Super Mario Dossier: Super Mario Bros.
By:
Derrick Bitner
|
May 17, 2010, 9:07 pm

There are few gaming characters as old as Mario.  Even fewer are the ones that are still as commercially viable today as they were back in the days of the Nintendo.  There is, without a doubt, something special about Mario.  He captures the imaginations of gamers and constantly gives overwhelmingly fun experiences that make even the most jaded gamer feel young at heart.  This can likely be contributed to the tight controls and gameplay, the imaginative level design, the quirky characters, and even the villains of Mario's universe.  With the release of Super Mario Galaxy 2, the 12th game in the main series, on the horizon Mario will again bring all of these elements back.  In anticipation of this, we have decided to take a look back through his eleven previous games and highlight every single villain that he has come in contact with.  Each day will focus on the enemies premiered in each game and their legacy throughout the series.  That means every bad guy from the memorable Bowser to the often forgotten Gao.  
 
Welcome to the Super Mario Dossier.
 
The most obvious place to begin is the first game in the series: Super Mario Bros.  Every enemy in this game is a classic and has appeared in one form or another in a later game.  The plot is the one that has guided every game since.  Bowser has invaded the Mushroom Kingdom and abducted Princess Peach as she's the only one that can undo the damage he has done.  Mario and his brother, Luigi, must fight through Bowser's Koopa Troop in order to save the day and restore order to the Mushroom Kingdom.
 
Goomba
A Goomba is the first enemy that Mario ever encounters and is one of the most persistent bad guys to ever exist in the series.  It has appeared in almost every one of Mario's main games, with the exception of Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Land, and Super Mario Sunshine.  Despite being such a prolific enemy, it is the epitome of a pushover.  It can only walk horizontally and has no attacks beyond running into Mario.  Over the years, variations of the Goomba have come into existence, but there's but the one in the original Super Mario Bros.  The series mythology, which has been expanded upon in other Mario series, actually states that the Goombas used to live peacefully in the Mushroom Kingdom with the Toads.  That is until Bowser was able to lure them to his side, though it should be noted that there are good Goombas out there, mainly in the Mario RPG series.  Despite this, the Goomba is likely one of the first enemies to come into gamers' minds when they think of the Mario series.
 
Koopa Troopa
The other iconic enemy of the original game, the Koopa Troopas had a similar tactic to the Goombas when attacking Mario: walk straight at him.  However, these turtle-like enemies came with a caveat.  If Mario jumped on them, they would retreat back into their shells.  Left alone, they would reemerge and continue walking, but if they were touched in any way, they would go hurtling in that direction and take out almost anything in their path.  If the shell hit something solid, it would ricochet in the opposite direction and create a problem for Mario if he wasn't prepared.  However, if Mario was equipped with the Fire Flower he could take them out completely.  The Koopa Troopas also came in two colors: green and red.  Green Troopas would continuously walk, even off the edge of a platform, while Red Troopas did an about-face at edges.  On an interesting note, Koopa Troopas walked on four legs in the NES games while on the SNES and later systems, they walked on their hind legs and wore sneakers.  In Super Mario 64, Mario could actually surf on the Koopa Troopas' shells.   
 
Piranha Plant
The Piranha Plant was arguably the first challenging enemy in Super Mario Bros., mostly because players weren't expecting them at all.  Up until their arrival, the pipes had been something to explore and discover secret areas.  When a plant with sharp teeth emerged instead, gamers discovered that the pipes weren't always safe.  With a little bit of experimentation, it was easy to figure out that the Piranha Plants wouldn't emerge if Mario was standing right next to the pipe.  If he moved away, they would begin to go up and down the pipes.  It was a strange trait but it made them much easier to deal with.  The only way to take them out was to shoot a fireball at them or with the Starman's invincibility.  Later Mario games introduced new types of Piranha Plants and gave some the ability to shoot fireballs from their mouths, making that much more troublesome.  The Piranha Plants are one of the most stalwart enemies of the Mario series, appearing in every game except Super Mario Bros. 2. 
 
