List of Mario series enemies

This is a list of enemies in the "Mario" series of video games.

Blooper

Bloopers (nihongo|Gessō|ゲッソー| in Japanese, originally known in English as Bloobers cite video game|title=Super Mario Bros.|developer=Nintendo|publisher=Nintendo|date=1985-10-18|platform=Nintendo Entertainment System|language=English] ) are white, squid-like creatures that first appear in "Super Mario Bros." as underwater enemies that attack by chasing the player and trying to kill them via physical contact. [Super Mario Bros. Manual: Chases stubbornly after Mario; a guy to look out for. You can't kill him by jump-ing on top of him.] Later games give Bloopers a multitude of powers, including flight and the ability to expel ink and electricity. Large variations, such as Gooper Blooper and Big Blooper appear as bosses. Although usually depicted as antagonists, Blooper occasionally have other roles, such as an item in "Mario Kart DS" and "Mario Kart Wii" and a playable character in "Mario Party 8" and "Mario Super Sluggers".

Bob-omb

Bob-ombs, nihongo|Bomuhei|ボム兵| in Japan, are living, circular, black bombs possessing orange legs, fuses, and sometimes arms, golden or silver wind-up keys or electric interfaces that go :,3,2,1. They first appeared as enemies in the North American and European versions "Super Mario Bros. 2". They red version of bomb-ombs assists Mario in Super Mario 64. The main attack method of Bob-ombs is to either wander around aimlessly, eventually exploding, or actively seek out a target to detonate near. Inanimate Bob-ombs are commonly used as weapons in various spin-off games such as the "Mario Kart" and "Super Smash Bros." series. Before they explode, they start flashing and their key spins rapidly, plus smoke comes from its fuse. (They also shake in "Mario Kart Wii".) Two sub-species of Bob-ombs, called Bulky Bob-ombs and Bob-ulks, appear in Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. They are larger pink and purple (respectivly) verisions of Bob-ombs that don't actually attack, but instead charge up an attack and defense power to use later in a big explosion that deals massive damage.

Boo

Boos, nihongo|Teresa|テレサ| in Japan, are spectral beings with beady eyes, long tongues, vampiric canine teeth, and nubs for arms; they are often portrayed cackling or leering. The first appearance of Boos was in "Super Mario Bros. 3", where they appear under the name Boo Diddly. Boos possess powers commonly associated with ghosts, such as the ability to travel through solid objects, teleport and turn invisible. Due to being intensely shy, [Super Mario Bros. 3 Manual: Boo is too shy to look anyone in the face. But when you turn around...] Boos cover their faces with their arms, cower, and become translucent when directly looked at. Takashi Tezuka's wife was the inspiration for the Boos featured in "Super Mario 64"; like Boos, she is often shy, but once became very angry at him for spending too much time at work. ["Nintendo Power" Vol. 100, August 1995] Some games, such as "", feature larger versions of Boo, named Big Boo in the case of "Super Mario World 2"; a boss in the game -- an even "bigger" Boo -- was named exactly that, Bigger Boo. 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, such as the "Mario Party" series, and various sports games, where they sometimes act as items as well, doing deeds such as stealing objects from opponents. Though Boos are depicted as being malevolent in most games, some portray them as simply being mischievous and occasionally good, like in "Paper Mario", where a green female Boo named Lady Bow acts as an ally of Mario.

Bullet Bill

Bullet Bills, nihongo|Killers|キラー|Kirā in Japan, are large, black, missile-like enemies, commonly depicted as either having small arms or fanged frowns adorning their faces. Bullet Bills are fired by cannons known as Bill Blasters, although some games have them fired by other sources such as Snifits and generic cannons, while others simply have them coming out of nowhere. Bullet Bills commonly appear as enemies or obstacles, attacking by either flying forward after being shot or actively seeking out a target, either smashing into them and continuing on their way or exploding on contact. Some games include a variation of Bullet Bill called the Banzai Bill, which, though having the same purpose as the Bullet Bill, is significantly larger -- in some cases taking up more than half of the screen.

Beginning with "Mario Kart DS", a Bullet Bill item transforms the player into Bullet Bill, who shoots at high speed through the course, invincible and automatically navigating the track. The item returned in "Mario Kart Wii" and similar items appear in "Mario Party" series.

