Recurring enemies in the Mario series
Encyclopedia
This is a list of common enemies in the Mario series
of video games. The enemies on the list are in alphabetical order.
-like creatures that first appear in Super Mario Bros.
In some Mario sports games, the Mario Kart
series and Super Mario Sunshine
, they are items that can be used by players. In Mario Kart, they temporarily reduce drivers' visibilities by spraying ink on them, blocking most of their view. Blooper is also an unlockable playable character in Mario Party 8
. To unlock it, the player has to beat the Star Battle Arena once. It was also an unlockable character in Mario Super Sluggers
. Two variations of Blooper appear in Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story: the "Bubble Blooper" and the "Dried Blooper".
GameDaily
listed Blooper as the twentieth best Mario enemy, describing it as a difficult enemy to out-swim.
s, sometimes with windup keys on their backs. They wander around aimlessly and eventually explode on their own if not picked up, stomped on, or thrown around. They first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 2
. Bob-ombs are common enemies in Super Mario 64
as well as allies. In these games, Bob-ombs are first encountered in Bob-omb Battlefield, a level that is ruled by King Bob-omb. Paper Mario
and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
feature two playable Bob-ombs named Bombette and Admiral Bobbery respectively. They appear as items in other games, including the Mario Kart
and Super Smash Bros. series. In Mario Super Sluggers
they appear in a mini-game called Bob-omb Derby, where the object of the game is to hit them to create fireworks
. Bob-ombs also made an appearance in the Super Mario Brothers movie
, where they are shown to be the size of a golf ball with a wind up key on its back.
GameDaily
listed the Bob-omb as the ninth best Mario enemy, calling it the "most adorable explosive" they've ever seen. UGO.com listed the Bob-ombs on their list of "The Cutest Video Game Characters" stating "Bob-omb is the cutest little suicide bomber this side of Tehran
".
, where they appear under the name Boo Diddly, a pun of Bo Diddley
. In Super Mario World
, there are much larger variations of the Boo under the name of Big Boo. All Boos are ghostly creatures that are able to pass through solid matter. However, they are shy, and will cover their face with their arms if anyone looks at them. Conversely, in Super Princess Peach
some Boos act the exact opposite, chasing after you if you look at them. In Luigi's Mansion
, Boos, led by King Boo, act as the main antagonists. Boos appear as playable characters in various Mario spin-off games. In Super Mario Galaxy
, Mario can transform into Boo Mario, where he can float and become transparent. Also in Galaxy is a variation of a Boo called a Bomb Boo that latches onto Mario when he spins and will revolve around him until it comes into contact with an object, where it will explode. Boo also has a small appearance on a level in New Super Mario Bros. Although Boo is considered shy, it has made appearances as a playable character in games such as Mario Party 8
, Mario Kart Wii
, and Mario Tennis
. Boo has also appeared in all of the games in the Mario RPG series, including the Mario and Luigi games, the Paper Mario series, and Super Mario RPG.In Super Mario 3D Land,Boos appear as Toonoki Boos,with toonoki tails or regular boo's.
Takashi Tezuka
's wife was the inspiration for Boos; like them, she is often shy, but once became very angry at him for spending too much time at work.
Boo ranked in the fifth slot on GameDaily
's top 10 Nintendo characters that deserve their own games list. GameDaily also listed it as the seventh best Mario enemy, citing the difficulty involved in defeating or outrunning it.
They are usually fired by cannons known as Bill Blasters, although they are sometimes fired from other sources, such as Snifits and generic cannons. In Super Mario World they can sometimes just fly in from the edge of the screen, including the top and the bottom. Bullet Bills commonly appear as enemies or obstacles, attacking by either flying forward after being shot or actively seeking a target, either smashing into them then continuing movement or exploding on contact. In Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii, the Bullet Bill is one of the usable weapons, turning any character into a Bullet Bill for a brief while, speeding them ahead and knocking away any drivers in their path. Bullet Bills also make cameo appearances in Super Smash Bros. Melee
and Super Smash Bros. Brawl
as enemies. In Super Mario Sunshine
Bullet bills are shot out of a cannon by a Monty Mole.In Super Mario 3D Land,they appear with toonoki tails.
Some games, such as Super Mario World
, include a much larger variation of Bullet Bill called the Banzai Bill, known as in Japan. Though having the same purpose as the Bullet Bill, the Banzai Bill is significantly larger and has fanged teeth. In New Super Mario Bros.
and New Super Mario Bros. Wii
, Bullet Bills are completely fireproof. A stomp will defeat a Bullet Bill, but it always revives itself by shooting out of a cannon over and over again.
The Torpedo Ted is an underwater version of Bullet Bill.
GameDaily
listed Bullet Bill as the 10th best Mario enemy, calling it one of the series' most iconic characters.
-like creature with a hard, fireproof shell that renders it immune to Mario's fireballs. Like Koopa Troopa, it stops moving for a while after being stomped, but will eventually flip upright and begin walking again on its own. The shell can be kicked, or picked up and carried/thrown, to knock out enemies. If it hits a wall or barrier, though, it will bounce back and Mario must jump to avoid being hit.
The character first appears in Super Mario Bros.
, then again in Super Mario Bros. 3
along with two relatives: Buster Beetle, who can pick up and throw ice blocks; and Para-Beetles, which have wings and fly around the sky stages of the game. These two are not fireproof, nor can they be flipped and kicked; a stomp will defeat Buster, while the Para-Beetles change their flight pattern if Mario jumps on them. In addition, some Buzzys in Super Mario Bros. 3 can walk along the ceiling and drop to the floor and slide toward Mario.
GameDaily
listed the Buzzy Beetle as the 12th best Mario enemy, due to its increased defenses versus most other enemies.
term's English equivalent BowWows in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
, are metal, barking ball-and-chain-like creatures that are restrained by chains. When not held back by chains, they are sometimes referred to as just Chomps. Chain Chomps constantly strain against the chain holding them, attempting to break free and bite anything that passes close by. They first appear in Super Mario Bros. 3
. Chain Chomps and different variations appear in all of the Mario RPG games. In games such as Super Mario 64
, Super Mario Sunshine
, New Super Mario Bros.
, New Super Mario Bros. Wii
, and Super Mario Galaxy, Chain Chomps can be set free from their chains by ground pounding on their post. Otherwise, they are often indestructible.
Chain Chomps also appear without chains, such as in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, where they are seen at first from afar, then lunge high into the air and drop down suddenly, creating a huge crater in the ground. There are also "Chomp Sharks," in which the Chomps chase the player, by "eating" the platform Yoshi is running on, until it hits a solid surface. In some games (beginning in Super Mario Bros. 3), a version of the Chain Chomp that has fireballs for a chain and can fly appears. In Super Mario Galaxy
. Chomps are nearly-invincible monsters that roll along a predetermined path. In Super Mario Galaxy 2
, Silver Chomps pursue Mario.
Outside the Mario games, Chain Chomps appear in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
animated series. They also appear in various installments of The Legend of Zelda series of games.
The inspiration for Chain Chomps comes from a childhood experience of the Mario series' creator, Shigeru Miyamoto
, where a dog tried to attack him. The dog lunged at him, but was jerked back by its leash just as the canine snapped at Miyamoto inches in front of his face.
Chain Chomps also appeared in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
as a special item and an obstacle on circuit courses, and reappeared as an obstacle in Mario Kart DS
and Mario Kart Wii
. Chain Chomps are also seen on the rainbow course in Mario Kart 64
, repeatedly biting their way over the course trying to hit the player.
GameDaily
listed the Chain Chomp as the 14th best Mario enemy, describing it as one of the series' most ferocious.
, are fish that made their first appearance in Super Mario Bros.
, primarily in water levels, although some can jump in an arc
or fly within a limited range. They are common recurring enemies throughout the Mario series.
There are many different species of Cheep-Cheeps, and they come in different colors, such as gray and green. In Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
, Cheep-Cheeps are found swimming in the underwater levels or jumping out of the water in large arcs.
In Super Mario Bros. 3
, Cheep-Cheeps act the same, although they can also jump out of lava. They are mainly seen in World 3. Also, around this time, Cheep-Cheeps' tail fin colors changed from white to yellow, and the slow-moving Cheep-Cheeps were recolored green (instead of gray). The game also features a very rare type of Cheep-Cheep with spines on its back. A variation of Cheep-Cheep also appears in Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story called "Air Cheep". Also, they appear in the Mario Kart series, and are important parts of the themes of certain levels.
GameDaily
listed the Cheep-Cheep as the 23rd best Mario enemy, stating that few enemies angered them more than the Cheep-Cheeps.
Along with being primarily in water levels, they can also be found in levels with bridges over water. A great example of this is level 7-3 in the original Super Mario Brothers video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
, and have since then appeared in the various forts and castles of many games, including Super Mario World
, New Super Mario Bros.
, Super Mario Galaxy
, New Super Mario Bros. Wii
and Super Mario Galaxy 2
.
