Koopa the Quick

"Well, if it isn't Mario! Long time no see. You've put on a few pounds since I last saw you. Too much pasta and lounging, huh?"

- Koopa the Quick

Koopa the Quick is a large Koopa Troopa that Mario can race twice for Power Stars in Super Mario 64 and the remake. He is one of the competitor characters in the game along with the Big Penguin. According to what he says, his home is the "huge" variation of Tiny-Huge Island.

Super Mario 64
"You must be strong. And pretty fast. But how fast are you, anyway? Fast enough to beat me... Koopa the Quick? I don't think so. Just try me."

- Koopa the Quick

In Super Mario 64, Mario first meets Koopa the Quick in Bob-omb Battlefield after defeating the King Bob-omb. He only appears in the mission Footrace with Koopa the Quick. He is seen at the entrance of the stage and will challenge Mario to a race from there to the top of the mountain where the Big Bob-omb originally resided. Once Mario accepts his challenge, the race will start. If Mario makes it to the top of the mountain first and the victory jingle plays, he will have to wait until Koopa the Quick makes it to the top as well to receive a Power Star. However, if Mario loses to Koopa the Quick, he will have to return to the castle, re-enter the stage, and try again. Also, Mario cannot use a cannon or the Wing Cap to get to the top of the mountain faster, as Koopa the Quick will consider it as cheating and will not give him the Power Star. However, using either of the warps will not affect the race. Somewhat hypocritically, Koopa the Quick himself cheats, as he takes a shortcut up a slope too steep for Mario to climb normally.

Koopa the Quick is next seen on the "huge" side of Tiny-Huge Island near Windswept Valley in the mission Rematch with Koopa the Quick, where he will challenge Mario to a rematch for another Power Star. This time, Koopa the Quick is much faster and more difficult to beat. Again, the race will start if Mario accepts the rematch. The best way for Mario to beat him is to use the Long Jump in order to move faster. Mario must also be careful not to get blown off the Windswept Valley Bridge on his way to the flag. Once he beats Koopa the Quick, he will receive another Power Star. If Mario enters the "tiny" side of the island, then the player can find a Koopa that would be in the same location as Koopa the Quick. In this island, if Mario loses to Koopa the Quick, he can simply use the pipes to go to the tiny island, and then use the pipe again to go back to the large island, where Koopa the Quick will be back at the start of race.

Super Mario 64 DS
Koopa the Quick also appears in the remake, Super Mario 64 DS, where (due to the enhanced graphics of the game) he is redesigned to look like the other "modern" Koopa Troopas. Nothing about his races has changed, and he will only race Mario, though he cannot tell the difference between Mario and characters wearing Mario's Cap. Also, if Yoshi, Luigi, or Wario lose their Mario disguise and finish the race, he will claim that he is the winner since Mario has technically not shown up, but if they beat him, then grab Mario's Cap, he will award them the Power Star. While the player still cannot use a cannon in their favor, they can use the Wing Cap if they are wearing it while starting the race.

Trivia

 * During the development of Super Mario 64, the player originally raced against a rabbit, but it was replaced by a Koopa Troopa due to it being too fast.
 * The secret to his speed in Tiny-Huge Island is his Koopa Mach 1 Sprint shoes, and in Super Mario 64 DS, they are "Supa Koopa Sprint" sneakers (from the "Shells Inc. Co."), on which he spent all of his cash. Neither are mentioned in the French translations, though the German, Italian, and Spanish translations retain the reference.
 * In the French translation, he asks Mario at one point if he's been training for the Olympic Games; the reference is removed in Super Mario 64 DS.
 * While Koopa the Quick doesn't appear in Super Mario Odyssey, there are Koopa Troopas named the Roving Racers that challenge the player to a race in most kingdoms.