February 2 is Groundhog Day, an American holiday in which an adorable burrow-dwelling groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil is used to predict the weather. Phil comes out of his home in Pennsylvania and, if he doesn’t see his shadow, that means spring is on its way soon. If he does see his shadow, however, that means there will be six more weeks of winter.
Punxsutawney Phil has one job, and he does it well. Every year, a new groundhog is chosen to serve as Phil. Here are ten video game characters who would be perfect for the role in 2022:
10. Sonic the Hedgehog (Sonic the Hedgehog)
A hedgehog isn’t anything like a groundhog, except for the fact that they both have “-hog” in their names. However, Sonic is great for the job because he could quickly run away before seeing his shadow. Plus, Sonic hasn’t exactly been in many good games lately, so he could be amenable to new work.
9. Phil Connors, Jr. (Groundhog Day: Like Father, Like Son)
One game you may not have heard of before is Groundhog Day: Like Father, Like Son. This 2019 VR-based experience puts players in the role of Phil Connors, Jr., the son of the protagonist of the original Groundhog Day movie. He journeys to Punxsutawney to look for a job that will get him out of his father’s shadow (ha ha). What could be more different than taking of the role of the groundhog himself?
8. Amaterasu (Okami)
Amaterasu is a sun goddess, so her bright light would chase away any shadows. Plus, she can make flowers grow with a flourish of her divine paintbrush. There’s no need to wait for spring – Ammy can bring it all on her own!
7. Patrat (Pokémon)
As the Pokémon which probably looks the most like a groundhog, Patrat is an obvious choice. It is better suited for the job than its evolution, Watchog, because Watchog is noted for its strong observation skills, which means that it would be too good at seeing its shadow.
6. Monty Mole (Super Mario Bros.)
Monty Mole has a pretty rough job, usually being whacked on the head repeatedly by Mario and his friends in mini-games inspired by the arcade classic Whack-a-Mole. Compared to years and years of that, predicting the weather in Pennsylvania would be an absolute cinch for Monty.
5. Duggy (Stardew Valley)
One quest assigned to the farmer from Stardew Valley is to eradicate 30 burrow-dwelling Duggies living in the nearby Mines. But what is the farmer going to do with 30 monsters whose only skill is popping up out of the ground? I think Punxsutawney could take those creatures off their hands…
4. Flammole the Moleroid (Mega Man ZX)
Flammole is the perfect Punxsutawney Phil replacement for the era of social distancing – because he is literally on fire. Onlookers will not be able to crowd too close, or else they’ll risk leaving the celebration with a few less eyebrows than they started with. Stay six feet away, folks!
3. Bottles the Mole (Banjo-Kazooie)
In Banjo-Kazooie, Bottles’ job as a move teacher turned out to be fatal, as he was killed at the very beginning of the second game. Bottles was eventually brought back to life, but he’s probably looking for something a little less potentially deadly for his next gig. The man has a family to feed, after all.
2. Dugtrio (Pokémon)
Dugtrio has three heads, so that gives this adorable Ground-type Pokémon three chances to not see his shadow. We’d never have to worry about six more weeks of winter if Dugtrio got the job! Alolan Dugtrio would also make a great mascot for the event with its long flowing mane of golden hair.
1. Mr. Resetti (Animal Crossing)
Loud-mouthed mole Mr. Resetti unfortunately lost his job when Animal Crossing: New Horizons added an auto-save feature, so he was no longer needed to shout at players when they shut down their game without manually saving. Resetti would be perfect for the job – he’s loud, he’s decisive, he lives underground, and he’s looking for work. A statue of him was even released in Animal Crossing: New Horizons as a limited Groundhog Day seasonal item. It’s a match made in heaven! Hire him, Punxsutawney!
Happy Groundhog Day, everyone! How are you planning to survive the six more weeks of winter Phil predicted? Let us know!
