Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
UK EditionUK US EditionUS CA EditionCanada AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Don't miss these
Total War: Warhammer 40,000 screenshot featuring a space marine helmet
Games Everything announced at The Game Awards 2025
GamesRadar+ Best Games of 2025 hero image
Games The 25 Best Games of 2025
Upcoming PS5 games: A picture showing screenshots of Resident Evil 9, Monster Hunter Stories 3, Black Ops 7 and Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2
Adventure Games Upcoming PS5 games: New PS5 games for 2025 and beyond
Upcoming Switch 2 games: screenshots of Mario Kart World, Metroid Prime 4, Kirby Air Riders and Donkey Kong Bananza.
Nintendo Switch 2 Upcoming Switch 2 games for 2025 and beyond
Resident Evil Requiem trailer
Events & Conferences 10 predictions for The Game Awards 2025: Half-Life 3, Resident Evil Requiem, and more on Steam Machine please and thank you
Upcoming Xbox Series X games header image featuring State of Decay 3, Fable 4, The Outer Worlds 2, and South of Midnight
FPS Games Upcoming Xbox Series X games for 2025 and beyond
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Gustave in a French-inspired outfit
Third Person Shooters "Another rigged year:" Former FPS pro Shroud responds to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 getting a Game Awards GOTY nomination over Arc Raiders, says "the world is just not ready for AI in video games"
Half-Life 2
FPS Games Half-Life 3 hopefuls have their dreams of sequel crushed by lack of news at The Game Awards
Light No Fire screenshot showing a player riding a flying mount, steering it towards a mysterious obelisk in the distance
Survival Games Light No Fire fans are going through it after The Game Awards sent hopes soaring before immediately crushing them
The 50 Most Iconic Video Game Characters
Games The 50 most iconic video game characters of all time
The Elder Scrolls 6
The Elder Scrolls The Elder Scrolls 6 didn't make an appearance at The Game Awards 2025, and the RPG community is once again in shambles
Upcoming PC games 2025 header imagine featuring InZoi / Split Fiction / Elden Ring: Nightreign / Dune: Awakening
PC Gaming Upcoming PC games: New PC games for 2025 and beyond
Upcoming Switch games header image featuring Sonic Racing CrossWorlds, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, Hello Kitty Island Adventure, and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Action Games Upcoming Switch games for 2026 and beyond
Banjo gives Kazooie the thumbs up in a screenshot from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Platforming Games Before Banjo-Kazooie's mascot was a bear and after he was a human, the N64 icon was actually a rabbit, according to a former Rare developer
Toem 2 screnshot showing the photographer climbing up little hillsides with goats roaming
Games Upcoming indie games for 2025 and beyond
Trending
  • Best Games of 2025
  • Fallout Season 2
  • Gift Guides
  • New Games for 2025
  • The Forge codes
  1. Games

12 animals that won't star in games revealed at E3

Features
By Jason Fanelli published 7 June 2013

Quack of Duty: Ghost Puppies!

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Gone to the dogs

Gone to the dogs

The Call of Duty Dog phenomenon born from the Xbox One reveal event is a beautiful thing. We can always get behind a canine cause, especially when the pooch is part of our beloved video game world. However, the animal kingdom is a vast place, and not every creature that walks the Earth can feature in a big time video game.

There are plenty of animals that, unlike CoD Dog, won't be making video games any time soon--least of all at E3 2013. We've thought of twelve that are sure to be absent from next week's video game bonanza.

Page 1 of 14
Page 1 of 14
Goats

Goats

Why they won't: Goats aren't exactly the most interesting animals in the world. Most of the time they're standing around chewing cud and staring at each other. Who wants to play that? Plus, goats had their chance in the spotlight in the Medal of Honor reboot, and they blew it.

...but if they were: A brand new karaoke game allows us to supplant any part of a song with the infamous goat scream. Hilarity ensues.