Dry Bones appear as playable characters in various spin-off Mario series such as Mario Baseball, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
, Mario Kart
, and Mario Party games. Dry Bones appear as a trophy and sticker in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
. They also appeared in "Mario Strikers Charged
" as a playable character. Dry Bones can also be a playable character in Mario Party 8
.
GameDaily
listed Dry Bones as the 21st best Mario enemy, due to the difficulty involved in defeating them.
's series of Mario
video games. They first appeared in the NES
video game Super Mario Bros.
as the first enemy players encounter. They have appeared outside of video games, including in film, television, and other media. They are usually brown and are most commonly seen walking around aimlessly, often as an obstacle, in video games. They were included late in the development of Super Mario Bros. in order to create a simple, easy-to-defeat enemy.
The species is considered one of the most iconic elements of the Mario series, appearing in nearly every game in the series, and is often ranked amongst the most famous enemies in video games. Crave Online described it as the series' "everyman". It has been compared to other generic enemies in video games, such as the "Met" enemy from the Mega Man series
and the creatures from Braid
. In Super Mario 3D Land, there are two types of goombas: regular goombas, Tanooki goombas (according to the Super Mario 3D Land website, goombas with tails) and goombas stacked on top of each other.
Other variations, such as Boomerang Bros., Fire Bros., Ice Bros. (denoted by the projectiles that they use), Sledge Bros. (heavier Hammer Bros.) and Sumo Bros.(much heavier Hammer Bros.) have appeared, beginning in Super Mario Bros. 3
. Hammer Bros. sometimes appear as playable characters in sports games in the series and also are unlockable playable characters in Mario Party 8
. They also make cameos in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as an Assist Trophy and as enemies.
In Super Mario World
there is a variety of the Hammer Bros. called the Amazing Flyin' Hammer Bros. that made a re-appearance in Super Princess Peach
.
Hammer Bros. appear in the The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
and The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
television series, as well as in printed media such as Nintendo Comics System
and Nintendo Adventure Books
.
The Hammer Bros. were listed on the eight most underrated characters list by CNET
editor Nate Lanxon, who compared the duo in the first Super Mario Bros. to other enemies in the series which would merely walk aimlessly in the level. GameDaily
listed Hammer Bros. as the fifth best Mario enemy, citing the difficulty involved in defeating them. Nintendo Power
listed the Hammer Bros. as one of the things that they love to hate, citing the difficulty involved in defeating or avoiding them.
for the arcade (previously, all non-boss
enemies were merely barrels). They come in multiple colors, including green, red, blue, and yellow. In more recent Mario games such as the New Super Mario Bros. series, green Koopa Troopas will walk in a straight line from wherever they are placed on the map, whereas Red Koopa Troopas will pace a certain area of land. They first walked on four legs, but in later games they have both hands and feet. Their shells may be used as projectiles, which have become a fixture in all Mario Kart
games. Most Koopas are members of the Koopa Troop (Bowser's army), but both Super Mario 64
and the Paper Mario series include friendly Koopas, such as Koopa the Quick (Super Mario 64) and Kooper (Paper Mario). Flying versions with wings, first introduced in Super Mario Bros., are called Koopa Paratroopas. Both Koopa Troopas and Koopa Paratroopas make cameo appearances in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl as enemies. Giant Koopa Troopas called Gargantua Koopa Troopas were introduced in Super Mario Bros. 3
and reappeared in Super Mario Galaxy 2
only in Supermassive Galaxy.
The Koopa Troopa, based on the kappa, a mythical creature, was preceded by the Shellcreeper in Mario Bros.
as an enemy that could only be defeated by hitting the floor underneath it (to stun it) and then going up onto its platform to deal the final blow. Series creator Shigeru Miyamoto
had a fellow designer draw the Koopa Troopa. He drew a realistic design that didn't fit well in the Mario series, so Miyamoto made his own design. While the design had quite a large head, Miyamoto validated it by suggesting that it looked like a tortoise
. He and Hirokazu Tanaka
, a frequent sound designer for Nintendo at the time, discussed what the insides of a turtle looked like. Miyamoto wanted to make it easy to tell when a turtle was going to jump up, but he felt that the twitching of the shell was not enough warning to tell players when it would flip over. Tanaka suggested that the turtle be launched from its shell when flipped over, and eventually attempt to reenter it. While this was not true to the actual anatomy of a turtle, whose shell develops from its spine, Miyamoto felt that it was the best way to convey when they were a threat again. Super Mario Bros. originally featured the Koopa Troopa as its only enemy. However, they chose to add more enemies after people said that the Koopa Troopas were way too tricky to defeat due to it being a two-step process.
The design of the Koopa Paratroopa came from Mario developer Takashi Tezuka
in an attempt to add a flying character to Super Mario Bros., but did not have enough space to include such a character. Tezuka suggested that they put wings on the Koopa Troopa and call it "Koopa Paratroopa", which Miyamoto did not think would work. However, once it was finished, Miyamoto felt that it looked cute. An item called the "P Wing" was added to Super Mario Bros. 3
, which was based on the Koopa Paratroopa.
A variety of Mario-related merchandise depicting Koopa Troopas have been produced over the years by Nintendo; this merchandise includes plush dolls
, mini figures, bottlecaps and plush keychains. The various merchandise given out on King Koopa's Kool Kartoons
was often adorned with the name Koopa Troopa as well. Their signature shell was included as a player piece in the Nintendo Monopoly game. A Koopa Troopa was featured in a line of six-inch-tall plush toys based on characters from the Mario series.
A satirical article was written by The Pitt News columnist Ben Korman, criticizing the Mario series for its offensive treatment of the Koopa Troopas, stating that the character Mario
was rewarded for his slaughter of "innocent, healthy turtles". GameDaily
listed Koopa Troopa as the eighth best Mario enemy, calling them the most common enemies in the series next to the Goomba
.
. It was created by Shigeru Miyamoto
. It first appeared in the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
video game Super Mario Bros.
, where it dropped enemies called Spinies on the stage. It has a striped green shell, wears thick glasses, and rides around in a smiling cloud. It has since appeared in several main Mario titles since, as well as Mario spin-off titles, notably the Mario Kart
series where it acts in the capacity of the race starter. He has appeared in non-Mario titles, including the Super Smash Bros. series, specifically Super Smash Bros. Brawl
. His most recent appearance in the main Mario series was in Super Mario Galaxy 2
.
Since appearing in Super Mario Bros., Lakitu has received somewhat positive reception. It has appeared in the form of several kinds of merchandise, including on t-shirt
s, sticker
s, and a dry erase board. While he has been regarded as one of the best Mario villains by GameDaily
, he has been decried by several editors for being a troublesome enemy, including 1UP.com
editor Jeremy Parish and G4TV editor Andrew Pfister.
. A member of the species, Kamek, babysat Bowser when he was a baby.
Kamek made an appearance in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
as a boss on Yoshi's Island. A variation, the "Magifoofa", appears in Bowser's Inside Story.
that have appeared in several Mario games, including side-scrollers such as Super Mario World
. They later reappeared in Super Mario 64
and Paper Mario
. In these games, Monty Moles throw rocks at Mario and then burrow underground before he can counter-attack. Monty Moles are minibosses
in Super Mario Sunshine
, New Super Mario Bros.
and Super Mario Galaxy
. Monty Moles appear as the engineers in a variant called "Mawful Mole" on the Fawful express, and as guards on Yikk's Tower in Bowser's Inside Story. Monty Moles also make an appearance in Super Mario Kart
, Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart DS, and Mario Kart 64 as enemies that pop out of the ground and cause players to spin out. Monty also appeared in Mario Superstar Baseball
as a playable character.
Piranha Plants appear in the television series. They have made cameos in Tetris Attack
and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
. They also appear in Super Smash Bros.
in the Mushroom Kingdom stage, and later in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
in the PictoChat stage, and as a collectible trophy.
GameDaily
listed Piranha Plant as the 13th best Mario enemy. 1UP.com
listed Piranha Plant first in their list of the "Top 5 Enemy Plants".
enemy that first appears in Super Mario Bros. 2
. Pokey consists of four (or more in some cases) green or yellow segments that may be detached from him, usually by getting Yoshi to eat them. A variation unofficially known as Giant Pokey debuted in Mario Kart Wii
. Pokey has appeared in the "Paper Mario" series. His latest appearance is in Super Mario 3D Land in multiple stages.
A Pokey boss called Mummipokey appears in New Super Mario Bros.
Pokeys make several cameo appearances in The Legend of Zelda series.
GameDaily
named Pokey the 22nd best Mario enemy, describing him as "ridiculously cute".
. They also appear in the Mario Party series, The Mario vs. Donkey Kong
series, and several sports games in the Mario series, among other games, though they play a large role as the standard enemies in many Yoshi games. Shy Guys are also playable in Mario Kart DS
via Download Play or an Action Replay DS code. There are many different variations of Shy Guys: Snifits, which have a cannon for a mouth; Fly Guys, which have spinning propellers on their heads; Sky Guys, which have balloons attached to their robes; Spy Guys, which are dressed in camouflage clothing; Boo Guys, which are ghosts; Boom Guys, which have a cannon on their head; and Spear Guys, which have spears and are found near jungle temples. Snifits were introduced in Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic. Two other variations of Snifits appear in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, as well as Fawful Guys. A stronger version, the Dark Fawful Guy, appears later in this game.
