History Main / CraniumRide

* Subverted in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' with Trowlons, who use this trope as an attack. They try to carry player(s) [[RingOut offscreen]].

Doesn't work on enemies that you can GoombaStomp, obviously (unless they function as {{Goomba Springboard}}s). That, and CollisionDamage has to be disabled for the top of this specific enemy. Compare and contrast GoombaSpringboard. Not to be confused with [[http://www.mariowiki.com/Lava_Lift vehicles made out of craniums.]]

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld2YoshisIsland'' has birds that you had to ride across large gaps. The same game also features Poochy and Muddy Buddy, who can be ridden across spikes or lava. They are good guys instead of enemies. There's also the ever-helpful Support Ghost from Sluggy the Unshaven's fort, who makes an appearance in the Yoshi's Island stage of ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl''.

** ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'' and ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes'' have enemies that have to be stunned by shooting so that you can use them as platforms.

** Samus's ice-based weaponry can make any enemy a stepping stone, be them on the ground, on a wall or even airborne. They can also be used to perform {{Wall Jump}}s.

Doesn't work on enemies that you can GoombaStomp, obviously (unless they function as {{Goomba Springboard}}s). That, and CollisionDamage has to be disabled for the top of this specific enemy. Compare and contrast GoombaSpringboard. Not to be confused with [[http://www.mariowiki.com/Lava_Lift vehicles made out of craniums]].

** ''VideoGame/{{Metroid 2}}'' features Flitts, Septoggs, and Proboscum, which all serve this purpose in various ways. Flitts harmlessly float around and will sometimes vanish when Samus is around, Septoggs hover harmlessly in place and will sink under Samus's weight when she stands on one, and Proboscum is a wall-mounted malfunctioning platform robot that continuously raises and lowers its platform.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker'' allows you to implement this mechanic in several ways: by stacking a winged Parabeetle (which the player can already stand onto by default) above a walking mook, or putting it in a rail. You can also have Mario stand onto a Thwomp safely as long as he's wearing a Goomba Shoe or riding Yoshi; in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker2'', the Dry Bones Shell provides the same benefit, and Mario and his friends can simply stand onto a Thwomp without any gear in the ''Super Mario 3D World'' game style. Last, but not least, a post-release update for ''Maker 2'' adds the [=SMB2=] Mushroom, which grants the ability to ride most enemies like in the 1988 adventure, but it's exclusive to the ''Super Mario Bros.'' game style.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' is one of the first instances, allowing the characters to hop onto any enemy that isn't hot or spiky without killing it; from there, you can either ride it across an obstacle, or lift it up overhead to hurl at an enemy. This concept becomes an important mechanic in World 4: In the second tower of World 4-3 you have to jump on a Shy Guy's head and ride them across some spikes to safety. There's also a spiky area in 4-2 where you have to do the same thing with an enemy vehicle (Autobomb).

** Required in a few places with the Mega Mole enemies of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'', notably the first two areas in the Valley of Bowser. And in PlatformHell hacks, it's required in many more places to cross lethal pits by repeatedly spin-jumping on a [[TheSpiny Spiny]]-kind enemy.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld2YoshisIsland'' has birds that you had to ride across large gaps. The same game also featured Poochy and Muddy Buddy, who could be ridden across spikes or lava. They were good guys instead of enemies. There's also the ever-helpful Support Ghost from Sluggy the Unshaven's fort, who makes an appearance in the Yoshi's Island stage of ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl''.

* ''VideoGame/MegaManX 3'' also had something similar: dragonfly enemies that you can stand on to reach higher areas. The twist with them, though, is that this only works when you're not firing your weapon; start shooting, and they start shooting, too, making your moving ledge useless.

* ''VideoGame/{{Rayman}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Rayman 2}}: The Great Escape'' let you ride on some enemies' heads—but only if you've knocked a giant plum onto them first. [[CollisionDamage Otherwise...]]

Doesn't work on enemies that you can GoombaStomp, obviously (unless they function as {{Goomba Springboard}}s). That, and CollisionDamage has to be disabled for the top of this specific enemy. Compare and contrast GoombaSpringboard. Not to be confused with [[http://www.mariowiki.com/Lava_Lift vehicles made out of craniums.]]

%% Image replaced per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1596504130018736800

Doesn't work on enemies that you can GoombaStomp, obviously (unless they function as {{Goomba Springboard}}s). That, and CollisionDamage has to be disabled for the top of this specific enemy. Compare and contrast GoombaSpringboard. Not to be confused with [[http://www.mariowiki.com/Skull_Raft vehicles made out of craniums.]]

