Sidestepper

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This article is about Sidesteppers, a type of crab. For other crabs, see Crab (disambiguation).
Sidestepper
Rendered model of the Sidestepper obstacle in Mario Kart 8.
Model of a Sidestepper from Mario Kart 8
First appearance Mario Bros. (1983)
Latest appearance WarioWare: Move It! (2023)
Subject origin Crab
Comparable
Notable members

Sidesteppers, sometimes referred to as simply crabs, are irritable crabs that scuttle about. First appearing in Mario Bros., they typically appear in roles that call back to that game, and otherwise typically make simple cameos. They also occasionally appear in the Mario Kart series, taking the role that generic crabs have in Mario Kart 64.

According to Gunpei Yokoi, Shigeru Miyamoto created the Sidestepper after being inspired by a fairy tale.[1]

History[edit]

Mario Bros. series[edit]

Mario Bros.[edit]

A Sidestepper from the Arcade version of Mario Bros.
Sprite of a crab from the NES port of Mario Bros.
Sprite of a Sidestepper from the Atari 2600 port of Mario Bros.
Sprite of a Sidestepper from the Atari 5200 port of Mario Bros.
Sidesteppers as they appear in the original, NES, Atari 2600, and Atari 5200 versions
Official artwork of a red Sidestepper
Artwork of a Sidestepper from Mario Bros.

The Sidestepper is the second enemy that the Mario Bros. encounter in the game Mario Bros, first appearing in the phase immediately following the first bonus round. Sidesteppers emerge from the top pipes and walk towards a bottom pipe. When hit from below through the floor, the Sidestepper becomes angry and speeds up. Mario or Luigi must hit the Sidestepper from below a second time to flip it over, then run into it to kick it off the stage. If left alone, the Sidestepper will change its color to blue and flip over, making it move faster. If left alone a second time, the Sidestepper will be purple. If the last target in a phase is a Sidestepper, it will automatically turn purple. Sidesteppers also appear in all reissues of Mario Bros., where their colors vary from the original version. For example, in the NES version, they go from red to green to pink.

Mario Bros. Special[edit]

In Mario Bros. Special, a Japan-only semi-sequel by Hudson Soft, Sidesteppers reappear but behave differently. The only way to stun them is for Mario and Luigi to bounce on a shared trampoline or conveyor belt. They do not change color or move faster after recovering. It is also possible to force them to respawn from the top pipes if a brother jumps next to or over them while hitting a platform above them.

Punch Ball Mario Bros.[edit]

In Hudson Soft's other semi-sequel, Punch Ball Mario Bros., the Sidesteppers can only be stunned by hitting the POW Block or throwing a Punch Ball at them. Unlike in Mario Bros. where the Sidesteppers have six forms, this game only has two. If they recover or become the last target enemy, they will turn green with an angry face and move faster.

Mario Clash[edit]

Artwork of a Sidestepper from Mario Clash
Artwork of a Sidestepper from Mario Clash.

In Mario Clash, Sidesteppers come out of pipes and scuttle forwards. To defeat them, the player should hit them in the front or back with a Koopa Shell to turn it angry and sideways, then hit them on the front or back again with another shell. Due to them changing direction, the first hit needs to come from the same layer they are on and the second needs to come from the other layer. After a while, an angry Sidestepper calms down and faces the way it moves again.

Family BASIC[edit]

Sidesteppers are programmable sprites on the Family BASIC accessory to the Family Computer. They also make a cameo on the Message Board. In Family BASIC V3, they appear as an enemy in one of the mini-games.

Super Mario Bros. Special[edit]

Sidesteppers also appear in Hudson Soft's Super Mario Bros. Special. Here they are credited as Chokichoki, which translates to "Snip-Snip" in Japanese, referencing the sounds they make when they open and close their claws. They first appear in World 4-2 and unlike most appearances, they can be defeated immediately by bumping the block under them rather than it making them angry.

