#mod sockop

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Swarming Sheargrub

Debut: Pikmin 3 

I know what you’re thinking, Silly Larva! And yes this is quite the silly larva! But it goes beyond that this might be the Silliest Larva!

Swarming Sheargrubs are very shaped green grubs with a silly face, but most importantly they travel in packs! and are constantly on the move! Able to wander about any place in the area you’re in, just like you!

Quite the organized group they always stay near each other, but what are they wandering about for? Well just like you they have quite an appetite for Fruit and Nectar! When they encounter fruit they will violently JUMP on top of it, presumably eating and also weighing it down in the process, making it harder for you and your Pikmin to carry the fruit back to base! But I can’t get mad at a fellow fruit lover! I’d love to be able to share! Regardless, since they are quite silly, they will fall off the fruit after a while, look! They bounce and tumble! Certified Silly Activities!

Fortunately there is something I can share with them that won’t risk my 100% completion, Nectar! They love it so much! If you break open a nectar egg they will swarm to it and slurp it down! Making silly munching sounds! But that’s not all! Something magical occurs when they eat nectar... They grow up! A lot! Take a look! Also hear them hurgle closer as they approach the nectar....

As you can see sometimes there isn’t enough nectar for everybody,,, So a few will remain small but it makes them look cuter together!

Please talk to us or our son whenever you please!

Finally, I was delighted to find they have complex and interesting behaviors! Following them around for a whole day is VERY engaging! Apparently if they encounter a patch of plants they will hide in it and remain there for a while! becoming much quieter, it kinda looks like they’re planning something... Look!

So yeah hope you now appreciate these epic beans too! They are my friends I’d like to hang out with them sometime wander about a beach, hop on a fruit or two.... What a life!

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Hampter Ball

Debut: Hampter

UYUUUUUUUUUUU

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Squorch Hampter

Debut: Hampter

Ouhgfh

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Nubert Debut: Deltarune Deltarune came out in October 2018, and yet, it’s taken us THIS long to talk about Nubert, weird right? After all, everyone knows about Nubert! And we all love him! Nubert! My Man! Where to begin... He’s just so wonderful! He is a little red nub that pops out of the ground, to be adored by anyone on the surface! Look at that cheeky smile! How can you not be instantly enamored by him! I’ll come clean, the first sentence is me trying to go along with the bit, Nubert did not exist until September 2021, Toby Fox did a stream of Deltarune and they played a different version of Chapter 1 that contains this lovely new character! But the streamers wanted to make it seem like he’s always been a character and he’s everyone’s favorite character, beloved by all Deltarune players. AND I’M OBSESSED WITH THAT!!! They program in a brand new guy just for a funny! and it’s SUCH a legitimately awesome guy too! You know what Toby? he IS my favorite Deltarune character actually

My Man!

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Caramello

Debut: Kirby’s Dream Land 3

You might be thinking “Hey Mod Sockop Weirdmarioenemies, that is just an egg” and you would be half right! Caramello is indeed, an egg, but not “just” that! He is an incredibly multi-faceted and layered in-depth character, I will now illustrate you in what makes my brain absolutely go ham when it comes to Caramello

Where to begin! It’s so hard to pick! There’s so much to Caramello to discuss in length! Let’s start with his design, ok so like, you would be easily misled to think “well that’s just an egg with a face, what a boring design” but here’s the thing reader, notice how this egg creature is arranged! You’d expect the face to be on the yellow “chicken” part, right? BUT NO!!! The face is on the eggshell!!! fully emotive! And it has no beak as you’d expect! Instead it has a mouth capable of chewing and blowing airl! Eggshells can’t do that! So what does this mean?! Caramello cannot be a baby chicken that just hatched and kept wearing his eggshell (very common design trope) No! It is my pleasure to announce that Caramello is Just Like That!

He’s just a weird creature that’s half yellow half eggshell! He was born like that, his DNA is structured to be like that, his genes allow his cells to make the top half of his body look like an eggshell, and I think that’s beautiful.

Moving on! Let’s talk about Caramello’s other enamoring features! He LOVES to chew gum!

“Why?” your mind might be asking you, demanding a gameplay reason or an in-context explanation that makes it be a logical design choice. Your mind has been trained to expect characters to have a reason behind everything about them. You must teach it to let go... Just like real life, sometimes people just do things because they like doing them! And nothing more!

This is the case with Caramello! They decided to make an egg creature blow bubblegum for no real reason! Eggs have absolutely nothing to do with bubblegum, but it is this trait that makes Caramello feel like such an endearing character!!! He just happens to love bubblegum!!!! Makes him feel like such a real guy that exists in this world just like you! And you simply happened to stumble into him!

