If you turn off the light in Poniko's Room, there is a 1 in 64 chance that the 'Uboa Event' will occur. Whether the event will occur is determined when the player enters the room (leave and enter again for next chance), or to wait 5 seconds after the switch is flipped. Uboa was added along with the Pink Sea in Ver.0.08.
Description
Uboa (ウボァ) is a strange creature. Though there is no direct gender ascribed, Uboa may potentially be female due to its eventual replacement of Poniko's sprite. There is a chance that they will replace Poniko when you turn off the light, and plays a continuous filtered "Aah" sound. When the event happens a bright flash fills the room, similar to a blowing light bulb, then the entire room changes and Uboa replaces Poniko (if you kill her before triggering the event, Uboa is not going to appear. However, you will be locked in Poniko's room). You cannot leave the room, and flipping the light switch only causes another flash of light. If you touch Uboa, you will be sent to a Monochrome Street highly similar to the White Desert (with even its soundtrack playing); which is a looped area flooded with white liquid (potentially a swamp or marsh), a strange monster in the background bleeding, and Uboa's face will become strangely warped. Despite this location's atmosphere being identical to the White Desert's, there are no routes that lead away from this area and into the White Desert itself. The only way to escape Uboa's Trap World is by pinching Madotsuki awake or by using the Medamaude effect.
Reception
Uboa is likely a major factor for the success of the game, especially in the English version. Many non-Japanese players were introduced to Uboa through YouTube. Uboa itself may very well be the number one inspiration to download and explore Yume Nikki by most fans.
Discovery
On July 30, 2005, someone discovered both Uboa and FACE and posted about it in the second iteration of the Yume Nikki thread on 2ch. The poster was unlucky enough to get Uboa the very first time he flipped the switch. He described his reaction with the sound "Uboar", which was the infamous death cry of the Emperor in the Japanese version of Final Fantasy II. "Uboar" caught on as the name of the character, and was later shortened to "Uboa".
Fan Speculation
Hopelessness - Due to the aspect of being trapped, Uboa could be interpreted as a feeling of hopelessness.
Poniko's True Form - A common interpretation is that Uboa is Poniko's true form, mostly because they replace her sprite.
Frustration - A theory based on the correlation between the game Mischief Makers and Uboa's face, Uboa may be based on Kikiyama's and/or Madotsuki's frustration. Uboa is thematically similar to near-hopeless gameplay since it is very hard to trigger the event and even harder to accidentally discover. This may be Kikiyama's way of projecting game frustration.
Revenge - Since Poniko could be interpreted as Madotsuki's emotional side, which she is locking away, bothering her (switching the lights on and off) causes Uboa to appear, giving a fright to the player.
Molestation - The white liquid that fills the Monochrome Street/Uboa's Trap World may in fact be semen. The hills (which may also be covered in semen) that the Bloody Touching Monster is groping could also potentially represent breasts or the body in general. It appears to be more likely however that KyuuKyuu-kun is a metaphor for this potential theme in Madotsuki's past.
Inferiority Complex - As a Hikikomori Madotsuki may view Poniko as the archetypal normal/popular girl which Madotsuki contrasts her and her self-worth against. The distinction exemplifying Madotsuki's perspectives of being inferior. Even beyond the physical appearance of both girls, there exists much more that is directly in contrast to them. Both seem to live independently within the realms of a singular room. Though both of these rooms function relatively similarly, ascetically Poniko's room is bright, colorful, well furnished, posh and thus a drastic distinction from Madotsuki's dingy small apartment. Following this hypothesis; overall Poniko embodies all that Madotsuki views as desirable yet lacks, her antithesis in every way. Yet whereas Madotsuki lives within the expanses of her vast, sprawling dreams, Poniko's transformation into Uboa occurs only once the lights are turned off, (thus symbolic of sleep.) During this frightening occurrence Madotsuki's entrance into the inner realm of Poniko/Uboa is of a confined small linear endless repetition which Madotsuki is sealed into via Uboa's body itself. Here in this cold and abysmal ceaseless confinement, exists a pertinent and final concluding contrast. Not only outwardly, but now inwardly. illustrating just how drastically opposite each is defined within Madotsuki's framework. If all that the Poniko archetype represents is outwardly attractive, popular and desirous. Inwardly she is viewed as shallow, ugly, malicious, frightening, her true form the horror that is Uboa.
Madotsuki's Abusive Mother - With the manga appearance of Uboa, it is possible that Poniko is Madotsuki's mother and Uboa is supposed to represent Poniko's abusive side.
Trivia
- This is lost in English, but the syllables that make up Uboa's name (ウボァ) do not normally go together in Japanese, with the effect of the name being similar to Cthulhu or Astfgl in its "wrongness".
- When the Uboa event activates, some of the items in the room change. The dresser gets a "face" with googly eyes that may remind players of those of Masada and what seems to be a creepy smile. The two pictures change, the one over the desk turns from what looks like a mouse to a face which has googly eyes as well, and what could be either a moustache or a creepy-looking smile, and the one over Poniko's bed that changes from one shape to another. The window gets eyes and the rug's design also changes, showing a pattern with eyes as well. The lamp on the desk turns on, showing a light beam.
- Uboa is one of the most popular characters from the game and has made cameos or was inspiration for other characters in other (indi) video games.
- Yume 2kki - In the Sky Kingdom world there is a dog-like character that resembles Uboa. This character has been called "Dogboa" by fans.
- .flow - Uboa makes a cameo as a marking in the dead end room in the Underwater Temple.
- Me - the Mask effect is a clear reference to Uboa's face, and the location it's found in is quite similar to Poniko's room.
- Undertale - W. D. Gaster bears a striking resemblance to Uboa. The creator has referred to Uboa in other works as well.
- Spooky's House of Jumpscares - Specimen 13 behaves similar to Uboa.
- In the game LISA: The Joyful by Dingaling Games, the character Mr. Beautiful has a mask that appears similar to Uboa once cracked in battle. However, Dingaling stated on Twitter that the similarities weren't intentional, and that the character was instead based on Shoko Ashara.
- According to some, Uboa's design (that of its initial sprite) was likely inspired by Spirited Aways No-Face.
- Uboa's name originated from a type of scream in Japan. Originally pronounced 'uhoa' (ooo-hwha) when said in a manner resembling a scream, the name certainly suits its appearance and situation.
- Going along with the previous statement, the scream Uboa was popularized by Emperor Mateus from Final Fantasy II, who screamed Uboa when he was defeated in the NES/FC Japanese version and English prototype, this was likely part of the inspiration for the name
- The origin of Uboa's face design prior to its distortion when the player touches it may have come from a 1997 Treasure game called Mischief Makers. This may be coincidental however. In Mischief Makers, the denizens of the planet Clancer as well as most objects on the planet all have black, hollow-looking eyes similar to Uboa's that may be both curved inward or one curving outward. These creatures also possess gaping black mouths and white faces, much like Uboa.
- In the walfas' create.swf (despite being being Touhou in origin but because of Uboa's meme status) Uboa's face is an option to use on a character.
- In the manga, Uboa was given a ponytail (and arms) and, possibly hinting towards a theory and while they attack her, Madotsuki calls them "Mom" (depicted left).