Tatanga
| Tatanga | |
|---|---|
 Artwork fromSuper Mario Land | |
| Full name | Tatanga the Mysterious Spaceman[1]:17 |
| Species | Tatanga-seijin |
| First appearance | Super Mario Land (1989) |
| Latest appearance | Super Mario-kun Special Selection (2023) |
- “I am not interested in whatMario would do! Tatanga does as he pleases!”
- —Tatanga,In the Palm of Your Hand...
Tatanga (also known asTatanga the Mysterious Spaceman[1]:17) is an alien invader from an unknown planet. Although feared as an invader, outside of his spacecraft he is only a meek purple alien. During the events ofSuper Mario Land, Tatanga capturesDaisy, the princess ofSarasaland, and orders his armies to guard the land's four kingdoms. Tatanga is also the first extraterrestrial main villain to appear in theSuper Mario franchise.
WhileTatanga's home world and thename of his species are not revealed in the games, what may be another member of his race appears as a boss in theSNES version ofWario's Woods, namedKatsini.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Land[edit]
Tatanga makes his debut appearance inSuper Mario Land, as the main antagonist. Appearing out of a large black cloud, he invades Sarasaland and captures Princess Daisy while hypnotizing the inhabitants of Sarasaland. With them under his control, he has the most powerful of his new minions guard the four kingdoms of Sarasaland - theBirabuto Kingdom,Muda Kingdom,Easton Kingdom, andChai Kingdom. WhenMario defeats the hypnotized creatures and liberates all four kingdoms, Tatanga engages with him in air combat in a last-ditch effort. During the climactic battle, Tatanga fights in his war robot,Pagosu, while Mario fights in his airplane, theSky Pop. Mario has to fire his missiles at Pagosu while dodging its big projectiles, which immediately split into three small projectiles upon being fired. After twenty-five hits, Pagosu is destroyed, and the player gains 5000 points. Immediately afterward, Mario rescues Princess Daisy and peace is returned to Sarasaland.
Tatanga also appears in the board game adaptation,Das Super Mario Spiel, where he reprises his role as the game's final boss. However, his artwork on the game board depicts him with a teal coloration, rather than purple.
One of Tatanga's most notable minions is theHonen, who, according to the game's instruction manual, is the skeleton of aTorion after being eaten by Tatanga.[1]:15
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins[edit]
Tatanga, known only as the "Alien" in preview material,[2] reappears as a boss inSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. Although his role in this game is not as significant, he does play a part. While Mario is distracted fighting Tatanga inSuper Mario Land,Wario takes overMario Land and occupiesMario's castle. After Tatanga's initial defeat, he is given one of the 6Golden Coins by Wario, and then sets up a base in theSpace Zone.
DuringSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, Mario tracks down Tatanga in theStar Course, and the two fight for a second time. However, in this battle, Tatanga fights with a different, smaller spacecraft, capable of shooting energy weapons and dive-bombing Mario. When he descends for his dive-bomb attack, Mario must jump on top of the vessel to land a hit. After three hits, or sixfireballs, Mario defeats Tatanga and recovers the Golden Coin of Space Zone. Like all other bosses except Wario, Tatanga falls off the screen upon defeat, though his spaceship simply disappears before he falls. While falling, his full body is shown, being notably shorter thanSuper Mario.
ThePerfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten indicates Tatanga became Wario's henchman to get revenge on Mario for ruining his scheme to marry Daisy.[3]
A mini-guide of the game included in the Kodansha adaptation suggests that the alien may not be the same character as Tatanga,[4] despite the manga itself and other sources indicating otherwise.
Unlike the other bosses featured inSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, Tatanga does not appear inNintendo Power'sMario vs. Wario comic, despite being perhaps the most major boss next to Wario, given his status asSuper Mario Land's antagonist.
Super Mario (Kodansha manga)[edit]
Tatanga appears in theSuper Mario gag manga by Kodansha, as a recurring character.
InSuper Mario Land he plays the role of main antagonist. He is seen doing many of the things described in that game's instruction booklet, such as abducting Daisy, having hypnotic powers, eating Torions and creating Honens, and trying to force Daisy to marry him.
Tatanga later appears inSuper Mario Land 3 during a tennis tournament asBowser's tennis partner and inSuper Mario Bros. 4: Super Mario World 4 as one of the guests at Bowser's wedding.
