Top 4 Appearances By USA Presidents In Video Games

While plenty of games allow players to take charge of nations, most focus on fictional figures rather than historical ones. There are likely many reasons to opt for the former over the latter, but it might simply come down to the fact that employing genuine presidents as playable characters is just not worth the potential backlash it could attract.

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By  Mark Smith

That said, a few titles have opted to take this risk and include a few figures who have held the highest office in the United States government. These games tend to be more tongue-in-cheek and comedic rather than hard-hitting political sims, which makes sense in this context. Let's take a look at a few notable titles that feature POTUS representation.

Updated on July 16, 2024 by Mark Sammut: Specs and images have been added for each game.

4 Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, & Joe Biden

NBA Jam: On Fire Edition

Ever since NBA Jam graced arcades back in 1993, the series has made a name for itself with gravity-defying dunks, flaming basketball hoops, and oddball celebrity cameos. Everyone from the Beastie Boys to Al Gore has stepped onto the NBA Jam court to play some B-ball. However, in the series’ storied history, no secret character was better suited to put the hammer down than the unlockable character found in the 2010 iteration of NBA Jam: Barack Obama.

The former president's love of the basketball court is well documented, so it makes sense that he would show up in NBA Jam: On Fire Edition. Obama joins the roster as a member of the unlockable Democrats team, where the POTUS is teamed with future president Joe Biden along with Hillary and Bill Clinton (with the latter arguably getting the best stats on the team). Considering Obama is the only POTUS to have a basketball court put up at the White House, he’s no pushover.

When unlocked, Obama and his Democratic cohorts can be pitted against the Republican team, which features a roster of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Sarah Palin, and John McCain. Whether players wish to pit the politicians against the L.A. Lakers or each other, NBA Jam makes the dream a reality.

3 Bill Clinton

Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2

During the '90s, Bill Clinton's presidential reign attracted regular attention. However, while a lot was known about the Clinton family during this era, there was one question that the public just couldn’t answer: How is Clinton in the ring? Also, how about Hilary?

Thankfully, developer Midway put this age-old debate to bed by including the husband and wife duo in the second entry in the Ready 2 Rumble series. Rounding out a roster that included the likes of Afro Thunder, “Big” Willy Johnson, and even the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, Bill and Hillary strapped on gloves to throw down in the boxing ring.

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Billed as Mr. President and The First Lady respectively, the Clintons could throw jabs, hooks, and haymakers at each other to the player’s contentment. Bill fought in Apollo Creed-esque stars-and-stripes trunks, while Hillary threw down in a smart business suit, but they could both hold their own.

2 JFK & Richard Nixon

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Ever since the fan-favorite Zombies first appeared in Call of Duty: World at War, it has grown into a unique quasi-spin-off with an ongoing storyline, reoccurring characters, and mythos all of its own. While players have come to know and love Zombies stalwarts such as Tank Dempsey and Takeo Masaki, the mode received some unexpected new protagonists in Call of Duty: Black Ops in the form of John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, teaming the former presidents with Fidel Castro and famous Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara to take down some flesh-hungry zombies.

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In the Cold War-centric Black Ops, JFK, Castro, and McNamara all appear throughout the story, crossing paths with trigger-happy protagonist Alex Mason. Clearly, developer Treyarch recognized the potential of POTUS-lead zombie slaying, bringing the four historical figures together in a special Zombie map entitled “Five.” This map is far from a serious affair, casting JFK as a quip-spouting zombie murder machine, having the POTUS rattle off zingers like “Consider that bill vetoed!” While mowing through the undead. Although Call of Duty has since brought the likes of Danny Trejo and Bruce Campbell to Zombies, it was JFK and Tricky Dick that blazed the way.

1 Abraham Lincoln

Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.

With a list of accomplishments almost as long as his arm, President Lincoln left an undeniable legacy on the United States. According to 3DS title Code Name: S.T.E.A.M., Lincoln could have also driven a steam-powered mech in a battle against the ancient Cthulhu compatriot Shugguth in a war for the fate of the world and the magical land of Oz.

While many Nintendo titles are thin in story, Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. Goes barreling full steam ahead into its undeniably absurd plot. Abe, voiced naturally by beloved geek icon Wil Wheaton, pilots an airship called the Lady Liberty, which happens to serve as the base for an alien-battling strike force known as S.T.E.A.M. (Short for Strike Team Eliminating the Alien Menace). Lincoln teams with Tom Sawyer, Tiger Lily from Peter Pan, and the Lion, Scarecrow, and Dorothy herself from The Wizard of Oz to battle the alien foe. This, of course, culminates in Lincoln utilizing the giant steam-powered mech A.B.E. (Anthropomorphized Battle Engine).