Talk:Spike Top

I'm not completely sure (I haven't played in a while), but don't Spike Tops appear in Super Mario World and New Super Mario Bros.. -- Sir Grodus


 * Spike Tops first appeared in Super Mario World. And I'm pretty sure they appear in New Super Mario Bros., but someone else should confirm that. -- Son of Suns
 * Yes, in many of the middle-world cave levels and later-world castles they cling to the surface, upside, side or downside. Wayoshi ( T&middot;C&middot;@ ) 16:42, 13 September 2006 (EDT)

I've played both games and they exist in both, but are far more annoying in Super Mario World because you can't kill 'em while they're on a block of some sort.

Stats Infobox Formatting
While the infoboxes in the Stats section usually look fine, the Super Paper Mario one extends towards the right past the article's border when there's a banner being displayed on the right side (for me, at least; I'm using Firefox and a 1024x768 resolution); besides looking strange, this results in much of it being covered by the banner, making it unreadable. I don't really know how to fix this without moving the infobox to the next row (which makes the formatting of that section look even worse than it already does), but if someone can think of a better solution, it'd be nice if that could be repaired. Any other article that has three infoboxes next to each other with similar formatting most likely suffers from this as well.--vellidragon 15:37, 5 December 2010 (UTC)
 * As far as I know, the three-infobox formatting is fine these days; it look ok for the two versions of Firefox I use (one on my computer, one on my bro's), at least... - 12:23, 14 June 2011 (EDT)

Combine Red Spiked Buzzy
I think we should merge R.S.Buzzy because they are red and most Spike Tops are red. Besides theta article is a little short. We just merge the two articles. --YoshiGo99 07:37, 19 February 2011 (EST)

Merge Spike Top and Red Spike Buzzy
I'm gonna try this again the reason i feel that these two should be merged together is because there is very little difference between the regular Spike Tops and the Red Spike Buzzy both are red both have spikes on their heads and to top that off the Spike Tops in Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. I would also like to point out that we have had mergers like this before such as Goby Shy Away etc. I think that there just isn't enough of a physical difference between the two to justify having two separate articles.

Proposer: Deadline: April 29, 2011, 23:59

Merge

 * 1) Per Proposal
 * 2) Per Proposal.
 * 3) I do remember that a specific type of Buzzy Beetle in PM:TTYD was called a Spike Top.
 * 4) Per Goomba's Shoe15.

Keep split

 * 1) - Rather than comparing this to Goby, it should be compared to Mr. Kipper, since it's not actually a naming issue, but a matter of sub-species: Spike Tops are found in PM:TTYD alongside Red Spike Buzzies, like how Goby/Cheep-Cheep were fund alongside the Mr. Kippers. Different (sub-)species get different articles, as with all RPG enemies.
 * 2) Per Walkazo.
 * 3) Per Walky.
 * 4) - Per Walky! This is an oppose proposal so, I'm agreeing with Walky!
 * 5) Per Walkazo.
 * 6) This is exactly like that dumb proposal I accidentally made. Per Walkazo.
 * 7) - Per all
 * 8) Per Walkazo.
 * 9) - Spinies and Spike Tops are related to each other but their not the same species. I mean, should we merge Goomba, Grand Goomba, Octoomba, Paragoomba, Gloomba, etc. together? No.
 * 10) Per Walky,the paper mario ones just Look similar to the nsmb ones.It doesnt mean that theyre the same thing.

Comments
But different sub-species also don't look like every other Spike Top found in any other Mario game also they tend to have different stats
 * (Every other game except SPM, you mean). Anyway, I suppose this was done to make them stand out from normal Spike Tops, like how the KP Koopas are different from normal Koopas (aisde from the colour, they're the same too, or at least the KP Paratroopas are: the land-based Koopas apparently differ in using Shell Shot/Shell Toss). In both cases, I guess Nintendo didn't feel like making the Glitz Pit difference more than cosmetic, which is annoying, but Nintendo's like that sometimes, and without any official names being the same, there's not really anything we can do about that this time. - 19:01, 15 April 2011 (EDT)

would have made more sense just to make them blue considering how Spike tops are usually red and does any one know the Japanese name for Spike top