Buzzy Beetle

Buzzy Beetles, known as nihongo|Metto|メット| in Japan, are blue shelled, tortoise-like creatures commonly found in underground locations, such as caverns and ruins. Buzzy Beetles first appear in "Super Mario Bros.", as infrequently encountered enemies. Due to their powerful shells, Buzzy Beetles are largely immune to most forms of attacks, and complete invulnerability to fire is one of their most well-known attributes. Though they were originally depicted as attacking players by simply walking into them, later games would introduce other attack patterns for Buzzy Beetles, such as dropping from the ceiling, retracting into their shells and spinning into characters.

Chain Chomp

Chain Chomps, nihongo|Wanwan|ワンワン in Japanese, are black, spherical, dog-like creatures that are often shown to be restrained by chains. Portrayed as savage, Chain Chomps constantly strain against the chain holding them, attempting to break free (sometimes even succeeding) and bite anything that passes close by. The inspiration for Chain Chomps comes from a childhood experience of Mario 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. [cite book|author=Sheff, David|title=Game Over|publisher=Random House|year=1993|id=ISBN 0-679-40469-4] The first appearance of Chain Chomps is in "Super Mario Bros. 3". Some games depict Chain Chomps as being unrestrained by chains, effectively making them simply Chomps who can attack by chasing or dive-bombing players, or can simply pose as obstacles and roll in a set path, squishing Mario if he happens to be in the way. In various spin-off games, Chain Chomps appear as obstacles or hazards. Games such as those in the "Mario Party" and "Mario Kart" series utilize Chomps as items. Chomps have also appeared in "New Super Mario Bros."

Outside "Mario" games, Chain Chomps appear irregularly on "The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3" animated series, where they have some robotic traits, such as being able to be turned on and off by controls. [cite episode|title=The Venice Menace|series=The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3|credits=Doug Booth (writer)|network=NBC|airdate=1990-12-01|season=1|number=25] Chain Chomps also appear in various installments of "The Legend of Zelda" series of games, including one named "Bow Wow".cite video game|title=The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening|developer=Nintendo|publisher=Nintendo|date=1993-08|platform=Game Boy|language=English] [cite video game|title=The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past|developer=Nintendo|publisher=Nintendo|date=1992-04-13|platform=Super Nintendo Entertainment System|language=English] [cite video game|title=The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures|developer=Nintendo|publisher=Nintendo|date=2004-05-07|platform=Nintendo GameCube|language=English] The onomatopoeic expression for the sound a dog makes is "wan-wan" in Japanese, thus "Bow-wow" would be a more accurate translation of this character's name.

Cheep Cheeps

Cheep Cheeps, nihongo|Pukupuku|プクプク| in Japanese, are red and yellow fish with white undersides, first introduced in "Super Mario Bros.", where they appear as common underwater enemies who will swim lazily forward or leap out of water and soar through the air. They were referred to as females in the "Super Mario Bros." instruction booklet. Cheep Cheeps can survive out of water, though their means of locomotion on it varies between games, either showing them flopping around uselessly or hopping from place to place. Throughout their appearances, the attack pattern of Cheep Cheeps remains consistent, slowly swimming towards the player. In spin-off games such as the "Mario Kart" series, Cheep Cheeps most commonly appear as background scenery or obstacles.

Dry Bones

Dry Bones, nihongo|Karon|カロン| in Japanese, are skeletal Koopa Troopas reanimated by the Koopa Troopa's spirit inhabiting its bones. Dry Bones first appear in "Super Mario Bros. 3" as inhabitants of fortresses and underground areas. Due to their undead nature, Dry Bones are exceptionally difficult to defeat, most attacks only knocking them apart temporarily or having no effect at all. In some games, Dry Bones have specific weaknesses, such as fire, magic, hammers, and explosions, which can permanently destroy them. Along with charging into the player, Dry Bones may also attack by tossing bones. Starting with "Mario Superstar Baseball", Dry Bones appear as playable characters in various spin-off Mario games, such as various sports titles such as Mario Kart Wii and "Mario Party 8".

