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Author Topic: Animal Abuse in video games  (Read 16973 times)

« on: March 08, 2009, 12:31:35 AM »
Have you ever noticed any animal abuse in video games?

I know that in some games like Mega Man Legends where you can do more then just kick dogs. In fact, in its Japanese counterpart, Rockman DASH, you can not only kick the dog to save a certain female character early in the game, but you can even kick cats, and shoot down birds too with no penalty whatsoever. (This video is almost full of annotations that save me the trouble of describing everything in complete detail.)

There's more too. In many Zelda games you can strike at the Cuccos (The chickens) out of amusement. Though, they'll practically curse you with a flurry of them after your cruel ass.

Also, in the MOTHER/EarthBound series, you can strikes stray dogs, crows, etc. with a baseball bat. Even though its in self-defense. Plus, in MOTHER 3, there's a character that shocks his monkey servant out of amusement.

What kind of examples of "animal abuse" do you spot in video games nowadays and before?

« Reply #1 on: March 08, 2009, 12:39:18 AM »
In MGS3, you can shoot the guard dogs and they won't count as a kill if I remember correctly. I don't know how close to abuse this is 'cause Snake does it in self-defense.

In any case, you almost have to do this in order to get the Big Boss rank. There are some really, really good players out there that know how to avoid the dogs, but I certainly didn't on my original BB run.
« Last Edit: March 08, 2009, 12:41:16 AM by PaperLuigi »
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Me: Why?

BP

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« Reply #2 on: March 08, 2009, 12:40:25 AM »
Go Squirtle! What, how dare you not win! Into the suspended animation of Bill's PC with you!

What about human abuse done by animals in video games? Metal Gear Solid has those EVIL FRIKKIN' WOLVES, too. I think they're impossible to kill. But DANG it's possible for them to kill you!!
All your dreeeeeeams begiiin to shatterrrrrr~
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« Reply #3 on: March 08, 2009, 12:43:23 AM »
^
Haha, I agree. The wolves were actually tougher to avoid then any solider in the game. Of course, Sniper Wolf was the toughest "wolf" of all and you couldn't avoid her.

I should shoot myself for saying that.
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Me: Why?

WarpRattler

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« Reply #4 on: March 08, 2009, 12:52:32 AM »
I was going to bring up Pokémon but BP beat me to it.

The fish in one of Claude's stages in Peggle.
Pretty much any RPG that lets you fight animals.
Earthworm Jim.
Sam & Max.

Do headcrabs count as animals? What about non-sentient creatures in Spore?

« Reply #5 on: March 08, 2009, 12:54:31 AM »
I forgot to mention that in order to survive in MGS3, you have to eat wild animals. Depending on how you answer the game's first question, that can be very frequent or practically nonexistent.
Luigison: Question everything!
Me: Why?

« Reply #6 on: March 08, 2009, 05:43:56 AM »
Earthworm Jim.

Considering you play as an earthworm anyway, I don't think that'd count to the same degree, if it all.

Also, Super Mario World. Punching Yoshi in the back of the head to get him to stick out his tongue is not cool.
If my son could decimate Lego cities with his genitals, I'd be [darn] proud.

ShadowBrain

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« Reply #7 on: March 08, 2009, 08:04:46 AM »
Is there a loophole if they're furries?
"Mario is your oyster." ~The Chef

SolidShroom

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« Reply #8 on: March 08, 2009, 10:40:23 AM »

« Reply #9 on: March 08, 2009, 11:21:29 AM »
I played one of those Cabela games recently. A part of me died inside when I shot a bullet through a polar bear's brain. It wasn't even doing anything, it was just standing there minding its own business. Never mind that you can also hunt endangered animals.

Maybe flying though cows in any typical racing game with a country level would count. I recall you could blast away cows and pigs and chickens in Redneck Rampage too. Or getting up close to an animal in Paperboy before whacking it at full velocity with a flung newspaper... or maybe I'm the only one who did that.

I'm just glad there hasn't been a videogame version of "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" yet. You remember that one scene where the guy starts shooting cows for no reason and shortly thereafter a cow gets hit by a car. I wonder what it is with the nonchalance in killing cows. Maybe because in games they just stand there and are easy targets?

Another example could be in Black & White where you could slap your Creature if it's misbehaving. Or you could be the cruel sort and slap it hard and slap it many times. I remember doing that to the Cow in the first example where it's frightened of its new home and needs reassurance, and slapping it just makes it cry. I think the Creature weeps in other cases if it's unhappy. But in general, you can pet the Creature to praise whatever it did or slap the Creature to disapprove of what it did. And then usually do it multiple times before it finally gets it.

It seems it's abuse if they're minding their own business or they're visibly scared. But if it's in self-defense, then it's fine. Is it fine even if you were the one who provoked the animal?
"Shadow of the Colossus" seems to be built on having colossi that usually don't care about you until you start stabbing them. Many reviews have pointed out that it's a pretty sad game, that you're indiscriminately killing these colossi in an attempt to save a girl that may or may not happen. And after you kill one, you have to watch it slowly fall to the ground in a lifeless heap.
...But that one colossus had it coming, I mean, it kept attacking me when I was laying on the ground stunned, so I couldn't do anything to fight back. Cheap jerk.


Looks like we've already mentioned the loopholes when a game's characters consist of anthropomorphic animals (or "furries" if you're inclined), where I believe it doesn't really count since presumably they act more like humans in those games.
« Last Edit: March 08, 2009, 11:35:19 AM by penguinwizard »
You didn't say wot wot.

« Reply #10 on: March 08, 2009, 12:19:12 PM »
Is there a loophole if they're furries?

ABSOLUTELY.
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Me: Why?

ShadowBrain

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« Reply #11 on: March 08, 2009, 12:54:29 PM »
...But that one colossus had it coming, I mean, it kept attacking me when I was laying on the ground stunned, so I couldn't do anything to fight back. Cheap jerk.
I think if you don't get out of the way straightaway, you'll die from getting hit repeatedly.
"Mario is your oyster." ~The Chef

TEM

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« Reply #12 on: March 08, 2009, 01:33:03 PM »
I feel as bad about killing animals in video games as I do about killing people in video games.
0000

Glorb

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« Reply #13 on: March 08, 2009, 01:41:23 PM »
If abuse against mutated humans counts, then Valve's horrible rape of the Smoker is a notable case.
every

« Reply #14 on: March 08, 2009, 02:34:59 PM »
Oh yes another example is Duck Hunt. How could I fail to remember the quintessential duck hunting game?

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