And when you do stumble into him! He’s down to play a little game! You see, Caramello is part of a special group of characters, in Kirby’s Dream Land 3, you have to make NPCs happy by completing a personal quest in order to save the world! and Caramello is one of them! How do you make him happy? Well he’s part of an even more special group within the special group! NPCs who’s quest is to win a minigame they host!

Caramello wants you to count how many Gordos with a specific face you saw, they’ll show their face for only a split second! Marked by when Caramello’s bubblegum pops! Keep your eyes peeled!

If you fail to give him the correct number of Gordos, he will be disappointed, but it’s a funny kind of disappointed, look!

And if you give him the correct number, he will nod happily!

Also! while you’re picking the correct number, he shows this very funny face full of expectation!

Go on! Pick a number! He’s eager to see if you got it right!

And that’s Caramello! Isn’t he the most delightful and charming egg creature ever? I hope you understand my obsession with this round fella a bit more reader!

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Sulkworm

Debut: Kirby’s Epic Yarn 

Have you ever seen a worm sulking? I wouldn’t know! I’m not emotionally intelligent enough to ascertain the mood of a worm, but perhaps I have! And you have as well! We’ll just never know! Maybe they’re sulking all the time!

I don’t know where I’m going with this joke! This is Sulkworm! An adorably plump caterpillar! Their name is a funny pun between Silkworm and Sulk! They actually look quite jolly most of the time! So this name was clearly just the first pun they came up with, but I’m ok with that.

Look at that cute little smile! So content!

Sulkworm is a rare creature, only 3 of them are found in the whole game!, they’re also one of the biggest regular enemies! And they like spitting silk at you! Kirby’s Epic Yarn being a game all about fabric having a Silkworm that uses Silk as projectiles is just way too perfect! 

They are also very fat, this is so important I think! You know this is a very well-fed caterpillar! And I’m very happy for them! They have a squiggly mouth, you know they munch leaves with that! This funny mouth also gets wonderfully animated as they’re preparing their silk attack! Look!

When I first saw them I thought they were a Sea Cucumber! They had the proportions! And I interpreted the fact they spit silk as a reference to Sea Cukes shooting out their insides as a defense mechanism! Which are also white! But no, they’re definitely a caterpillar, they have Osmeterium on top of their heads! The retractable orange horn things some caterpillars have! This confirms them as caterpillars! And also as Butterflies! So they’re definitely not actually silkworms, which are moths! But this is a fictional cartoon creature silly! It can be anything! I like to think they don’t even pupate into a butterfly, Sulkworms are just like this their whole life :)

Sadly the level design does NOT treat Sulkworm with the respect they deserve, the first time you encounter them they are blocking a door, and you’re supposed to defeat them to proceed, fortunately! You can bait them into trying to crush you, then get on top of them when they fall down, and then after they get up, with the help of the 2-Player mode, you can get across the section the blocked door leads to! Sparing their wonderfully plump life!

Also I adore their animation for their crush attack, they put their whole body into it!!

Next time you see them is in Dedede’s Castle, where you can find a room with 2 of them, what are you supposed to do in this lovely room? Horrible… cruel things! If you want to get all the collectibles, you’ll have to defeat both Sulkworms, after which a portrait with their face will be unlocked, revealing the collectible. I know! Atrocious! But the silver lining is that we got a lovely Sulkworm portrait! Look! Lovingly stitched by an unknown entity! Maybe the Waddle Dees made it!

And if you come back to this room while replaying this level, you can just come in and take a peaceful visit! If you’re not here for the collectibles, you get to realize this game has an entire room dedicated to Sulkworm, and now you can spend some quality time in the Sulkworm Room! Just be careful with all the silk!

Come on in! Please leave your shoes at the door!

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Coco★Tapioca

Debut: Space Channel 5

Robots! Aliens! Funky Guys! We all love these kinda characters, now imagine All Three of those at the same time! Everyone welcome Coco★Tapioca! The Funkiest Alien Robot you’ll ever meet! Welcome to the Funkiest Friday!

Coco★Tapioca is a robot made by the Morolians, a funky alien civilization that invades Earth and hypnotizes all the humans into dancing! Space Channel 5 is a Rhythm Game, so this plot only makes logical sense!

