The Legendary Skinballs: A Wobbly Wonder of Gaming History
Introducing the Iconic Skinballs
Imagine if ice cream scoops floated around and decided to become a video game character—say hello to Skinballs! This oddball creation from Saints Row is literally just four rounded blobs of varying shades of peachy skin, and it’s now part of a prestigious museum collection. Yup, we’re serious. It’s enough to make you wonder what the developers were *really* thinking!
Preserved for Posterity
In a chat on Bluesky, former Volition developer, Elizabeth Zelle, together with video game preservationists Andrew Borman and Phil Salvadore, proudly proclaimed the legendary status of Skinballs. Through some quirky twist of fate, this delightful test NPC has been enshrined forever at the Strong Museum of Play.
When Zelle chimed in on a discussion regarding the game Love and Deepspace’s lighting fails (a real conundrum for nonwhite characters, who unfortunately vanished into the shadows), she took a moment to reminisce about how the team at Volition brought forth the vibrant Skinballs to ensure all skin tones had their moment in the limelight in Saints Row: The Third. Because let’s face it, a scene without proper lighting is like cake without frosting!
Borman, the digital preservation guru over at the Strong, couldn’t help but share his delight for Skinballs, noting how this gooey gem has transformed into a meme sensation among mod communities—a rare feat for a bunch of tumbling spheres! Seriously, it’s like the game version of that infamous purple checkered texture you see when a game breaks. Legendary! Skinballs not only captured hearts but also raised eyebrows as folks realized they could make art out of their gaming mishaps.
Despite not being the star of the Strong’s exhibits, these fleshy globes are there, safe and sound, waiting to spark joy and laughter for generations of gamers to come. So the next time you think about video game history, remember: it’s not just about the big titles and famous characters. Sometimes, it’s the little floating balls that make the biggest splash!