Super Mario series[edit]

Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]

Sidesteppers, referred to as Crabs, appear in the multiplayer Battle Mode of Super Mario Bros. 3, as well as the Battle Game in Super Mario All-Stars. Unlike other enemies, they have the same graphics as the NES release of Mario Bros. in the former version, due to already resembling their arcade sprites.

Super Mario Advance[edit]

In Super Mario Advance, when approaching Clawgrip, a short cutscene shows he is a crab, transformed into Clawgrip by some of Wart's magic bubbles.

Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[edit]

Sidesteppers appear in Luigi Bros.; an additional game featured in Super Mario 3D World and its Nintendo Switch port. Like the other enemies in Luigi Bros., Sidesteppers behave in the same way as Mario Bros., which this game is based on.

Smaller crabs that behave the same way also appear in some levels, releasing a coin if tapped on the GamePad.

Super Mario Maker[edit]

A Sidestepper appears as a costume in Super Mario Maker. It can be unlocked by clearing 100 Mario Challenge on Expert setting or harder. It changes color from red to purple while dashing, and holding +Control Pad up will give it an angry expression.

Mario Kart series[edit]

A Sidestepper in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
A Sidestepper in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

In the Mario Kart series, Sidesteppers can be found on beach stages where they walk left and right, replacing the generic crabs from Mario Kart 64. As of Mario Kart DS, they appear with green eyes, and yellow highlights on their claws, not unlike the crabs from Mario Kart 64. Driving into Sidestepper makes the player's kart spin around. If a Sidestepper is hit with a Bullet Bill, shell, star, or Bob-omb, it flips over and disappears.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit[edit]

In Mario Kart: Super Circuit, they appear in Shy Guy Beach and Cheep-Cheep Island.

Mario Kart DS[edit]

In Mario Kart DS, they appear in Cheep Cheep Beach and Palm Shore. There are missions where they are referred to simply as crabs.

Mario Kart Wii[edit]

In Mario Kart Wii, they appear in GBA Shy Guy Beach. During August 2009's first Competition, the player had to take out a certain number of Sidesteppers with items.

Mario Kart 7[edit]

Wario in Wario Shipyard, driving to a sign displaying Bull Wario in Mario Kart 7
Sidesteppers in 3DS Wario Shipyard

In Mario Kart 7, they appear in Cheep Cheep Lagoon, Wario Shipyard, N64 Koopa Beach, and DS Palm Shore.

Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]

Sidesteppers return in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the DS Cheep Cheep Beach course. In the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass, they also appear in the underwater portion of Yoshi's Island, as a possible nod to Clawdaddies from the Yoshi's Island series, and on Tour Bangkok Rush, replacing the tuk-tuks in Mario Kart Tour, and Tour Los Angeles Laps.

Mario Kart Tour[edit]

Sidesteppers return in Mario Kart Tour, on N64 Koopa Troopa Beach, 3DS Cheep Cheep Lagoon, 3DS Wario Shipyard, Los Angeles Laps, Singapore Speedway 3, the T variant of SNES Koopa Troopa Beach 2, and the R variant of Piranha Plant Cove 2. In certain bonus challenges, there are bigger variants alongside normal Sidesteppers; these bonus challenges include the Steer Clear of Obstacles bonus challenge on N64 Koopa Troopa Beach, GBA Cheep-Cheep Island, 3DS Cheep Cheep Lagoon, and the Glider Challenge on N64 Koopa Troopa Beach and Wii Koopa Cape. Aside from their increased size, they behave the same as normal Sidesteppers.

Mario Party series[edit]

Mario Party-e[edit]

In Mario Party-e, a Sidestepper appears in Cast Away Mario! as one of the creatures that Mario can catch for Peach.

Super Mario Party[edit]

While Sidesteppers themselves do not physically appear in Super Mario Party, the robotic crab used by the team players in the 1-vs-3 minigame Smash and Crab heavily resembles a Sidestepper.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga[edit]

SidestepperSS.png

In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, crabs make a cameo appearance running in the background and foreground during the battle with Hermie III. In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, they are replaced by Huckit Crabs. They also appear in the Mario Bros. game included in the original game. This time, if they are flipped while red and are left alone, they become green. Doing it again makes them blue. If one is the last enemy of a phase, it will turn blue.

