Unshelled Koopa
- "Beach Koopa" redirects here. It is not to be confused withKoopa Beach.
| Unshelled Koopa | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Artwork of an unshelled Koopa chasing its shell, fromSuper Mario 3D World | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario World (1990) | ||
| Latest appearance | Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (2021) | ||
| Variant of | Koopa Troopa | ||
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Anunshelled Koopa[1] (orUnshelled Koopa),[2] also known as anUnshelled Koopa Troopa,[3]Beach Koopa,[4]Koopa without a Shell,[5] orShell-less Koopa Troopa,[6] is aKoopa Troopa that has lost itsshell and wears nothing more than an undershirt (and/or, in some cases, boxer shorts), first appearing inSuper Mario World. In their original appearance, unshelled Koopas appear small and hunched over, but they were later depicted as being able to walk around like normal, shell-wearing Koopa Troopas. In many of theSuper Mario platformers, when an unshelled Koopa finds a shell, it reverts to a normal Koopa Troopa.
History[edit]
Mario Bros.[edit]
While technically not shell-less Koopas, in the original arcade version ofMario Bros., if theShellcreepers are left alone, not attacked, while they are upside down, they will pop out from their shells to flip back their shells. When this happens, they highly resemble shell-less Koopas, wearing a sleeveless white shirt and shorts.
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario World /Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2[edit]
When first knocked out of its shell, a Koopa is extremely vulnerable. If given enough time, it will right itself and pace forwards in search of a new shell. Unshelled Koopas act very similarly to their shelled counterparts: Green ones fall off cliffs, while red ones and the slightly faster blue ones try to avoid falling; the yellow ones act like a quicker green one, but they will also follow Mario or Luigi and attempt to jump over shells thrown at them. The technical reason for the small, hunched-over appearance is so the "sliding out" graphics have the same hitbox parameters as the walking sprites, as each sprite for each individual object inSuper Mario World must use the same hitbox. While sliding out of their shells, green, red, and yellow Koopas can be touched to instantly defeat them, and Mario or Luigi willkick them. However, this move does not work on blue Koopas, who will instead stop sliding and hurt the player.
Green and red unshelled Koopas will become the color of the shell they enter. If the shell is upside down, they will kick it rightside up before entering. Yellow unshelled Koopas will attempt to jump into any nearby shell; once it enters a shell, it will become aflashing Shell, which will flash rainbow colors and spin around after Mario or Luigi. If two unshelled Koopas enter the same shell simultaneously, they will become only one Koopa Troopa.
Blue unshelled Koopas are visually distinctive, with larger bodies and a lack of vulnerability upon being removed from their shells. They also recover from sliding much quicker than the other three colors of Koopa and have the aforementioned inability to be kicked by the player. Instead of reentering their shells, they will kick any shell they come into contact with, even stopping moving ones thrown at them; they will also do the same with stunnedGoombas,Bob-ombs, flashingGrab Blocks, andBuzzy Beetle shells in their path. InSuper Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2, this also allows them to withstand enemies spat at them byYoshi while Luigi is riding him. Their behavior is similar toBuster Beetles fromSuper Mario Bros. 3 andOutmaways fromSuper Mario Bros. Wonder, which both attack by launching blocks at the player. Blue unshelled Koopas may also appear whilesliding down slopes towards Mario or Luigi. AnySuper Koopa who begins on the ground will revert into a blue unshelled Koopa after being stomped on, and ones with flashing capes also relinquish aCape Feather.
The original artwork of a Koopa being knocked out of its shell serves as the basis for a similar artwork that appears as astamp inSuper Mario 3D World.
| Green | Red | Blue | Yellow |
|---|---|---|---|
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Super Mario 64 /Super Mario 64 DS[edit]
InSuper Mario 64 andSuper Mario 64 DS, Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, andWario can attack aKoopa Troopa to knock it out of itsshell, transforming the Koopa Troopa into an unshelled Koopa. Attacking the unshelled Koopa defeats it and releases aBlue Coin. If not defeated, the unshelled Koopa will frantically attempt to dive back into its shell—this occurs even if one of the player characters is riding it, typically resulting in the unshelled Koopa's defeat. Even after the shell is destroyed, the unshelled Koopa will run aimlessly as if it never lost its shell.