InSuper Mario World! Mario Open Golf, it is revealed that, after his defeat, Daisy made him her personal assistant and he is seen bringing her her crown and driving her home.
InSuper Mario World! Yoshi no Tamago, Tatanga is seen receiving a pamphlet for the opening ofYossy's Pizza.
He retains the assistant role inSuper Mario Bros. 4: Super Mario World 7, where he tries to fight back against theChitei Kaijū Indy, only to get squashed like a pancake.
InSuper Mario Kart 1, he appears with Daisy andOtaku-chan in the cover art of the second chapter.
InSuper Mario USA, Tatanga is one of the invited guests at theCasino USA masquerade party.
InSuper Mario Land 2 - 6-tsu no Kinka 1, Wario summons five guardians for the Golden Coins and a new spaceship. When Mario and friends (including Tatanga) arrive to stop him, Wario tries to recruit Tatanga. Daisy claims that he is better off with them as friends than enemies. Tatanga is split between remaining the humiliated assistant or returning to villainy until Wario offers him the new spaceship, to which Tatanga immediately accepts the offer, attacking the heroes and forcing them to retreat, letting Wario escape to the castle. He later entrusts Tatanga with the sixth and final Golden Coin.
InSuper Mario Land 2 - 6-tsu no Kinka 2, Wario manipulates Daisy (who turned herself in to be the story's damsel in distress) into becomingWarudaisy, and she hitches a ride on Tatanga's spaceship to hishome planet. Tatanga announces his marriage to the now evil Daisy to his people, but she seizes the opportunity to use a brainwashing technique on his people to serve Wario, and she proceeds to convertLuigi andPeach as well. However, Mario breaks the spell by kissing Daisy on the cheek, stunning Tatanga as he drops the wedding ring he was about to give to Daisy. He attacks Mario with his spaceship, dropping vacuum bombs that remove oxygen and gravity, which prompts Luigi, Peach, and Mario to put on suits, while the nearby aliens and Daisy are at risk of suffocation. When Mario wonders why Tatanga would risk harming his own people, Wario's hologram shows up and reveals that it is because Tatanga is under his mind control. With the help of theHippo'ssoap bubbles, Daisy and the aliens regain some air. Mario and the Hippo then combine forces and catch a space cutter projectile and toss it back at Tatanga's ship, cutting it in half and causing an explosion that leaves behind a letter to Daisy, saying that he enjoyed his time with her and that he will go on a personal quest to become a knight worthy of her, making her teary-eyed.
InSuper Mario Land 2 - 6-tsu no Kinka 3, Tatanga returns in the after-story, again as Daisy's assistant. He helps the Mario Bros. take down a vengeful Wario by combining his blast with theirfireballs into one giant projectile.
While an overall villainous figure, Tatanga is also depicted as comical, particularly in his genuine crush on Daisy. A recurring gag is for characters to be disappointed by Tatanga's short height. In the manga, he is given a more detailed design as opposed to the game. He now has a frilled green uniform, a cape, batlike ears, a belt with the letter T on it, and an entire mouth full of fangs. In theSuper Mario Land 2 arc, Tatanga is depicted with brown skin in one cover art, despite game artwork and theSuper Mario Land volume depicting his skin purple.
Yukio Sawada's manga[edit]
Super Mario Land Kessen Meiro[edit]
InSuper Mario Land Kessen Meiro, Tatanga is only seen in the first page, where he is seen in an icon keeping Daisy hostage. He is then never seen in the rest of the puzzle manga.
Super Mario-kun[edit]
InSuper Mario-kun, Tatanga is mentioned involume 2, when Mario recalls the ending ofSuper Mario Land, when he was rescuing Daisy right after the final battle.
Tatanga appears in the last chapter of thenext volume, where he rents his minions to Bowser. A newspaper clip read byBowser's Minions reveals the negotiations between the two villains, with Tatanga asking for ¥5,000 and Bowser lowballing the price to ¥50.
