History Main / SeaHurtchin

* ''VideoGame/CheeseCatAstrophe Starring WesternAnimation/SpeedyGonzales'': In the UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem and UsefulNOtes/GameGear versions, there's a level called "The Faces of Sylvester: The River of Paint", where Speedy rows an inflatable raft across a river. In the river are floating sea urchins. If one of them hits Speedy, they will pop his raft, causing him to sink into the river and [[SuperDrowningSkills instantly lose a life]].

* ''VideoGame/OrientalLegend'' have a Giant Sea Urchin boss in the Heavenly River stage, who floats around trying to sting you as well as [[SpikeShooter shooting its spikes]] from a distance and summoning smaller urchins to drop on you.

As such, when an accident-prone character takes a vacation to the beach, expect them to inadvertantly walk on one, cue the AgonyOfTheFeet.

Take a look at an urchin. Those little critters are balls of spines that seem to do nothing but stay in place, just waiting to be stepped on like {{caltrops}} and deal the hurt to anyone touching them. For extra injuries, urchin spines are actually quite brittle and tend to break when stepped on, remaining embedded in the swimmer's skin. And some of them are even ''poisonous''! In other words, they are the living embodiment of the SpikesOfDoom -- painful, dangerous and, well, spiky.

In visual media such as cartoons or video games, it's not uncommon for sea urchins to be visually simplified into near-perfect spheres with faces and a studding of large, conical spikes, going from being regular if spiky animals to more or less living caltrops.

Take a look at an urchin. Those little critters are balls of spines that seem to do nothing but stay in place, just waiting to be stepped on and deal the hurt to anyone touching them. For extra injuries, urchin spines are actually quite brittle and tend to break when stepped on, remaining embedded in the swimmer's skin. And some of them are even ''poisonous''! In other words, they are the living embodiment of the SpikesOfDoom -- painful, dangerous and, well, spiky.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening'' uses sea urchins to block paths in Toronbo Shores. While they deal damage to Link on mere contact, you first receive your [[PlotCoupon shield]] so you can push them away, harmlessly. After getting past a few you reach the sword and they just become the equivalent of prickly bushes.

A SubTrope of SpikesOfDoom. Compare PainfulPointyPufferfish, which is used in a similar fashion. See also ClingyAquaticLife.

* The ''Anime/{{Doraemon}}'' short, "Underwater Hiking", have Nobita going on an underwater hiking adventure with assorted gagdets, but the first thing that happens the moment he jumps into the sea is an urchin on his rump.

* In an episode of ''Series/CrazyExGirlfriend'', a creepy security guard blackmails Paula into going to an aquarium with him to see the touching pond. There, he demands that she put her hand on a sea urchin, facing him as she does so he can see her reaction. It's framed as though he'll be getting a sexual thrill out of seeing her in pain, but after she awkwardly describes the sensation as 'spiky', he cheers and then excitedly runs off to see the next exhibit, showing he actually just wanted to share the experience.

* A recurring enemy in ''VideoGame/AdventureIsland'' series is an urchin that floats back and forth in [[UnderTheSea underwater levels]].

** Giant purple Sea Urchins appear as obstacles in several underwater levels in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze'', both as immobile threats and floating around in a set movement pattern. Only Cranky Kong's cane stands a chance against them.
* Averted in the ''VideoGame/FreddiFish'' series, where sea urchins are used as [[FictionalCurrency currency in the undersea world]] and none of the characters are ever shown getting hurt by their spines (Gill Barker even bites on them [[TastyGold in the same manner as biting on gold]]).
* ''VideoGame/HeyPikmin'': Large Splurchins are rotund, purple and, according to the S.S Dolphin, mindless urchins that can be found floating in underwater levels. Those creatures will impede Olimar's way and harm everything that touches them.
* Gordos, some of the regular ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' baddies, give ''very'' strong vibes of this trope. The [[InvincibleMinorMinion completely invincible enemies]] are urchin-like monsters (though their spikes are arranged on a perfectly circular pattern leaving their faces and their backs smooth) which can be found not only in water but on land as well.
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening'' uses sea urchins to block paths in Toronbo Shores. While they deal damage to Link on mere contact, you first receive your [[PlotCoupon shield]] so you can push them away, harmlessly. After getting past a few you reach the sword and they just become the equivalent of prickly bushes.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Octogeddon}}'', Ursula the Urchin is an animal buddy which can fire a flurry of spikes all around her, damaging every enemy they strike.
* ''VideoGame/OrientalLegend'' have a Giant Sea Urchin boss in the Heavenly River stage, who floats around trying to sting you as well as [[SpikeShooter shooting its spikes]] from a distance and summoning smaller urchins to drop on you.

** Unfortunately for the ''Sunless Sea'' veterans, the Flukes didn't stay in the Unterzee: in ''VideoGame/SunlessSkies'', the ones that moved to the High Wilderness are called Scorn-Flukes, and if anything are even worse than in the previous game, charging your locomotive in the middle of open space with all their urchin-like bulk and speaking Correspondence even more fluently. [[spoiler:There's also whatever sort of eldritch Fluke that you can find in the mists near Worlebury-juxta-Mare; it can't hurt you, but it's so big and horrible-looking your terror will skyrocket in its presence]].
* Pincurchin is a cute urchin Pokémon introduced in ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'' that can deal electric shocks with its spines. Even when broken, said spines still emit electricity for three hours.

* In the ''VideoGame/WiiPlayMotion'' minigame ''Treasure Twirl'', many urchins are attached to the walls to hamper the mobility of the Miis. Like any other enemy, touching them will deplete your OxygenMeter and make you drop a treasure chest if you carrying at least one.
* Urchin enemies in ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'' are usually territorial and will aggro if you get too close. Their spikes double as a layer of armor that block most physical attacks. With few exceptions, you must wait for the urchin to initiate an opening to strike its core in order to Topple it and engage in higher combat functions.

* In the ''[[WebVideo/GameGrumps Game Grumps Animated]]'' episode [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qnqHwXfQe8 "Rolling in the Deep"]], Danny steps on an urchin with his bare feet and gets injured.

* Gordos, some of the regular ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' baddies, give ''very'' strong vibes of this trope. The completely invincible enemies are urchin-like monsters (though their spikes are arranged on a perfectly circular pattern leaving their faces and their backs smooth) which can be found not only in water but on land as well.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening'' uses sea urchins to block paths in Toronbo Shores. While they deal damage to Link on mere contact, they can easily be defeated with a sword.