Spear Guy
- Not to be confused withGiant spear man.
| Spear Guy | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork fromSuper Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995) | ||
| Latest appearance | Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch) (2024) | ||
| Variant of | Shy Guy | ||
| |||
| |||
Spear Guys[1] areenemies introduced inSuper Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island andits remake. These tribalShy Guys wield a spear and shield, and usually wear grass skirts and have painted marks on their masks. Their designs take after stock depictions of sub-Saharan African warriors in Western media, particularly theMaasai people in eastern Africa and theZulu people in southern Africa. Similar enemies includeChuck Guys and theirElite counterparts fromMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga andHook Guys fromYoshi's Woolly World.
History[edit]
Yoshi series[edit]
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island /Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3[edit]
Spear Guys are enemiesSuper Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and its remake. They are encountered within several levels, mainly jungle levels. They can only be defeated by being hit with an egg or eaten withYoshi's tongue from behind because their shields will block attacks from the front. Spear Guys sometimes have long spears that can make an obstacle for Yoshi to jump over or avoid, as touching any part of the spear can cause Baby Mario to fall off of him and get kidnapped.
A variant calledDancing Spear Guy also appears alongside the regular Spear Guys, and are known for their dancing in a fixed place. They differ by their yellow robes, lack of feathers on their spear and lack of shield, though still hold onto their spear while dancing.
Yoshi's Island DS[edit]
Both Spear Guys and Dancing Spear Guys returned in the sequel,Yoshi's Island DS, though their appearance was subtly changed. A slight blue shade was added to Spear Guy masks, and a green shade to Dancing Spear Guy masks. An entire level of the fifth world, titledSpear Guys' Village Found!, features these enemies and their supposed village. A variant holding its spear horizontally as opposed to vertically is introduced, also known asPike Guy,[2] which stands in one spot and jabs its spear forward.
Yoshi's New Island[edit]
Spear Guys reappear inYoshi's New Island, mainly in the levelDon't Fear the Spear.
Yoshi's Crafted World[edit]
Spear Guys reappear inYoshi's Crafted World, behaving the same way as in previous games, except that they hold their spears forwards similar toHook Guys inYoshi's Woolly World and Pike Guys inYoshi's Island DS. They carry a wooden lid labeled "Orange Juice" as a shield, and first appear in the levelMousers and Magnets.
Paper Mario series[edit]
Paper Mario[edit]
Spear Guys returned inPaper Mario as enemies onLavalava Island. They can only be found inJade Jungle, nearYoshi's Village. These Spear Guys lack feathers and shields, and have a different spear, but serve the same purpose as their predecessors and act in much the same way. Outside of battle, Spear Guys are seen dancing to the background music. Judging by their field behavior and unique Japanese name, these Spear Guys seem to be intended to combine traits of normal Spear Guys with the Dancing Spear Guy variant.
WhenMario first enters the jungle, he comes upon several Spear Guys attackingKolorado. Mario can either battle the Spear Guys or proceed without Kolorado, who will catch up and get upset with Mario.
WithoutSpike Shield, Mario cannotJump on these Spear Guys when they hold their spear vertically, or use hisHammer while their spear faces him. They sometimes switch the position of their spear, indicating which attack they will do next and forcing Mario to change his battle strategy.
They may either poke Mario with their spears, or throw them at him. After throwing them, they become normalShy Guys and continue the remainder of the battle as a Shy Guy would. Spear Guys may also dance to get another Spear Guy in the battle.
If a Spear Guy spots Mario outside battle, it will try to poke Mario with its Spear to make theFirst Strike.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star[edit]
Spear Guys make a major appearance inPaper Mario: Sticker Star, alongsideShy Guys,Clip Guys,Sombrero Guys, andSnifits. They look similar to their appearance from the originalPaper Mario, but their shoes are seen a little more, while their spears are sleeker in design. Here, they show up inWorld 5, as common enemies. When the battle starts, a Spear Guy will flip his spear and either hold it vertically or horizontally. If held vertically, Mario cannot perform jumps on the Spear Guy, and if held horizontally, Mario cannot use his Hammer on the enemy. The attacks of Spear Guys are determined by the position in which they hold their spear. If held vertically, the Spear Guy will chuck their spear at Mario. If the spear is held horizontally, the Spear Guy will go in front of Mario and stab him with the weapon. The Spear Guys are still vulnerable to projectiles. Unlike inPaper Mario, if a Spear Guy throws his spear at Mario, it will not become a regular Shy Guy. Spear Guys can assistPiranha Plants,Hammer Bros., andBoomerang Bros.
