Tatanga
| Tatanga | |
|---|---|
 Artwork from Super Mario Land | |
| Full name | Tatanga the Mysterious Spaceman[1]:17 |
| Species | Alien |
| First appearance | Super Mario Land (1989) |
| Latest appearance | Super Mario-kun Special Selection (2023) |
- “I am not interested in what Mario would do! Tatanga does as he pleases!”
- —Tatanga, In the Palm of Your Hand...
Tatanga (also known as Tatanga the Mysterious Spaceman[1]:17) is an alien invader from an unknown planet. Although feared as an invader, outside of his spacecraft he is only a meek purple alien. During the events of Super Mario Land, Tatanga captures Daisy, the princess of Sarasaland, and orders his armies to guard the land's four kingdoms. Tatanga is also the first extraterrestrial main villain to appear in the Super Mario franchise.
While Tatanga's home world and the name of his species are not revealed, what may be another member of his race appears as a boss in the SNES version of Wario's Woods, named Katsini.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Land[edit]
Tatanga makes his debut appearance in Super Mario Land, as the main antagonist. Appearing out of a large black cloud, he invades Sarasaland and captures Princess Daisy while hypnotizing the inhabitants of Sarasaland. With them under his control, he has the most powerful of his new minions guard the four kingdoms of Sarasaland - the Birabuto Kingdom, Muda Kingdom, Easton Kingdom, and Chai Kingdom. When Mario defeats the hypnotized creatures and liberates all four kingdoms, Tatanga engages with him in air combat in a last-ditch effort. During the climactic battle, Tatanga fights in his war robot, Pagosu, while Mario fights in his airplane, the Sky Pop. Mario has to fire his missiles at Pagosu while dodging its big projectiles, which immediately split into three small projectiles upon being fired. After twenty-five hits, Pagosu is destroyed, and the player gains 5000 points. Immediately afterward, Mario rescues Princess Daisy and peace is returned to Sarasaland.
Tatanga also appears in the board game adaptation, Das Super Mario Spiel, where he reprises his role as the game's final boss. However, his artwork on the game board depicts him with a teal coloration, rather than purple.
One of Tatanga's most notable minions is the Honen, who, according to the game's instruction manual, is the skeleton of a Torion after being eaten by Tatanga.[1]:15
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins[edit]
Tatanga, known only as the "Alien" in preview material,[2] reappears as a boss in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. Although his role in this game is not as significant, he does play a part. While Mario is distracted fighting Tatanga in Super Mario Land, Wario takes over Mario Land and occupies Mario's castle. After Tatanga's initial defeat, he is given one of the 6 Golden Coins by Wario, and then sets up a base in the Space Zone.
During Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, Mario tracks down Tatanga in the Star Course, and the two fight for a second time. However, in this battle, Tatanga fights with a different, smaller spacecraft, capable of shooting energy weapons and dive-bombing Mario. When he descends for his dive-bomb attack, Mario must jump on top of the vessel to land a hit. After three hits, or six fireballs, Mario defeats Tatanga and recovers the Golden Coin of Space Zone. Like all other bosses except Wario, Tatanga falls off the screen upon defeat, though his spaceship simply disappears before he falls. While falling, his full body is shown, being notably shorter than Super Mario.
The Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten indicates Tatanga became Wario's henchman to get revenge on Mario for ruining his scheme to marry Daisy.[3]
A mini-guide of the game included in the Kodansha adaptation suggests that the alien may not be the same character as Tatanga,[4] despite the manga itself and other sources indicating otherwise.
Unlike the other bosses featured in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, Tatanga does not appear in Nintendo Power's Mario vs. Wario comic, despite being perhaps the most major boss next to Wario, given his status as Super Mario Land's antagonist.
Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up[edit]
Tatanga makes a cameo in Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up, piloting Pagosu in the Astronaut coloring page.
