Juxtaposition can be an incredibly useful storytelling tool when used correctly; helping to highlight the contrast between two opposing themes or ideas. It can lead to some pretty hilarious results too though, as evidenced by some of the many greatThomas the Tank Enginemodsthat have been created over the past decade or so.
RELATED:Children’s Television Shows With Surprisingly Deep Lore
The trend sees modders replacing the models of bosses and other in-game enemies with the titular tank engine, and, in some cases, one or two of his train-themed friends. The bestThomas the Tank Enginemods use thechildren’s tv show characterto transform what were originally intended to be life-or-death moments into incredibly comical scenes.
5Resident Evil Village
When most people think ofResident Evil, terrifying tyrants like Mr. X and Nemesis are typically the first things to spring to mind. Capcom decided to mix things up a little withResident Evil Villagethough, instead creating a tall yet fairly pleasant-looking woman to hunt players down. Then camethe Count Theodora mod.
Rather than simply swapping out Lady Dimitrescu’s model for Thomas the Tank Engine,Crazy Potato’s mod uses a bizarre hybrid model that combines the two characters into one. It’s not the bestThomas the Tank Enginemod ever created, nor is it even the best for aResident Evilgame, but it is definitely one of the more unique examples of the tank engine mod trend.
4Elden Ring
Considered by many to be the best game of 2022,Elden Ringreally didn’t need mods to offer up a great experience to players. Of course, this didn’t stop modders from creating loads anyway. One such mod isthe Fire-Breathing Thomas the Tank Engine modby rainergeis, who has now released several mods for the popular FromSoftware game.
RELATED:Elden Ring Mods That Let Players Role-Play As Characters From Other Games
This particular mod replaces Flying Dragon Agheel with Thomas the Tank Engineand can lead to some truly hilarious visuals. The fact that the model can often be seen clipping through the ground only adds to the comedy and helps to completely change the tone of what would otherwise have been a fairly serious boss fight.
3Fallout 4
Bethesda’sFalloutseries is well-known for its incredible modding scene, so it was perhaps only a matter of time beforeFallout 4got in on theThomas the Tank Enginemod trend. What makesthe Fallout 4 Really Useful Fallout modstand out is that it was actually created by the same person who started the tank engine mod trend back in 2013.
Unfortunately, perhaps due to some reported legal action from Mattel, Trainwiz removed the mod from Nexus, though it can apparently still be found on other modding sites. Those lucky enough to find it will get to experiencethe little blue engine replacing all ofFallout 4’s Deathclaws, as well as every Vertibird, missile, and nuke found throughout the Commonwealth.
2Resident Evil 2
The first of severalThomas the Tank Enginemods forResident Evilgames,the Thomas the Tank Engine Over Mr. X moddoes exactly what it says on the tin. The execution is a little sloppy when compared to some of the other greatThomas the Tank Enginemods that are out there, but that’s arguably what makes this one so endearing.
RELATED:Resident Evil: Reasons Why Mr. X Is The Scariest Monster in the Series (& Reasons Why It’s The Nemesis)
In truth, there’s really not too much to choose from when it comes toZombieAli’s modand theThomas the Tank Enginemods that are available forResident Evil 3andResident Evil Village. However, the fact that this one came first just about gives it the edge. It will be interesting to see which character ends up getting replaced by Thomas in the 2023Resident Evil 4remake.
1Skyrim
When it comes to the bestThomas the Tank Enginemods, it’s difficult to look much further thanthe Really Useful Dragons mod, which replaces all of the dragons inSkyrimwith characters from the train-themed children’s book and television series. As well as being the very first tank engine mod to make its way online, it’s also one of the most impactful, managing to be both hilarious and a little bit terrifying all at the same time.
Sadly, however,some of the people over at Mattel didn’t find the mod very funny, which led to their lawyers getting in touch with the mod’s creator, Trainwiz. It’s unclear what happened after that, but the mod is still available today and plenty of videos of it in action can still be found on YouTube despite some of them initially being taken down due to copyright claims.
