Swaphopper

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Swaphopper
Artwork of Swaphopper from Super Mario Galaxy 2
First appearance Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010)
Variants
A screenshot of Mario in an underground area of the Battle Belt Galaxy.
Swaphoppers in the Battle Belt Galaxy

Swaphoppers[1] are bug-like enemies in Super Mario Galaxy 2 that only appear in areas where gravity flips such as Rightside Down Galaxy and Upside Dizzy Galaxy, though they also make a minor appearance in Battle Belt Galaxy. Swaphoppers have one blue, hard-shelled side with a spike on top, meaning Mario 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. They attack by simply hopping towards Mario. Aside from what is described, they are roughly oval shaped, have two bored-looking eyes in between their two sides, and a pair of short legs. Their eyelids tilt a little in (to represent an angered expression) when resistant, and a little out (as if scared) when vulnerable. When they are stopped by the Co-Star Luma they are not affected by gravity changes.

A type of Swaphoppers appear in Super Mario 3D Land called Flophoppers. Their appearance is different and they do not possess the gravity tactics of Swaphoppers, instead attacking like a Bramball.

Their name is a portmanteau of "swap", referring to the constant gravity changes in the places they inhabit, and "grasshopper".

Additional names[edit]

Internal names[edit]

Game File Name Meaning

Super Mario Galaxy 2 ObjectData/GrapyonBody.arc
ObjectData/GrapyonHead.arc
GrapyonBody
GrapyonHead
Grapyon; transliteration of below
Super Mario Galaxy 2 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
Japanese ハンテンムシ[2]
Hantenmushi
Portmanteau of「反転」(hanten, turning around) and「虫」(mushi, insect)

French Versopic
Masculine form of "verser" (to turn) + "picot" (spike)
German Gravistachler
From "gravitate" and agentive form of "stachel" (sting)
Italian Saltignotto
From "salti" (jump)

References[edit]

  1. ^ Browne, Catherine. Super Mario Galaxy 2 PRIMA Official Game Guide. Page 29.
  2. ^ Shogakukan. 2015. Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook, Super Mario Galaxy 2 section, page 161.