Game Boy[edit]
Tatanga appears as the villain in the Game Boy comic books spun off from the Nintendo Comics System line, produced by the company Valiant. In the comics, Tatanga lives in an alternate dimension that exists within a Game Boy. He hypnotizes Herman Smirch, a human from New Jersey, while playing Super Mario Land, causing the man to release Tatanga from the Game Boy. Upon arriving on Earth, Tatanga hopes to conquer the planet and rule it with an iron fist. He is released several times, each time attempting to conquer an Earth monument, such as Walt Disney World, the World Trade Center, or the Great Wall of China. However, Mario is always released from the Game Boy as well to thwart his schemes and bring him back to the Game Boy dimension.
In the miniseries, Tatanga's relationship with Daisy is similar to the one between Princess Peach and Bowser, in that he appears to genuinely love the princess, with several of his attempted conquests being done solely in an attempt to impress her. Additionally, in this series he is considerably bigger and more muscular than in the games, has more pronounced fangs and claws, and wears a black uniform. His Pagosu is also able to assume a more humanoid form, making it resemble battle armor.
Super Mario (Kodansha manga)[edit]
Tatanga appears in the Super Mario gag manga by Kodansha, as a recurring character.
In Super Mario Land he plays the role of main antagonist. He is seen doing many of the things described in that game's instruction booklet, such as abducting Daisy, having hypnotic powers, eating Torions and creating Honens, and trying to force Daisy to marry him.
Tatanga later appears in Super Mario Land 3 during a tennis tournament as Bowser's tennis partner and in Super Mario Bros. 4: Super Mario World 4 as one of the guests at Bowser's wedding.
In Super Mario World! Mario Open Golf, it is revealed that, after his defeat, Daisy made him her personal assistant and he is seen bringing her her crown and driving her home.
In Super Mario World! Yoshi no Tamago, Tatanga is seen receiving a pamphlet for the opening of Yossy's Pizza.
He retains the assistant role in Super Mario Bros. 4: Super Mario World 7, where he tries to fight back against the Chitei Kaijū Indy, only to get squashed like a pancake.
In Super Mario Kart 1, he appears with Daisy and Otaku-chan in the cover art of the second chapter.
In Super Mario USA, Tatanga is one of the invited guests at the Casino USA masquerade party.
In Super Mario Land 2 - 6 Tsu no Kinka 1, Wario summons five guardians for the Golden Coins and a new spaceship. When Mario and friends (including Tatanga) arrive to stop him, Wario tries to recruit Tatanga. Daisy claims that he is better off with them as friends than enemies. Tatanga is split between remaining the humiliated assistant or returning to villainy until Wario offers him the new spaceship, to which Tatanga immediately accepts the offer, attacking the heroes and forcing them to retreat, letting Wario escape to the castle. He later entrusts Tatanga with the sixth and final Golden Coin.
In Super Mario Land 2 - 6 Tsu no Kinka 2, Wario manipulates Daisy (who turned herself in to be the story's damsel in distress) into becoming Warudaisy, and she hitches a ride on Tatanga's spaceship to his home planet. Tatanga announces his marriage to the now evil Daisy, but she seizes the opportunity to use a brainwashing technique on his people to serve Wario, and she proceeds to convert Luigi and Peach as well. However, Mario breaks the spell by kissing Daisy on the cheek, stunning Tatanga as he drops the wedding ring he was about to give to Daisy. He attacks Mario with his spaceship, dropping gas bombs which prompt Luigi, Peach, and Mario to put on suits, but the nearby aliens are caught in the gas; when Mario wonders why Tatanga would risk harming his own people, Wario's hologram shows up and reveals that it is because Tatanga is under his mind control. With the help of the Hippo's soap bubbles, Daisy and the aliens float to safety. Mario catches a wide space cutter and tosses it back at Tatanga's ship, cutting it in half and causing an explosion that leaves behind a letter to Daisy, saying that he enjoyed his time with her, making her teary-eyed.
