Mask-Guy

Mask-Guys are enemies encountered in the game Virtual Boy Wario Land, released for the Virtual Boy in 1995. They can be described as small, but aggressive creatures who prefer to hide their face with a tribal mask. Three Mask-Guys are seen in the game's opening cut-scene, where Wario catches sight of them carrying treasure chests into a cave behind the Aldegara Waterfall. Curious, he follows. Wario spies the three Mask-Guys storing treasure into a vault in the cave's wall. Leaping out in surprise, Wario overcomes the creatures with a Dash Attack, and looks upon the treasure with greedy eyes. Then suddenly, the floor starts to crumble out from beneath him, and he falls into a precipice deep within the earth. Wario is quite angry and vowed revenge on these creatures, quoting "I will get their treasure!!!". During gameplay, the Mask-Guy species are one of the more common enemies in the game, appearing in most of the levels. They can't swim, and likewise they are never seen in the underwater stages. They are able to harm Wario with the spear protruding out from the creature's mask, and will charge at a high speed without hesitation if they catch sight of Wario, harming him if he comes in contact with the point of the sharp spear. Wario is able to defeat these enemies by dealing a Ground Pound to the head, or a Dash Attack from behind. They can also be stunned by a standard jump to the head.

Unlike most species of masked enemies within the Mario series of games, the player is able to see what is underneath a Mask-Guy's mask. Wario can achieve this by bumping the creature from behind, without the power of a Dash Attack. With the force coming from the back, the creature will stumble forward and its mask will slip off and slide a short distance away. Taken by surprise, the now mask-less creature will stand motionless, staring with its revealed beady black eyes. It will quickly figure out what happened and will make a rush to retrieve the mask. When without a mask, the creatures are completely harmless for a short period of time. If he is quick enough, Wario is able to pick up the mask and use it as an object to throw. If the Mask-Guy is not able to retrieve its mask, it will unintentionally defeat itself, implying that the mask is its source of life.