started our quest to find the Greatest Animal in the History of Video Games, we didn't know where we'd end up.

But after nearly a year of nominations and voting by our readers and a select panel of judges -- Capcom's Morgan Gray, Gamasutra's Leigh Alexander and I Can Has Cheezburger's Tofuburger -- we've finally got a winner.

We posted the final round of nominees last week. And according to our judge and readers, the award goes to...

Readers, you chose Epona, Link's horse from "The Legend of Zelda," who had 18% of the vote. A close second was Yoshi with 17%. In third place, was Sonic the Hedgehog with 11%.

As for the judges, there was no overlap! Read on to see what each judge chose. We've also posted the full readers' results at the bottom. Do you agree with who was chosen as the winner? Either way, sorry -- no re-counts! And thanks to our judges and everyone who voted!

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Leigh Alexander, Gamasutra:

#3 - Yoshi - Ah, Yoshi. I punch you in the back of your head until you stick out your tongue, I scream at you fruitlessly when you run off into a pit at the slightest provocation, and when we're looking like we're not gonna make that jump, I sacrifice you without a second thought and you go down smiling. And you always come back again, Yoshi. Way to take one for the team, forever.

#2 - Sonic the Hedgehog - He's been degenerated, de-glorified, disgraced, but that's not his fault. It could have been Sonic that won the mascot wars; he could have saved the Dreamcast, he could have -- well, it could have been really awesome, and for all those coulda-beens, Sonic, I salute you.

#1 -  Chocobos - Sorry. Being a little "Final Fantasy" nerd is part of what got me into video games in the first place, and the tuft-headed little dudes are the only video game creature I'm willing to buy plushies of -- repeatedly -- so that counts for something.

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Morgan Gray, Capcom:

#3 - Sam from "Sam & Max" - Ok, my favorite dog detective will be receiving the bronze medal. He's got a cool hat, a big gun, a love of treats, and is obviously the brains behind the dynamic duo which is Sam & Max. I can never get enough of his speeches! Also, let's face it,:Max may be crazy, but Sam is not the dog to piss off because when he gets pissed, things get epic.

#2 - Amaterasu from "Okami" - Silver: This wolf is amazing. I first saw "Okami" several years ago while walking around E3. I stood transfixed for about 30 minutes just watching this game. Who doesn't want to go around removing demonic blight, spawn flowers and springtime while making friends with woodland creatures and using a paintbrush to alter reality? Oh yeah -- bonus -- you're a freaking god in wolf form!?!? "Okami" was huge; I'm still not done with it yet, and I have over 70 hours logged into it (I must find EVERYTHING!). Long live Ammy!

#1 - Agro from "Shadow of the Colossus" - Gold: Everyone says it. "Shadow" was amazing, but do they give Agro enough props? He was your sole buddy in a vast, barren and silent landscape. I could sit there just calling for him for hours. I really formed a bond with this guy. Let's face it, we all knew we were heading down a dark path after a while, but did Agro ever do anything but help us on our quest? Nope, he kept his mouth shut and soldiered on with us. Sometimes at night, I can still hear his hooves...

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Tofuburger, I Can Has Cheezburger:

#3 - The "Duck Hunt" Dog - Find anyone who's ever played "Duck Hunt" and you'll hear stories about how, brought to anger of epic proportions, televisions were broken, NES systems and their controllers were smashed, and kids were grounded for yelling profanities and breaking expensive Christmas presents. The culprit? That dog. He's supposed to be man's best friend. He's supposed to be your bird dog, there to retrieve your successful kill. But when you fail? He laughs at you menacingly. Do a Google search for Duck Hunt and you'll find a variety of flash games all including shooting that dog as he taunts you with his laugh. Even 24 years after his introduction, his mere mention can inspire long-winded tirades of vitriol and hatred from grown men. The only thing good to ever have come from that dog are the Duck Hunt Remixes.

#2 - Epona from "The Legend of Zelda" - Every fantastic hero's story involves horses. Atreyu had Artax, Colwyn had the Fire Mares, and Wander had Agro. Link has Epona. The thing that makes Epona stand out is her companionship with Link and her character development through three titles. She not only becomes part of the plot every time she needs rescued, but is also Link's faithful companion. What adolescent boy doesn't hold fond memories of the great steed that accompanies him through multiple adventures where he saves himself, saves the world, and hooks up with the princess at the end?

#1 - Donkey Kong - Donkey Kong is one of most recognizable animals in gaming and should be considered the Godfather of recurring game characters. If Donkey Kong hadn't done a superb job of kidnapping The Lady and thwarting Jumpman's efforts to save her, Shigeru Miyamoto may have never reintroduced the mustached, suspender-wearing carpenter that brought the NES to living rooms across the nation. Then, unwilling to fade into history, over the past 27 years he and his progeny have done cameos, co-starred and starred in dozens of games throughout the years. And to top it all off, DK resides on the sparsely populated list of villains who, seeking redemption, have re-aligned themselves with the heroes. For that Donkey Kong deserves the honor of being named the greatest animal in the history of video games.

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Readers' Results:

Sure, there's a U.S. presidential election going on today where people can cast their votes for Democratic nominee Barack Obama or Republican nominee John McCain.

But we're asking you to make another important vote today... for the Greatest Animal in the History of Video Games.

Throughout the year, we've had a select panel of judges and readers choose their favorite virtual animals in different categories. Now we've placed the winners of each category in the poll below.

So who do you think should win? Vote now, and we'll reveal the judges' picks and the readers' choice next week. Cast your vote after the jump... and remember -- every vote counts!

Voting is now closed. Thanks!

When we started trying to find the Greatest Animal in the History of Video Games at the beginning of the year, we didn't quite know where we'd end up.

Now, several categories later -- including horses, canines, aquatic creatures, birds, reptiles/amphibians, felines, monkeys/apes -- we decided to include the best of the rest.

The only thing that will follow this, of course, is a year-end vote for the Best Animal In Video Game History, chosen from the winners listed in all the year's species posts.

For this last preliminary round, our regular judges -- Gamasutra news director Leigh Alexander, Capcom senior producer Morgan Gray and I Can Has Cheezburger co-founder Tofuburger -- were joined by GayGamer.net associate editor David Edison.

After a no-holds-barred round of nominations, here are the winners, as chosen by the judges and the readers:

Readers showed love for the ants of "Earth Defense Force 2017" and Fox McCloud.

And after tallying up the judges' votes, Sonic the Hedgehog took the top prize. Then for second place, it was a three-way tie between the yago camels from "Rogue Galaxy," Max from "Sam & Max," and Lemmings. For the third spot, it was Crash Bandicoot, Jazz Jackrabbit and the camel mounts in "Vanguard: Saga of Heroes."

Disagree? Check out the judges' individual picks to see who voted for who...

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Leigh Alexander, Gamasutra:

#3 - Fox McCloud is fantastic, but if we're talking foxes, I'm gonna have to go with Spy Fox from the kids' PC game series. Those were great, and my kid sister and I enjoyed playing so much when we were young that just recently my sister gave me a talking Spy Fox doll she found somewhere in a discount store.

#2 - Lucario. Best. Pokemon. Ever. 'Nuff said.

#1- Sonic the Hedgehog. Is this even a contest? I mean. It's Sonic. Come on! He was my childhood hero, man. In the war between Mario versus Sonic, my loyalties were very clearly-placed.

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David Edison, GayGamer.net:

Camels: not as friendly as dogs, not as pretty as kitties, and not as beloved/reviled as hedgehogs. But since all of the fun, shiny, and controversial animals have already been scooped, it falls to me to stump for horse-with-the-hump, otherwise known as the spitting ugly, that most trusty desert mount - the camel. If anyone can give me a single reason not to adore this stinking, spitting, kicking, buck-toothed ungulate, I'll eat my own shorts. Similarly, if there's proof of any other animal out there who can not only store calories and water in an enormous lump of fat (or two), and then use that lump as seating for commuters, I'll eat my shirt.

#3 - The nameless protagonist of Llamasoft's "Revenge of the Mutant Camels" (the humpy sequel to 1983's "Attack of the Mutant Camels"). This timeless PC, Amiga, Atari and Commodore 64 classic set the stage for the noble but failed camel protagonist movement; our hero battles British telephone boxes (devoid of Time Lords), exploding sheep, kangaroos on skis and other very serious threats to dromedary rights. No game ending has ever had the same emotional impact as these flashing words: "WELL DONE! YOU HAVE SAVED CAMELKIND!"