Page 2 of 14
Page 2 of 14
Sloths

Sloths

Why they won't: As much as the internet loves the sloth, they're slow, dim-witted creatures that sit in trees all day. They make funny faces, but other than that their entertainment value is zero.

...but if they were: Sloth DLC for Animal Crossing. Seriously, considering all of the different species Nintendo's life sim sports, where's the sloth named Slowpoke?

Page 3 of 14
Page 3 of 14
Meerkats

Meerkats

Why they won't: Meerkats and prairie dogs go hand-in-hand; they both primarily stay underground, poking their heads out every once in a while for food or to scout for danger. Do you think there's a market for a Sim-Ant style meerkat game? We sure don't.

...but if they were: Maxis would have resurrect the old TV show Meerkat Manor with a meerkat life simulation game for us to be on board. That or Disney adding The Lion King's Timon and Pumbaa to Disney Infinity...which seems a lot more plausible. Hakuna Matata indeed.

Page 4 of 14
Page 4 of 14
Man-o-war Jellyfish

Man-o-war Jellyfish

Why they won't: This one is confident that the jellyfish-like Hanar from Mass Effect are the closest thing we'll ever see to a jellyfish character in a video game. This one founds that belief on the fact that jellyfish are literally just blobs of goo with stingy tentacles. This one is tired.

...but if they were: This one believes that a game featuring the hanar spectre Blasto would be the equivalent of the Enkindlers smiling down upon us. This one fully endorses that idea.

Page 5 of 14
Page 5 of 14
Sea Otters

Sea Otters

Why they won't: Cute as they are, sea otters don't lend themselves well to video games. They're either swimming around or laying on their backs eating. Unless it was some kind of "smash the crap out of a clam with the otter's tail" minigame... which might be fun, actually.

...but if they were: Aside from the clam-smashing example above, there is actually a tiny chance that South Park: The Stick of Truth will feature the sea otters from the "Go God Go" episodes. Science be praised!

Page 6 of 14
Page 6 of 14
Duck-billed Platypi

Duck-billed Platypi

Why they won't: Seriously, how the hell would a platypus feature in a video game other than being a Goomba-like character that walks around waiting to get jumped on?

...but if they were: The only hope for platypus-kind nowadays is Perry the Platypus, but unless he features in the next Phineas and Ferb game or he scores his own title, there's no other reason for him to be there. Although, Perry as a Smash Bros combatant would be intriguing...

Page 7 of 14
Page 7 of 14
Capybara

Capybara

Why they won't: They're the world's largest rodent. Most people don't like small field mice, so the idea of a mouse-like creature the size of a small dog wouldn't go over so well. Although the guinea pig owners among us might feel right at home.

...but if they were: Call of Duty Dog needs a partner, right? How about Corporal Curtis Capybara, leader of Rat Platoon? The two would be the Batman and Robin of animal army duos. And no, the company Capybara doesn't count, even if their logo is an adorable capy.

Page 8 of 14
Page 8 of 14
Okapi

Okapi

Why they won't: Just like many reading this are wondering what the hell an okapi is, the creatues itself isn't really sure. Zebra? Steer? Gazelle? The utter confusion makes it hard to place an Okapi in any particular setting, aside from an Afrika or Tokyo Jungle sequel.

...but if they were: Capcom should make Okapi, a spiritual successor to Clover Studio's smash hit Okami, starring a brand new creature tasked with bringing color back to the world, starting with choosing one color for his body.

Page 9 of 14
Page 9 of 14
Aardvark

Aardvark

Why they won't: Aardvarks seemed to be overshadowed by the anteater, and rightfully so. Anteaters have that cool long snout, while aardvarks are stuck with that gross pig nose. Even the one video game starting an aardvark, the Commodore 64 classic Aardvark, was adapted from the arcade game Anteater with the same premise. Anteaters are just better.

...but if they were: Star Fox's newest challenge is posed by the ruthless Aar D'Varkian, the leader of a space pirate gang looking to conquer and enslave the innocent people of AntEternia... and who ends up working for Andross all along.