Mario Power Tennis / New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis[edit]

The Mario Classic Court in Mario Power Tennis is based on Mario Bros., and the original game's sprites are used, including Sidestepper. During a Gimmick game, Sidestepper might walk across the court and trip a character. Three of them are also line umpires.

Super Smash Bros. series[edit]

A Sidestepper, as it appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
A Sidestepper in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
SmashWiki article: Sidestepper

In the Super Smash Bros. series, Sidesteppers appear as hazards on the Mario Bros. stage, first appearing in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and returning in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Sidesteppers walk out of the pipes at the top of the screen. Players can hit them from below to flip them over, and pick them up to throw at opponents. If a player is hit by a thrown Sidestepper, they fly sideways off the screen.

The Super Smash Bros. series has various items of Sidesteppers. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the three Sidestepper variations are featured in a trophy, which can be obtained at random, and there is also a sticker of a Sidestepper, which can be equipped to any fighter in The Subspace Emissary to boost the strength of their leg-based attacks by eight points. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U similarly features a formation of differently-colored Sidesteppers as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and it can also be obtained at random. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, a Sidestepper appears as a Novice-class support spirit, which grants the user more speed in battle at the expense of initial 30% damage. In World of Light, the spirit is located in the retro maze on the east side of the Light Realm map, and the player can obtain it by winning a fight against a team of twelve Mr. Game & Watch on the Mario Bros. stage.

Other appearances[edit]

In NES Remix, Sidesteppers, along with other enemies from Mario Bros., appear in some of the challenges and remixes based on Mario Bros. as enemies and stage objectives.

Paper Mario: The Origami King[edit]

Red and blue origami Sidesteppers
Red and blue origami Sidesteppers
Red and blue origami Sidesteppers

Sidesteppers make their first appearance in the Paper Mario series in Paper Mario: The Origami King, where origami red and blue Sidesteppers appear as enemies. The blue Sidesteppers now have the same modern design as their regular red variants used from Mario Kart DS onwards. Sidesteppers are commonly found in the Water Vellumental Shrine, the Great Sea, the Ice Vellumental Mountain, the Sea Tower, and ? Island. One group is also fought on Crescent Moon Island after being fished out of the sea and releases an Earth Vellumental Magic Circle upon being defeated. In battle, the Sidestepper's claws act as spikes, preventing them from being jumped on without Iron Boots, but can be damaged with Fire Flowers, Ice Flowers, and Hurlhammers, as well as being flipped over by POW Blocks. However, if Red Sidesteppers are flipped with a POW Block and recover, they turn into stronger Blue Sidesteppers. On the ? Island, they can be stunned with a POW Block, but turn blue if left alone for a period of time, similarly to Mario Bros.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie[edit]

Sidesteppers are alluded to in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, where the scrolling text on the news broadcast for the ruptured main pipe twice mentions "giant underground crabs" being spotted in reference to their original role.

Profiles and statistics[edit]

Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten[edit]

カニキチ (JP) / Sidestepper (EN)
Used in case of images missing from a section gallery, table, bestiary box, or certain infoboxes.

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Original text (Japanese) Translation
出身しゆつしん / 種族しゅぞく アクア族 Place of origin/tribe Aqua clan
性格せいかく 怒りっぽい Disposition Quick to take offense
登場とうじょうゲーム 3(バトルゲーム) Game appearances 3 (Battle Game)
余分にたたかないよう注意

1回パンチをくらうと怒りガニに変身しスピードが速くなる。2回パンチでひっくり返るが、復活すると猛スピードの青ガニにさらに変身。ひっくり返したらすぐにけとばそう。[2]

Be careful not to beat excessively

If it is punched once, it transforms into an angry crab and its speed increases; if it is punched twice, it turns over, but if it is revived, it transforms further into a fast and furious blue crab. If you turn it over, you must immediately kick it out.