 * If you are looking for a Japanese name to justify merging, then I'd look at this for a full explanation of what gets an article in this situation. 19:32, 15 April 2011 (EDT)
 * Also, the name you're looking for is in the Spike Top article. 19:33, 15 April 2011 (EDT)
 * Indeed it is: Togemetto for Spike Tops, Aka Togemetto for Red Spike Tops. 'Tis exactly the same naming convention as in English (and French and German, too). - 20:13, 15 April 2011 (EDT)

Artwork Improvement
I have already obtained the Mario Enclycopedia and I can't do a good scan of the Spike Top. Thus, that's why the current artwork has to be improved. Sledge Bro, Goomba, and Kamek got their artworks improved, and you left that Bowser Minion in the dust. So, you only have until Dec. 27 and January 11th to improve the Spike Top artwork, or I can't get any more Bowser Minions artwork or models. Think on it, please.--Hamshamcart (talk) 16:40, 25 October 2018 (EDT)
 * For which game? Also, don't act so condescending. Doc von Schmeltwick (talk) 17:29, 25 October 2018 (EDT)

New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Doc. Sorry for being condescending. ;)--Hamshamcart (talk) 19:12, 25 October 2018 (EDT) I have the artwork I scanned from the SME. Feel free to top me with a better scan, Doc. --Hamshamcart (talk) 18:06, 3 November 2018 (EDT)
 * You should have this be a new revision of the existing file, to be honest. Doc von Schmeltwick (talk) 18:09, 3 November 2018 (EDT)

Split Spike Top (fast) from this article
If we're splitting "Note Block but it makes different sounds" and "Koopa Clown Car but it spits fireballs", then I believe the teal-bodied, blue-shelled, faster Spike Tops also from Super Mario Maker are no exception.

Proposer: Deadline: March 18, 2019, 23:59 GMT Date withdrawn: March 4, 2019, 12:54 GMT

Support

 * 1) Per proposal.
 * 2) I'm relieved that it's not just a regular Buzzy Beetle with a spike. Split.

Oppose

 * 1) Per my comments.
 * 2) Color variation with the same name. I believe both this and the PM thing (to which I added a merge template months ago) should be here. Color variations shouldn't get their own articles unless sufficiently unique, and these just have their movement value increased and a hue value alteration on their textures, so no. These should stay merged, and the "Red Spike Top"/"R.S. Buzzy" should be merged as well. Name is an important distinction, and these lack a distinction there. These are even more similar than red and green Troopas. Anyways, regarding Red Spike Buzzy, look at the "Profiles and statistics" section for, say, Snifit and see how all the colors are rightfully merged.
 * 3) Per opposition.
 * 4) Per Doc, and the fact that it may be too soon given Super Mario Maker 2 will have names in text, which should be more reliable than the original's verbal names.
 * 5) Per LinkTheLefty.
 * 6) Per all.
 * 7) Per LinkTheLefty.

Comments
What does this blue variant look like? Because if it's just buzzy beetle with a spike, then I wouldn't be as supportive because that leaves out the Paper Mario stuff. And whaddwe do with Red Spike Top? 00:25, 4 March 2019 (EST)
 * Here you go. Also, unlike this case, Red Spike Top should probably be merged with Spike Top, as it shares nearly every stat with regular Spike Tops in the game it appears in except for its Tattle. (But that's for another proposal.) 00:32, 4 March 2019 (EST)
 * It's a color variation. Per how we didn't split the red and green Koopas. Red Spike Top should stay on its own article IMO. -- 01:51, 4 March 2019 (EST)
 * You're not making an ounce of sense. These shouldn't be split because they're "a color variation," but Red Spike Tops, which are also a color variation and have zero differences from the other Spike Tops in TTYD outside of that, do deserve their own article? How can you possibly justify that? 02:11, 4 March 2019 (EST)
 * I meant that the previous proposal failed, so i'm kinda confused for the PM one since i'm kinda not hyped if fails a second time... -- 02:15, 4 March 2019 (EST)
 * So? That proposal is almost eight years old; there's nothing stopping a brand new proposal's outcome from overriding it. Around that same time, there were proposals to split levels from their worlds that failed. Today, such a thing would be preposterous. 02:31, 4 March 2019 (EST)