** Required in a few places with the giant mole enemies of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld''. And in PlatformHell hacks, it's required in many more places to cross lethal pits by repeatedly spin-jumping on a [[TheSpiny Spiny]]-kind enemy.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/TazMania'' game for the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis, there are ambulatory rocks with angry faces that serve as enemies. Taz can (and must for one level) ride these monsters across hazards such as [[QuicksandSucks quicksand]]. Unlike other examples of this Trope, however, they ''do'' mind, and will try to swat Taz off them if he stays up there for too long.

** Required in a few places with the giant mole enemies of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld''. And in PlatformHell hacks, it's required in many more places to cross lethal pits by repeatedly spin-jumping on a [[TheSpiny Spiny]]-kind enemy.
** ''Super Mario World 2: VideoGame/YoshisIsland'' has birds that you had to ride across large gaps. The same game also featured Poochy and Muddy Buddy, who could be ridden across spikes or lava. They were good guys instead of enemies. There's also the ever-helpful Support Ghost from Sluggy the Unshaven's fort, who makes an appearance in the Yoshi's Island stage of ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl.''

* ''AlienHominid'' does kind of allow this, in that jumping on an MIB's head causes him to run around screaming, right past barriers that stop you but not the enemy. To make things even better, when you're done with the guy, you get to bite off his head.

The act of jumping on an enemy's head and riding one, allowing safe passage across [[MalevolentArchitecture environmental hazards]], usually [[SpikesOfDoom floor spikes]]. It works because the enemy's wearing a pair of [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3 Kuribo's Shoes]], and you aren't.

The enemy won't even care that you're hitching a ride on its head. It will continue to wander back and forth mindlessly.

* ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' games sometimes feature this trope. ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' has creatures called Rippers which function as moving platforms. Some (usually the ones that fly over lava pits) will slowly sink when stood on. There's also a large turtle-like creature that will start to bounce around when you stand on it, and can be used to reach an item expansion. ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'' and ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes'' have enemies that have to be stunned by shooting so that you can use them as platforms. And then there's the Ice Beam, which allows enemies to be frozen temporarily and used as makeshift platforms.

[[folder:Platform]]

Doesn't work on enemies that you can GoombaStomp, obviously (unless they function as [[GoombaSpringboard Goomba Springboard]]s). That, and CollisionDamage has to be disabled for the top of this specific enemy. Compare and contrast GoombaSpringboard. Not to be confused with [[http://www.mariowiki.com/Skull_Raft vehicles made out of craniums.]]

* In ''ABoyAndHisBlob,'' [[AnvilOnHead dropping the Banana Anvil on the head]] of both the giant, pacing enemies and the smaller, cannonball-shaped enemies with make the anvil stick. You can then hop on top and use their anvil-adorned heads for safe passage across spikes. But watch out—while the cannonballs can't attack you with the anvil on, the big blobs ''can...''

* You can [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0czGDbvwUko actually ride a boss in this manner]] in DT3.

Doesn't work on enemies that you can GoombaStomp, obviously (unless they function as [[GoombaSpringboard Goomba Springboard]]s). That, and CollisionDamage has to be disabled for the top of this specific enemy. Compare and contrast GoombaSpringboard. Not to be confused with [[http://www.mariowiki.com/Skull_Raft vehicles made out of craniums]].

* ''[[{{Nitrome}} Parasite]]'' both justifies this and turns it horrific. When the titular alien abomination jumps on another creature, it pokes its tentacles through that creature's skull and steers it like a vehicle. Jumping off the now mindless, drooling creature makes it explode into LudicrousGibs.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' is one of the first instances, allowing the characters to hop onto any enemy that isn't hot or spiky without killing it; this concept becomes an important mechanic in World 4: In the second tower of World 4-3 you have to jump on a Shy Guy's head and ride them across some spikes to safety. There's also a spiky area in 4-2 where you have to do the same thing with an enemy vehicle (Autobomb).

* An interesting (but largely useless) trick in the ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' games was the ability to "surf" on top of Sentinels. This ability had a practical use when it was applied to vehicles or allies. It's easiest to preform the Sentinel version on levels where they are friendly, such as the Arc on ''VideoGame/{{Halo 3}}'' (immediately before you open the door for the Marines, but just before the Scarab battle).

* ''VideoGame/IWannaBeTheGuy'' has a part where you have to ride on a giant 8 bit [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda Link]] to progress. Unfortunately you're not in the clear yet, because occasionally he'll stab upwards and kill you if you aren't expecting it. More annoyingly, one of these is at the ''exact point'' where you're coming down again after jumping over a spike. Gibs ensue.