Goomba

Goombas, known as nihongo|Kuribō|クリボー| in Japanese, are depicted as brown mushroom-like creatures with feet (the Japanese name, "Kuribo" implies a chestnut, from the Japanese word "kuri" for chestnut), with a bushy brow, and a pair of fangs sprouting from their lower jaw. They generally tackle, headbutt, or bite an enemy. In many of the games, they are usually quite easy to defeat, with a simple stomp they shall be squashed. The Goombas once lived in peace in the Mushroom Kingdom, but they betrayed their homeland to side with Bowser. Some Goombas act as friendly characters in the "Paper Mario" series, two even joining Mario on his journey. It is said in "Super Paper Mario" that Goombas have a long-standing fear of Koopa Troopas. Many variants of the Goomba have appeared throughout the years including Paragoombas (nihongo|Patakuribō|パタクリボー|), Gloombas and Microgoombas (nihongo|Mamekuribō|マメクリボー|lit. "Bean Chestnuts). Paragoombas are distinguished by their winged appearance, thus making them more versatile and mobile than typical Goombas. Gloombas are blue variants of the Goomba which live underground in recent "Paper Mario" games. Microgoombas are miniature, parasitic Goombas which latch themselves onto Mario, reducing his jumping ability. In "Super Mario Bros. 3" and "Super Princess Peach", Paragoombas drop Microgoombas to attack Mario and Peach. Other types of Goombas have appeared throughout the Mario series, although these largely vary from game to game. Goombas made their first playable appearance in "Mario Superstar Baseball", and again in "Mario Super Sluggers", as a playable character.

In the 1989 television cartoon "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!" Goombas are loyal soldiers in King Koopa's army. They often appear in costumes related to the episode's theme such as zombies or pirates. They were included in the subsequent spin-offs "The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3" and "Super Mario W' live-action film", where they were originally inhabitants of Dinohattan who opposed King Koopa's rule, and were devolved into large, reptilian monsters as punishment for this disloyalty.

Hammer Bros.

nihongo|Hammer Bros.|ハンマーブロス|Hanmā Burosu are creatures from the Koopa Troopa race commonly found in pairs who have bigger shells than Koopa, wear strong, green helmets, and march around and use hammers as their main weapons. Hammer Bros. are described in various games as being the elite of Bowser's army, and often appear in games either as powerful generic enemies or as boss characters. In "Super Mario Bros. 3", Mario or Luigi can wear the Hammer Bros. Suit, an exceptionally rare power-up that allows them to gain Hammer Bros. armor and ability to toss hammers. Beginning with "Mario Superstar Baseball", Hammer Bros. appear infrequently as playable characters and in spin-off Mario games.

In "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!" and "The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3" by DIC Entertainment, Hammer Bros. make sparse appearances as antagonists. Printed mediums such as Nintendo Comics System and Nintendo Adventure Books make more frequent use of them.

Koopa Troopa

The Koopa Troopa (nihongo|Nokonoko|ノコノコ| in Japan), a turtle-like creature, they are the most common classification of Koopa and usually thug-like. Koopa Troopas are the standard troopers of the Koopa Army who work for Bowser. As the lowest ranking members of the Koopa Army, they just patrol their assigned areas on foot. Koopa Troopas first appeared in the arcade game "Mario Bros." under the name "Shellcreepers" as enemies that have to be flipped. In "Super Mario Bros.", they were renamed "Koopa Troopas". They can be used as projectiles after they are stomped on and retreat into their shells. Also, green-shelled Koopa Troopas will walk off of platforms (even to their death), yet red-shelled Koopa Troopas change direction at the end of a platform. "Super Mario World" brought drastic changes to the Koopa Troopa, altering them to walk on two legs and wear shoes. They could also be ejected from their shells, revealing them to be wearing a t-shirt. After the release of "Super Mario 64" however, their 3D platforming appearances in the Mario series noticeably lessened. In "Super Mario Galaxy", they reverted back to their quadrupedal movement.

In most games there are three types of Koopa Troopas: Green and Red Koopas, and Paratroopas. Green Koopas walk in a straight line and mindlessly fall of ledges. Red Koopas (sometimes referred to as "smart koopas") will also walk in straight lines but avoid falling off the edges of platforms. Paratroopas can have red or green shells and have wings. They fly up or down in the SMB series, and can fly left or right or jump up and down in SMW.

