Pikuniku: The Appeal of the Little Guy

 Had a few things swirling around in my mind this week. And the winner of it all was the one and only Piku from Pikuniku. There's just something about seeing the little, red creature that brings unbridled joy. So, the focus of the piece is to look at the appeal of Piku, and a few other characters like Piku that I enjoy. But first, I must answer the question of, "Why Piku?"

Originally, the "Why" question was answered when I saw the little guy dancing to some nice tunes. However, after playing the game, I can say that this answer stayed the same. With the additional element of it's fun to be Piku, and in some cases Niku. There's not much more to it than that. Simplicity is the key to the secret sauce of Piku, and I'm going to break down what that means to me in this instance. 

And what better way to do that, than to look at Piku's design. A sleek, little red bean with two legs and two black dots for eyes. Just tons of personality on its face, with only a few definable features. It reminded me of how Kirby only has so many details to his design, with being a pink ball with red shoes, nubs for hands, and blackish purplish eyes. Yet manages to make them pop while being static. And to top it all off, both designs are easy to draw. Anyone can make their own little Piku, Niku, or Kirby and be delighted with the result. It's one of the benefits that comes with being a "Little Guy". 

Then, you start adding clothing options like a hat or sunglasses, and the design shoots up a hundred points. It's like discovering fire in the sense that the design now has endless possibilities. Piku is not bound by the constraints of man. Piku is more akin to a God. So, to get back on track, Piku's initial design and expansions of that design are near perfection while still feeling conscious and intentional.  

This philosophy would continue when looking at the game Pikuniku. A game with only a few controls. You move, kick and jump. With an occasional mini-game to break up the flow. So, the stakes end up being very low, with the only friction coming in the form of button press timings or input detection. It's a game that I can recommend to anybody, and it only takes a few hours to finish a single playthrough. 

Overall, I really enjoyed playing Pikuniku. It's got an appropriate amount of humor and cheekiness to it in the writing. And it's something that makes me intrigued and excited about the impending sequel. Especially now that Piku is expanding into the third dimension. Giving the small red bean a full 360 degrees to jump, kick, and roll wherever possible. Expanding the sphere of influence, if you will. 

So, to finish off this piece using the original intention, I'm going to look at another comparable character that I enjoy. With that character being Pepelogoo from Monster World IV (And Its Remake) and Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom. In his initial form, Pepelogoo looks like a Blue Haro from Gundam with big cat ears and some weird bird feet. He's cute and serves as a useful companion that helps Asha or Jin traverse their worlds and do puzzles. 

But the appeal to me lies in his adorable and simple design. Just an absolute cutie. While he can evolve in MW IV to be a large cat monster, Pepelogoo never changes in MBATCK. And I think that's intentional in regards to his cuter form being more appealing. The function doesn't matter as much as the presentation. As a result, Pepelogoo stays in that base form due to the lasting appeal. Much like how Piku never needs to change. The power lies in the look. 

At the end of the day, Piku has an endearing design and legacy that is similar to the other "Little Guys" that came before him. Whether that be the Mega-Star Kirby, or the now-niche Pepelogoo. And that legacy will continue as he climbs the ranks of fun, little guys. Maybe Piku can get a racing game one day, or even a appear in a fighting game. The sky's the limit for Piku. One of the worlds many, "Little Guys."

And remember to Free Palestine, Free Congo, Free Sudan, Free Venezuela and to Free Lebanon from the onslaught of their oppressors. Never stop talking about them. They think that we don't care, but we see everything. Never forget that. They are trying to suppress our voices because they matter, remember that. There may have been a ceasefire in Gaza, but Palestine still needs to be completely free.