Skeeter
- This article is about the enemies first appearing in Super Mario 64. For the similar enemy of the same name fromNew Super Mario Bros., seeSkeeter (New Super Mario Bros.).
| Skeeter | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork fromSuper Mario Galaxy 2 | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario 64 (1996) | ||
| Latest appearance | Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2025) | ||
| |||
| |||
| |||
Skeeters[1] are giantwater strider enemies that are introduced inSuper Mario 64. They appear in a few of the 3D games of theSuper Mario franchise. Like real water striders, they usually skim on the surface of water. Their name comes from "water skeeter," one of many alternate names for water striders.
Skeeters have had distinct designs throughout all four of theirSuper Mario-series appearances, though their abilities and basic shape have remained largely the same. In addition to skating on water, they can also walk on land, though they move a bit slower.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario 64 /Super Mario 64 DS[edit]
InSuper Mario 64, Skeeters appear frequently inWet-Dry World, where one is seen on the entrancepainting. They are found floating aimlessly on the water, and they appear as big cyan-colored pond skaters with yellow suction cup-like webbed feet and vermillion-colored antennae on their backs, with bulging, sad red eyes. They can be defeated by most methods of attack, and they release threecoins upon defeat. They can be lowered onto platforms, where they will slowly skitter about and home in onMario if they see him, acting just like aScuttle Bug. If struck by one, Mario will lose two wedges of hishealth.
InSuper Mario 64 DS, Skeeters are now blue, and their yellow webbed feet are slightly larger and also cover their ankles; the antennae on their heads are red instead of vermillion, and they have black eyes that are now positioned flat on their faces, instead of bulging out. Skeeters now also appear inDire, Dire Docks, where five of them can be found. Their other attributes remain unchanged from the original.
Super Mario Sunshine[edit]
Skeeters reappear inSuper Mario Sunshine, where they are referred to asPondskaters[2] orBlue Spiders.[3][4] They are found exclusively in the lake ofBianco Hills. These ones sport a different design, with no antennae, shorter and thicker legs, and a blue and yellow color scheme. When they arejumped on, Mario propels upward to a height rivaling theRocket Nozzle. Pondskaters stop moving temporarily if sprayed withFLUDD. Pondskaters can be defeated only by aYoshi, by either eating them or sprayingjuice at them to turn them into platforms, which will remove the Pondskaters after the platform disappears.
New Super Mario Bros.[edit]
While Skeeters themselves do not appear inNew Super Mario Bros.,a bomb-dropping variant of the same name was introduced.
Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]
Skeeters inSuper Mario Galaxy 2 and itsNintendo Switchport were given an overhauled appearance consisting of flat purple bodies without antennae, yellow legs and feet, and visible eyelids on top of their eyes. They always home in on Mario orLuigi, and they can bestomped for a coin or hit with aspin to release threeStar Bits. When the water is frozen inCosmic Cove Galaxy, they will be frozen as well.
Skeeters appear in the following list of galaxies and missions. If no mission is stated, Skeeters appear during all missions:
- Cosmic Cove Galaxy ("Twin Falls Hideaway", "Catch That Star Bunny")
- Starshine Beach Galaxy ("Surf, Sand, and Silver Stars", "Climbing the Cloudy Tower")
- Throwback Galaxy
Mario Party 3[edit]
InMario Party 3, an immobile Skeeter is in the background ofWoody Woods, and a large mechanical Skeeter is one of the vehicles inRidiculous Relay.
Mario Kart World[edit]
Skeeters return inMario Kart World, where they use theirSuper Mario Galaxy 2 design but with a Ground Pound symbol-like starburst pattern on the back, their bodies are slightly larger, and their eyes are now teal-colored. As in the mainline games, Skeeters occur on the surface of water and propel themselves forward by flexing their legs. They cause racers to briefly get knocked over on contact, although they can be jumped over with a well-timedCharge Jump.Mario Kart World is the first new game to include Skeeters in fifteen years, since the release ofSuper Mario Galaxy 2. They appear in aquatic areas such as the lake inAcorn Heights and atToad's Factory.
