Pets are great, and right now having a furry friend in the house with you makes quarantine a little easier. But what about having a pet from one of your favorite video games? Would you want your own 'Mon to bring around everywhere, or a pet that can help make your day easier? Maybe you just want a video game companion who could keep you entertained or double as a great pillow for cuddling while binge-watching your latest obsession.
We asked the 12DOVE team what video game creature they would want as a pet IRL, and naturally, we got a wide variety of answers from the practical to the zany. Check out what some of our writers thought below.
This is the latest in a series of big questions we'll be interrogating our writers with, so share your answers and suggestions for topics with us on Twitter.
Clank
Yes, yes, he's technically a robot, not a creature, and I'm pretty sure he'd take offense at the notion of being called a "pet", but Clank is arguably the most useful companion/backpack in video game history. With all his upgrades equipped, this sentient savant could help me fly, manipulate time, control a legion of Microbots, and even bend gravity to my will, not to mention store all of my stuff within his TARDIS-like mainframe. Not only that, but Clank is a genuinely affable fellow, full of charm, wit, and virtue, thus making him the perfect companion even outside his utility as an all-purpose omnitool. Just don't bother cracking idiomatic jokes with him, as they'll go straight over his circuit board. Alex Avard
A cucco from The Legend of Zelda
Allow me to make a five-part argument for why Cuccos from The Legend of Zelda would make the ideal pet: Part 1) They make soothing clucking sounds. Part 2) They don't seem to need any special feed or care, because you only ever see them wandering around and pecking at the dirt. Part 3) They lay eggs, which you can either cook for food or trade (in a roundabout way) for a Biggoron's Sword. Part 4) They make an excellent home defense system, because if an invader tries to kick it aside they'll instantly be swarmed by dozens of other cuccos from out of nowhere. And Part 5) they are functionally identical to hang gliders, allowing you to clear huge distances with a single leap from an elevated point - ideally into some secret area with a Piece of Heart hidden inside. Just make sure you don't accidentally kick one yourself. Connor Sheridan
Eevee, I choose you!
For as long as I can remember, I've always wished Eevee from Pokemon was actually real. As some kind of adorable cross between a fox and dog, Eevee's cuteness factor is off the charts. Complete with a bushy tail and the sweet little sounds it makes, Eevee will forever be my dream pet. Thanks to Pokemon: Let's Go Eevee, I've gotten pretty darn close to realising this dream, and the camp feature in Pokemon Sword and Shield has also let me play ball with Eevee and give all the pets. But nothing can quite compare to what it would be like to have this Pokemon by my side in reality. For now, I'll just have to make do with my ever-growing Eevee plushie collection. Heather Wald
Strider - Horizon Zero Dawn
Let’s get this out of the way- I don’t trust horses, okay? You can’t tell what they’re thinking, and I don’t want to sit on the back of something that doesn’t want me there. Video game horses aren’t any better, either. We’ve all seen the images of Roach glitching onto the roof of a building, and I dare you to find someone who has played Red Dead Redemption 2 who hasn’t had the experience of bumping into a tree and being forcefully flung from their seat. Unreliable in games, unreliable in real life. In Horizon Zero Dawn, however, you obtain the power to control certain machines, and Striders are horse-like machines that you can bring over to your side fairly early on. This power means that they are completely loyal to you (provided you’ve leveled up to the point where it doesn’t wear off) unlike real horses. Plus, no hair to set off my allergies. So giddyup. Ellen Causey
The Weighted Companion Cube from Portal
Look it’s probably not the most exciting pet but it is practical. You can use it as a table, or a footstool. There’s probably some sort of lid on that thing so there are storage options too. The trouble with most video game pet options is that they are either a real life animal, just wearing a hat, or something dangerous that you’d probably not sleep well with at the end of the bed. I already have a cat (who hates hats, I’ve tried) and I definitely don’t want anything with excess teeth or a tendency to kill and eat anything with an opinion. Mainly me. I have strong opinions on being killed and eaten. So, yeah, I’ll go with furniture. Leon Hurley
Sonic The freakin’ Hedgehog