Tatanga last appearance in the manga is in theninth volume, where he appears in the Space Zone, steals Mario's collected Golden Coins, and flees, prompting Mario,Carrot,Yokkī, and Hippo to follow him. During the battle, Tatanga seems to have the upper hand until his projectiles are used against him, but he then shoots a spherical projectile that Yokkī eats, later revealed to be fireworks, which send the heroes back to Earth. While Tatanga rejoices, someone surprises him from behind. Back on Earth, aSanta Claus-like character appears and gifts Mario the six Golden Coins, who is later revealed to be Bowser, who wanted to do something good for his "best enemy" during the Christmas season. The chapter ends with a shot of a bruised Tatanga, muttering something about a horned Santa.
Game Boy[edit]
Tatanga appears as the villain in theGame Boy comic books spun off from theNintendo Comics System line, produced by the companyValiant. In the comics, Tatanga lives in an alternate dimension that exists within a Game Boy. He hypnotizesHerman Smirch, a human from New Jersey, while playingSuper Mario Land, causing the man to release Tatanga from the Game Boy. Upon arriving onEarth, Tatanga hopes to conquer the planet and rule it with an iron fist. He is released several times, each time attempting to conquer an Earth monument, such asWalt Disney World, theWorld Trade Center, or theGreat Wall of China. However, Mario is always released from the Game Boy as well to thwart his schemes and bring him back to the Game Boy dimension.
In the miniseries, Tatanga's relationship with Daisy is similar to the one betweenPrincess Peach andBowser, in that he appears to genuinely love the princess, with several of his attempted conquests being done solely in an attempt to impress her. Additionally, in this series he is considerably bigger and more muscular than in the games, has more pronounced fangs and claws, and wears a black uniform. His Pagosu is also able to assume a more humanoid form, making it resemble battle armor.
Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up[edit]
Tatanga makes a cameo inSuper Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up, piloting Pagosu in the Astronaut coloring page.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
Tatanga makes an appearance inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate as an Advanced-class Shield-type primaryspirit with two support slots. It simply raises the user's power without granting any special effects. The spirit's puppet fighter isMorton, who starts the battle with aSuper Scope, on theBattlefield form of theMario Galaxy stage. Tatanga is also mentioned in thePalutena's Guidance conversation forDaisy, in whichPalutena mentions that Daisy was kidnapped by Tatanga;Pit, who believes Daisy to be the same asPeach, implies that Tatanga is merely a substitute forBowser to kidnap her.
Other appearances[edit]
Tatanga is mentioned in Princess Daisy's bio in the gameMario Superstar Baseball and her trophies inSuper Smash Bros. Melee andSuper Smash Bros. Brawl. In theWii version ofMario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Tatanga is mentioned in the explanation for one of the questions in theHeroine Quiz! minigame.
Profiles and statistics[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Land[edit]
- Instruction booklet description:
- English (United States):
This unknown space monster appeared suddenly from deep space. He drives the war robot Pagosu, and attacks with scattered meandering rockets. - Other languages:
- French (European):
Monstre, dont la nature même reste une énigme, apparu soudain d'au delà du cosmos. A bord du robot combattant Pagosu, il attaque dans toutes les directions à l'aide de roquettes[5]:17 - Italian:
Questo sconosciuto mostro spaziale spunta improvvisamente dallo spazio profondo alla guida del robot da guerra Pagosu per attaccare servendosi di rocce vaganti.[6]
- French (European):
- English (United States):
- Game Boy Player's Guide description:
- English:
Tatanga has kidnapped Princess Daisy, and intends to marry her unless you can object. Send him back to where he came from!
- English:
- Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console manual description:
- English (United States):
This unknown monster appeared suddenly from deep space. He pilots the robot Pagosu and attacks with scattered rockets. - English (United Kingdom):
This unknown space monster suddenly appeared from outer space. He drives the war robot Pagosu and attacks with scattered, meandering rockets. - Other languages:
- Dutch:
Dit mysterieuze ruimtemonster dook plotseling op vanuit de ruimte. Hij bestuurt de oorlogsrobot Pagosu en valt aan met een breed spervuur van onvoorspelbare projectielen. - French (European):
Ce monstre venu de l'espace et inconnu de tous est apparu un jour sans crier gare. Il est aux commandes de Pagosu, son robot de guerre, et tire des roquettes dans tous les sens. - German:
Das Ungeheuer, das eines Tages aus den Tiefen des Alls erschien. Er steuert den Kampfroboter Pagosu, der mit unberechenbaren Geschossen bewaffnet ist. - Italian:
Questo misterioso mostro spaziale è apparso all'improvviso dallo spazio più profondo. Guida un robot da guerra chiamato Pagosu e attacca con razzi dalla traiettoria impazzita.[7] - Spanish (European):
Este misterioso set llegó de repente de los remotos confines de la galaxia. Pilota un engendro robótico de guerra al que llama Pagosu. Sus ondas nucleares de choque pueden llegar a resultar devastadoras...
