Hey! I found one of them. I didn't have this one as a kid, but it's the same kinda thing. No idea if it works in modern windows but it works in my Windows XP virtual machine.

https://archive.org/details/spikenickclickable_202212

I'd love a Linux version of the classic Neko, that followed and played with your mouse

I remember all of them. I remember there was one for one the Rugrats, one for Spongebob, and one for Ralph from Spy Kids (I still have the last one). And I remember they often had to be uninstalled because they'd screw up with the computer if it was older.

Banzai buddy is slowing the computer down, dad!

I remember tiny Elvis.

Desktop toys! I used to love those! As we upgraded the family PC, they got buggier and buggier, but I kept trying.

I fantasize often about writing a parkour stickman who climbs up my desktop windows and jumps between them

I had one that put lots of little sheep on the desktop, that would walk around on top of windows.

Yes but I preferred Tiny Elvis.

https://archive.org/details/win3_TELV150

I had a friend in highschool who once brought his laptop to school to take notes and on that day me and a few other guys learned that he had the virtual stripper girl desktop buddy