Bugaboom
Artwork fromSuper Mario Galaxy
Species	Mandibug
First appearance	Super Mario Galaxy (2007)
Latest appearance	Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2025)
Member of	Mandibug clan

“Theneighbors are causing trouble again! We would be most grateful foryour assistance!”

—Honey Queen,Super Mario Galaxy

Bugaboom is a boss that appears inSuper Mario Galaxy andSuper Mario Galaxy 2. It is found in theHoneyhive Galaxy and thePuzzle Plank Galaxy and is the leader of theMandibug clan that infested the Honeyhive Kingdom. Bugaboom's name is a pun on the word "bugaboo," which is a term for a monster, generally a minor children's book monster. Bugaboom shares its boss music withKing Kaliente andTopmaniac. However, Bugaboom's boss music speeds up after it takes damage, unlike the music during the King Kaliente and Topmaniac fights.

History[edit]

Super Mario Galaxy[edit]

Bugaboom flying

InSuper Mario Galaxy and itsNintendo Switchport, Bugaboom is fought on a planet with severalBanandelions and twoBee Mushrooms in the Honeyhive Galaxy and the levelBig Bad Bugaboom. There is also a river of water that will deactivate the Bee Suit if touched byMario. Under the planet is ablack hole.

Bugaboom chasing Mario

Once Mario arrives on the planet, Bugaboom drops from the sky and clicks its mandibles. It then proceeds to attack Mario. The only way to defeat it is by jumping, flying or using a Banandelion to get on to its back and thenGround Pounding. Bugaboom’s only attack during this phase is a frenzied charge.

Bugaboom will then take flight and fly around in circles so that Mario can no longer jump on its back. He will also drop bombs from the hole on its underside. The only ways to get up now are to useBee Mario or a Banandelion. If Mario ground pounds on Bugaboom when above it, it will turn red with rage and start to fly faster and once every pass it will turn on its side and continue to firebombs at the ground. It is impossible to hit Bugaboom while it is on its side so Mario must wait until it is going the right way and use a Bee Mushroom to hover above where it will be or aim with a Banandelion which is considerably harder as Bugaboom is moving so fast. Once Mario ground pounds Bugaboom a third time, it will explode and aPower Star will appear.

Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]

Cloud Mario and Bugaboom

Bugaboom makes its second appearance inSuper Mario Galaxy 2 in a secret mission entitledBugaboom's Back. It is fought when Mario reaches its planet located inPuzzle Plank Galaxy after feeding theHungry Luma on the previous planet 70 coins. Its battle tactics are the same as in the previous game, but Mario must change his strategy: instead of the Bee Suit, Mario must becomeCloud Mario in order to defeat Bugaboom and the Banandelions are replaced withSpringboards and the honeycombs have been removed. Bugaboom's boss music fromSuper Mario Galaxy returns inSuper Mario Galaxy 2, where it plays the same way when Bugaboom is fought: it speeds up for the second and third hit. This boss, along withthe fiery version of Gobblegut, are the only bosses inSuper Mario Galaxy 2 that can be accessed only by a secret star mission. Bugaboom is one of two bosses originating inSuper Mario Galaxy that reappear inSuper Mario Galaxy 2 to not be fought in theBoss Blitz Galaxy, with theMandibug Stack being the other.

In thePrima Games guide toSuper Mario Galaxy 2, one of the pictures for Bugaboom's article is a picture forKing Lakitu's article instead.

Appearance[edit]

Bugaboom model

Bugaboom in his red-colored form after he is defeated

Bugaboom is a huge green Mandibug, with six legs and eyes with ringed pupils. Unlike most Mandibugs, its body is flat instead of rounded. It will attempt to consume Mario with its retractable mandibles, but after attacking it once, it will reveal its wings and fly rapidly around its planet and drop explosives from the underside of its body, and after attacking it again, it will turn red-hot with rage. Bugaboom can be best described as a beetle with one solid green shell and theGround Pound symbol emblazoned on it. Notably, the mandibles look much like an ant's pincers.

Profiles and statistics[edit]

Super Mario Galaxy[edit]

Bugaboom
	Dome	Terrace	Galaxy	Honeyhive Galaxy
	Mission	Big Bad Bugaboom	Reward

Trading card description[edit]

Image	Name	Type	Description
	Bugaboom	Boss	Upon entering the Honey Hive Galaxy, Mario must battle this six-legged Mandibug. Defeating it requires three direct hits. Ground-pound it as quickly as possible. Climb a dandelion stalk and jump on his back with a ground pound again. Power up to Bee Mario for the final blow, and your prize will be a Power Star!

Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]

Bugaboom
	World	World 2	Galaxy	Puzzle Plank Galaxy
	Mission	Bugaboom's Back	Reward

Naming[edit]

Internal names[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

The contemporaneous name for each language is listed first. Subsequent names are listed in chronological order for each language, from oldest to newest, and have the media with which they are associated in the "notes" column. Names exclusive to localizations of theSuper Mario Bros. Encyclopedia are not prioritized due toconcerns about circular reporting, and are only listed first for their respective languages if they are the only ones available.

References[edit]

• Beetles
• Aliens
• Kings
• Super Mario Galaxy bosses
• Super Mario Galaxy 2 bosses
• Super Mario Galaxy trading cards