カニさん (JP) / Crab (EN)
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Original text (Japanese) Translation
出身しゆつしん / 種族しゅぞく アクア族 Place of origin/tribe Aqua clan
性格せいかく 怒りっぽい Disposition Quick to take offense
登場とうじょうゲーム ブラザー Game appearances Bros.
ここがカニキチと違とぞ

カニキチのお父さんというべき、このカニさん。こちらも1回たたくと、怒りガニに変

This is different from Sidestepper.

This crab should be called the father of the Sidesteppers. This one, too, will transform into an angry crab after you hit it once. Moreover, it speeds up many times after it revives.

Mario Clash[edit]

Instruction booklets
  • Japanese: はさみが盾になって甲らをはね返す。弱点の腹をねらおう。[3] (The claws act as a shield to repel the shell. Aim at its belly weak point.)
  • English: His scissor claws will block a thrown shell. His only weakness is to hit him in the stomach.[4]

Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]

Trophy
Sidesteppers
BrawlTrophy539.png
Appears in:
NES Mario Bros.
GBA Super Mario Advance
How to unlock: Random
Crabby enemies taken on by Mario and Luigi. One bump from below wouldn't flip them over, but rather anger them so they moved faster. These pests had to be bumped twice before they could be upended and kicked off the stage. If left alone after being turned upside down, or if there was one left, their speed would increase. They went by the basic name of "crabs" in Japan.
Sticker
Sidestepper
Sidestepper in the game Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
Artwork from: Mario Bros.
Effects in The Subspace Emissary: [Leg] - Attack +8
Usable by: Anyone

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U[edit]

Trophy
Sidesteppers
Sidesteppers trophy from Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Category: Series Related
(Applies only to the Wii U version) Appears in:
ARCADE Mario Bros.
GBA Super Mario Advance
(Applies only to the Wii U version) Trophy Box: 6: Mario Bros.
How to unlock:
Random
Can you guess how this crab-like enemy moves? The name might give you a clue. But Mario could be in for a surprise when he punches one from below—instead of flipping over, it starts sidestepping even faster! Oh, Mario, did you make it angry? Don't worry—a second punch should calm it down...or at least knock it on its head. (American English)
Any guesses for how this crab-like enemy moves? The name might give you a clue. Mario could be in for a surprise when he punches one from below – instead of flipping over, it starts sidestepping even faster! Oh, Mario, did you make it angry? Don't worry – a second punch should calm it down...or at least knock it on its head. (British English)

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate spirit[edit]

Name Image Series / game Type Class Strength / effects How to obtain Spirit battle
Opponent(s) Battle conditions Stage Song
Sidestepper Sidestepper spirit from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Mario Bros. Series Support (1) Novice Trade-Off Speed ↑ World of Light (Light Realm) Mr. Game & Watch ×12 Rule: Move Speed ↑
  • The enemy has increased move speed after a little while
  • The enemy can deal damage by dashing into you
  • Reinforcements will appear after an enemy is KO'd
Mario Bros. Mario Bros.

Paper Mario: The Origami King[edit]

Paper Mario: The Origami King enemy
(Red) Sidestepper
An origami (Red) Sidestepper from Paper Mario: The Origami King. HP 16 Moves Location(s)
Type Spiked Slice 'n' Dice (3), Stacked Slice 'n' Dice (3 × amount of Sidesteppers) Water Vellumental Shrine, ? Island, The Great Sea, Crescent/Full Moon Island, Sea Tower
Item drops Mushroom
They like to slide side to side. It's pretty snide. Their pincers are sharp as Scissors, so stomp at your own risk.
Paper Mario: The Origami King enemy
(Blue) Sidestepper
An origami (Blue) Sidestepper from Paper Mario: The Origami King. HP 22 Moves Location(s)
Type Spiked Deep Cut (6), Stacked Deep Cut (?) Water Vellumental Shrine, Ice Vellumental Mountain, Sea Tower
Item drops Mushroom
Blue Sidesteppers are rare. Is that why they value rarities themselves? Either way, keep an eye on your goods.

