Final Fantasy VI [And, iOS, GBA, NS, PC, PS1, PS4, SNES, Wii] – Zone Eater / Party

Media: video game: “Final Fantasy VI”
Developer: Square
Platform: Android, Apple iOS, Computer, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 1, PlayStation 4, Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Note: The mobile and 2014 PC port of the mobile versions have been delisted at the time of writing.

Description: 

The Zone Eater is a large sandworm that is found in the World of Ruin, in the triangular island after the airship can be accessed. In battle, it is relatively harmless, possessing no real way of KO’ing any party members. However, it has an ability called Inhale, in which it will draw in and swallow party members one at a time, accompanied with a text box saying “*munch munch* *gobble gobble*.” Swallowed party members are excluded from the rest of the fight. If the Zone Eater is defeated after swallowing a party member, or the rest of the party flees battle, the swallowed characters simply reappear back in the party without any animation or text.

If every party member is swallowed in battle, the battle ends and they are transported to a secret dungeon known as Zone Eater’s Belly, however the dungeon appears the same as any cave or mountain area and does not look organic. The short dungeon is home to one of the optional characters of the game, Gogo. The party is able to escape by presumably being regurgitated – standing at the exit triggers loud rumbling and the screen fades to black before transitioning back to the world map.

Once the dungeon is completed or the Zone Eater is killed, more can be encountered, as they are considered normal enemies, and the dungeon can be returned to again in the same way.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps [NS, PC, XBO, XBXS] – Giant Worm / Ori

Media: video game: “Ori and the Will of the Wisps”
Developer: Moon Studios
Platform: Computer, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Description:

At the end of the Windtorn Ruins, a giant worm appears to chase after Ori. When it is close, it will start lunging and biting at Ori, causing an instant death if it catches them. However, the appearance of devouring Ori is more incidental, as the same happens even if it catches up and Ori does not end up in the worm’s mouth, and this is also identical with any of the chase sequences when the pursuer catches up with Ori.

Space Quest 6: Roger Wilco in the Spinal Frontier [PC] – Tapeworm / Roger

Media: video game: “Space Quest 6: Roger Wilco in the Spinal Frontier”
Developer: Sierra On-Line
Platform: Computer

Description: 

In the final section of the game in Stellar’s body, there is a tapeworm inside the intestine. If Roger gets too close to its mouth without first giving it the Timed-Release Pills, it will wrap its tongue around him and swallow him for an instant game over.

Space Quest I: The Sarien Encounter [AST, CA, PC] – Grell / Roger

Media: video game: “Space Quest I: The Sarien Encounter”
Developer: Sierra On-Line
Platform: Atari ST, Commodore Amiga, Computer

Description: 

After arriving on the planet Kerona, if Roger walks across the desert in the wrong direction, a giant sand worm (known as the Grell in the VGA remake) will emerge from underground to swallow him for a game over.

Devil May Cry 2 [NS, PC, PS2, PS3, PS4, XB360, XBO] – Larva / Dante, Lucia, Trish

Media: video game: “Devil May Cry 2”
Developer: Capcom Production Studio 1
Platform: Computer, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Description: 

Noctpteran, the moth boss is fought in Mission 10 in Dante’s story and Mission 6 in Lucia’s story. During the fight, it will constantly spawn larvae that mature quickly and reach massive size. Each Larva enemy will constantly burst out from the ground to try to swallow the player character, and if caught, they can remain inside the Larva until all their health is depleted, after which they are regurgitated. The player can input to make the swallowed character struggle to break free, killing the Larva in the process.

Ardy Lightfoot [SNES] – Worm / Catry, Ardy

Media: video game: “Ardy Lightfoot”
Developer: ASCII Corporation
Platform: Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Description: 

The boss of Scene 5 is a vixen named Catry. After being defeated, she tricks Ardy into sparing her, and steals the dark green crystal, leaping out of the tree fortress. Ardy pursues her and the screen transitions to the map screen, where the two are seen being swallowed by a giant worm.

