Batadon
| Batadon | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Screenshot from Mario Kart World | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario Land (1989) | ||
| Latest appearance | Mario Kart World (2025) | ||
| |||
| |||
Batadons[1][2] are hopping winged enemies from the Easton Kingdom of Sarasaland. They are first found in Super Mario Land. Batadons closely resemble moai heads, similarly to Tokotoko.
History[edit]
Super Mario Land[edit]
In Super Mario Land, Mario can defeat a Batadon by either jumping on it or by shooting three Superballs at it. It acts much like a Fly or Kumo, except it bounces higher, moves slower, and does not pause on the ground. Defeating a Batadon awards 800 points. Batadons can also pound through some platforms. They only appear in Worlds 3-1 and 3-3.
Super Mario Kodansha manga[edit]
In the Super Mario Land manga, a Batadon is the first enemy encountered in Easton Kingdom, getting angry at Mario for ruining one of the statues and calling the Tokotoko and other Batadons for backup. However, the moai are easily tricked by Mario yelling "Red light!", making them stop in place. Only when Mario leaves do they realize that they were tricked and chase after him. After losing Mario due to him being in a disguise, they finally find him and jump towards him, failing to notice he was entangled in a web with lethal Suu venom about to be poured on him. Getting entangled in the web, the moai free Mario with their jolts, and are hit by the venom in his place, melting down.
Super Mario-kun[edit]
In Super Mario-kun, Batadons appear in volume 3 alongside the Tokotoko and their boss Hiyoihoi. Apart from helping their leader and forming a giant rock with the moai, they do nothing relevant.
Mario Kart World[edit]
Batadons appear in Mario Kart World alongside Tokotoko,[3] marking their first appearance in a game since their debut, as well as the first time that Super Mario Land enemies have directly appeared in a later game. They are redesigned to more closely resemble Tokotoko, having their more bottom-heavy shape. Additionally, their wings are now standard "Para"-enemy wings.
A sponsor named "Batadon Aero Parts" depicts a Batadon on its logo. Additionally, Batadon carvings appear above the finish line in Desert Hills, flanking an Angry Sun carving.[4] A Batadon appears alongside a Tokotoko in the icon for the route between Whistlestop Summit and Desert Hills in the Cherry Rally.
Profiles[edit]
Super Mario Land[edit]
- Instruction booklet description:
- English:
A winged stone statue. It tries to crush Mario as it flies. - Other languages:
- French:
Statue de pierre ailée. En volant cherche à écraser Mario.[5]:14
- French:
- English:
- Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console manual: This winged stone statue tries to crush Mario as it flies.
Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten[edit]
| パタドン (JP) / Batadon (EN) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Original text (Japanese) | Translation | ||
| 岩石族 | Tribe | Rock clan | |
| がんこ者 | Disposition | Stubborn person | |
| ランド1 | Game appearances | Land 1 | |
| 翼の生えたモアイ像 モアイ像のような石像に翼が生えたもの。ピョンピョンと大きくはねながら、マリオを押しつぶそうとする。動きは速くないが、上空からくるので、狭い場所では難敵といえる。[6] |
Winged moai statue A moai-like stone statue with wings. They leap and flap wildly as they try to crush Mario. They do not move fast, but since they come from above, they can be a difficult enemy in tight spaces. | ||
Gallery[edit]
Artwork from Super Mario Land
Artwork of a Batadon from Super Mario Land
Sprite from Super Mario Land
Mario Kart World (sponsor)
Mario Kart World (sticker)
Mario Kart World (sticker)
Mario Kart World (sticker)
Mario Kart World (sticker)
Mario Kart World (sticker)
Naming[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Like most enemies introduced in Super Mario Land, "Batadon" is a romanzation of the enemy's Japanese name「パタパタ」, but the rendering is inaccurate. An accurate romanization would be "Patadon," and this discrepancy potentially comes from misinterpreting the two diacritic signs used in Japanese, dakuten and handakuten. (i.e. Interpreting the handakuten sign「゜」for the dakuten「゛」on the kana making the "p" sound). It is not known if this misromanization was a deliberate localization choice or a misread of the text. A similar discrepancy exists for the Birabuto Kingdom.