During Shy Guy Jungle, three Spear Guys take a part of the bridge leading to theComet Piece and run away. Mario must defeat these Spear Guys in order to progress. DuringJungle Rapids, Spear Guys chuck spears at Mario while he rides the raft. They also swing on vines and throw barrels at Mario. At the end of the level, several Spear Guys are seen performing tribal dances around pieces of theSticker Comet. Two Spear Guys are the final enemies seen harassing theTraveling Toad, with five being fought in the ensuing battle.
Mario Party series[edit]
Mario Party[edit]
Spear Guys make a short appearance in themini-gamePaddle Battle from the originalMario Party, which attack the characters with their spears if the character(s) on one side get too close to a Spear Guy. The Spear Guys make the single character lose three coins to the other team of three, and make the team lose one coin each to the single character.
Mario Party 2[edit]
InMario Party 2, the mask of a Spear Guy appears near the start ofPirate Land.
Mario Party 3[edit]
A drumming Spear Guy appears leading a troupe of Dancing Spear Guys in theMario Party 3 minigameThe Beat Goes On. The players must follow the beat while adding their own continuation of it, or the Dancing Spear Guys will throw their torches at them. This minigame returns inMario Party: The Top 100, along with the Spear Guy.
Mario Party Advance[edit]
- “Hoowa! I am having much of the happiness!”
- —Spear Guy,Mario Party Advance
InMario Party Advance, theSpear Thicket contains a Spear Guy warrior that wants to challenge anyone with a mustache to a duel. When first approached in theMustached Hero! quest, he comments on whether or not the current character has a mustache. If they do not (eitherPrincess Peach orYoshi), he says that he wants a fight, but that their lack of a mustache makes them an unworthy opponent. If they do (eitherMario orLuigi), he challenges them to a duel, saying in broken English that if he wins, he will be just as brave. He also says that if they win the duel, they can keep the minigame (Tank-Down). After winning the duel, he is impressed by their skill and sticks to his promise, giving them the game. He then compliments them before asking them to come back for a rematch. The ending credits state that, to this day, Spear Guy lurks in the thicket, waiting for someone else with a mustache to pass by.
Several Spear Guys also dance alongside the four playable characters in theCredits.
Mario Party 7[edit]
TheSpear Guy Orb is an item appearing inMario Party 7 that makes a Spear Guy appear that forces anyone landing on a particular space to grant the item-user a certain amount of coins (similarly to theGoomba Orb fromMario Party 6). Spear Guy does this by poking the player several times with his spear. In addition, several Spear Guys appear in the gameKing of the River.
Mario Party 8[edit]
A Spear Guy functions as the candy shop owner inDK's Treetop Temple fromMario Party 8. He sells the playerCandy. A certainGreen Space also causes a Spear Guy (also referred to as Pike Guy)[3] to appear and forcibly take a piece of Candy from the player in exchange forcoins (if the player has no candy, they just receive some free coins).
Mario Power Tennis /New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis[edit]
Spear Guy makes short appearances inMario Power Tennis. Here, for hisoffensive anddefensive power shots,Shy Guy will momentarily transform into Spear Guy and use his spear to hit the ball. This was similarly inspired forFly Guy'sSpecial Shot inMario Hoops 3-on-3,Thunder Shot, but he merely wields a spear that turns the basketball yellow with electricity.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong series[edit]
Spear Guys[4] appear with a toylike design in theMario vs. Donkey Kong series, looking more like the games' Shy Guys.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong[edit]
InMario vs. Donkey Kong and itsremake, Spear Guys are pink and are usually sleeping on a platform. WheneverMario jumps on the same platform, the Spear Guy awakens and quickly runs toward Mario. However, if aMini-Mario jumps onto the platform, the Spear Guy will not be awoken. Whenever a Spear Guy reaches the end of the platform they are on, they will sit down and fall back asleep. Like most of their main appearances, Spear Guys constantly hold spears pointing upward whether they are asleep or awake; therefore, attempting to jump on top of the enemy will cause Mario to lose alife.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again![edit]
InMario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!, Spear Guys, also dubbed Shy Guys,[5] are red and act more like the Shy Guys of theprevious game. They patrol their area and hold their spears upright, extending their vertical reach slightly and allowing their range to pass through semisolidgirder platforms. Upon activation of a redColor Switch, Spear Guys transform into stationary solid blocks. When in this state, Spear Guys can be used as a step or bridge to cross harmful areas. Spear Guys can be defeated withhammers. They first appear inRoom 2-7 ofSandstone Stroll, but are more prevalent on theJungle Rumble floor.