Where do you get the name "Spike Top (fast)" from? SmokedChili (talk) 02:49, 4 March 2019 (EST)

@SmokedChilli, i think that "fast" is an identifier. -- 02:53, 4 March 2019 (EST)
 * What he's asking is if it's called that in-game or anything like that. It's not in-game; it's simply Spike Top, as said by the wavery robotic voice. Doc von Schmeltwick (talk) 03:28, 4 March 2019 (EST)
 * I mean that there cannot be two articles with the same name without an identifier. Also, this is not an item, this is simply a color behavioral variation of an enemy. -- 03:33, 4 March 2019 (EST)

@LinkTheLefty: Okay, yeah, I didn't take that into consideration. I guess I'll cancel this proposal then. 07:55, 4 March 2019 (EST)

Merge Red Spike Top with this article
This should've been done a long time ago. A Red Spike Top is the exact same thing as a regular Spike Top, just a different color than the other Spike Tops in TTYD. It has the same stats and everything. These aren't like White Clubbas, which have higher stats, a resistance to ice, a weakness to fire, and an extra attack that normal Clubbas don't have, it's just a Spike Top that's red. Which is the default color for Spike Tops in every other game aside from SPM, including the other Paper Mario games. Since color variations generally don't get their own articles and especially after that proposal to merge the Yoshi colors, there really is no excuse for this anymore.

Proposer: Deadline: April 9, 2019, at 23:59 GMT

Support

 * 1) I fail to see how TTYD randomly deciding to change Spike Tops' primary color magically makes the red ones a new and unique thing. KP Koopas are at least something that TTYD came up with and not generically named. The only thing these things have to stand out is their Tattle, and unique profiles were not used as a justification to keep the ScareScraper bosses split.
 * 2) I put the suggestion up a while back due to how the Color Splash recolors are handled. This is even less than that. This is a visual difference of one texture, and a complete lack of functional difference. KP Koopas are not a comparable situation, as their name isn't just "color identifier" "enemy name."
 * 3) Per all.
 * 4) Per all.

Oppose

 * 1) I'm kinda wary about merging these since they're distinct RPG enemies with unique names and Tattles, and merging them feels worse from an organizational standpoint. Incidentally, regular Spike Tops drop Slow Shrooms, and Red Spike Tops apparently don't.
 * 2) Per Niiue. I'm not too sure how to proceed. I opposed merging all of the Yoshis, and hoped we at least keep out the Super Mario World ones. I fear this might affect the Electro Koopas. And even worse, the blue Lava Bubble itself. And if it looks like i should bring up the Super Mario World Yoshis on the talk page, i'd do it later. Like i said, per Niiue.
 * 3) KP Koopas are likewise base enemy palette swaps with identical stats and are fought in Glitz Pit. Besides, TTYD made Parabeetles and Spike Tops direct Buzzy Beetle derivatives instead of basing them on what was established previously, and Red Spike Top is both the RPG-original derivative (which this wiki still seems to give their own articles) and the only member of the otherwise unused Red Buzzy Beetle line. The split is thus perfectly fine imo, as bizarre as it sounds.
 * 4) Per Smoked Chili
 * 5) Per Niiue and SmokedChili.
 * 6) Per SmokedChili.
 * 7) SmokedChilli drives the point home with the KP Koopas.

