Swipin' Stu
| Swipin' Stu | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Models from Super Mario Sunshine | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario Sunshine (2002) | ||
| Latest appearance | Super Mario 3D All-Stars (2020) | ||
| Variant of | Strollin' Stu | ||
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Swipin' Stus[1][2][3] are aerial Strollin' Stu enemies with fluttering blue wings from Super Mario Sunshine. They lack the stubby legs of their grounded counterpart, and unlike the common winged enemies in other games like Koopa Paratroopas or Paragoombas, Swipin' Stus are immediately defeated when stomped. In most encounters, Swipin' Stus idly flutter through the air, out of reach, but they pursue Mario when he gets close. Once positioned immediately above him, Swipin' Stus quickly slam their bodies to the ground, causing damage on contact. To avoid being in their vicinity, Mario can spray them from a distance with the Squirt Nozzle, which incapacitates them.
There are two types of Swipin' Stus: a small Blue Swipin' Stu that bobs up and down in the air, and a larger Green Swipin' Stu that steals Mario's cap when he gets too close. The blue ones are the speedier of the two but also the weakest. Spraying them knocks them out of the air completely and defeats them. The Green Swipin' Stus are slower but tougher. Striking them forces them to slowly descend, but they must be stomped to be defeated, and they will slowly fly back up to their position in the air if not persistently sprayed.
Multiple Swipin' Stus first appear during the third episode of Pinna Park, "Red Coins of the Pirate Ships," in which the blue ones occur on the beach outside the park. The larger green ones appear in their place in all subsequent Pinna Park episodes. Blue Swipin' Stus also appear inside the secret course of Sirena Beach, where they fly back and forth in a set pattern instead of targeting Mario. They are also unfazed by sprays of water.
Swipin' Stus are one of many enemies and characters from Super Mario Sunshine to make a cameo appearance on the leaderboards of Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour.[1]
Naming[edit]
Etymology[edit]
The English name "Swipin' Stu" is first narrowly applied to the green ones in the Prima Games guidebook for Super Mario Sunshine,[4] likely because they are the ones that can steal Mario's cap. The blue ones, by contrast, are called "Winged Strollin' Stus,"[4] a name that in isolation could equally be as applicable to the green ones. It is possible the blue ones were intended to be called "Swoopin' Stus," a name ascribed to Goobles within said book,[4] in reference to their bobbing flight patterns. "Swipin' Stu" is broadly applied to the enemy in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, and this is followed suit on the English page for Super Mario Sunshine on Mario Portal, on which the colored variants are referred to as "Green Swipin' Stu" and "Blue Swipin' Stu," respectively.[3]
Names in other languages[edit]
The contemporaneous name for each language is listed first. Subsequent names are listed in chronological order for each language, from oldest to newest, and have the media they are associated with in the "Notes" column. Names exclusive to localizations of the Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia are not prioritized due to concerns about circular reporting, and are only listed first for their respective languages if they are the only ones available.
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ハネクリン[5][1][6] Hanekurin |
「ハネ」(hane, "wing") with「クリン」(Kurin, "Strollin' Stu") | |
| French | Rouland volant[1] | Flying Strollin' Stu | |
| Stu ailé[7] | Winged Strollin' Stu | Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia | |
| German | Rudi Blauschwinge[1] | Rudi Bluewing; named in relation to Rudi Rastlos ("Strollin' Stu") | |
| Italian | Alaberto[1] | From ala ("wing") and the masculine given name "Alberto;" named in relation to Giroberto ("Strollin' Stu") | |
| Goomba volante[8] | Paragoomba | Nintendo La Rivista Ufficiale | |
| Para Stu[9] | Para Strollin' Stu, in reference to Paratroopa ("Koopa Paratroopa") | Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia | |
| Spanish | Pipópula[1][10] | From Pipo ("Strollin' Stu") and potentially típula ("crane fly") |
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g In-game name displayed on the scoreboard of the Peach's Invitational from Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour.
- ^ Nintendo of America (September 16, 2020). Did Swipin’ Stu really think no one would recognize him like this? #SuperMario3DAllStars. Twitter. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ a b 2024. Super Mario Sunshine. Mario Portal (English). Retrieved 7 Aug. 2025.
- ^ a b c Hodgson, David S J, Bryan Stratton, and Stephen Stratton (2002). Super Mario Sunshine: Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Roseville: Prima Games. ISBN 0-7615-3961-1. Page 17.
- ^ Takashi, Watanabe, Noriko Oketani, Geesen Ueno, Mitsuharu Orihara, Tatsuhiko Mizutani, and Yasushi Nakahara, editors (2002). 『スーパーマリオサンシャイン 任天堂公式ガイドブック』. Tokyo: Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 4-09-106064-1. Page 21. Retrieved from Imgur.
- ^ Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors (2015). "Super Mario Sunshine" 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 100.
- ^ Ardaillon, Joanna, and Victoria Juillard-Huberty, editors (2018). "Super Mario Sunshine" in Super Mario Encyclopedia. Translated by Fabien Nabhan. Toulon: Soleil Productions (French). ISBN 978-2-3020-7004-2. Page 100.
- ^ Saldini, Andrea Minini (Jan. 2003). Nintendo La Rivista Ufficiale, no. 8. Future Media Italy SpA (Italian). Page 87.
- ^ Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), and Marco Figini, editors (2018). "Super Mario Sunshine" in Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Translated by Marco Amerighi. Milan: Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN 889367436X. Page 100.
- ^ Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors (2017). "Super Mario Sunshine" 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 100.