Game appearances[edit]

Title Description Original release date System / format
Mario Bros. Enemy 1983 Arcade
Family BASIC Cameo on the Message Board, programmable sprite 1984 Family Computer
Mario Bros. Special Enemy 1984 Japanese home computers
Punch Ball Mario Bros. Enemy 1984 Japanese home computers
Family BASIC V3 Enemy in a mini-game, programmable sprite 1985 Family Computer
Super Mario Bros. Special Enemy 1986 NEC PC-8801 and Sharp X1
Mario Clash Enemy 1995 Virtual Boy
Super Mario Advance Cameo in cutscene 2001 Game Boy Advance
Mario Kart: Super Circuit Stage hazard 2001 Game Boy Advance
Mario Party-e Minigame element 2003 Game Boy Advance
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga Cameo during boss battle 2003 Game Boy Advance
Mario Power Tennis Cameo in the background 2004 Nintendo GameCube
Mario Kart DS Stage hazard 2005 Nintendo DS
Super Smash Bros. Brawl Stage hazard, trophy, sticker 2008 Wii
Mario Kart Wii Stage hazard 2008 Wii
Mario Kart 7 Stage hazard 2011 Nintendo 3DS
Super Mario 3D World Enemy 2013 Wii U
Mario Kart 8 Stage hazard 2014 Wii U
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Trophy 2014 Wii U
Super Mario Maker Mystery Mushroom costume 2015 Wii U
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Stage hazard 2017 Nintendo Switch
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Stage hazard, spirit 2018 Nintendo Switch
Mario Kart Tour Stage hazard 2019 iOS, Android
Paper Mario: The Origami King Enemy 2020 Nintendo Switch
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury Enemy 2021 Nintendo Switch
WarioWare: Move It! Cameo in microgame 2023 Nintendo Switch

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Sidestepper.

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning
Japanese サイドステッパー
Saidosuteppā
カニさん
Kani-san
カニ[5] / カニキチ[2]
Kanikichi
カニ[6]
Kani
クワトロ[3]
Kuwatoro

Sidestepper

Crab-san

From「カニ」(kani, crab) and「~吉」(-kichi, a common suffix for male names)

Crab

Quattro (the Italian word for "four")

Chinese 螃蟹[7][8]
Pángxiè
阿蟹 (Paper Mario: The Origami King)
Ā Xiè

Crab

From「阿」(ā, a common nickname prefix) and「蟹」(xiè, crab)

French (NOA) Zarbipas
From zarbi (a back-slang for "bizarre") and pas ("step")
French (NOE) Crabe
Crab
Crab
Crab
German Krabbe
Crab
Italian Granchio (Super Smash Bros. Brawl trophy, Paper Mario: The Origami King)
Granchietto (Mario Bros. GBA)
Crab
Li'l crab
Korean 게님
Ge-nim
Mister Crab

Portuguese Caranguejo
Crab
Russian Бокоход
Bokokhod
Sidewalker

Spanish (NOA) Flancogrejo
From flanco ("flank") and cangrejo ("crab")
Spanish (NOE) Cangrejo
Crab

References[edit]

  1. ^ 『パックマン』にはじまり『スーパーマリオ』でひとつの完成形に達した“キャラクターの身体機能”「なんでゲームは面白い?」第11回. Retrieved June 10, 2023. (Contains quote from Yokoi found in 「横井軍平ゲーム館」.)
  2. ^ a b Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten. Page 52.
  3. ^ a b Mario Clash Japanese instruction booklet. Page 19.
  4. ^ Mario Clash English instruction booklet. Page 21.
  5. ^ 「任天堂公式ガイドブック スーパーマリオコレクション」 (Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook – Super Mario Collection). Page 282.
  6. ^ https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n08/mariobros/index.html
  7. ^ Super Mario Advance Chinese instruction booklet. Page 46.
  8. ^ 介紹在《超級舞動 瓦利歐製造》裡以任天堂的遊戲為題設計的小遊戲。 Nintendo. Retrieved December 28, 2023.