Fighter Fly
| Fighter Fly | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork of a Fighter Fly | |||
| First appearance | Mario Bros. (1983) | ||
| Latest appearance | Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (2021) | ||
| |||
| |||
A Fighter Fly (originally spelled Fighterfly), also referred to as a firefly[1] or bee,[2] is a hopping insect that first appeared in the sewers of the original Mario Bros. arcade game.
History[edit]
Mario Bros. series[edit]
Mario Bros.[edit]
In Mario Bros., Fighter Flies are one of the myriad of pests that emerge from pipes to attack Mario and Luigi. They first appear in Phase 6 (Phase 7 in Japan). After a Fighter Fly emerges, it hops across the floors. As such, Mario has to precisely time his jump when the Fighter Fly is on the ground to flip the creature over. If airborne, a Fighter Fly cannot be flipped over - not even if Mario uses the POW Block. Once flipped over, Mario has to run into the insect to clear it off the stage.
In early iterations of the game, their design features large toothy scowls and shiny eyes, but their design was redone for the multiplayer mode of the Super Mario All-Stars version of Super Mario Bros. 3. Their design in this title has large white eyes with black pupils, while their scowls are replaced with small closed mouths, their heads are a light orange color, and they have noses. This design is further developed in the iteration of the game included on many Game Boy Advance games, which also gives them three colors and speeds depending on how many times they have been flipped over, like the other target enemies have.
In other iterations of Mario Bros.[edit]
Fighter Flies appear in Luigi Bros., an additional game featured in Super Mario 3D World. Like the other enemies in Luigi Bros., Fighter Flies behave in the same way as in Mario Bros., which this game is based on.
Fighter Flies are present in NES Remix as enemies and level objectives in some of the challenges and remixes based on Mario Bros..
Mario Bros. Special[edit]
In Mario Bros. Special, 1984 semi-sequel by Hudson Soft, Fighterflies can only be stunned if it is only a trampoline or conveyor belt that is being bounced on by Mario or Luigi. They first appear in Phase 9.
Punch Ball Mario Bros.[edit]
In Punch Ball Mario Bros., the other sequel by Hudson Soft, Fighterflies can be flipped over by hitting the POW Block while it is on the ground or having a Punch Ball thrown at them. If they recover or become the last target enemy on stage, they will turn green and move faster. They first appear in Phase 6.
Playbox BASIC / Family BASIC[edit]
Fighterflies are programmable sprites in the Playbox BASIC and Family BASIC accessories for the Family Computer. They make a cameo in the Playbox BASIC's Biorhythm Board. They appear as enemies in shooter mini-games in the Data Recorder's cassette and Family BASIC V3.
Super Mario Bros. Special[edit]
In Super Mario Bros. Special, Fighterflies, named Nakaji, appear in five levels. They are presumably named after Tomohiko Nakajima, one of the three staff members responsible for naming new enemies. He also made the end credits, which is the only place where the name appears. While it is not possible to stomp them, they can be defeated by any other method, including with a hammer.
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Land[edit]
In Super Mario Land, Fighterflies are simply named Flies[3][4] and are seen in the Birabuto Kingdom of Sarasaland. In this game, they hop towards Mario, just like in Mario Bros. Some of them spawn in midair and hop downward when scrolled on-screen instead of appearing simply on the ground. Kumos from the Easton Kingdom attack in the same manner as Flies. They can simply be jumped on or be shot with a Superball to be defeated. Flies award Mario with 400 points when he defeats them. They are only found in World 1-1 and World 1-3 where, in the latter, one poses as Princess Daisy.
Super Mario Maker[edit]
A Mystery Mushroom costume, designed after Fighter Fly, can be unlocked in Super Mario Maker (after the version 1.20 update) by completing the hard version of Gnat Attack. When performing a jump as Fighter Fly, the player can hear the high-pitched noise this enemy made in the original Mario Bros.. If the player presses 
while playing as Fighter Fly, it will turn into a Freezie, which is a foe that also debuted in Mario Bros.
Super Mario (Kodansha manga)[edit]
In Super Mario Land, Fighter Flies, depicted like giant anthropomorphic flies (with compound eyes and proboscis), are met in Birabuto Kingdom. One attaches itself onto Mekakuribō, who is actually Princess Peach in disguise, making her yell in disgust when the enemy starts slurping with its mouth. Mario quickly defeats it. When Daisy is rescued from King Totomesu, she jumps at Mario and starts to kiss him, only to reveal she was a Fighter Fly in disguise, making Mario gag.
Super Mario-kun[edit]
In Super Mario-kun, Fighter Flies appear in volume 3 alongside other Super Mario Land enemies. One of them is the second enemy to damage Mario, via biting. Later, Mario grabs a Super Star and defeats them alongside the other enemies.
