Cheep Chomp
- This article is about the man-eating fish that debuted as Bubba inSuper Mario 64. For the similar enemy fromSuper Mario Bros. 3, seeBig Cheep Cheep.
| Cheep Chomp | |||
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 In-game model fromMario Party Superstars | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario 64 (1996) | ||
| Latest appearance | Mario Tennis Fever (2026) | ||
| Variant of | Big Cheep Cheep Blurp | ||
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- “Clear the lake! Don't become fish food!”
- —Mission,Mario Kart World
Cheep Chomps, originally calledBubbas[1] and formerly formatted asCheep-Chomps,[2][3] are big relatives ofCheep Cheeps debuting inSuper Mario 64. They closely resembleBoss Bass fromSuper Mario Bros. 3 in later appearances, and much like Boss Basses, they attempt to eatMario.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario 64 /Super Mario 64 DS[edit]
InSuper Mario 64, Bubbas appear in two places onTiny-Huge Island. As revealed from source assets, they were directly based onBlurps during development as their internal name is "buku," a shortened version of Blurp's Japanese name. Whenever they spawn in the player's view, a splash appears over them, indicating they have dropped into the water. They sluggishly swim around under the water, but when they see Mario, they speed up drastically and move to whatever depth of the water he is at. They then point themselves at Mario and quickly shoot forward with their mouths open, attempting to eat him, before snapping them shut with the same "chomp" noisePiranha Plants use. If Mario is eaten by a Bubba, he instantly loses a life, regardless of the amount of health he has left. Sometimes, they open and close their mouths quickly as Mario approaches. If Mario is on the surface of the water, they may end up leaping a small bit from their launch, and through this can eat him while he rides ashell. Bubbas are very accurate, but they can be dodged if Mario manages to get behind them. If he does so, they will attempt to quickly turn around to get to him, but they can still be followed relatively safely. They can also be jumped over if timed well, though he will be damaged if he ends up landing on one, and if this is done near the stage border, it may somehow manage to eat him without even opening its mouth. Additionally, if he swims close enough to the beach near one of them, the water will be too shallow for it and it will swim away. At a certain distance from this beach, it may pursue Mario without trying to eat him, but it will be less likely to try if Mario is facing the beach. Through a glitch, it is possible to force a Bubba to beach,[4] after which it will be stuck face-down and moving forward until it falls off the stage.
InSuper Mario 64 DS, Bubbas' behavior has been changed noticeably to make them less dangerous, possibly due to the imprecise controls on the originalNintendo DS; they now go a relatively constant speed upon noticing the player character, which is slower than their pursuit speed in the original. This speed carries into their turns and lunges, which are now done in a slow arc and can no longer result in "leaps." They also no longer swim along the level the player is swimming when pursuing them, instead swimming at a constant level and changing it only while lunging at the player, after which they return to their normal depth. This also results in making them in general less accurate and easier to dodge; in fact, they may lunge before even facing the player. However, the player can still be "sucked in" if they touch the side of their open lips. A Bubba near the course's entrance can be defeated from amushroom nearby.
New Super Mario Bros.[edit]
Only three Cheep-Chomps[2] appear inNew Super Mario Bros., where all of them are inWorld 3-1. A Cheep Chomp's behavior is to swim after Mario or Luigi, open its mouth with a creaking sound, and attempt to eat him, taking away a life. It takes either afireball or theMega form to defeat a Cheep-Chomp. Only one Cheep-Chomp can be onscreen at a time. It is the first game where Cheep Chomps have their current English name and design, which is based on theSuper Mario 64 DS incarnation except recolored purple with a turquoise tail and dorsal fin, likely so players can more easily distinguish them from the less aggressiveMega Cheep-Cheep. Incidentally, their coloration is somewhat reminiscent ofBlurp.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]
Only two Cheep-Chomps, incorrectly identified asPorcupuffers in thePrima guide,[5] appear inNew Super Mario Bros. Wii. The first one is in a bonus area ofWorld 4-4, where one ofFire Mario's fireballs can defeat it for three1-Up Mushrooms.[6] The second Cheep-Chomp is inWorld 9-2. Both Cheep-Chomps are unaffected byice balls and are larger than all other Cheep Cheep varieties.
New Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]
Cheep Chomps (formatted with a space instead of a hyphen for the first time) once again appear inNew Super Mario Bros. 2. The first one appears inWorld 1-5,[7] and Cheep Chomps later appear throughoutWorld 4-5. Another appears incourse one of the Impossible Pack, near two whirlpools. Cheep-Chomps only follow in a preset area before stopping when the player character leaves. Defeating a Cheep Chomp causes it to drop threecoins.[7]
New Super Mario Bros. U /New Super Luigi U /New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe[edit]
The Cheep Chomps reappear inNew Super Mario Bros. U,New Super Luigi U, andtheir port. They appear prominently inSwim for Your Life! inNew Super Mario Bros. U, and in the levelsCheep Chomp Chase andStar Coin Deep Dive inNew Super Luigi U. Cheep Chomps were made stronger, not only by defeating other enemies along the way but also from requiring three fireballs to defeat. However, a Cheep Chomp returns soon after its defeat, like aPorcupuffer. Cheep Chomps are the only enemies that can defeatNabbit.
Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
A Cheep Chomp appears briefly in the background of underwater levels in theNew Super Mario Bros. U style ofSuper Mario Maker 2 before swimming off. Porcupuffers receive the behavior of Cheep Chomps while underwater in theSuper Mario 3D World style.
Mario Golf series[edit]
Mario Golf[edit]
Landing a ball in the water inMario Golf causes a Bubba or a Cheep Cheep to jump out. Bubbas are much smaller than inSuper Mario 64. "Bubba" is sometimes displayed on the score card.
Mario Golf: Super Rush[edit]
InMario Golf: Super Rush, Cheep Chomps appear atShelltop Sanctuary. They usually swim aimlessly in the lakes and are rarely interacted with since they do not typically swim near the bay, although it possible for characters to come in contact with them viaSpecial Dashes. The Cheep Chomp will not react if this happens, and the character will end up losing coins upon contact and immediately fall into the lake. For characters capable of floating over the water such asBoo orRosalina, if they come close to a Cheep Chomp, it will submerge for a moment before lunging itself with its mouth open at them, causing them to lose coins.
Mario Kart series[edit]
Mario Kart DS[edit]
A Bubba makes itsMario Kart debut inMario Kart DS, as a minor appearance in theBanshee Boardwalk course, where it jumps out of the water and over the course, replacing theBig Cheep Cheep from the originalMario Kart 64 version.
Mario Kart World[edit]
Cheep Chomps reappear inMario Kart World, as one of many obstacles nearKoopa Troopa Beach. They swim at the surface of water and periodically leap into the air, causing racers to flip over when struck, although they can also create waves upon landing that racers can gain aJump Boost as they do so. They also appear inPeach Stadium'sP Switchmission, where the player must drive towards atrampoline that allows them glide over the star-shaped lake surrounded by Cheep Chomps.
Yoshi's Island DS[edit]
Cheep-Chomps,[8] referred to as "Boss Bass",[9][10] appear inYoshi's Island DS. They patrol their own little section of water, and periodically leap out in an attempt to swallow Yoshi whole. Boss Bass can only eat Yoshi while they are descending. The mid-boss of World 3,Bessie Bass, is a giant member of the species. While Cheep-Chomps do not appear in any other games of theYoshi's Island series,Lunge Fish are given a similar leaping behavior afterwards.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star[edit]
Although normal Cheep Chomps do not appear inPaper Mario: Sticker Star, aBig Cheep Chomp[11] appears as an obstacle on the water surface ofLong Fall Falls.
Mario Party series[edit]
Mario Party: Island Tour[edit]
Cheep Chomps are featured in theminigameCheep Diamonds inMario Party: Island Tour, where players try to be the first to choose the Cheep Chomp with the most diamonds.[12][13] One can sometimes cameo inStarring Artist.
Mario Party 10[edit]
One of the bosses inMario Party 10 is aMega Cheep Chomp, featured as the mid-boss ofWhimsical Waters in story mode. Its minigame isMega Cheep Chomp's Shell Shock.
Super Mario Party[edit]
Cheep Chomps appear inSuper Mario Party, as background elements ofMushroom Beach. One is sometimes featured in the minigameRattle and Hmmm with aTorpedo Ted andDragoneel.[14] Machines in the likeness of Cheep Chomps appear inFeeding Friendsy, where players compete to toss balls into them.
Mario Party Superstars[edit]
A Cheep Chomp is featured during theEvent Space event ofYoshi's Tropical Island inMario Party Superstars. It leaps out of the water, takingToadette to the other side as she switches places withBowser;[15] a role thatBubbas originally had. At the end, each of the players are taken away by a Cheep Chomp except the winner.[16]
Mario Tennis Fever[edit]
A Cheep Chomp is fought at Limestone Cave inMario Tennis Fever's Adventure mode.
Other appearances[edit]
Cheep Chomps, alongsideCheep Cheeps,Eep Cheeps, andBloopers, appeared in Fishing Tourney #12 inAnimal Crossing: Pocket Camp as the largest fish that could be caught, due to the tourney being held around the same time asMAR10 Day. A Cheep Chomp balloon attached to aBrick Block could also be obtained as special furniture when the player reached the 2,900, 3,100, 3,300, 3,600, or 4,100 cm milestone. Although they are depicted with their trademark closed eyes in the scenes where they are caught by the player, their icon depicts them with open eyes similar to Cheep Cheeps and Eep Cheeps.
