#squeueak

BAT: Bat (& variations)

GAME OF ORIGIN: Final Fantasy XIV, released 2013 on various platforms; live-service/MMORPG

CLASSIFICATION: simple, shape-based depiction of a standard, semi-realistic bat; hostile enemy, with variations that differ in look and behavior

RANKING: very solid bat. visually distinct while being incredibly simple, without losing out on key details such as ears and wing shape. eyes are very striking, create a very cute look for the creature as a whole. for a standard MMO enemy, a lot of love clearly went into designing this bat.

Lil bats.

BAT: Morrigan Aensland

GAME OF ORIGIN: Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors, released 1994 to arcades

CLASSIFICATION: humanoid with bat-like characteristics; playable character

RANKING: perhaps the furthest possible extrapolation of what a "bat" is, most forms of Morrigan aren't really recognizably bats so much as they are bat-adjacent humanoid magical people, but what the hell she's pretty! for a person in the realm of a bat, Morrigan certainly sticks the landing on aesthetics. also she's really pretty.

BAT: Chiropteran Hoarder

GAME OF ORIGIN: Sunless Skies, released 2019 on PC and 2021 on various platforms; RPG

CLASSIFICATION: detailed depiction of a fantastical, humanoid bat

RANKING: not sure if this is RELATED to the Curators from the previous ask, but regardless, this is a delightful bat design! a lot is conveyed in this relatively small piece; there's an "ugly-cute" element to its face, the somewhat wall-eyed and surprised-but-not-threatening expression. the cloak over its shoulders adds a lot of humanizing to its design, visibly letting it hunch in on itself and hold its wings up to its chest very adorably

VERDICT: 9/10 squeaks

BAT: Lunala

GAME OF ORIGIN: Pokémon Sun & Moon / Pocket Monsters Sun & Moon, released 2016 for the Nintendo 3DS; JRPG

CLASSIFICATION: fantastical depiction of bat; hostile enemy that can be tamed

RANKING: the most recent (as of november 2024, prior to the unveiling of any new Pokémon for the upcoming Legends Z/A and Generation 10 games) bat Pokémon, Lunala is absolutely stunningly beautiful. capturing the beauty and power of an night sky, while still very specifically being a bat, its simple silhouette allows the specific details of its design to shine; the thin connectors between the shifting "membrane" between its wings, the almost bladed edge of its outwer wings and lower appendage... she's so pretty

BAT: Curators

GAME OF ORIGIN: Sunless Skies, released 2019 on PC and 2021 on various platforms; RPG

CLASSIFICATION: detailed depiction of a fantastical, humanoid bat

RANKING: with no knowledge of what this game or the "Curators" are (and only a cursory wiki exploration to answer it for me), i can tell you this much-- this is a scary-ass bat. the tattered wings and generally gloomy color palette gives it a dark and mysterious air, and the shape of the lower half almost calls to mind the imagery of a human in a cloak; evoking classic vampiric imagery in any scary bat design is a big plus. i do wish there were clearer images of it online so i could get a better grasp of what this even is, but that's partially what's so enticing about a design like this! not knowing much about what you're looking at is definitely scary

VERDICT: 8/10 squeaks

BAT: Noivern

GAME OF ORIGIN: Pokémon X & Y / Pocket Monsters X & Y, released 2013 for the Nintendo 3DS; JRPG

CLASSIFICATION: detailed depiction of a semi-realistic bat; hostile enemy that can be tamed

RANKING: one of the many Pokémon that follow the two-stage "cute baby => badass killer" path, Noivern is helped by its dedication to being a bat. the wings are an obvious element, but the general body shape and especially the under-arm bits of wing add a lot to make Noivern feel less like a generic kaiju or "monster", and more like specifically a bigass bat. the strange shape of its ears helps it to still retain "monstrous" elements, avoiding the Golbat pitfall of being such a bat that it doesn't really look fantastical at all.

BAT: Gliscor

GAME OF ORIGIN: Pokémon Diamond & Pearl / Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl, released 2006 / 2007 for the Nintendo DS; JRPG

CLASSIFICATION; semi-detailed depiction of a cartoonish bat; hostile enemy that can be tamed

RANKING: Gliscor is an all-timer bat, helped immensely by its darker color palette compared to the very bright and cheery Gligar-- which is, no doubt, intentional. if Gligar is a mischievous little twerp that nips at your heels, Gliscor is a menace that steals your banking information. the wing shape in particular is ESPECIALLY strong, leaning further into the "bat/scorpion hybrid" aesthetic of Gligar by essentially giving a scorpion the shape of a bat and a cape. overall a very, very solid design!