Gaming in the ‘90s was full of weird little guys. Earthworm Jim. Wario. ToeJam & Earl. The list goes on, but the one constant is that the graphical advancements of ‘90s gaming hardware meant artists and designers could expand the visual palette beyond pixelated humanoids and vehicles. One franchise, in particular, turned the weird dial up to 11.
In 1997, Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee introduced gamers to Abe, a lovable, lanky green alien slave who escapes his captors and becomes an unlikely hero who saves his people from becoming processed food. With his bulbous Bambi-eyes and strange language, Abe became an overnight sensation that spawned a franchise. And twenty years ago, that franchise took a bold turn that still reverberates today.
