Buzzy Beetle
A Buzzy Beetle is an enemy in the Mario franchise, in which they first appear in Super Mario Bros.. Despite their name, Buzzy Beetles are not actually beetles but rather a Koopa with a smooth shell, known as a Buzzy Shell, giving it an insectoid appearance. Because of its shell, a Buzzy Beetle can withstand fire, something that Koopa Troopas are incapable of doing. Buzzy Beetles are mostly found in underground areas.
For several years, Buzzy Beetles made a majority of their appearances in the Super Mario series, the 2D installments in particular. Hotel Mario is their first appearance outside the Super Mario series, and Buzzy Beetles are recurring enemies throughout the Paper Mario series.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
In the Super Mario series, a Buzzy Beetle has similar behavior to a Koopa Troopa; if Mario or another character jumps on a Buzzy Beetle, it retreats into its shell, which they can then kick to have it slide either left or right, defeating enemies and breaking through Brick Blocks along the way. Fire Mario cannot defeat a Buzzy Beetle with a fireball, and the only way to defeat a Buzzy Beetle is by hitting it with a Buzzy Shell or by running into it while in the Invincible form granted by a Super Star.
Super Mario Bros.[edit]
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In Super Mario Bros., Buzzy Beetles are first encountered in World 4-2, and are encountered in some of the later levels, especially throughout World 8. Their technical debut is in World 3-4, where a Buzzy Beetle disguised as the False Bowser is encountered at the end. Mario or Luigi can earn 100 points from stomping a Buzzy Beetle, including for while it is moving in its shell, or 200 points from defeating it while invincible. Aside from their invulnerability to fireballs, Buzzy Beetles are behaviorally the same as Koopa Troopas, the green variation in particular, because they fall off an edge upon approaching it.
In Hard Mode, Buzzy Beetles serve as the replacement for Little Goombas.
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels[edit]
In Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Buzzy Beetles reappear as enemies, and retain both their sprites and behavior from Super Mario Bros.. Buzzy Beetles are a lot more common than in Super Mario Bros., not counting its Hard Mode.
Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
In Super Mario Bros. 3, Buzzy Beetles return as enemies, and are mainly encountered in underground levels. Some Buzzy Beetles are capable of walking on a ceiling, from which one drops when they are directly above Mario or Luigi. Upon landing, the Buzzy Beetle then spins into a single direction. Mario or Luigi can still defeat a Buzzy Beetle using the same methods, but can now also do this by throwing a Hammer at them while in their Hammer form. If Mario or Luigi are in their Raccoon or Tanooki form, they can use their tail to flip a Buzzy Beetle upside-down.
Super Mario World[edit]
In Super Mario World, Buzzy Beetles are almost exclusively found in cave levels, where they are fairly common. While in their Caped form, Mario or Luigi can defeat a Buzzy Beetle by spinning their cape at them. Unlike Super Mario Bros. 3, Buzzy Beetles do not retain their behavior of walking on ceilings and attempting to drop onto Mario or Luigi. A Yoshi can swallow a Buzzy Beetle, something it cannot do to a Koopa Troopa, let alone a Koopa Shell.
New Super Mario Bros.[edit]
In New Super Mario Bros., Buzzy Beetles are very uncommon enemies, appearing in only two levels, World 5-C, and World 6-
2. Their behavior of walking on the ceiling and dropping when Mario or Luigi is beneath them has been retained from Super Mario Bros. 3. While on the ground, Buzzy Beetles behave like Red Koopa Troopas in that they do not walk into pits. If Mario or Luigi perform a Ground Pound on a Buzzy Beetle, it spins very fast in its shell. Aside from using a Starman, Mario or Luigi can also defeat a Buzzy Beetle by spinning into it while in their Shell or by walking into a Buzzy Beetle while in their Mega form.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]
Buzzy Beetles are more common in New Super Mario Bros. Wii than in the previous game. They are commonly found in World 2, World 5, World 6, and World 8. Buzzy Beetles act the same as in New Super Mario Bros., and are among the enemies that Ice Mario can freeze using an Ice Ball.
New Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]
In New Super Mario Bros. 2, Buzzy Beetles are once again a common enemy, behaving the same as in earlier New Super Mario Bros. installments. Mario or Luigi can flip over a Buzzy Beetle with their tail while in their Raccoon form. A Buzzy Beetle can still be defeated if Mario or Luigi touches it while in their Mega or Invincibility form, now also granted by an Invincibility Leaf, or from one of Gold Mario or Silver Luigi's fireballs. Buzzy Beetles are one of the few enemies to be unaffected by the Gold Rings, and as such, do not have a gold variant.
New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe[edit]
Buzzy Beetles return in New Super Mario Bros. U as well as New Super Luigi U and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe behaving the same as in earlier New Super Mario Bros. titles, especially New Super Mario Bros. Wii due to the return of the Ice Flower power-up. Buzzy Beetles are commonly found in Layer-Cake Desert, Frosted Glacier, Rock-Candy Mines, and Peach's Castle.
Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS / Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
Buzzy Beetles return in Super Mario Maker, its Nintendo 3DS port, and its sequel Super Mario Maker 2. In Course Maker mode, they are placeable enemies. Applying a Super Mushroom to a Buzzy Beetle turns it into a Big Buzzy Beetle, and adding wings to a Buzzy Beetle turns it into a Parabuzzy.
Mario Party 8[edit]
In Mario Party 8, Buzzy Beetles serve as weapons in the battle minigame Glacial Meltdown. Here, Buzzy Beetles are used to stun other opponents in battle.
Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition[edit]
In Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition, Buzzy Beetles appear usually in Cave-themed stages, though they do appear elsewhere, usually alongside multiple of themselves or sometimes other enemies. They should not be underestimated, however, as they normally attack every turn for a decent amount of damage, and in groups can really bring the pain onto an unsuspecting player. What makes them worse is that on their first turn, they have a 50% chance to use "Light Bind", which inflicts 2 turns of Bind to all Light attribute monsters on your team, and around a 25% chance to use "Beetle Guard", which grants the entire enemy team status immunity for 5 turns. Their attribute is Dark, and they can evolve into either a Bony Beetle or Para-Beetle by using a Boo Mushroom or a P-Wing, respectively. respectively.
After the version 2.0 update, Buzzy Beetles gained the basic awakening of Dark Boost, increasing Dark attribute damage for the team if an entire line of Dark Orbs is cleared at once.
Variants[edit]
The first Buzzy Beetle variant, Big Buzzy Beetle, was introduced in the film Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!. They are simply a larger version of Buzzy Beetles. Big Buzzy Beetles appear in only a few games.
Two variants of Buzzy Beetles were introduced in Super Mario Bros. 3: Buster Beetles and Parabeetles. Buster Beetles walk upright, and move faster than most Buzzy Beetles. They can grab Ice Blocks and throw them at Mario or Luigi. While they have a similar appearance, Buster Beetles are weaker than Buzzy Beetles, as they can be defeated from any attack. Parabeetles wear a winged red shell, and they fly together in flocks. They do not target Mario or Luigi. Parabeetles can be defeated via Raccoon or Tanooki Mario's tail or by touching them while invincible. Parabeetles function like stepping stones that Mario or Luigi can use to move across wide gaps or reach higher areas.
Super Mario World introduces Bony Beetles and Spike Tops. Bony Beetles are the skeletal counterpart of Buzzy Beetles, parallel to the relation between Dry Bones and Koopa Troopas. Bony Beetles pace back and forth, occasionally ducking into their shells to expose their spikes. If Mario or Luigi jump on a Bony Beetle while its spikes are retracted, it breaks apart, but quickly reforms afterward, just as a Dry Bones would. Spike Tops are a hybrid between a Spiny and a Buzzy Beetle. A Spike Top has a red shell, can crawl on any surface, and has a spike on its back.
In Paper Mario, there is a Buzzy Beetle character named Chan, a student at the Toad Town Dojo.
List of game appearances[edit]
Names in other languages[edit]
Buzzy Beetle[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | メット Metto |
Shortening of the English word "helmet"; officially romanized as "Met" |
| Chinese (simplified) | 钢盔甲虫[2] Gāngkuī Jiǎchóng 钢盔龟 (since Super Mario Maker 2) Gāngkuī Guī |
Helmet Beetle Helmet Turtle |
| Chinese (traditional) | 鋼盔龜 Gāngkuī Guī |
Helmet Turtle |
| Dutch | Buzzy Beetle |
- |
| Finnish | Surinakuoriainen |
Buzz beetle |
| German | Käfer Bummel-Käfer (Super Paper Mario) |
Beetle Dawdle Beetle |
| Italian | Nella Nella capovolta (when upside down) Ronzibeo (Mario Party 8) Buzzy Beetle (Super Mario Bros. manual) |
Italian female given name; also likely a pun on "coccinella" (ladybug) Inverted Buzzy Beetle Portmanteau of "ronzi" (buzz) and "scarabeo" (beetle) - |
| Korean | 하잉바 Haingba |
From "하이바" (haiba, a slang term for "helmet") |
| Portuguese | Besouro |
Beetle |
| Russian | Каскожук Kaskozhuk |
Helmet beetle |
| Spanish (NOA) | Buzzy |
- |
| Spanish (NOE) | Buzzy Beetle |
- |
Upside-down Buzzy Beetle[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | さかさメット[3] Sakasa Metto |
Upside-down Buzzy Beetle |
References[edit]
- ^ Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt Canadian instruction booklet. Page 32.
- ^ 无敌阿尔宙斯 (August 28, 2013). 神游 超级马力欧世界 敌人官译. Baidu Tieba. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
- ^ Shogakukan. 2015. Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook, Super Mario Bros. 3 section, page 36.
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