Removing work from the social mediascape has inspired me to revisit some pieces. Some recently done, some further into the past.
This blog sub-series will be called “Was I Right? Was I Wrong?” or perhaps a better title is New Thoughts, Past Work.
Marge, Lisa, and words to live by.
Today, I’m inspired in part by today’s announcement of the Dragon Quest 3 remake, which has cause me to think once more about my deep fondness of the lowest form of creature from the famed series: The Slime.
DQ1, Slime battle, Nintendo/SNES
Akin to Kirby in that it looks like an afterthought with eyeballs, this creature has been a constant in the Dragon Quest series (formerly, Dragon Warrior on some original releases).
The blue slime is the lowest form of creature, yielding the least gold/most easily battle.
The design is so simple it’s hard to imagine it was anything but an afterthought, though according to the DQ creator Yuji Horii, the inspiration for the Slimes came from an earlier RPG titled Wizardry (c. 1979).
It's counterpart, the metal slime, is its polar opposite. Elusive, evasive, and the most-satisfying-but-difficult kill, these will likely run away before you get your turn to attack.
DQ Metal Slime
I’m not sure why I like it so much, sufficed to say that perhaps it’s a childhood layover in my brain that refuses to depart. Maybe because its ridiculous look is oddly eternal. Many have suggested it looks like a blue poo emoji instead of a drop of water.
The design is so simple it’s hard to imagine it was anything but an afterthought, though according to the DQ creator Yuji Horii, the inspiration for the Slimes came from an earlier RPG titled Wizardry (c. 1979).
According to Wikipedia, Horii said that when it was originally conceived, the Slime was "a pile of goo", but Akira Toriyama's design came back as a tear-drop shape which they considered to be "perfect".
I must say that for my own inspiration - I have to agree. Designing a limited series of merch was mostly for my own personal enjoyment, but also to share my love of this ridiculous creature online.
In conclusion: I was right to do it. 10/10 no regrets.
