Blargg
| Blargg | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork from Super Mario World | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario World (1990) | ||
| Latest appearance | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (spirit cameo) (2018) | ||
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Blarggs are enemies introduced in Super Mario World. These large creatures are commonly found inhabiting pools of lava in underground caverns. Blarggs generally resemble lazy-eyed lava dinosaurs, but Yoshi's Story depicts them as blobby beings with large mouths, small arms and beady eyes, while numerous other games involve an assortment of similarly derived blobby species.
History[edit]
Super Mario World[edit]
Blarggs, also named Munchers,[1] are enemies in Super Mario World. Blarggs are fairly rare, and they are encountered primarily in the Vanilla Dome. When Mario or Luigi approach a Blargg on a Skull Lift, the eyes of the Blargg will be visible before they dip back into the lava, moments before lunging. Yoshi is capable of jumping on them and, with some difficulty, eating them. The player can also opt to Spin Jump if lacking a Yoshi, although this method only prevents one from taking damage if landing on a Blargg or its eyes. It is possible for Invincible Mario to defeat one in Vanilla Dome 1 before falling into the lava. Caped Mario can also defeat it with a Body Press attack before falling into the lava. These methods reveal a glitched sprite.
In the source code of pre-release builds, Blarggs went through many design iterations of varying sizes, as both a dinosaur like in the final and as a shark.[2]
Super Mario World television series[edit]
Blarggs, though never referred to as such onscreen, appeared in two episodes of the Super Mario World animated series.
In the episode "The Wheel Thing", Mario and Luigi, having been banned to the Lava Pits, begin attempting to cook a pizza over a fire. The smell from this cooking pizza causes a Blargg to emerge from a nearby lake of lava and begin to chase Luigi, attempting to eat the plumber. Luigi is rescued from being devoured as Mario swoops down and saves his brother as Cape Mario.
In a later episode titled "Mama Luigi", a Blargg makes a brief appearance. Luigi and Yoshi, while running away from a pair of Tyrannosaurus Rex, use a Blargg's head as a stepping stone to cross a river of lava.
Nintendo Adventure Books[edit]
A Blargg, which lived in water, appears in one of the bad endings in Dinosaur Dilemma, eating Mario if he falls into a pit while fleeing from some Mega Moles.
Super Mario-kun[edit]
A Blargg appears from the 9th chapter of the first volume as the chapter's main baddie.
After a friendly Mega Mole leads Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi towards the underground exit, they travel on a Lava Lift where they are immediately attacked by the Blargg, who was given the order to kill the Mega Mole as well due to his betrayal. The Blargg attacks the protagonists by spitting fire. Mario tries to hurt it with a fireball, but ends up making it stronger due to its fire affinity. Mega Mole, meanwhile, cowers in fear and uses Mario as a shield and, when Mario asks him what a Blargg's weakness is, he reads the Super Mario World manual and finds out that Blarggs cannot be defeated. When the Blargg is about to kill Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi, Mega Mole jumps on the Blargg, attacking it and landing right in its mouth, clogging it. The Blargg falls back into the lava, and while Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi mourn the death of their friend, they meet Mega Mole on shore, where he managed to survive from the lava and with Blargg's mouth still stuck on his forehead, pleading to be put back into the lava. In this shot, the Blargg's body is show: the neck is the entire body, and it has little arms and legs.
Super Mario Adventures[edit]
Several Blarggs make a minor appearance in Nintendo Power's Super Mario Adventures comic, appearing in the lava flooded basement of Bowser's Castle. These Blarggs are used as stepping stones by Mario to reach a Warp Pipe leading to another part of the castle.
Mario & Wario[edit]
A Blargg appears in Honō no Dōkutsu, the fifth stage of Mario & Wario. It is nearly identical to its appearance in Super Mario World, but unlike its previous appearance, it is docile and merely part of the scenery.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars[edit]
While no Blarggs appear in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars or in its Nintendo Switch remake, Czar Dragon, the lava-dwelling boss of Barrel Volcano, resembles their Super Mario World design.