Another Flighter Fly also appears in chapter 9 of volume 9, which takes place in a Mario Bros. styled arena where Mario, Luigi and Yoshi are trapped. It does not play any important role.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga / Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions[edit]
In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, they make a reappearance in Stardust Fields, the border between the Mushroom Kingdom and the Beanbean Kingdom. To attack, a Fighter Fly hops towards Mario or Luigi and tries to bump into the plumber. The heroes can jump to avoid the attack.
The Fighter Flies are orange with blue hands and feet, pink antennae, small wings, and have large green squinting eyelids. In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, their feet are pink instead of light blue.
Mario and Luigi also encounter a stronger version of the Fighter Fly, the Super Fly, in the basement of Beanbean Castle.
In the remake's Minion Quest mode, a Fighter Fly makes a cameo as the first audition for Popple's new "Rookie," a position which Birdo ends up receiving.
Mario Power Tennis[edit]
Fighter Flies appear as obstacles on the Mario Classic Court in Mario Power Tennis, in a flat 8-bit model form. Like other enemies, they will walk around on the court, obstructing a player's movements. An unused 3D model for a Fighter Fly can be found in the game's files, heavily based off their design from the Mario Bros. remake in Super Mario All-Stars.
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U[edit]
Fighter Flies make a cameo appearance as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Unlike the other Mario Bros. trophies, this trophy uses sprites from the NES version instead of the arcade version.
Profiles and statistics[edit]
Super Mario Land[edit]
- Instruction booklet: This blood-sucking fly is always flying around. You can defeat it down by jumping on it.
- 3DS Virtual Console manual: This creature is always buzzing around. Defeat it by stomping on it from above.
Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten[edit]
Mario Bros.[edit]
ファイアフライ
種族 クリープ族
性格 陽気
登場ゲーム ブラザー
跳ねるから倒しにくいぞ
元祖マリオブラザーズの敵キャラ。羽が大きく、いつも歯をみせて笑っている。カメさんたちと違い、跳ねながら降りてくるので床に降りているときしか倒せないのだ。[5]
Fighter Fly
Tribe: Creep clan
Disposition: Cheerful
Game appearances: Bros.
They're bouncy and hard to knock down.
An enemy character from the original Mario Bros. It has large wings and always has a toothy grin. Unlike Shellcreepers, he can only be defeated when he is on the floor, because he comes down while bouncing.
Super Mario Land[edit]
フーライ
種族 クリープ族
性格 おちょうし者
登場ゲーム ランド1
高く飛べないハエ！？
マリオランドに出てくる羽のついたハエ。八エのくせに高くは飛べず、細かくピョンピョンと跳んでくる。スーパーボールでも倒せるが、踏んだ方が簡単に倒せる。[6]
Fly
Tribe: Creep clan
Disposition: Person who readily chimes in with others
Game appearances: Land 1
A fly that can't fly high!?
A fly with wings that appears in Mario Land. Although it is a fly, it cannot fly high and jumps slightly. It can be defeated with a superball, but it is easier to defeat it by stepping on it.
Mario & Luigi series[edit]
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga[edit]
| Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga enemy | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fighter Fly | ||||||||||
|
HP | 5 | POW | 14 (12) | Defense | 14 | Speed | 12 | Experience | 2 |
| Fire | Critical | Thunder | Normal | Jump | Normal | Hammer | Normal | Coins | 2 | |
| Stat down? | 100% | Stun? | 30% | Burn? | 60% | Hand | Normal | Item drop | Mushroom – 9.68% Mushroom – 0% (Super Mushroom - 9.68%) | |
| Level 3 | Location(s) | Stardust Fields | Notice |
| ||||||
- Official Nintendo Player's Guide: When a Fighter Fly attacks you, it hops once, pauses, then hops again. Jump at the end of the pause.[7]
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions[edit]
| Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions enemy | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fighter Fly | ||||||||||
|
HP: | 10 | POW: | 24 | DEF: | 9 | SPEED: | 5 | Experience: | 2 |
| Fire: | Critical | Thunder: | Normal | Jump: | Normal | Hammer: | Normal | Coins: | 3 | |
| Stat down: | 60% | Dizzy: | 30% | Burn: | 30% | Speed down: | 30% | Item drop: | Mushroom (18%) None (0%) Super Mushroom (50%) | |
| Level: 2 | Location(s): | Stardust Fields | ||||||||
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U trophy[edit]
| Name | Image | Appears in | NTSC-U Description | PAL Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fighter Fly | 
|
Arcade Mario Bros. (1983) GBA Super Mario Advance (06/2001) |
An enemy from the original Mario Bros. Just as the name implies, they are flies that gracefully move across the stage. They jump to move around, so hit them from below when they land. Unlike other enemies, these pests get faster after recovering from being flipped, rather than when only one is left. Be careful! | These pests come from the original Mario Bros. The name might make them sound tough, but these guys are actually kind of elegant and graceful. It's best to wait until they're on solid ground, then bop 'em from underneath to flip them over. If they get back up, though, watch out - they'll start gracefully leaping around a bit faster. |
Gallery[edit]
Artworks[edit]
Mario Bros.