Page 10 of 14
Page 10 of 14
Blue-footed Boobies

Blue-footed Boobies

Why they won't: We can't help but giggle like 4th-graders whenever we hear the name of this bird, so we can only assume that seeing the first ever video game starring a blue footed booby would stir up some immature laughter across the board. There are plenty of other birds to choose from that won't cause such immaturity, so ol' Blue here will always be left out.

...but if they were: A blue footed booby named Jugghead becomes the new co-mascot of the Dead or Alive fighting series, the other being Timmy the titmouse.

Page 11 of 14
Page 11 of 14
Bandicoots

Bandicoots

Why they won't: This little guy used to be on the top of the digital animal kingdom; what the heck happened? Crash hasn't been seen in years, overshadowed by the huge success of his buddy Spyro in Skylanders, so what's next for the former face of PlayStation?

...but if they were: We hope Crash gets a new game soon, especially with the impending launch of the PS4, although we always hoped he'd be DLC for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale... that can still happen, right?

Page 12 of 14
Page 12 of 14
Seaman

Seaman

Why he won't: Seaman already had his chance, but he was too busy being insulting and creeping everyone out in his tank. Asking irrelevant questions like "when is your birthday?" and making sure we stay just friends...like we would ever consider a relationship with a sarcastic man-fish...

...but if he was: Perhaps Seaman can make a triumphant return to the gaming world on one of Nintendo's platforms, but if there were to be a Seaman resurgence, we'd much rather it be a cameo in the background of a Sega game somewhere. We wouldn't be able to handle that kind of rejection again.

Page 13 of 14
Page 13 of 14
No animal kingdom here

No animal kingdom here

An extensive search led to us finding these twelve beasts, but we're sure we left some out. Let us know in the comments which animal you'd never expect to find at this year's E3.

If you need more E3 coverage, check out 99 Predictions for E3 2013 or 9 Crazy E3 Rumors That Were Totally Wrong.

Page 14 of 14
Page 14 of 14
CATEGORIES
Android iPad iPhone PC Gaming Wii-u Nintendo PlayStation PS4 Xbox Xbox One Platforms Mobile Gaming
Jason Fanelli
WHY HELLO THERE! Name's Jason, hailing from right outside Philadelphia. I've been playing the vidya games for well over 20 years, starting with the NES and making my way all the way up to the Wii U. My mother tells people that I taught myself to read at age 3 using Wheel of Fortune Family Edition on the NES. I'm the type of guy that will try anything once, but I do have a few favorite genres, fighting and RPG being at the top. I've been writing about video games since I finished my Broadcast Journalism degree at Temple University in December 2008, mostly for www.gamernode.com. Since then I've been to three E3s, two New York Comic Cons, the first ever PAX East, and many more to come (I hope). I hope everyone enjoys my stuff as much as I love producing it. Hit me up on Twitter @bigmanfanelli, I love talking games with anyone and everyone.
Read more
A screenshot shows a witch with an orange hat holding a bone in front of a three-headed dog
I just died and went to Rhythm Heaven: Slay the Princess publisher reveals visual novel inspired by Nintendo's cult rhythm game series and cute puppies
 
 
A view of the countryside in Where Winds Meet
Battered and bruised Where Winds Meet players rally together to rid the Wuxia open-world MMO of its demonic geese: "Yeet into the water. Every single one of them"
 
 
Panic Stations
Dressed in their best digital pigeon cosplay, Fall Guys devs reunite after Epic layoffs to serve up REPO and Peak-style "tasty friendslop"
 
 
Toem 2 screnshot showing the photographer climbing up little hillsides with goats roaming
Upcoming indie games for 2025 and beyond
 
 
Shadow (Keanu Reeves) in Sonic 3
Every upcoming video game movie you need to know about in 2026 and beyond
 