Yoshi's Story[edit]
In Yoshi's Story, Blarggs are altered, being larger, and given small arms with a blobby appearance. They appear in only one level, Stage 2-2: Blargg's Boiler. In this game, Blarggs do not harm a Baby Yoshi when touched, although the Yoshi gets a forceful push from them. While they cannot be harmed, the Yoshi can throw an egg at one to force it back into the lava. There is also one Blargg unaffected by eggs which will briefly pursue the Baby Yoshi.
Due to their large size and blobby appearance, these Blarggs appear to be visually based off of the Gargantua Blarggs in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. However, they lack eyebrows and have a pair of small reptilian nostrils. Don Bongo is given a similar name to the Blarggs in the Japanese script, Donbaba (in comparison to Unbaba, Blargg), despite not resembling them beyond being pudgy and somewhat reptilian.
Their artwork from Yoshi's Story is reused as a stamp in Mario Artist: Paint Studio.
Paper Mario series[edit]
In Super Paper Mario, a Sammer Guy named Raging Blargg can be fought. Additionally, in the Japanese versions of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Super Paper Mario, the "-tail" dragon bosses Hooktail, Gloomtail, Bonetail, Fracktail, and Wracktail instead have names that are based off Blargg's Japanese name, Unbaba.
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time[edit]
Blarggs are referenced in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, where they are mentioned by Kylie Koopa using "in a Blargg's age" as a figure of speech, after Yoob spit her out in Yoshi's Island.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
A Blargg sticker can be collected in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and a Blargg spirit appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Both use their Yoshi's Story artwork.
Unused appearances[edit]
Super Mario 64[edit]
Blarggs, with their appearance resembling how they appeared in Super Mario World, were originally going to appear in Super Mario 64 as enemies in Lethal Lava Land, Bowser in the Fire Sea, and even Wing Mario Over the Rainbow as they were found in the game's coding. With a cheating device, the player can make them appear on the level, being fully functional and with a complete model (aside from a lack of eyes).
Profiles and statistics[edit]
Super Mario World[edit]
- Shogakukan guide:
- Japanese:
火の海に生きるワニに似た敵。ガイコツいかだの近くに潜み、海面から目だけを出してマリオを待ち伏せ。タイミング良く、ジャンプでかわせ。[3]
(Translation: An enemy resembling a crocodile that lives in a sea of fire. It lurks near the raft and ambushes Mario with only its eyes above the surface of the sea. Dodge them with a well-timed jump.)
- Japanese:
- Mario Mania:
- English:
Blargg gets hot under the collar when intruders enter his cavern. He pops out of the molten lava and tries to snatch you off your skull raft.[4]
- English:
- Level appearances
Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten[edit]
| ウンババ (JP) / Blargg (EN) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Original text (Japanese) | Translation | ||
| Tribe | Dinosaur clan | ||
| いたずら好き | Disposition | Mischievous | |
| ワールド | Game appearances | World | |
| マグマのしぶきに マグマの |
Watch out for magma spray A flaming dinosaur in the sea of magma. It is usually hidden, but when you approach it, it will show its face and attack you. It is an invincible enemy that cannot be defeated by any attack. Before it appears, it makes a splash, so use that as a warning sign. | ||
Yoshi's Story[edit]
- Shogakukan guide:
- Japanese:
バブルの親玉、溶岩オバケに立ちおうじょう。しばらく待って、ようすを見よう。[6]
(Translation: The master of the Spark Spooks, this lava monster stalls. Let's wait for a while to see what happens.)
- Japanese:
- Nintendo 64 Spieleberater:
- German:
Der rote Lavasack findet sich todkomisch, deswegen lacht er immer und streckt mir die Zunge raus!
(Translation: The red lava bag thinks he's hilarious, that's why he's always laughing and sticking his tongue out at me!)