Comments
@Niiue: So? Differently colored Shy Guys appear in Paper Mario: Color Splash and are labeled as such in-game. Doesn't make them split-worthy. Your point about Red Spike Tops not dropping Slow Shrooms has no relevance whatsoever, since RSTs only appear as opponents in the Glitz Pit. The nature of Glitz Pit fights means that no item drops occur, so even if they were programmed to be capable of dropping items, there would be no way to see it happen. 23:35, March 25, 2019 (EDT)
 * Besides, it looks like TTYD is the only game with this disrespancy to begin with, as even the 64 Paper Mario had default Spike Tops as red. I think the only argument to keep merged is different tattle logs, different enemy entry in TTYD, item drops (yes, I read your comment but that's actually a point in favor keeping it split, since in tandem with that, they have different locations where you fight them), and a different name. As the Shy Guy situation is brought up, not sure to keep the Spike Tops split further. 00:00, March 26, 2019 (EDT)

@SmokedChili Spike tops and Parabuzzies look basically like their prior artwork, and KP Koopas have some minor plot importance. Alternatively, all of their plot importance can go onto KP Pete's page. Doc von Schmeltwick (talk) 12:48, March 26, 2019 (EDT)
 * I don't think Shy Guys should be split though. -- 13:01, March 26, 2019 (EDT)
 * One or the other. It is the exact same situation. Except these are less different. The only difference here period is the tattle (which is wrong in some versions) and a single texture. Having this be in the "profiles" section along with the other, and the ones in other PM games that look like this, would be better for organization. Doc von Schmeltwick (talk) 13:03, March 26, 2019 (EDT)
 * Location is also pretty important for distinguishing characteristics, though. I mean, your point would be stronger if they were fought in the same area of the game. 22:33, March 26, 2019 (EDT)
 * Alternatively, it can be compared to the dark Little Mousers in one secret level of SMW2, where the color and locations were the only differences. To say nothing of the brown, blue, and gray enemy palettes in SMB, which in fact are in a different encoded location than the foreground palette (hence why underwater bloopers aren't green). Doc von Schmeltwick (talk) 22:56, March 26, 2019 (EDT)
 * Well my point is, it's not the individual traits alone that make them distinct. It's a culmination of them that causes them to be distinct. Red Spike Tops already have two points in their favor, being fought in an entirely separate location than blue Spike Tops, and the aforementioned tattles. I do see where you're coming from though, hence why I didn't take a side here yet. Just playing advocate here. 22:59, March 26, 2019 (EDT)
 * That doesn't take away from the fact that Buzzy Beetle derivatives in TTYD are treated the same way as the Goomba ones: stick wings or spikes (or both) on them and call it a day instead of using what "looks basically like their prior artwork". Is it a gameplay reason or something else, we may never know. And KP Koopa page already has the basic necessary info without the plot stuff, which seems important because... why? SmokedChili (talk) 13:07, March 27, 2019 (EDT)
 * These are different from other derivatives in that they are functionally the same thing. As for the "location" thing, many enemies in the Glitz Pit are in other portions of the game; this basically functioned as the trash dump for enemies they couldn't otherwise fit into a game location (like Pokeys) but still wanted to implement. Additionally, it's worth noting that in a prototype, it seems the KPs were regular red-shelled Troopas, if the trivia point on KP Pete's page is anything to go by. They probably just wanted them to look more distinct in the final so their asset reuse wasn't so conspicuous. Doc von Schmeltwick (talk) 16:17, March 27, 2019 (EDT)
 * For what it's worth, the trivia point on KP Pete's page is an unsourced factoid that's existed on the wiki for almost 10 years. Niiue (talk) 22:58, March 27, 2019 (EDT)
 * Regardless, that doesn't cover the other points. These are functionally less different than red and green Troopas in your average platformer, with the name difference being a color identifier. KPs can be compared to the situation regarding "Spookums" in the English SMRPG. Doc von Schmeltwick (talk) 00:23, March 28, 2019 (EDT)

Here's one thing I'd like to know: How can Red Spike Tops even be called "distinct RPG enemies" when 1) they're not distinct and 2) they aren't even new? KP Koopas, while not the first yellow-shelled Koopa Troopas, are at least something that TTYD actually came up with, and they have a name that doesn't pertain to their color in both English and Japanese. Red Spike Tops, on the other hand, are just that. They are not the "RPG-original derivative" as SmokedChili is erroneously claiming it is, since they are not original in the slightest. Red Spike Tops have been around since Spike Tops have been around, which is 14 years prior to the release of TTYD. There was just no reason to call them that because that was their normal color. And it still is.

