Koopalings: Difference between revisions

In terms of talents unique to individual Koopalings, they seem to know their own spells. While most of them simply cast a colorful shot of magic that slowly flies in a straight line, Wendy instead creates glowing rings that ricochet off the surfaces of the room, and Lemmy creates bouncing circus balls that can knock the Mario Bros. into a bottomless pit. In every game appearance outside of ''Super Mario World'', Lemmy is always seen in battle balancing on top of a big yellow circus ball covered with starry patterns. Ludwig could create earthquakes with his descents in ''Super Mario Bros. 3'', an ability that was taken away from him ever since ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii'', but kept by Roy and Morton. Ludwig was given the ability to flutter jump in the ''New Super Mario Bros.'' games instead. In ''Super Mario World'', Roy and Morton were able to walk up walls and ceilings and drop down at will.

[[File:SMSQPB2 Kuppa to koKuppa tachi transparent.png|200px|thumb|right|The Koopalings serve as Bowser’s children in older ''Super Mario'' games.<ref name="JFCSMB3manual"/>]]

In their first appearance in ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', the Koopalings were introduced as siblings and Bowser's own children.<ref>{{file link|SMB3 - Japanese Promotional Pamphlet.jpg|A Japanese promotional pamphlet for ''Super Mario Bros. 3''}} The Koopalings are called「大魔王クッパの子供達」(Daimaō Kuppa no kodomo-tachi), which means "Great Demon King Koopa's children". The picture of this pamphlet is found in every version of [[Super Mario History 1985-2010]] booklet except North American.</ref><ref name="JFCSMB3manual">In the Japanese instruction booklet of ''Super Mario Bros. 3'', they are called「{{ruby|自分|じぶん}}の{{ruby|子供|こども}}コクッパ7{{ruby|兄弟|きょうだい}}」in the story section ({{file link|SMB3 Japanese manual pages 4 5.jpg|page 4}}), and King Koopa's line ({{file link|SMB3 Japanese manual pages 2 3.jpg|page 2}}) reads「ワッハハ。これから{{ruby|俺様|おれさま}}の{{ruby|息子達|むすこたち}}がこのゲームの{{ruby|説明|せつめい}}をするぜ。{{ruby|息子達|むすこたち}}の{{ruby|言|い}}うことをよーく{{ruby|聞|き}}いてせいぜいガンバルことだな。ワッハハ。」Note Koopa's use of「{{ruby|俺様|おれさま}}の{{ruby|息子たち|むすこ達}}」(''ore-sama no musuko-tachi''), which equates to "my children" (or, literally, "my sons") while at the same time referring to himself in an arrogant manner. The children are introduced with the phrase「そして、これがコクッパ7{{ruby|兄弟|きょうだい}}だ！！」({{file link|SMB3 Japanese manual pages 2 3.jpg|page 3}}). Larry ({{file link|SMB3 Japanese manual pages 4 5.jpg|page 4}}), Morton ({{file link|SMB3 Japanese manual pages 8 9.jpg|page 8}}) and Lemmy ({{file link|SMB3 Japanese manual pages 34 35.jpg|page 34}}) refer to King Koopa as「オヤジ」(''oyaji''), which is both a Japanese word for "father" as well as a term of endearment.</ref><ref name="SMB3">''Super Mario Bros. 3'' English instruction booklet. In the story section (page 5), they are called "Bowser's 7 kids" and "his 7 children", and Bowser's line (page 3) reads "Ha Ha Ha! These are my 7 children that are going to help me take over the Mushroom World!" The children are introduced with the phrase "These are Bowser's kids!!" (page 4). Larry (page 5), Morton (page 9) and Lemmy (page 34) refer to Bowser as their father or dad.</ref> Most re-releases and remakes of this 1988 game as well as republications of the game's story retain this detail in Japan, including the 2013 [[Nintendo 3DS]] [[Virtual Console]] release.<ref name="SMB33DSJM">[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/data/software/manual/man_tabj.pdf A PDF manual for ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' '''Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console release'''] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20230314214503/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/data/software/manual/man_tabj.pdf March 2023 archive]) available on the [https://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/eshop/vc/tabj/index.html Nintendo of Japan eShop website], released January 1, 2013. (Retrieved February 15, 2013)</ref><ref name="JSMA4M" >Nintendo Co., Ltd. (2003). [https://www.nintendo.co.jp/data/software/manual/manual_paqj_00.pdf Scans of the Japanese manual of ''Super Mario Advance 4'']. Retrieved December 23, 2015.