Let’s talk design!! What a wonderful design for an alien robot! Long silly arms that end in orbs, a rotund and friend-shaped body, tiny stubby feets, cute yellow dangly antenne, and three, (THREE!) beautiful blue eyes arranged vertically, you never see eyes like these! Also the color of their body is said to be Purplink! As in purple and pink, perfect!

Coco★Tapioca is the first Boss of the game, and what a phenomenal first impression! Coco★Tapioca’s battle is all kinds of awesome, they wave their awesome noodley arms side to side, and have a cute squeaky voice!

But where the battle really shines, when it REALLY REALLY shines, is when Coco★Tapioca reveals to not only be a robot, but a ship! Containing tiny silly guys inside!! I love tiny silly guys!

Name: Yellow Submorons

Debut: Space Channel 5

LOOK AT THESE GUYS! I was already in love with Coco★Tapioca! Seeing they are filled with such funny little dudes is too much for my heart to handle! They are just one funny cycloptic head, a bobbly on top for good measure, and two VERY silly dangly legs! Also ending in orbs, they remind me of those wooden toys with limbs made out of string, and that’s the PERFECT kind of legs for doing a silly dance! And you better believe they put them to good use!

Here is a gif from the GBA port, that’s right, there was a GBA port! With really adorable sprites, I’m kind of obsessed with the way they animate their silly two-step dance here, I’m so glad I live in a world where these creatures were created

I should also mention their name! Submorons! Kinda rude! Submarine morons…, I get they’re robots with likely very rudimentary AI, but come on! The Submarine part is super cool though, their colors are exactly the same as that of the Yellow Submarine from The Beatles, being a music game, this is a really cool reference I think!

The Submorons have yet to make other appearances, while Coco★Tapioca was in an HD VR game, they never open their mouth/hatch, I know you’re keeping HD Yellow Submorons in there… I hope they’re set free one day…

Coco★Tapioca also makes an appearance in Project X Zone, a crossover tactical RPG, this means we get a very lovely sprite of them!

To wrap things up, Coco★Tapioca makes a sort of cameo in the sequel for Space Chanel 5, in the form of a funny flying car being ridden by a Morolian!

Would you get in the Coco★Tapiocar? Beep Beep!

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: The Original           Starwalker

Debut: Deltarune

Two Deltarune Fridays in a row? Are we insane? Yes! every other mod is also a giant Deltarune fan so I ran unopposed! Isn’t that wonderful! We get to explore another incredibly messed up character from the mind of Toby Fox!

This is The Original              Starwalker, spaces included! This is a very interesting guy, with a lot of peculiarities, for starters, his name! He talks with a lot of empty spaces in between words, is it for suspense? is he taking his time to think about what word to use? We don’t know! but it gives a cryptic vibe that I love!

And cryptic he is! To find him, you have to clear a part of the game where a different star-shaped creature with wings chases you while shooting bullets at you, at the end of this sequence there is a bell, when rung, the creature loses its wings and runs away. After this you can just leave the room and continue on with your adventure, however, if you go all the way back to the start of the room, you will find him

I will now quote what he says when talked to in this situation:

These birds are Pissing me off...

I am the original        Starwalker

As you can see he seems to be a very grumpy guy, which I suppose fits with his expression, he just gets pissed off by things! In boldened, yellow text too! Sorry I had to use orange, Tumblr Mobile does not seem to have yellow as an option :(

He is also very proud of being the original      Starwalker. Perhaps the other star-shaped creatures are False Starwalkers, or at least New Starwalkers

I think they’re really neat too!

Starwalker appears again in prison later in the game, where he tells you how much this prison pisses him off, he’s not even inside a jail cell!!! I guess he’s just protesting the unfairness of the criminal system, he will be pissed off for those unjustly behind bars.

As you can see, already a very fascinating character, but this is just Chapter 1, and this is NOTHING in comparison to the role he plays in Chapter 2, if you haven’t played it yet, I’ll continue this part in a Read More, so that you can experience Chapter 2 Original Starwalker on your own!

If you talked to him twice in Chapter 1, The Original     Starwalker will  JOIN YOUR TEAM!!! He just shows up before you leave and goes “I will also     join.” after which he walks towards you and becomes part of your inventory! And WOW THE WALK

LOOK AT THAT ANIMATION ISN’T IT INCREDIBLE!!! The floppy star tips...... the absolute power of each footstep.... This is a character who really means business, and doesn’t care for how silly his flopping star tips look.

So yeah! The Original       Starwalker is now in your inventory! He does absolutely nothing except just exist in the corner, where he can obscure the first letter of the items, I’m sure he’s not doing it out of mischief, it’s just a comfy corner!