#2 - The camel mount from "Vanguard: Saga of Heroes." Perhaps the only memorable experience from SOE's fixed-too-late MMO, this alternative mount made me feel all rustic and adventure-y as he galloped (trotted? ran? jitterbugged?) across the buggy land of Telon. Also warming the cockles of my cold, cold heart was the fact that the camel mount's saddle boasts a festive blanket (presumably of Telonian make, which makes me wonder if textile workers in Telon face the same impossibly harsh death penalties that punish Telonian adventurers). And if it isn't inappropriate, I'd like to take this opportunity to unite with my fellow dromedarians in a call to Funcom for camel mounts to be added to "Age of Conan." It's the desert, y'all.

#1 - Yago. No, MTV, not Gideon (although I'd hop on that ride, too) - I'm talking about the skinless camels found in "Rogue Galaxy." Never before have I felt the same level of sympathy for an animal so utterly lacking in skin, muscle, or eyeballs. But despite all the far-flung sci-fi window dressing, the yago is very much a camel: a tall, lumpy desert creature that can be laden with all sorts of trade goods and customizable items. Additionally, yago's lack of flesh or recognizably hydratable biology gives him an edge over the traditional camel when it comes to traipsing across arid terrain - why bother watering a camel made out of dry bones? (Especially in a universe where sea vessels fly through empty space without so much as a parka.)

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Morgan Gray, Capcom:

Hard to imagine my time discussing video game animals is coming to a close, but I think I'm a better man for the experience -- or at least, an even more dorky man. Well, its a total free-for-all this time, which makes it harder, but I think the rankings should go like this...

Honorable Mention - RPG rats. They don't deserve a medal, but they, like exploding barrels, are such an RPG cliche that I think their absence from the newbie areas of RPG worlds would be viewed as an insult to the genre. So scurry on my little friends: me , you and my PC shall meet again.

Bronze - Sonic. I'd like to rate him higher, sadly, he just hasn't been making me happy lately. However, I remember seeing the first game when it came out, and thinking "nothing will ever look this good, or play faster than this...ever!". Sega really gave the platform genre a much needed shot in the arm with Sonic, and managed to fire a shot across Mario's bow at the same time. The competition made things better for all of us. I just hope we see a Sonic game as refined as "Mario Galaxy" at some point before I die. I really loved the little guy (even the cartoon...I was young...kinda)

Silver - Crash. I really liked this franchise, which is odd. I had picked up the first game for a gal in my life at the time, and she really loved it. I picked up the controller for the harder sequences (tough navigation paths, boss battles) and ended up really liking it. I've since played the whole series (including "Crash Team Racing"), and really enjoy the Naughty Dog flavor of platforming. Plus, you gotta respect the game for being a rare example of an American franchise exciting both Japanese and Western audiences. I'd spend money to get to play a Coco animal riding sequence again using tilt control on the PS3. Up with Crash, down with Cortex!

Gold - Max. This isn't fair, but I came from a generation of old LucasArts employees that idolize Max. There was a time where he would be buried as an Easter egg in every game that came out. Something about his semi-controlled insanity in contrast to a mellow dog detective I think just made him endearing. He was both cute and scary at the same time (and more often than not, even though his plans were less than reputable, you couldn't argue with this guys' goals). Thank the gaming gods for Telltale Games not letting "Sam & Max" drift away into gaming obscurity! More twinkies!! More twinkies!!!!!

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Tofuburger, I Can Has Cheezburger:

#3 - Cheshire Cat from "American McGee's Alice" - Dialogue saturated with entendre, a dagger-toothed grin even a Great White would envy, and the unnerving ability to phase-shift "reality" are but a few of Cheshire Cat's credentials. The real story is his earring. Singular. Never before (and hopefully, never again) has a single gold hoop conveyed such sinister lethality. In a recent interview, Cheshire Cat was asked, "When is a croquet mallet like a billy club?" His answer? "Whenever you want it to be!" For empowering Cats the world over and showing us the seedy underbelly of what we mistook for a Disney cartoon, we nominate Cheshire Cat. Why is he in the miscellaneous category and not with the other cats? We could tell you, but those who haven't played through might consider it a "spoiler."

#2 - Jazz Jackrabbit - Equipped with a red headband, blue lazer gun, and a wanton disregard for life in any form, Jazz Jackrabbit destroyed the notion that enemies in side-scrollers should be killed by jumping on their heads. Who knew that guerrilla combat tactics, infinitely interchangeable ammunition systems, and giant green rabbits could be such fun? In an era of Big Macs and Fruit by the Foot, Jazz was eating carrots to replenish life and skiing for exercise, predating the modern health craze by over a decade. And with a special edition Christmas episode to boot, what's not to love?

#1 - Lemmings - Yes, they are real animals (rodents, to be precise.) But even if they weren't, we'd still submit them as collectively the greatest animal in video game history. Lemmings are the quintessential embodiment of the complete trust any truly loving relationship should be founded upon; the trust that you won't kill me...more than absolutely necessary. (If you have FUN doing that, well that's between you and YOUR god, but to pass this level most of us need to survive, ok?) Besides, they're just so cute! And with a two-player battle mode, "Lemmings" lives on and remains infinitely replayable to this day.

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This series will be back in about a month with a final round-up of all of the year's winners in a grand face-off to determine The Greatest Video Game Animal Of All Time.

Back in January, we decided to try to find the Greatest Animal in the History of Video Games.

Each month, we listed as many animals as we could think of for each species. Then we had a stellar panel of judges, as well as readers, choose the winner for each category.

After rounding up lists of horses, canines, aquatic creatures, birds, reptiles/amphibians, felines, monkeys/apes, we feel we've exhausted every species worthy of their own post.

So here's the best of the rest including notable hedgehogs, foxes, bears, rabbits and even some random insects...

Charmy Bee from the "Sonic the Hedgehog" series
The cute, cheerful and child-like Charmy helps Sonic's Chaotix team by finding hidden objects.

Espio the Chameleon from the "Sonic the Hedgehog" series
A member of Sonic's Chaotix team, Espio can turn his body transparent for stealth and is also an expert ninja.

Mighty the Armadillo from the "Sonic the Hedgehog" series
Friend of Knuckles, Mighty is an armadillo who abhors violence and only fights when there is no other choice.

The Ants and Spiders in "Earth Defense Force 2017"
The persisent ant- and spider-like aliens in "EDF 2017" had power in numbers. The best part about them was the unrealistic physics; blow them up with a bazooka and their corpses roll around like knocked-down bowling pins.

Banjo
The bear co-star of the "Banjo-Kazooie" games, Banjo often carries around his partner Kazooie, a Red Crested Breegull, in his backpack during their platforming adventures.

Conker the Squirrel
Don't be fooled by his cuteness: the star of "Conkers Bad Fur Day" and its remake "Live & Reloaded" is a foul-mouthed squirrel with a penchant for alcohol and excessive violence.

Crash Bandicoot
A bandicoot is a terrestrial marsupial, and Crash is probably the most famous one of all, starring in his own series of platformer games since 1996.

Daxter from the "Jak & Daxter" series
Daxter was a boy transformed into an ottsel, a combination of an otter and a weasel, and is the loud-mouthed best friend of mute protagonist Jak. While he helps Jak throughout the series, he's only the primary playable character in his eponymous PSP game.

Fox McCloud from the "Star Fox" series
Controlling an expert Arwing pilot and leader of the Star Fox team, players would take the role of Fox McCloud in order save the Lylat system from impending doom.

Sly Cooper
An anthropomorphic raccoon, Sly and his team of thieves band together to fight a robotic owl and a mandrill mad scientist all while avoiding the clutches of Interpol agent Carmelita Fox.

Murray Hippo from the "Sly Cooper" series
Murray Hippo feeds into the hungry hippo stereotype while serving as Sly's good-natured getaway driver and all-around tough guy.

Sonic the Hedgehog
The legendary blue-coiffed hedgehog first ran his way into gamers' hearts in a platform adventure game on the Sega Genesis. Since then he's expanded into comics, TV shows and a slew of other games, and has become one of the world's most recognized game characters alongside Mario and Link.

