Can objects be enemies?

Time Turner

Time Turner

You are filled with determination. (R/GD/TT)
The title sums up everything I want ask. My first thought is, no, enemies and objects are mutually exclusive. In relation to how articles are categorised, enemies are sentient beings that antagonise the player (Goombas, Koopa Troopas, etc.), and objects are anything inanimate that are interactable but can't be placed in the player's inventory (which would make them items instead). When it comes to objects that impede the player, like Fire Bars (Fire Bar) and Cannonballs (Cannonball), I've always thought of them as obstacles or traps, which I place under objects (fittingly, Category:Traps and Obstacles is categorised under Objects and not under Enemies). However, they, and other articles like them, are being categorised as enemies or objects, or just flat-out enemies, and I just don't think that makes sense. With all of that in mind, I'll ask you: can objects be enemies?

On a side note, the blurb for Category:Enemies is as follows: "This category is a list of the regular enemies fought throughout the Mario franchise, as well as enemies that are fought in the same manner as bosses, but are also featured as regular enemies." This is unhelpful in all regards.
 
I meant to respond to this earlier, but then something happened and I forgot.

I agree, it doesn't make sense to list pages like Fire Bars or Cannons as enemies, as I think we classify those as sentient beings that actually know (or supposedly know) what they're doing to hurt Mario. I'm all for removing the Enemy category on those pages that aren't and replacing them with Traps and Obstacles if they aren't marked with them already.

As for the blurb, yeah, that seems confusing. Don't have anything in mind as to what it could be changed to, though...
 
"An enemy is a sentient creature that appears throughout one or more levels to impede the player's progress."

The "sentient creature" part filters out traps and obstacles like fire bars, or projectiles like cannonballs.

The "appears throughout one or more levels" part prevents bosses, who serve a different purpose in terms of gameplay, from being lumped in with regular enemies.

The "impede the player's progress" part filters out creatures that cannot harm you.
 
That is a really good definition, and I am 100% on board with it.

Edit: If nobody objects, I'm fine with it being used on the wiki now (and all the subsequent changes afterwards).
 
Something that I'm not sure that the definition refers to are creatures such as a Bumpty, which impede progress but don't harm the player, so I think something else might need to be added to clarify those types of enemies as not being obstacles.

Unless we aren't going to consider them enemies.

EDIT: sorry I got confused, I was referring to this:
Mr. Edo said:
The "impede the player's progress" part filters out creatures that cannot harm you.
Click to expand...
The "impede players progress" part still refers to Bumpties, it was the further clarification that confused me. Never mind then.
 
Lee Chaolan said:
Something that I'm not sure that the definition refers to are creatures such as a Bumpty, which impede progress but don't harm the player, so I think something else might need to be added to clarify those types of enemies as not being obstacles.

Unless we aren't going to consider them enemies.
Click to expand...

In that case, I think we would use our best judgement for things like this. They aren't inanimate objects that follow a set routine of trying to harm the player. I think they would still be classified as enemies, but on the lower end of the scale, so to speak, as they aren't there to help the player either.
 
Bumpties still actively try to impede your progress, like how Fuzzies from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island technically don't hurt you but they're something you still want to avoid. Just because they don't hurt you doesn't mean they're not obstacles.
 
What BLOF says is correct. I should have probably specified that in my explanation.

The "impede the player's progress" part filters out creatures that do not serve as a potential hazard/nuisance.
 
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