Starwalker will remain here for most of the adventure, which on its own is incredible, a whole chapter with him by your side, nothing can stop you now! But The Original       Starwalker is not done! Around halfway through Chapter 2, you will reunite with your other party members for a total of 4 party members, if you give Berdly a gift, he will also want to join, for a 5th party member, seeing this, The Original       Starwalker comes out of your inventory and simply says “I will also              join” becoming a 6th party member and trailing behind you as you walk!!

Now THIS is a complete RPG Party! And no, The Original       Starwalker does NOT have a single frame of animation as he walks here and I personally love that, even though we have seen him walk (very smoothly btw) he decides he just wants to slide around for the time being, and it’s glorious.

Berdly and The Original        Starwalker will only trail behind you in this room, after you go anywhere else the party size will go back to 4, BUT you’re free to stay in this one room for as much as you want! And you better believe I did that! I would walk in circles to line myself up behind Starwalker, or making 8 loops to see everyone move in that shape, savoring every second of The Original      Starwalker being a member of my party.

Finally, in the final fight of the game, every single character you have befriended so far comes to your rescue, and lends you their power to build a giant mech, every character’s power is something relating to them, and for The Original      Starwalker that is...... 

“Star  Walker”. with a space in between now for some reason!! Great! Thank you Original     Starwalker, I wouldn’t know where I’d be without you....

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Sphere (Rōpā) Doomer

Debut: Kirby’s Return to Dream Land

Kirby dwells with a lot of alien creatures, this is because it is a series all about space and different planets, so really everyone is an alien! But these guys are Extra Alien! They come from a mysterious place known as Another Dimension, an in-between dimension where the fabric of spacetime is warping all the time, and this is where the Doomers dwell!

The Doomers are a family of creatures that live in Another Dimension, and I adore them, if you give anything that silly jagged www mouth chances are I’ll love it! These guys are also extremely rotund AND have a super cool ever-shifting coloration pattern!

You might only be familiar with the Sphere Doomers but that’s only one of the multiple species of them, and they all follow a super cute naming convention! Sphere Doomers are Rōpā, then there’s Rāpa, Rīpa, Rupa and Rēpā Doomers! Ropa Rapa Ripa Repa! Isn’t that fun! Say it out loud multiple times! It’s great!

Let’s start with Rōpā Doomers, they have wings, fancy tail feathers, and their mouths are always fully open! As they usually have an orb containing something you want inside! They can shoot orbs of plasma, fire, and ice, and are constantly flying and teleporting around! They are a midboss common throughout the game, and get to be a Boss in the form of Grand Doomer.

Also in the Kirby Novels, we get to meet a baby Sphere Doomer! 

Here’s where it gets interesting, at the end of the game Kirby and friends get to visit Another Dimension themselves, and they get received by the Rōpās’ extended family!

Name: Rāpa Doomer

Debut: Kirby’s Return to Dream Land

This little guy is the smallest of the family, their mouths are completely shut, they got more butterfly-esque wings, and they even got one little Baby Hair on top of their head!, they like flying in formation with other Rāpas.

Name: Rīpa Doomer

Debut: Kirby’s Return to Dream Land

Oh these guys are grumpy! They’re bigger versions of Rāpa, they can open their mouths to shoot plasma orbs, AND look at their hair! it’s edgy now! 

Name: Rupa Doomer

Debut: Kirby’s Return to Dream Land

We arrive to my dearly beloved! Rupa Doomer! LOOK AT THIS GUYYYY!!! They’re a little egg with feet!! They have no wings at all! They just stand angrily on the ground shooting plasma orbs at you, and of course three funny spiky hairs on top. I also really love the colors of this one the most! They’re teal with hints of violet and navy! All warping around constantly!

Name: Rēpā Doomer 

Debut: Kirby’s Return to Dream Land

And finally we have Rēpā Doomers, by far the biggest among them! Their eyes are the angriest. their hairs are slickly brushed backwards, and they got 4 Cackletta-like horn things, presumably they fly with these? They’re always seen floating, regardless, just as with Cackletta, I kinda wanna squeeze them, I think they’d do a funny honk sound!

And that’s the Doomers! A really lovely family if you ask me! And don’t worry! Kirby seems to have befriended them now! As seen in one of the Find Kirby books, look!

I hope they’re all living their best lives together in Another Dimension, see you next time!

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Starman

Debut: Kirby’s Adventure

There is a characteristic in character design that is seldom talked about: the stride

Just look at this little guy walkin! You can just tell this is a creature with immaculate vibes, they’re just here to enjoy life.

