Les Miserablob

The Zelda series is home to a handful of blob monsters that were considered for this list. The first game was filled with jelly-like enemies called Zols that would split up into smaller versions of themselves after they were attacked. As another example, The Wind Waker introduced gelatinous creatures called Chuchus that could be used as ingredients in potions. I’m partial to the Bits and Bots from Zelda II because they were so prevalent. The small red and blue enemies could be found in locations all around Hyrule. They were relatively harmless and didn’t reward players with much experience points, but they made excellent sparring partners and provided players with an opportunity to hone their sword skills. They were especially fun to fight after learning the up-stab and down-stab maneuvers.

Gish appears to be a simple ball of tar at first, but he has many unique abilities at his disposal. He can solidify his body, expand in size, plant himself firmly into the ground, and even change his coefficient of friction. He can become sticky when he needs to climb up walls, but he can also turn into a slippery object that’s capable of sliding into tight spaces. Gish doesn’t look as friendly as most of the characters on this list, but he only assumed the role of a hero because his girlfriend was kidnapped and taken into the sewers. After starring in his own game, Gish has made appearances in several indie titles. He was an unlockable character in Meat Boy and its Super sequel, and he also appeared as a boss in The Binding of Isaac. Isaac could even use a ball of tar to give himself a Gish-inspired makeover.

Kirby is fairly nondescript in his own right, but his pal Gooey is even more simplistic. The friendly blob is made from the same mysterious material that the villainous Dark Matter is comprised of, but Gooey tries to help the inhabitants of Dream Land instead of attacking them. Gooey had a small role in Kirby’s Dream Land 2, but he played a much bigger part in the sequel where he was basically Kirby’s sidekick. (He could either be controlled by the CPU or a second player in this outing.) Like Kirby, Gooey can absorb the powers of his enemies. The biggest difference is that Gooey uses his long tongue to gobble up his foes instead of simply inhaling them. Even though they were the best of friends, Kirby had the option of eating him to gain more health. Perhaps this explains why Gooey has been MIA for well over a decade.

When an evil corporation invades a lively city and declares a war on color, de Blob rolls in to save the day. Although he starts out as a simple ball of water, de Blob’s appearance and capabilities change through encounters with “Paintbots” that populate the city. His mission is to bring color back to the monochromatic city, and he does this by smearing his body on buildings, landmarks, and inhabitants. This isn’t to say that his mission is mindless, however, as he is often tasked with painting things specific colors. It’s even necessary for de Blob to mix his own colors! A new dash attack was added in the sequel, and de Blob could obtain various new abilities. With the right power-up, de Blob could turn into a magnetic wrecking ball, envelop himself in an elaborate hazmat suit, or transform into a devastating black hole.

Helix has a striking resemblance to the physics-defying green rubber-like substance from Disney’s Flubber, and he’s almost as unpredictable. The fighters in ARMS are known for their extendable arms, but Helix stands out from the rest of the roster because his entire body is stretchy. Helix (known as DNA Man in Japan) was accidentally engineered by scientists at ARMS Laboratories, and his unstable genetic makeup allows him to move in mysterious ways. When dashing, his body will shrink into a puddle and he’ll be able to slide under most attacks. In other instances, Helix will grow taller and his entire body will bend in an unusual manner. The man(?) of mystery secretly entered the ARMS Grand Prix to prove the merit of the lab’s research, and his bizarre style makes him a contender in any arena.

The LocoRoco are multi-colored jelly-like life forms that can grow in size by eating special berries. They act like blobs of gelatin, and their shapes deform with the environment around them. They also have the uncanny ability to split into smaller LocoRoco in order to pass through narrow spaces, and they can even be rejoined after splitting apart. The LocoRoco are peaceful beings who look after nature on a faraway planet. Their main purpose is to grow vegetation, but they occasionally have to contend with hazardous obstacles and hostile alien invaders. The LocoRoco have no idea how to defend themselves, so players help them out by assuming the role of the planet they reside on. By tilting the planet left or right, players can guide the colorful creatures to safety and help them fend off their hostile aggressors.

There were a few Pokémon who would have been right at home on a list like this. Goomy is a slug-like creature who hangs out in damp places, but it has distinct physical features and it’s not especially surprising when they evolve into slimy dragons. Ditto, in contrast, is a lot more vague in its natural state. The shapeless blob normally has vestigial features, but its capable of reorganizing its cells to transform into an exact duplicate of its enemy. Many of the creatures on this list can change their shape, but Ditto’s ability to perfectly replicate hundreds of other Pokémon is astounding. They can even copy other Pokémon abilities! Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Ditto is its ability to breed and produce eggs with any other Pokémon, regardless of their species. It doesn’t get much sluttier than that.

The Puyo Puyo games have been discussed elsewhere on this site on many occasions, and the series has rightfully been praised for the impact it had on the industry. The games follow a simple premise that revolves around colored blobs called Puyos that fall from the top of the screen. The Puyos don’t do a lot after they fall, and players are tasked with lining up Puyos of similar colors in order to eliminate them. The Puyos are basically glorified puzzle pieces with eyes, but they’re absolutely adorable. Puyo Puyo has built a following on both sides of the Pacific, but many gamers are unaware that the Puyos themselves first appeared as enemies in a series of Japanese dungeon-crawling RPGs. The colorful blobs were disposable enemies in the Madō Monogatari games, but they eventually became the face of a franchise.

A Boy and His Blob was one of the most creative games of its era. The game revolved around a shape-shifting blob named Blobert who was clearly inspired by Gleep and Gloop from Hanna-Barbera’s Herculoids. By eating flavored jellybeans, Blobert could transform into various objects and help his human companion solve puzzles and overcome obstacles. Depending on what kind of jellybean he ate, Blobert could morph into a dozen different objects that included ladders, trampolines, and coconuts! When the game was re-imagined for the Wii in 2009, the titular blob had a host of new transformations that included a walking, bi-pedal mecha. He could even change his shape to emulate the boy himself! Without question, the best addition to the 2009 Wii version was the heart-melting hug button.

This list was a lot more competitive than I expected, but there was really only one choice for the number one position. Simply put, the Dragon Quest mascots are among the most recognizable characters in gaming. Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii has speculated that their popularity stems from familiarity. The weak monsters are extremely common, and Dragon Quest players are guaranteed to be exposed to an abundance of them. Many variations of the monster have been introduced over the years, and the Rocket Slime series even gave a Slime the starring role. If being the face of Dragon Quest wasn’t enough, Slimes are sales juggernauts in the world of gaming merchandise. They’ve appeared on everything from pencil cases to business cards, and their appeal extends to gamers of all ages.