GameDaily
listed Shy Guy as the 15th best Mario enemy, citing their mysteriousness.
They are often thrown by Lakitu
s in unlimited supplies, but can also be naturally occurring. Spinies appear in many Mario games like Super Mario 64
, New Super Mario Bros.
, New Super Mario Bros. Wii
, Super Mario Galaxy
and Super Mario Galaxy 2
.
Spinies made a brief TV appearance in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show in the episode "Mario and the Red Baron Koopa". King Koopa had ordered Lakitu to throw several Spiny Eggs down to the people of Pasta Land, which hatched into Spinies, and terrorized the people for a short time. The Spinies seen in this episode were fairly similar to their game appearance.
A single Spiny later appeared in the continuation of the show. In The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
episode "Life's Ruff", a Lakitu tossed a Spiny Egg next to a dog-turned Luigi, which hatched into a Spiny and bit Luigi. This Spiny looked much like the ones seen on The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!.
Spinies have appeared in other games including one of the games in the Mario Party series
and made appearances in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
, Paper Mario
, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
, Super Paper Mario
, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
, Mario & Luigi: Partners In Time
and Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.
Spinies appeared in Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix
, but the dance game also introduced Ice Spinies. Both the regular Spinies and the Ice version would make the Dance Meter go down when stepped upon. The Ice Spinies, however, were not Spinies at all and were simply a frozen piece of ice with sharp spikes on them.
Spinies are represented in the Mario Strikers series as an item: a huge, spinning, spiked shell. This shell will bounce off walls until it eventually hits a player. When it impacts with a character, it will explode, and possibly hit other players as well. If any players are hit, they will be stunned for a few seconds.
, they drop onto people as they walk under them. Thwomps have also appeared in other games, including the Mario Kart
series, at Bowser's Castle, Super Mario Kart
' s Rainbow Road, and Mario Kart Wii
' s Thwomp Desert. The latter contains a Giant Thwomp which is replaced by a Giant Pokey for online tournaments. Thwomps make yet another appearance in Super Mario Galaxy
. A smaller version called Thwimp appears in some games. They look exactly like Thwomps except for jumping from left to right.In Super Mario 3D Land,there are 2 kinds of Thwomps.The regular thwomp and the toonoki-tailed thwomp.
Thwomps have appeared in both and The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
and Super Mario World
animated series.
Thwomps have also appeared in some Legend of Zelda games.
In the 1993 motion picture, "Thwomp Stompers" are a pair of boots which grant wearers the ability to jump incredible heights.
GameDaily
listed Thwomp as the 11th best Mario enemy.
, and have appeared in several other games, including the sports games in the Mario series. In Super Mario 64
, Wiggler is the boss of Tiny-Huge Island. In Yoshi's Story
, large, fluffy versions of Wigglers appear often. In Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, a family of Wigglers lives inside Dimble Woods; they are farmers of vegetables.
In the Super Mario World
animated series, they are referred to as "Caterpillars" and appear in the episode Mama Luigi.
In New Super Mario Bros Wii, there are bigger versions of Wigglers called Mega Wigglers that Mario cannot defeat. If Mario attempts to defeat them, they might damage him. They also reappear in Super Mario Galaxy 2
. Wiggler has also been confirmed as a playable character in Mario Kart 7.
and have appeared in New Super Mario Bros.
and various Mario Party games. As minions of Bowser, their purpose is usually to block Mario
's path or attempt to crush him by simply falling on top of him. Whomps have a bandage on their backs which hides a crack, their weak point. In Super Mario 64
, Whomps reside in the stage called Whomp's Fortress and are led by the Whomp King, a large whomp with a crown. They also appear in Super Mario Galaxy 2
, where they have more humanoid hands and feet.
Mario (series)
The video game series, alternatively called the series or simply the series, is a series of highly popular and critically acclaimed video games by Nintendo, featuring Nintendo's mascot Mario and, in many games, his brother Luigi. Gameplay in the series often centers around jumping on and...
of video games. The enemies on the list are in alphabetical order.
Bloopers
Bloopers ( in Japanese, originally known in English as Bloobers) are white, squidSquid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
-like creatures that first appear in Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 platform video game developed by Nintendo, published for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., the player controls Mario as he travels through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the antagonist...
In some Mario sports games, the Mario Kart
Mario Kart
is a series of go-kart-style racing video games developed by Nintendo as a series of spin-offs from its trademark Mario series of platformer adventure-style video games...
series and Super Mario Sunshine
Super Mario Sunshine
is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube. It was released in Japan in July 2002, in North America in August 2002, and in Europe and Australia in October 2002...
, they are items that can be used by players. In Mario Kart, they temporarily reduce drivers' visibilities by spraying ink on them, blocking most of their view. Blooper is also an unlockable playable character in Mario Party 8
Mario Party 8
is a party video game, the eighth installment in the Mario Party series, and is the first title in the series to be released for the Nintendo Wii. It is also the first Mario Party title to have the ability to use Mii characters. It was released in North America on May 29, 2007, in Europe on June...
. To unlock it, the player has to beat the Star Battle Arena once. It was also an unlockable character in Mario Super Sluggers
Mario Super Sluggers
Mario Super Sluggers, known in Japan as , is a sports video game for the Wii developed by Namco Bandai Games and NOW Production, and published by Nintendo. It was previously known by the working title Super Mario Stadium Baseball. It is part of the Mario Sports series, and the sequel to Mario...
. Two variations of Blooper appear in Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story: the "Bubble Blooper" and the "Dried Blooper".
GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
listed Blooper as the twentieth best Mario enemy, describing it as a difficult enemy to out-swim.
Bob-omb
Bob-ombs (Pronounced "bob-OMM"), known as in Japan, are living bombBomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
s, sometimes with windup keys on their backs. They wander around aimlessly and eventually explode on their own if not picked up, stomped on, or thrown around. They first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario Bros. 2, often abbreviated SMB2, is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1985 game Super Mario Bros. The game was also remade as part of the Super Mario All-Stars collection for the Super Nintendo Entertainment...
. Bob-ombs are common enemies in Super Mario 64
Super Mario 64
is a platform game, published by Nintendo and developed by its EAD division, for the Nintendo 64. Along with Pilotwings 64, it was one of the launch titles for the console. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, and later in North America, Europe, and Australia. Super Mario 64 has sold over...
as well as allies. In these games, Bob-ombs are first encountered in Bob-omb Battlefield, a level that is ruled by King Bob-omb. Paper Mario
Paper Mario
Paper Mario, known in Japan as , is a role-playing video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 game console. It was first released in Japan on August 11, 2000, in North America on February 5, 2001, and in Europe and Australia on October 5, 2001...
and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, or Paper Mario 2, released in Japan as , is a console role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube...
feature two playable Bob-ombs named Bombette and Admiral Bobbery respectively. They appear as items in other games, including the Mario Kart
Mario Kart
is a series of go-kart-style racing video games developed by Nintendo as a series of spin-offs from its trademark Mario series of platformer adventure-style video games...
and Super Smash Bros. series. In Mario Super Sluggers
Mario Super Sluggers
Mario Super Sluggers, known in Japan as , is a sports video game for the Wii developed by Namco Bandai Games and NOW Production, and published by Nintendo. It was previously known by the working title Super Mario Stadium Baseball. It is part of the Mario Sports series, and the sequel to Mario...
they appear in a mini-game called Bob-omb Derby, where the object of the game is to hit them to create fireworks
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
. Bob-ombs also made an appearance in the Super Mario Brothers movie
Super Mario Bros. (film)
Super Mario Bros. is a 1993 American action film directed by Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel. Based on the Super Mario Bros.video game and its entire franchise, the film features Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper and Samantha Mathis. It tells the story of the Mario brothers, Mario and...
, where they are shown to be the size of a golf ball with a wind up key on its back.
GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
listed the Bob-omb as the ninth best Mario enemy, calling it the "most adorable explosive" they've ever seen. UGO.com listed the Bob-ombs on their list of "The Cutest Video Game Characters" stating "Bob-omb is the cutest little suicide bomber this side of Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
".
Boo
Boos, known as in Japan, are spectral beings with beady eyes, long tongues, and sharp fangs. The first appearance of Boos was in Super Mario Bros. 3Super Mario Bros. 3
, also referred to as Super Mario 3 and SMB3, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the third game in the Super Mario series. The game was released in Japan in 1988, in the United States in 1990, and in Europe in 1991...
, where they appear under the name Boo Diddly, a pun of Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
. In Super Mario World
Super Mario World
, subtitled Super Mario Bros. 4 for its original Japanese release, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo as a pack-in launch title for the Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the fourth game in the Super Mario series...