Max from "Sam & Max"
A "hyperkinetic rabbity thing," Max is partner to dog detective Sam. The two are private investigators who travel the world solving mysteries in their now-episodic adventure games.

Raving Rabbids
Anthropomorphic rabbit-type creatures, raving rabbids are maniacal critters who can be seen terrorizing lead character Rayman in the recent "Rayman Raving Rabbids" series of games.

Rambi the Rhino from "Donkey Kong Country"
Doing what rhinos do best, Rambi can ram its way through walls to unlock secret doors.

The Fudgehog from "Viva Pinata"
Okay, there are many animals in "Viva Pinata" but one of our favorites is the Fudgehog, a hedgehog-like pinata who feeds on Whirlms.

Any rat in any RPG
Can't we have an entry for the prototypical role-playing-game rat? This rat lives in the sewers of dozens of RPGs, waiting to be killed in your first quest as a hero. The question isn't "Which RPG is this rat in?" It's "Which RPG is this rat not in?" The rodent has had more appearances in video games than Super Mario.

Readers, we know there are plenty more animals (including various Pokemon and "Animal Crossing" creatures). Write in your favorites for the judges' consideration, then check back later this month for the winner of the miscellaneous category.

[UPDATE 8/11: For some reason, we had included "Primates" in our headline. But silly us, primates also include humans, and this list certainly does not. Our apologies. We're game writers, not biologists. Animals only for these lists. Carry on...]

When it comes to our favorite animals in video games, we here at MTV Multiplayer don't like to monkey around.

Er, or maybe we do... Either way, we had our regular panel of distignuished judges -- Capcom's Morgan Gray, Gamasutra's Leigh Alexander and I Can Has Cheezburger's Tofuburger -- weigh in with their favorite virtual monkey or ape. This month we also invited Heroine Sheik's Bonnie Ruberg to help us out.

So was Donkey Kong the obvious choice? Not for everyone...

...But Donkey Kong still took top prize. For readers, Donkey Kong won hands-down with the most votes. No other animal was even close, though a few of you showed affinity for George from "Rampage" and the "Monkey Island" monkeys.

As for the judges, almost every one included Donkey Kong among their picks, making him the clear winner. Second place was a tie between Diddy Kong and Aiai and friends of the "Super Monkey Ball" series. And third place went to Kiki from "Legend of Zelda."

Read on to see who the judges chose and why...

Bonnie Ruberg, Heroine Sheik:

#3 - Ukiki in the "Mario" Universe
That little bastard, always stealing my hat. Still, just seeing his blocky paws again brings back memories of chasing him around in circles to classic "Mario 64" music. And since that's enough to make me revert into a giddy twelve-year-old, he earns himself a spot.

#2 - Donkey Kong in the "Donkey Kong" Series
Donkey Kong has my respect -- not for any legitimate reasons, but simply because I can kick his butt in "Smash Bros." Sure, he's big. Sure, his stages annoy me ("But I don't want to go in the barrel!"). Sure, I see him punch and my automatic reaction is, "I fell down some stairs, I fell down some stairs." But he's easy to avoid, and he doesn't pack the squashing power of Bowser. And for that, giant ape, I thank you.

#1 - Aiai and co. in the "Super Monkey Ball" Series
I'll admit, Aiai and co. are probably the only video game monkeys I have any real love for. Whenever I get frustrated rolling balls off platforms, or listening to monkeys and their inability speak a human language, I think: man, these guys hang around in giant plastic spheres all day just so I can put them through craziness for my own enjoyment. All they need in the world is bananas and they never, ever stop smiling. Plus Aiai's ears are basically fleshy cinnamon buns. How can you top that?

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Leigh Alexander, Gamasutra:

#3 - Chimchar
Okay, I'm an Empoleon kinda girl, but we finally have a poke-monkey that's not a shrieking nuisance, and god knows "Diamond" and "Pearl" have no overabundance of useful Fire pokemon.

#2 - Kiki The Monkey
Ki, ki! I remember the sense of discovery I had in "A Link To The Past" when I realized I was meant to find that little purple guy in the woods, and was so grateful for the moment when I finally figured out what I was supposed to do that I didn't mind (too much) that he took my rupees.

#1 - Diddy Kong
Why not Donkey? Well, yes, the primate papa is an icon, but his nephew just plays better, ideal for tree-swinging, long jumps and all those lovely things so crucial to platformers. I toss my cap in the air for you, little DK.

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Morgan Gray, Capcom:

Videos games and monkeys go together like peas and carrots. In fact, I think there have been more video game monkeys than pirates and ninjas put together. Well, perhaps not, but there sure have been a ton of simulated simians jumping around our TVs over the years. Let's start with my honorable mentions:

Drebin's hairless monkey friend in "MGS4." I'm not even sure this dude has a name, but he drinks and smokes, two endeavors that I can support. Plus, for some reason, he got through Old Snake's tough exterior, I really think Snake liked the guy. So hat's off to you, creepy hairless monkey dude!

Now in keeping with the Olympic spirit -- the medals:

Bronze - Specter from the "Ape Escape" series Of course, this game is a celebration of monkeys with sirens on their heads, and that alone should be worth a mention. But Specter was able to rise above his brothers and sisters, and make an enemy worthy of breaking two analog controllers. (That's right, not Dual Shocks, analogs baby. Dual Shocks were but a wistful dream at the time.) If you've played the game, you'll relate. Speaking of "Ape Escape" -- where is my PS3 version?!?!?

Silver - Go ahead and hate on me for this, but King Kong from the movie game was awesome. I found myself blasting through the shooter moments just so I could get more Kong time. Now the game was not greatest, but it was far better than most give it credit for. The Kong sections also served as a sneak peak at "Assassin's Creed" gameplay, if you think about it. One of the finer movie game tie-ins to be produced. All hail the King!

Gold - No contest, Donkey Kong! DK ushered in modern gaming in a way. No DK, no Mario Brothers. No Mario Brothers, no platforming games as we know it. I'm not so big on his extended cast of Kongs -- I hate Diddy with a passion -- but my princess-stealing, barrel-throwing buddy is the undisputed ultimate primate in video games. If you're like me, you've got to be left wondering why we've been kicking Bowser's ass for all these decades, and not watching Mario square off against the true King of the Sewers. I want the jungle-themed "Mario vs. Donkey Kong" follow-up to "Mario Galaxy"... and I want it now!

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Tofuburger, I Can Has Cheezburger:

#3 - Kiki - "Zelda: A Link to the Past"
This monkey loves money and I love this monkey. He's basically the first thing you have to deal with in the dark world, and he makes you payout HELLA rupees just to lead you to the first dark world temple. And yeah, it's been a long time since we've seen Kiki, but don't worry about his income, I'm pretty sure I saw him selling starmaps on La Brea just last week.

#2 - The Monkeys in "TimeSplitters"
I put this here because I hate the monkeys in "TimeSplitters." I mean, don't get me wrong, I love monkeys, monkeys are great, and they're even better when they're carrying shotguns and shrink-rays, but I SWEAR TO CARMACK at every frag-fest there's always that one guy who ONLY plays as the monkey in deathmatch, because they're fast and small and pretty much break the game. And like I said, I love monkeys, but when you do finally corner XxChimpFTWxX and lay into him with a beefy barrage of rockets while traipsing around some Mayan temple? Well that's just about the best feeling there is.

#1 - Donkey Kong
For his skilled barrel tossing... For his primal love of pixelated ladies... For his bitter hatred of both plumbers and crocs... I have to give the golden banana to DK. Notice I do not mention the red tie. I do not mention Diddy or Funky or that tart Candy. Oh Kong, I do not forget your past glory even with the mediocrity of your recent missteps, but it is true what they say: It is better to burn out than to fade away. Here's hoping you still have one more trick up that furry sleeve of yours, and that it does not involve racing barrels with Wiimotes.

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So what do you think, readers? Do you agree with the judges?

Some people might say we here at MTV Multiplayer are bananas for continuing our silly, year-long quest to find the Greatest Animal in the History of Video Games.

And you know what? They're right.

This month, we march on by listing some of our favorite monkeys and apes in video games. As always, our judges will later decide their top three picks. And readers, we ask you to weigh in with your favorites as well as ones we've missed. Here we go...