- Dutch:
- English (United States):
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins[edit]
- Japanese website description:
前作の最終ボスだったタタンガが、スペ－スゾ－ンのボスとしてかえってきた。
打倒マリオを胸にひめ、攻撃力もアップ。[8]
Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten[edit]
| タタンガ (JP) / Tatanga (EN) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Original text (Japanese) | Translation | ||
| 不明 | Place of origin | Unknown | |
| 小心者 | Disposition | Timid person | |
| ランド1、 ランド2 | Game appearances | Land 1, Land 2 | |
| 今やワリオの手下？ 「オイラは | Now Wario's lackey? “I'm the Mysterious Spaceman Tatanga. In Mario Land, I took over Sarasa Land and tried to take Princess Daisy as my queen, but Mario got in my way. This time I'll get in his way!” | ||
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
| Spirit #57 Tatanga | ||
| Series/game | Super Mario Series |
| Type | Primary | |
| Slots | 2 | |
| Class | Advanced | |
| Strength / effect(s) | Shield | |
| How to obtain | Spirit Board | |
| Spirit battle | Opponent(s) | Morton |
| Conditions | The enemy starts the battle with aSuper Scope | |
| Stage | Mario Galaxy (Battlefield) | |
| Song | Underground Theme - Super Mario Land |
Gallery[edit]
Tatanga inDas Super Mario Spiel
Boss fight inSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
AKellogg's sticker based onSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Tatanga's cameo inSuper Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up
Tatanga in theGame Boy comics
In the Palm of Your Hand...
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | タタンガ[9][10]:75[11] Tatanga | Tatanga | |
| 宇宙怪人タタンガ[12][10]:46 Uchūkaijin Tatanga | Space Monster, Tatanga | ||
| Chinese(Simplified) | Tatanga[11] | Unmodified from the English name | |
| Chinese(Traditional) | Tatanga[11] | Unmodified from the English name | |
| Dutch | Tatanga[13][11] | - | |
| Tatanga, het mysterieuze ruimtemonster[5]:35 | Tatanga, the mysterious space monster | ||
| Finnish | Tatanga[14] | - | |
| French | Tatanga[11] | - | |
| Tatanga, le monstre de l'espace[15] | Tatanga, the monster from space | ||
| Tatanga, monstre mystérieux de l'espace[5]:17 | Tatanga, mysterious monster from space | Super Mario Land (original Game Boy release) | |
| l'extra-terrestre[16] | The extraterrestrial | Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins | |
| German | Tatanga[17][11] | - | |
| Tatanga, der rätselhafte Raumfahrer[18] | Tatanga, the mysterious space traveler | ||
| Italian | Tatanga[7][19]:75[11][20] | - | |
| Tatanga, il Misterioso Personaggio Spaziale[6] | Tatanga, the Mysterious Space Character | Super Mario Land | |
| Tatanga, il mostro dello spazio[19]:46 | Tatanga, the space monster | Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia (first edition) | |
| Korean | 타탄가[11] Tatanga | Tatanga | |
| Norwegian | Tatanga[21] | - | |
| Portuguese | Tatanga[22] | - | |
| Russian | Татанга[11] Tatanga | Tatanga | |
| Spanish | Tatanga[23][11] | - | |
| Tatanga, el Misterio Hombre del Espacio[24] | Tatanga, the Mysterious Spaceman | Super Mario Land instruction booklet | |
| Tatanga, el ser del espacio[25] | Tatanga, the being from space | Super Mario Land electronic manual | |
| Swedish | Tatanga[26] | - |
References[edit]
- ^abc1989.Super Mario Land instruction booklet.Nintendo of America (English). Page 15 and 17.
- ^August 1993.Nintendo Magazine System (AU) Issue #5. Page 55.