Mario Bros. (Atari 2600)
Mario Bros. (Famicom)
Mario Bros. (Famicom)
Mario Bros. (NES)
Super Mario Bros. 3 (Perfect Edition of the Great Mario Character Encyclopedia)
Sprites and models[edit]
Mario Bros.
Mario Bros. (NES)
Mario Bros. (Atari 2600)
Mario Bros. (Atari 5200)
Mario Bros. (Atari 7800)
Mario Bros. (Amstrad CPC)
Super Mario Bros. Special (Sharp X1)
Super Mario Bros. Special (NEC PC-8801)
Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario All-Stars
Mario Bros. (GBA)
Mario Bros. (GBA)
Mario Bros. (GBA)
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Mario Power Tennis (unused)
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions
Screenshots[edit]
Scans[edit]
Kellogg's trading card
Super Mario-kun (Super Mario Land version)
Super Mario-kun (Mario Bros. version)
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ファイターフライ Faitāfurai ハエさん[8] Hae-san ハエ丸[9] Haemaru ファイアフライ[5] Faiafurai フライ[10] Furai |
Fighterfly / Fighter Fly Fly-san From「ハエ」(hae, fly) and「丸」(-maru, a word meaning "round" and a suffix for young boys' names that was popular during the days of the samurai); an alternate spelling is used for an instance of Bee Fly Firefly Fly (used for Game Boy Advance Mario Bros. including Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga despite using an alternate name in the main game)[11] |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 苍蝇[12] Cāngying |
Fly |
| French | Mouche de combat | Battle Fly |
| French (NOE) | Méchante mouche (GBA) Fighter Fly (GBA) Fly |
Nasty fly Fighter Fly Fly |
| German | Fliege Fieser Flieger (GBA) |
Fly Nasty Flyer |
| Italian | Falena Mosca armata[13][14][15][16][17] |
Moth Armed fly |
| Portuguese | Mosca Guerreira | Warrior Fly |
| Russian | Бойцовая муха Boytsovaya mukha |
Fighter Fly |
| Spanish | Mosca | Fly |
| Spanish (NOE) | Mosca luchador (GBA) | Fighter fly |
Super Mario Land
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | フーライ[18] Fūrai |
Elongation of English word "fly" |
| Dutch | Vlieg[19] | Fly |
| French | Fly[20] | - |
| German | Fly | |
| Italian | Mosca[21] Falena[22] |
Fly Moth |
| Spanish | Mosca | Fly |
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ハエまる Haemaru |
Based on the name used for Super Mario All-Stars (see above) |
| Chinese | 苍蝇小丸子 Cāngying Xiǎowánzi |
From the Japanese name |
| French | Mouchak | Corruption of "mouche" (fly) |
| German | Fliegmut | Portmanteau of "fliege" (fly) and the name suffix "-mut" (used in male names such as "Helmut") |
| Italian | Calabrotto | Portmanteau of "calabrone" (European Hornet) and diminutive suffix "-otto" |
| Korean | 파리동글 Pari Donggul |
Round Fly |
| Spanish (NOA) | Recluta Bzz | Bzz (from his sound) recruit |
| Spanish (NOE) | Recluta Zzz | Zzz (from his sound) recruit |
Trivia[edit]
- In The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening development assets, Fighter Fly sprites, along with either a rough sketch or a planned variant, can be found among the game's cameos.[23]
References[edit]
- ^ Mario Bros. NES instruction booklet, page 2. "There are plenty of cagey critters to conquer -- turtles, crabs and fireflies, to mention a few."
- ^ Nintendo Power Advance V.1, page 40.
- ^ Super Mario Land English instruction booklet, page 16.
- ^ M. Arakawa. Nintendo Game Boy Player's Guide. Page 5.
- ^ a b Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten. Page 178.
- ^ Shogakukan. 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), page 187.
- ^ Thomason, Steve. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga Player's Guide. Page 33.
- ^ Family BASIC handbook.
- ^ 「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.
- ^ https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n08/mariobros/index.html
- ^ Mario & Luigi RPG instruction booklet, page 37.
- ^ Super Mario Advance Chinese instruction booklet, page 46.
- ^ Super Mario Advance European booklet, pag. 118
- ^ Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 European booklet, pag. 120
- ^ Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 European booklet, pag. 120
- ^ Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 European booklet, pag. 120
- ^ Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga European booklet, pag. 88
- ^ Super Mario Land Japanese instruction booklet, page 19.
- ^ Club Nintendo (Netherlands) Classic, page 7.
- ^ Super Mario Land French instruction booklet, page 16.
- ^ Super Mario Land e-manual, pag. 14
- ^ Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia; pag. 47
- ^ TCRF. Development:The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Game Boy)/Early and Unused Graphics. The Cutting Room Floor. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
Interwiki links[edit]
- Fighter Fly (Mario Bros.) — de:Fieser Flieger
- Fighter Fly (Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga) — de:Fliegmut — it:Calabrotto
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