Aiai and co. in the "Super Monkey Ball" Series
The game features banana-loving monkeys enclosed in balls, and AiAi is its main protagonist. Players can also choose to be AiAi's wife MeeMee, their son Baby or the stronger-yet-slower monkey GonGon.

Amigo in "Samba de Amigo"
The title character is known for shaking his maracas like nobody's business in the popular rhythm game series.

Andross in the "Star Fox" Series
The original space chimp and power-hungry mad scientist, Andross is the recurring arch nemesis to the Star Fox team and aims to take over the Lylat System over and over again.

Agent 9 in the "Spyro the Dragon" Series
Playable in the "Spyro" games, Agent 9 is a psychotic, trigger-happy space monkey armed with a laser blaster he calls "Mr. Laser Blaster."

Abu in "Aladdin"
In the Sega Genesis version, if players find an icon for Aladdin's monkey pal, they can unlock a bonus round where they can control the little guy to catch bonus items falling from the sky.

Coconuts in the "Sonic the Hedgehog" Series
The evil robotic monkey would throw coconuts at Sonic or Tails whenever they passed by.

Crackers in "Hail to the Chimp"
In the presidential party game, the Congo-bred Crackers was the right-hand monkey to the former King Lion. But word on the street is he's in cahoots to get the feline back his crown.

Curious George
In the games based on the animated movie, players help George explore, collect items (bananas) and unlock various mini-games.

Darwin in "The Adventures of Darwin"
When a monkey named Darwin has a dream about an approaching monkey-annilhilating asteroid, he rounds up a few friends to help them evolve and avoid the impending doom of monkey-kind.

Data in the "Mega Man Legends" Series
Accompanying Roll as a pet, the little robot monkey helped by saving the player's game and giving Rock useful information upon request.

Donkey Kong in the "Donkey Kong" Series
Created by Shigeru Miyamoto, the hulking gorilla has been a staple of Nintendo games (his own and others) since he starred in the 1981 arcade title with a certain Italian plumber.

Donkey Kong Jr. in the "Donkey Kong" Series
Kid of Donkey Kong, Junior starred in his own 1982 arcade game and has appeared throughout various "Mario" and "DK" games.

Diddy Kong in the "Donkey Kong" Series
Donkey Kong's buddy and sidekick, Diddy is known for being more monkey-like than ape, and he dons a red hat bearing the Nintendo logo.

All The Other Kongs in the "Donkey Kong Series"
From ladies Candy (DK's alleged love), Dixie (Diddy's girlfriend) and Tiny (Dixie's sister) to Chunky (Diddy's brother) and Funky (munitions) as well as Lanky (orangutan), Manky (good Kong gone bad), Swanky (sideshow attractions), Cranky (DK's dad) and Wrinkly (DK's mom)... there are a lot of Kongs.

Doom Monkeys in the "Crash of the Titans" Series
Series antagonist Doctor Neo Cortex has pesky, wrench-wielding simian minions called Doom Monkeys.

Faron in the "Legend of Zelda" Series
The Spirit of Light watches over the Faron Province and appears as a monkey. Faron also helps Link return to his human form in "Twilight Princess."

George the Ape in "Rampage"
In the classic arcade game, players could take on the role of giant ape George (a human-turned-monster) to wreak havoc on hapless cities by smashing buildings, destroying vehicles and eating people.

Goldar in "The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" Series
The evil humanoid monkey warrior was known to be able to defeat the entire Power Rangers team single-handedly and has appeared as a boss in the various games.

Gorilla in "Gekido"
The 3D fighting game also included an unlockable character called Gorilla whose special combos included the Head-butt, the Ground-Pounder and the Crazy Monkey.

Gorilla Grodd in the DC Universe
The telepathic supervillain appears as a non-playable character in "Justic League Heroes" and is set to appear in Sony Online Entertainment's upcoming MMO "DC Universe Online."

The Hog-Monkeys in the "Avatar: The Last Airbender" Series
The game based on the popular Nickelodeon TV series includes enemies that have the body of a monkey with a dog-like face.

Hanumachine in the "Mega Man Zero" Series
A boss in "Mega Man Zero," Hanumachine is a Mutos Reploid based on the Hindu monkey god Hanuman, and he uses fire-based attacks as well as mini-hanmachines to do battle.

Kiki in the "Legend of Zelda" Series
Kiki appears to help Link in various ways. In "Link to the Past," he opens a palace door for Rupees and in "Link's Awakening" he builds a bridge to the castle for bananas.

King Kong
From the Atari 2600 to the 2005 title based on the Peter Jackson re-make, the legendary giant gorilla has been in several of his own games.

King Louie in "The Jungle Book"
In the game based on the popular Disney movie (based on the Rudyard Kipling book), the feisty orangutan acts as a boss to lead character Mowgli by throwing bananas at him.

Kongo in "Monkey Magic"
Based on the anime series, this PlayStation game was a side-scrolling platformer where a monkey named Kongo used King-Fu and elemental powers to fight for his friends and challenge the gods.

Mojo JoJo in "The Powerpuff Girls" Series
The mad scientist chimp with an exposed brain and super-strength acts as the most frequent villain to the Girls.

Money the Monkey in "Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice For All"
During a case in the game, a monkey named Money steals Phoenix's badge, and it's a wild goose monkey chase to get it back.

Pogo the Monkey in "Grand Theft Auto III"
Pogo is a video game character in "GTA III" advertised on the game's radio stations. The ads promised that you'll "play through tons of levels - killing scientists and becoming President of The United States!" Pogo also taught kids to "win things," "kill," and "covet money!"

Monkey Fling!! in "Bully"
"Bully" features boarding school miscreant Jimmy Hopkins and includes an arcade minigame where a monkey must fling his poo to collect bananas.

Pokemonkeys and Pokeapes
From squirrel monkeys to apes to chimps, Pokemon's got it covered with Mankey, Aipom, Ambipom, Chim Char, Monferno, Infernape and Primeape.

The Primates in the "Animal Crossing" Series
The variety of gorillas included grumpy Cesar, DK-like Louie, attention-loving Jane and mountain-climber Yodel. There is also Porter, the chipper monkey who can be found at the train station.

Professor Monkey-for-a-Head (and Monkey Professor-for-a-Head) in the "Earthworm Jim" Series
A professor with a monkey grafted to his forehead, the villainous Professor Monkey-for-a-Head shares a brain with his simian counterpart and is known for building the ultra-high-tech-indestructible-super-space-cyber-suit.

Rafiki in "The Lion King" and "Kingdom Hearts II"
Simba's crazy mandrill friend appears as a non-playable character in the "Lion King" movie game as well as the Square Enix RPG "KHII."

Rilla Roo in "Crash Bash"
Cross a gorilla and a kangaroo and you've got Rilla Roo, who appeared as a playable character in the fifth game of the "Crash Bandicoot" series.

The Saiyans in "Dragon Ball" Universe
Including main characters Son Goku and Gohan, the powerful warrior race has monkey tails and the ability to transform into a giant ape-like creature.

Specter in "Ape Escape"
"Ape Escape"'s main villain is an albino monkey armed with his Peak Point Helmet, super intelligence and psychic powers.

Sten in "Breath Of Fire II"
A playable character in the Capcom RPG, Sten is a foolish chimp that works as a traveling magician. He is a part of the clan of monkeys called Highlanders who are known for their speed and jumping abilities.

Sun Wukung in "The Monkey King: The Legend Begins"
This side-scrolling shooter features the Chinese legend as its protagonist fighting his way through ancient China.

Ukiki in the "Mario" Universe
This mischievous monkey appears in various "Mario" games as hat-stealer, watermelon seed-spitter and banana-thrower and even a mayor.

Wiki in "Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure"
The enchanted monkey friend of Zack, Wiki travels the high seas with his pal to find pieces of a legendary pirate captain for... treasure, of course.

Snake vs. Monkey in "Metal Gear Solid 3"
In this crossover mini-game based on "Ape Escape," Snake must stun monkeys using the EZ Gun or Stun Generades.

Little Gray the Monkey in "Metal Gear Solid 4"
Little Gray is the pet of Drebin, a munitions launderer in the game. And he's really darn cute.

The Apes in "Planet of the Apes"
Though it came out in the same year as the Tim Burton re-make, the game stays closer to the source material and features a Charlton Heston-esque astronaut named Ulysses that you must help figure out where the hell he is. (Hint: a planet full of apes).

