Lakitu

"We're gonna spike-bomb you into submission, punks!"

- Lakitu

Lakitus are human-like Koopas who ride clouds through the skies, mostly dropping Spiny Eggs to Mario or Luigi. When they are defeated, their clouds can be ridden for a short amount of time. In other games, however, they appear to be taking on friendly roles, such as refereeing races, umpiring tennis and baseball games, and even filming Mario's adventures. Many of the sports game manuals refer to Lakitu in the singular, indicating that there may only be a specific individual Lakitu involved (who is named for his species, as Toad or Yoshi), and Mario Kart 7 introduces a unique, playable Lakitu character. After being asked what video game character would represent him the best, Shigeru Miyamoto replied that Lakitu would, as it "seems to be very free, floating in the air, going anywhere", a type of personality Miyamoto can apparently relate to.

Super Mario Bros.
Lakitus make their debut in Super Mario Bros., whose manual describes as "the mysterious turtle who controls the clouds". Lakitus first appear in World 4-1 in this game, where they simply move back and forth at the top of the screen, ducking into their clouds to drop Spiny Eggs (which hatch into adult Spinies upon collision with the ground). Only one Lakitu is present on screen at any given time (because of the NES limitations), and they can be destroyed by either a stomp for 800 points or a Fireball for 200 points. A Lakitu also disguises itself as Bowser in World 5-4, but the player cannot reveal it unless they hit the False Bowser with Fireballs.

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Lakitus retain their Super Mario Bros. role in the Japanese-only release Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. Like in Super Mario Bros., Lakitus first appear in World 4-1. They retain the same apparence and throw Spinies in the same way they did in the predecessor, however, they are slightly darker.

Super Mario Bros. 3
Lakitus return in Super Mario Bros. 3 after their absence in Super Mario Bros. 2. Once again, they drop Spiny Eggs, but this time they are green, unlike in the prequels: they never hatch into Spinies, but they remain spiky eggs that move of its own and that can harm Mario. Lakitus first appear in Water Land. In the Game Boy Advance remake of this game, an unnamed Lakitu also helps in e-Reader use and conversion. All editions of Super Mario Bros. 3 allow Mario and Luigi to use Lakitu's Cloud to skip levels.

Super Mario World
In Super Mario World, unlike the past few games, normal Lakitus follow Mario and Luigi rather than moving back and forth. Also, when Lakitus are defeated by projectiles, Mario or Luigi can ride its cloud and use it to fly to hidden parts of stages and over obstacles temporarily. Super Mario World also introduces Lakitu sub-species, such as Pipe Lakitus, Fishin' Lakitus, and Fishin' Boos.

Super Mario World is the only game in the main series to feature cloud-riding Lakitus with red shells instead of green. In the remake, however, if Luigi rides Yoshi and spits out a Pipe Lakitu, its shell is shown to be green.

Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS
Super Mario 64 (as well as its remake), Mario's debut in three-dimensional platforming, gives Lakitu a large role. The first two Lakitus seen in this game are the friendly Lakitu Bros., who help Mario toward the beginning of the game, give him hints in Whomp's Fortress, and, being camera-carrying Fishin' Lakitus, film his entire adventure. This "filming" technique is a means of depicting players' views behind Mario. Using, the player can control Lakitu's position and thereby change the camera angle. Enemy Lakitus also appear as actual enemies in courses such as Tiny-Huge Island and Rainbow Ride, where they float and drop Spinies on Mario. Destroying these Lakitus rewards Mario with five coins. In the DS remake, the Goomboss Battle stage has one Lakitu enemy and the new level, Sunshine Isles, has two Lakitus in it. Lakitu can hardly ever be seen after its introduction, however, in the room with the mirror (Where Snowman's Land and, in the remake, Chief Chilly Challenge are) the player can see Lakitu in the mirror's reflection. However, it can't be interacted with or harmed in any way.

New Super Mario Bros.
In New Super Mario Bros., Lakitus behave similarly as in the first games, and the Super Mario World ability to take control of Lakitu's Cloud returns, being mandatory to obtain some Star Coins. Lakitus appear in World 2-2 and World 6-A. The boss of World 7 is a Dark Lakitu-like character called Lakithunder, who attacks the Mario Bros. with lightning, and dives down, along with throwing Spinies. Similar to other bosses, Lakithunder needs three hits to be defeated (not one) and its cloud disappears with it.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii
In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Lakitus behave as they did in Super Mario Bros.. This time, however, Mario, Luigi, Blue Toad, or Yellow Toad can steal their clouds by defeating them in any manner as opposed to only a fireball, but they throw Spinies more frequently. Additionally, Lakitu Blocks spawn Lakitus that throw coins instead of Spiny Eggs. Lakitus also appear in Enemy Courses in World 7.

