MIPS - Super Mario 64

MIPS Super Mario 64
Image: Nintendo Life

We’re pretty fond of MIPS, the mysterious yellow rabbit hidden in Princess Peach's basement in Super Mario 64. That sounds strange to write out. But as a fun little diversion whenever you visit the basement, plus the fact that this is where many of those chase sequences in later Mario games came from, we had to pay tribute to one of the OG bunnies in Mario. Those two Power Stars aren’t bad, either.

MIPS only appears twice in Mario 64. Once after you've collected 15 stars, and again when you've got 50. Each time you'll need to chase him around the basement and catch him to get one star. And, that's it. MIPS did appear in Mario Party 3 very briefly, but we always remember trying to catch the speedy little rabbit and bumping into the wall for the first time.

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Arcade Bunny - Nintendo Badge Arcade

Nintendo Badge Arcade Bunny
Image: Nintendo Life

Ahh, RIP Free Play days. Okay, enough reminiscing about what's lost in Nintendo Badge Arcade, and more looking at the Arcade Bunny.

This incredibly-expressive rabbit has found a home, and his perfect job, at the arcade that you visit in Badge Arcade. This is his dream, and he's extremely knowledgeable, becoming your source of information during your every visit to this badge paradise. He's also a skilled craftsman, building the collection of statues that you accrue throughout this free-to-start title.

Rather brilliantly, Arcade Bunny became an Assist Trophy in Smash Ultimate, using the grabber claw to pick up your enemies. So we reckon there's a future for this popular pink friend.

Alice - Bloody Roar: Primal Fury

Alice Bloody Roar Primal Fury
Image: Nintendo Life

Who remembers Bloody Roar? The series has mostly been in arcades or on PlayStation systems, but Alice Tsukagami (or Nonomura) has been in every single entry, including the only Nintendo outing for the series — Bloody Roar: Primal Fury.

So, technically, Alice isn't a rabbit — she's a Zoanthrope, a human who can transform into a beast or animal. Alice was experimented on as a child, and her Zoanthrope transformation is that of a bunny. Fighting a bunny might not sound terrifying, but think about a human-sized bunny, and think about a kick from that bunny. Hurts, doesn't it? Her kind and loving nature hides a deadly bunny rabbit transformation, and it suits her personality. We want to see more Bloody Roar, and we're sure Alice would return if it made a comeback.

Rayton - F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch

Rayton FIST Forged In Shadow Torch
Image: Microids

We called Kaze badass, but Rayton might actually take the carrot for this title. F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch stars the grizzled former soldier as he fights back against the Machine Legion who have overtaken Torch City. His weapon of choice? A huge mechanical arm.

Rayton is unlike any other rabbit on this list. He's combat-hardened, adept with machinery, and oil-slicked in a diesel-punk world. Until we saw Rayton, we didn't think rabbits could get rough and ready, but then this Metroidvania hopped in from nowhere with its brutal combat and platforming. And now we know better than to doubt. We want to see more Rayton in the future.

Despotic Arsene - Xenoblade Chronicles

Despotic Arsene Xenoblade Chronicles
Image: Nintendo Life

We're sorry for bringing back painful memories for Xenoblade Chronicles fans here, but we had to pick Despotic Arsene, a unique monster and superboss in the original and Definitive Edition of the game.

Tucked away in Satorl Marsh new the Glowing Obelisk, this level 108 enemy can be encountered after completing the Mechonis Core. Despite being pretty darn cute, Despotic Arsene has the highest agility stat out of all enemies in the game, meaning it's incredibly hard to hit. The key is Night Vision gems and increasing your own agility. We're used to superbosses being big, not cute!

We promise we were originally going to put the bunnits on this list, but after suffering through the pain of this ourselves, well, we have a fondness for this fight.

Scorbunny - Pokémon Sword & Shield

Pokémon Sword & Shield Scorbunny
Image: The Pokémon Company

Azumarill. Buneary. Lopunny. Bunnelby. Diggersby. We're honestly surprised there aren't more Pokémon based on rabbits. Still, the newest — Scorbunny, the Fire-type starter from Sword & Shield — might be the best.

Bursting with a peppy personality and tons of energy, Scorbunny captured many people's hearts when it was first revealed. And it's got a solid evolutionary line in Raboot and Cinderace, becoming a soccer-loving rabbit with a blazing kick. You can't go wrong with Scorbunny as your starter in the Galar region, particularly if your Cinderace has the Libero Hidden Ability — the bane of many competitive players' existence.

(Yes, we admit, we totally forgot Azumarill was a bunny, too. It evolves from a mouse! Explain that, science.)

Nabbit - New Super Mario Bros. U

Dr. Nabbit
Image: Nintendo

Since his debut in New Super Mario Bros. U, Nabbit has become a bit of a mainstay. Mostly sticking to the New series, this sneaky suspect often steals from Toad Houses, meaning you need to chase after him to get the goods back. But in New Super Luigi U and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, you can play as the burglar bunny — and he's immune to enemy attacks, too. That's not fair!

Nabbit has actually helped Mario out on a number of occasions, such as in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. The rabbit has also taken up a side hobby of golf in Mario Golf: World Tour. He's even appeared in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Ultimate, in the background of the Mushroom Kingdom U stage.

Nabbit is here to stay, and we have a little smidge of hope that we'll be seeing him in the next 3D Mario game. Or perhaps the Mario Movie sequel. Whenever those happen.

Jazz Jackrabbit - Jazz Jackrabbit (GBA)

Jazz Jackrabbit
Image: Epic Games

To any kid growing up in the '90s who played video games, Jazz Jackrabbit might ring a familiar bell. Amidst all of the animal mascot platformers released at the time, Jazz Jackrabbit stood out for his proficiency with a laser gun and his rather unmissable neon-green fur colour. Jazz hasn't made many appearances on Nintendo consoles, but he did get one GBA game in 2002, where Jazz underwent a bit of a makeover with much darker fur and a more restrained appearance. However, this was the first time he could aim his fun in all eight cardinal directions.

This series has since been dormant, though you can get the games on GOG if you're feeling a bit nostalgic. The GBA Game, though, has been lost to time. NSO, maybe...?

Max - Sam & Max Save the World

Sam & Max Save the World
Image: Skunkape

One of the most iconic rabbits on this list by far, Max is the loud, brash, destructive, mischievous partner of Sam in the Sam & Max series. Sam is the brains while Max is the brawn — as in, Max just wants to destroy everything. Yet the pair of opposing personalities create a perfect and hilarious partnership that makes this adventure game series stand out.

Even with Max's over-the-top personality, what makes the character work is his relationship with Sam. He'd do anything for him, even if he shows most of his affection through violence. A star both in the adventure game genre and in comic book and graphic novel history, Max might just be one of the funniest characters in media. Don't call Max a rabbit, though. He's more of a "hyperkinetic, three-foot rabbity thing", or a lagomorph.