Talk:Tube creature

(First topic)

I'm not exactly sure, but I think it's suppose to be a chikuwa. That will make it match the food theme of the Flying egg.--Platform (talk) 10:23, November 24, 2024 (EST)

It also looks like churro, but not sure if they figure as common imported desserts in Japan. It's me, Mario! (Talk / Stalk) 18:16, November 24, 2024 (EST)

Churros aren't tubular like a hose.--Platform (talk) 20:46, November 24, 2024 (EST)

Just found this playthrough. A Japanese player also thought it was a chikuwa.--Platform (talk) 21:11, November 24, 2024 (EST)

I see. We (disclaimer: not Japanese, but an eater of East Asian food) typically eat chikuwa with white tips (due to most of the cooking being on the center of the fishcake) and a relatively straight tube (this floating piece looks like it's twisted a bit); there is chikuwa that's browner. Not denying it's chikuwa, I just don't think it has traits exactly like chikuwa (and I've eaten chikuwa semi-regularly, typically part of oden packs), but again Donut Block doesn't has the white tips either, and that's explicitly based off that food. It's me, Mario! (Talk / Stalk) 19:45, November 25, 2024 (EST)

According to this website, chikuwa and fried egg are fan names created in the Net Studio bulletin board that could be accessed only through Randnet. This website describes them as "protected animals", which I think is official since the speedrunner uses the same terminology in describing the backstory of the experiment world. The fan translation of this game also describes them as protected. It also provides the closest thing to an official name: big and small creatures. Unfortunately I couldn't find the original Japanese, but I believe the fan translation is a direct translation.--Platform (talk) 07:57, November 27, 2024 (EST)

Okey, I do think we should rename it to chikuwa! It's me, Mario! (Talk / Stalk) 23:30, November 30, 2024 (EST)

Shouldn't it be Big creature as a placeholder conjectural name until we get the Japanese original? I think after we find it, the title will end up being a transliteration per this wiki's policy.--Platform (talk) 23:46, November 30, 2024 (EST)

I've played through the game myself and I can confirm that those two lines of dialogue are the only mentions directly related to those creatures. They are indeed "protected" creatures, that's the reasoning for the player being unable to damage them. As for their names... They are referred to with "大きいソイツ" and "小さいソイツ" respectively, and both just roughly mean "that big/small one" or "that big/small guy". I do not believe that is a valid name as it is just identifying them by their size and not actually calling them anything. A move to "big creature/one" and "small creature/one" would be just as conjectural as its current name, and significantly less descriptive (and therefore useful) names. — Lady Sophie_17 ^(T|C) 10:30, February 13, 2026 (UTC)

The best practice is to transliterate them as "ōkii soitsu" and "chīsai soitsu" respectively. Were they highlighted in red like the fan-translation? If so, they should be considered the official names in Japanese and the only official names in any language.--Platform (talk) 03:49, February 14, 2026 (UTC)

Yes, it is highlighted in red, but that does not matter. If I told you "hey, get the big one for me", I would not be assigning a name to whatever it is I was referring to. I would only be describing it based on a trait of the thing. I do not think that should count as a name, and using it would be inherently conjectural. So you have two options: use a conjectural name that is unique and fairly descriptive or use a conjectural name in another language that most people don't understand and that is vague in describing what the thing is. I prefer the former. — Lady Sophie_17 ^(T|C) 21:28, February 14, 2026 (UTC)

I agree with Sophie. From the context provided by the previously-linked fan translation, "big and small creatures" is a generic descriptor, and casual/informal references are then made to each (which holds true for ソイツ). As for the highlighting, I think that is just a way of drawing the player's attention to the fact or emphasizing that certain portions of the information that follows pertain to a specific thing as opposed to potentially being about both creatures. Mario4Ever (talk) 22:38, February 14, 2026 (UTC)

The highlight is most likely to show that it's something to interact with (like an enemy or a collectable), rather than it being its actual name. We do not refer to Star Bits as chunks, either, just because one penguin calls it as such. rend (talk) (edits) 22:54, February 14, 2026 (UTC)