Sphinx (monument)
- “The man-faced lion statue was named the Sphinx by the ancient Greeks. A sphinx is a mythical monster who liked to ask riddles, then kill those unfortunate enough not to know the answer. The great Sphinx was carved from one enormous piece of limestone, 240 feet long and 66 feet high. Later, the Ottoman Turks used the cat for target practice. Its nose and King Tut-style beard were knocked clean off its face. The original name meant "lord," and it is today presumed that the Sphinx was built to guard the great Pyramids that stand behind it.”
- —Pamphlet, Mario is Missing!
The Sphinx, more precisely called the Great Sphinx of Giza (Arabic: أبو الهول, Abū al Hūl, Arabic for "The Terrifying One"), is a monument near Cairo, Egypt with the head of a human and the body of a lion. One of its most striking features is its missing nose, the reason for which is still dubious. The Club Nintendo comic "Mario's Picross" implies that Mario is accountable for it.
History[edit]
Mario is Missing![edit]
The Sphinx makes its first appearance in the Super Mario franchise in the game Mario is Missing! as one of three landmarks Luigi visits is Cairo. In the game, the Klaft of the Sphinx (its hood) was stolen by Koopa Troopas. Luigi's task is to find and return it by answering questions about the Sphinx's name, location, and appearance. The mayor of Cairo offers a prize of 1,750 dollars for the one who returns the artifact. In NES version, the curator rewards Luigi 1,400 dollars.
Luigi must prove the klaft's authenticity by answering two of the following trivia questions:
- Who gave the Sphinx its name:/Who gave the Sphinx its name? (NES)
- The Greeks
- The Ottoman Turks
- Napoleon
- Advertising executives
- The Sphinx is located in:
- Giza
- Khartoum
- Turkey
- Greece
- The Sphinx is half man and half:
- lynx
- woman
- lion
- limestone
Mario's Time Machine[edit]
In the NES version of Mario's Time Machine, the Sphinx appears as a background object in the Egypt area of 31 BC.
"Mario's Picross"[edit]
The Sphinx appears in "Mario's Picross", a comic published in the German Club Nintendo magazine. In this story, Mario travels to Egypt, but gets pushed off the plane by Bowser. Luckily for Mario, he is able to grab onto a rock spur, which however turns out to be the nose of the Sphinx. It breaks off and Mario falls down. Some Egyptians observe this accident and get angry at Mario, calling him a "nose-breaker" and a "philistine" and chasing him. His attempt to escape fails, so he gets arrested.
Mario Kart series[edit]
A landmark in some desert-themed courses in the Mario Kart series, named the Hammer Bros. Sphinx, is based on the Sphinx.
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$![edit]
The microgame Sphinx Hijinks in WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! has the player fit a Tetris-like block into a nearby pyramid. If the block is correct, the sphinx's face will make an impressed expression and a thought bubble with a light bulb icon above it. If the block is wrong, their face will make a shocked expression as the outside of the pyramid has been cracked.
Super Mario Odyssey[edit]
In Super Mario Odyssey, the Sphynx is modeled after the Sphinx.