The Chimps in "Space Chimps"
The game based on the computer-animated comedy features a chimp named Ham who, along with his crewmates, is on a mission to retrieve a lost ship and save a peaceful planet from the evil Zartog.

The Monkeys in "Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures"
The simians in this game throw blocky Indy a much-needed item (a sitck of dynamite, a wrench) in exchange for a nearby banana.

The Monkey in "Monkey Hero"
In "Monkey Hero," A "Zelda"-type RPG, you play a courageous monkey who's tasked with finding The Magic Story Book to keep the peace between three warring worlds.

The Monkeys in the "Monkey Island" Series
The island had a giant monkey head landmark which turned out to be the control room of a giant monkey robot controlled by real monkeys (natch).

The Monkeys in the "TimeSplitters" Series
Throughout the series, monkeys are playable characters who perform various roles and wear different disguises (including ninjas, cyborgs and zombies).

Got any more to add? Let us know who else should be considered for the greatest monkey or ape in video game history! And place your votes below. We'll follow-up by the end of the month with the official picks from our judges and a count of your selections.

After our judges and readers have helped us choose the greatest horse, canine, bird, aquatic creature, and reptile/amphibian, this month they helped us decide which virtual feline is the best one of all video games.

Our regular animal judges -- Capcom senior producer Morgan Gray, I Can Has Cheezburger co-founder Tofuburger and Kotaku news editor Leigh Alexander -- are joined by Evan Narcisse, freelance game journalist for Crispy Gamer, Entertainment Weekly and the Washington Post.

And the winner is...

First place for the judges, was Blanca from "Animal Crossing," followed by "Final Fantasy VII'"s Red XIII. There was a two-way tie for third place with Felicia from "Darkstalkers" and Mew 2 from Pokemon. As for Multiplayer readers, there were a lot of votes for various cats, but Blanca was the clear winner. Read on to see who each judge chose and why.

3. Jeane. ["No More Heroes."] Hi, girl. I found it pretty amazing that in the most comically bloody game we've seen in a bit, the crude, gross protagonist can be made to have tender moments with a tiny cat named after his sister.

2. Lynx. "Chrono Cross" might have had a loose storyline, but there was something about being transformed into that unrecognizable, vaguely sinister feline that just did it for me, a sense of displacement enhanced by probably the best game soundtrack ever. There's a moment later in the game when, if you talk to disconcerted Dragoon Marcy, Lynx will (silently, of course), put his big cat paw on her little blond head. Touching, and I never forgot it.

1. Felicia. ["Darkstalkers."] I think it's enough that she's made us struggle, inwardly, with our own personal "no furries" rule for years, single-handedly motivating (along with "FFXI"'s Mithra and "FFXII"'s Fran) a complete re-drawing of all boundaries in that arena just to accommodate her. Mee-yow.

Okay, as is tradition, here comes honorable mention. Felicia from "Darkstalkers" deserves a shout out. Now true, not a real "cat" (thus the honorable mention), she's a solid fighter, has a good mix of attacks, and well, her costume ain't too bad on the eyes. Plus, she's spawned an army of cosplayers to brighten up our conventions.

Bronze: Red XIII – I have a soft spot in my heart for "Final Fantasy 7." Unlike many of you who remember crying when Aeris/Aerith -- whatever you call her -- had a bad day (never really cared, Tifa stole my heart), for me it was Red XIII. As I said before, I love cats, so as is my tradition for every "FF" game, I jumped at the chance to rename this red badass after my cat, who insisted on sleeping on my lap as we played. So like that, Morgan (Cloud), and Thor (Red XIII), went on to kick some ass and quaff a lot of phoenix downs. Good times.

Silver: The Kilrathi - I love "Wing Commander." And no, not the Freddy Prinze travesty with its odd reptile/turtle bad guys. I'm talking good old-fashioned, boot-to-DOS, free-up-some-EMS-memory, wipe-off-the-adlib-sound-card, and purchase-an-expansion-pack-just-for-full-voice "Wing Commander" (I believe the kids call that "old school"). Long before people blew a lid at Luke Skywalker making a CD-ROM game, "Wing Commander 1" blew our minds. Finally, there was a new universe outside of Star Wars (and there was nothing wrong with Star Wars at that time!) that not only allowed for awesome space combat, but told one of the strongest stories games had seen.

And behind the drama -- the Kilrathi. The ultimate space cat enemies. Far above what some would call a feline Klingon rip-off, these guys had cool looking ships, a ranking system based off of claws and fangs, and one of the most bizarre warrior societies ever (they begin to worship you for kicking their furry butts across the universe). I have fond memories of "stealing" a Kilrathi ship and giving them a taste of their own medicine. I miss you guys!

Gold! "Mew 2" – Yes, I love Pokémon, and I always pick one -- I know, what can I say. So some of my love here is due to the fact that it was a pain in the butt for me to get my first Mew 2. But come on!!! He's a clone of one of the cutest video game cats, driven insane by scientific experimentation (okay, that might be a push). He looks awesome, he kicks butt in Pokémon stadium, and if you haven't seen any of the fan videos crunching Pokémon with the "300" trailer on YouTube, believe me, one viewing, and you'll think this guy could beat Galactus. This is also what I picture in my head while playing Pokémon (I need help). So it might be a stretch to call him a "pure cat," but he's cat enough for me. Mew 2... Victory!

Let's get one thing, straight: I'm a dog person. Yes, I've met cats that I like, but they've mostly been weird, off-brand felines. A cat who'd lick your face as a sign of affection. A cat who loves to sit under a running faucet. Cats that only answer to the Spanish versions of their names. I'd call these critters out by name, but I haven't committed them to memory, because, well, I like dogs better. Anyway, I figured that bit of background would help Multiplayer readers understand my choices.

3. Blinx: Blinx and you won't miss it. I remember playing this game when the first Xbox launched. I thought the time-stopping mechanic was cool but found Blinx and his world to be off-putting.

2. Ratchet: You gotta love a catlike humanoid who's so technologically gifted that Tony Stark looks like he just got out of remedial shop class. In the R&C games, our Lombax nominee always seems to be more impetuous than his robotic partner Clank. Ratchet gets my support because that seems very feline to me. Cats don't think about consequences. They just run out the door if you're not vigilant enough, go out, get lost, get into fights and wander home.

1. Blanca: This cipher kitty gets my vote because The Question is one of my favorite philosophical crime-fighters (especially the Denny O'Neil interpretation). Walking around with no face and asking someone to draw you one sounds like a feature from a "Silent Hill" game, so for it to show up in an "Animal Crossing" game of all places makes it even creepier. If you think about in psychoanalytical terms, the face you draw on Blanca is the face you draw on yourself. Deep. Huh?

3. Bubsy of "Bubsy: Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind" - Bubsy may not be a good game. In fact, I have a huge feeling that if I pulled out the old SNES right now, it would be the opposite of fun, but at the time? Wow, did me and my lil' sis get a huge kick out of all things Bubsy. Which is why, right now, I'm going to go to YouTube and watch all of his death animations in a row.

2. Blanca of "Animal Crossing" - Blanca may either be the origin of lolcats or its future: a cat whose face you can actually write a message on. There's nothing better than spending an hour on that train, carefully scribbling on that cat's face, and then sending it over to your roommate's town. Wait for it... wait for it... Yep, see that face? I totally drew that, buddy. Now stop doing errands for Nook and pay your half of the rent, IRL.

1. Red XIII of "Final Fantasy VII" - "FF7" fans rejoice, Red XIII is the Mr. Spock of Final Fantasies. Cause he's got pointy ears? Well, on the original Playstation, everyone had pointy ears. What I mean is, when Square-Enix finally caves and makes "Final Fantasy 7: The Next Generation," and it takes place 500 years later, and you have to play as Cloud's great, great, great grandson, do you know who's still going to be alive? That's right, Red XIII. Because giant red furballs live, like, fur-ever. Look it up.

Even though Multiplayer editor Stephen Totilo tried to torture his own cat with "Wii Fit," we here at MTV really do love our feline friends.

That's why we're continuing our year-long quest to find the Greatest Animal in the History of Video Games with the nominees for the greatest video game cat. The feline champion, decided at the end of the month by our panel of judges and readers, will go on to the final round among the other categories later this year.

And as always, we ask readers to write in their votes for their favorites as well as ones we've missed for consideration. First up...

