Wigglytuff
Encyclopedia
Wigglytuff, known in Japan as , is a Pokémon species in Nintendo
and Game Freak
's Pokémon
franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori
, Wigglytuff first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue
and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise.
for the first generation of Pocket Monsters games Red and Green, which were localized outside of Japan as Pokémon Red and Blue
. Originally called "Pukurin" in Japanese, Nintendo decided to give the various Pokémon species "clever and descriptive names" related to their appearance or features when translating the game for western audiences as a means to make the characters more relatable to American children. As a result it was renamed Wigglytuff, which IGN
claims is a combination of the word "wiggly" and "tuff", the latter having a dual meaning of both "tough" and "tuft".
Wigglytuff, known as the singing rabbit Pokémon, is a relatively large pink balloon-like Pokémon with a white underbelly, large blue baby-like eyes, a pair of large rabbit ears, and a twisty tuft of pink hair on its forehead. It evolves from Jigglypuff through a Moon Stone. In fact, it's remarkably similar to its pre-evolved form, Jigglypuff, except the ears have grown larger and it now maintains an "oval" shape. Wigglytuff's eyes are always covered by a thin layer of tears, so that if any dust gets into Wigglytuff’s eyes, it is quickly cried away. In the games, Wigglytuff's fur is described to be "sublime", so much so that if two of them come into close contact with each other, they are difficult to separate.
and in its remakes Pokémon Yellow and Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
. It evolves from Jigglypuff
by use of a special evolutionary item called a Moon Stone. It was given an earlier form called Igglybuff in Pokémon Gold and Silver
. It has since appeared in every main Pokémon title since. Outside of the main series, Wigglytuff appears in the Pokémon Pinball
titles, Pokémon Trozei!
, the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
titles, Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia
, and Pokémon Rumble
. In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness
, Wigglytuff is the guild master of the guild that the lead character is a member of.
. In the Pokémon Adventures
manga, a Wigglytuff is owned by the character Green and is the evolution of her first Pokémon, Jigglypuff. A Wigglytuff is a recurring character in the Magical Pokémon Journey
manga and lives in a mansion with her younger sister Jigglypuff. SHe later becomes the girlfriend of an Arbok.
wrote that Wigglytuff was a "tough foe" due to its above-average attack and high amount of health, especially to Pokémon with low defense. The editor also wrote that its hair tuft resembles Elvis Presley
's. IGN's Pokémon of the Day Guy wrote that Wigglytuff was both "soft and cuddly". IGN's Pokémon Chick called it a "perky pink Pokémon" and that while Jigglypuff's popularity was "mind-boggling", once it evolves into Wigglytuff, it "has a tendency to sort of slip into the background". She added that it was a "pity" because "this irritable, googly-eyed pastel mercenary is actually pretty cool". GamesRadar
's Carolyn Gudmundson used Wigglytuff as an example of the "huggable pink blob" design, specifically the "big-eyed" variety. GamesRadar's Brett Elston called it a "bizarre bunny/balloon hybrid". Official Nintendo Magazines Thomas East wrote that Wigglytuff's name was amusing and that it could have made his list of the five best Pokémon names. Den of Geek's Jenny Sanders however found Wigglytuff's name to be "dumb". Destructoid
's Ashley Davis wrote that cute evolutions such as Wigglytuff do not become as useful as tougher looking ones. Author Joseph Jay Tobin wrote that Wigglytuff was popular among young girls. GamePro
s Emily Balistrieri called the Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness incarnation of Wigglytuff a "weird, weird Pokémon".
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
and Game Freak
Game Freak
is a Japanese video game developer that currently creates games exclusively for Nintendo. It has developed the Pokémon series of role-playing games and several other games.-History:...
's Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori
Ken Sugimori
is a Japanese video game designer, illustrator, manga artist, and director. He is most famous as the character designer and art director for the Pokémon franchise. Sugimori is also credited with the art direction for other titles, including Pulseman. Sugimori drew all of the original 151 Pokémon...
, Wigglytuff first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version, originally released in Japan as , are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments to the Pokémon series. They were first released in Japan in 1996 as Red and Green, with Blue being...
and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise.
Concept and characteristics
Wigglytuff was one of several different designs conceived by Game Freak's character development team and finalized by Ken SugimoriKen Sugimori
is a Japanese video game designer, illustrator, manga artist, and director. He is most famous as the character designer and art director for the Pokémon franchise. Sugimori is also credited with the art direction for other titles, including Pulseman. Sugimori drew all of the original 151 Pokémon...
for the first generation of Pocket Monsters games Red and Green, which were localized outside of Japan as Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version, originally released in Japan as , are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments to the Pokémon series. They were first released in Japan in 1996 as Red and Green, with Blue being...
. Originally called "Pukurin" in Japanese, Nintendo decided to give the various Pokémon species "clever and descriptive names" related to their appearance or features when translating the game for western audiences as a means to make the characters more relatable to American children. As a result it was renamed Wigglytuff, which IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
claims is a combination of the word "wiggly" and "tuff", the latter having a dual meaning of both "tough" and "tuft".
Wigglytuff, known as the singing rabbit Pokémon, is a relatively large pink balloon-like Pokémon with a white underbelly, large blue baby-like eyes, a pair of large rabbit ears, and a twisty tuft of pink hair on its forehead. It evolves from Jigglypuff through a Moon Stone. In fact, it's remarkably similar to its pre-evolved form, Jigglypuff, except the ears have grown larger and it now maintains an "oval" shape. Wigglytuff's eyes are always covered by a thin layer of tears, so that if any dust gets into Wigglytuff’s eyes, it is quickly cried away. In the games, Wigglytuff's fur is described to be "sublime", so much so that if two of them come into close contact with each other, they are difficult to separate.