 
God of War Ragnarok
We can apparently cross God of War and Diablo 4 DLC off the list of things The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley could be teasing, and I'm sure The Elder Scrolls 6 fans are feeling very normal about that
 
 
Latest in Games
Star wars: Fate of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic director Casey Hudson brushes off rumors about the RPG not coming out until 20230
 
 
Hades 2
Hades 2 has an epic script of over 400,000 words and 30,000 voice lines – around 50% more than the original roguelike
 
 
Hogwarts Legacy
Hogwarts Legacy is now free on the Epic Games Store, but you'll have to move fast if you want to grab it
 
 
Nioh 3 warrior smiling with red eyes
"We feel this is the best game in franchise history": Nioh 3 demo out with multiplayer almost as soon as 2026 hits
 
 
Black ops 7 Astra Malorum zombies easter egg
How to complete the Black Ops 7 Astra Malorum zombies easter egg
 
 
CS
Counter-Strike co-creator says the FPS is still the top game on Steam because people like to "collect skins and s**t"
 
 
Latest in Features
Deku powered up in My Hero Academia season 8
My Hero Academia's final episode cements the Shōnen anime as one of the all-time great superhero stories
 
 
Shelley Duvall as Wendy Torrance in The Shining
The Shining may be Stephen King's least favorite adaptation of his work, but it's my favorite
 
 
Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic screenshot showing the silhouette of a Jedi wearing a cape
Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic needs to put being an RPG before being a Star Wars game
 
 
Year in Review: The Best of 2025 main listing image for Best Movies of 2025 featuring images from Weapons, Superman, Sinners, and The Long Walk
The 25 Best Movies of 2025
 
 
Divinity
Larian's new Divinity game might mean a pivot back to classic RPGs and I can't wait to see it
 
 
The title card for Forest 3 shown during The Game Awards
Forest 3: Everything we know so far about the upcoming survival horror game
 
 
  1. Key art for Skate Story showing the glass skater boarding through a dark underworld filled with spikes towards a door of light
    1
    Skate Story review: "A beautiful and unique skateboarding game with great, stylized visuals set in a grungy underworld"
  2. 2
    Octopath Traveler 0 review: "The strongest entry in this retro-styled JRPG series yet, I love the greater focus on tactical battles"
  3. 3
    Sleep Awake review: "An all-timer horror premise is let down by tired stealth that I feel like I'm sleepwalking through"
  4. 4
    Metroid Prime 4: Beyond review: "The series' atmosphere has never been better, while being dragged down by a boring overworld and clunky psychic powers"
  5. 5
    Routine review: "This imperfect but wonderfully atmospheric moon-based horror leaves a strong impression"
  1. Freddy Fazbear in Five Nights at Freddy's 2
    1
    Five Nights at Freddy's 2 review: "We have waited two years for a Five Nights at Freddy's 1.5"
  2. 2
    Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Brings Knives Out back to its roots for a sequel that's almost on a par with the original"
  3. 3
    Wicked: For Good review: "Builds to an incredibly cathartic conclusion, but isn't quite as captivating as Part 1"
  4. 4
    The Running Man review: "Some fun action and Glen Powell's star power aren't enough to energize this disappointing Stephen King adaptation"
  5. 5
    Predator: Badlands review: "Die-hard fans may be disappointed, but as a blockbuster action-adventure, Badlands kills it"
  1. Noah Schnapp as Will Byers and Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna in Stranger Things season 5
    1
    Stranger Things season 5 volume 1 review: “Can the Duffer brothers stick the landing? It’s sure looking like they will”
  2. 2
    Pluribus season 1 review: "Easily one of the year's best dramas"
  3. 3
    The Witcher season 4 review: "The Henry Cavill-less fourth season is the best yet"
  4. 4
    IT: Welcome to Derry review: "A supremely confident step back into the history of Stephen King's cursed town and killer clown"
  5. 5
    Splinter Cell: Deathwatch review: "A pale imitation of the long-dormant stealth franchise"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...