, there are much larger variations of the Boo under the name of Big Boo. All Boos are ghostly creatures that are able to pass through solid matter. However, they are shy, and will cover their face with their arms if anyone looks at them. Conversely, in Super Princess Peach
Super Princess Peach
is a platform video game published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It was released in Japan in October 2005, the United States in February 2006, Australia in March 2006, and Europe in May 2006....
some Boos act the exact opposite, chasing after you if you look at them. In Luigi's Mansion
Luigi's Mansion
Luigi's Mansion, known as in Japan, is an action-adventure game published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube. It was released in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in Europe on May 3, 2002. The game was a launch title for the GameCube...
, Boos, led by King Boo, act as the main antagonists. Boos appear as playable characters in various Mario spin-off games. In Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy
is a 3D platform game developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was released in most regions in November 2007, and is the third 3D original platformer in the Mario series, after Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. The game follows the protagonist, Mario, on a...
, Mario can transform into Boo Mario, where he can float and become transparent. Also in Galaxy is a variation of a Boo called a Bomb Boo that latches onto Mario when he spins and will revolve around him until it comes into contact with an object, where it will explode. Boo also has a small appearance on a level in New Super Mario Bros. Although Boo is considered shy, it has made appearances as a playable character in games such as Mario Party 8
Mario Party 8
is a party video game, the eighth installment in the Mario Party series, and is the first title in the series to be released for the Nintendo Wii. It is also the first Mario Party title to have the ability to use Mii characters. It was released in North America on May 29, 2007, in Europe on June...
, Mario Kart Wii
Mario Kart Wii
is a racing video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It is the sixth installment in the Mario Kart series and the second Mario Kart title to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The game was released worldwide...
, and Mario Tennis
Mario Tennis
Mario Tennis, known in Japan as , is a sports video game developed by Camelot and Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 video game console. The game was released in North America and Japan in the summer of 2000, and released in Europe later in November. It is the first tennis-based game starring Mario since...
. Boo has also appeared in all of the games in the Mario RPG series, including the Mario and Luigi games, the Paper Mario series, and Super Mario RPG.In Super Mario 3D Land,Boos appear as Toonoki Boos,with toonoki tails or regular boo's.
Takashi Tezuka
Takashi Tezuka
, sometimes credited under his nickname Ten Ten, is a video game designer working for Nintendo. A graduate of the Design Department of Osaka University of Arts, he joined the company in April 1984 and was involved with some of the most critically acclaimed Nintendo series, including Mario and The...
's wife was the inspiration for Boos; like them, she is often shy, but once became very angry at him for spending too much time at work.
Boo ranked in the fifth slot on GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
's top 10 Nintendo characters that deserve their own games list. GameDaily also listed it as the seventh best Mario enemy, citing the difficulty involved in defeating or outrunning it.
Bullet Bill
Bullet Bills, known as in Japan, are black, missile-like enemies, commonly depicted as having small arms and fanged frowns on their faces; they first appeared in Super Mario Bros.Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 platform video game developed by Nintendo, published for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., the player controls Mario as he travels through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the antagonist...
They are usually fired by cannons known as Bill Blasters, although they are sometimes fired from other sources, such as Snifits and generic cannons. In Super Mario World they can sometimes just fly in from the edge of the screen, including the top and the bottom. Bullet Bills commonly appear as enemies or obstacles, attacking by either flying forward after being shot or actively seeking a target, either smashing into them then continuing movement or exploding on contact. In Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii, the Bullet Bill is one of the usable weapons, turning any character into a Bullet Bill for a brief while, speeding them ahead and knocking away any drivers in their path. Bullet Bills also make cameo appearances in Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBM or simply as Melee, is a crossover fighting game released for the Nintendo GameCube shortly after its launch in . It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 game Super Smash Bros., and the predecessor to the Wii game Super Smash...
and Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
as enemies. In Super Mario Sunshine
Super Mario Sunshine
is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube. It was released in Japan in July 2002, in North America in August 2002, and in Europe and Australia in October 2002...
Bullet bills are shot out of a cannon by a Monty Mole.In Super Mario 3D Land,they appear with toonoki tails.
Some games, such as Super Mario World
Super Mario World
, subtitled Super Mario Bros. 4 for its original Japanese release, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo as a pack-in launch title for the Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the fourth game in the Super Mario series...
, include a much larger variation of Bullet Bill called the Banzai Bill, known as in Japan. Though having the same purpose as the Bullet Bill, the Banzai Bill is significantly larger and has fanged teeth. In New Super Mario Bros.
New Super Mario Bros.
is a side-scrolling platform video game published and developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. The game was released in North America and Japan in May 2006 and in Australia and Europe in June 2006...
and New Super Mario Bros. Wii
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
is a 2009 side-scrolling platform video game published and developed by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. The game was released on November 12, 2009 in Australia, November 15, 2009 in North America, November 20, 2009 in Europe and December 3, 2009 in Japan...
, Bullet Bills are completely fireproof. A stomp will defeat a Bullet Bill, but it always revives itself by shooting out of a cannon over and over again.
The Torpedo Ted is an underwater version of Bullet Bill.
GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
listed Bullet Bill as the 10th best Mario enemy, calling it one of the series' most iconic characters.
Buzzy Beetle
A Buzzy Beetle is a black beetleBeetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
-like creature with a hard, fireproof shell that renders it immune to Mario's fireballs. Like Koopa Troopa, it stops moving for a while after being stomped, but will eventually flip upright and begin walking again on its own. The shell can be kicked, or picked up and carried/thrown, to knock out enemies. If it hits a wall or barrier, though, it will bounce back and Mario must jump to avoid being hit.
The character first appears in Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 platform video game developed by Nintendo, published for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., the player controls Mario as he travels through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the antagonist...
, then again in Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Bros. 3
, also referred to as Super Mario 3 and SMB3, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the third game in the Super Mario series. The game was released in Japan in 1988, in the United States in 1990, and in Europe in 1991...
along with two relatives: Buster Beetle, who can pick up and throw ice blocks; and Para-Beetles, which have wings and fly around the sky stages of the game. These two are not fireproof, nor can they be flipped and kicked; a stomp will defeat Buster, while the Para-Beetles change their flight pattern if Mario jumps on them. In addition, some Buzzys in Super Mario Bros. 3 can walk along the ceiling and drop to the floor and slide toward Mario.
GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
listed the Buzzy Beetle as the 12th best Mario enemy, due to its increased defenses versus most other enemies.
Chain Chomp
Chain Chomps, known in Japan as and as the JapaneseJapanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
term's English equivalent BowWows in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, known as in Japan, is a 1993 action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy...
, are metal, barking ball-and-chain-like creatures that are restrained by chains. When not held back by chains, they are sometimes referred to as just Chomps. Chain Chomps constantly strain against the chain holding them, attempting to break free and bite anything that passes close by. They first appear in Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Bros. 3
, also referred to as Super Mario 3 and SMB3, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the third game in the Super Mario series. The game was released in Japan in 1988, in the United States in 1990, and in Europe in 1991...
. Chain Chomps and different variations appear in all of the Mario RPG games. In games such as Super Mario 64
Super Mario 64
is a platform game, published by Nintendo and developed by its EAD division, for the Nintendo 64. Along with Pilotwings 64, it was one of the launch titles for the console. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, and later in North America, Europe, and Australia. Super Mario 64 has sold over...
, Super Mario Sunshine
Super Mario Sunshine
is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube. It was released in Japan in July 2002, in North America in August 2002, and in Europe and Australia in October 2002...
, New Super Mario Bros.
New Super Mario Bros.
is a side-scrolling platform video game published and developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. The game was released in North America and Japan in May 2006 and in Australia and Europe in June 2006...
, New Super Mario Bros. Wii
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
is a 2009 side-scrolling platform video game published and developed by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. The game was released on November 12, 2009 in Australia, November 15, 2009 in North America, November 20, 2009 in Europe and December 3, 2009 in Japan...
, and Super Mario Galaxy, Chain Chomps can be set free from their chains by ground pounding on their post. Otherwise, they are often indestructible.
Chain Chomps also appear without chains, such as in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, where they are seen at first from afar, then lunge high into the air and drop down suddenly, creating a huge crater in the ground. There are also "Chomp Sharks," in which the Chomps chase the player, by "eating" the platform Yoshi is running on, until it hits a solid surface. In some games (beginning in Super Mario Bros. 3), a version of the Chain Chomp that has fireballs for a chain and can fly appears. In Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy
is a 3D platform game developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was released in most regions in November 2007, and is the third 3D original platformer in the Mario series, after Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. The game follows the protagonist, Mario, on a...
. Chomps are nearly-invincible monsters that roll along a predetermined path. In Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario Galaxy 2
is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was first announced at E3 2009 and is the sequel to Super Mario Galaxy. It was released in North America on May 23, 2010, in Japan on May 27, 2010, in Europe on June 11, 2010, and in Australia on July 1,...
, Silver Chomps pursue Mario.