See also[edit]
| Mario's Time Machine (PC) / Mario's Time Machine (SNES) / Mario's Time Machine (NES) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Super Mario characters | Bowser • Bowser's motherb • Donkey Kong Jr.c • Iggy Koopa • Larry Koopa • Lemmy Koopa • Ludwig von Koopa • Luigia • Mario • Roy Koopad • Yoshid | |
| Historical persons used as characters | Abraham Lincolna • Albert Einsteinc • Andrew Iversona • Anne Hathaway • Aristotle • Benjamin Franklin • Booker T. Washingtona • Catherine Dickensa • Charles Dickensa • Charles-Gaspard de la Rivea • Cleopatra • Constanze Mozarta • David Grenewetzkia • Deborah Reada • Don Lloyda • Duke of Alençon • Edmund Halley • Ferdinand Magellan • Francis Drake • Frederick Douglassa • Galileo Galileia • George Washington Carvera • Henry Forda • Ho Tia • Isaac Newton • Jeff Griffeatha • Joan of Arc • Johann Gutenberg • Joseph Haydna • Juan Sebastian Del Cano • Julius Caesar • Kublai Khan • Leonardo da Vinci • Louis Pasteura • Ludwig van Beethoven • Mahatma Gandhi • Marco Polo • Mary Todd Lincolna • Michael Faradaya • Michelangelo Buonarroti • Minamoto no Yoritomoc • Pierre Paul Emile Rouxa • Plato • Queen Elizabeth I • Raphael Sanzio • Richard Burbage • Royal Society • Sarah Barnarda • Thomas Edison • Thomas Jefferson • Ts'ai Luna • William Shakespeare • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozarta | |
| Enemies | Birdc • Bodyslam Koopac • Bullet Billa • Koopa • Mine • Pterodactyla • Sharka • Space Troopac • UFOc • Walking Turnipc | |
| Locations | Academy • Alexandria • Athens • Berlin Wallc • Bowser's castle • Bowser's Museum • Calcutta • Cambridge University • Cambuluc • Cretaceous Period • Egyptc • Florence • Germanyc • Gettysburgc • Gobi Desert • Independence Hall • Japanc • Kitty Hawkc • London • Luoyanga • Mainz • Menlo Park • Moonc • Novatoa • Orleans • Paduaa • Paradise • Parisa • Philadelphia • Stratford-upon-Avon • Swan Inn • Trinidad • Tuskegeea • Vienna • Washington, D.C.a • White Housea | |
| Items and objects | Almanaca • Apple • Art Filea • Astrolabe • Backscratcher • Balla • Bambooa • Beret • Booka • Book of Marco Polo • Bosun's Pipe • Bowa • Bowser Statue • Bread • Bucket of Plaster • Bucklea • Bug Fixa • Bug Reporta • Bunnya • Calculus Book • Cat • Chisel • Chocolatea • Clotha • Compassa • Conversations on Chemistrya • Crank Handlea • Crown • Cup of Tea • Declaration of Independence • Dictionarya • Dinosaur Eggc • Drawing of Air Screw • Drawing of Ideal Man • Drumstick • F=MA • Fan • Feather • Filament • Firecrackera • Fireworks • Flag (India) • Flag (United States of America)c • Flaska • Floppy Diska • Flutea • Football • Globe • Grape • Handkerchief • Hand Mirror • Horse's Bit • Hourglass Blockc • Ice Creama • Incense • Inkwella • Information boxc • Key (Mainz) • Key (Philadelphia)a • Knife • Ladder • Laurel Wreath • Law Book • Lemonadea • Lens • Light Bulbc • Magneta • Measuring Stick • Metal Type • Metronome • Milka • Mona's Mirror • Mona Lisa • Moneya • Monocle • Mushroom • Music • Newspaper • Notebook • Onion • Paint • Paintbrush • Paintinga • Pamphlet • Paper Money • Pearl Necklace • Pennya • Physics Equationc • Poetry Booka • Postcard • Principia • Print Block • Propellerc • Quill Pen (1602)c • Quill Pen (Orleans) • Rat Trap • Republic • Ricea • Scarfa • Scissors • Scripta • Scrolla • Shield • Skull • Sledgehammerc • Spectacles (Philadelphia) • Spectacles (Washington, D.C.)a • Sphinxc • Staff • Stampa • Starmanc • Steering Wheelc • Stovepipe Hatc • Swordc • Tea Bag • Telegram • Telescope (Padua)a • Telescope (Trinidad) • Thronec • Ticketa • Timulator • Tirea • Torchc • Toya • Turkeya • Turtle Cannonc • Watcha • Warp Pipec • Whirlpool • Wooden Snake | |
| Other | Staff | |