Super Mario Sunshine[edit]
InSuper Mario Sunshine,Blue Electro-Koopas throw their shell at Mario, effectively becoming "unshelled Koopas" temporarily. Mario can defeat these Electro-Koopas by jumping on them after they throw their shell, giving him oneCoin; he can also squirt them with water, stunning the Electro-Koopa and electrifying it with its own returning shell, giving Mario four Coins instead. TheseKoopas have pink boxer shorts.
Super Mario 3D World /Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[edit]
Unshelled Koopas reappear inSuper Mario 3D World and itsNintendo Switchport. Unlike in other games, they share the same behavior as regular Koopa Troopas in the game, except they have an angry look. If the player keeps them away from their shells long enough or throws the shells away, they will become disappointed and briefly stop chasing the player.
Super Mario Maker series[edit]
InSuper Mario Maker andSuper Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, unshelled Koopas appear after they are knocked out of their shells in theSuper Mario World game style. Red unshelled Koopas make their first appearance sinceYoshi's Island DS, only appearing if a Red Koopa Troopa in the level is stomped on.
InSuper Mario Maker 2, the above is also true of theSuper Mario 3D World game style; red unshelled Koopas make their first 3D appearance. Unshelled Koopas can also driveKoopa Troopa Cars in theSuper Mario 3D World style; after defeating them, the player can then drive the car themselves. If a small unshelled Koopa enters a big, empty shell, it will become aBig Koopa Troopa, with that color of shell; the reverse will happen if a big unshelled Koopa enters a small, empty shell.
Super Mario World television series[edit]
Only one unshelled Koopa appears in theSuper Mario World episode "Fire Sale", where the silent Koopa Troopa henchman ofKootie Pie Koopa is continually knocked out of his shell. He wears yellow shorts with red hearts on them.
Mario is Missing![edit]
Although normal unshelled Koopas do not appear in theMS-DOS version ofMario is Missing!, the ending featuresLuigi removingBowser's shell (which covers his tail in this game). When he does so, Bowser is shown to be wearing polka-dotted boxer shorts, similar to an unshelled Koopa (even though the shell was not covering his legs). In theNES version, a normal unshelled Koopa appears after the small Bowser's defeat.
Yoshi's Island series[edit]
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island /Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3[edit]
Beach Koopas are also found inSuper Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island andits Game Boy Advance remake. However, in these games, they walk upright when evicted from their shells, instead of becoming small and hunched over, as inSuper Mario World. This is due to them not ever sliding, meaning they can have the same hitbox as an ordinary Koopa Troopa. In these games, they are shirtless and wear colored shorts, likely inspiring their name. Additionally,Hookbill the Koopa becomes a Beach Koopa upon defeat.
Yoshi's Island DS[edit]
Unshelled Koopas return inYoshi's Island DS, retaining their behavior from its predecessor as Yoshi can knock them out of their shells with a stomp. Unshelled Koopas that are not knocked out of their shells only appear inBessie Bass's Battleship.
Paper Mario[edit]
Unshelled Koopas make a brief appearance inPaper Mario, when theFuzzies appearing inKoopa Village steal the localKoopa Troopas' shells. This fate also befallsKooper, though Mario eventually returnshis shell to him.
Super Princess Peach[edit]
Unshelled Koopas reappear inSuper Princess Peach, appearing as they do in theYoshi sidescrollers, but with a noticeable smile compared to their other appearances. LikeBlindfold Boos, bluePodoboos, andMihari, they do not appear in the in-game glossary.
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam[edit]
Unshelled Koopas also appear inMario & Luigi: Paper Jam. If the playercounterattacks a Koopa Troopa's shell attack with thehammer, it will get knocked out of its shell before it gets back in.
