Tap-Taps are small, metallic, spike-covered enemies that appear heavily in the Yoshi franchise that walk back and forth, making a distinctive clicking noise as they do. They have large noses and grins and small eyes.
History[edit]
Yoshi franchise[edit]
Yoshi's Island series[edit]
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island[edit]
Tap-Taps first appear in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and return in its enhanced port, Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3. Tap-Taps are immune to most direct attacks; if Yoshis attempt to eat a Tap-Tap, they only push the enemy slightly with their tongue. The enemy is also resistant to Yoshi Eggs and Huffin Puffin chicks, although they will be sent rolling backwards if hit with one. To defeat a Tap-Tap, it has to collide with another enemy while rolling. Chomp Rocks, ice breath and fire breath attacks are also capable of defeating a Tap-Tap. Forcing a Tap-Tap into the lava or the water can result in it burning away or drowning. There are two color variations seen in Tap-Taps: gray ones with orange noses and purple feet, and orange ones with green noses and blue feet. Gray ones remain on their platform, while orange ones walk off the platform they are on. This difference in behavior is also seen in red and green Koopa Troopas, respectively. Sometimes, they are found hopping up and down; these variants are specified as Hopping Tap-Taps in the Player's Guide.[1]
A Tap-Tap is encountered as a mid-boss called Tap-Tap the Red Nose. A similar enemy is later encountered in King Bowser's Castle, known as Tap-Tap the Golden.
Yoshi's Island DS[edit]
Tap-Taps additionally appear in Yoshi's Island DS, acting the same as before. An enormous, invulnerable variation (with the ability to crush land platforms) known as the Super Big Tap-Tap also appears in this game.
Yoshi's New Island[edit]
Tap-Taps also appear in Yoshi's New Island acting the same as in previous appearances, though only the orange variants appear in the game. Unused textures for the gray type can be found in the data, however. Tap-Tap the Golden also returns.
Yoshi Topsy-Turvy[edit]
Tap-Taps also appear in Yoshi Topsy-Turvy, where they first appear at the end of the fifth chapter of Tale of the Spirit of Money. Later, the third chapter of Tale of the Spirit of Power involves defeating at least eight of them. While still normally invincible, the rolling-up platforms can be used to crush them or cause them to fall into spikes. Orange ones are found during the second phase of the battle against Bowser. Whenever Bowser jumps or is hit by a bomb, he slams against the ground, causing three orange Tap-Taps to fall from above. They roll along the ground, and go in the direction that the player tilts the Game Boy Advance. They cause three points of damage to Yoshi upon contact with him.
Yoshi Touch & Go[edit]
They also appear in Yoshi Touch & Go, whose manual erroneously labels them as Spiked Fun Guys,[2] where the orange ones walk while the gray ones hop in place. The gray ones also now have red feet instead of purple.
Yoshi's Woolly World[edit]
Two Tap-Taps surrounding Platinum Yoshi in
Yoshi's Woolly WorldTap-Taps return in Yoshi's Woolly World and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World, being introduced in World 2. The orange ones' bodies now consist of a brown baseball with pointy beads functioning as spikes, while the gray ones have red feet again like in Yoshi Touch & Go. As in previous appearances, some Tap-Taps walk back and forth between two walls, while others jump up and down in place.
Yoshi's Crafted World[edit]
The regular silver Tap-Taps reappear in Yoshi's Crafted World, acting the same as previous appearances. They appear in the levels Poochy's Magma Run and Skulking Around.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
In Super Smash Bros Brawl, a Tap-Tap appears as a sticker. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, one appears as a spirit.
Profiles and statistics[edit]
Yoshi franchise[edit]
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island[edit]
- Player's Guide
- Tap-Tap: Virtually indestructible and very painful to touch. However, Yoshi can push him with his tongue.[3]
- Hopping Tap-Tap: Unlike their earthbound bros, they live high in the air on mysterious gravity-defying rocks. Highly inedible.[1]
Yoshi Topsy-Turvy[edit]
- Shogakukan guide: 体が固いトゲでおおわれているため、食べることもできなければ、踏んで倒すこともできない。まきじゅうたんなどの仕掛けを利用して倒そう。[4](Since its body is covered with hard spines, it cannot be eaten or knocked down by stepping on it. Use traps such as a carpet of spikes to defeat them.)