It has to be Sonic. The little blue dude has been a huge part of my existence for almost 30 years – from the moment my brother received a Mega Drive for Christmas in 1991, and I spent the next 12 months sneaking into his room to play it the instant he left the house. Sorry not sorry, bro. We’ve both had low moments – anxiety and depression for me, turning into a werehog for him in the unspeakably pish Sonic Unleashed – but, I like to think, have endured in our own inimitable ways. So bringing him to life in order to live at the bottom of the garden and share man-to-hog chats reminiscing over the last three decades? I’m so in. Just as long as he doesn’t start making eyes at my treasured red Converse, in which case this arrangement is over before it’s begun. Ben Wilson
Sandshrew
I've no idea where my love of Sandshrew came from, but I won't complain - so far as I'm concerned, it's the most adorable Pokemon and the one I'd love to have as a pet. Scorbunny and Squirtle? You can keep 'em. I'll happily take Sandshrew as a starter companion any day of the week. Perhaps it's the resemblance to armadillos and pangolins, which are already cool enough as it is. Especially the latter with that meek, "excuse me sir" way it holds its claws. Benjamin Abbott
Dusty - Gravity Rush
I was very tempted to answer Lapras the Pokemon for this, but thinking about it, an interstellar cat that grants gravity powers slightly edges out a gentle sea monster. Besides, I don't know where I'd actually keep a Lapras, but as a cat Dusty would presumably just chill in the most inconvenient spot of my room. But yeah, this is a no-brainer. I get a precocious cat which is quite literally black as night, and I get the ability to gravity shift in any direction of my choosing, not to mention all the psychokinetic and transformational stuff. Sure, Dusty is known to disappear with the worst timing, but I don't plan on fighting any interdimensional horrors anytime soon, so I reckon I'll be fine until he comes back. I'm not entirely sure what to feed him, though. I have a feeling he wouldn't settle for can or bagged cat food, but a steady supply of fresh fish is a small price to pay for pseudo-flight. Austin Wood
None - I don't want my cat getting jealous
Listen, I know gaming has a whole array of wonderfully adorable pets and companions. I know that the point of this article is to wax lyrically on the ones we'd love to adopt and turn into our best friends. But even thinking about bringing another pet into my home makes me feel a pang of guilt, as my actual cat is a nervous one (I even had to sign a disclaimer when I adopted her to say I was aware she was a nervous cat).
Because of this, I'm sorry to miss out on all the magical opportunities that would come with adopting a virtual pet, but I just can't even entertain the idea of it. Ben Tyrer
Ikaros from Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Senu from Assassin's Creed Origins is a close second - by virtue of being exactly the same so I just picked one - but having a literal eagle-eyed pet would be excellent. Affectionate, loyal, outright dangerous, and incredibly skilled; Ikaros would be a high-functioning pet. Think of the outright functionality! Spot that bit of Lego hiding in the pile please; harass that neighbor - non-lethally - who has annoyed me with their poor parking; fly home that shopping bag and then come back for another. Useful and powerful, and intelligent (unlike my very lovable, friendly, and cuddly, but ultimately-a-simpleton dog).
True, there might be challenges: I would have to shift Ikaros to a pet food diet or bought-in supply of already-dead wild things, just to reduce the impact on the neighborhood biodiversity, but we're nitpicking now. Just imagine casually walking into the pub (remember those?) with Ikaros sitting on the shoulder. What a power move. Rob Dwiar
Fat Chocobo
No, kupo, I’m not bodyshaming here – that’s what Square calls the heckin’ chonker in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake. After all, there’s a whole lot of the bird-brained summon boss to go around. At a time where we all need a hug, Fat Chocobo is the perfect friend, feathery or otherwise, for the job.
It’s his commitment to social distancing that really stands out, though. Got a dog? Walkers will come right near you and want to know what breed it is, when and where it was conceived, and if you want to go on a doggie double date. I don’t know, Karen. Back off. No such problem with Choccy, who – if you want to take FF7R as a reliable litmus test – will aggressively roll in the direction of anyone who dares get too close. Or, as my Cloud found out, sit on them, killing them instantly.
Part-beanbag, part-hugging machine, and an absolute unit of a bodyguard. What’s not to love about the Fat Chocobo? Bradley Russell
Dog from Half-Life 2
Okay, okay, so it's a robot. So what? They can be pets, even if they'll probably rule us all one day. Dog is basically a huge, robotic dog that Alyx has been adding to for years, after initially building him to protect her father. He's a guard, protector, incredibly strong, bigger than any human adult, and yet still capable of playing fetch. Who doesn't want a dog robot with its own built-in gravity gun? Cute, and useful.
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