Think of it this way: Let's say a new Paper Mario game came out, and it was in the style of the first two games. Enemy Koopa Troopas are red normally, but at one point, you have to fight green Koopa Troopas for whatever reason. They are labeled as such in battle, but are functionally identical to regular Koopa Troopas. Would we create a "Green Koopa Troopa" article specifically for those green Koopa Troopas? 23:12, March 29, 2019 (EDT)
 * Expect red is not Spike Tops' normal color in TTYD, it's blue as with Buzzy Beetles. If it was, Red Spike Tops wouldn't be clarified as red. With how TTYD did it, Red Spike Tops are separate from the normal Spike Tops, which are blue in this game but red almost everywhere else. Which is why I call it bizarre. SmokedChili (talk) 13:38, March 31, 2019 (EDT)

Spike Helmet Sticker
In the Sticker Star section, would it make sense to put a bit on the Spike Helmet sticker? It has the same appearance as the shell of a spike top, but green. It could possibly imply that there are green Spike Tops? I'm new here, so advice would be great. Thanks! WillowTehKitsune (talk) 13:11, April 5, 2021 (EDT)
 * It matches the Spiked Goomba's helmet a lot more than a Spike Top shell. I think it's just meant to be a generic helmet with a spike on it. -- 13:14, April 5, 2021 (EDT)
 * Besides, implying there are green Spike Tops from that is speculation, which we don't allow on articles. 13:22, April 5, 2021 (EDT)

Thanks for the advice, this was really helpful. WillowTehKitsune (talk) 08:58, April 6, 2021 (EDT)

Consider this a Spiny derivative as well as a Buzzy Beetle derivative?
So these are effectively a combination of the strengths of Buzzy Beetle and Spiny with an added wall-crawling ability in platformers. Also, the red color is likely inspired by Spiny and the JP names are just a combination of the two. While later appearances would make them look more similar to Buzzy Beetles, early art and sprites were more in-between as well (to say nothing of Buzzy and Spiny having the same faces in-game in the early days). For that matter, I might also bring up the Tiny Spinies. Anyways, I am suggesting considering Spike Tops a Spiny derivative as well, and considering they already have their own category, this shouldn't be an issue. This should also solve the situation with Thorny. Doc von Schmeltwick (talk) 12:31, April 29, 2021 (EDT)
 * I've always seen Spike Tops as a mix of both Buzzy Beetles and Spinies. But I don't think TTYD's English translation is relevant here (Tiny Spinies): remember, Goomstar Temple, Bubu, Pickle Stone, Mushville, Chomp-Chomps, Parakoopa, Pale Piranha, Lakitu throws pipes... The Japanese name is just something like "The Spikespikes." 12:49, April 29, 2021 (EDT)
 * I'd rather list them as either "comparable" or "relative", saying they're a variant is probably pushing it a bit. 13:07, April 29, 2021 (EDT)

Merge Red Spike Top with Spike Top, Take Three
I stand by the previous 2 proposals for this merge. Red Spike Top is just a normal Spike Top, but red. The color normal Spike Tops use in every game besides TTYD and SPM. Internally, they are the same too, which is a dead giveaway that this is just a color variant.

They have unique names!

Not really. Their name across all languages is just "color" "species", which is something that the Paper Mario series has done when it wants to give a species a color that isn't the standard. We're not splitting all the Shy Guy color swaps in PMCS for having "color" "species" names, are we?(and before you ask, no that wasn't a localization thing.)

Red Spike Tops don't drop Slow Shrooms!

That may be true, but you need to realize something; The only Red Spike Tops you fight in TTYD are in the Glitz Pit, and in the Glitz Pit, enemies don't faint when you beat them. Instead, a cutscene happens and the winner of the match is announced, meaning it's impossible for an enemy to drop something. This is why Glitz Pit-Exclusive enemies don't have Item Drops(See Big Bandit and Hyper Bald Cleft if you don't believe me). If Red Spike Tops appeared elsewhere, they likely would have given them Item Drops, similar to what they did for Dark Craw.

