Shellcreeper
| Shellcreeper | |||
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| First appearance | Mario Bros. (1983) | ||
| Latest appearance | WarioWare: Move It! (2023) | ||
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Shellcreepers, sometimes referred to as simply turtles, are green-shelled turtles that first appeared in the Mario Bros. arcade game. They are the first turtle enemies to appear in a Super Mario game, making them the conceptual ancestors of the Koopas, which appeared two years later in Super Mario Bros. It is also shown that Shellcreepers wear undershirts and shorts when outside of their shells; shell-less Beach Koopas first appeared in Super Mario World wearing a shirt, and in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island wearing shorts. Several sources such as the trophy descriptions in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U indicate that Koopa Troopas apparently evolved from Shellcreepers.
Gunpei Yokoi created the Shellcreeper after being inspired from watching a cartoon turtle remove its shell. He wanted to create an entire game that focused on removing shells from turtles. That concept eventually developed into the Mario Bros. arcade game.[1] However, Shigeru Miyamoto states that they came up with using turtles during development.[2]
History[edit]
Mario Bros. series[edit]
Mario Bros.[edit]
The Shellcreeper is the first enemy to appear in Mario Bros. They walk out of the pipes at the top of the screen and walk towards the pipes at the bottom of the screen. The player must hit it from below through the floor to flip it over and then run into it to defeat it. If the player does not run into it, the Shellcreeper jumps out of its shell (revealing that it wears a white shirt and shorts), flips its shell over, changes color from green to purple and continues moving faster than before. If it flips its shell again, it will turn red, its fastest state. If a Shellcreeper is the last target for the phase, it will automatically turn red. Unlike the similar Koopa Troopa, jumping on Shellcreeper will cause Mario or Luigi to lose a life. Also, Shellcreepers can attack by biting Mario or Luigi with their teeth.
In the NES version, Shellcreepers lack an animation for changing shell colors, and the colors now go from green to red to pink, the last of which also has blue skin. Additionally, in the initial NES release they are smaller than in the original arcade version, though this is no longer the case in later editions.
Starting with the Mario Bros.-style battle mode in Super Mario Bros. 3, Shellcreepers have been replaced by Spinies in all subsequent versions, so they would not be mistaken for Koopa Troopas, which can be jumped on. Despite this, a lone Shellcreeper still makes a cameo alongside a Sidestepper and Fighter Fly on the title screen of the Game Boy Advance remakes of Mario Bros. In Mario Clash, Koopa Troopas are given a similar sprite design to Shellcreepers, and even do the same tooth-baring pose.
Mario Bros. Special[edit]
In Hudson Soft's 1984 sequel of sorts to Mario Bros., Mario Bros. Special, Shellcreepers make a return appearance as enemies, though this time they cannot be stunned by hitting them from below; instead, they can be stunned by jumping on a trampoline that they are on (second stage), jumping on a conveyor belt that they are on (third stage), or killed instantly by jumping over or next to them and hitting a platform, though they will respawn if killed this way. They do not change color or move faster after recovering from a stun.
Punch Ball Mario Bros.[edit]
Shellcreepers appear as an enemy yet again in Hudson Soft's semi sequel to Mario Bros., Punch Ball Mario Bros.. The game is much closer to the Mario Bros., and thus Shellcreepers play a much more similar role as they did in that game. The only differences are that they cannot be stunned from below and are instead stunned by Punch Balls or the POW Block. If they get back up after being stunned or are the last enemy on screen, they turn red and speed up.
Family BASIC[edit]
In the Family BASIC accessory to the Family Computer, Shellcreepers are programmable sprites. They also make a cameo in the Message Board.
Mario Power Tennis / New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis[edit]
Shellcreepers, along with the other Mario Bros. enemies, appear in the background of the Mario Classic Court in Mario Power Tennis, where they use their NES sprites. The game's data includes an unused 3D depiction of a Shellcreeper, showing it as a small, quadrupedal Koopa Troopa with clawed flat feet.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Shellcreepers appear on the Mario Bros. stage. They walk out from the pipes at the top of the stage. If knocked over by hitting them from below or from an attack, they can be picked up and thrown at opponents, making them fly sideways off the screen. The Shellcreepers also have their own trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[edit]
Shellcreepers 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., Shellcreepers behave in the same way as Mario Bros., which this game is based on.
Super Mario Maker[edit]
In Super Mario Maker, one of the unlockable playable costumes is a Shellcreeper, using a modified version of its sprite in Kaettekita Mario Bros. It can be unlocked at random after clearing the 100 Mario Challenge on Expert setting or harder. If the player holds 
on the GamePad while wearing the costume, the Shellcreeper makes a grimace. While the player runs as the Shellcreeper, its shell turns red.
NES Remix[edit]
Shellcreepers appear in NES Remix in the challenges and remixes based on Mario Bros.
