User:Sorbetti/Sharkbox

Armour Heyho
	; Screenshot from Yoshi's Crafted World
Appears in	Yoshi's Crafted World (2019)
Variant of	Shy Guy

Normally, I'm against merging pages like this. However, the sheer number of balloon pages using an (identifier) or conjectural name is very alarming to me, and most of them don't really have enough, unique or relevant information to warrant their own page. So, to reduce the number of balloons, I thought of grouping them onto a single page. This proposal also seeks to prevent the creation of more articles like these. If we allow each iteration of Balloon to have its own page, this problem will only worsen in the future, and it's likely that someone else will make a similar proposal to address it. Also, in case you're wondering, these balloons will be merged on the page called "Balloon", while the current page will be renamed to "Balloon (disambiguation)". The new balloon page will also have its respective variants, relatives, and derivatives, like other similar pages.

To give you an idea about how this page will be like, it's comparable to how we handle the Bumper page. To see which balloons we can merge on the page, below is a list of the balloons and the reasons why they should or shouldn't be merged onto the page.

Balloon (Pipe Down!):They're just common balloons with nothing unique about them that act as items and can be given as gifts; that's all there is to it. There's really nothing special about them other than their small role in the story, which barely warrants its own page, and they don't even have an image. Merge

Balloon (Mini Battle):Although they're called balloons, they don't look like them at all, and they act more like a bouncy ball than anything else. While its information is brief, I really wouldn't feel comfortable with its inclusion on the page. This page is for balloons; I'm not even sure this thing could be considered one. Keep split

Balloon (platform):Definitely not. These balloons are subjects with recurring designs and unique mechanics that differentiate them from other balloons. Also, their respective pages contain information in an organized and concise manner. The objective of this proposal is to group pages that might be considered unnecessary on their own. This doesn't seem unnecessary to me. Keep split

Balloon (Sonic the Hedgehog):Although they're called just Balloons, they actually belong to the Sonic franchise, where they are recurring. I think merging them into the page wouldn't be the best idea because, firstly, they are characters with recurring designs and mechanics from another franchise, and secondly, it would be difficult to integrate them into the page due to the links to the Sonic Wiki and the organization. However, I think mentioning them on the page wouldn't do any harm. Mention it, but keep the page

Balloon (Super Mario Galaxy 2):Here is really nothing unique; they're just colored balloons that you can pop, and they give you Star Bits. That's it. While a regular balloon doesn't give you Star Bits when you pop it, that's not a good enough reason to keep it on a separate page. It looks like a balloon, acts like a balloon, and is called a balloon. (It's the duck all over again) Merge

Balloon (Donkey Kong Country Returns object):PRIMA doing its thing again. I don't need to add anything else. Just by looking at the page, you'll realize. Keep split

Balloon (Thing) and Balloons (Thing):While they appear to be normal balloons, they function more like special items or moves. Therefore, I believe keeping them on their own page is the right thing to do. However, I think briefly mentioning them while using main article is the best option. Mention it, but keep the page

Balloon (Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge):A page with minimal information that can be easily merged. Its mechanics aren't particularly unique, as other balloons have also been used for movement or transportation by holding onto them. In summary, they don't do anything particularly unique; their information is brief and small, and they're simply called balloons. Merge

Balloon (Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast):They seem to have unique Japanese names. They have unique mechanics and a considerable amount of information. Merging them definitely wouldn't be the best idea. Keep split

Balloon (Donkey Kong Bananza):This page is complicated; it seems that some of the balloons have unique names, and it doesn't appear that all balloons do the same thing. I think this page itself needs fixing. Merging it here would only complicate things, especially the naming section. Keep split

Balloon (Mario Kart Arcade GP VR):These things don't even have official names or unique mechanics, as they're simply replacements for Item Boxes from the same series. Instead of saying, "Balloons are objects appearing in Mario Kart Arcade GP VR. They replace Item Boxes in this game" you could say, "In Mario Kart Arcade GP VR, balloons replace Item Boxes". It's that simple. This page has small information, no unique mechanics, and uses a conjectural name. Merge

Balloon (Yoshi's Crafted World):These are balloons that can be pop and sometimes drop items, very similar to the balloons in SMG. These balloons are also used as transportation by enemies, which isn't unique; in fact, enemies like Sky Guys and sometimes Goombas use them. The article doesn't have a name citation for the name and is a stub. I think it would be better maintained on a single page along with other balloons. It acts like a balloon, it looks like a balloon, but it doesn't even have a name. Merge

Balloon (Super Mario Sunshine)Media:SMS Asset Model Balloon.png:These balloons themselves don't do anything; you just have to pop them, and after popping them all, you get a Sun. While the design might be considered "unique", there's nothing else worth mentioning about them. They're Bowser Jr. shaped balloons that you have to pop to get a reward. That's all; I think it's fair to cover them here. And these things don't even have a page yet. Merge

Extras

Balloon (Balloon Battle):The balloons in Balloon Battle are just that: balloons, which function as life indicators. They're simple balloons; you can pop them and collect them. There's nothing unique about them, and each appearance they have made, they have acted almost the same way. Anyway, their information is already covered on the Balloon Battle page, so it wouldn't really hurt to add them to the page. Add it to the page along with a main article link to the main page

Goomba Balloons:They're balloons with Goombas hanging from them, is simple. They're comparable to the YCW balloons, so covering them here seems appropriate. Besides, like the Mario Kart balloons, these are already covered on another page, in this case, the Goomba page. So there's no problem. Add it to the page along with a main article link to the main page

Balloon (Balloon World):Each player hides their own balloon, and then they try to pop the other players' balloons; that's the main idea behind these balloons. Hide and pop. Besides that, it's nothing unique that isn't related to Balloon World. This case is like the previous ones, since these balloons are covered on the Balloon World page. So, covering them here doesn't cause any harm either. Add it to the page along with a main article link to the main page

There have probably been some balloons that I omitted, but they will be added over time. In addition to the balloons that will be added to the page, I would like to propose what other balloons can be added in the future. Whenever a balloon has an impact on gameplay, it should be added to the page. If the balloon has no use other than as decoration, then it should not be added unless it has a significant role. The best way to understand this is by looking at the two types of balloons in Super Mario Odyssey, as shown below.

The balloons that are the gimmick of Balloon World mode. The players need to hide their own balloon and pop others' balloons, earning coins and points.
Luigi's funny balloons that do nothing

Also, this also goes against adding balloon appearances because of some enemies, like Sky Guys or Octolots. Unlike Goombas hanging from balloons, those balloons are an essential part of the enemy and have no separate function. Goombas, on the other hand, don't depend on using balloons to be unique enemies. Also, imagine the mess it would create to cover up all the appearances of an enemy that uses balloons in the history section.

Proposer: Sorbetti (talk)