Top 10 WORST Celebrity Cameos in Video Games

In a sports sim series like the NBA 2k games, one would think the developers wanted to keep the spotlight on the incredible athletes that make basketball so exciting to watch. However, “NBA 2K13” got its roster overshadowed by the mere presence of singer Justin Bieber. It’s hard to think of a good reason for him being in the game. Did he just convince the game’s executive producer and fellow musician Jay-Z to add him to the game? Because no matter how Beiber got onto the court, we’re pretty sure that most NBA fans weren’t begging for his cameo. Did “2K13” need the publicity that badly?

The “Star Wars Kid” became an unintentional internet legend after a recording where he showcased his love for the sci-fi franchise turned into a viral video. Unfortunately, his appearance in “Tony Hawk’s Underground 2” has turned the game into a product of its time. Somewhere in the game, you can jump into an apartment and find him displaying his lightsaber skills in his living room. Although it may have been meant as a harmless easter egg to immortalize Raza, the cameo still feels a little mean spirited. Given how much the real Raza was harassed for the original viral video, it would have been better to honor him with a move or just made him a playable character.

After Jamie Kennedy presented Activision’s 2007 E3 press conference while intoxicated, he garnered a notorious reputation in the video game industry. With this in mind, his appearance in “ESPN NFL 2K5” becomes even more cringeworthy to look back on than it already was. The comedian comes with his own celebrity football team known as the Upper Darby Cheesesteaks. He also likes to comment on almost every play made with childish trash talk or smarmy comments. Kennedy gets so annoying, that there are times we'd rather shut the game off and go outside! This game honestly would have been fine without Kennedy's presence.

In EA’s soccer sim, Dua Lipa was made playable as one of the VOLTA Groundbreakers. If you win a match against her, you’d be able to recruit her as part of your team. Why does this cool idea get on the list? Well, you don’t really get to see your team’s faces all that much in these games. The only time you really get a good look at your players is from when goals are made or if you’re watching replays. So, outside of her stats, her cameo is sort of pointless. The worst part is that she was only available for a limited time, making the cameo look like she was only there to generate buzz. This queen deserves better, dammit!

The “Ready 2 Rumble” games were known for featuring odd celebrity cameos. The second game weirdly featured Shaquille O’Neal and Bill Clinton as playable characters. However, the most bizarre of them all was Michael Jackson. While he was definitely known as an incredible dancer, we’re not sure about the extent of his boxing skills. The King of Pop’s in-game weight of 125 pounds also put him at an additional disadvantage against heavyweights like Mama Tua or even Shaq. Realistically Jackson’s lack of experience relative to his opponents and slim figure made it hard to believe he could win any of the game’s matches.

With sports games costing around sixty to seventy bucks today, players are growing less and less tolerant of product placement and in-game ads. But sadly, sports games have been doing this for a long time. One of the most obnoxious examples could be found in “Fight Night Round 3”. This title received heavy scrutiny for letting you enlist the Burger King as your trainer. While his appearance is brief, his face was clearly a shameless attempt to squeeze in more sponsorship money for the game. Even the game’s achievements weren’t safe from branding. Several of them were tied to real-life companies. However, the achievement for winning “the Burger King Invitational fight” had to be the most obnoxious of them all.

While this is less of a cameo and more of a leading role, the significance of Terry Crews’ presence made it impossible not to include. Throughout “Crackdown 3’s” marketing, we were given the impression that Crews was going to have a heavy hand in the game’s story as Commander Isaiah Jaxon. Imagine our excitement when we booted up the game, eager to have Crews yelling ridiculous things in our ears. Instead, we technically play as a copy of his character who says a small heaping of lines. We may as well have played as a random avatar with his voice if they weren’t going to give his character a deep personality after the first ten minutes.

There was a time where Jesse James was a highly respected figure in the world of reality television and modified cars. So, some players found it cool to see him in a game like “Tony Hawk’s Underground 2”. But alas, this is another cameo that did not age well. His reputation took huge hits in the years after the game came out between his legal troubles and personal controversies. James also had a very public divorce from Sandra Bullock after he was caught being unfaithful to her. In light of his major setbacks, most people who come across this cameo today would feel he was undeserving of the honor.

Granted, Avenged Sevenfold has a lengthy history with the “Call of Duty” franchise. They’ve been making songs for the franchise since the first “Black Ops”. However, there was one scene in the second “Black Ops” that felt rather forced. In a post-credits scene, the band puts on a concert. As they play “Carry On”, characters from the game are seen dancing in the audience. Unnecessary? Yes. Hokey? Also, yes. We’re sure the idea for this sounded good on paper, but it felt like an ending similar to cookie-cutter animated films marketed towards families. Couldn’t they have come up with a short bit for laughs instead?

Before we reveal gaming’s worst celebrity cameo, here are a few Dishonorable Mentions…

He Only Shows up Upon Completing the Game...and Lectures You

His Delivery Says, "What Am I Doing Here?"

Can We Just Agree the Whole Thing Was a Weird Sports Sim?

This one was just outright disrespectful. For those unfamiliar with Nirvana, Cobain served the band as the lead singer and often conveyed a strong stance against commercialism. Tragically, the legendary musician would take his own life in April 1994. Fast forward to 2009, where Activision used his likeness to make him a playable character in “Guitar Hero 5”. His portrayal sparked backlash and even discussions of lawsuits from Courtney Love, who was married to Cobain. The bizarre decision to include his avatar also made gamers question the ethics behind commercializing those who have long since passed. Overall, many felt this cameo was more insensitive than honorable.