Octopus as video game characters

**treismac** · 10-10-2011, 09:11 PM

I got to thinking about octopuses as characters in video games- retro in particular. Off the top of my head, I can think of the following games that have octopuses:

Super Mario Bros.
Zelda
Adventure Island
Parodius
Genji Tsuushin Agedama (a really delightful PC-Engine platformer/shooter with a rail gameplay system that was based on an anime- check it out)

Can you think of any others not listed? Thanks!

**Cornelius** · 10-10-2011, 09:54 PM

Technicality police checking in...

The SMB characters are really more squid than octopus.

I'm not sure there is any such thing in Zelda. The Zora is in the water, but looks more like a fish-headed monster. Then there is the Octoroc, but that is the most basic enemy, on land, and doesn't look like an octopus.

The rest I either don't remember or haven't played.

edit: I can't think of any to add. Dolphin on VCS had a squid as the main antagonist. Seems like Ecco probably would have, but I can't recall.

**Gameguy** · 10-10-2011, 10:02 PM

Final Fantasy VI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDTKBh4u_k0

Suikoden II
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiABEJQGug0

Super Mario RPG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3AtYfA-Mvw

Muramasa: The Demon Blade
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETtH9izE87M

Ecco the Dolphin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPs-nSKYmV0

**Tupin** · 10-10-2011, 10:06 PM

If you count takoyaki, then this is a big one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFr5CscTMxM

**SpaceHarrier** · 10-10-2011, 10:10 PM

Do robot Octopi count?

Mega Man X - Launch Octopus

Also, Stinger on the NES had an Octopus boss. Or at least I thought it was one. Maybe it just looks like an octopus. That game is weird!

**Dire 51** · 10-10-2011, 10:27 PM

Name This Game (VCS) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMzQiA8_6N0

**treismac** · 10-10-2011, 10:41 PM

Originally Posted by Gameguy

Muramasa: The Demon Blade
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETtH9izE87M
]

Dude! I had to stop watching the video because I've beat the game with Kisuke but I haven't even started Momohime's game yet, so I didn't want to see the spoiler. After I take the GACE (Georgia teaching qualification test) I'm going to get back on that horse.

**aryoshi** · 10-10-2011, 10:44 PM

The octopus from Dolphin on the Atari 2600. I could be mistaken as it might be a squid, but it always looked like an octopus to me.

**treismac** · 10-10-2011, 11:02 PM

Originally Posted by Cornelius

The SMB characters are really more squid than octopus.

Yeah, you're right- technically. The squid is like a cousin to the octopus so I feel like they're close enough to sqeeze 'em in there and look the other way.

Originally Posted by Cornelius

I'm not sure there is any such thing in Zelda. The Zora is in the water, but looks more like a fish-headed monster. Then there is the Octoroc, but that is the most basic enemy, on land, and doesn't look like an octopus.

Ahhh!!! Come on! [

] Even apart from their name, the Octorok looks just like a Japanese anime depiction of an octopus. Here is the octopus from Konami's Parodius:

and here are two other examples of a stylized-cutesy Japanese octopus:

Now compare that to this later version of the Octorok:

Surely you detect some resemblance.

Finally, take a gander at this image from the Zeldawiki that purports to be from the instructional manual and then tell me that the Octorok doesn't look like an octopus:

**treismac** · 10-10-2011, 11:09 PM

Originally Posted by aryoshi

The octopus from Dolphin on the Atari 2600. I could be mistaken as it might be a squid, but it always looked like an octopus to me.

Hell, on the 2600 it could have been a swimming camel for all we know.

**Parodius Duh!** · 10-10-2011, 11:14 PM

Soap Octopus from Im Kid Dracula! (Boku Dracula Kun)
Dark Octopus from Symphony of the Night
Donpachi, Dodonpachi (I think), and Dodonpachi Daioujou all have some huge robot octopus boss...

....weird topic.

**treismac** · 10-10-2011, 11:18 PM

Originally Posted by Parodius Duh!

....weird topic.

Maybe.

**kupomogli** · 10-10-2011, 11:21 PM

Startropics

**Parodius Duh!** · 10-10-2011, 11:21 PM

Originally Posted by treismac

Maybe.

Definitely.

You might enjoy this:

http://youtu.be/spQqP1hauEA

**Emperor Megas** · 10-10-2011, 11:27 PM

When you say 'characters', do you just mean making appearances in games? If so, then there are probably hundreds, though I can't really think of that many at the moment. I know there are octopus in:

The 2D Adventures of Rotating Octopus Character
Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Legend of the Mystical Ninja
Phantasy Star
Pokémon (Octillery)
Tactics Ogre

**kupomogli** · 10-10-2011, 11:43 PM

I decided to throw a few more up here.

Tactics Ogre Knight of Lodis and the PSP version of Let Us Cling Together have them, the PSX version of Let Us Cling Together does not. (EM added TO but I decided to put a bit more detail.)
Ogre Battle March of the Black Queen.
Final Fantasy 4. Octomom or Octomammoth, plus other variations of FF4 like the After Years and Complete Collection which include a color variation of Octomom, Kraken from FF1, and Ultros from FF6.
Final Fantasy and all of its variations which all include Kraken.
King's Field includes Kraken at the very beginning.

**Queen Of The Felines** · 10-10-2011, 11:47 PM

I know you said retro but Octodad is a great choice.

http://www.octodadgame.com/

**NE146** · 10-11-2011, 12:24 AM

One of my favorites when I was a kid (i.e. a simpler time

) was Taito's "Marine Date". You had 3 or 4 tries to spin a trackball to make the Octopus reach his girlfriend at the end of a maze. It's in Mame but I don't think it's a game that emulates too well.

**treismac** · 10-11-2011, 12:44 AM

Oh yeah... add Adventure Island's fraternal twin, Wonderboy on the Sega Master System, to the list. Sometimes my Master Higgins fanboying makes me forget that there ever was a Wonderboy. :P

How pointless would a crossover have been? Eh, f*ck it. I'd have bought it on ebay for under $10.