Alleycat
In the 1983 Atari 8-bit/PC game, the player controls an alley cat who must perform tasks within humans' homes, like getting into the fishbowl and avoiding sleeping dogs.

Aslan in "The Chronicles of Narnia" Series
In the games based on the films based on the books, players fight for the future of fantasy land Narnia alongside the legendary, Christ-like lion.

Big the Cat in the "Sonic the Hedgehog" Series
A large purple cat, Big is a dim-witted fisherman who lives in a hut in the Mystic Ruins with his best friend Froggy.

Blanca in the "Animal Crossing" Series
A white cat with no face, Blanca asks the player to draw her a new face every time you meet her, as she tends to wash it off in the bathroom.

Blaze in the "Sonic the Hedgehog" Series
Princess and the defender of the Sol Emeralds, Blaze can manipulate fire and turn herself into a fiery tornado that burns enemies to a crisp.

Blinx of the "Blinx: The Timesweeper" Series
Blinx the Time Sweeper must save the world against Time Monsters (natch) by using his magical, time-controlling vacuum cleaner, the TS-1000.

Bubsy of the "Bubsy" Series
Once touted as "the next Sonic the Hedgehog," Bubsy is an anthropomorphic bobcat who jumped and glided his way through platform-style games.

Cait Sith in the "Final Fantasy" Series
Used as a spy by Reeve Tuesti, Cait Sith is a talking robotic cat that rides on the back of a stuffed Moogle who he orders around with a megaphone.

Captain Nathaniel Joseph Claw in "Claw"
The world's most famous cat pirate escapes his Cocker-Spaniard captors and sets out to collect the Amulet of Nine Lives, an artifact that gives its bearer near-immortality.

The Cat in the Hat
In the game based on the Mike Myers film, players take the role of the mischievous feline as he uses his handy umbrella to capture random Seussian creatures.

Cat O' Nine Tails in "Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest"
A blue cat with nine tails, the cleverly named feline would spin around wildly, using his extra appendages to send the Kongs soaring into the sky.

Catbat in "Wario Land 4"
The guardian of the Sapphire Passage, Catbat is a big purple cat with a bat protruding from his head. His bat appendage conveniently allows him to fly in the air.

Catwoman
You can play the feline fatale in the "Prince of Persia"-style movie game or a much blockier version of her in "Lego Batman" this fall.

The Cheetamen
Considered some of the worst NES games ever made, "Cheetamen" and "Cheetamen II" featured three genetically-engineered humanoid cheetahs named Apollo, Aries and Hercules who battle their creator, a mad scientist named Dr. Morbis.

Constable Neyla in the "Sly 2: Band of Thieves"
A white tiger with a whip for a weapon, Constable Neyla was known for double-crossing everyone she came into contact with.

Eek! The Cat
The game based on the cartoon had players control the title character, a purple cat named Eek! whose worst enemy was Sharky The Sharkdog.

Evil the Cat in the "Earthworm Jim" Series
The embodiment of evil (hence the name), Evil rules over the fiery, craggy Planet Heck and goes after Jim in order to obtain his super suit.

Felicia in "Darkstalkers"
In the 2D fighting game series, Felicia is a human with cat-like features (white fur, paws and a tail) whose special moves include an ability to summon other catgirls to help her.

Felix the Cat
Based on the cartoon character, the game has players controlling Felix as he attempts to rescue his girlfriend Kitty from an evil professor.

Garfield
The obese, orange, lasagna-eating cat has been featured in numerous video games, from a never-released Atari 2600 prototype to last year's "Garfield Gets Real" for the Wii and DS.

Jeane in "No More Heroes"
In between massive bloodbaths, lead character Travis Touchdown can go to his apartment and play with his pet cat Jeane, who may on occasion get stuck on the ceiling fan.

Juliette in "Fur Fighters"
Juliette is a short-fused, French feline who prefers to fight alone but stays among the anthropomorphic animal group in order to rescue her family.

Katrina in the "Animal Crossing" Series
A fortune teller in the form of a panther, Katrina will give the player a cryptic fortune that is either good or bad. She also will remove the ill effects of a bad fortune... for a price.

Katt in "Breath of Fire 2"
Half-cat, half-girl, Katt is a fierce and feisty fighter who has the ability to break obstructing objects (like pesky rocks) and becomes part of protagonist Ryu's party after he saves her from an assassination attempt.

Katt Monroe in the "Star Fox" Series
The feline fighter shows up to help the Star Fox team while totally crushing on one Falco Lombardi.

Kay in "Legend of Kay"
Young cat warrior Kay must use his martial arts skills to save his fellow felines from evil gorillas and rats who have taken over his village.

Lynx in "Chrono Cross"
When a teenage boy named Serge struggles between two parallel worlds, Lynx sets his sights on apprehending him for good.

Mao in "Shadow Hearts: From The New World"
A giant talking cat who longs to be a movie star, Mao's love of alcohol fuels her Drunken Fist-style of fighting.

Mithra in the "Final Fantasy" Series
Among the five playable races in "Final Fantasy XI" are the Mithra, a type of cat-like humanoids who are known for their dexterity but not so much for their tact.

Myau in "Phantasy Star"
Protagonist Alis Landale meets her first companion, a talking musk cat named Myau, in a pet store. Myau's mission is to rescue his pal Odin who has been turned to stone by Medusa.

Pokecats in the "Pokemon" Universe
There are too many to name individually, but we trust our readers and judges can choose their favorites among Meowth, Snorlax, Persian, Mewtwo, Mew, Espeon, Delcatty, Shinx, Luxio, Luxray, Glameow, Purugly...

Rajan in "Sly 2: Band of Thieves"
An arrogant, short-tempered tiger from Calcutta, Rajan sold spices on the black market and provided his illegal goods to the Klaww gang.

Ratchet
We're not sure what a Lombax is, but it's cat-like enough for us. Ratchet is a Lombax mechanic who often saves the galaxy from evil-doers with the help of unique gadgets and gizmos and his robot pal Clank.

Red XIII in the "Final Fantasy" Series"
Also known by his real name Nanaki, Red XIII is a powerful, longevous lion with red fur and a fiery tail. He learns his true heritage and proves to be a valuable asset to Cloud's party in "Final Fantasy VII."

Rover in the "Animal Crossing" Series
Despite his name, Rover is a actually cat who travels around the world. He helps the player with his/her appearance and lodging at the start of "Animal Crossing."

The Saber Cats in "World of Warcraft"
Sabers cats are large, tiger-like animals used as mounts mainly by Night Elves. They come in a variety of different colors and are loyal to their masters.

Spitz in the "WarioWare" Series
Alongside dog developer Dribble, Spitz is a large yellow cabbie cat who wears goggles and speaks with a Bronx accent.

Tango in the "Mega Man" Series
A robotic cat, Tango can turn into a buzzsaw to slice and dice any bad guys who get in its way.

ThunderCats
In the game based on the popular '80s cartoon, players hack-n-slashed their way as the ThunderCats in order to defeat Mumm-Ra and his evil forces.

Tom in "Tom and Jerry"
With his pesky mouse partner Jerry, the clumsy cartoon cat has starred in a number of video games in a variety of platforms and genres.

Toro
An SD-style, anthropomorphic cat, Toro is also known as Sony Cat in Japan. He has starred in several of his own games, including his latest title on the PS3 "Mainichi Issho" ("Everyday Together"), where he hosts a talk show/game show.

Ty the Tasmanian Tiger
Thought to be the world's last Tasmanian tiger, Ty learns that he can use his trusty boomerang skills to find the five mystic talismans and rescue his family.

Uriko in the "Bloody Roar" Series
Kidnapped as a child and used for an experiment in creating beast soldiers, Uriko has the the power to transform into a cat.

The Vah Shir in "EverQuest"
One of the 16 playable races, the Vah Shir are a feline race from Luclin who have excellent stealth, night vision and the ability to fall from high places without getting hurt.

The Cats in "Brutal: Paws of Fury" and Brutal: Above the Claw"
The fighting games featuring anthropomorphic animals included a lion rock star (Prince Leon of Kenya), a cheetah (Tai Cheetah), a panther (Panthra) and a hyperactive cat (brilliantly named Psycho Kitty).

The Cat in "Magical Cat Adventure"
In this side-scrolling arcade platformer, you play a magical cat wandering around a forest with strange weapons.