- German:
- Level appearance
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]
| Sticker Blargg | ||
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| Artwork from: Yoshi's Story | ||
| Effects in The Subspace Emissary: [Specials: Direct] - Attack +13 | ||
| Usable by: Anyone | ||
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
| Spirit #315 Blargg | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Series/game | Yoshi Series |
| Type | Support | |
| Slots | 2 | |
| Class | Advanced | |
| Strength / effect(s) | Mouthful of Curry | |
| How to obtain | Spirit Board | |
| Spirit battle | Opponent(s) | Curry Bowser |
| Conditions |
| |
| Stage | Castle Siege (volcanic area) | |
| Song | Melty Monster |
List of appearances[edit]
| Title | Year | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Super Mario World | 1990 | SNES |
| Super Mario World - "The Wheel Thing" | 1991 | TV Episode |
| Super Mario World - "Mama Luigi" | 1991 | TV Episode |
| Dinosaur Dilemma | 1991 | Book |
| Super Mario-kun Volume 1 | 1991 | Manga |
| Mario & Wario | 1993 | SNES |
| Super Mario-kun Volume 9 | 1993 | Manga |
| Wario's Woods Japanese commercial | 1994 | TV Advertisment |
| Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World | 1994 | SNES |
| Mario Bowl | 1995 | Arcade |
| Super Mario Maze Picture Book 4: Princess Peach Disappeared | 1995 | Book |
| Super Mario Pocket Picture Book Number 3: Quizbook | 1995 | Book |
| Yoshi's Story | 1997 | Nintendo 64 |
| Mario Artist: Paint Studio | 1999 | Nintendo 64DD |
| Super Mario Picture Book with Peel-and-Release Stickers 5: Wanda's Birthday | 1999 | Book |
| Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 | 2001 | Game Boy Advance |
| Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time (mentioned) | 2005 | Nintendo DS |
| Super Smash Bros. Brawl | 2008 | Wii |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | 2018 | Nintendo Switch |
Gallery[edit]
Super Mario World
Super Mario World
Super Mario World
A Blargg revealing its body in the Super Mario World animated series
Mario Undōkai trading card
Artwork used for a Super Mario puzzle.
Artwork used for a Super Mario puzzle.
Artwork used for a puzzle based on Super Mario Kart, where Blargg is erroneously colored green
Super Mario Maze Picture Book 4: Princess Peach Disappeared
Quizbook Number 3: Super Mario Pocket Picture Book
Super Mario Picture Book with Peel-and-Release Stickers 5: Wanda's Birthday
A size chart for a 1996 Nintendo Character Manual
Japanese commercial for the New Famicom and Wario's Woods
Yoshi's Story
Yoshi's Story
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ウンババ[3][6] Unbaba |
Possibly from「ウンウン」(un'un, onomatopoeia for groaning sound) and「婆」(baba, hag), referencing their teeth gaps, bulging eyes, and large nose resembling a wicked witch, or possibly an allusion to「バブル」(Baburu, "Lava Bubble") or the ancient mythological monster Humbaba | |
| Chinese (simplified) | 乌巴巴[9] | - | |
| French (NOE) | Blargg[?] | - | |
| German | Feuerdrache[7] | Fire Dragon | Super Mario World |
| Dudel Sprudel[8] | Fizzy doodle | Yoshi's Story | |
| Blargg[?] | - | Newer games | |
| Italian | Blargg[?] | - | |
| Korean | 짜자잔[?] Jjajajan |
Korean exclamation equivalent to "ta-da!" | |
| Russian | Студнезавр[?] Studnezavr |
From cтудень (studen, "aspic") and -завр (-zavr, a suffix used for creating dinosaur names) | |
| Spanish | Blargg[?] | - |
References[edit]
- ^ Tilden, Gail, et al. (September 1991). Nintendo Power Volume 28. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 16.
- ^ Gaming Alexandria. X post showing early SMW tiles. X (English). Retrieved July 25, 2020.
- ^ a b December 10, 1992. 「任天堂公式ガイドブック スーパーマリオワールド」 (Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook – Super Mario World). Tokyo: Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 4-09-104117-5. Page 29.
- ^ August 1991. Mario Mania Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 51.
- ^ November 20, 1994. Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten. Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 4-09-259067-9. Page 46.
- ^ a b February 20, 1998. 「ヨッシーストーリー 任天堂公式ガイドブック」 (Yoshi's Story Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook). Tokyo: Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 4-09-102619-2. Page 7.
- ^ 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 19.
- ^ Nintendo 64 Yoshi's Story Spieleberater. Page 19.
- ^ 无敌阿尔宙斯 (August 28, 2013). 神游 超级马力欧世界 敌人官译. Baidu Tieba (Simplified Chinese). Archived February 27, 2017, 15:38:47 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
