History Main / UnderGroundMonkey

The solution many games go for is to have a small set of monster types, but have them appear with different graphics. Often, this change of design will be accompanied [[TieredByName by a new adjective to go with their name]]. If the monster was based on a mythological or cryptozoological creature, subsequent names will be alternate names for the creature ([[BigfootSasquatchAndYeti Bigfoot to Sasquatch to Yeti]]), or the name of a similar creature (BasiliskAndCockatrice). Typically, all such monsters will be vulnerable to the same strategy, or a variation thereupon, but later colors will tend to be more powerful. [[ElementalPowers Elemental]] variations are a common version of this trope as are variations in size and adding or removing features like horns, [[FlyingMook wings]], or [[KingMook crowns]].

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' has this, as with the rest of the franchise, though this can be seen in a variety of ways. For instance, some zones share the same monster outright with other zones in the same game, especially at lower levels. In other cases, monster models will be renamed and repurposed for higher level zones (sometimes giving a variant ability -- a certain wolf foe will often have an opening AoE line in front of them, but one zone may give it a bleed effect where another gives it paralysis). The various "Morbol" enemies (formerly Marlboros in earler FF games) all have similar designs with a big maw, tentacles, and a massive, multi-status AOE, but these come in different varieties from the level 30 strophers to the giant Halistropher to the level 64 "Purbols" (literally purple morbols). On the other hand, this can also be subverted from time to time, with monsters bearing a resemblance to earlier foes but having a different skill set, or being a combination of multiple foes. The anemones in Shadowbringers represent this best -- visually, they look like a variation on the floating jellyfish mob (i.e. aurellae) first seen in La Noscea... but they also have the Morbol "Bad Breath" attack.

** Another monster well known for the large number of varieties it come in are giants. Hill giants are the generic giants, big humanoids who throw rocks. Stone giants live underground and have stony skin. Frost giants have blue skin and are found in cold regions. Fire Giants are dark-skinned redheads who live around volcanos. Cloud Giants also have bluish skin and live in castles in the clouds. Storm giants have pale greenish skin and live underwater. Mountain giants are like hill giants but bigger. Ettins are like hill giants with two heads. Eldritch giants have purple skin and are covered in magical tattoos. Death giants are bald and have black skin and yellow eyes. Fomorians are similar to hill giants but are found underground and are smarter, eviler, and a whole lot uglier. Sun Giants are found in dessert. Smaller giants come in several varieties including the Firbolg, Verbeeg, and Voadkin. And there still are quite a few more types of giant.

** The UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube remake of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil1'' introduced "Crimson Heads", a stronger variant of zombies that could run and slash with long claws. There are two in the game that are mandatory to fight, the rest are the result of [[NiceJobBreakingItHero not properly disposing of zombie corpses]].

* ''Videogame/LordOfTheRingsOnline'' re-skins meshes all the time. They have even ''[[LampshadeHanging hung a lampshade on]]'' the practice with a quest in Evendim, in which you are sent out for your umpteenth "kill me some boars" quest. [[spoiler:It doesn't actually tell you to kill the boars, just look for some. This is important in that there are no boars in Evendim.]] This was further lampshaded in a later introduced dungeon in Evendim, [[spoiler:where you actually ''can'' encounter boars. If you kill one, a quest starter item will drop giving you the quest to ''finally'' bring the original questgiver his boarmeat.]]

* ''VideoGame/BugFables'': Near the end of the game are feiry versions of the Roach Construct enemies, with higher health and damage. They are considered the same enemy as their sand/ice counterparts from the Sand Castle in terms of the game's bestiary, but functionally serve as distinct versions of them as there is no way to change them to their forms seen in the Castle or visa-versa.