</ref><ref name="JSMB3M">[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clv/manuals/ja/pdf/CLV-P-HAACJ.pdf Scans of the original Japanese ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' manual, hosted on Nintendo Co. Ltd. site]. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref> However, the 2007 Japanese Wii Virtual Console version's manual does not mention their relationship to Bowser,<ref>[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/vc/vc_smb3/vc_smb3_02.html ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' Wii Virtual Console website], released December 11, 2007.</ref> and the 2015 Japanese ''[[Encyclopedia Super Mario Bros.]]'' uses a less strong statement than the one found in the original manual.<ref name="Encyclopedia">On {{file link|ESMB page 33.png|page 33}} of the ''Encyclopedia Super Mario Bros.'', there is this statement:「※取扱説明書のものをそのまま掲載しています。」; despite this, the part of the story where the Koopalings are introduced is this one:「さんざんこらしめたはずの大魔王クッパもマリオのいるキノコ王国からは手を引いたものの今度は子供コクッパ7兄弟を仲間に入れ、ワールドのあちこちでイタズラのやり放題。」; the「自分の」between「今度は」and「子供コクッパ7兄弟」, which roughly means "[Bowser's] own" and is present {{file link|SMB3_Japanese_manual_pages_4_5.jpg|on page 4 of the original Japanese ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' manual}}, is absent in this story. The meaning of the sentence is roughly unaltered, as this wording omitting the possessive pronoun has also been used in the ''Nintendo Official Guidebook'' of ''Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2'' and ''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3'', the latter of which also used the stronger form of the original story of ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' showing the similar meaning of the two wordings, but the new one is less strong and explicit.</ref> The 2018 English and French versions of ''Encyclopedia Super Mario Bros.'' preserve the original manual's description of the Koopalings being Bowser's children verbatim,<ref name="EncyclopediaNA">''Encyclopedia Super Mario Bros.''. Page 47. "''Bowser sent his seven children to make mischief as they please in the normally peaceful Mushroom World.''" (October 16, 2018)</ref><ref>At page 33 of the French translation of ''Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia'', in the story of ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' it is told ''Bowser a envoyé ses sept enfants agir comme bon leur semble au sein du Monde des Champignons habituellement plutôt calme.'' (''Bowser sent his seven children to act as they see fit within the usually rather calm Mushroom World''). At page 144 in the general enemy description of ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'' it is told ''Les sept frères et soeurs de la famille Bowser sont également présents''[...] (''The seven siblings of the Bowser family are also present'').</ref> while the German and Spanish translations of said book make no mention of their relationship.<ref>{{file link|ESMB German SMB3 Story.png|An excerpt of page 33 of the German translation of the ''Encyclopedia Super Mario Bros.''}}, containing the story of ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]''. The sentence ''Allerdings macht er sieben Koopalinge zu seinen Untertanen'' roughly means ''Indeed he turned seven Koopalings into his subjects''.</ref><ref>{{file link|ESMB Spanish page 33.png|Page 33 of the Spanish translation of the ''Encyclopedia Super Mario Bros.''