The Sphinx in the DOS,CD-ROM Deluxe, Macintosh and SNES versions ofMario is Missing!

“The man-faced lion statue was named the Sphinx by the ancient Greeks. A sphinx is a mythical monster who liked to ask riddles, then kill those unfortunate enough not to know the answer. The great Sphinx was carved from one enormous piece of limestone, 240 feet long and 66 feet high. Later, the Ottoman Turks used the cat for target practice. Its nose and King Tut-style beard were knocked clean off its face. The original name meant "lord," and it is today presumed that the Sphinx was built to guard the great Pyramids that stand behind it.”

—Pamphlet,Mario is Missing!

TheSphinx, more precisely called theGreat Sphinx of Giza (Arabic:أبو الهول,Abū al Hūl, Arabic for "The Terrifying One"), is a monument nearCairo,Egypt, with the head of a human and the body of a lion. One of its most striking features is its missing nose, thereason for which is still dubious. TheClub Nintendo comic "Mario's Picross" implies thatMario broke off the Sphinx's nose.

History[edit]

Mario is Missing![edit]

The Sphinx makes its first appearance in theSuper Mario franchise inMario is Missing! as one of three landmarksLuigi visits in Cairo. In the game, theKlaft of the Sphinx (its hood) was stolen byKoopa Troopas. Luigi's task is to find and return it by answering questions about the Sphinx's name, location, and appearance. The mayor of Cairo offers a prize of 1,750 dollars for the one who returns the artifact. In theNES version, the curator rewards Luigi with 1,400 dollars.

Luigi must prove the klaft's authenticity by answering two of the following trivia questions:

• Who gave the Sphinx its name:/Who gave the Sphinx its name? (NES)
  • The Greeks
  • The Ottoman Turks
  • Napoleon
  • Advertising executives
• The Sphinx is located in:
  • Giza
  • Khartoum
  • Turkey
  • Greece
• The Sphinx is half man and half:
  • lynx
  • woman
  • lion
  • limestone

Mario's Time Machine[edit]

In the NES version ofMario's Time Machine, the Sphinx appears as a background object in the Egypt area of 31 BC.

"Mario's Picross"[edit]

Mario holding the nose of the Sphinx, which he had accidentally broken off

The Sphinx appears in "Mario's Picross," a comic published in the GermanClub Nintendo magazine. In this story, Mario travels to Egypt, but he gets pushed off the plane byBowser. Luckily for Mario, he is able to grab on to a rock spur, which, however, turns out to be the nose of the Sphinx. It breaks off and Mario falls down. Some Egyptians observe this accident and get angry at Mario, calling him a "nose-breaker" and a "philistine" and chasing him. His attempt to escape fails, so he gets arrested.

WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$![edit]

The microgameSphinx Hijinks inWarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! has the player fit aTetris-like block into a nearby pyramid. If the block is correct, the sphinx's face will make an impressed expression and a thought bubble with a lightbulb icon above it. If the block is wrong, their face will make a shocked expression as the outside of the pyramid has been cracked.

Internal names[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

See also[edit]

• Great Pyramid

References[edit]

Wikipedia has an article onGreat Sphinx of Giza.

• Sphinxes
• Club Nintendo
• Mario is Missing! landmarks
• Mario's Time Machine