Outside the Mario games, Chain Chomps appear in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 is an American animated television series based on the video game Super Mario Bros. 3. It aired on NBC with Captain N: The Game Master in a programming block titled Captain N & The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 from September 8, 1990 through December 1,...
animated series. They also appear in various installments of The Legend of Zelda series of games.
The inspiration for Chain Chomps comes from a childhood experience of the Mario series' creator, Shigeru Miyamoto
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
, where a dog tried to attack him. The dog lunged at him, but was jerked back by its leash just as the canine snapped at Miyamoto inches in front of his face.
Chain Chomps also appeared in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is a racing game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube in 2003. The game is the fourth installment in the Mario Kart series, following Mario Kart: Super Circuit from 2001...
as a special item and an obstacle on circuit courses, and reappeared as an obstacle in Mario Kart DS
Mario Kart DS
is a racing game developed and published by Nintendo. It was released for the Nintendo DS handheld game console in North America, Australia, and Europe on November 14, 2005, and in Japan on December 8, 2005. The game is the fifth installment in the Mario Kart series of video games, and the first to...
and Mario Kart Wii
Mario Kart Wii
is a racing video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It is the sixth installment in the Mario Kart series and the second Mario Kart title to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The game was released worldwide...
. Chain Chomps are also seen on the rainbow course in Mario Kart 64
Mario Kart 64
is a racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It is the second installment in the Mario Kart series. It was released in 1996 in Japan and in 1997 in North America and Europe. In January 2007, Mario Kart 64 was released on Nintendo's Virtual Console service for the Wii...
, repeatedly biting their way over the course trying to hit the player.
GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
listed the Chain Chomp as the 14th best Mario enemy, describing it as one of the series' most ferocious.
Cheep-Cheep
Cheep-Cheeps, known in Japan by the similar onomatopoeiaChicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
, are fish that made their first appearance in Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 platform video game developed by Nintendo, published for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., the player controls Mario as he travels through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the antagonist...
, primarily in water levels, although some can jump in an arc
Parabola
In mathematics, the parabola is a conic section, the intersection of a right circular conical surface and a plane parallel to a generating straight line of that surface...
or fly within a limited range. They are common recurring enemies throughout the Mario series.
There are many different species of Cheep-Cheeps, and they come in different colors, such as gray and green. In Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
, also known as Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, is a platforming video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Family Computer Disk System...
, Cheep-Cheeps are found swimming in the underwater levels or jumping out of the water in large arcs.
In Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Bros. 3
, also referred to as Super Mario 3 and SMB3, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the third game in the Super Mario series. The game was released in Japan in 1988, in the United States in 1990, and in Europe in 1991...
, Cheep-Cheeps act the same, although they can also jump out of lava. They are mainly seen in World 3. Also, around this time, Cheep-Cheeps' tail fin colors changed from white to yellow, and the slow-moving Cheep-Cheeps were recolored green (instead of gray). The game also features a very rare type of Cheep-Cheep with spines on its back. A variation of Cheep-Cheep also appears in Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story called "Air Cheep". Also, they appear in the Mario Kart series, and are important parts of the themes of certain levels.
GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
listed the Cheep-Cheep as the 23rd best Mario enemy, stating that few enemies angered them more than the Cheep-Cheeps.
Along with being primarily in water levels, they can also be found in levels with bridges over water. A great example of this is level 7-3 in the original Super Mario Brothers video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
Dry Bones
Dry Bones, known as in Japan, are skeletal reanimated Koopa Troopas. They collapse after being attacked, but then reassemble themselves after a short time.They are also immune to fire. Dry Bones first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3Super Mario Bros. 3
, also referred to as Super Mario 3 and SMB3, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the third game in the Super Mario series. The game was released in Japan in 1988, in the United States in 1990, and in Europe in 1991...
, and have since then appeared in the various forts and castles of many games, including Super Mario World
Super Mario World
, subtitled Super Mario Bros. 4 for its original Japanese release, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo as a pack-in launch title for the Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the fourth game in the Super Mario series...
, New Super Mario Bros.
New Super Mario Bros.
is a side-scrolling platform video game published and developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. The game was released in North America and Japan in May 2006 and in Australia and Europe in June 2006...
, Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy
is a 3D platform game developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was released in most regions in November 2007, and is the third 3D original platformer in the Mario series, after Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. The game follows the protagonist, Mario, on a...
, New Super Mario Bros. Wii
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
is a 2009 side-scrolling platform video game published and developed by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. The game was released on November 12, 2009 in Australia, November 15, 2009 in North America, November 20, 2009 in Europe and December 3, 2009 in Japan...
and Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario Galaxy 2
is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was first announced at E3 2009 and is the sequel to Super Mario Galaxy. It was released in North America on May 23, 2010, in Japan on May 27, 2010, in Europe on June 11, 2010, and in Australia on July 1,...
.
Dry Bones appear as playable characters in various spin-off Mario series such as Mario Baseball, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, or Paper Mario 2, released in Japan as , is a console role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube...
, Mario Kart
Mario Kart
is a series of go-kart-style racing video games developed by Nintendo as a series of spin-offs from its trademark Mario series of platformer adventure-style video games...
, and Mario Party games. Dry Bones appear as a trophy and sticker in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
. They also appeared in "Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Strikers Charged, known in Europe and Australia as Mario Strikers Charged Football, is a sports video game developed by Canadian developer Next Level Games and published by Nintendo for the Wii. This game was announced at the 2006 Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany as the sequel to Super...
" as a playable character. Dry Bones can also be a playable character in Mario Party 8
Mario Party 8
is a party video game, the eighth installment in the Mario Party series, and is the first title in the series to be released for the Nintendo Wii. It is also the first Mario Party title to have the ability to use Mii characters. It was released in North America on May 29, 2007, in Europe on June...
.
GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
listed Dry Bones as the 21st best Mario enemy, due to the difficulty involved in defeating them.
Goomba
Goombas, known in Japan as , are fictional species from NintendoNintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's series of Mario
Mario (series)
The video game series, alternatively called the series or simply the series, is a series of highly popular and critically acclaimed video games by Nintendo, featuring Nintendo's mascot Mario and, in many games, his brother Luigi. Gameplay in the series often centers around jumping on and...
video games. They first appeared in the NES
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
video game Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 platform video game developed by Nintendo, published for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., the player controls Mario as he travels through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the antagonist...
as the first enemy players encounter. They have appeared outside of video games, including in film, television, and other media. They are usually brown and are most commonly seen walking around aimlessly, often as an obstacle, in video games. They were included late in the development of Super Mario Bros. in order to create a simple, easy-to-defeat enemy.
The species is considered one of the most iconic elements of the Mario series, appearing in nearly every game in the series, and is often ranked amongst the most famous enemies in video games. Crave Online described it as the series' "everyman". It has been compared to other generic enemies in video games, such as the "Met" enemy from the Mega Man series
Mega Man (series)
Mega Man is a video game franchise from Capcom, starring the eponymous character Mega Man, or one of his many counterparts. The series is well-known and comprises well over fifty releases, easily making it Capcom's most prolific franchise. As of December 31, 2010, the series has sold approximately...
and the creatures from Braid
Braid (video game)
Braid is a platform and puzzle video game developed by independent software developer Jonathan Blow. The game was released on August 6, 2008 for the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade service. A Microsoft Windows version was released on April 10, 2009. Hothead Games ported and released the game to Mac OS...
. In Super Mario 3D Land, there are two types of goombas: regular goombas, Tanooki goombas (according to the Super Mario 3D Land website, goombas with tails) and goombas stacked on top of each other.
Hammer Brothers
are koopas that walk upright, throw hammers, and wear helmets. They first appeared in Super Mario Bros.Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 platform video game developed by Nintendo, published for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., the player controls Mario as he travels through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the antagonist...
Other variations, such as Boomerang Bros., Fire Bros., Ice Bros. (denoted by the projectiles that they use), Sledge Bros. (heavier Hammer Bros.) and Sumo Bros.(much heavier Hammer Bros.) have appeared, beginning in Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Bros. 3
, also referred to as Super Mario 3 and SMB3, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the third game in the Super Mario series. The game was released in Japan in 1988, in the United States in 1990, and in Europe in 1991...
. Hammer Bros. sometimes appear as playable characters in sports games in the series and also are unlockable playable characters in Mario Party 8
Mario Party 8
is a party video game, the eighth installment in the Mario Party series, and is the first title in the series to be released for the Nintendo Wii. It is also the first Mario Party title to have the ability to use Mii characters. It was released in North America on May 29, 2007, in Europe on June...
. They also make cameos in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as an Assist Trophy and as enemies.
In Super Mario World
Super Mario World
, subtitled Super Mario Bros. 4 for its original Japanese release, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo as a pack-in launch title for the Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the fourth game in the Super Mario series...
there is a variety of the Hammer Bros. called the Amazing Flyin' Hammer Bros. that made a re-appearance in Super Princess Peach
Super Princess Peach
is a platform video game published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It was released in Japan in October 2005, the United States in February 2006, Australia in March 2006, and Europe in May 2006....
