Squid

Nintendo's Splatoon characters began as tofu blocks that shot ink to claim turf. Next came rabbits: ink showed on white fur, and ears signaled direction. But developers couldn't connect rabbits with ink, so they switched to squids.

The brain of a cephalopod is shaped like a donut, with the esophagus running straight through the center. Even in a 300 kg colossal squid, the esophagus is only about 10 mm in diameter—so swallowing too large a piece of food can compress the brain and cause damage.