Name: Jumper
Debut: Warptank (Debut: UFO 50)
Today's post is about a very simple little creature, but nevertheless, is a milestone: the first time the debut game has had to have a nested debut of its own! UFO 50 is like, an obnoxiously incredible game, and you should all play it. It's 50 dang unique games! Boundless creativity and wonder on display! Go look into it yourself, because this is not a game review. This is a funny little creature analysis. And that creature's name... is
I don't actually know what its name is, to be honest! The sprites are labeled "jumper", and that is indeed what it does. It jumps. Very generic name. But in real life, we have an animal that flies, and its name is "fly". We have an animal that hops in the grass, and its name is "grasshopper". We even have "beaver", which spends all its time beaving. Maybe this is Jumper. Maybe this is just an example of a jumper. It doesn't matter!
What matters is... cute :] It's such a cute little thing. Big, vacant eyes staring out from under a hard shell, with strong green legs to propel it! It's lovely! It reminds me of an all-star cast of arthropods: horseshoe crab, planthopper, ostracod... but above all else?
It reminds me very much of a barnacle's cyprid larva form! I sincerely doubt it's the intention, but the shapes, the two appendages... I see it. Or I am really making myself see it, because I want to see it. There is nothing wrong with seeing barnacle larvae wherever you want to. Try it at the grocery store! A barnacle larva waiting its turn at the deli counter? What the heck! What a wacky world!
As for gameplay relevance... Jumper jumps! You had already used your deductive reasoning to figure that out. Good job! It's a basic jumping enemy that jumps back and forth, and that's all. It's quickly replaced by more difficult enemies further into the game, because the world's tough for a little jumper, you know? Be nice!