List of appearances[edit]
| Title | Description | 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 | PC-8801, PC-6001mkII/PC-6601, PC-9801, FM-7, Sharp X1, Sharp MZ-1500, Sharp MZ-2200, Hitachi S1 |
| Punch Ball Mario Bros. | Enemy | 1984 | PC-8801, PC-6001mkII/PC-6601, FM-7, Sharp X1, Sharp MZ-1500 |
| Kaettekita Mario Bros. | Enemy, Notices explainer | 1988 | Family Computer Disk System |
| Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga | Cameo on the Mario Bros. title screen. Also in the Super Mario Advance ports. | 2003 | Game Boy Advance |
| Mario Power Tennis | Cameo as enemy on Mario Classic Court | 2004 | Nintendo GameCube |
| Famicom Mini: Mario Bros. | Enemy | 2004 | Game Boy Advance |
| Super Smash Bros. Brawl | Stage hazard, trophy | 2008 | Wii |
| New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis | Cameo as enemy on Mario Classic Court | 2009 | Wii |
| Super Mario 3D World | Enemy in Luigi Bros. | 2013 | Wii U |
| NES Remix | Enemy/objective in Mario Bros. challenges and remixes. | 2013 | Wii U |
| Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | Cameo as a trophy | 2014 | Wii U |
| Super Mario Maker | Costume Mario outfit | 2015 | Wii U |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Stage hazard | 2018 | Nintendo Switch |
| Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury | Enemy in Luigi Bros. | 2021 | Nintendo Switch |
| WarioWare: Move It! | Cameo in microgame | 2023 | Nintendo Switch |
Profiles and statistics[edit]
Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten[edit]
カメさん
種族 カメ族
性格 さびしがりや
登場ゲーム ブラザー
カメ族のルーツはこのキャラ
すべてのカメ族の元祖。ノコノコなどと違い、踏んでもやっつけられない。床下からひっくり返し、キックでやっつけよう。最後の一匹は、スピードアップするので注意。[3]
Shellcreeper
Tribe: Turtle clan
Disposition: Lonely person
Game appearances: Bros.
The Turtle Tribe's roots are in this character!
It's the originator of the whole Turtle Tribe. Unlike Koopa Troopa, it can't be beaten even if stepped on. Turn it over from under the floor, then kick to beat it. Careful, the last one will speed up.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
Super Smash Bros. Brawl trophy[edit]
| Name | Image | Game | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shellcreepers | 
|
NES Mario Bros. | Shelled enemies Mario and Luigi faced back when they were plumbers. They had to be bumped from below to flip them over and then kicked off the stage. The last one on a stage changed colors and raced really fast. If one got flipped but not sent off, it would eventually right itself and move at high speed. They were simply called "turtles" in Japan. |
| GBA Super Mario Advance |
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U trophy[edit]
| Name | Image | Appears In | American English description | British English description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shellcreepers | 
|
ARCADE Mario Bros. GBA Super Mario Advance |
With a name that implies silently sneaking up on its prey, the Shellcreeper might be considered cooler than your average turtle. The Koopa is apparently an evolved form of this veteran of Mario Bros. We'd recommend not jumping on this one like you would a Koopa, though... | With a name that implies silently sneaking up on its prey, the Shellcreeper might be considered cooler than your average turtle. A true veteran from way back in Mario Bros., this guy even predates Koopas, which apparently it evolved into. We wouldn't recommend jumping on this one like you'd jump on a Koopa, though... |
Gallery[edit]
Artworks[edit]
Mario Bros.
Mario Bros.
Mario Bros.
Mario Bros. (Atari 2600)
Mario Bros. (Atari 2600)
Mario Bros. (Famicom)
Mario Bros. (Famicom)
Mario Bros. (NES)
Mario Bros. (NES)
Mario Bros.
(NES, 1993 reissue)
Screenshots[edit]
Mario Bros. (arcade)
Mario Bros. (NES)
Sprites and models[edit]
Mario Bros.
Mario Bros.
Mario Bros.
Mario Bros.
Mario Bros.
Mario Bros. (NES)
Mario Bros. (Amstrad CPC)
Mario Power Tennis (unused)
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | シェルクリーパー Sherukurīpā カメさん Kame-san |
Shellcreeper Turtle-san |
| French | Carapeur | Portmanteau of "carapace" and "peur" (fear) |
| German | Schildkröte | Turtle |
| Italian | Tartaruga | Turtle |
| Korean | 거북님 Geobuk-Nim |
Translation of Japanese name |
| Portuguese | Tartaruga | Turtle |
| Russian | Черепашкин Cherepashkin |
From "черепаха" (cherepakha, turtle) with Russian surname ending "-ин" (-in) |
| Spanish | Tortuga | Turtle |
References[edit]
- ^ 『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」.)
- ^ Iwata Asks: New Super Mario Bros. Wii Vol. 1 Ch. 2. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
- ^ Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten, page 55.
| Miscellaneous Koopas | |
|---|---|
| Characters | Boom Boom • Boss Sumo Bro • Gattai monster • Pom Pom • Tutankoopa |
| Species | Boom Boom • Chargin' Chuck • Rocky Wrench • Shova • Sumo Bro |
| Relatives | Shellcreeper • Yoshi |
| Subfamilies | |
| Buzzy Beetles • Hammer Bros. • Koopas • Koopa Troopas (Koopa Paratroopas · Dry Bones) • Lakitus • Magikoopas • Spikes • Spinies | |
| Mario Bros. | |
|---|---|
| Characters | Mario • Luigi |
| Items and objects | ? Block† • ? Kinoko‡ • Card† • Coin • Egg# • Fish Skeleton# • Floor • Garbage can# • Heart# • Koopa Shell# • Ladder† • POW Block • Starman# • Super Mushroom‡ • Wafer* |
| Enemies | Boo‡ • Bowser# • Fighter Fly • Fireball • Icicle • Koopa‡ • Shellcreeper • Sidestepper • Slipice • Spiny†‡# |
| Other | Gallery • Staff |
| *Atari 2600 port †Super Mario Bros. 3 minigame ‡Super Mario All-Stars Battle Game #Game Boy Advance remake | |