Koopa Paratroopa
The Koopa Paratroopa gave flight to the earthbound Troopas.  They too came in red and green shells and acted much the same as their non-flying counterparts.  Koopa Paratroopas would either jump across a level or fly in place, both times acting as a moving barrier to Mario’s progress.  The Paratroopas would lose their wings after being jumped on, rendering them normal Troopas.  They too eventually evolved from quadrupeds to bipedal creatures.  To date, the Paratroopas have never appeared in a true 3D Mario game, though they have made recent emergence in the New Super Mario Bros. games.
 
Firebar
Though the Firebars are not a living enemy, they are one of the biggest perpetrators of killing Mario time after time.  Deviously placed just a slight distance apart, players were forced to time their movements just right.  They have appeared in almost every Mario game though they were noticeably absent from Super Mario Bros. 3.
 
Blooper
It isn’t long after entering the water that Mario was greeted by the squid-like Blooper.  They are one of the most persistent enemies in the game, chasing players all over and only being killed by a fireball or Starman.  Lacking those tools, it was up to the players to dodge them as best as they could.  Though later games would introduce new kinds of Bloopers, the original wasn’t significantly changed until Super Mario Sunshine where it appeared out of water and strangely could be stunned by spraying it with water.  Water levels aren’t always the favorites of gamers and Blooper ensured that they would always be difficult.

Cheep-Cheep
Of course Blooper’s partner in crime was the ever-present Cheep-Cheep.  These fish always came in packs making it necessary to thread through them carefully while swimming.  The Cheep-Cheeps actually gained an ability as the game went on.  They could leap out of the water and attack Mario in droves.  It was near impossible to predict where they would come from so players had to be quick and ready to jump at a moment's notice.  Beyond that ability, they have rarely changed from game to game.  There are several variations of the Cheep-Cheep though that have become some of the more notorious enemies in later games.

Podoboo
As living fireballs that took up residence in Bowser’s many lava-filled castles, the Podoboos were another unexpected obstacle for players.  They knew the lava was dangerous but had no idea fireballs could jump out of the pits to attack.  Once again, precise timing was the key to getting passed them as only a Starman could actually kill a Podoboo.  Beyond coming from different directions in later games, these bad guys haven’t changed much.  Similar enemies have appeared but none of them are an actual Podoboo.

Hammer Bro.
Likely the most notorious enemy from the original Mario Bros., the Hammer Bro. was always met with groans because of the sheer difficulty of getting around them.  Constantly tossing an unlimited stream of hammers while jumping up and down, it required almost sheer luck to jump on one of them.  To make matters worse, a Hammer Bro. always had another nearby.  The safest methods involved the Fire Flower or getting underneath a block it was standing on to knock it off.  Fortunately, it is an infrequent enemy which made it less of a constant nuisance.  The Hammer Bro. itself hasn’t evolved much over the years but man different kinds of Bros. have appeared over the course of the series.  While no Hammer Bro. has appeared in a 3D Mario game yet, it is set to appear in one for the first time in Super Mario Galaxy 2.

Lakitu
The other infamous enemy from Super Mario Bros.  Entire levels would be devoted to Lakitu as it chased players from start to finish, always ready to toss Spinies out.  It was possible for Mario to jump on top of Lakitu if he could reach it, but another would always appear to take its place.  They were even more persistent than Bloopers and could get at Mario wherever he was thanks to the Spinies.  Like the Hammer Bro., it has spawned several other kinds of Lakitu but the creature itself has changed very little.  More often, it has been spotted being a cameraman and helping Karts back onto tracks.  However, Lakitu is set to appear in Super Mario Galaxy 2 in what looks to be an enemy role again. 

Spiny
Spinies are like the special attack division of Mario’s shelled enemies.  Their spikes make it impossible for them to be jumped on, and they are used as projectiles by Lakitu.  As soon as they hit solid ground, they would begin walking in the same way as a Koopa Troopa.  However, the only way to take them out was with a Fire Flower.  Even if they were hit from below they would simply be lifted up and sent elsewhere rather than retreating inside their shell.  It was easy for players to be overwhelmed by the Spinies if they stayed in one place for too long.  The Spiny hasn’t changed much since its inception with the exception of being able to cling to roofs and drop down on players and floating in water to act as mines.  A definite threat considering their lasting nature. 