The "Paper Mario" series introduces friendly Koopas that have their own towns, and are even rescued by Mario on occasions, as well as evil Koopa Troopas that wear sunglasses. Generic Koopa Troopas have also appeared throughout the "Mario Party" series as NPCs. Single Koopa Troopas have been playable in "Mario Kart" games and various other sport games along with Paratroopas. Their shells are also used as weapons in Mario Kart. Koopa Troopas were the most regularly-seen minions of Bowser in "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!", where they were voiced by John Stocker,

Lakitu

Lakitu, nihongo|Jugem|ジュゲム|Jugemu in the Japanese versions, are Koopa with a green, pentagonal shell; yellow body; goggles with thick, black frames; a few hairs sprouting from its head; and a dashing smile. Lakitu are usually seen flying in a cloud bearing a smiling face. In its role as an enemy character, Lakitu typically flies about and throws Spiny Eggs at Mario and wears glasses, although variant types employ other attack patterns. The Spiny Eggs hatch into "Spinies" (nihongo|Togezō|トゲゾー), small, red, spike-backed Koopa creatures, that are thrown indefinitely until the Lakitu is defeated. When asked what video game character would represent him the best, Shigeru Miyamoto responded that Lakitu would, as he "seems to be very free, floating in the air, going anywhere," a type of personality Miyamoto can apparently relate to. [ [http://www.n-sider.com/articleview.php?articleid=271 N-Sider.com: Profile: Shigeru Miyamoto] ]

Lakitu first appear in "Super Mario Bros.", and goes on to be an enemy in various platformers and RPGs. In various games, after stomping defeating a Lakitu, it is possible to hijack its cloud and fly around the level on it. Lakitu plays a neutral role in a number of Mario series titles. This trend began with "Super Mario Kart" and the rest of the series. Here Lakitu flies about the Mario Grand Prix racetrack and aids the go-kart drivers who race there. The Lakitu Bros. in "Super Mario 64" and its DS remake are another example; they hold the camera that "films" Mario's exploits, thus personifying the player's point of view of the three-dimensional game stages (although Lakitu antagonists do appear in the two games). In Mario sports games, Lakitu often takes on roles such as referee and umpire. The "Super Mario Bros." depiction of Lakitu appeared in "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" as an Assist Trophy character.

Magikoopa

nihongo|Magikoopa|カメック|Kamekku are creatures from the Koopa Troopa race wearing a blue hat and robes, as well as spectacles. Magikoopas attack by firing spells that can not only injure Mario, but transform certain blocks into enemies. Magikoopas' magic spells are represented as a sequence of a red square, a blue circle and a green triangle that constantly spin. "Paper Mario" introduced several variants of Magikoopas, each wearing different colored robes and having different abilities. Regular Magikoopa, who are only encountered in Bowser's Castle, possess all of these abilities. These various colors make appearances in other games.

Piranha Plant

A Piranha Plant, known as nihongo|Packun Flower|パックン フラワー|Pakkun Furawā in Japan, [cite web|url=http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ngc/gm4j/02images/packun.gif|title=MARIO KART - Double Dash!! The strongest character lineup of history|publisher=Nintendo|accessdate=2008-07-06] is a Venus fly trap-like enemy, almost always portrayed as a leafy, green stalk topped with a white-spotted red globe, almost bisected by a white lip mouth with razor-sharp teeth. Piranha Plants typically hide within pipes, periodically emerging and ensnaring unwary passersby. Others live entirely outside pipes, being either rooted in the ground or even walking about on root-like legs. They have otherwise changed little since their first appearance, but they have also appeared in various forms and sub-species such as the poisonous Putrid Piranha, the Ice Piranha, the Pale Piranha, the Glad Piranha Plant, and Dino Piranha, among others.

On the television series based on "Super Mario Bros.", Piranha Plants made various appearances, usually acting as obstacles for the heroes, like in the games. They have also appeared rarely in the Legend of Zelda series, most notably "".