}}, containing the story of ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]''. The sentence ''Sin embargo, esta vez cuenta con la ayuda de los siete Koopalings, que hacen maldades por todas partes.'' roughly means ''Nonetheless, this time [he] has the help of the seven Koopalings, who cause troubles everywhere.''</ref> Translations of ''Super Mario Bros. 3'', its re-releases, remakes, official guides, and websites have kept this detail to varying degrees, with most calling the Koopalings Bowser's offspring.<ref>{{file link|PWPNNC page 169.png|Page 169 of ''Playing with Power: Nintendo NES Classics''}}, containing part of an interview present in the January/February 1990 issue of ''Nintendo Power''</ref><ref>{{cite|author=Rocha, Garitt, and Nick von Esmarch|title=''Playing With Power: Nintendo NES Classics''|publisher=[[Prima Games]]|date=November 11, 2016|isbn=9780744017779|language=en-us|page={{file link|PWPNNC page 196.png|196}}}}, containing the story of ''Super Mario Bros. 3''</ref><ref name="ENGSMA4M">{{cite|author=Nintendo of Europe|url=cdn02.nintendo-europe.com/media/downloads/games_8/emanuals/game_boy_advance_8/Manual_GameBoyAdvance_SuperMarioAdvance4SuperMarioBros3_EN_DE_FR_ES_IT.pdf|format=PDF|title=''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3''|publisher=Nintendo of Europe CDN|accessdate=March 8, 2016}}</ref><ref name="KoopalingsUK">{{cite|url=www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/NES/Super-Mario-Bros-3-279558.html|title=''Super Mario Bros. 3'' '''Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console release'''|publisher=Nintendo of Europe|language=en-gb|archive=archive.today/2014.06.29-171822/http://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/NES/Super-Mario-Bros-3-279558.html|accessdate=June 28, 2024}}</ref><ref name="SMB3IT">{{cite|url=www.nintendo.com/it-it/Giochi/NES/Super-Mario-Bros-3-279558.html|title=''Super Mario Bros. 3''|publisher=Nintendo of Italy|language=it|accessdate=June 28, 2024}}</ref><ref name="SMB3DE">{{cite|language=de|url=www.nintendo.com/de-de/Spiele/NES/Super-Mario-Bros-3-279558.html|title=''Super Mario Bros. 3''|publisher=Nintendo of Germany|accessdate=June 28, 2024}}</ref><ref name="SMB3NL">{{cite|url=www.nintendo.com/nl-nl/Games/NES/Super-Mario-Bros-3-279558.html|title=''Super Mario Bros. 3''|publisher=Nintendo of Benelux|language=nl|accessdate=June 28, 2024}}</ref><ref name="SMA4guide">{{file link|SMA4 Japanese Guide Page 4.png|Page 4 of the Japanese ''Nintendo Official Guidebook'' of ''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3''}}. Note how, while in the story they are referred as ''<nowiki>[</nowiki>Bowser's<nowiki>]</nowiki> own children'' (「{{ruby|自分|じぶん}}の{{ruby|子|こ}}どもの「コクッパ7{{ruby|兄弟|きょうだい}}」」), in Bowser's bio the possessive referred to the ''children'' term (「{{ruby|子|こ}}どもたち」) is missing like in the case of the ''Nintendo Official Guidebook'' of ''Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2''.</ref> The 1990 cartoon based on the game, ''[[The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', follows this portrayal, with the Koopalings referring to Bowser as "king dad".<ref>''[[The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3]]: ''[[Sneaky Lying Cheating Giant Ninja Koopas]]</ref>

The Japanese website of ''[[New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe]]'', besides referring to them using the newer ''Team of Seven Bowsers'' (｢クッパ7人衆｣) term instead of the original ''Bowser's Minions'' (｢クッパの手下｣) term, also indicates that they are considered as the ''leaders of the Bowser clan'' (｢クッパ一味の幹部｣).<ref>{{cite|language=ja|ur=www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/adala/pc/story/index.html|title=''Story'' section of the official Japanese site of ''New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe''|publisher=Nintendo|accessdate=June 28, 2024}}</ref>

===Birth order===