Mario & Luigi series[edit]
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team[edit]
Spear Guys, without the tribal theme, appear inMario & Luigi: Dream Team in theGiant Bowser fight. They come out of a castle, either attackingGiant Luigi or handing out some meat for Giant Bowser.
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam[edit]
While regular Spear Guys do not appear inMario & Luigi: Paper Jam,Paper Spear Guys appear as enemies.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions[edit]
Spear Guys appear inMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions as Ranged troopers inMinion Quest: The Search for Bowser. They attack by throwing their spears at enemies. Spear Guys are strong againstPestnuts andElite Pestnuts, though they are weak against redKoopa Paratroopas.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey[edit]
Spear Guys reappear inMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, as allies and enemies in theBowser Jr.'s Journey mode. They are ranged troopers, and they are strong againstOho Jees. They are no longer weak against Koopa Paratroopas.
Super Mario Maker[edit]
Although Spear Guys themselves do not appear inSuper Mario Maker, theShy Guycostume holds up a spear similar to one in its pose when the player presses
.
Unused Appearances[edit]
Spear Guys, along with Shy Guys,Stilt Guys, andFly Guys, haveunused graphics in the game files ofSuper Paper Mario, suggesting they were originally going to appear in this game, but were taken out for unknown reasons.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem![edit]
Spear Guys do not reappear inMario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!; however, within the Shy Guy assets is aleftover sprite of the spear fromMario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!.
Profiles and statistics[edit]
Yoshi's Island series[edit]
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island /Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3[edit]
- Shogakukan guide: 正面は盾、上はヤリで完全武装かと思いきや、背中はてんでスキだらけ。[6] (With a shield in front and a spear on top, it looks fully armed, but its back is completely vulnerable.)
- Player's Guide:These jungle sentries fend off all frontal attacks with their shields. Attack them from behind.[1]
- Shogakukan guide (Game Boy Advance version): 正面はたて、上はヤリで完全武装！でも、後ろに回りこめば、ペロリと食べられる。[7] (Fully armed with a shield in front and a spear on top! But if you get behind it, you can eat it with a lick.)
Yoshi's New Island[edit]
- Shogakukan guide: ヤリと盾を装備したヘイホー。ヤリのために上からは踏めず、正面からの攻擊は舌もタマゴも盾で防御される。敵の背後に回りこんでから攻擊しよう。[8](A Shy Guy equipped with both a spear and shield. Because of its spear, it cannot be stepped on from above. If you attack from the front, their shield will protect them from your tongue and eggs. Try to attack from behind the enemy's back.)
Paper Mario series[edit]
Paper Mario[edit]
| Paper Mario enemy | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spear Guy | |||||||||
  | Max HP | 7 | Attack | 3 | Defense | 0 | |||
| Role | Common | Type | Ground, sometimes Top-Spiky | Level | 16 | ||||
| Strong | None | Weak | None | Moves | Spear Stab (3), Spear Throw (3, turns into Shy Guy), Summon Friend (summons Spear Guy) | ||||
| Sleep? | 70%, 0 | Dizzy? | 90%, 0 | Shock? | 90%, 1 | ||||
| Shrink? | 75%, 0 | Stop? | 80%, 0 | Fright? | 70% | ||||
| Air Lift? | 85% | Hurricane? | 80% | Coins | 2 + 0-3 | ||||
| Items | Sleepy Sheep | Run | 32 | Location(s) | Jade Jungle | ||||
| Tattle | This is a Spear Guy. Spear Guys are relatives of Shy Guys. They live in the jungle. Max HP: 7, Attack Power: 3, Defense Power: 0 You'll get hurt if you attack with the Hammer while they're pointing the spear at you. You'll also get hurt if you try to jump on 'em when the spear's pointing upward. Pay attention to the position of their spears when we attack. Oh yeah, they also sometimes call in reinforcements. After they throw their spears, they become ordinary Shy Guys. | ||||||||
Paper Mario: Sticker Star[edit]
| Paper Mario: Sticker Star enemy | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spear Guy | ||||||
 | Max HP | 12 | Role | Common | Location(s) | Shy Guy Jungle,Jungle Rapids,Chomp Ruins,Rumble Volcano |
| Attack | 9 | Stickers | Jump | |||
| Defense | 0 | Moves | Stab (9), Spear Throw (6) | |||
Mario & Luigi series[edit]
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions[edit]
- Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser profile:They like to throw their special spear and weave about.Especially strong against Pestnuts, butweak against red Koopa Paratroopas.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey[edit]
- Bowser Jr.'s Journey profile:Known for throwing their spears at foes. They seem to be invested in hunting for a .