Other appearances[edit]
The concept of a shell-less turtle enemy was planned for the originalSuper Mario Bros. It had the tentative name 「ベア クリーパー」 (Bea Kurīpā, BareCreeper), and it appears to have held a pointed weapon.[7]
Profiles[edit]
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island[edit]
- Player's Guide:Shorn of its shell, the Koopa Troopa shows he's noSchwarzenegger. You can make him into an egg, though.[4]
Gallery[edit]
Super Mario World artwork
Kooper withouthis shell inPaper Mario
Stamp artwork fromSuper Nintendo World
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 | はだかノコノコ[8] Hadaka Nokonoko | Naked Koopa Troopa | |
| Dutch | Koopa zonder schild[9]:53 | Koopa without a shell | |
| French | Koopa sans protection[9]:23 | Unprotected Koopa | |
| German | Beach Koopa[10] | - | |
| Unbepanzerten Koppa[sic][11] | Unarmored Koopa | Super Mario World | |
| Nackte Koopa[12] | Naked Koopa | ||
| Italian | Koopa senza guscio[13][14][15] | Shell-less Koopa | |
| Koopa nudo[16] | Naked Koopa | Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 | |
| Koopa Beach[17] | - | Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia (first edition) | |
| Koopa[15] | Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia (second edition) | ||
| Portuguese | Koopa descascado[18] | Peeled Koopa or sheered Koopa | |
| Spanish | Koopa sin caparazón[19][20] | Koopa without a shell |
References[edit]
- ^"The same old Koopas are back again. Everything seems bleak when these characters appear! If you jump on a Koopa in this game, it pops out of its shell. And what’s worse is that an unshelled Koopa will eventually find its empty shell and climb back in to start all over again. BEWARE! If a Koopa climbs into a yellow shell, he’ll become invincible!" – 1991.Super Mario World instruction booklet.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 23.
- ^"The first course in Super Mario World for theSuper Nintendo Entertainment System (Super NES) featured Unshelled Koopas going down a slope and then later you see them flying around with capes." –Koichi Hayashida (October 17, 2023).Ask the Developer Vol. 11, Super Mario Bros. Wonder—Part 2 (translated from Japanese).nintendo.com. Retrieved October 17, 2023. (Archived October 17, 2023, 13:47:32 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^EnglishSuper Mario World entry on the official Mario Portal.nintendo.co.jp. Retrieved August 13, 2022. (Archived August 13, 2022, 14:17:58 UTC via archive.today[deprecated link].)
- ^abMiller, Kent; Munson, Terry (1995).Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Player's Guide.Nintendo of America (American English). Page126Media:SMW2 Guide 126.jpg.
- ^August 1991. NintendoMario Mania Player's Guide.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 50.
- ^Stratton, Bryan (February 26, 2002).Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2–Prima's Official Strategy Guide.Prima Games (American English). ISBN0-7615-3913-1. Page 21.
- ^Nintendo of America (September 14, 2015).Nintendo Digital Event @ E3 2015 (41:57).YouTube (American English). Retrieved May 22, 2024.
- ^Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors (2015). "Super Mario World" in『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 55.
- ^ab1992.Super Mario World mode d'emploi /Handleiding. Nederland, Brussels:Nintendo (French, Dutch).
- ^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 19.
- ^1992.Super Mario World Spielanleitung. Großostheim:Nintendo (German). Page 23.
- ^Menold, Marcus, Claude M. Moyse, and Andreas G. Kämmerer, editors (1993).Der offizielle Nintendo Spieleberater "Super Mario World". Großostheim:Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German). Page 18.
- ^Sebastian Haley, Meagan Marie (October 2017).Playing With Super Power: Super NES Classics (Multiplayer.it Edizioni). Translated by Christian Colli. Italy:Multiplayer Ed. (Italian). ISBN9788866312833. Tab 47.
- ^Chiedi allo sviluppatore, parte 11: Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Capitolo 2.Nintendo of Europe (Italian). Retrieved May 22, 2024. (Archived May 22, 2024, 21:31:55 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^abSakai, 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 55.
- ^Andrea Minini Saldini (June 2002).Nintendo La Rivista Ufficiale Numero 1. Milan:Future Media Italy SpA (Italian). Page 81.
- ^Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), and Marco Figini, editors (2018). "Super Mario World" inSuper Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Translated by Marco Amerighi. Milan:Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN889367436X. Page 55, 62.
- ^1991.Super Mario World Manual de Instruções. Redmond:Nintendo of America (Brazilian Portuguese). Page 23.
- ^1992.Super Mario World Manual de Instrucciones. Madrid:Nintendo (European Spanish). Page 23.
- ^25 Oct. 2023.Pregunta al desarrollador, volumen 11. Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Capítulo 2.Nintendo of Europe (European Spanish). Retrieved 24 Aug. 2024.
- Koopa Troopas
- Bowser's Fury enemies
- Super Mario 3D World enemies
- Super Mario 64 enemies
- Super Mario Maker enemies
- Super Mario Maker 2 enemies
- Super Mario World enemies
- Super Mario World (television series) enemies
- Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island enemies
- Super Princess Peach enemies
- Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
- Yoshi's Island DS