Yoshi Touch & Go[edit]
- Shogakukan guide
- Tap-Tap (Orange): 「地面をまっすぐ歩いてくる。タマゴを当てると後ろに転がり、触れた敵を倒すことができるが、しばらくすると起き上がって歩き始める。体が固いので、カチカチくん同士をぶつけないと倒せない。」[5](It walks straight on the ground. If you hit it with an egg, it rolls backward and you can knock down enemies you touch, but after a while it gets up and starts walking. Its body is hard, so you have to hit the Tap-Taps against each other to knock it down.)
- Tap-Tap (Gray): 「その場でジャンプを繰り返すカチカチくん。よけて通るときは、雲の道を突き破られないように、十分距離をとること。近くにがけがあれば、タマゴを当てて落としてしまおう。」[5](Tap-Tap repeatedly jumps on the spot. When dodging, keep a good distance from the cloud to prevent it from breaking through the path. If there is a cliff nearby, hit it with your egg and drop it.)
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
Super Smash Bros. Brawl sticker[edit]
| Image |
Game |
Effect
|
|
Yoshi Touch & Go
|
[Body, Spin] - Attack +24
|
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate spirit[edit]
| Name
|
Image
|
Game
|
Type
|
Class
|
Effect
|
How to obtain
|
Spirit battle
|
| Opponents
|
Battle conditions
|
Stage
|
Song
|
| Tap-Tap
|
|
Yoshi Series
|
Primary (1)
|
Novice
|
Shield
Weight ↑
|
Spirit Board
|
Metal PAC-MAN
|
|
Yoshi's Island
|
Wildlands
|
Gallery[edit]
Artwork used for a Christmas-themed puzzle based on Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language
|
Name
|
Meaning
|
| Japanese |
カチカチくん[6][7][8][5]
Kachikachi-kun |
From「カチカチ」(kachikachi, onomatopoeia for clicking) and「くん」(-kun)
|
| Chinese |
咔咔
Kākā |
Onomatopoeia for cackling, although most likely transliterated from the Japanese name
|
| Dutch |
Tap-Tap[9] |
-
|
| French (NOA) |
Gros Bobo[9] |
Big Owie
|
| French (NOE) |
Bobo[citation needed] |
Owie
|
| German |
Pseudo Stego[citation needed]
Stego[9] |
From pseudo (fake) and Stego, the German name of Tap-Tap the Red Nose
|
| Italian |
Piombospino[9]
Buffopallo[10] |
From piombo, lead; and spina, spike
From buffo, funny; and pallo, ball
|
| Korean |
철퇴머리[11]
Cheoltoemeori |
Macehead
|
| Russian |
Топ-топ[9]
Top-top |
Onomatopoeia for stepping
|
| Spanish |
Rolando[12]
Metalón[9] (most games) |
Pun on roll and the Spanish name
From metal and augmentative suffix -ón
|
References[edit]
- ^ a b Miller, Kent, and Terry Munson. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Player's Guide. Page 127
- ^ Yoshi Touch & Go European instruction booklet, page 26.
- ^ Miller, Kent, and Terry Munson. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Player's Guide. Page 128.
- ^ 「ヨッシーの万有引力任天堂公式ガイドブック」 (Yoshi Banyū Inryoku Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook), page 23Media:YUG Shogakukan P23.jpg.
- ^ a b c 「キャッチ！タッチ！ヨッシー！任天堂公式ガイドブック」 (Catch! Touch! Yoshi! Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook), page 13Media:CTY Shogakukan P13.jpg.
- ^ 「スーパーマリオヨッシーアイランド任天堂公式ガイドブック」 (Super Mario: Yossy Island Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook), page 6.
- ^ 「スーパーマリオアドバンス3任天堂公式ガイドブック」 (Super Mario Advance 3 Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook), page 15.
- ^ 「ヨッシーの万有引力任天堂公式ガイドブック」 (Yoshi Banyū Inryoku Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook), page 147.
- ^ a b c d e f Super Smash Bros. Ultimate spirit name
- ^ Yoshi Touch & Go Italian manual, page 86.
- ^ "철퇴머리 해저 동굴" (Tap-Tap's Sunken Cave) - Level 3-7 of Yoshi's Island DS
- ^ Yoshi Touch & Go Spanish guide
