A review of every mutant ever on my website

[Scythemantis]

http://www.bogleech.com/neomutants1.html - page one of five, click the transmogrification potions at the bottom to move between pages.

Mutants were always my reason for playing neopets, so after all these years I thought I should get my pathetically varied opinions on them completely out of my system. I discuss around a dozen major revamps/unreleased versions as well, including some you might not have known about.

Your own opinions are not only welcome, but will be more interesting to me than they probably should be.

[Jamie]

I just read through the whole thing and really enjoyed it, especially the love the the Kau - which is my favourite. It's really made me want to get a mutant pet, but I have no idea which one.

[FaerieInGrey]

I love it, Scythe.

I hate looking at the customized pets. Mutant was a color that they really did damage to with the changes.

[Elucifer]

Awesome. Mutants are my favorite colour still.



This is the old unreleased version of the Mutant Gelert. I'd like to hear your take on it and compared to the current one. ^^

[thelonetiel]

I'd like some commentary on why the Mutant Ruki lost a pair of legs. And I'm a bit frustrated that the pre-customization artwork isn't always shown, like between the images for symmetry, but customization is still personal enough that I want to wave it in everyone's face and go "LOOK HOW HORRIBLE IT WAS" and it's probably better in the long run if that isn't the primary focus for the site.

Other than that, I think it is funny you tend to dislike the mutants that are my favorites, Flotsam for instance, though I'll guess this is because I'm a fan of the artwork, and the designs are only as good as the line art and shading to me.

Well done. An enjoyable and interesting read.

If you ever come up with a Neopets version on petpages, you should let us know, I'd love being able to link to something like it on my petpages for those that want a change of pace.

[Scythemantis]

I might submit a toned-down, shrunken version to the neopian times actually. I'd like to get some of those opinions seen by staff :p

I don't know why I forgot to comment on the Ruki's limbs. I like to think it lost a pair as part of its mutation though I doubt that was a conscious idea.

COMPLETELY forgot about the old mutant Gelert. It's another design I'd have been totally moot on. It's definitely cool, but the one they went with is much more mutant-y.

I've accepted most of the customization art for the mutants, except the ones I remarked on like the Hissi, Xweetok and Kiko. All Darigan, Grey and Tyrannian pets are just depressing to look at. TNT said they didn't want their "unconverted" style art creatable ever again because they just don't like the idea of having multiple versions of the same pet, but Gaia online does alternate undressable poses all the time, I don't see why they can't make a "wearable" that comes with these colors and just consists of a more exotic body/pose, or maybe revert to one whenever there's no clothes on the pet.

lol the most recent neopian times editorial:

Hi, TNT! =) Could you show us a picture of the ancient mutant Chia? I mean back before, when he resembled mud / sludge? Not many people remember what the mutant Chia looked like before it became the green guy it is now, and no one seems to have a saved picture of it anywhere when I search. I really want to show it to people. D: Please? ~bbsachel
Oh, you mean this monstrosity? We've tried to forget about it. D:

I've tried to forget YOUR MOM.

[Kantark]

I enjoyed reading this, a nice blend of humour and insight. Good to revisit some of the old mutants and see some of the current ones in a different perspective. Nice job!

[AngharadTy]

The mutant usul ended up as one of my favorite mutants. It grew on me. I had one for a while; it's one of the only converted neopets that I still quite like, too. It just looks so pleased to be mutated. I agree it's not as mutated as it once was, but c'mon, the old version just looked like a carrot with a lot of split ends. Meh.

The mutant buzz isn't mediocre as a neopet, but it is mediocre as a mutant. I love the wings. But other than a thick jawline, it's not really very mutated. The scorchio is the same deal--oh, it looks slightly more badass? I guess that's what passes for a horrible, frightening mutation with kids these days.

The mutant korbat is barely a mutant. Doesn't it seem like they just draw a series of lines on things to make them segmented and call it a day? The korbat isn't the only one to mysteriously acquire a segmented body part.

I had a mutant lupe for a long time--until they revamped it, and that was pre-customization--because I love the skull-helm-thing. It's not much of a mutant, but it is a cool pet design.

The mutant ixi is a great mutant pet and I miss mine.

I have a mutant draik, mostly because it looks zombified, and I was sooooooo crushed by customization on his count. It was one of the worst changes, to me. It's just a lot of little things--more cartoony overall--and while conceptually the t-rex arms might be nice, I personally don't care for it on this pet.

The mutant hissi is just pathetic now. It was so cool. I'm still having a hard time ignoring how customization messed with the pets I liked, heh. Same with the xweetok--I loved it so much, and wanted one so much, and then... boo.

The zafara was a huge disappointment. It just looks a bit like it was drawn with someone who thinks they're a good artist but they're not. I don't mean the art quality--I mean the slightly odd proportions of the mouth and hair tuft and all. Also, random segmentation = mutant!

I like the mynci because it's very Where the Wild Things Are. On the other hand, it looks almost exactly like a monster from that book, so not exactly mutanty.

I am pretty surprised about your take on the peophin. You wanted a dolphin-lobster, but a horse-squid-lobster doesn't make you happy! You are unappeasable. Hehe. The peophin grew on me quite a bit, probably in large part due to the pretty pretty tentacles.

The acara does look flat-out awesome, but yeah, I don't know how that's a mutant. Oh well. Awesome design wins points with me.

[Scythemantis]

The news always introduces new mutants with "AGGGH WHAT IS THIS HIDEOUS DISGUSTING CREATURE! GROSS!" but if only they actually fit that reaction more often :[

I probably should have shown the old mutant lupe, since the new one has a floppy, puffy quality and rather bad angle, but it's hard to resist poking fun at wolf fandom.

The peophin is cool, but it's so darn pretty and tropical looking too. It's funnier when the cute, prissy pets get really horrible mutants.

I think my big issue with the Acara is that with the energy face, it looks too supernatural/alien for a mutant, and without it, it looks Tyrannian/Darigan. They ought to have done some sort of "alien" or "cosmic" color to introduce it, even though they were all like "no more uncustomizable colors!"....weren't they? I guess 8-bit goes back on that.

I have to tell myself not to do all the petpets as well, at least until after I've made some progress on more important things.

[AngharadTy]

It's the internet! What is more important than in-depth criticisms of things that ultimately don't have much impact on the world?

[Darigan]

I love mutants too, my favorite is the Mutant Bruce. He didn't lose much with customization, but his face was more expressive before.
I agree that the Mutant Acara does not look like a mutant at all, but despite that it's awesome looking. Totally should have been the Demonic Paint Brush.
It's interesting that customization ruined many pets' designs but at the same time ended the irritating habit TNT had of constantly remaking old colours.
BTW, I've seen you on Smogon before.

[Scythemantis]

Yeah, not a single revamp since customization came along.

[Scythemantis]

I submitted a cut-down, completely rewritten (more kiddified) version to the Neopian Times and just got an acceptance notice! Got the NT trophy on my lookup and everything, not sure if that means it'll go up this week or what...I'll probably post when it does.

[AngharadTy]

Wow, congrats! Link it here when it gets posted, definitely. I don't check the Neopian Times, heh.

[Darigan]

I submitted a cut-down, completely rewritten (more kiddified) version to the Neopian Times and just got an acceptance notice! Got the NT trophy on my lookup and everything, not sure if that means it'll go up this week or what...I'll probably post when it does.

Yes, it means it will go up this week.
Congratulations!