KP Koopas are color variants, why aren't we merging those?

KP Koopas have different internal stats, and a name that isn't "color" "species". It's not comparable to this.

What about the Electrokoopas and the Blue Lava Bubble?

The Electrokoopas behave differently from each-other, have different attacks and different methods of being defeated, and have internal names that aren't "color" "species". Red Spike Top is none of those things. As for Blue Lava Bubble, that was already merged, so it's not a good point anymore.

You only fight Red Spike Tops in Glitz Pit, thus giving them distinction!

You fight Different colors of Shy Guys and Snifits in different locations in Color Splash, Does that mean we split them? No, it doesn't.

Red Spike Tops are part of the otherwise unused Red Buzzy Beetle family!

Those are unused concepts that have most likely became obsolete as development went on. Screamy uses the design for what would have been the Smorgs, but we're not calling Screamy a Smorg now are we?

TTYD made Spike Tops direct Buzzy Beetle derivatives!

That's true, and is also my big, new point for merging these. TTYD calls the blue Spike Tops "a Buzzy Beetle with a spike on its back". When you talk to Spiky Joe, a Red Spike Top, he says this: "See this spike on my back? Without it, I'd just be an ordinary Buzzy Beetle!" you can see it for yourself here. Since Blue Spike Tops are called Buzzy Beetles with spikes in-game, and Red Spike Tops are also just called Buzzy Beetles with spikes in-game, that means that the game itself is not making a distinction between the blue and red versions of Spike Tops.

Proposer: Deadline: January 29, 2022, 23:59 GMT

Support

 * TL, DR; They look the same as Spike Tops in every other game except SPM, They function exactly like the Blue Spike Tops in TTYD, Their name is just a generic "color" "species" that the Mario series normally does for color variants, and the game itself tells you through dialogue that there's no distinction to them beyond shell color. The only thing different about them period is their tattles, but we're not splitting the Toad colors for having unique bios in Mario Party Star Rush now, are we? Per the proposals from 2011, 2019, and now.
 * 1) I guess so.
 * 2) Per proposal.
 * 3) Previous proposer, and my support for merging is as strong as ever.
 * 4) - Please.
 * 5) Per all. Also note Pale Piranha is merged, and that has more distinction than this.
 * 6) Per all
 * 7) If a split should've happened at all, the more logical approach would've been to split the blue Spike Top (potentially including Super Mario Maker's version), and keep Red Spike Top as part of the main article. That didn't happen, and it doesn't look to be on the table. Besides, Somethingone adds points I hadn't considered before, such as Spiky Joe's line, and the item drop difference being negligibly moot in actual gameplay. Given that the wiki's overall treatment of color variants is something that has come up and shot down several times, there's little point in keeping the Red Spike Top exception at this juncture.

Oppose

 * 1) Despite the points given, I'm still gonna oppose. In fact, I'd be bold enough to say that I'd support splitting multi-colored species since many of them have had different stats in some games compared to their "main colored variant" (examples being the Mario Baseball series, Mario Sports Superstars, Mario Kart Tour and Shy Guys in Smash Run in Smash 3DS, which I am counting cause it concerns Mario series content in Smash). Heck, keeping KP Koopas split because of their internal stat differences only further supports that idea, since colored enemies in the Mario Baseball series are also differentiated by slight change in stats and a different name so really, I don't see how it's much different. I may be getting into an entirely different can of worms, but if we considered splitting colored species for their differences across multiple games, then I'd support merging these.
 * 2) Your point about how Red Spike Tops "likely would have" dropped items is pure unfounded speculation. I would've agreed with that point if there was at least an unused item drop in the game's data, but without any evidence, I don't see how this is a good argument. Additionally, Red Spike Tops were introduced before the wave of color variants seen in modern Paper Mario games, making them a unique case. Also note how regular Spike Tops don't have an identifier, which contradicts how color variants are handled in later games. The game clearly treats blue Spike Tops as the default.
 * 3) Per Niiue. (Regarding Tails777's points, to be honest, I wouldn't really be opposed to more color splits if they have functional differences. You'd just need to be careful to avoid redundant articles.)
 * 4) The proposal's reasoning is fine, but I feel Niiue's reasoning is slightly better.

