Hoopster
A Hoopster is a design for an Oddworld animal created by Farzad Varahramyan during development of Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee. The creature has never been seen in any Oddworld game.
Physiology
A Hoopster has a small and compact body that slides along a circular hoop. The Hoopster can stay balanced on its hoop, and can even move by hopping forwards on it. As it does this, it sweeps the hoop up behind itself, then over itself, then down in front of itself to land on it again. This motion resembles the use of a skipping rope. A Hoopster's alternative method of moving is by sliding its hoop around and rolling on it like a hula hoop.
A baby Hoopster is called a Hoopy.
Four designs for the Hoopster have been shown by Oddworld Inhabitants.
- A larger body occupying most of the space inside its hoop. It is shown attached to the side of the hoop, facing inwards. It has four small eyes.
- A smaller body with two large eyes. It is shown attached to the side of the hoop, facing inwards.
- The same body as above, but attached to the top of the hoop and facing perpendicular to the hoop.
- Similar to the above, but with two jointed limbs reaching from the bottom of its body to the sides of the hoop. These would give the Hoopster more leverage over the hoop's skipping motion.
Appearances
Hoopsters have only been seen as concept art in one post of Oddworld: The Lost Archives. Along with a number of other animal concepts, they were designed as small creatures created by the Vykkers as toys. Similar designs include a creature that slides up and down a single pole (like a pogo stick) or two poles (like a pair of stilts), and a creature with a trunk, that moves on rotating balls and can inflate like a balloon to float above the ground.[1]