5 Great Dogs in Gaming
From pixelated puppers to scientifically enhanced canines, there are tons of great dogs in video games.
With the Chinese New Year rapidly approaching, Handsome Phantom has found the perfect opportunity to celebrate dogs in video games. From pixelated puppers to scientifically enhanced canines, there are tons of great dogs in video games. Today we’ll be looking at five of our favorite doggos, and the first is a real diamond of a dog.
1. D-Dog / Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain brought the decades long saga of Snake to a close. The game shook up the Metal Gear formula with vast explorable maps, and a companion system that brought us Diamond Dog. Players first meet Diamond Dog as a puppy lost among the sands and stones of Afghanistan. With a little help from a man named Ocelot, that little puppy grows into a helpful follower.
Diamond Dog becomes an assassin’s best friend, sniffing out materials and enemies for protagonist Punished Snake. You can upgrade D-Dog to stun enemies or… you know… murder them. He’s still a good boy. D-Dog also keeps the lonely job of being Big Boss from being too lonely. Plus being able to pat him on the head after helping to eliminate a Spetsnaz officer is pretty cool.
2. Goofy / Kingdom Hearts
Goofy is a dog, much like his pal Mickey’s dog Pluto. Unlike Pluto, Goofy walks on two feet and can speak English. Still a dog though. Goofy joins the colorful world of Kingdom Hearts as a loyal team mate to protagonist Sora. His positive, can do attidue and, well, goofy style are endearing. Kingdom Hearts wouldn’t be the same without him.
The character of Goofy has been popular and iconic for over sixty years now. His debut in slapstick Disney shorts led to a solo outing in 1939, eventually going on to be nominated for two Oscars. The Goofy Movie in the 1990’s is a favorite for thousands of millenials, and that was only strengthened by Goof’s involvement in Kingdom Hearts. We look forward to seeing this bucktoothed buddy in Kingdom Hearts III, hopefully to be released sometime in the next decade.
3. Dogmeat / The Wacky World of Fallout
While not quite as old as Goofy, the Fallout franchise has been more or less on the scene since 1997. Though the series has changed significantly, there have been a few staples of the franchise that keep the world of Fallout familiar. One of those staples is Dogmeat.
Of the many companions of the Fallout universe, Dogmeat is one of the least wacky. This good dog isn’t an eight foot tall super mutant, a wasteland bounty hunter, or a charming ghoul with an 18th century wardrobe. But Dogmeat’s silent support and willingness to follow players to the ends of the wastes is wonderful. Dogmeat supports players through all of their morally grey or downright dubious adventures. And though Dogmeat debuted in the original Fallout, the iteration in Fallout 4 was one of the best parts of that game.
A special shout out to Fallout: New Vegas. For many fans, this title feels more true to Fallout than any of Bethesda’s titles. Many fans still hope developer Obisidian is secretly slaving away on a follow up title. New Vegas is also the only main line Fallout game to not feature a Dogmeat. In trade, players can get a hold of Rex, a cybernetically enhanced canine. While not as iconic as Dogmeat, ole Rex is welcome in my party anytime.
4. The Dog / Fable II
Ah, Fable II. Remembering Fable II brings back fond memories of Peter Molyneux. The game’s director and hype-man sought to be gaming’s Steve Jobs, and ended up being gaming’s weird uncle. While Fable II did not end up being the greatest fantasy RPG of all time, it was a pretty fun game with a pretty cool dog companion.
The Dog in Fable II is able to do tricks, dig for treasure, and plays an important role throughout the campaign, a canine ex machina in many cases. Perhaps the coolest aspect of The Dog was how the world interacted with him. If players were good heroes, townspeople would come and pet the dog, children too. It felt good as a player to have the world interact with you, and even better when citizens rightfully acknowledge The Dog as a very good boy.
5. The Dog / Duck Hunt
Its always hard doing quick hit lists like this, because there’s so many cool things to talk about. But it would be criminal to leave out the prince of all gaming dogs: Dog. The Dog from Duck Hunt that is. In 1984 this sarcastic little shit was a cruel as he was kind, and we loved him all the more for it.
The Dog from Duck Hunt‘s purpose was to bring the player any ducks they shot down, just like a good hunting dog. Unlike a good hunting dog, this boy laughs at players who fail to bring down a duck. It’s not cool, but somehow is one of the most endearing and iconic aspects of this pixelated pupper, as well as an early gaming memory for players all over the world.
So there’s five dogs to get gamers in the mood for the Chinese New Year. Overwatch will soon kick off their yearly New Year celebration, and Handsome Phantom encourages everyone to learn more about this vibrant and important holiday for our friends across the Pacific.
But we want to know what you think! Who’s your favorite dog in gaming? What game did a canine companion the best? Are they all good boys? Answer: Yes, Brent. Let Handsome Phantom know your thoughts and you could get a shout out on the Adventure Mode podcast!
Be sure to check out our shout out to the Great Horses of Gaming, or Handsome Phantom’s new VR podcast, Into the Deep!