Pokey

Pokey, nihongo|Sanbo|サンボ| in Japan, is a cactus enemy that first appears in "Super Mario Bros. 2". They started out with something of a cat's head but have lately adopted more of a flower look. Pokey consists of four (seven in the new super mario bros.) green or yellow segments that detach when an enemy or object is thrown at him; to completely defeat Pokey, all four segments must be killed. Pokey made a cameo appearance in ', in the Yarna Desert on Koholint Island, and again in ' and "".

hy Guy

Shy Guy, known as nihongo|Heyho|ヘイホー|Heihō in Japan, [cite web|url=http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/amcj/chara/heyho.jpg|title=Mario Kart DS: Character & Kart|publisher=Nintendo|accessdate=2008-03-06] are small masked beings that appear in various colors. No one has seen their face, so when their masks get knocked off, they live up to their name by instantly retreating. They have a wide variety of variations that range from just walking on stilts to piloting submarines. The Fly Guy (nihongo|"Tondariya"'|トンダリヤ|, who flies via a propeller on his head, is a notable variant. They first appeared in "Doki Doki Panic" before being converted into the American release of "Super Mario Bros. 2".

While they do appear in "Mario" games as enemies, they are a major element in Yoshi-related games. They are playable in various sport games, such as "Mario Tennis", "Mario Kart DS", "Mario Strikers Charged", and "Mario Superstar Baseball". They act as guides in the "Mario Party" series and "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games". In "Mario Power Tennis" the Shy Guy's mask falls off. It is not visible to the player, but Luigi appears startled by it.

A similar species are Snifits, nihongo|Mūcho|ムーチョ| in Japan, which resemble Shy Guys with a black mask with an extended nozzle that can fire bullets and/or fire. While Shy Guys come in a variety of shapes and sizes, the Snifit is almost always garbed in a gray or black robe, is usually found either patrolling corridors or as a stationary guard. There are, however, a few different types of Snifits, such as the Laser Snifits, Spiny Snifits, and Ice Snifits that appeared in "". They originally appeared in "Super Mario Bros. 2" and continued to play a role of a general enemy in other games.

Thwomp

Thwomp, nihongo|Dossun|ドッスン| in Japan, are large stone blocks, depicted as having angry-looking faces and clenched teeth. The physical appearance of Thwomps has varied over the years, though they are most commonly shown to be either gray or blue in color with spikes sometimes adorning their body. The first appearance of Thwomps was in "Super Mario Bros. 3", in which they are found exclusively in fortresses. Thwomps are usually depicted as guards in castle levels in games, found floating in the air and, when something ventures underneath them, slamming into the ground with extreme force, often grunting menacingly while doing so (although in "Super Mario Bros. 3" Thwomps could also move left and right in addition to up and down). In spin-off games, Thwomps appear most often as obstacles, which can impede players or crush them. In the manual for "Super Mario World", Thwomps are referred to as "stone ghosts". [ "Super Mario World" manual, pg. 25] In "Super Mario 64", Thwomps came in two varieties; one was a plain, blue brick with an angry face (later replaced with the original Thwomp design in "Super Mario 64 DS" and a slow-moving, grunting wall with a large face and legs that would purposely fall on Mario if players got too close.

Thwomps appear regularly in "The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3", but only make one appearance in the "Super Mario World" animated series. [cite episode|title=Send in the Clown|series=Super Mario World|credits=Martha Moran (writer)|network=NBC|airdate=1991-09-28|season=1|number=3] Two different types of Thwomps (large and small ones (Thwimps)) appear in "",cite video game|title=The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening|developer=Nintendo|publisher=Nintendo|date=1993-08|platform=Game Boy|language=English] .

Wiggler

Wiggler, nihongo|Hanachan|ハナチャン| in Japan, are caterpillar-like creatures with a segmented body and large nose. Wigglers are most commonly depicted as being yellow and having a cheerful expression on their faces. They also wear small flowers on their heads. When enraged, which occurs when a Wiggler is injured, the creature turns a bright red color, it gains solid white eyes and fangs and its flower wilts. Wigglers first appear in "Super Mario World", being found in wooded areas. Although usually generic enemies in games, some appearances feature Wigglers, usually gigantic in size, as boss characters, such as in "Super Mario 64", "Super Mario Sunshine" and "Super Princess Peach". In spin-off games, the appearance of Wigglers is infrequent, although one does appear as an unlockable playable character in "Mario Power Tennis" and also in "Mario Super Sluggers", Wiggler is a playable character. In the "Super Mario World" animated series, Wigglers, referred to as "Caterpillars", were always drawn in their angered form, and appear in various episodes.

References

External links

* [http://www.nintendoland.com/home2.htm?mario/enemies/me_frset.htm Enemy List from Nintendo Land]