Comments
What internal stats make KP Koopas different from regular Koopas aside from the name KP Koopa? Also, what about the fact that Red Spike Tops also appear alongside normal Spike Tops? Are we just going to assume that they put two of the same enemy in the game and colored/named one differently?
 * Honestly, to me this really isn't that different to the multiple Shy Guy and Snifit colors in Color Splash which also have the color at the start of the names and have identical stats. 20:25, January 15, 2022 (EST)
 * @Tails777 to answer your questions:
 * What internal stats make KP Koopas different from regular Koopas aside from the name KP Koopa?
 * things like Dizzy, Freeze, Sleep, etc. those kinds of stats.
 * Also, what about the fact that Red Spike Tops also appear alongside normal Spike Tops?
 * Multiple colors of Shy Guys appear alongside each other in CS, and red and green Koopa Troopas appear in SPM as enemies, this is no different from that.
 * Are we just going to assume that they put two of the same enemy in the game and colored/named one differently?
 * Well that's what they did with the shy guys and snifits in CS and TOK so, yea, probably. Somethingone (talk) 20:29, January 15, 2022 (EST)

I get the impression that Red Spike Top was intended to be a stronger variant of Spike Top from the Tattle Log and the seemingly higher defense stat (that isn't really borne out but seems like there was an impression there). I get that maybe if there are variants of Spike Tops that come in yellow, green, purple, etc and treated as if interchangeable like colored Toads and Shy Guys, then Red Spike Top should be merged, but there's only one color variant and it's restricted to one part of the game so I don't think the comparison to those color variants is quite a strong one. 00:33, January 16, 2022 (EST)

@Hewer: I don’t think Pale Piranha’s are a good comparison, as multiple translations suggest they are intended to be normal Piranha Plants to begin with. And they can’t be compared to the Pit Piranha Plants because they are also suggested to be different than normal Piranha Plants. Whereas Red Spike Tops are merely being suggested to be pallet swaps of enemies also in the game.
 * Not to mention, Pale Piranha's proposal has a significant number of disagreements, with merge winning on a pretty small margin. 14:03, January 16, 2022 (EST)

@Niiue:

Red Spike Tops were introduced before the wave of color variants seen in modern Paper Mario games

Different color variants of Shy Guys appeared in the first Paper Mario game.

note how regular Spike Tops don't have an identifier, which contradicts how color variants are handled in later games

The color variants in Color Splash aren't called "species (color)", they're called "color" "species". you can see it for yourself here.

The game clearly treats blue Spike Tops as the default.

I'll just copy what I said for my last point: "TTYD calls the blue Spike Tops "a Buzzy Beetle with a spike on its back". When you talk to Spiky Joe, a Red Spike Top, he says this: "See this spike on my back? Without it, I'd just be an ordinary Buzzy Beetle!" you can see it for yourself here." Yes, Blue is the color used by almost all Spike Tops, but the game isn't saying that Red Spike Tops are a special case either. Somethingone (talk) 18:54, January 16, 2022 (EST)
 * The Shy Guys in the first game aren't distinguished from each other in any way, though. Niiue is specifically referring to the color variants that the game does acknowledge in modern games i.e. Color Splash. -- 19:40, January 16, 2022 (EST)
 * I don't really see how that matters? In PM64, they were different colors of Shy Guys. When the color variants of Shy Guys were brought back in Color Splash, they were different colors of Shy Guys. The only thing different between those 2 appearances is that Color Splash gave the color variants "color" "species" names. That doesn't mean one appearance is more color-variant-y or more sub-species-y than the other, does it? Somethingone (talk) 20:06, January 16, 2022 (EST)