Heavy Zeds[1], also referred to as simply Owls[2], are birds that appear in the Tree Zone of Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. They are large owls that are usually seen asleep, with their name being a play on the phrase "heavy sleeper" and "zed"; "zed" is the British English pronunciation of the letter Z, which is commonly used to denote snoring.
Heavy Zeds are not hostile, and their heads can be used as platforms. When Mario approaches a Heavy Zed, it wakes up, and he can then stand on top of it to be flown to a higher area. A similar role is served by other owls in later games, such as Hoot from Super Mario 64 and the owls from Wario Land II and Wario Land 3.
Official profiles
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
- Virtual Console Manual: "This isn't really an enemy; it's a sleeping owl. If Mario climbs onto this owl's head, it'll wake up and give Mario a ride. Heavy Zed has other friends that will give Mario a ride, too."
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | グー[3] Gū |
From 「ぐうぐう」gūgū, an onomatopoeia for a snoring sound | |
| French | Zed l'Assoupi[4] | The Dozing Zed | |
| German | Müder Zed[citation needed] | Tired Zed | |
| Spanish | Heavy Zed[?] | - |
References
- ^ Super Mario Land 2: 6 Gold Coins English instruction booklet, page 14.
- ^ https://archive.org/stream/Nintendo_Magazine_System_05_1993-08_Trielle_AU#page/n55/mode/2up
- ^ Super Mario Land 2: 6-tsu no Kinka Japanese instruction booklet, page 17.
- ^ Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins European instruction booklet (French part), page 58.