Gallery[edit]
- For this subject's image gallery, seeGallery:Spear Guy.
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Concept artwork forSuper Mario RPG 2
Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
Naming[edit]
Internal names[edit]
| Game | File | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch) | Model/ShyGuySpear.bfres.zs | ShyGuySpear | Spear Shy Guy |
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.
Spear Guy[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ヤリホー[6][7][8] Yarihō | Portmanteau of「槍」(yari, "spear, lance") and「ヘイホー」(Heihō, "Shy Guy") | |
| ヤリダンサー[9] Yari Dansā | Spear Dancer | Paper Mario | |
| カタカタヤリホー[10] Katakata Yarihō | Mechanical Spear Guy | Mario vs. Donkey Kong | |
| Chinese(Simplified) | 长矛嘿虎[11] Chángmáo Hēihǔ | Spear Shy Guy | |
| 长矛蛋蛋[12] Chángmáo Dàndàn | Spear Egg Egg | Paper Mario | |
| Chinese(Traditional) | 長矛嘿呵[13] Chángmáo Hēihē | Spear Shy Guy | |
| Dutch | Spear Guy[14] | - | |
| French(Canadian) | Maskache Lance[15] | Lance Shy Guy | |
| French(European) | Mass'lanss[16][17][18] | Diminuitive ofMaskass ("Shy Guy") with a phonetic spelling oflance ("spear, lance") | |
| German | Speer Guy[19][20][21][22] | Spear Guy | |
| Lanzen Guy[23] | Lance Guy | Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island | |
| Italian | Tipo Selva[24][13] | Jungle Guy | |
| Korean | 창창호[14] Changchangho | Doubling of "창" (chang, "spear") combined with "헤이호" (Heiho, "Shy Guy") | |
| Portuguese | Masquito Lança[a][25] | Spear Shy Guy | |
| Russian | Копьеносец[14] Kop'yenosets | Spearman | |
| Spanish(Latin American) | Guy guerrero[13] | Warrior Guy | |
| Spanish(European) | LanzGuy[26][27][18] | Fromlanza ("spear") and "Shy Guy" |
- ^Attribution of this specific name to the Spear Guy is an extrapolation derived from the localized name of thePaper Spear Guy.
Pike Guy[edit]
"Pike Guy" refers to a type of Spear Guy that jabs its spear horizontally inYoshi's Island DS.
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ヨコヤリホー[28] Yoko Yarihō | Side Spear Guy |
Notes[edit]
- The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episodes "Jungle Fever" and "Mario of the Apes" featured spear-carrying, grass-skirt-clad Shy Guys similar to Spear Guys. These unnamed Shy Guys, who took residence in theAmazon Jungle, predated actual Spear Guys by many years.
References[edit]
- ^abMiller, Kent, and Terry Munson (1995).Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Player's Guide.Nintendo of America (American English). Page128Media:SMW2 Guide 128.jpg.
- ^Black, Fletcher (December 19, 2006).Yoshi's Island DS PRIMA Official Game Guide.Prima Games (American English). ISBN0-7615-5576-5. Page 127, 263, 264, 265, 268.
- ^Black, Fletcher (May 25, 2007).Mario Party 8 PRIMA Official Game Guide.Prima Games (American English). ISBN0-7615-5618-4. Page 22.
- ^"Spear Guy – Spear Guys prevent Mini Marios from reaching certain areas by patrolling back and forth. Take them out with a hammer, or step on a red switch to turn them into blocks, allowing Mini Marios to step over them." –Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! help (British English version). British English.
- ^"Shy Guy – Shy Guys prevent Mini Mario from reaching certain areas by patrolling back and forth. Take them out with a hammer, or step on a red color switch to turn them into blocks, allowing Mini Mario to step over them." –Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! help (American English version). American English.