And what better way to enjoy life than strolling, jumping and flying across the sky! This is what Starman is all about!

Starman is, well they’re just a little guy, they are like a fat yellow star with a cape, and the tip top of the star is split into 2 to give their head a cute shape! Just making a star-shaped creature that walks on 2 of its star tips is really good already, but then you also make them chunky, AND put little clothes on them? Delightful!

I also want to mention they have no eyes whatsoever! Kind of a rare thing in creature design, eyes are normally what tell you “Oh! This entity is alive!” but Starman has such a lively aura they don’t need any of this trickery.

As I mentioned earlier, Starman has the power to jump super high and fly through the clouds! Living the dream we all wish we could, fortunately for Kirby, this dream can be reality by just gobbling up one of these dudes (Rude!). Starman gives the Hi-Jump Ability! And now Kirby can jump and soar through the sky!

They look like they want Uppies really badly! Fortunately they can grant themselves as many Uppies as they want.

I have to mention, however, Hi-Jump Kirby can do powerful Jumps and attack vertically, both by going up and going back down, however, you can’t actually fly horizontally like Starman can. For this, you’ll have to become Ghost Kirby! Where you can possess a Starman, and THEN you can peacefully fly through the sky :)

I know, you want to be them, we all do…

While they do make regular cameos in spinoffs and official art, Starman hasn’t had a proper in-game appearance since Return To Dream Land, 10 years ago! It breaks my heart! I wanna see my friend-shaped starboy again! They’re one of my favorite creatures ever! Not only design-wise but behavior-wise! They never mean any harm whatsoever! They just want to stroll and fly across the universe to their heart's content! Please let them do so in peace :)

I care them….

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Arthropod

Debut: Super Monkey Ball 2

The levels of Super Monkey Ball are designed like abstract art, all simple shapes arranged and moving in interesting ways, so you wouldn't expect to see creatures in any of the levels, and yet there is ONE, the only non-primate Creature in the entire game!

Arthropod is a creature made out of very simple shapes, just like the stages, does this mean they evolved from the lifeless stages? Or perhaps all stages are alive and Arthropod is simply the first among them to evolve limb-based locomotion! Arthropod is like nothing on Earth, a completely new body plan, one Conical Thorax, arranged vertically, 3 legs sprouting from the bottom part, and other 3 from the top! They walk by alternating the bottom and top legs, one 3-footed step at a time! Again, this sort of locomotion is unparalleled to anything in real life! They really created a creature that feels like it was made by a Neural Network trying to make something that could walk!

Here we have our field correspondent, Doctor, getting up close and personal to better understand Arthropod’s locomotion!

I would also like to direct your attention to the little glowing dots on Arthropod’s feet! What are those? Their irregularity makes Arthropod itself feel more natural, like they’re birthmarks or something. Our friend Arthropod is a unique individual, even if there are more like it!

Arthropod is an entity that with simple cones attached to orb joints, captivates my heart with every step they take! Their sheer absurdity and uniqueness in the game really make me see them as a Super Monkey Ball main character, they should put  them in a ball and let me play as them next game! Or maybe Arthropod can run on top of the ball as it rolls!

Arthropod has been referred to exclusively as a creature so far, but it should be noted that the stage that the creature appears in is called Arthropod, so it is both a creature and a location! The creature is not “directly” named, but is clearly the titular Arthropod. So, you can say stuff like “I’m at Arthropod”, or “meet me at Arthropod”, and it will make perfect sense, finally. Oh yeah, and speaking of location, Arthropod is inside of a whale! That is another great thing about it.

Arthropod (stage) and by extension Arthropod (creature) have sort of a bad reputation, unfortunately. In its original appearance, this is one of those stages that is very, very hard, with many gaps and a strangely tilted goal. Thankfully, in Banana Mania, the difficulty was decreased dramatically, and everyone can have a pleasant visit to Arthropod! Won’t you join us for a lovely picnic at Arthropod?

Even if the stage is difficult, though, that is not Arthropod’s fault. Quite the opposite! The ground in this stage is a cylinder that constantly rolls thanks to Arthropod’s walking, and if it were not for Arthropod, the goal of the stage would be utterly inaccessible. It is helping! It may not be able to see what’s happening, being all leg, but it does its best. Thank you, Arthropod!

...You know, in Super Monkey Ball, you don’t control the monkey in the ball. You don’t play as the monkey. You control the tilting of the stage. You play as Arthropod!

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Propellion

Debut: Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

I like when Mario enemies are little bugs, specially when they're silly little bugs! And this one checks off those marks with flying colors!!