In the video games
Wigglytuff first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and BluePokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version, originally released in Japan as , are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments to the Pokémon series. They were first released in Japan in 1996 as Red and Green, with Blue being...
and in its remakes Pokémon Yellow and Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
are enhanced remakes of the original Pokémon Red and Blue video games, which were released in 1996. The new titles were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance and have compatibility with the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter, which originally came bundled with...
. It evolves from Jigglypuff
Jigglypuff
Jigglypuff, known in Japan as , is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Jigglypuff first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed...
by use of a special evolutionary item called a Moon Stone. It was given an earlier form called Igglybuff in Pokémon Gold and Silver
Pokémon Gold and Silver
are the second installments of the Pokémon series of role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. The games have dual-mode capabilities allowing them to also be played on earlier Game Boy models. They were first released in Japan in 1999 and to...
. It has since appeared in every main Pokémon title since. Outside of the main series, Wigglytuff appears in the Pokémon Pinball
Pokémon Pinball
is a pinball-based Pokémon spin-off video game for the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on April 14, 1999, and in North America on June 28, 1999. In it, the ball is a Poké Ball, and most of the objects on the table are Pokémon-related....
titles, Pokémon Trozei!
Pokémon Trozei!
, released as Pokémon Link! in Europe, is a Pokémon-themed puzzle video game for the Nintendo DS. It was released in Japan on October 20, 2005, in North America on March 6, 2006, in Australia on March 30, 2006, and in Europe on May 5, 2006.-Gameplay:...
, the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
- Manga :*Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team, manga adaption of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team*Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blazing Exploration Team, manga adaption of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Explorers of Darkness, and Explorers of Sky.-...
titles, Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia
Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia
is an action/role-playing video game developed by Creatures Inc. for the Nintendo DS video game console. It is the sequel to the Pokémon Ranger video game, also for the DS....
, and Pokémon Rumble
Pokémon Rumble
Pokémon Rumble is a Pokémon video game for WiiWare. It was developed by Ambrella. Pokémon Rumble was rated "E10+" by the ESRB, making it the first Pokémon video game to be given an ESRB rating higher than "E" for Everyone...
. In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness
and are a matched pair of Pokémon games for the Nintendo DS. The two games were released in Japan on September 13, 2007, and were released in North America on April 20, 2008...
, Wigglytuff is the guild master of the guild that the lead character is a member of.
In other media
Wigglytuff makes multiple appearances in the Pokémon anime; Wigglytuff acts in a film in one episode, while a Wigglytuff appears with a sinister smile in another. Its Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness video game version appears in an anime special based on the games. One also appears in a minor role in the film Pokémon: The First MoviePokémon: The First Movie
Pokémon: The First Movie, originally released as , is a 1998 Japanese animated film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, the chief director of the Pokémon television series. It is the first theatrical release in the Pokémon franchise...
. In the Pokémon Adventures
Pokémon Adventures
Pokémon Adventures, released in Japan as , is a Pokémon-related manga based on the video games. Satoshi Tajiri once stated that the Pocket Monsters Special series is closest to what he imagined the Pokémon world to be:...
manga, a Wigglytuff is owned by the character Green and is the evolution of her first Pokémon, Jigglypuff. A Wigglytuff is a recurring character in the Magical Pokémon Journey
Magical Pokémon Journey
Magical Pokémon Journey, known in Japan as , is a shōjo manga series set in the fictional universe of the Pokémon franchise. The manga is by Yumi Tsukirino and serialized by Shogakukan in the manga magazine Ciao, and collected in ten bound volumes.The main character, Hazel , sets off to catch...
manga and lives in a mansion with her younger sister Jigglypuff. SHe later becomes the girlfriend of an Arbok.
Reception
An editor for IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
wrote that Wigglytuff was a "tough foe" due to its above-average attack and high amount of health, especially to Pokémon with low defense. The editor also wrote that its hair tuft resembles Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
's. IGN's Pokémon of the Day Guy wrote that Wigglytuff was both "soft and cuddly". IGN's Pokémon Chick called it a "perky pink Pokémon" and that while Jigglypuff's popularity was "mind-boggling", once it evolves into Wigglytuff, it "has a tendency to sort of slip into the background". She added that it was a "pity" because "this irritable, googly-eyed pastel mercenary is actually pretty cool". GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
's Carolyn Gudmundson used Wigglytuff as an example of the "huggable pink blob" design, specifically the "big-eyed" variety. GamesRadar's Brett Elston called it a "bizarre bunny/balloon hybrid". Official Nintendo Magazines Thomas East wrote that Wigglytuff's name was amusing and that it could have made his list of the five best Pokémon names. Den of Geek's Jenny Sanders however found Wigglytuff's name to be "dumb". Destructoid
Destructoid
Destructoid is an independent video game-focused blog based in San Francisco, California that was founded in March 2006. It has since grown into one of the most widely read video game sites on the Internet, reaching more than 3 million unique visitors per month...
's Ashley Davis wrote that cute evolutions such as Wigglytuff do not become as useful as tougher looking ones. Author Joseph Jay Tobin wrote that Wigglytuff was popular among young girls. GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
s Emily Balistrieri called the Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness incarnation of Wigglytuff a "weird, weird Pokémon".