.
Hammer Bros. appear in the The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! is an American television series based upon Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 2 video games. It was originally broadcast via first-run syndication to mostly independent or Fox television stations from September 4, 1989, to December 1, 1989, with...
and The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 is an American animated television series based on the video game Super Mario Bros. 3. It aired on NBC with Captain N: The Game Master in a programming block titled Captain N & The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 from September 8, 1990 through December 1,...
television series, as well as in printed media such as Nintendo Comics System
Nintendo Comics System
The Nintendo Comics System was a series of comic books published by Valiant Comics in 1990 and 1991. It was part of a licensing deal with Nintendo, featuring characters from their video games and the cartoons based on them.- The comics :...
and Nintendo Adventure Books
Nintendo Adventure Books
-Nintendo Adventure Books:The Nintendo Adventure Book series was published from 1991 to 1992 by Archway books, and Mammoth books in the United Kingdom. There are twelve in all. They are formatted like the popular Choose Your Own Adventure books, where the reader makes decisions that change the...
.
The Hammer Bros. were listed on the eight most underrated characters list by CNET
CNET
CNET is a tech media website that publishes news articles, blogs, and podcasts on technology and consumer electronics. Originally founded in 1994 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie, it was the flagship brand of CNET Networks and became a brand of CBS Interactive through CNET Networks' acquisition...
editor Nate Lanxon, who compared the duo in the first Super Mario Bros. to other enemies in the series which would merely walk aimlessly in the level. GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
listed Hammer Bros. as the fifth best Mario enemy, citing the difficulty involved in defeating them. Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
listed the Hammer Bros. as one of the things that they love to hate, citing the difficulty involved in defeating or avoiding them.
Koopa Troopa
Koopa Troopas ( in Japan) are turtle-like creatures. These are the oldest organic regular enemies in the series, debuting in Mario Bros.Mario Bros.
is an arcade game published and developed by Nintendo in 1983. It was developed by Shigeru Miyamoto. It has been commonly featured as a minigame in the Super Mario Advance series and other games...
for the arcade (previously, all non-boss
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
enemies were merely barrels). They come in multiple colors, including green, red, blue, and yellow. In more recent Mario games such as the New Super Mario Bros. series, green Koopa Troopas will walk in a straight line from wherever they are placed on the map, whereas Red Koopa Troopas will pace a certain area of land. They first walked on four legs, but in later games they have both hands and feet. Their shells may be used as projectiles, which have become a fixture in all Mario Kart
Mario Kart
is a series of go-kart-style racing video games developed by Nintendo as a series of spin-offs from its trademark Mario series of platformer adventure-style video games...
games. Most Koopas are members of the Koopa Troop (Bowser's army), but both Super Mario 64
Super Mario 64
is a platform game, published by Nintendo and developed by its EAD division, for the Nintendo 64. Along with Pilotwings 64, it was one of the launch titles for the console. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, and later in North America, Europe, and Australia. Super Mario 64 has sold over...
and the Paper Mario series include friendly Koopas, such as Koopa the Quick (Super Mario 64) and Kooper (Paper Mario). Flying versions with wings, first introduced in Super Mario Bros., are called Koopa Paratroopas. Both Koopa Troopas and Koopa Paratroopas make cameo appearances in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl as enemies. Giant Koopa Troopas called Gargantua Koopa Troopas were introduced in Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Bros. 3
, also referred to as Super Mario 3 and SMB3, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the third game in the Super Mario series. The game was released in Japan in 1988, in the United States in 1990, and in Europe in 1991...
and reappeared in Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario Galaxy 2
is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was first announced at E3 2009 and is the sequel to Super Mario Galaxy. It was released in North America on May 23, 2010, in Japan on May 27, 2010, in Europe on June 11, 2010, and in Australia on July 1,...
only in Supermassive Galaxy.
The Koopa Troopa, based on the kappa, a mythical creature, was preceded by the Shellcreeper in Mario Bros.
Mario Bros.
is an arcade game published and developed by Nintendo in 1983. It was developed by Shigeru Miyamoto. It has been commonly featured as a minigame in the Super Mario Advance series and other games...
as an enemy that could only be defeated by hitting the floor underneath it (to stun it) and then going up onto its platform to deal the final blow. Series creator Shigeru Miyamoto
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
had a fellow designer draw the Koopa Troopa. He drew a realistic design that didn't fit well in the Mario series, so Miyamoto made his own design. While the design had quite a large head, Miyamoto validated it by suggesting that it looked like a tortoise
Tortoise
Tortoises are a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of turtles . Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise...
. He and Hirokazu Tanaka
Hirokazu Tanaka
is a Japanese composer and musician, best known for his scores for various video games produced by Nintendo. He is also the current President of Creatures, Inc.-Video game soundtracks:*Radar Scope *Space Firebird...
, a frequent sound designer for Nintendo at the time, discussed what the insides of a turtle looked like. Miyamoto wanted to make it easy to tell when a turtle was going to jump up, but he felt that the twitching of the shell was not enough warning to tell players when it would flip over. Tanaka suggested that the turtle be launched from its shell when flipped over, and eventually attempt to reenter it. While this was not true to the actual anatomy of a turtle, whose shell develops from its spine, Miyamoto felt that it was the best way to convey when they were a threat again. Super Mario Bros. originally featured the Koopa Troopa as its only enemy. However, they chose to add more enemies after people said that the Koopa Troopas were way too tricky to defeat due to it being a two-step process.
The design of the Koopa Paratroopa came from Mario developer Takashi Tezuka
Takashi Tezuka
, sometimes credited under his nickname Ten Ten, is a video game designer working for Nintendo. A graduate of the Design Department of Osaka University of Arts, he joined the company in April 1984 and was involved with some of the most critically acclaimed Nintendo series, including Mario and The...
in an attempt to add a flying character to Super Mario Bros., but did not have enough space to include such a character. Tezuka suggested that they put wings on the Koopa Troopa and call it "Koopa Paratroopa", which Miyamoto did not think would work. However, once it was finished, Miyamoto felt that it looked cute. An item called the "P Wing" was added to Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Bros. 3
, also referred to as Super Mario 3 and SMB3, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the third game in the Super Mario series. The game was released in Japan in 1988, in the United States in 1990, and in Europe in 1991...
, which was based on the Koopa Paratroopa.
A variety of Mario-related merchandise depicting Koopa Troopas have been produced over the years by Nintendo; this merchandise includes plush dolls
Plush
Plush is a textile having a cut nap or pile the same as fustian or velvet.Originally the pile of plush consisted of mohair or worsted yarn, but now silk by itself or with a cotton backing is used for plush, the distinction from velvet being found in the longer and less dense pile of plush...
, mini figures, bottlecaps and plush keychains. The various merchandise given out on King Koopa's Kool Kartoons
King Koopa's Kool Kartoons
King Koopa's Kool Kartoons is a local, American live-action children's television show broadcast in Southern California during the holiday season of 1989-'90. The show stars King Koopa, the central arch-villain from the Mario video game series...
was often adorned with the name Koopa Troopa as well. Their signature shell was included as a player piece in the Nintendo Monopoly game. A Koopa Troopa was featured in a line of six-inch-tall plush toys based on characters from the Mario series.
A satirical article was written by The Pitt News columnist Ben Korman, criticizing the Mario series for its offensive treatment of the Koopa Troopas, stating that the character Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
was rewarded for his slaughter of "innocent, healthy turtles". GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
listed Koopa Troopa as the eighth best Mario enemy, calling them the most common enemies in the series next to the Goomba
Goomba
Goombas, known in Japan as , are fictional species from Nintendo's series of Mario video games. They first appeared in the NES video game Super Mario Bros. as the first enemy players encounter. They have appeared outside of video games, including in film, television, and other media...
.
Lakitu
Lakitu, known in Japan as , is a video game creature in the Mario seriesMario (series)
The video game series, alternatively called the series or simply the series, is a series of highly popular and critically acclaimed video games by Nintendo, featuring Nintendo's mascot Mario and, in many games, his brother Luigi. Gameplay in the series often centers around jumping on and...
. It was created by Shigeru Miyamoto
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
. It first appeared in the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
video game Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 platform video game developed by Nintendo, published for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., the player controls Mario as he travels through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the antagonist...
, where it dropped enemies called Spinies on the stage. It has a striped green shell, wears thick glasses, and rides around in a smiling cloud. It has since appeared in several main Mario titles since, as well as Mario spin-off titles, notably the Mario Kart
Mario Kart
is a series of go-kart-style racing video games developed by Nintendo as a series of spin-offs from its trademark Mario series of platformer adventure-style video games...
series where it acts in the capacity of the race starter. He has appeared in non-Mario titles, including the Super Smash Bros. series, specifically Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
. His most recent appearance in the main Mario series was in Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario Galaxy 2
is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was first announced at E3 2009 and is the sequel to Super Mario Galaxy. It was released in North America on May 23, 2010, in Japan on May 27, 2010, in Europe on June 11, 2010, and in Australia on July 1,...