Look at this guy! They're a propeller! You know how much we love propellers here at WeirdMarioEnemies.gov, and this guy is ALSO a bug! A weird dragonfly/butterfly guy with a funny spike for a face, is it also a mosquito? They attack with their pointy tails though, not their face spike, so like a wasp?

Their name is a pun between Propeller and Papillion, the french word for Butterfly, so perhaps they are a butterfly, but... oh.. in spanish they're called Libelice, which comes from Libelula (Dragonfly) + Propeller... and look at that! In italian, they're called Zanzelica! Which comes from Zanzara (Mosquito) + Propeller! Wow! It seems I was right! And also wrong! Awesome! No name based on wasps though, although in Japanese they’re called Kaitenchu, which comes from Kaiten (Spin) + Chu (Bug), so it covers all bases by just being called bug!

Propellion flies like a propeller! twirling their body around while their head remains in place! Such a fun way of locomotion for a body plan like this!

I also really really like their colors! They look like plastic toys, like something you'd find in a gachapon capsule, but they're alive! I think they should release toys of Propellion that let you pull on a string to make it fly! Like those fairy toys that do exactly that.

Or maybe just Propellion-inspired whirligigs! You put them on a window and see them move with the wind...

Actually why stop there! They should build Wind Turbines inspired by Propellion!

What a sight to behold... This is what we could have...

[weirdmarioenemies]

A Critical Analysis on the Hampter (2021-2022) Trilogy

Hampter! One of the most beloved and well received pieces of media of the 21st century! I have rewatched the series countless times, and so I wanted to write an essay on them.

Starting with Hampter (2021)

An instant classic! What else is there to say about the original Hampter that hasn’t been said already by critics all over the world! It’s delivery of its message is succinct, and the framing is just masterful! I am confident that Hampter (2021) will change the world of media at large, and we’ve already started seeing this influence in some indie works!

Squorch Hampter (2022)

After the release of the original Hampter, fans were eager to know about the possibility of a sequel, at the time, the director said they had no intentions to do so, unless inspiration struck, and strike it did! Its clear this sequel takes larger inspiration from the real world, which made it divisive on release. Some critics claimed it dropped the creativity of the original Hampter for the sake of trying to be more relevant, while others affirmed it was all part of the vision it is meant to convey. Hampter, having met such fame, felt the pressure to act accordingly in the future and please as many people as possible, this of course, being a metaphor for the overexploitation of novelty in a capitalistic and consumerist society, which ends up restraining the amount of freedom and creativity people are able to express at large. I personally really liked Squorch Hampter, I can understand the problems people have with it, but to me they’re not even close to making this an unenjoyable piece. Underrated!

Hampter Ball (2022)

In an interview made shortly after the release of Squorch Hampter, it was revealed the director had actually been working on two sequels at the same time! As inspiration had really struck, but they felt the messages conveyed were too distinct to all be part of the same release. Fans were intrigued! Could this be the return to form some critics were hoping for? 

Indeed it was! Finally the fanbase at large were seeing eye to eye once more, Hampter Ball took the basis from the original Hampter and upped the stakes, being more direct on its messages and themes, while still being filled with subtleties that wouldn’t be noticed on the first watch. Sadly releasing the two sequels so close together divided the attention Hampter Ball could get, and as such, while praised by critics, it did not perform well in the box office. Regardless, it is seen as a cult classic and beloved by many, and surely over time it will reach the status the original reached so instantly.

The Hampter Trilogy is, in my humble eyes, a masterpiece, while its sequels weren’t as critically acclaimed as the original, the 3 of them together really feel like something grand I feel very fortunate to been able to see unfold with my own eyes!

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Durandoo

Debut: Hollow Knight

Happy Funky Friday to all! Today I bring this funny little dude from the beloved game Hollow Knight, this game has a lot of cute silly creatures, the game even has a pretty in-depth bestiary, so you can tell they designed them all with love!

I want to talk about Durandoo specifically because look at the guy!!! Eyes-in-void face, a cute spiky shell, very lanky legs, and two short pairs of arms that make them look like they’d go “heeheehoo I’m a silly little guy!”

I keep calling them a “little guy” but they’re actually very big in the game, one of the biggest regular enemies as a matter of fact! Well it feels bad calling them enemies, most creatures in Hollow Knight do want to hurt you as they are Infected zombie-like by a god, but this guy, despite looking infected, does absolutely nothing to try to harm you, it seems they’re just like their natural selves, peacefully striding along acid pools...

