The Video Game Name Game
Hey, readers! I'd like you all to meet someone really special to me. Give a "Hello and how do you do" to Agro, one of the two Chow-Lab dogs my boyfriend and I adopted from our local animal shelter. Isn't he adorable? I know... I'm one of those dog owners. I'll try to show a little restraint in the "omgsocute" department, promise.
Most of the time when I introduce Agro, people almost always ask about where his name comes from. When we adopted our first puppy, I sort of let my better half take the lead on naming him, but for the second puppy he insisted that I put my creative energies to good use. When I tried to think of a name that immediately translated into loyalty and dedication "Agro" was the only name that sprang to my mind. As many readers here could probably already guess, Agro's name comes from one of my all-time favorite games, Shadow of the Colossus. As the lone equine companion to the game's distraught lead character, Agro helps Wander, his master, roam distant lands, get to those difficult to reach cliffs, and even confront the fearsome Colossi in battle. I won't spoil the game's beautifully crafted story, but towards the end of the game Agro performs an act of bravery so heartfelt it moved me to tears the first time I played through he game. For a just brief moment, the character is able to convey more in a action than most people could articulate with any number of words. One look at that little guy above and I knew this was the name for him.
Our Agro shares more than a few similarities with his video game namesake. They both are covered by dark black coats and there's been more than one night when I've had to venture into the backyard calling out his name just like Wander in the game. Just as caring as the fictional character, Agro will stick right by my side whenever I'm sick or not feeling well, like any good dog unknowingly does.
Recently the boyfriend and I had a few people over the house for a small get together letting some new friends to get to know our Agro. After describing where the name came from once again, I wondered if any of you readers have had similar experiences with your pets. Are there any game-related pets in your life? Anyone have a reptile tank with a Solid Snake slithering around? Or a white Siberian Husky named Ammy? Have any of you chosen Pikachu? Tell us a little bit about them in the comments.
Game-Boy
Posted to Miscellany on 16 September 2008
· Comments (26)
Other stuff like this: cute, names, pets, puppies, shadow of the colussus
Don't really know if it counts, but in May I intend to get a Finnish Spitz. It is either going to be Pixel or Voxel, depending on sex.
Also my friend named his dog Terra when he was little after Terra/ Tina from FF6/ FF3US.
Yup...
While it's not videogame related, I think it still qualifies. My roommates and I adopted a cat maybe half a year ago. Her given name was "Princess," however, we couldn't handle being a houseful of boys calling after "Princess." Thus, taking some liberties, we landed on "Mona", short for Princess Mononoke. Her full legal name is Princess Mononoke, but I feel "Mona" fits here best.
Cute!
When I was little, I had two pet mice named Link and Zelda. I used to build level mazes out of LEGOs, and put the two inside. "Zelda" was placed in the center, and "Link" was set on his way to rescue the mouse-princess. Then "Link" would get bored of leaving little "pellet" trails along the way, and just sit there.
I decided to get a snake about a month later.
When I was little, I had two pet mice named Link and Zelda. I used to build level mazes out of LEGOs, and put the two inside. "Zelda" was placed in the center, and "Link" was set on his way to rescue the mouse-princess. Then "Link" would get bored of leaving little "pellet" trails along the way, and just sit there.
I decided to get a snake about a month later.
I had some fancy mice named Sunfire and Beast. They were eventually killed by the alpha-mouse gerald.
I had a hamster a long time ago, and I wanted to give him a name based on a video game character, but I just couldn't think of any famous videogame mouse. But then I started playing Wild Arms again, so I decided to name him Hampan =D
Trebor82, that's epic. Completely. xD
When I started reading this article I actually thought the term referenced the typical MMO-speak "aggro" which I so often see without the extra "g" (probably mostly because when you're getting beat on by something unhappy with you and the tank needs to know, nobody cares how it's spelled ^^; ). I haven't played the game the name actual references, but I want to! ^^ And when I've got a place that allows pets, I'm going to get a ferret and most likely name it Riddick. xD
I had a puppy named Nemo once, for the NES game - not for the original Nemo in Dreamland books, nor for Captain Nemo.
When my mother got chickens a few years ago, she asked me what I thought we should name them. Well, one of the birds is a nice golden yellow with poofy feathers coming out of the tail (a "buff orpington" they're called), so I said, "We're naming this one Chocobo." I showed her a picture of a chocobo and she agreed.
Not sure if this counts. My pet got her name from an anime, but it did spawn a really crappy video game at one point. Eh, either way, it's definitely nerdy: I have a female black cat named Luna, who is named after (you guessed it!) the talking black cat of Sailor Moon fame.