- ^「オイラは
宇宙怪人 タタンガ。マリオランドでサラサ・ランドを乗 っ取 り、デイジー姫 を妃 にしようとしたらマリオに邪魔 されちまった。今度 はオイラが邪魔 をしてやる!」 ("I'm the Mysterious Spaceman Tatanga. In Mario Land, I took over Sarasa Land and tried to take Princess Daisy as my queen, but Mario got in my way. This time I'll get in his way!") – 1994.Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten.Shogakukan (Japanese). Page32. Retrieved from Imgur. - ^「スペースゾーンのラストには、あのタタンガににた
宇宙人 があらわれる。」 ("At the end of the Space Zone, a space alien that looks like Tatanga appears.") – Kazuki, Motoyama.KC Deluxe vol. 20 -Super Mario Land 2: 6-tsu no Kinka 2. Page 4. - ^abc1990.Super Mario Land mode d'emploi /Handleiding. Nederland, Brussels:Nintendo (French, Dutch).
- ^ab1990.Super Mario Land Manuale di Istuzioni. Florence:Nintendo (Italian). Page 17. (Archived 4 Feb. 2024 via Mario's Castle by Alessandro "Stormkyleis" Imbesi.)
- ^ab2011.Super Mario Land (Electronic Manual).Nintendo of Europe GmbH (Italian). Tab 14.
- ^スーパーマリオランド２ ６つの金貨／敵キャラクター.nintendo.co.jp. Retrieved June 17, 2025. (Archived December 7, 2004, 10:34:51 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^Itoi, Shigesato, Takashi Watanabe, Hiroyuki Jinnai (APE), Jin Kobayashi, Ryuji Osawa, and Shigeo Tanabe, editors (1992). 『スーパーマリオランド2: 6つの金貨任天堂公式ガイドブック』. Tokyo:Shogakukan. ISBN4-09-102413-0. Page 8.
- ^abSakai, 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.
- ^abcdefghijSpirit inventory (7 Dec. 2018).Super Smash Bros. Ultimate byNintendo,Sora Ltd., andBANDAI NAMCO Studios Inc (Ver. 13.0.3).Nintendo.
- ^1989. 『スーパーマリオランド取扱説明書』. Kyoto:Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Japanese). Page 21.
- ^Club Nintendo, editors (1990). "Super Mario Land" inClub Nintendo Classic. Großostheim:Nintendo of Europe GmbH (Dutch). Page 9.
- ^Saarva, Petteri, Mikael Ekroos, Kieku Salo, and Markus Selin, editors (1991). "Super Mario Land Special" inPower Player, no. 5. Translated by Laila Takolander.Semic (Finnish). Page 15. Supplemental forNintendo-lehti, no. 5.
- ^2011.Super Mario Land (Electronic Manual).Nintendo of Europe GmbH (French). Tab 14.
- ^Smith, Mark, editor (1993). "Super Mairo Land 2" inClub Nintendo, vol. 1, ed. 7.Nintendo Co., Ltd. (French). Page 28.
- ^Moyse, Claude M., Andreas G. Kämmerer, and Marcus Menold, editors (1994). "Super Mario Land 2" inClub Nintendo, no. 1.Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German). Page 54.
- ^1990.Super Mario Land Spielanleitung. Großostheim:Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German). Page 17.
- ^abSakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), and Marco Figini, editors (2018).Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Translated by Marco Amerighi. Milan:Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN889367436X.
- ^Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), and Marco Figini, editors (2025).Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia (2nd ed.). Translated by Alessandro Apreda. Milan:Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN979-1259575760. Page 46, 75.
- ^Nintendo magasiner nr 1 - 2 og 3 - 1990 !!
- ^Club Nintendo, editors (1990). "Super Mario Land" inClub Nintendo Classic, no. 1. Großostheim:Nintendo of Europe GmbH (European Portuguese). Page 9.
- ^Club Nintendo, editors (1990). "Super Mario Land" inClub Nintendo Classic. Großostheim:Nintendo of Europe GmbH (European Spanish). Page 9.
- ^1990.Super Mario Land Manual de Instrucciones. Madrid:Nintendo (European Spanish). Page 17.
- ^2011.Super Mario Land (Electronic Manual).Nintendo of Europe GmbH (European Spanish). Tab 14.
- ^Lindberg, Gunnar, and Lena Persson, editors (1991). "Super Mario Land Special" inPower Player, no. 10.Atlantic Förlags AB (Swedish). Page 15. Supplemental forNintendo-Magasinet, no. 5.
