it's very important knowledge that the very best of games all have little Guys
you gotta have little Guys
In my mind, the archetypical little guy of games is this individual from Wario Land 4. Picture Super Mario Wiki dot com tells me that this is called Marumen.
Marumen stands out so much in my mind precisely for the qualities they had as an enemy in that game. Having no moves or abilities and having no damage properties on their neutral states. They could not deal damage to Wario in any way.
Especially in a game like Wario Land 4, where Wario does not fight and defeat enemies. Wario wrestles enemies into ammunition for solving puzzles.
The Marumen then exist only for the player to grab and push and pull and bounce and throw and play with. To practise the game's core mechanics. The Marumen exist here as the absolute platonic ideal of a character.
I also love the waddle dees from Kirby and the moos from Klonoa. But the fact that they can hurt you makes them adversaries. Marumen is something more than that I think. Like an extension of the self, or even a mirror through we can see our own selves.
