How do you put pandas into any video game available right now and in the future? That is the question which is on everyone’s mind in some way. Not because they want pandas in their video games, but because they want the game designers to think creatively when approaching a fundamental problem of putting something like a panda into a video game. For the most part pandas clash with many games, with the major way to inject such an animal into a video game to make it an Easter Egg or other reward. So the question is how can pandas be injected into many video game types, while not been an Easter Egg- essentially how can a panda be a gameplay element in titles like Mario, Call of Duty or Halo.

While I don’t want to talk about pandas in Call of Duty or Halo, mainly because I hate those games, let’s talk about pandas in Mario. While I hate Mario as well, it is a fun and childlike imagination world which is perfect to be slapped with a fit full of panda. Pandas in Mario, how do they work? Well they work in the most fundamental way which a panda in a video game, especially games simular to Mario would work. As a key element in the title they would be a character, a race if it is Zelda. Essentially a piece of the puzzle, and in Mario they would be king of the bounce. Mario would notice this panda chilling out in the middle of nowhere and realise, he could push the panda up to the top of the hill, where he could then use the panda as a trampoline and then get to the ledge above him while collecting all those awesome coins on the way.

Pandas don’t work like that in real life, however in the video game world pandas can expand their abilities to the impossible. This can be true for injecting any type of animal which would normally feel out of place into a video game.

To make this article for the most part I’ve looked over my game collection and thought, “yes that would work”. Super Fruit Fall could be some kind of crazy Kawaii style video game with pandas, Rabbids could easy have pandas in their world- because they are just that crazy, and I think Rabbids would work even if Ubisoft decided to put aliens in the video game series. Even in games such as Mad World were the ability to adapt a Panda to it might seem a bit odd, I do feel it is possible. The panda could be some guy in a suit, aka not a traditional panda, but a very heavy set person. It works in that regard, and fits in the universe to a degree.

Then let’s look at games like for example Steel Diver, Steel Diver is underwater. Pandas do not go underwater. Well we could strap on a breathing tube to a panda and call it a day, but I feel that would suit games like Rayman or other simular platformers. Pandas could be in the game, but not exactly, with the world getting worse and worse when it comes to rubbish, the ability to see rubbish under the sea and see pandas on newspapers could exist. And it would fit in the universe. The player could also zoom in using the telescope and see distant lands with, pandas? Though this is starting to go into the realm of Easter eggs instead of gameplay elements.

The ability to add a panda into any game exists, it just needs to not happen for the simple fact not every game needs a panda. But if people think how can my game have a panda in it?, maybe we will see more creative thinking and magic in video games.