Most prolific literary character in videogames

Created by Irish writer Bram Stoker for his 1897 novel of the same name, the Transylvanian vampire Dracula has been a key protagonist in some 42 videogames, as of 23 August 2016. Remaining faithful to his literary source, many of these games have been cerebral atmospheric adventures, from CRL's notorious 1986 text adventure Dracula to Microids' point-and-click adventure series, which began with Dracula: Resurrection in 2000. However, the bulk of Drac's gaming appearances have been in Konami's Castlevania series, in which the count stars as the chief antagonist in some 21 moody action romps.

In addition to his many starring roles, Dracula has cameos in such titles as the cutesy kart racer Konami's Krazy Racers, Marvel Squad Heroes Online and the indie games Space Funeral and I Wanna Be The Guy. His tale was also the inspiration for the 1986 puzzle adventure Nosferatu the Vampyre and the 2003 FPS Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi, both of which were based on the classic silent movie of the same name.

Other literary heroes to feature prominently in videogames are J R R Tolkien's Gandalf and Frodo Baggins, Ian Fleming's James Bond, and Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.