User:Mr. Sorbetti/Wire Trap

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This page is about the enemies introduced in Donkey Kong Jr. For other uses, see Spark (disambiguation).
Wire Trap
Artwork of both colors of Wire Trap for Super Mario Sunshine
Artwork from Super Mario Advance
First appearance Donkey Kong Jr. (1982)
Latest appearance The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (2024, overall)
Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch) (2024), Super Mario franchise)
Variants
Relatives
Comparable

Wire Traps[1][2],

History

Donkey Kong series

Donkey Kong Jr.

Sprite of a Spark from Donkey Kong Jr.

Sparks first appear in Mario's Hideout of Donkey Kong Jr. where two variants appear. The red Sparks (known as Globes in Atari-developed ports)[3]:7 continue to circle their own platform, but blue ones can travel to other platforms through static particles. These Sparks are generated by Mario in order to shock Donkey Kong Jr., preventing him from saving his father. Blue Sparks do not appear in the Coleco Adam port, which alters the stage layout and replaces them with hazardous green water drops instead.

Donkey Kong (Game Boy)

Spark (Globe)
Globe
Spark (rope)
Wire Trap

Both variants return in the Game Boy version of Donkey Kong. Only one crawling Spark appears in Stage 6-4, rotating clockwise at a medium pace around a small platform in the path of a Conveyor Belt. The Spark has a similar behavior to red Sparks from the previous game. The Spark also has the same behavior as the Sniper and Sukōpī seen earlier in the game, except losing a life from the Spark displays an electrocution animation. The rope-moving type is first seen in Stage 1-3. These Sparks travel from the left to the right of their rope, disappearing once they reach the end, and spawn at regular intervals. Upon contact, Sparks can shock Mario and cause him to lose a life. This type resembles balls with four diagonal needle-like protrusions that constantly emit electricity between them in a pattern resembling that of a Jacob's ladder.

Super Mario Sunshine

Wire Trap from Super Mario Sunshine
A blue Wire Trap in Super Mario Sunshine

Sparks, called Wire Traps,[4][5] are obstacles in Super Mario Sunshine. They are encountered in Bianco Hills and Noki Bay. Wire Traps are either red or blue in color and resemble spiral-shaped seashells that are covered in spikes. Glowing sparks of electricity emit from their centers as they cling to a rope and move along it by spinning themselves. Red ones are the most common, and they normally grow from a funnel on one side, travel to the other, and then disappear. However, ones found in Noki Bay instead slowly follow Mario along the rope. Blue Wire Traps, also exclusive to Noki Bay, are bigger and much slower than their red counterparts, and they constantly go back and forth between ends of the rope without disappearing. If Mario touches a Wire Trap, he will get burned and may fall off the rope. The player can slightly hinder the Wire Traps' progress by spraying water on them with FLUDD. The only way to avoid them is to jump over them. As they move, they make a low chirping noise, similar to that of a real-life hermit crab.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong series

Mario vs. Donkey Kong

Three Sparkies in Level 8-5 in the Nintendo Switch version of Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch)
Three Sparkies in Level 8-5 of Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch)

Sparks, called Sparkies, appear as obstacles in Mario vs. Donkey Kong and its remake, now appearing simply as a ball of electricity. They are first encountered in Level 1-4. These Sparkies are based on the type that periodically travel through wires in the Game Boy Donkey Kong, and retain their ability to shock Mario upon contact, which causes him to lose a life.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis/Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!

A variant that moves along magnetic objects, known as Magnet Sparky, appears in Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis and Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! The design of the Magnet Sparky is based on the Super Mario Bros. 2 Sparks.

The Legend of Zelda series

Zelda Wiki article: Spark

Sparks appear with a similar wall-crawling behavior in multiple games in The Legend of Zelda series. In The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Sparks flash between orange and blue and are completely invincible, appearing in a few dungeons. In this game, they also share the same graphics as the segmented fire bars and Fire Snakes, which stay orange. Sparks are more common in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons/Ages, and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, and can be destroyed with the boomerang, which turns them into fairies.

Profiles and statistics

Super Mario series

Super Mario Bros. 2

  • Instruction booklet description:
    • English:
      He shines and moves in a circular motion around the walls and floors of the underground. He moves fast or slow.[6]
    • Other languages:
      • Dutch:
        Hij vonkt en vliegt rondjes bij de muren en vloeren in de onderwereld. Hij beweegt snel of langzaam.[7]
        (Translation: He sparks and rushes in circles on the walls and floors in the underworld. He moves fast or slow.)
      • French:
        Il brille en tournant autour des murs et planchers du monde souterrain. Il se déplace vite ou lentement.[7]
Super Mario Advance
  • Instruction booklet description:
    • English (United Kingdom):
      You'll find Sparks circling blocks and steps. It's best to use POW blocks to turn off their power.[8]:11

Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten

Donkey Kong series

スパーク (JP) / Spark (EN)
A Globe from Donkey Kong Jr. and Donkey Kong for the Game Boy.
Original text (Japanese) Translation
種族しゅぞく ウエポン族ぞく Tribe Weapon clan
性格せいかく 一直線いっちょくせん Disposition Straight line
登場とうじょうゲーム ＪＲジュニア、ＧＢゲームボーイドンキー Game appearances Jr., GB Donkey
火花ひばなを散ちらす電気でんきのかたまり

ＪＲジュニアでは、床ゆかを走はしり回まわっているので、すきを見みて一気いっきに走はしり抜ぬけよう。ＧＢゲームボーイでは、ロープの上うえを伝つたってやってくるからとにかく避さけよう。どちらも触ふれれば感電死かんでんししてしまうぞ。[9]:96

A lump of electricity that emits sparks

In JR, they are running around on the floor, so you have to run past them at once when you see a chance; in GB, they are moving over the ropes, so avoid them at all costs. In both cases, you will be electrocuted if you touch them.