The Cats in "Mappy"
In the 1983 Namco arcade game, players controlled a mouse named Mappy amidst a mansion full of cats called Meowkies to fetch stolen goods.

The Cats in "Okami"
Celestial brush gods Gekigami (Thunderstorm) and Kabegami (Catwalk) appear in the game as a tiger and white cat, respectively.

The Cats in "Catz"
Take home a virtual kitten and feed it, pet it and love it to your heart's content. You can also dress up your kitty with "cute accessories" but that also borders on animal cruelty if you ask us...

The Cats in "Purr Pals"
See above.

The Cats in "Love Cat Life"
Thought to be the feline follow up to "Nintendogs," "Love Cat Life" is more fantasy-driven than a pet-sim in that you can have your cats sing karaoke.

The Cat in "Rogue Galaxy"
In the the RPG's version of space, pirates don't have parrots on their shoulders -- they have cats. Lead character Jaster Rogue meets a white, fluffy cat who speaks for his master, waving his paws wildly and meowing orders.

The Cats in "Superman Returns"
Battle Lex Luthor? Psssh. In the game based on the movie, the Man of Steel played fireman as he was tasked with saving 100 cats from trees for an Achievement. (We don't know who would ever do that...)

The Lion in "Hail to the Chimp"
In the upcoming election game, when the Lion, King of the Animals, is caught up in a series of embarrassing scandals, he is removed from office so that the other animals have a chance to become Commander-in-Chief.

The Lions in "The Lion King"
The side-scrolling platform game based on the Disney animated movie gave players control of protagonist Simba as a cub and then as an adult to battle his ruthless uncle Scar.

Mr. Mew in "The World Ends With You"
Protagonist Neku may have thought his partner's pal was a pig, but Mr. Mew was definitely a cat. Shiki's constant companion and attacker, this stuffed kitty never left her side.

Got any more to add? Let us know who else should be considered for the greatest cat in video game history!

This time, our regular round of virtual animal lovers -- Kotaku news editor Leigh Alexander, Capcom Senior Producer Morgan Gray and I Can Has Cheezburger co-founder Tofuburger -- were joined by Joystiq writer Justin McElroy.

With bated breath, we give you the best reptile/amphibian in video games, according to our panel of judges... Yoshi! Followed closely by Gex for the number two spot, and then Bowser in third place. As for Multiplayer readers, there was a lot of love for Bowser and Yoshi, too, who were tied for second place with Slippy from "Star Fox" having a slight edge over both to take the top spot.  Read on for  the judges' picks and to see whether or not you agree with them...

Leigh Alexander, Kotaku:

You had to do it to me, didn't you? You had to put Solid Snake on a toplist where I couldn't possibly select him. You know, since he's not a real snake. Must... fight compulsion... to select him... and to write him in on my 2008 ballot...

3. Squirtle. He's a squirrel! No, he's a squirting turtle. Fanboy rage, go!

2. Gex. My little sis and I were such fans of the singing, dated pop culture-quoting gecko back in the day. It's one of those things that isn't even rational anymore. Damn, I love Gex.

1. Yoshi. He tirelessly carries Mario, endlessly smiling -- even during those abrupt emergency dismounts that plummet Yoshi to his death so that you can survive. Punch his head and he won't get mad - he just sticks his tongue out. It's all good with Yoshi.

***

Morgan Gray, Capcom:

Following my tradition I have to give out an honorable mention starting off. Since I gave a trophy to one Pokemon already, it ain't right to do it again (hell, there pretty much is a Pokemon for every video game animal category when you get right to it). So the Honorable Mention (ha!) goes to Squirtle! Now mind you, his evolved forms are stronger, and bigger....but do any of them roll with a crew?!? So hats off to Squirtle and his sunglasses-wearing buddies in the Squirtle Squad!

And now for the real awards... all mascoty in their own way, oddly:

Bronze: Bowser - I have kicked this dude's ass for over 20 years, but he keeps coming back for more! Why Peach doesn't learn to lock her doors, I don't know why, but I fully expect that Bowser and I will be scrapping yet again in the not-so-distant future. What I want to know is, if Bowser has a kid, and I believe he does, who the hell is the mom? Maybe there is something more to Bowser's and Peach's little escapades... I'd be pissed off too, Mario!

Silver: The greatest gecko of all time (even without a British accent) claims this prize. Gex! In the long, long ago times, Gex showed you didn't need to be on Nintendo hardware to be an awesome platformer lead character. Hell, you didn't even need to be on hardware anyone owned to be great (can you name the system?). Gex provided solid gameplay, and was one of the early "wise-ass" platformer characters that helped spark a ton of imitators. Good for you Gex. Don't be a stranger!

Gold: Sadly, I'm going with two characters from the same universe this month. Yoshi! He was fun to play in his first outing. He's the only guy (next to Luigi) that I play whether its kart racing, tennis, golf, soccer, or kicking Sonic's ass in Beijing (I'm a sucker for track & field games). Yoshi is even graceful when he wins (at least I think he is -- have his talking lines ever been translated out of "Yoshi-ese"?). So thanks, Yoshi, can't wait to play you again when Nintendo launches "Wii Curling"!

***

Justin McElroy, Joystiq:

3. The Lizard from "Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro" - Lizards? Terrifying, but a necessary evil to keep the insect menace at bay. Man-sized lizards? Horrific, but rarely threatening when within 100 meters of Spider-Man, which they always are. Now, The Lizard in "Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro," who refuses to leap more than two ft. at a time? Well, that's bafflingly frightening, because what is he up to anyway?

2. The Crocodiles from "Pitfall" - Sometimes, stepping on a crocodile is a necessary step towards victory, and sometimes you'll end up dead, with nothing but speedily digested gold bars to show for it. Honestly, if cars were 100 feet across it would be the world's best-selling bumper sticker. If there's ever been a more elegant representation of the balance of friend and foe man has had to strike with animal, I don't know what it is.

1. Gex - One day back in 2002, Aero the Acrobat was given papercuts all over his body and dipped into a vat of hydrochloric acid because of several outstanding mob debts. On the same day, his wife left him for Busby. Just before his snout disintegrated, he shouted to the heavens "Oh well, at least I'm not Gex." That awful lizard makes every other aborted attempt at a character mascot feel great about themselves by comparison, and there's something noble about that.

***

Tofuburger, I Can Has Cheezburger:

3. Frog - A time traveling prince, Frog is fierce with a broadsword and will douse you in water magic if you look at him sideways. He's just one of the reasons we're digging out the SNES and our copy of "Chrono Trigger" tonight.

2. Yoshi - Yoshi is awesome at all sports, racing, and saving the world. Sometimes, though, we find it hard to forgive him for that high-pitched squeal he makes every time he jumps too high. If you or one of yours has a similar Yoshi problem, we suggest dismounting as soon as he makes the noise, preferably over a large, bottomless pit, while using your cape, raccoon tail, or other flotation device to hover to safety. The first time you teach your Yoshi this lesson, he will never talk back to you again.

1. Bowser - King of all the Koopas, some would say he's a not-so-good guy who kidnaps princesses and spits fireballs at plumbers. At Cheezburger, we disagree. Bowser and Princess Peach? Simply a modern, pixelized retelling of forbidden love: to be Bowser is to be a Koopa Capulet while to be Peach is to be a Toadstool Montague. We hope that at some point these two kids can just work it out.

First, we had readers and judges help us name the best horse, canine, aquatic creature and bird.

Now we're moving on to our scalier, slimier friends -- reptiles and amphibians... and we threw in dinosaurs for good measure.

From unforgettable frogs (Frogger) to turtle-like creatures (Bowser) and skateboarding dinosaurs (Radical Rex), we thought of a list of our favorite reptiles and amphibians.

Please write it your favorites (and any ones we missed), and later this month, our excellent panel of judges will choose the animal to represent the species at the end of the year. First up...

The Frogs in "Frogger"
The classic arcade game had the player guiding a frog from one end of the screen to the other while avoiding dangerous hazards across roads and rivers.

Slippy Toad in the "Star Fox" Series
Longtime friend of Fox McCloud, Slippy assists the Star Fox team with his mechanic skills but often needs help getting enemies off his tail -- his Arwing's tail that is.

