You’ve seen them online, full sleeve tattoos of Link, Megaman, Mario, and various other members of the NES pantheon. Rad, surely, but committment of this depth is not for most of us. Looking for something smaller, simpler, more modern? Here are a few ideas to get the geek-gears working.
The Assassin Clan’s crest, Assassin’s Creed.
Yes, the game was repetitive, but you have to admit The Eagle is pretty darn cool. This logo adorns banners, rooftop entryways, and stelae — why not your arm?
The Okami Logo
Tattoos of kanji are getting pretty stale, especially if you aren’t sure what they mean. If you feel the need, though, this would be a good way to go. Make sure to get the cool clouds in the red area. Of course, any image from this moving sumi-e painting would probably turn out well. Maybe one of the shields?
The AVALANCHE Logo, Final Fantasy VII
I’m pretty sure this is only seen in the hideout below Seventh Heaven, so the hardest of the hardcore would be the only ones who recognized it. Decide accordingly.
The Crest of Hyrule, the Zelda series.
Simple, sleek, and doesn’t involve carving an effeminate elf-dude onto your thigh.
An Electroplankton
Something for the Nihon-phile. Too cutesy, perhaps? Or just cutesy enough? Either way, this is the inking of a person who knows his games.
The Gran Turismo logo.
A word of caution: if you plan on rocking the GT, you had better have clocked some serious hours behind the steering wheel. Remember, this is the title that calls itself a simulator (not a game), and with good reason.
The Zanarkand Abes / Jecht symbol, Final Fantasy X.
Yes, FF deserves two spots on this list. Another simple line drawing which would get instant recognition from Our People. Extra points if you wear it full torso.
The Professor Layton top hat.
This tattoo reminds me of a puzzle! Just try to forget that Lisa Kudrow advertises it.
The Order of the Emperor tattoo, TIE Fighter.
Performing non-essential Internal-Affairs-style tasks during missions would increase your standing with this mysterious order, which yielded more sections to this bad-assed tat. See the Gran Turismo caveat before considering.
The Quake, Unreal, and JKII logos.
Classic fragging. Any one of these will get the WASD fingers twitching.
The Kirin Tor eye, World of Warcraft
OK, WoW is chock-full of possibilities, but the spooky Dalaran mage eye is my favorite.
Konami code tribal, Contra, Lifeforce, etc.
A good tribal gamer tat is hard to come by, especially since Gabe took Pacman. An extra 30 lives around the bicep would definitely make the grade.
Weak spot, Shadow of the Colossus
Subtle, simple, awesome. Pin a GIJoe to your t-shirt for instant cosplay.