In Super Mario Land 2 - 6 Tsu no Kinka 3, Tatanga is revealed to have survived and arrives to help in his spaceship with Daisy, who takes her flowery earrings off and throws them to Mario and Luigi, turning them to Fire Mario and Fire Luigi as all three blast Wario together.
While an overall villainous figure, Tatanga is also depicted as comical, particularly in his genuine crush on Daisy. A recurring gag is for characters to be disappointed by Tatanga's short height. In the manga, he is given a more detailed design as opposed to the game. He now has a frilled black uniform, a cape, batlike ears, a belt with the letter T on it, and an entire mouth full of fangs.
Yukio Sawada's manga[edit]
Super Mario Land Kessen Meiro[edit]
In Super Mario Land Kessen Meiro, Tatanga is only seen in the first page, where he is seen in an icon keeping Daisy hostage. He is then never seen in the rest of the puzzle manga.
Super Mario-kun[edit]
In Super Mario-kun, Tatanga is mentioned in volume 2, when Mario recalls the ending of Super Mario Land, when he was rescuing Daisy right after the final battle.
Tatanga appears in the last chapter of the next volume, where he rents his minions to Bowser. A newspaper clip read by Bowser's Minions reveals the negotiations between the two villains, with Tatanga asking for ¥5,000 and Bowser lowballing the price to ¥50.
Tatanga last appearance in the manga is in the ninth volume, where he appears in the Space Zone, steals Mario's collected Golden Coins, and flees, prompting Mario, Carrot, Yokkī, and Hippo to follow him. During the battle, Tatanga seems to have the upper hand until his projectiles are used against him, but he then shoots a spherical projectile that Yokkī eats, later revealed to be fireworks, which send the heroes back to Earth. While Tatanga rejoices, someone surprises him from behind. Back on Earth, a Santa Claus-like character appears and gifts Mario the six Golden Coins, who is later revealed to be Bowser, who wanted to do something good for his "best enemy" during the Christmas season. The chapter ends with a shot of a bruised Tatanga, muttering something about a horned Santa.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
Tatanga makes an appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as an Advanced-class Shield-type primary spirit with two support slots. It simply raises the user's power without granting any special effects. The spirit's puppet fighter is Morton, who starts the battle with a Super Scope, on the Battlefield form of the Mario Galaxy stage. Tatanga is also mentioned in the Palutena's Guidance conversation for Daisy, in which Palutena mentions that Daisy was kidnapped by Tatanga; Pit, who believes Daisy to be the same as Peach, implies that Tatanga is merely a substitute for Bowser to kidnap her.
Other appearances[edit]
Tatanga is mentioned in Princess Daisy's bio in the game Mario Superstar Baseball and her trophies in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. He is later mentioned in Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games.[citation needed]
Profiles and statistics[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Land[edit]
- Instruction booklet description:
- English (United States):
This unknown space monster appeared suddenly from deep space. He drives the war robot Pagosu, and attacks with scattered meandering rockets. - Other languages:
- French (France):
Monstre, dont la nature même reste une énigme, apparu soudain d'au delà du cosmos. A bord du robot combattant Pagosu, il attaque dans toutes les directions à l'aide de roquettes[5]:17
- French (France):
- English (United States):
- Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console manual description:
- English (United States):
This unknown monster appeared suddenly from deep space. He pilots the robot Pagosu and attacks with scattered rockets. - English (United Kingdom):
This unknown space monster suddenly appeared from outer space. He drives the war robot Pagosu and attacks with scattered, meandering rockets. - Other languages:
- Dutch:
Dit mysterieuze ruimtemonster dook plotseling op vanuit de ruimte. Hij bestuurt de oorlogsrobot Pagosu en valt aan met een breed spervuur van onvoorspelbare projectielen. - French (France):
Ce monstre venu de l'espace et inconnu de tous est apparu un jour sans crier gare. Il est aux commandes de Pagosu, son robot de guerre, et tire des roquettes dans tous les sens. - German:
Das Ungeheuer, das eines Tages aus den Tiefen des Alls erschien. Er steuert den Kampfroboter Pagosu, der mit unberechenbaren Geschossen bewaffnet ist. - Italian:
Questo misterioso mostro spaziale è apparso all'improvviso dallo spazio più profondo. Guida un robot da guerra chiamato Pagosu e attacca con razzi dalla traiettoria impazzita. - Spanish (Spain):
Este misterioso set llegó de repente de los remotos confines de la galaxia. Pilota un engendro robótico de guerra al que llama Pagosu. Sus ondas nucleares de choque pueden llegar a resultar devastadoras...