- ^abOkeya, Noriko, Mitsuharu Orihara, and Yuji Kigen, editors (1995). 『スーパーマリオヨッシーアイランド任天堂公式ガイドブック』. Tokyo:Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN4-09-1025-234. Page5.
- ^abWatanabe, Takashi, Noriko Oketani, Mitsuharu Orihara, Tatsuhiko Mizutani, and Yasushi Nakahara, editors (2002). 『スーパーマリオアドバンス3任天堂公式ガイドブック』. Tokyo:Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN4-09-106071-4. Page23.
- ^abIwaya, Kiyotaka, Tatsuhiko Mizutani, Yasuyuki Kato, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Yasushi Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors (2014). 『ヨッシー New アイランド 任天堂公式ガイドブック』. Tokyo:Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN978-4-09-106542-1. Page26.
- ^「ヤリダンサーだ ジャングルに すんでいる ヘイホーの」("A Spear Dancer who lives in the jungle.") –Goombariotattling during battle (11 Aug. 2000).Paper Mario byIntelligent Systems.Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Japanese).
- ^Mario vs. Donkey Kong Shogakukan bookMedia:Mvsdk book ii.jpg.Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN4-09-106172-9.[page number needed]
- ^In-game name displayed during battle inPaper Mario: Sticker Star (Simplified Chinese). (Archived 30 Jun. 2023 via Bilibili by 蓝梦蝶blue.)
- ^In-game name displayed during battle inPaper Mario (Simplified Chinese). (Archived 8 Jan. 2023 via Bilibili by 游乐熊趣玩.)
- ^abcIn-game name displayed during battle inPaper Mario: Sticker Star.
- ^abcIn-game name forDon't Fear the Spear fromYoshi's New Island.
- ^In-game name displayed during battle inPaper Mario: Sticker Star (Canadian French). (Archived 17 May 2016 via YouTube by Jérémie Sinnett.)
- ^« C'est un Mass'lanss. Ils sont parents des Maskass. Ils vivent dans la jungle. » – Goombario tattling during battle (5 Oct. 2001).Paper Mario by Intelligent Systems.Nintendo of Europe GmbH (French).
- ^In-game name from the ending ofMario Party Advance (French). (Archived 23 May 2014 via YouTube by AXE45.)
- ^abIn-game name forSpear Guys' Village Found! fromYoshi's Island DS.
- ^„Das ist ein Speer Guy. Speer Guys sind Verwandte der Shy Guys. Sie leben im Dschungel.“ – Goombario tattling during battle (5 Oct. 2001).Paper Mario by Intelligent Systems.Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German).
- ^In-game name from the ending ofMario Party Advance (German). (Archived 16 May 2017 via YouTube by TwilightShiek.)
- ^In-game name displayed during battle inPaper Mario: Sticker Star (German). (Archived 1 Jan. 2013 via YouTube by Domtendo.)
- ^In-game name fromBowser Jr.'s Journey (German). (Archived 26 Mar. 2019 via YouTube by Domtendo.)
- ^Menold, Marcus, John D. Kraft, and Thomas Görg, editors (1995).Der offizielle Nintendo Spieleberater "Super Mario World 2 – Yoshi's Island". Großostheim:Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German). Page 16.
- ^In-game name from the ending ofMario Party Advance (Italian). (Archived 7 Sept. 2019 via YouTube by Benedetto's world™.)
- ^In-game displayed during battle withPaper Spear Guy fromMario & Luigi: Paper Jam.
- ^«Es un LanzGuy. Los LanzGuy son parientes de los Shy Guy. Viven en la jungla.» – Goombario tattling during battle (5 Oct. 2001).Paper Mario by Intelligent Systems.Nintendo of Europe GmbH (European Spanish).
- ^In-game name from the ending ofMario Party Advance (European Spanish). (Archived 17 Sept. 2024 via YouTube by FrankKirlts.)
- ^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 209.
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•- Shy Guys
- Bowser Jr.'s Journey allies
- Mario Party characters
- Mario Party 7 characters
- Mario Party 8 characters
- Mario Party Advance characters
- Mario Party Advance species
- Mario Party: The Top 100 characters
- Mario Power Tennis
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong enemies
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! enemies
- Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser allies
- Paper Mario enemies
- Paper Mario: Sticker Star enemies
- Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island enemies
- Yoshi's Island DS enemies
- Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
- Yoshi's Crafted World enemies
- Yoshi's New Island enemies