Oh yes! Acid pools! that’s why they have such lanky legs! They keep their bodies above the acid while their legs move within it, they’re a gentle giant that lives in a normally inhospitable environment! But it’s just home for these big guys!

They seem to lead a very nice peaceful life

Before wrapping up, I gotta give a shoutout to their relative!

Name: Duranda 

Debut: Hollow Knight

They took up to the skies!! AND they evolved super cute antennae! How Lovely! Durandas are a lot spikier, as well as a lot rounder, it’s like they took a Durandoo and crumpled it into a neat orb! They also hang out over acid lakes, as well as thorns, but simply fly above them motionless, maybe filter feeding, or just taking in the sights. They’re meant to be platforms The Knight can use to pogo bounce over hazards, again, they’re more Allies than they are Enemies, automatically giving them a lot of extra points towards making me adore them!

Overall this family of creatures is incredibly charming! And I hope you can now appreciate them as well!

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Floaty the Cell Core

Debut: Kirby Star Allies

Hiii! I come here on this Funky Friday bearing a very splashy dude, Floaty the Cell Core! From that name alone you can expect great things, it’s such an endearing name, this is not any Cell Core, this is Floaty, everyone loves Floaty!

They are a blob with conjoined eyes for most of its face, and they’re floating in a water bubble! which itself also floats around, I guess this is a “Cell”, Floaty being its core.

So from this name we can assume Floaty is just one from multiple Cell Cores right? Well in-game they are the only one, bur fortunately, HAL Labs released a TON of concept art for this guy! And most of the beta designs are SO drastically different, but they all are creatures inside a bubble of water, so I like to think those are the other non-Floaty Cell Cores! This post will be about this lovely family!

Starting with this guy! A funny octopus with two tiny tentacles, they look crossed, I assume this means they’re constantly moving to keep them afloat, swimming at all times, must get tiresome! They also have a big siphon that looks like a cannon, a classic Funny Octopus Enemy trope! this design is also very reminiscent of Gushen from Super Mario Odyssey! Being another Funny Octopus Enemy inside a water bubble.

This little cutie has a sleepy face, which seems to peek out of the water bubble a bit! and two funny ears

This guy IS the Cell water bubble, they’re shaped like a propeller and have a silly mouth, their Core seems non-sentient, and like some sort of amoeba!

This cutie is one of my faves!! They look so excited to be here! two tiny arms and a tip on the bottom! As for the Cell, the funny ears are back, and it’s shaped like a pacman ghost!

Also there are a lot of these guys, big family of Cell Cores! So the rest will be inside a Read More ==:) Hopefully You’re already convinced they are all so lovely you’ll want to meet them all!

This one has got to be one of the most beloved ones, it’s a little green Blipper that’s controlling the Cell through some funny levers! He looks like he’s doing his best in there, he must’ve trained hard to learn how to control this

This one is very interesting, the Cell is a fishie! and the core is a surprisingly realistic heart! it also kinda looks like a butt hehehe

This guy means BUSINESS, they’re clearly a veteran Cell Pilot, they’ve been doing this for years and they’re very confident, also the Cell looks like a Mamanti which is awesome!

The Cell in this one is another propeller, but it’s the Core that’s an absolute revolution! There’s a silly little bean guy inside! Just smiling! Happy in the knowledge they are floating inside a funny bubble, Kirby is shocked by the incredible energy of their presence.

The Propeller Cell is EVIL now, and the Core is a mischievous spiky little guy to match!

A Blipper inside a Cell shaped like one! and it has some sort of breathing apparatus!

And a matching set for Bronto Burt! This one’s specially funny because Bronto Burts have bug wings, what are you doing underwater! They gave them goggles though and they seem rather content!

This was the first concept art sheet, the next one has a LOT more and with more developed art, which means there really was so much love and effort put into the Cell Core enemy, and I’m glad.

This innocent little guy is peeking from within the Cell, which has little bumps around, I also love the funny dangly bit they have on top of the head, really important feature

Another one of my favorites! Sweet little tadpole friend, they have a cute snout, and a bobbly! Everyone loves bobblys! The bobbly seems to be enveloped in a different kind of water, which is interesting

The Cell shapes are really getting interesting! they got wavy patterns too! and the Core guy here reminds me of Victini, a very compressed Victini

UFO Alert!! UFO Alert! Everyone loves UFO enemies, and one made out of water?! With a little shark-looking guy inside? Delightful!!!

These guys decided the Cell was too big for just one little guy, so they share one! One of them is happy and green, while the other is red and sad, but I’m sure they love each other regardless of their different emotions, look! They’re holding hands!