I also have a fluffy gray cat named Ash. Technically, he got his name from the color of his fur, which my mom claimed reminded her of cigarette ash. But since everyone knows I'm a nerd, they all just assume he was named after the dude from pokemon :-P
I also recently got a puppy who is a pomeranian/yorkie mix, whose reddish fur, long, poofy tail and big, satellite-like ears makes her look a hell of a lot like a fox. She was *this* close to being named Shippo (after the little fox spirit from Inu Yasha. And while I hate that damn show, I think that one character is so cute!) I settled on Zoe instead, saving her from a lifetime of nerdiness (unlike my poor cats.)
While not video game related it's still super nerdy.
My Fiance and I got a little orange kitten about 3 years ago. While we mostly call him just Chief these days his whole name is Chief Miles Edward O'Brien of TNG and DS9 fame.
Well, the middle name of one of our cats is Cagnazzo, based on how Cagnazzo sits in Final Fantasy IV (cats sit like that sometimes). I had a cat named Neko, he passed away this summer though, got hit by a car...
Although I'd likely get beaten to death for it, I've always been tempted by the name Interceptor, but that's almost too much.
Again, not exactly game related but I named my cat Tabitha in honor of the daughter in Bewitched. Always getting into trouble but just so damned cute...
Mine is also not game related but geeky in it's own right.
I have 2 orange tabbies. My ex named the first one Tenchi, from Tenchi Muyo. Then we found the 2nd one and i was crazed with Harry Potter at the time so.... I named him Lupin. ....ha... i know
I always wanted a husky and I decided it's name would be Angelo(FF8) or Interceptor (Yeah I know...) if male, or Ammy(If female.)
We had a cat a while back who came to us with the name Sam. Just Sam. My grandmother kept calling her Samantha, but officially, she had no full name--just Sam. I, however, decided that it was short for Samus, and always called her that.
Also, I've settled on a list of nerdy names for pets if I ever got them:
Bird: Kazooie
Hamster: Boo
Whitish dog: Slider (as in K.K.)
Brownish/golden dog: Parappa
Deep brown or blackish dog: Sirius (not game related, but nerd-related)
Lizard: Yoshi
Cat: You know, all the cat-girls out there, and I can't think of a good cat name?
Mouse/rat: Remy (Again, not game related, but I'm a big Pixar fangirl...)
Horse: Epona
Pig: Pey'j
Chicken: Cucco (Though Chocobo is a pretty good'un)
I have a snake whose name is Onyx and is tragically mistaken for being named after that big rock snake Pokemon. He's not; he's actually named for the stone and its color. You go ahead and do something non-geeky for once in your life and your reputation proceeds you. (I feel for ya, Lauren.) Alas!
Ownage the Hamster
Yes. Her name was ownage. When she walked around she would leave behind death and destruction. If you tried to pick her up, she would own you (by pooping on you), and then she would promptly run away, leaving behind death and destruction.
she would never complain, or make any noises at all, because her voice would create pain and suffering.
She's super cute though...
Every time I play DoTA I play in honor of Ownage. Because after one side dominates another team by kills, a sound bite plays in honor of her (I think it's stolen from a shooter Counter Strike? forgive me if I'm wrong).
Anyways, she's probably creating havoc in hamster heaven right now =)
Then I had a less interesting cat named Chiko. And Hopefully, in a few years a strapping young lad will wisk my heart away and bring me an awesome puppy that I can call Max. (Max 300 / Maxx Unlimited / etc based off Dance Dance Revolution)
We have 3 cats, Illianna, Kameo and 2D
While not a pet, we named our boy "Phoenix" after Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. Most people just assume he was named for the city, though. OBJECTION!
I would never name a pet after a video game character, that is just insane. You people are crazy!
Kidding of course! Neither of my dogs are named for video games, but they're geeky names just the same.
My black lab/cattle dog mix is named Xander after the Buffy character and my Welsh Corgi is named Reid after Dr. Spencer Reid of Criminal Minds.
My partner had a lil' kitty foisted on us about a year ago. Being the TV dorks that we are, we named her Endora, after the mother from bewitched. She now beats the crap out of us so much, we both feel like Darren.
While not game-related, both my cat and my dog have geeky names.
My cat's name is "Tesla" for Nikola Tesla and my dog's name is "Curie" for Marie Curie.
Geeky enough for you?
Freezair, I would totally go with Felicia or maybe even Cham Cham for an uber nerdy game name for a cat (catgirls from Drakstalkers and Samurai Shodown 2 respectively.) I decided long ago that if I ever got a female white cat, her name would definitely be Felicia!
my dog is named Terra, my previous guinea pig was Gau, I had a guinea pig recently give birth and die a week thereafter named Fran, and I have her three pups Beatrix, Agrias, and Kefka.
thus far, we have not strayed from a Final Fantasy naming scheme.