- Dutch:
- English (United States):
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins[edit]
- Japanese website description:
前作の最終ボスだったタタンガが、スペ－スゾ－ンのボスとしてかえってきた。
打倒マリオを胸にひめ、攻撃力もアップ。[6]
Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten[edit]
| タタンガ (JP) / Tatanga (EN) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Original text (Japanese) | Translation | ||
| 不明 | Place of origin | Unknown | |
| 小心者 | Disposition | Timid person | |
| ランド1、 ランド2 | Game appearances | Land 1, Land 2 | |
| 今やワリオの手下？ 「オイラは |
Now Wario's lackey? “I'm the Mysterious Spaceman Tatanga. In Mario Land, I took over Sarasa Land and tried to take Princess Daisy as my queen, but Mario got in my way. This time I'll get in his way!” | ||
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
| Spirit #57 Tatanga | ||
|
|
Series/game | Super Mario Series |
| Type | Primary | |
| Slots | 2 | |
| Class | Advanced | |
| Strength / effect(s) | Shield | |
| How to obtain | Spirit Board | |
| Spirit battle | Opponent(s) | Morton |
| Conditions |
The enemy starts the battle with a Super Scope | |
| Stage | Mario Galaxy (Battlefield) | |
| Song | Underground Theme - Super Mario Land |
Gallery[edit]
Tatanga in Das Super Mario Spiel
A Kellogg's sticker based on Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Tatanga's cameo in Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up
Tatanga in the Game Boy comics
In the Palm of Your Hand...
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | タタンガ[7][8]:75[9] Tatanga |
Tatanga | |
| 宇宙怪人タタンガ[10][8]:46 Uchūkaijin Tatanga |
Space Monster, Tatanga | ||
| Chinese (simplified) | Tatanga[9] | Unmodified from the English name | |
| Chinese (traditional) | Tatanga[9] | Unmodified from the English name | |
| Dutch | Tatanga[11][9] | - | |
| Tatanga, het mysterieuze ruimtemonster[5]:35 | Tatanga, the mysterious space monster | ||
| Finnish | Tatanga[12] | - | |
| French | Tatanga[9] | - | |
| Tatanga, le monstre de l'espace[13] | Tatanga, the monster from space | ||
| Tatanga, monstre mystérieux de l'espace[5]:17 | Tatanga, mysterious monster from space | Super Mario Land (original Game Boy release) | |
| l'extra-terrestre[14] | The extraterrestrial | Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins | |
| German | Tatanga[15][9] | - | |
| Tatanga, der rätselhafte Raumfahrer[16] | Tatanga, the mysterious space traveler | ||
| Italian | Tatanga[9] | - | |
| Tatanga, il Misterioso Personaggio Spaziale[17] | Tatanga, the Mysterious Space Character | ||
| Korean | 타탄가[9] Tatanga |
Tatanga | |
| Norwegian | Tatanga[18] | - | |
| Portuguese | Tatanga[19] | - | |
| Russian | Татанга[9] Tatanga |
Tatanga | |
| Spanish | Tatanga[20][9] | - | |
| Tatanga, el ser del espacio[21] | Tatanga, the being from space | ||
| Swedish | Tatanga[22] | - |
References[edit]
- ^ a b c 1989. Super Mario Land instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (English). Page 15 and 17.
- ^ August 1993. Nintendo Magazine System (AU) Issue #5. Page 55.