Buzzy Beetle
If Spinies are the attackers of Bowser's army, then Buzzy Beetles are the defenders.  Hiding inside a shell that can't be taken out by fireballs, Buzzy Beetles attack in the same manner as Koopa Troopas.  They can still be kicked after retreating back into their shell, but it's impossible to kill one without sending it into a pit.  Buzzy Beetles learned the ability to climb on walls in Super Mario Bros. 3 but gained no other new abilities in later games.  Variations are common, though all of them featuring Buzzy Beetles impenetrable shell.  They have never appeared in a 3D Mario game to date.

Bullet Bill
Bullet Bills showed that Bowser was getting serious.  Like Lakitu, entire levels would be devoted to Bullet Bills, but they didn't chase you.  Instead cannons, known as Bill Blasters, would fire them at Mario as he ran toward the goal.  They were deviously placed at all heights on a map so that even small Mario couldn't just run under them.  Many times the Bill Blasters they were being fired from were unseen so the Bullet Bills would just come from everywhere.  Though they couldn't be taken out by fireballs, a simple jump on them was enough to get rid of them.  Bullet Bills haven't changed much over the years, though they have appeared in every Mario game with the exception of Super Mario Bros. 2 and Super Mario Land.  Besides being invulnerable in Super Mario 64, the Bullet Bills have not changed much since their inception.  Variations have added extra features and sizes to the mix but Bullet Bill will always be the classic. 

False Bowser
 
Like most leaders, Bowser had a cadre of bodyguards to protect him in Super Mario Bros.  They looked just like him and shared many of his abilities but they were not the true King of the Koopas.  The seven False Bowsers were so convincing that many gamers didn't even realize they were fakes.  The only way to discover their true identities was to take them out with a Fire Flower.  As they fell into the lava, their Bowser suits would disappear revealing a Goomba, a Koopa Troopa, a Buzzy Beetle, a Spiny, a Lakitu, a Blooper, and finally a Hammer Bro.  Bowser has never used a fake version of himself since, instead relying on giant monsters or his own kids (what a great father ).    The False Bowsers came equipped with many of the real one's abilities, but none of them were as tricky as the real one. 

Bowser
When anyone thinks of Mario villains, this is the one they're thinking of.  Bowser has appeared in almost every Mario game as the main bad guy with the exception of Super Mario Bros. 2 and the Super Mario Land games.  As more and more games are released, his nature as a cruel, unforgiving, and unyielding enemy has taken shape.  He has invaded the Mushroom Kingdom four times along with Dinosaur Land, Princess Peach's castle, and the Isle Delfino.  More recently, he has tried to take over the entire universe so his dreams of conquest are only getting bigger.  Over the course of the series his abilities have changed almost as much as Mario's.  Super Mario Bros. featured him spitting fireballs and tossing hammers, making it extremely difficult to get past him and send the tyrant into the lava.  In Super Mario Bros. 3 he learned to do a ground pound with his body that lead to his defeat as Mario tricked him to break through the floor.  Bowser brought the Clown Car with him in Super Mario World which kept him out of Mario's reach and allowed for aerial attacks.  In many of the recent games, Bowser has tried to go toe to toe with Mario, but each time Mario is able to outwit and outmaneuver him.  In only one instance has Mario ever killed Bowser, in the first battle with him in New Super Mario Bros.  However Bowser Jr. was able to resurrect him and so the eternal battle rages on.  Though he may seem like less of a threat these days, Bowser is the prototype villain and one of the hallmarks of the Mario series. 
 
These are all familiar faces but we're sure to run into some unknowns as we detail all of the enemies in Mario's next game, Super Mario Bros. 2.  While it wasn't officially part of the canon, enough characters and elements have crossed over that it is generally accepted that this is indeed a Mario game.  Join us next time as we continue the Super Mario Dossier.
 
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