.
Since appearing in Super Mario Bros., Lakitu has received somewhat positive reception. It has appeared in the form of several kinds of merchandise, including on t-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
s, sticker
Sticker
A sticker is a type of a piece of paper or plastic, adhesive, sticky on one side, and usually with a design on the other. They can be used for decoration, depending on the situation. They can come in many different shapes, sizes and colours and are put on things such as lunchboxes, in children's...
s, and a dry erase board. While he has been regarded as one of the best Mario villains by GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
, he has been decried by several editors for being a troublesome enemy, including 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
editor Jeremy Parish and G4TV editor Andrew Pfister.
Magikoopa
are creatures who wear a blue hat, robes, and spectacles and use a magic rod to cast spells. Some have also been seen wearing different colors as well, like red, green, and yellow. They first appeared in Super Mario WorldSuper Mario World
, subtitled Super Mario Bros. 4 for its original Japanese release, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo as a pack-in launch title for the Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the fourth game in the Super Mario series...
. A member of the species, Kamek, babysat Bowser when he was a baby.
Kamek made an appearance in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, known in Japan as , is a role-playing game developed by AlphaDream and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console in 2005. It is the second game in the Mario and Luigi RPG series, and is the sequel to Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga for the Game...
as a boss on Yoshi's Island. A variation, the "Magifoofa", appears in Bowser's Inside Story.
Monty Mole
Monty Moles are molesMole (animal)
Moles are small cylindrical mammals adapted to a subterranean lifestyle. They have velvety fur; tiny or invisible ears and eyes; and short, powerful limbs with large paws oriented for digging. The term is especially and most properly used for the true moles, those of the Talpidae family in the...
that have appeared in several Mario games, including side-scrollers such as Super Mario World
Super Mario World
, subtitled Super Mario Bros. 4 for its original Japanese release, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo as a pack-in launch title for the Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the fourth game in the Super Mario series...
. They later reappeared in Super Mario 64
Super Mario 64
is a platform game, published by Nintendo and developed by its EAD division, for the Nintendo 64. Along with Pilotwings 64, it was one of the launch titles for the console. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, and later in North America, Europe, and Australia. Super Mario 64 has sold over...
and Paper Mario
Paper Mario
Paper Mario, known in Japan as , is a role-playing video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 game console. It was first released in Japan on August 11, 2000, in North America on February 5, 2001, and in Europe and Australia on October 5, 2001...
. In these games, Monty Moles throw rocks at Mario and then burrow underground before he can counter-attack. Monty Moles are minibosses
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
in Super Mario Sunshine
Super Mario Sunshine
is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube. It was released in Japan in July 2002, in North America in August 2002, and in Europe and Australia in October 2002...
, New Super Mario Bros.
New Super Mario Bros.
is a side-scrolling platform video game published and developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. The game was released in North America and Japan in May 2006 and in Australia and Europe in June 2006...
and Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy
is a 3D platform game developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was released in most regions in November 2007, and is the third 3D original platformer in the Mario series, after Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. The game follows the protagonist, Mario, on a...
. Monty Moles appear as the engineers in a variant called "Mawful Mole" on the Fawful express, and as guards on Yikk's Tower in Bowser's Inside Story. Monty Moles also make an appearance in Super Mario Kart
Super Mario Kart
is a go-kart racing video game developed by Nintendo EAD for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . The first game of the Mario Kart series, it was launched in Japan on August 27, 1992, in North America on September 1, 1992, and in Europe on January 21, 1993. Selling eight million copies...
, Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart DS, and Mario Kart 64 as enemies that pop out of the ground and cause players to spin out. Monty also appeared in Mario Superstar Baseball
Mario Superstar Baseball
Mario Superstar Baseball, known in Japan as is a sports game that was developed by Namco and NOW Production and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube in 2005. The game was created in the vein of other Mario sports games such as Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour and Mario Power Tennis. This game...
as a playable character.
Piranha Plant
A Piranha Plant, known as in Japan, is an enemy almost always portrayed as a leafy, green stalk topped with a white-spotted red or green globe and sharp teeth. Piranha Plants usually come up from pipes, but sometimes they may also simply stick up from the ground. In Super Mario Galaxy, two stronger versions of a Piranha plant, Dino Piranha and Flaming Dino Piranha, appear. Another Piranha Plant Boss, Peewee Piranha, appears in Super Mario Galaxy 2. Some Piranha Plants spit fireballs and are known as Venus Firetraps, also referred to as Petite Piranhas.Another kind of Piranha Plants are ones that spit out ink that covers almost the whole screen in the handheld mario game, Super Mario 3D LandPiranha Plants appear in the television series. They have made cameos in Tetris Attack
Tetris Attack
Tetris Attack is a puzzle video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System home video game console and Game Boy handheld game console...
and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, known as in Japan, is a 1993 action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy...
. They also appear in Super Smash Bros.
Super Smash Bros.
Super Smash Bros., known in Japan as , is a fighting game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan on January 21, 1999, in North America on April 26, 1999, and in Europe on November 19, 1999. Super Smash Bros. is the first game in the Super...
in the Mushroom Kingdom stage, and later in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
in the PictoChat stage, and as a collectible trophy.
GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
listed Piranha Plant as the 13th best Mario enemy. 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
listed Piranha Plant first in their list of the "Top 5 Enemy Plants".
Pokey
Pokey, known as in Japan, is a cactusCactus
A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...
enemy that first appears in Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario Bros. 2, often abbreviated SMB2, is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1985 game Super Mario Bros. The game was also remade as part of the Super Mario All-Stars collection for the Super Nintendo Entertainment...
. Pokey consists of four (or more in some cases) green or yellow segments that may be detached from him, usually by getting Yoshi to eat them. A variation unofficially known as Giant Pokey debuted in Mario Kart Wii
Mario Kart Wii
is a racing video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It is the sixth installment in the Mario Kart series and the second Mario Kart title to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The game was released worldwide...
. Pokey has appeared in the "Paper Mario" series. His latest appearance is in Super Mario 3D Land in multiple stages.
A Pokey boss called Mummipokey appears in New Super Mario Bros.
New Super Mario Bros.
is a side-scrolling platform video game published and developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. The game was released in North America and Japan in May 2006 and in Australia and Europe in June 2006...
Pokeys make several cameo appearances in The Legend of Zelda series.
GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
named Pokey the 22nd best Mario enemy, describing him as "ridiculously cute".
Shy Guy
A Shy Guy, known as in Japan, is a masked enemy who appears in several variations. Shy Guys are one of the few fictional species in the series that debuted in a non-Mario game, Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, which was rebranded as the North American and European version of Super Mario Bros. 2Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario Bros. 2, often abbreviated SMB2, is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1985 game Super Mario Bros. The game was also remade as part of the Super Mario All-Stars collection for the Super Nintendo Entertainment...
. They also appear in the Mario Party series, The Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a Game Boy Advance spiritual sequel to the first Donkey Kong game for Game Boy. The game concept revolves around a combination of platform and puzzle elements, challenging Mario to find keys, reach a locked door, and rescue mini-Marios. This game revives Mario and Donkey...
series, and several sports games in the Mario series, among other games, though they play a large role as the standard enemies in many Yoshi games. Shy Guys are also playable in Mario Kart DS
Mario Kart DS
is a racing game developed and published by Nintendo. It was released for the Nintendo DS handheld game console in North America, Australia, and Europe on November 14, 2005, and in Japan on December 8, 2005. The game is the fifth installment in the Mario Kart series of video games, and the first to...
via Download Play or an Action Replay DS code. There are many different variations of Shy Guys: Snifits, which have a cannon for a mouth; Fly Guys, which have spinning propellers on their heads; Sky Guys, which have balloons attached to their robes; Spy Guys, which are dressed in camouflage clothing; Boo Guys, which are ghosts; Boom Guys, which have a cannon on their head; and Spear Guys, which have spears and are found near jungle temples. Snifits were introduced in Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic. Two other variations of Snifits appear in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, as well as Fawful Guys. A stronger version, the Dark Fawful Guy, appears later in this game.
GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
listed Shy Guy as the 15th best Mario enemy, citing their mysteriousness.
Spiny
Spinies, known as in Japan, are quadruped Koopas, first appearing in Super Mario Bros.Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 platform video game developed by Nintendo, published for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., the player controls Mario as he travels through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the antagonist...
They are often thrown by Lakitu
Lakitu
Lakitu, known in Japan as , is a video game creature in the Mario series. It was created by Shigeru Miyamoto. It first appeared in the Nintendo Entertainment System video game Super Mario Bros., where it dropped enemies called Spinies on the stage. It has a striped green shell, wears thick...
s in unlimited supplies, but can also be naturally occurring. Spinies appear in many Mario games like Super Mario 64
Super Mario 64
is a platform game, published by Nintendo and developed by its EAD division, for the Nintendo 64. Along with Pilotwings 64, it was one of the launch titles for the console. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, and later in North America, Europe, and Australia. Super Mario 64 has sold over...