General information[edit]
Physical appearance[edit]
Cheep Chomps are big, round fish. Starting withNew Super Mario Bros., Cheep Chomps are usually depicted with having a purple body, a white underbelly, large pink lips, and cyan fins.
In their debut appearance,Super Mario 64, Cheep Chomps have distinguishable orange scales and small red fins like the game's design ofCheep Cheep (also known as Bubs), and also wear sunglasses, have no tooth, and have a wide, somewhat fat appearance from the front. Cheep Chomps retain their appearance inMario Golf, but were made a lot smaller.
InSuper Mario 64 DS, Cheep Chomps have no sunglasses, and their design greatly resemblesBoss Bass with more defined wing-like pectoral fins, a yellow dorsal fin and a triple-lobed tail. They still have distinguishable scales, but they are smaller and red. Cheep Chomps are also smaller and less wide than before, while the opening and closing of their mouths is done smoothly instead of instantaneously. The same design was reused in bothMario Kart DS andYoshi's Island DS, except the Cheep Chomps were given a brighter shade of red.
Profiles and statistics[edit]
Mario Party Superstars[edit]
- Encyclopedia bio: "Has a massive maw and will voraciously devour anything in sight."
Gallery[edit]
- For this subject's image gallery, seeGallery:Cheep Chomp.
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 they are associated with in the "notes" column.
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | バクバク[17][18][19] Bakubaku | Onomatopoeia for devouring; following the naming formats of「プクプク」(Pukupuku, "Cheep Cheep") and「ブクブク」(Bukubuku, "Blurp") | |
| Chinese(Simplified) | 大嘴鱼[20] Dàzuǐ Yú | Big Mouth Fish | |
| Chinese(Traditional) | 大嘴魚[21] Dàzuǐ Yú | Big Mouth Fish | |
| Dutch | Cheep Chomp[22][23] | - | |
| French(Canadian) | Aquavorace[24] | FromAquazo ("Cheep Cheep") andvorace ("voracious") | |
| French(European) | Cheep Chomp[23] | - | |
| Cheep-Chomp[25] | New Super Mario Bros. | ||
| German | Happ-Cheep[23] | FromHappen ("morsel") and "Cheep Cheep" | |
| Big Bill[26] | Boss Bass | Super Mario 64 | |
| Italian | Pesce Gnam[22][23] | Gnam Fish; in line with Cheep Cheep's Italian name, the name contains an onomatopoeia:Gnam ("Chomp"), which stands for eating/biting | |
| Pesce Smack Gigante[27][28] | Big Cheep Cheep; ascribed in error | Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia | |
| Korean | 우걱우걱[22] Ugeok-ugeok | Onomatopoeia for chomping | |
| Portuguese | Come Cheep[29][30][23] | Fromcomer ("to eat") and "Cheep Cheep" | |
| Portuguese(European) | Cheep Chomp[31] | - | |
| Russian | Чип-кусалкин[?] Chip-kusalkin | Cheep Chomper | |
| Spanish(Latin American) | Cheep Glotón[a][32] | Glutton Cheep | |
| Spanish(European) | Cheep Chomp[22][23] | - | |
| Boss Bass[33] | Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia |
References[edit]
- ^Pelland, Scott, and Dan Owsen (1996).Super Mario 64 Player's Guide.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 12.
- ^abLoe, Casey (May 15, 2006).New Super Mario Bros. Player's Guide.Nintendo of America (American English). ISBN1-59812-009-3. Page 12.
- ^Bueno, Fernando (November 15, 2009).New Super Mario Bros. Wii PRIMA Official Game Guide.Prima Games (American English). ISBN978-0-307-46592-4. Page 14.
- ^pannenkoek2012 (July 18, 2013).SM64 - Beached Bubba Glitch.YouTube (English). Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^Bueno, Fernando (November 15, 2009).New Super Mario Bros. Wii PRIMA Official Game Guide.Prima Games (American English). ISBN978-0-307-46592-4. Page 82 and 176.
- ^"If you have the Fire Flower power-up, you can blast the Porcupuffer[sic] and get three 1-Up Mushrooms!" –New Super Mario Bros. Wii PRIMA Official Game Guide. Page 82.
- ^abGamerJGB (June 11, 2017).New Super Mario Bros. 2: World 1-5 [1080 HD] (01:13).YouTube (English).
- ^「バクバク」– April 11, 2007. 「ヨッシーアイランドDS任天堂公式ガイドブック」 (Yoshi's Island DS Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook).Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN978-4-09-106361-8. Page 124.
- ^Williams, Drew (November 6, 2006).Yoshi's Island DS Player's Guide.Nintendo Power (American English). ISBN1-59812-016-6. Page 56, 62, 65, 68.
