The 25 Most Cringe Worthy Video Game Tattoos Ever

Someone should have explained that, like diamonds, tattoos are forever.

May 15, 2013

Image via Complex Original

Talking about something as completely subjective as tattoos is always a dicey proposition.

What one person puts value and meaning behind could registers as completely irrelevant to the uninitiated. Found out that a distant relative from the past was actually Scottish royalty? Great. Get some family crest drilled into you for the world to know.

Regardless of subjectivity we are almost positive that these tattoos will not withstand the test of time. Someone should have told these 25 people that they might not feel so strongly about Assassin's Creed ten years from now. Read on for 25 of the most regrettable video game inspired tattoos we've ever seen.

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25. Marvel vs Capcom 2 was a great game, but we can check the roster on Xbox Live Arcade.

Tattoo Inspiration: Fighting game enthusiast/being the reason minors aren't allowed to make important decisions.

We hope for this kid's sake that this is fake and the Internet is pulling a fast one, but in the event that it's real: save your money. Tattoo removal isn't cheap.

24. Mario Bros. chest piece looks like a lo-jack for pedophiles.

Tattoo Inspiration: Favorite childhood title/looking like the least intimidating biker ever.

When you combine bright, primary colors, nostalgic imagery, and having to be topless to show off your work there's a good chance you're not going to be asked to babysit any time soon.

23. This Sony homage is... regrettable.

Tattoo Inspiration: Homage to a classic system/probably regretting saving a few bucks on a tattoo artist.

We can't even. Look at Krato's face...and his abs. This is just...wow. Even Sack Boy looks like he'd rather be anywhere else besides this guy's back.

22. Zelda chest piece would really impress the 12 year old us.

Tattoo Inspiration: Rescuing princesses/immortalizing the pointy eared citizens of Hyrule.

You can't walk ten feet these days without tripping over someone's chest piece. This guy has gone all in with his work, Legend of Zelda or bust. If you're going to immortalize the vaguely androgynous characters from a game, we guess this is the way to do it.

21. Old-school character chest piece shows Q-Bert the love he was desperately missing.

Tattoo Inspiration: Obscure characters from 30 years ago/permanent regret.

You know what we don't see enough of? Pitfall tattoos. Wonder why that is? Oh, here's the answer right here.

20. God of War back piece was an interesting choice.

Tattoo Inspiration: Greek myth/permanent bro-hood.

"Yeah, ya know I live my life everyday just like Kratos. Singular focus and I destroy anything that gets in my path. You know? Just pure power."

(Gets in Pontiac Sunbird and takes off for his job managing the last remaining Blockbuster Video)

19. Sony PlayStation buttons activate permanent bachelorhood.

Tattoo Inspiration: PlayStation controllers/lack of imagination.

This one isn't regrettable so much as just really boring. Out of the thousands of video game characters and themes, you settled on the buttons of a mold injected plastic controller?

Take your foot of the gas, chief.

18. Can't dress up at tramp stamp. Sorry.

Tattoo Inspiration: Early Nintendo /prepping for spring break.

We guess it's dedication that you settled on the dog from Duck Hunt as a tramp stamp. The dog normally has a good sense of humor, but now he just looks sort of confused as to he ended up there.

17. Halo grunt doesn't even want to be here.

Tattoo Inspiration: Space operas/the most forgettable character in a series.

You're giving a nod to one of the most venerated series in gaming and you settled on this guy...forever. Not Master Chief. Not an Elite Not The Flood. A grunt. A badly rendered Grunt, we might add. He looks like a Smurf and a Telletubbie got drunk and decided to keep the baby.

16. Quake cleavage piece is going to look great in 30 years.

Tattoo Inspiration: First person shooter fans/very specific stripper requests.

Chest tattoos for ladies has always struck us a dicey proposition for a number of reasons. But, if you're going to enshrine one of the most influential first person shooters of all time, your cleavage seems as good a spot as any. Who are we to judge we're still rocking a Go-Bots tattoo.

15. You'll never forget about the Nintendo Power Glove. Ever.

Tattoo Inspiration: Useless video game peripherals/permanent reminder that irony has a shelf life.

It's so bad? Which part exactly? Your sense of humor? Your taste in vintage gaming accessories? Or the gaping whole you can't seem to fill where your parents love was supposed to go?

14. Sephiroth back piece is most likely the only Sephiroth back piece.

Tattoo Inspiration: Final Fantasy/publicly displaying your love handles.

We don't love anything that much to get a full back piece of it. We wouldn't get a back piece of pizza and we love pizza more than our grandparents.

A whiny anime antagonist, from a 16 year old video game, with angel wings, would be included on the list of things we don't love that much. Final Fantasy VII was not that great of a game.

13. Work them controllers yourself.

Tattoo Inspiration: The evolution of gaming/accidently letting everyone know how old you are.

There should be one more on his calf that reads 'never' and has a picture of casual sex.

12. Game over? Yes, the game and many other things.

Tattoo Inspiration: NES history/prison tattoos

You know that everyone can see that? The tattoo artist didn't use magical ink that only you can see. 'Game Over' is apropos considering that in this case 'game' could mean: most jobs, most girlfriends, and ever leaving Orlando, Florida. Tight work, little homey.

11. A Pac-Man face tattoo is always a bad idea.

Tattoo Inspiration: Classic games/stints in rehab.

There are very specific rules for face tattoos:

1. You are Gucci Mane.

2.You are a time travelling wizard

3. You are so crazy, Bill Gates rich that social conventions no longer apply.

Let's run a quick check list here. Nope, nope, and nope. Have fun being a person of interest more often than you'd like.

9. Street-Fighter on my mind.

Tattoo Inspiration: Street Fighter/never having short hair.

We're more interested in whether this is his everyday look or if the reverse, feathered mutton chop was just to highlight his poor sense of judgement. Also, you've got Ryu on your head.

7. Castle Crashers

Tattoo Inspiration: Contemporary arcade titles/poor impulse control.

We loved this game as well. Really and truly. But, how about we see if it withstands the test of time before you have it permanently etched into your skin?

Not even Pac-Man thinks this is hot.

Tattoo Inspiration: The classics/unflattering selfies.

Other than the fact that this looks like the Y incision for an autopsy, this tattoo is the like the nuclear option for commiting boner genocide.

6. This is almost as watchable as the Mortal Kombat movies.

Tattoo Inspiration: Nostalgia for 1993/looking for a reason to never wear a shirt.

This was never cool. It will never be cool. You've created a temple to how tragically un-cool your decision was. Congrats.

5. Atari logo

Tattoo Inspiration: Proving you're old school/self-mutilation

Getting a value tattoo is never a good idea. Not something you should ever decide to go cheap on. Branding yourself like a side of beef/carving your flesh out in trenches is something else entirely. Especially when it's for the company that gave us Frogger.

How many AA batteries to get in them jeans?

Tattoo Inspiration: Handheld gaming/never forgetting a cheat code.

The Konami cheat code? How does that speak to you on a deeply personal level?

4. Gotta get my levels up.

Tattoo Inspiration: RPG enthusiast/bikini enthusiast.

We love role-playing games. We do. Honest. Do we love them enough to have a health, magic, and experience bar tattooed on our chest?

Nope. We don't. You win.

3. Nintendo before hoes

Tattoo Inspiration: Nintendo logo/exhausted from talking to all of those women.

Right, because it was all of your game time that was standing in the way of drowning in honeys. Just had to get that bit clear.