, New Super Mario Bros.
New Super Mario Bros.
is a side-scrolling platform video game published and developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. The game was released in North America and Japan in May 2006 and in Australia and Europe in June 2006...
, New Super Mario Bros. Wii
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
is a 2009 side-scrolling platform video game published and developed by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. The game was released on November 12, 2009 in Australia, November 15, 2009 in North America, November 20, 2009 in Europe and December 3, 2009 in Japan...
, Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy
is a 3D platform game developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was released in most regions in November 2007, and is the third 3D original platformer in the Mario series, after Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. The game follows the protagonist, Mario, on a...
and Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario Galaxy 2
is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was first announced at E3 2009 and is the sequel to Super Mario Galaxy. It was released in North America on May 23, 2010, in Japan on May 27, 2010, in Europe on June 11, 2010, and in Australia on July 1,...
.
Spinies made a brief TV appearance in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show in the episode "Mario and the Red Baron Koopa". King Koopa had ordered Lakitu to throw several Spiny Eggs down to the people of Pasta Land, which hatched into Spinies, and terrorized the people for a short time. The Spinies seen in this episode were fairly similar to their game appearance.
A single Spiny later appeared in the continuation of the show. In The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 is an American animated television series based on the video game Super Mario Bros. 3. It aired on NBC with Captain N: The Game Master in a programming block titled Captain N & The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 from September 8, 1990 through December 1,...
episode "Life's Ruff", a Lakitu tossed a Spiny Egg next to a dog-turned Luigi, which hatched into a Spiny and bit Luigi. This Spiny looked much like the ones seen on The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!.
Spinies have appeared in other games including one of the games in the Mario Party series
Mario Party series
is a party video game series featuring Mario series characters in which four human- or computer-controlled characters compete in a board game interspersed with minigames. The series was developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo; the arcade version was developed by Capcom...
and made appearances in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
, Paper Mario
Paper Mario
Paper Mario, known in Japan as , is a role-playing video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 game console. It was first released in Japan on August 11, 2000, in North America on February 5, 2001, and in Europe and Australia on October 5, 2001...
, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, or Paper Mario 2, released in Japan as , is a console role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube...
, Super Paper Mario
Super Paper Mario
is a platform style console role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. Originally developed for the Nintendo GameCube, it was released for the Wii in 2007. The style of gameplay is a combination of the previous Paper Mario titles and Super Mario Bros. titles...
, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, known in Japan as , is a role-playing game developed by AlphaDream and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance in 2003...
, Mario & Luigi: Partners In Time
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, known in Japan as , is a role-playing game developed by AlphaDream and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console in 2005. It is the second game in the Mario and Luigi RPG series, and is the sequel to Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga for the Game...
and Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.
Spinies appeared in Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix
Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix
Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix, known as Dancing Stage Mario Mix in Europe and Dance Dance Revolution with Mario in Japan, is a 2005 music video game by Nintendo and Konami for the Nintendo GameCube, and is the first Dance Dance Revolution game to be released on a Nintendo console outside of Japan...
, but the dance game also introduced Ice Spinies. Both the regular Spinies and the Ice version would make the Dance Meter go down when stepped upon. The Ice Spinies, however, were not Spinies at all and were simply a frozen piece of ice with sharp spikes on them.
Spinies are represented in the Mario Strikers series as an item: a huge, spinning, spiked shell. This shell will bounce off walls until it eventually hits a player. When it impacts with a character, it will explode, and possibly hit other players as well. If any players are hit, they will be stunned for a few seconds.
Thwomp
Thwomps, known as in Japan, are large stone blocks, depicted as having angry-looking faces and clenched teeth. First appearing in Super Mario Bros. 3Super Mario Bros. 3
, also referred to as Super Mario 3 and SMB3, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the third game in the Super Mario series. The game was released in Japan in 1988, in the United States in 1990, and in Europe in 1991...
, they drop onto people as they walk under them. Thwomps have also appeared in other games, including the Mario Kart
Mario Kart
is a series of go-kart-style racing video games developed by Nintendo as a series of spin-offs from its trademark Mario series of platformer adventure-style video games...
series, at Bowser's Castle, Super Mario Kart
Super Mario Kart
is a go-kart racing video game developed by Nintendo EAD for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . The first game of the Mario Kart series, it was launched in Japan on August 27, 1992, in North America on September 1, 1992, and in Europe on January 21, 1993. Selling eight million copies...
Mario Kart Wii
is a racing video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It is the sixth installment in the Mario Kart series and the second Mario Kart title to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The game was released worldwide...
Super Mario Galaxy
is a 3D platform game developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was released in most regions in November 2007, and is the third 3D original platformer in the Mario series, after Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. The game follows the protagonist, Mario, on a...
. A smaller version called Thwimp appears in some games. They look exactly like Thwomps except for jumping from left to right.In Super Mario 3D Land,there are 2 kinds of Thwomps.The regular thwomp and the toonoki-tailed thwomp.
Thwomps have appeared in both and The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 is an American animated television series based on the video game Super Mario Bros. 3. It aired on NBC with Captain N: The Game Master in a programming block titled Captain N & The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 from September 8, 1990 through December 1,...
and Super Mario World
Super Mario World (TV series)
Super Mario World was a short-lived animated television series loosely based on the Super NES video game of the same name. It was the third and thus far last Saturday morning cartoon based on the Super Mario Bros. NES and Super NES series of video games...
animated series.
Thwomps have also appeared in some Legend of Zelda games.
In the 1993 motion picture, "Thwomp Stompers" are a pair of boots which grant wearers the ability to jump incredible heights.
GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
listed Thwomp as the 11th best Mario enemy.
Wiggler
Wigglers, known as in Japan, are caterpillar-like creatures with a segmented body and a large nose. They are typically yellow, but turn red when angered. Wigglers are depicted as normally being calm and happy, but when angered, become dangerous and run frantically. They first appear in Super Mario WorldSuper Mario World
, subtitled Super Mario Bros. 4 for its original Japanese release, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo as a pack-in launch title for the Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the fourth game in the Super Mario series...
, and have appeared in several other games, including the sports games in the Mario series. In Super Mario 64
Super Mario 64
is a platform game, published by Nintendo and developed by its EAD division, for the Nintendo 64. Along with Pilotwings 64, it was one of the launch titles for the console. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, and later in North America, Europe, and Australia. Super Mario 64 has sold over...
, Wiggler is the boss of Tiny-Huge Island. In Yoshi's Story
Yoshi's Story
is a side-scrolling platform game, published and developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 entertainment system. It is the sequel to the Super Nintendo game Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. It was released on December 21, 1997 in Japan, March 1, 1998 in North America and April 9, 1998 in Europe...
, large, fluffy versions of Wigglers appear often. In Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, a family of Wigglers lives inside Dimble Woods; they are farmers of vegetables.
In the Super Mario World
Super Mario World (TV series)
Super Mario World was a short-lived animated television series loosely based on the Super NES video game of the same name. It was the third and thus far last Saturday morning cartoon based on the Super Mario Bros. NES and Super NES series of video games...
animated series, they are referred to as "Caterpillars" and appear in the episode Mama Luigi.
In New Super Mario Bros Wii, there are bigger versions of Wigglers called Mega Wigglers that Mario cannot defeat. If Mario attempts to defeat them, they might damage him. They also reappear in Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario Galaxy 2
is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was first announced at E3 2009 and is the sequel to Super Mario Galaxy. It was released in North America on May 23, 2010, in Japan on May 27, 2010, in Europe on June 11, 2010, and in Australia on July 1,...
. Wiggler has also been confirmed as a playable character in Mario Kart 7.
Whomp
Whomps, inspired by the Japanese folklore of Nurikabe (ぬりかべ) debuted in Super Mario 64Super Mario 64
is a platform game, published by Nintendo and developed by its EAD division, for the Nintendo 64. Along with Pilotwings 64, it was one of the launch titles for the console. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, and later in North America, Europe, and Australia. Super Mario 64 has sold over...
and have appeared in New Super Mario Bros.
New Super Mario Bros.
is a side-scrolling platform video game published and developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. The game was released in North America and Japan in May 2006 and in Australia and Europe in June 2006...
and various Mario Party games. As minions of Bowser, their purpose is usually to block Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
's path or attempt to crush him by simply falling on top of him. Whomps have a bandage on their backs which hides a crack, their weak point. In Super Mario 64
Super Mario 64
is a platform game, published by Nintendo and developed by its EAD division, for the Nintendo 64. Along with Pilotwings 64, it was one of the launch titles for the console. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, and later in North America, Europe, and Australia. Super Mario 64 has sold over...
, Whomps reside in the stage called Whomp's Fortress and are led by the Whomp King, a large whomp with a crown. They also appear in Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario Galaxy 2
is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was first announced at E3 2009 and is the sequel to Super Mario Galaxy. It was released in North America on May 23, 2010, in Japan on May 27, 2010, in Europe on June 11, 2010, and in Australia on July 1,...
, where they have more humanoid hands and feet.