Sphinx (monument)
The Sphinx, more precisely called the Great Sphinx of Giza (Arabic: أبو الهول, Abū al Hūl, Arabic for "The Terrifying One"), is a monument near Cairo, Egypt with the head of a human and the body of a lion. One of its most striking features is its missing nose, the reason for which is still dubious. The Club Nintendo comic "Mario's Picross" implies that Mario is accountable for it.
History[edit]
Mario is Missing![edit]
The Sphinx makes its first appearance in the Super Mario franchise in the game Mario is Missing! as one of three landmarks Luigi visits is Cairo. In the game, the Klaft of the Sphinx (its hood) was stolen by Koopa Troopas. Luigi's task is to find and return it by answering questions about the Sphinx's name, location, and appearance. The mayor of Cairo offers a prize of 1,750 dollars for the one who returns the artifact.
Mario's Time Machine[edit]
In the NES version of Mario's Time Machine, the Sphinx appears as a background object in the Egypt area of 31 BC.
"Mario's Picross"[edit]

The Sphinx appears in "Mario's Picross", a comic published in the German Club Nintendo magazine. In this story, Mario travels to Egypt, but gets pushed off the plane by Bowser. Luckily for Mario, he is able to grab onto a rock spur, which however turns out to be the nose of the Sphinx. It breaks off and Mario falls down. Some Egyptians observe this accident and get angry at Mario, calling him a "nose-breaker" and a "philistine" and chasing him. His attempt to escape fails, so he gets arrested.
Mario Kart series[edit]
A landmark in some desert-themed courses in the Mario Kart series, named the Hammer Bros. Sphinx, is based on the Sphinx.
Super Mario Odyssey[edit]
In Super Mario Odyssey, the Sphynx is modeled after the Sphinx.
Pamphlet Information from Mario is Missing![edit]
The man-faced lion statue was named the Sphinx by the ancient Greeks. A sphinx is a mythical monster who liked to ask riddles, then kill those unfortunate enough not to know the answer. The great Sphinx was carved from one enormous piece of lime=stone, 240 feet long and 66 feet high. Later, the Ottoman Turks used the cat for target practice. Its nose and King Tut-style beard were knocked clean off its face. The original name meant "lord," and it is today presumed that the Sphinx was built to guard the great Pyramids that stand behind it.
Mario's Time Machine | ||
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Super Mario characters | Bowser • Bowser's mother∞ • Donkey Kong Jr.† • Iggy Koopa • Larry Koopa • Lemmy Koopa • Ludwig von Koopa • Luigi* • Mario • Roy Koopa‡ • Yoshi‡ | |
Historical persons used as characters | Abraham Lincoln* • Albert Einstein† • Andrew Iverson* • Anne Hathaway • Aristotle • Benjamin Franklin • Booker T. Washington* • Catherine Dickens* • Charles Dickens* • Charles-Gaspard de la Rive* • Cleopatra • Constanze Mozart* • David Grenewetzki* • Deborah Read* • Don Lloyd* • Duke of Alençon • Edmund Halley • Ferdinand Magellan • Francis Drake • Frederick Douglass* • Galileo Galilei* • George Washington Carver* • Henry Ford* • Ho Ti* • Isaac Newton • Jeff Griffeath* • Joan of Arc • Johann Gutenberg • Joseph Haydn* • Juan Sebastian Del Cano • Julius Caesar • Kublai Khan • Leonardo da Vinci • Louis Pasteur* • Ludwig van Beethoven • Mahatma Gandhi • Marco Polo • Mary Todd Lincoln* • Michael Faraday* • Michelangelo Buonarroti • Minamoto no Yoritomo† • Pierre Paul Emile Roux* • Plato • Queen Elizabeth I • Raphael Sanzio • Richard Burbage • Royal Society • Sarah Barnard* • Thomas Edison • Thomas Jefferson • Ts'ai Lun* • William Shakespeare • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart* | |
Enemies | Bird† • Bodyslam Koopa† • Bullet Bill* • Koopa • Mine • Pterodactyl* • Shark* • Space Troopa† • UFO† • Walking Turnip† | |
Locations | Academy • Alexandria • Athens • Berlin Wall† • Bowser's castle • Bowser's Museum • Calcutta • Cambridge University • Cambuluc • Cretaceous Period • Egypt† • Florence • Germany† • Gettysburg† • Gobi Desert • Independence Hall • Japan† • Kitty Hawk† • London • Luoyang* • Mainz • Menlo Park • Moon† • Novato* • Orleans • Padua* • Paradise • Paris* • Philadelphia • Stratford-upon-Avon • Swan Inn • Trinidad • Tuskegee* • Vienna • Washington, D.C.* • White House* | |
Items and objects | Almanac* • Apple • Art File* • Astrolabe • Backscratcher • Ball* • Bamboo* • Beret • Book* • Book of Marco Polo • Bosun's Pipe • Bow* • Bowser Statue • Bread • Bucket of Plaster • Buckle* • Bug Fix* • Bug Report* • Bunny* • Calculus Book • Cat • Chisel • Chocolate* • Cloth* • Compass* • Conversations on Chemistry* • Crank Handle* • Crown • Cup of Tea • Declaration of Independence • Dictionary* • Dinosaur Egg† • Drawing of Air Screw • Drawing of Ideal Man • Drumstick • F=MA • Fan • Feather • Filament • Firecracker* • Fireworks • Flag (India) • Flag (United States of America)† • Flask* • Floppy Disk* • Flute* • Football • Globe • Grape • Handkerchief • Hand Mirror • Horse's Bit • Hourglass Block† • Ice Cream* • Incense • Inkwell* • Information box† • Key (Mainz) • Key (Philadelphia)* • Knife • Ladder • Laurel Wreath • Law Book • Lemonade* • Lens • Light Bulb† • Magnet* • Measuring Stick • Metal Type • Metronome • Milk* • Mona's Mirror • Mona Lisa • Money* • Monocle • Mushroom • Music • Newspaper • Notebook • Onion • Paint • Paintbrush • Painting* • Pamphlet • Paper Money • Pearl Necklace • Penny* • Physics Equation† • Poetry Book* • Postcard • Principia • Print Block • Propeller† • Quill Pen (1602)† • Quill Pen (Orleans) • Rat Trap • Republic • Rice* • Scarf* • Scissors • Script* • Scroll* • Shield • Skull • Sledgehammer† • Spectacles (Philadelphia) • Spectacles (Washington, D.C.)* • Sphinx† • Staff • Stamp* • Starman† • Steering Wheel† • Stovepipe Hat† • Sword† • Tea Bag • Telegram • Telescope (Padua)* • Telescope (Trinidad) • Throne† • Ticket* • Timulator • Tire* • Torch† • Toy* • Turkey* • Turtle Cannon† • Watch* • Warp Pipe† • Whirlpool • Wooden Snake | |
Other | Staff | |
* Exclusive to the DOS/PC releases ∞ Exclusive to the Deluxe release † Exclusive to the NES release ‡ Not in the SNES release |