Slip of the Tongue

Wrecking Ball began his life as an ordinary grub worm. He was intended to be used as an ingredient in a wizard’s stew, but he flipped the script by consuming the very concoction that he was supposed to be added to. After devouring an entire cauldron of the magic stew, he decided to eat the wizard as well. From that moment on, Wrecking Ball has been defined by his reckless personality and a bottomless appetite. He’s always hungry, and his sticky tongue could accurately be described as a deadly weapon. He uses his tongue to slap his opponents or grab them from afar, and it becomes increasingly dangerous over time. Incidentally, the tongue has an upgrade path that allows it to grow even longer and more powerful.

Introduced in Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, Volvidon is a fanged beast that’s covered with a thick shell. The monster typically avoids trouble, but it has various ways to defend itself if necessary. Volvidon can roll up like an armadillo and effortlessly crush its foes, but its chameleon-like tongue is arguably its most effective weapon. Careless hunters who aren’t mindful of their positioning may find themselves ensnared by Volvidon’s long tongue before being pulled towards its gaping maw. This tactic is effective against insects and hunters alike, since Volvidon’s saliva contains a paralyzing toxin than can incapacitate its target. If nothing else, Volvidon is a perfect example of a monster that teaches the value of dodging.

The Emperor Bulblax serves as the final boss in the first Pikmin game, and it also shows up in the sequels. The imposing creature is defined by its moss-covered body and a desire to eat as many Pikmin as possible. To that end, the Emperor Bulblax will often hide in the ground before ambushing its prey with its grotesque, purple tongue. He’ll typically start drooling before he starts gobbling up Pikmin, so players have time to plan accordingly. The tongue can potentially eliminate dozens of Pikmin with a single lashing, and your entire army can be wiped out in an instant. Some of the tongues on this list are even longer and more flexible, but no one has a higher kill count than the Emperor Bulblax.

Although I have an affinity for Mortal Kombat, I absolutely hate writing about it due to its ever-changing continuity. Character appearances, motivations, and even names can change from one game to the next, and the creators have been a little too reliant on the reset button. Reptile’s backstory changes depending on the game, but every version of the character has been defined by a long, chameleon-like tongue. After revealing his true form, the mysterious ninja uses his tongue to decapitate his opponents from afar before gobbling up their heads for good measure. This little trick has been one of Reptile’s signature fatalities since Mortal Kombat II, and it has helped define him as a character.

The Resident Evil series is chock full of undead monsters and abject horrors, but none are more unsettling than the aptly-named Lickers. They’re effectively mutated variants of garden-variety zombies, and they can be identified by their exposed brains, a lack of skin, and elongated tongues. The ungodly creatures use their tongues as tracking appendages, and this helps compensate for their lack of vision. Their barbed tongues are even deadlier than their large talons, and they frequently impale, eviscerate, and decapitate their prey. Whether they’re attacking head on or surprising their targets from above, they hunt indiscriminately and will eat seemingly anything they can get a hold of.

Yooka is described in-game as “a green bloke with no pants,” but that underplays his natural abilities. Whether he’s bouncing around on his tail or using fart bubbles to explore underwater areas, the easy-going chameleon is surprisingly resourceful. Naturally, he also uses his tongue in creative ways. He can extend his tongue to eat berries and butterflies alike, and he’s also able to latch onto distant grapple points. Yooka can even borrow characteristics from inanimate objects. If he licks a metal crate, he will become metallic himself. Likewise, licking a bee hive will cause Yooka to become sticky. Thanks to an animation oversight on the part of the developers, Yooka technically has two tongues!

Friends often have similar hobbies and share similar lifestyles, and that’s certainly true of Kirby and Gooey. Like Kirby, Gooey can swallow enemies and steal their abilities. Their methods differ, however. While Kirby typically inhales his foes like a vacuum, Gooey ensnares his targets with his tongue before swallowing them. Gooey can also use his tongue to whip his enemies, activate switches, and grab hard-to-reach items. He can even throw his friends into the air and turn them into makeshift projectiles. Gooey has no limbs to speak of, so he relies on his tongue more than any other character on this list. The tongue also plays an important role from a design perspective, and it accurately paints him as a lovable imbecile.

Chameleon Twist is an early 3D platformer starring a chameleon named Davy. Most of the game’s primary mechanics are centered around Davy’s elongated tongue, which can be controlled independently of Davy himself. The tongue is used as a weapon, and it can also help Davy leap onto platforms and traverse gaps. He can even grab onto items that are out of reach. If the situation calls for it, Davy can use his tongue to launch himself into the air as though he were a pole vaulter. Chameleon Twist received middling reviews, but it has all the components that this particular list is looking for. Although Davy’s design was inexplicably changed in the sequel, his tongue was as useful as ever.

There were several Pokémon that were in contention for a place on this list. Although I’m impressed by the way Greninja uses his tongue as a ninja scarf, Lickitung was the obvious choice. Its prehensile tongue is twice as long as his body and powerful enough to lift people off the ground. Incidentally, the tongue is coated with a sticky saliva that can latch onto anything. If you want to see Lickitung in action, the best showcase is in a Pokémon Stadium minigame called Sushi-Go-Round. This game pits four Lickitungs against each other and challenges them to eat as many sushi ingredients as possible. It’s a simple premise, but it’s a lot of fun. I consider Sushi-Go-Round to be Lickitung’s shining moment.

Yoshi is a helpful dinosaur, a loyal friend, and a reliable form of transportation. There are many reasons why he’s an ideal sidekick, and he has countless ways to deal with his enemies. He can lay eggs and use them as ammunition, for example, and he’s able to stomp on otherwise deadly foes without taking damage. Without question, his insatiable appetite is the most important weapon in his repertoire. His long, sticky tongue can grab onto things from afar, and he’s somehow able to ingest objects that are larger than he is. He also earns points for versatility. In Super Mario Galaxy 2, he’s able to latch onto grapple points and use his tongue to swing from one platform to the next.