- ^ 「オイラは
宇宙怪人 タタンガ。マリオランドでサラサ・ランドを乗 っ取 り、デイジー姫 を妃 にしようとしたらマリオに邪魔 されちまった。今度 はオイラが邪魔 をしてやる!」 ("I'm the Mysterious Spaceman Tatanga. In Mario Land, I took over Sarasa Land and tried to take Princess Daisy as my queen, but Mario got in my way. This time I'll get in his way!") – 1994. Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten. Shogakukan (Japanese). Page 32. Retrieved from Imgur. - ^ 「スペースゾーンのラストには、あのタタンガににた
宇宙人 があらわれる。」 ("At the end of the Space Zone, a space alien that looks like Tatanga appears.") – Kazuki, Motoyama. KC Deluxe vol. 20 - Super Mario Land 2: 6-tsu no Kinka 2. Page 4. - ^ a b c 1990. Super Mario Land mode d'emploi / Handleiding. Nederland, Brussels: Nintendo (French, Dutch).
- ^ スーパーマリオランド２ ６つの金貨／敵キャラクター. nintendo.co.jp. Retrieved June 17, 2025. (Archived December 7, 2004, 10:34:51 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ Itoi, Shigesato, Takashi Watanabe, Hiroyuki Jinnai (APE), Jin Kobayashi, Ryuji Osawa, and Shigeo Tanabe, editors (1992). 『スーパーマリオランド2: 6つの金貨任天堂公式ガイドブック』. Tokyo: Shogakukan. ISBN 4-09-102413-0. Page 8.
- ^ a b Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors (2015). 『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.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Spirit inventory (7 Dec. 2018). Super Smash Bros. Ultimate by Nintendo, Sora Ltd., and BANDAI NAMCO Studios Inc (Ver. 13.0.3). Nintendo.
- ^ 1989. 『スーパーマリオランド取扱説明書』. Kyoto: Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Japanese). Page 21.
- ^ Club Nintendo, editors (1990). "Super Mario Land" in Club Nintendo Classic. Großostheim: Nintendo of Europe GmbH (Dutch). Page 9.
- ^ Saarva, Petteri, Mikael Ekroos, Kieku Salo, and Markus Selin, editors (1991). "Super Mario Land Special" in Power Player, no. 5. Translated by Laila Takolander. Semic (Finnish). Page 15. Supplemental for Nintendo-lehti, no. 5.
- ^ 2011. Super Mario Land (Electronic Manual). Nintendo of Europe GmbH (French). Tab 14.
- ^ Smith, Mark, editor (1993). "Super Mairo Land 2" in Club Nintendo, vol. 1, ed. 7. Nintendo Co., Ltd. (French). Page 28.
- ^ Moyse, Claude M., Andreas G. Kämmerer, and Marcus Menold, editors (1994). "Super Mario Land 2" in Club Nintendo, no. 1. Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German). Page 54.
- ^ 1990. Super Mario Land Spielanleitung. Großostheim: Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German). Page 17.
- ^ 1990. Super Mario Land Manuale di Instuzioni. Florence: Nintendo (Italian). Page 17.
- ^ Nintendo magasiner nr 1 - 2 og 3 - 1990 !!
- ^ Club Nintendo, editors (1990). "Super Mario Land" in Club Nintendo Classic, no. 1. Großostheim: Nintendo of Europe GmbH (European Portuguese). Page 9.
- ^ Club Nintendo, editors (1990). "Super Mario Land" in Club Nintendo Classic. Großostheim: Nintendo of Europe GmbH (European Spanish). Page 9.
- ^ 2011. Super Mario Land (Electronic Manual). Nintendo of Europe GmbH (European Spanish). Tab 14.
- ^ Lindberg, Gunnar, and Lena Persson, editors (1991). "Super Mario Land Special" in Power Player, no. 10. Atlantic Förlags AB (Swedish). Page 15. Supplemental for Nintendo-Magasinet, no. 5.
