Tap-Tap

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.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island


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 green and red Koopa Troopas. Sometimes, they are found hopping up and down; these variants are specified as Hopping Tap-Taps in the Player's Guide.

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
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
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
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
They also appear in Yoshi Touch & Go, whose manual erroneously labels them as Spiked Fun Guys, 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
Tap-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
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
In Super Smash Bros Brawl, a Tap-Tap appears as a sticker. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, one appears as a spirit.