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)
Comparable
Notable members

Sidesteppers, sometimes referred to as simply crabs, are irritable enemies 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.

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]

Sidesteppers are enemies in Mario Bros. Special. Unlike before, 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]

Sidesteppers are enemies in Punch Ball Mario Bros.. They can now be stunned only 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 are again simply referred to as crabs, both in the game and in internal data.[2] They act exactly like the crabs from Mario Kart 64, sharing the "walking" and "pinching" animations, though they have a new design that would later become Sidesteppers' standard appearance. They appear in Cheep Cheep Beach and Palm Shore, exclusively in mission 4-2 in the latter.

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) / Crab (EN)
A Sidestepper from Mario Bros. and Super Mario All-Stars. The artwork was used for both games, despite having different sections and Japanese names.
Original text (Japanese) Translation
種族しゅぞく アクアぞく Tribe Aqua clan
性格せいかく おこりっぽい 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)
余分よぶんにたたかないよう注意ちゅうい

かいパンチをくらうといかりガニに変身へんしんしスピードがはやくなる。2かいパンチでひっくりかえるが、復活ふっかつするともうスピードのあおガニにさらに変身へんしん。ひっくりかえしたらすぐにけとばそう。[3]

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) / Sidestepper (EN)
A Sidestepper from Mario Bros. and Super Mario All-Stars. The artwork was used for both games, despite having different sections and Japanese names.
Original text (Japanese) Translation
種族しゅぞく アクアぞく Tribe Aqua clan
性格せいかく おこりっぽい 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

カニキチのおとうさんというべき、このカニさん。こちらも1かいたたくと、いかりガニに変身へんしんするぞ。しかも、復活ふっかつしてからのスピードアップの回数かいすうおおい。[4]

This is different from crabs

The Sidestepper should be called the father of crabs. 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。[5] (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.[6]

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[edit]

Spirit
#113 Sidestepper
Sidestepper spirit from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Series/game Mario Bros. Series
Type Support
Slots 1
Class Novice
Strength / effect(s) Trade-Off Speed ↑
How to obtain World of Light (The Light Realm)
Spirit battle Opponent(s) Mr. Game & Watch ×12
Conditions

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
Stage Mario Bros.
Song 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 (base 3 for one, 6 for two, 8 for three, additional one for every Sidestepper after three; range is base 0 for one and two and increases by one for every Sidestepper after two) Water Vellumental Shrine, ? Island, The Great Sea, Crescent/Full Moon Island, Sea Tower
Role Common
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 (base 6 for one, 12 for two, 17 for three, 21 for four, 24 for five, 26 for six, additional one for every Sidestepper after six; range is base 0 for one and two and increases by one for every Sidestepper after two) Water Vellumental Shrine, Ice Vellumental Mountain, Sea Tower
Role Common
Item drops Mushroom
Blue Sidesteppers are rare. Is that why they value rarities themselves? Either way, keep an eye on your goods.

List of appearances[edit]

# Title Role Release date Format

1 Mario Bros. Enemy 1983 Arcade
2 Family BASIC Cameo on the Message Board, programmable sprite 1984 Family Computer
3 Mario Bros. Special Enemy 1984 Certain home computers
4 Punch Ball Mario Bros. Enemy 1984 Certain home computers
5 Family BASIC V3 Enemy in a mini-game, programmable sprite 1985 Family Computer
6 Super Mario Bros. Special Enemy 1986 NEC PC-8801 and Sharp X1
7 Mario Clash Enemy 1995 Virtual Boy
8 Super Mario Advance Cameo in cutscene 2001 Game Boy Advance
9 Mario Kart: Super Circuit Stage hazard 2001 Game Boy Advance
10 Mario Party-e Minigame element 2003 Game Boy Advance
11 Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga Cameo during boss battle 2003 Game Boy Advance
12 Mario Power Tennis Cameo in the background 2004 Nintendo GameCube
13 Mario Kart DS Stage hazard 2005 Nintendo DS
14 Super Smash Bros. Brawl Stage hazard, cameo 2008 Wii
15 Mario Kart Wii Stage hazard 2008 Wii
16 Mario Kart 7 Stage hazard 2011 Nintendo 3DS
17 Super Mario 3D World Enemy 2013 Wii U
18 Mario Kart 8 Stage hazard 2014 Wii U
19 Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Cameo 2014 Wii U
20 Super Mario Maker Mystery Mushroom costume 2015 Wii U
21 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Stage hazard 2017 Nintendo Switch
22 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Stage hazard, cameo 2018 Nintendo Switch
23 Mario Kart Tour Stage hazard 2019 iOS, Android
24 Paper Mario: The Origami King Enemy 2020 Nintendo Switch
25 Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury Enemy 2021 Nintendo Switch
26 WarioWare: Move It! Cameo 2023 Nintendo Switch

Gallery[edit]

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

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese サイドステッパー[?]
Saidosuteppā
Sidestepper
カニさん[?]
Kani-san
Crab-san
カニきち[7] / カニキチ[3]
Kanikichi
From「カニ」(kani, crab) and「~きち」(-kichi, a common suffix for male names)
カニ[8]
Kani
Crab
クワトロ[5]
Kuwatoro
Quattro (the Italian word for "four")
Chinese (simplified) 螃蟹[9][10]
Pángxiè
Crab
阿蟹[?]
Ā Xiè
From「阿」(ā, a common nickname prefix) and「蟹」(xiè, "crab") Paper Mario: The Origami King
French (NOA) Zarbipas[?] From zarbi (a back-slang for "bizarre") and pas ("step")
French (NOE) Crabe[?] Crab
Crab[?]
Zarbipas[?] From zarbi (a back-slang for "bizarre") and pas ("step")
German Krabbe[?] Crab
Italian Granchio[?] Crab
Granchietto[?] Li'l crab Mario Bros. GBA
Korean 게님[?]
Ge-nim
Mr. 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. news.denfaminicogamer.jp (Japanese). Retrieved June 10, 2023. (contains quote from Yokoi found in 「横井軍平ゲーム館」.)
  2. ^ ob.crab.1
  3. ^ a b 1994. Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten. Shogakukan (Japanese). Page 52.
  4. ^ 1994. Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten. Shogakukan (Japanese). Page 53.
  5. ^ a b 1995. マリオクラッシュ (Mario Kurasshu) instruction booklet (JPG). Nintendo (Japanese). Page 19.
  6. ^ 1995. Mario Clash instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 21.
  7. ^ 「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). Shogakukan (Japanese). Page 282.
  8. ^ マリオブラザーズ. Nintendo (Japanese). Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  9. ^ 2004. 超级马力欧2 (Chāojí Mǎlìōu Èr) instruction booklet. iQue (Simplified Chinese). Page 46.
  10. ^ 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 of HK (Traditional Chinese). Retrieved December 28, 2023.