Gallery

Naming

Internal names

Game File Name Meaning

Super Mario Sunshine wiretrap/wire_trap[10] wire_trap Wire Trap
Mario vs. Donkey Kong string in ROM (SPARKY_LOOP) SPARKY_LOOP Sparky
Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch) Pack/Actor/Sparky.pack.zs Sparky -

Names in other languages

Globe / Wire Trap

These varieties of "Spark" from Donkey Kong Jr. and Game Boy Donkey Kong move along walls and wires, with the former type also referred to as "Globe" and the latter type also referred to as "Wire Trap". With the exception of The Legend of Zelda series, the former was supplanted by the Super Mario Bros. 2 Spark, while the latter became their main behavior. These Sparks are normally depicted as a generic lump of electricity, and are usually split into two color variations: red and blue.

Globe
LanguageNameMeaningNote(s)Ref.
Japaneseスパーク
Supāku		Spark[9]:96[11]
Chinese (Simplified)电球
Diànqiú		Electric Ball[11]
Chinese (Traditional)電球
Diànqiú		Electric Ball[11]
DutchSpark-[11]
FrenchSpark-[11]
French (Europe)BouletBallDonkey Kong Jr. (Atari)[3]:7
GermanSpark-[11]
FeuerkugelFireballDonkey Kong Jr. (Atari)[3]:7
ItalianSpark-[12]
GloboGlobeDonkey Kong Jr. (Atari)[3]:8
spark-[11]
Korean스파크
Seupakeu		Spark[11]
PortugueseChoquimDiminutive of choque ("shock")[13]
Russianискрик
iskrik		sparky[11]
Spanish (Latin America)chispaspark[11]
Spanish (Europe)Spark-[11]
GloboGlobeDonkey Kong Jr. (Atari)[3]:8
Wire Trap
LanguageNameMeaningNote(s)Ref.
Japaneseスパーク
Supāku		Spark[14][15]
スパーキー
Supākī		SparkyMario vs. Donkey Kong[16]
French (Europe)EclairFrom éclair ("sparkle")Donkey Kong Jr. (Atari)[3]:7
GermanFunkeSparkDonkey Kong Jr. (Atari)[3]:7
ItalianScintillaSparkDonkey Kong Jr. (Atari)[3]:8[17][18]
Scarica elettricaElectrical chargeDonkey Kong II[19]
Trappole di cordaWire trapSuper Mario Sunshine[20]
Wire Trap-Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia[21]
Spanish (Europe)ChispaSparkDonkey Kong Jr. (Atari)[3]:8
Wire Trap-Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia[22]
  1. ^ Bogenn, Tim, and Doug Walsh (2002). Super Mario Sunshine Official Strategy Guide. BradyGAMES (American English). ISBN 0-7440-0180-3. Page 7.
  2. ^ Hodgson, David S J, Bryan Stratton, and Stephen Stratton (September 3, 2002). Super Mario Sunshine Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Prima Games (American English). ISBN 0-7615-3961-1. Page 18.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i 1983. Donkey Kong Junior by Nintendo: ATARI Computers. Sunnyvale: ATARI, Nintendo of America (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish).
  4. ^ Bogenn, Tim, and Doug Walsh (2002). Super Mario Sunshine Official Strategy Guide. BradyGAMES (American English). ISBN 0-7440-0180-3. Page 7.
  5. ^ Hodgson, David S J, Bryan Stratton, and Stephen Stratton (September 3, 2002). Super Mario Sunshine Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Prima Games (American English). ISBN 0-7615-3961-1. Page 18.
  6. ^ 1988. Super Mario Bros. 2 Instruction Booklet (PDF). Redmond: Nintendo of America. Page 26. Retrieved March 28, 2022 from nintendo.co.jp.
  7. ^ a b 1989. Super Mario Bros. 2 Handleiding / mode d'emploi. Brussels: Nintendo (Dutch, French). Page 30.
  8. ^ 2001. Super Mario Advance Instruction Booklet (PDF). Großostheim: Nintendo of Europe GmbH (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian). Retrieved April 17, 2025 from nintendo.com.
  9. ^ a b November 20, 1994. Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten. Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 4-09-259067-9. Page 96 and 225. Retrieved April 24, 2018 from imgur.
  10. ^ Super Mario Sunshine, internal filename root/data/scene/bianco2.szs/scene/wiretrap/wire_trap.bmd
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k In-game name from The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Nintendo Switch) (stored internally under glossary_enemy60/EnemySpark). Retrieved by LTL.
  12. ^ The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap figurine gallery: "080 - Spark"
  13. ^ In-game name from The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.
  14. ^ 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 19. Retrieved from imgur.
  15. ^ 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 99.
  16. ^ Mario vs. Donkey Kong Shogakukan book[page number needed]
  17. ^ Donkey Kong Jr. (3DS - Virtual Console) Italian e-manual. Page 8.
  18. ^ The Legend of Zelda: Enciclopedia di Hyrule. Page 205.
  19. ^ Donkey Kong II Italian manual
  20. ^ Hodgson, David S. J., Bryan Stratton, and Stephen Stratton (2002). Super Mario Sunshine Guida Strategica Ufficiale realizzata da Prima Games. Translated by Associazione Culturale Go!. Giaveno: Yoo Too Videogames, Prima Games (Italian). ISBN 88-900922-1-1. Page 18.
  21. ^ 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 99.
  22. ^ 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 99.
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