BlizzCon 2009: Grunty Does Battle With Zergling, Onyxia Pet To Deep Breath
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iTZKooPA on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 - 7 Comments Tags: blizzcon 2009, blizzcon 2009 pet, blizzcon 2009 swag, companion pet, grunty, grunty animation, grunty zergling battle, non-combat pet, onycian whelpling, onyxia, onyxia deep breath, onyxia whelpling, vanity pet, zergling
iTZKooPA on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 - 7 Comments Tags: blizzcon 2009, blizzcon 2009 pet, blizzcon 2009 swag, companion pet, grunty, grunty animation, grunty zergling battle, non-combat pet, onycian whelpling, onyxia, onyxia deep breath, onyxia whelpling, vanity pet, zergling 
Grunty Going NutsJust shy of a year ago I had a gripe. I know, hard to believe, but I did. Blizzard had dropped the ball with vanity pets, and I wanted it fixed. The gist of the ancient article is that the most recent non-combat pets lacked animations. The beings, the Spirit of Competition and hard to get Archangel Tyrael, would simply be. No movement and little, if any, interaction. In the case of the Diablo II buddy (released to attendees alongside the Diablo III announcement) it was a missed opportunity of epic proportions. Tyrael flat out ignored mini Diablo, his arch nemesis.
Blizzard seems to have learned from the mistake. Grunty, the space traveling Murloc decked out in Tier Terran Marine gear does battle with the Zergling. The Zergling was part of the Collector's Edition for the original World of Warcraft, so coming across a toon with the insectoid may be difficult. Given the chance, you should travel to the ends of Azeroth to see this far reaching space battle take place on our humble planet/dimension/time. Here's the flip side.
Even though BlizzCon 2009 attendees didn't get a beta key, or access to the Diablo III beta it seems, at least we have this consolation prize. Even if it is far more common than any other BlizzCon pet before it.
Onyxian Whelping's First AppearenceLet us not forget the upcoming fifth anniversary of WoW itself. Forget a shot at an Onyxia mount, I'm not a masochist. Even if I was, I'd take a cute companion pet any day of the week. And that's exactly what the incoming ("sometime in November") Onyxia Whelpling is. It's animation you ask? Why the little bugger tries to Deep Breath, what else? Even cuter is a failed attempt, where rings of smoke billow from its mouth instead.
What a magnificent time to be a vanity pet collector.
Reader Comments (7)
I love Grunty. So awesome!
Such a great way to mix up both games together.
2nd! Grunty is bad azz! and The Ony Whelp is probly the cutest vanity pet of all time....!
Non-combat pets that lack animation is also a small disgruntlement to me. Besides popping out a pet just to tweak other players noses, there was veritably nothing else. Sure, a player can visit the pet shop in Dalaran and purchase soap to make the pet sparkle (which if combined with the Phoenix pet from Magister's Terrace is actually pretty spiffy), but I want more life from it - something like poking a peon. ("Stop poking me!")
That is why the Battlebot from the Mountain Dew-Battle.Net promotion made me smile and the Onyxian Whelpling makes me excited. Why else have a pet, excluding any applicable achievements? This is a great opportunity for Blizzard to take an element and make it pop. :)
PETZ!GIEF!
Just very recently i decided to start my pet colection.
What made me change my mind?The Phoenix Hatchling in Magister's Terrace. The pet is very beautiful and since i own Papa Hummel's pet food i can make it beigger and better...
So i think it's a good idea to invest in animation for pets even if only companion and also for normal ones...Even hunter pets don't feel real...They need to do something about that too...
If you played Warcraft 3 you know that if you pressed to much some characters they started complaining and say different things completely from the usual...
This just an idea
Pets rock...
Next in the list is pengu...amost exalted to Kaluak already hehe
Grunty and the mini onyxia will be my 87th and 88th pets. I cant wait, I love pets so much.
With the collector's edition pets Bind to Account now, anyone with one should have all three, presuming they have at least 3 toons on the server.