- ^Black, Fletcher (December 19, 2006).Yoshi's Island DS PRIMA Official Game Guide.Prima Games (American English). ISBN0-7615-5576-5. Page 128, 152, 159, 171.
- ^von Esmarch, Nick (2012).Paper Mario: Sticker Star PRIMA Official Game Guide.Prima Games (American English). ISBN978-0-307-89675-9. Page 282-283, 285.
- ^"Pick out the Cheep Chomps with the most diamonds in their mouths before your opponents can." – Rules (2013).Mario Party: Island Tour.Nintendo of America (American English).
- ^"Be the quickest to pick out the Cheep Chomp with the most gems in its mouth." – Rules (2013).Mario Party: Island Tour.Nintendo of Europe (British English).
- ^arronmunroe (April 1, 2019).Super Mario Party minigame: Rattle and Hmmm 60fps (05:23).YouTube (English).
- ^Railfanner7903 (March 12, 2022).Cheep Chomp's Trick [Left Side]: Mario Party Superstars (0:03).YouTube (English).
- ^Mario Party Legacy (November 7, 2021).Yoshi's Tropical Island - Mario Party Superstars (1:51:16).YouTube (English).
- ^Takashi, Watanabe, Noriko Oketani, Yugo Nagasawa, and Junichiro Okubo, editors (1996). 『任天堂公式ガイドブック スーパーマリオ64』(Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook – Super Mario 64). Tokyo:Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN4-09-102554-4. Page 5.
- ^Noriaki, Kamiguchi, Kaisa Hitoshi, Teshiromori Nobuhito, Nagashima Kazutaka, Somoto Shitsuya, and Matsumoto Royo (2005). 『「スーパーマリオ64DS」タッチ！＆ゲット！パワースター
攻略 ブック』. Tokyo:Kadokawa (Japanese). ISBN4-8402-2960-0. Page 185. - ^Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors (2015). 『スーパーマリオブラザーズ百科: 任天堂公式ガイドブック』. Tokyo:Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN978-4-09-106569-8. Page 86, 115, 145, 195, 210.
- ^2023.海龙王的沉船探险 #71432.LEGO (Simplified Chinese). (Archived March 19, 2024, 21:20:16 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^2023.海龍王的沉船探險 #71432.LEGO (Traditional Chinese). (Archived March 19, 2024, 21:20:53 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^abcdeIn-game name forCheep Diamonds fromMario Party: Island Tour.
- ^abcdefgIn-game name forMega Cheep Chomp's Shell Shock fromMario Party 10.
- ^2023.Ensemble d’extension Aventure dans l'épave engloutie avec Dorrie #71432.LEGO (Canadian French). (Archived March 19, 2024, 21:35:52 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^Loe, Casey (2006).New Super Mario Bros., le guide de stratégie officiel. Hamburg:Future Press (French). ISBN3-937336-61-3. Page 12.
- ^Kraft, John D., Thomas Görg, and Marko Hein, editors (1997).Der offizielle Nintendo 64 Spieleberater "Super Mario 64". Großostheim:Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German). Page 6.
- ^Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), and Marco Figini, editors (2018). "Super Mario 64" inSuper Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Translated by Marco Amerighi. Milan:Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN889367436X. Page 86.
- ^Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), and Marco Figini, editors (2025). "Super Mario 64" inSuper Mario Bros. Enciclopedia (2nd ed.). Translated by Alessandro Apreda. Milan:Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN979-1259575760. Page 86.
- ^"Come Cheep: Tem uma boca enorme e devora ferozmente qualquer coisa à sua frente." –Encyclopedia (29 Oct. 2021).Mario Party Superstars byNDcube.Nintendo (Brazilian Portuguese). (Archived via YouTube by NinTavito.)
- ^2023.Pacote de Expansão - Dori e o naufrágio #71432.kids.LEGO (Brazilian Portuguese). (Archived June 27, 2025, 14:40:00 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^2023.Dorrie e o navio afundado – Set de Expansão #71432.LEGO (European Portuguese). (Archived March 19, 2024, 21:55:54 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^In-game name from the encyclopedia inMario Party Superstars.
- ^Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors (2017). "Super Mario 64" inEnciclopedia Super Mario Bros. 30ª Aniversario. Translated by Gemma Tarrés. Barcelona:Editorial Planeta, S.A. (European Spanish). ISBN978-84-9146-223-1. Page 86.
- Cheep Cheeps
- Playable characters
- LEGO Super Mario characters
- Mario Golf (Nintendo 64)
- Mario Kart DS species
- Mario Kart World species
- Mario Party: Island Tour
- New Super Luigi U enemies
- New Super Mario Bros. enemies
- New Super Mario Bros. 2 enemies
- New Super Mario Bros. Wii enemies
- New Super Mario Bros. U enemies
- Super Mario 64 enemies
- Yoshi's Island DS enemies