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | パタドン[7][8] Patadon |
Portmanteau of「パタパタ」(patapata), an onomatopoeia for flapping, and「ドン」(don, "thud"); potentially an allusion to Koopa Paratroopa | |
| Chinese (simplified) | 飞跳踱踱岩[9] Fēitiào Duóduóyán (Mandarin) Fēitiu Dohkdohkngàahm (Cantonese) |
Leaping Tokotoko | |
| Chinese (traditional) | 飛跳踱踱岩[10] Fēitiào Duóduóyán (Mandarin) Fēitiu Dohkdohkngàahm (Cantonese) |
Leaping Tokotoko | |
| Dutch | Batadon[5]:32[11] | - | |
| Finnish | Pataton[12] | Romanization of the Japanese name | |
| French | Batadon[13][5]:14 | - | |
| German | Batadon[14] | - | |
| Italian | Batadon[15][16][17] | - | |
| Korean | 펄럭꾹[18] Peolleok'kkuk |
Calque of the Japanese name | |
| Spanish | Batadon[19][20] | - |
References[edit]
- ^ 1989. Super Mario Land instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (English). Page 14.
- ^ 1991. Nintendo Game Boy Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (English). Page 5.
- ^ Nintendo of America (April 3, 2025). Nintendo Treehouse: Live | Nintendo Switch 2 Day 1 (1:35:55). Retrieved April 3, 2025.
- ^ Nintendo of America (April 2, 2025). Mario Kart World – Nintendo Direct | Nintendo Switch 2. YouTube. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
- ^ a b c 1990. Super Mario Land mode d'emploi / Handleiding. Nederland, Brussels: Nintendo (French, Dutch). Page 14, 32. Retrieved from Imgur.
- ^ 1994. 「パーフェクト版 マリオキャラクター大事典」 (Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten). Shogakukan. Page 155. Retrieved September 15, 2022 from Imgur.
- ^ 1989. 『スーパーマリオランド取扱説明書』. Kyoto: Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Japanese). Page 15.
- ^ Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors (2015). "Super Mario Land" in『スーパーマリオブラザーズ百科: 任天堂公式ガイドブック』. Tokyo: Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 978-4-09-106569-8. Page 47.
- ^ "飞跳踱踱岩的拦路游戏" ("The Batadons' barricade game") – Mario Kart World mission. Nintendo (Hong Kong) (Simplified Chinese).
- ^ 「飛跳踱踱岩的擋路游戲」("The Batadons' barricade game") – Mario Kart World mission. Nintendo (Hong Kong) (Traditional Chinese).
- ^ Club Nintendo, editors (1990). "Super Mario Land" in Club Nintendo Classic. Großostheim: Nintendo of Europe GmbH (Dutch). Page 8.
- ^ Caragonne, George, and Todd Haedrich (1990). "Tiukasti Käsissäsi..." in Nintendo-lehti, no. 1. Translated by Laila Takolander. Semic (Finnish). Page 27.
- ^ "Passez le barrage de Batadons !" ("Pass the Batadons dam!") – Mario Kart World mission. European French. (Archived 5 Jun. 2025 via YouTube by MisterJDay Highlights.)
- ^ 1990. Super Mario Land Spielanleitung. Großostheim: Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German). Page 14.
- ^ 1990. Super Mario Land Manuale di Instuzioni. Florence: Nintendo (Italian). Page 14.
- ^ 2011. Super Mario Land (Electronic Manual). Nintendo of Europe GmbH (Italian). Tab 14.
- ^ «Evita i Batadon e raggiungi il traguardo!» – Mission description (2025). Mario Kart World by Nintendo EPD. Nintendo (Italian).
- ^ "펄럭꾹의 길 막기" – Mario Kart World mission. Nintendo (Korean).
- ^ Club Nintendo, editors (1990). "Super Mario Land" in Club Nintendo Classic. Großostheim: Nintendo of Europe GmbH (European Spanish). Page 8.
- ^ 2011. Super Mario Land (Electronic Manual). Nintendo of America (Mexican Spanish). Tab 14.
