Swaphopper
| Swaphopper | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork from Super Mario Galaxy 2 | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010) | ||
| Latest appearance | Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2025) | ||
| |||
Swaphoppers[1] are enemies in Super Mario Galaxy 2. These bug-like creatures appear only in areas where gravity flips such as Rightside Down Galaxy and Upside Dizzy Galaxy, though they also make a minor appearance in the Battle Belt Galaxy. Their name is a portmanteau of "swap," referring to the constant gravity changes in the places they inhabit, and "grasshopper." Swaphoppers each have one blue hard-shelled side with a spike on top, meaning Mario (or Luigi) cannot spin or jump on it. On the other side is a soft tan underbelly. When gravity flips and exposes the Swaphopper's tan side, Mario can jump on it and defeat the Swaphopper. However, in the Battle Belt Galaxy, one of the Swaphoppers behaves oppositely; it has its tan underbelly vulnerable when the gravity is normal and the spike on top when upside down. Swaphoppers attack by simply hopping towards Mario. Aside from what is described, they are roughly oval-shaped, and they have two bored-looking eyes in between their two sides as well as a pair of short legs. Their eyelids tilt a little in (to represent an angered expression) when the enemies are resistant and a little out (as if scared) when they are vulnerable. When they are stopped by the Co-Star Luma, they are not affected by gravity changes.
A similar enemy called Flophopper appears in Super Mario 3D Land. Flophoppers' appearance is different, and they do not possess the gravity tactics of Swaphoppers, instead attacking like a Bramball.
Appearances[edit]
marks missions where Swaphoppers are completely absent.
marks missions where Swaphoppers are loaded and may be visible but cannot be encountered directly.
| Worlds | Galaxies | Missions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World 1 | Rightside Down Galaxy |  |
| |
| World 5 | Upside Dizzy Galaxy | |
| |
| World 6 | Battle Belt Galaxy | |
 |
|
Gallery[edit]
Screenshot from Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Battle Belt Galaxy)
Naming[edit]
Internal names[edit]
| Game | File | Name | Meaning
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Galaxy 2 | ObjectData/GrapyonBody.arc ObjectData/GrapyonHead.arc |
GrapyonBody GrapyonHead |
Grapyon; transliteration of below |
| SystemData/ObjNameTable.arc/ObjNameTable.tbl | グラピョン (Gurapyon) | Possibly from "grasshopper" and「ピョン」(pyon, onomatopoeia for bouncing) |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ハンテンムシ[2] Hantenmushi |
「 |
|
| French | Versopic[3][4] | From verser ("to turn") and pic ("spike") | |
| German | Gravistachler[5] | Portmanteau between gravitieren ("gravitate") and an agentive form of Stachel ("stinger") | |
| Italian | Saltignotto[6][7] | Portmanteau of salti ("jumps") and gnotto, the dialectal variant of gnocco ("goofy") | |
| Spanish | Saltapúas[8] | Portmanteau between saltamontes ("grasshopper") and púas ("spikes") |
References[edit]
- ^ Browne, Catherine (May 23, 2010). Super Mario Galaxy 2: PRIMA Official Game Guide. Roseville: Random House Inc. ISBN 978-0-30746-907-6. Page 29.
- ^ Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors (2015). "Super Mario Galaxy 2" 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 161.
- ^ Browne, Catherine (2010). Super Mario Galaxy 2 Prima le Guide Officiel. Translated by Yellow Media. Ligugé: Prima Games (French). ISBN 978-2-952-67394-5. Page 32.
- ^ Ardaillon, Joanna, and Victoria Juillard-Huberty, editors (2018). "Super Mario Galaxy 2" in Super Mario Encyclopedia. Translated by Fabien Nabhan. Toulon: Soleil Productions (French). ISBN 978-2-3020-7004-2. Page 161.
- ^ Scholz, Sabine, and Benjamin Spinrath, editors (2017). "Super Mario Galaxy 2" in Super Mario Encyclopedia - Die ersten 30 Jahre : 1985-2015. Translated by Yamada Hirofumi. Hamburg: Tokyopop (German). ISBN 978-3-8420-3653-6. Page 161.
- ^ Browne, Catherine (2010). Super Mario Galaxy 2 Guida Strategica Ufficiale (Multiplayer.it Edizioni). Translated by Christian La Via Colli, Francesca Noto, and Virgina Petrarca. Terni: Multiplayer Edizioni, Prima Games (Italian). ISBN 9788863551198. Page 30.
- ^ Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), and Marco Figini, editors (2018). "Super Mario Galaxy 2" in Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Translated by Marco Amerighi. Milan: Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN 889367436X. Page 161.
- ^ Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors (2017). "Super Mario Galaxy 2" in Enciclopedia Super Mario Bros. 30ª Aniversario. Translated by Gemma Tarrés. Barcelona: Editorial Planeta, S.A. (European Spanish). ISBN 978-84-9146-223-1. Page 161.