The Toads from the "Battletoads"
Rash, Zitz and Pimple are computer technicians turned tough-as-nails toads, and they often find themselves battling the ruler of Planet Ragnarok, the Dark Queen.

Bowser/King Koopa in the "Mario" Universe
Is he a turtle? A dinosaur? Whatever he is, Bowser is the leader of the turtle-like Koopa race and arch enemy to Mario. The king of Koopas often kidnaps Mario's lady Princess Peach and is a proponent of inter-species marriage between the princess and himself.

Koopa Troopas and Paratroopas in the "Mario" Universe
Bowser's turtle-like minions Koopa Troopas and winged Paratroopas are Mario's ubiquitous enemies. A bop on the noggin usually suffices to incapacitate them, but a single touch to Mario causes harm (usually shrinkage) and even death.

Franklin the Turtle
The star of the Canadian children's TV series also has educational video games where he goes to school and hangs out with friends.

Ozzy in "Turtle Odyssey"
When Ozzy the turtle's shell goes missing, it's up to the player to help him sweep the ocean floor to find it. Talk about shell shock...

Rusty in "Hail to the Chimp"
A longtime employee of GRR News (and perhaps even its founder -- he can't remember), Rusty is an old, slow-talking turtle who handles the weather.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
These crime-fighting, pizza-eating anthropomorphic turtles have made an indelible mark in pop culture as well as video games, particularly 1989's beloved side-scrolling arcade game by Konami. Cowabunga, indeed.

Winky in "Donkey Kong Country"
Winky the frog is skilled at jumping high (go figure) and helps the Kongs defeat enemies with a hop.

Rattly in the "Donkey Kong Country 2" and "Donkey Kong Land 2"
Although Rattly is a snake, his abilities are similar to Winky's: Rattly uses his coiled tail to jump high and bounce on enemies.

K. Rool in the "Donkey Kong" Series
The mentally unstable crocodile is ruler of the crocodile-like Kremlings. Enemy to the Kongs, he's stolen bananas and kidnapped various members of the Kong family.

Tortimer in "Animal Crossing"
The town mayor of the "Animal Crossing" games, Tortimer can be found sleeping in Town Hall, wandering near the wishing well or at special town events.

Turbo Turtle
In "Turbo Turtle Adventure," help Turbo Turtle get back to the sea by guiding him through the mess of labyrinths and traps that is the Isle of Mazes.

Verne in "Over the Hedge"
In the games based on the CGI film, players can take the role of the turtle Verne, navigating him through humans' homes looking for luxury goods.

Coily the Snake in "Q*bert"
Coily the snake chases the Q*bert all around the board while the little orange guy avoids falling red balls.

The Snakes in "Snake Rattle 'n' Roll"
As Rattle and Roll, players need to eat round, colored creatures called Nibbley-Pibbleys on an isometric playing field. Once the snakes are heavy enough, they can sit on scales to open doors.

The Snakes in "Sneaky Snakes"
The sequel to "Snake Rattle 'n' Roll," "Sneaky Snakes" featured a pair of serpents named Attila and Genghis who set out to rescue Sonia Snake from the Nasty Nibbler by eating as many Nibbley-Pibbleys as they can.

The Snake in "Snake"
The classic video game features a thin, elongated creature that picks up items while avoiding touching the walls or its own tail. As the snake eats more food, the tail grows longer, making the game more difficult.

Gex the Gecko
Forget car insurance: Gex is the only gecko to star in his own video game series. His TV obsession leads to several tail-whipping and tongue-lashing adventures.

Aldo the Alligator in "Sitting Ducks"
A lithograph turned children's book turned cartoon series turned video game, "Sitting Duck" features a large alligator named Aldo whose best friend is a duck called Bill.

Alex the Allegator
In this classic-style platformer, the player must help Alex get through the jungle so that he can save his girlfriend Lola from being turned into a purse by evil humans.

The Alligators in "The Adventures of Bayou Billy"
Similar to "Crocodile Dundee," this NES game features a Cajun named Bayou Billy who must fight his way through a Louisiana swamp to rescue his girlfriend. Among his enemies are alligators who are invincible underwater and can only be hit when they jump out of the water. (No fair!)

Croc in "Croc: Legend of Gobbos" and "Croc 2"
Croc is an imaginatively named crocodile raised by by creatures called Gobbos. When the Gobbos are held captive by the frog-like Baron Dante and his Daintinis, Croc must battle various bosses (a duck, ladybug, cactus, etc.) to free them.

Reptile from the "Mortal Kombat" Series
Reptile is an aptly named reptilian humanoid whose special moves include the Acid Spit (spitting acid, natch) and the Chameleon, the ability to disappear and reappear in a puff of smoke. Sneaky!

Snake Man in "Mega Man 3"
Using tiny snakes as his weapons, Snake Man was another one of Dr. Wiley's robots sent to take down everyone's favorite Blue Bomber. On the plus side, when you take him down, you get to shoot tiny snakes out of your Mega Buster. Gross, but still kind of awesome.

Snake in the "Metal Gear" Series
The main protagonist of the Hideo Kojima's popular "Metal Gear" games is a spy, special ops agent and mercenary all in one. In "Metal Gear Solid 3," Snake must eat snakes to regain his health, keep up his strength and prevent his tummy from rumbling.

Toad from the "X-Men" Universe
With incredible jumping abilities and a protracted tongue, Toad's frog-like mutant abilities make him a formidable foe to the X-Men. He has minor roles in several "X-Men" games and appears in the popular "X-Men Legends" series.

King Drool in the "Bonk" Series
A big, bald-headed caveman named Bonk must fight anthropomorphic dinosaurs, the most fearsome being the evil King Drool, a large Tyrannosaurus-type beast who wears a crown.

Radical Rex
Radical Rex is a skateboarding, fire-breathing T-Rex who aims to rescue his land and his lady Rexanne from an evil magician while battling other dinosaurs and sea creatures along the way.

Yoshi from the "Mario" Universe
Mario's faithful companion from "Super Mario World" has since broken out of his shell and appears in numerous "Mario" games as well as his own series of games.

The Dinosaurs in the "Adventure Island" Series
The player assumes the role of Master Higgins, a tropical island inhabitant who often has to save his girlfriend Tina from a shadowy villain while battling and even riding dinosaurs.

The Dinosaurs in "The Adventures of Dino Riki"
In prehistoric times, Dino Riki must use his caveman weapons to kill his enemies and keep his Neanderthal self from becoming food for dinosaur bosses like the Tyrannosaurus and the Pterandon.

The Dinosaurs in "Caveman Games"
This NES game takes the Olympic Games to the Stone Age and includes events such as dinosaur racing and the dino vault.

The Dinosaurs in "Dynowarz: Destruction of Spondylus"
When the Spondylus Solar System is overrun with computerized dinosaurs, it's up to Professor Proteus to stop the evil Dr. Brainius with his new, super-powered robosaur, the Cyborasaurus.

The Dinosaurs in "The Flintstones" Games
Any games based on the classic cartoon series no doubt featured dinosaurs as enemies or appliances. And who could forget the family's household pet, Dino?

The Dinosaurs in "Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja"
Players take control of Joe and Mac, two cavemen who fight dinosaurs and other cavemen to rescue their kidnapped cavewomen.

The Dinosaurs in "Jurassic Park" Series
While dinosaurs are obviously featured in all of the "Jurassic Park" games, the Sega Genesis version of the game allowed the player to play in two modes: one as Dr. Alan Grant and one as the Velociraptor.

The Dinosaurs in "Turok"
The first-person shooter series has the player fighting against various dinosaurs. The first game "Dinosaur Hunter" featured a cybernetically enhanced T-rex while the most current iteration has an assortment of raptors and a Giganotosaurus (what?) to boot.

Various Pokemon
From turtles (Squirtle, Blastoise) to snakes (Ekans, Arbok and Seviper) to lizards (Charmander, Treecko) to alligators (Feraligatr) to Crocodiles (Totodile), there are many kinds of Pokemon that could fit into this category.

Bentley in the "Sly Cooper" Series
Bentley is Sly Cooper's trusted turtle friend. The brain of the gang, he's a well-read, computer hacker who evolves into a demolitions expert. Though he was later injured, he is still just as potent with his tricked-out wheelchair.

Let us know your favorites as well as which other animals the judges should consider for the top prize. And check back at the end of the month for the results.