The Cells kinda became shapeless blobs, but that is ok because the guys inside are still so so delightful! Look!!! This is one of my big big favorites, little dish-shaped fishy with cool-looking long fins! And their colors! So pleasant!

WOW what a cute little guy inside! little ‘w’ face, nubby little arms, and their head has the shape of a fat chocolate chip! They also seem to have some floating limbs in little compartments of the Cell, another one of my fave ones! Such a delight!

This one is very much a Metroid! But shhhh they’re sleepin! They don’t mean any harm they just want to nap inside their Cell

A Puffer Fish! Very reminiscent of Fatty Puffer Jr. from Kirby’s Return to Dream Land, They’re back and they found a cool H2O-shaped Cell to live in!

Another Pufferfish! but this one has 4 stubby little legs which are very adorable! And their Cell is covered in spikes! I doubt spike-shaped water would do anything but it’s the aesthetic that’s important for them

This one is so silly! Look at that jolly smile! This is a fish that would make silly jokes and laugh with a charming chuckle

What’s wrong little guy? Is your mushroom-shaped Cell too tight for your mushroom-shaped body? I’m sure you can get more water in there for a bigger space, I love you, everything’s gonna be ok.

Oh it’s you again! But what’s this! your funny stubby legs got removed! This is so tragic!

ooghooghoghough THIS ONE! Such a good one! They’re a Mola mola! With very charming eyes and expression, their Cell has a hole in it shaped like a pair of goggles for them to see better! So cool!

Look It’s dish-shaped fishie from before! But they’re angry this time! Oh no! Is it because their fins became shorter? Or perhaps they don’t like their new pink stripes, I think they look wonderful on you!

The Core is identical to the Metroid one! But the Cell has the shape of a Clione! a Sea Angel! The color of their core and their horns really make for a good fit!

Oh god Realistic Eye hello there! This guy’s Cell is a blob with cute little ears, they reinvented the basic Slime enemy!

Oooh look at this! Getting closer to the Floaty we got in the final game! Their face is the only thing that’s drastically different

And there’s what we were missing! It’s the same face from the official Floaty! It seems they fused these last two guys to end up with our beloved Floaty!

And finally, to wrap things up, the final member of the Cell Core family, Butt Frog! They’re an angry green dude with 4 stubby limbs, and REALLY big buttcheeks, they’re almost their whole body! The artist really wanted to emphasize this with a very illustrating rear-end view, lovingly shaded to look shiny. Absolutely incredible

And that’s it! Really big family huh! I really wish we had gotten all of them in the final game, maybe randomly picked every time they spawn, they’re all so full of personality and charm! I’m very happy we got to meet them all! Thank you for coming with me in this splashy journey of Cells and Cores! Hope you found some you can dearly cherish!

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Ferris Wheel Creature

Debut: WarioWare Twisted!

I don’t know about you but I think Ferris Wheels are awesome! I quite like them! However, I have to admit it does get annoying when you try to get in one of the cars but there’s a Shadow Creature inside!! Happens all the time!

The developers of WarioWare Twisted! saw this classic Ferris Wheel phenomenon and were inspired by it! Making a whole microgame based around it! You have to twist your device to select a car where you can get in! You gotta find one where you can fit in, so cars with 2 people won’t work! And cars with a Shadow Creature DEFINITELY won’t work!

Don’t wanna make it angry!

The developers knew Shadow Creatures from real life wouldn’t be enough to add enough variety to the microgame, so they decided to invent new kinds of funny creatures!

You’ve got Shadow Ducky!

Funny Blob Man!

A rat!

T̶̹͖̞͎͉̟̪͍͉̓̇͂̋͋H̷͍̹̮̤͉͚̘̭̩͓̎̈́̈́̑́̓̊̈́̀̄E̴̡̢̙͂͘͠M̶̲̩̣͍̺͛̔̄͋̅͋͊̅͋͗̀̅̿͝͝

I love the WarioWare devs and their silly creatures so much! Always charming to encounter them! Especially for the first time! It’s like going out on a bug catching field trip in a very weird alien world!

Oh yes! There’s also this regular human, who is just horizontal

They’re clearly having fun, you don’t wanna take away that smile, so you’ll have to find another car.

I think they should release new Shadow Creatures to spawn in Ferris Wheels in real life as well! Add more spice to it, you know? I love the Common Shadow Creature as much as the next person, believe me! But it’s like my grandma used to say! “The more Creatures the merrier!”