Gallery[edit]
Super Mario 64
Super Mario Sunshine
Super Mario Sunshine
Super Mario 64 DS
A Skeeter seen inSuper Mario 64 DS
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 | メンボ[5][6][7] Menbo | From「アメンボ」(amenbo, "water strider") | |
| Chinese(Simplified) | 水黾[8] Shuǐmǐn(Mandarin) Séuimáhn(Cantonese) | Water Strider | |
| Chinese(Traditional) | 水蜘蛛[9] Shuǐzhīzhū(Mandarin) Séuijījyū(Cantonese) | Water Strider | |
| French(European) | Aquaraignée[10][11] | Portmanteau betweenaqua andaraignée ("spider") | |
| German | Wasserläufer[12][10] | Water strider | |
| Italian | Idroragno[10][13][14] | The prefixidro- ("hydro-") withragno ("spider") | |
| Pattinatore[15] | Skater | Super Mario Sunshine | |
| Polish | Nartniczek[16] | Diminutive form ofnartnik ("water strider") | |
| Spanish(Latin American) | Skeeter[17] | - | |
| Spanish(European) | Acuaraña[10][18]:100, 161 | Portmanteau ofacuático ("aquatic") andaraña ("spider") | |
| Skeeter[18]:86 | - | Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia |
References[edit]
- ^Pelland, Scott, and Dan Owsen (1996). Super Mario 64 Player's Guide.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 11.
- ^Hodgson, David S J, Bryan Stratton, and Stephen Stratton (September 3, 2002). Super Mario Sunshine Prima Official Strategy Guide.Prima Games. ISBN0-7615-3961-1. Page 18.
- ^Loe, Casey (August 12, 2002). Super Mario Sunshine Perfect Guide.Versus Books. ISBN1-931886-09-1. Page 33.
- ^Bogenn, Tim, and Doug Walsh (2002). Super Mario Sunshine Official Strategy Guide.BradyGames. ISBN0-7440-0180-3. Page 5.
- ^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 141. - ^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, 100, 161.
- ^"游来游去！水黾池子的蓝金币" ("Swimming around! Blue coins of the Skeeter pond") –Mission description (5 Jun. 2025).Mario Kart World byNintendo EPD.Nintendo (Simplified Chinese).
- ^「游来游去！水蜘蛛池子的藍金幣」("Swimming around! Blue coins of the Skeeter Pond") – Mission description (5 Jun. 2025).Mario Kart World by Nintendo EPD.Nintendo (Traditional Chinese).
- ^abcdIn-game name displayed on the scoreboard of theLakitu Cup fromMario Golf: Toadstool Tour.
- ^Browne, Catherine (2010).Super Mario Galaxy 2 Prima le Guide Officiel. Ligugé:Prima Games (French). ISBN978-2-952-67394-5. Page 31.
- ^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 9.
- ^Browne, Catherine (2010).Super Mario Galaxy 2 Guida Strategica Ufficiale (Multiplayer.it Edizioni). Translated by Christian La Via Colli, Francesca Noto, and Virgina Petrarca. Terni:Multiplayer Edizioni,Prima Games (Italian). ISBN9788863551198. Page 29.
- ^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.
- ^Hodgson, David S. J., Bryan Stratton, and Stephen Stratton (2002).Super Mario Sunshine Guida Strategica Ufficiale realizzata de Prima Games. Translated by Associazione Culturale Go!. Giaveno:Yoo Too Videogames,Prima Games (Italian). ISBN88-900922-1-1. Page 18.
- ^"Zbierz niebieskie monety ze stawu nartniczków!" ("Scoop up blue coins in the Skeeters' water hole!") – Mission description (5 June 2025).Mario Kart World by Nintendo EPD (Ver. 1.5.0).Nintendo (Polish).
- ^Rodriguez, Gustavo, and José Sierra, editorial directors (1997). "Super Mario 64" inClub Nintendo, yr. 6, no. 1.Productos y Equipos Internacionales, Editorial Samra (Latin American Spanish). Page 66.
- ^abSakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors (2017).Enciclopedia Super Mario Bros. 30ª Aniversario. Translated by Gemma Tarrés. Barcelona:Editorial Planeta, S.A. (European Spanish). ISBN978-84-9146-223-1.