Scene 6 is called Eaten!! and is a short level taking place inside the giant worm. Ardy will take digestion damage should any drops of acid fall on him. Catry’s fate varies depending on the version of the game. In the US release of the game, Catry is found unconscious next to the gem, while in the original Japanese, her bones are seen under dripping acid. The level ends when the worm’s tail is cut open from the outside and Ardy escapes.

Space Quest I: Roger Wilco in the Sarien Encounter [Amiga, PC] – Grell / Roger

Media: video game: “Space Quest I: Roger Wilco in the Sarien Encounter”
Developer: Sierra On-Line
Platform: Amiga, Computer

Description: 

After arriving on the planet Kerona, if Roger walks across the desert in the wrong direction, a giant sand worm known as the Grell will emerge from underground, throw him up into the air and devour him for a game over.

Sdorica [And, iOS] – Desert Worm / Various

Media: video game: “Sdorica”
Developer: Rayark Inc.
Platform: Android, Apple iOS

Description: 

The War Zone: Endless Expedition is a limited time event in which players face off against a boss with only 15 turns to act, that becomes stronger each time it is defeated.

The third Endless Expedition, Desert Worm’s Welcome (2022 Apr 6 – Apr 26) pits the player characters against two Paragliding Centipedes and one cactus named only ??? which is invincible as long as the two other enemies are still alive. When alone, ??? no longer has the Invincibility status effect and is easily defeated, as long as it is under Lv. 30.

Above Lv. 30, when ??? is alone, the cactus will perform an attack in which it burrows under the sand, after which a large set of jaws emerges from under the party to swallow them. The camera pans underground, and shows the Desert Worm burrowing, revealing the cactus was actually its tail. It will then regurgitate the party and resumes the battle underground. Its status screen shows its name remains as ??? even in this stage of the battle. Any party members that are KO’d before this transition attack will not be swallowed, but simply reappear underground.

Similar to the battle transition attack, in this second phase on the battle, ??? can perform an attack in which it burrows its head into the ground to swallow and regurgitate a single target.

Though the quest is named Desert Worm’s Welcome, the limited icon that can be earned from the event refers to it as the Giant Sandworm.

Although Endless Expedition bosses rotate, it is not yet known if they repeat or not.

Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe [And, iOS] – Slugger / Various

Media: video game: “Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe”
Developer: Akatsuki
Platform: Android, Apple iOS

Description:

Slugger is a worm-like boss enemy from the limited time event ‘Battle with Slugger.’ It has a rarely used skill called Swallow, in which the skill animation shows a stylized, disembodied set of jaws appearing and inhaling the selected character. The jaws close on the targeted character and they disappear briefly with a gulping sound, and immediately reappear in a splash of saliva. Even if all HP is lost as a result of the attack, they will still be spit out.

Slugger was later added to also be encountered in the main story, Quest 9-1-6 Bio Research Lab IV in the Liam Arc, but are much weaker, so are unlikely to last long enough in battle to use Swallow, or may constantly miss if the player’s party is too strong.

Final Fantasy Brave Exvius [And, iOS] – Nozuchi / Various

Media: video game: “Final Fantasy Brave Exvius”
Developer: Gumi
Platform: Android, Apple iOS

Description:

Nozuchi is large worm-like high-difficulty boss that can be fought in the quest ‘Scorn of the March of the Insects,’ in the ‘Chamber of the Indignant’ series of quests.

At various points in the fight, there will be text at the top of the screen announcing that “The nozuchi is starting to inhale.” If an esper is invoked, this will cause Nozuchi to stop inhaling. Failing to invoke an esper the following turn will cause Nozuchi to inhale and remove a party member from battle in a flash of color, accompanied by the text “Engulfed by the nozuchi!” Swallowed party members are not spit out, and if the last party member standing is devoured, this results in a game over.

Slowing down footage of the game actually shows the character is quickly moved off-screen rather than into Nozuchi’s mouth.

The limited time event, Battle at Visectrum’s Peak (2022 Apr 7 – Apr 21) features a palette-swapped version of the Nozuchi, known as the Wicked Slagworm, however this version simply has an instant-KO attack called Swallow, which has no animation, and the character is not removed from battle either.