Super Mario Galaxy 2
Lakitus appear in Super Mario Galaxy 2 as well, and they as they did in Super Mario 64. They are rare, appearing only in Yoshi Star Galaxy and Starshine Beach Galaxy. Lakitus can be knocked off their clouds if Yoshi eats the clouds with or spits Spiny Eggs at it. The Lakitu, helpless on its back, allows Mario or Luigi to run into them or jump on them to defeat them. If not defeated, the Lakitu creates another cloud. Lakitus respawn a short time after being defeated. They can also be stunned by firing Star Bits at them, although they stay stunned for a shorter amount of time than most enemies. Lakitus provide Star Bits or coins the first three times they are defeated. One notable Lakitu appears as a boss of the second mission in Yoshi Star Galaxy, called Giga Lakitu.

New Super Mario Bros. 2
Lakitus return in New Super Mario Bros. 2, unchanged from New Super Mario Bros. Wii. As with other enemies in the game, their shells and Lakitu Clouds turn golden when Mario goes through a Gold Ring and causes them to throw coins instead of Spiny Eggs, similar to Lakitus that spawn from Lakitu Blocks from New Super Mario Bros. Wii. While in the golden state, if the player manages to take a cloud from the Lakitu, the cloud generates coins similarly to a Gold Block (which is very fast). If a Lakitu is defeated while the Gold Ring is still active, it will give the player 20 Coins, unlike most enemies that give 5.

New Super Mario Bros. U
Lakitus make another appearance in New Super Mario Bros. U. In this game, they appear in the levels Blooming Lakitus from Layer Cake Desert, Seesaw Shrooms from Meringue Clouds, and Lakitu! Lakitu! Lakitu! from Superstar Road. Their clouds now mouth to the "bah"s in the music. Lakitus also throw Gūrindais, which grow into Piranha Plants, only in the level Blooming Lakitus. Otherwise, their behavior is unchanged from New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyushutsu Dai Sakusen!
In the Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyushutsu Dai Sakusen!, Lakitus resemble their in-game counterparts, but their clouds have no faces (a pair of Lakitus whose clouds did have faces appeared in the film's opening credits, however). In the movie itself, many Lakitus make their debut toward the beginning of the anime during the Koopa Troopa invasion of Mario's House. After this, no Lakitus are given major roles until shortly after Mario and Luigi had collected the Super Mushroom. The Mario Bros. are eventually attacked by a Lakitu, who traps Luigi amongst a horde of giant Spinies, although Mario manages to escape his eggs. Mario then makes a Magic Vine appear and has boosted to Lakitu's height. The amused Lakitu then scoffs at Mario and shakes his hand before realizing that it is adjacent to his enemy. After the realization, he attempts to escape. Mario, however manages to take the cloud, which he tampers with until he accidentally destroys the Spinies, saving Luigi.

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
Only one Lakitu appears on The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, in the episode "Mario and the Red Baron Koopa". The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! depicts Lakitu as a green, more-reptilian turtle with a large nose, resembling generic Koopa Troopas in the cartoon, who wears a red-lensed, gold-framed aviator's goggles. In the episode, King Koopa (using a Magic Carpet he has stolen from Sam Shalam) brings Lakitu to the country of Pasta Land, where he scares the citizens, as well as Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Toad, with Spinies and rain. Afterward, Lakitu helps King Koopa launch the Wicked Weather Satellite, and the two relax atop Lakitu's Cloud until Mario, Luigi, and Toad defeat King Koopa and destroy the Wicked Weather Satellite. Lakitu itself is last seen attempting at maintaining his cloud, which has been broken by the Mario Brothers' biplane. Finally, this cartoon episode marks the only time Lakitu's Western name is spoken; King Koopa and Princess Toadstool pronounced it /ˈlækiːtuː/ (la-KEE-too).

The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
Lakitu makes a final cartoon appearance as a minor, unnamed character (with no speaking roles) in the The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 episode "Life's Ruff". Compared to the Super Mario Bros. Super Show! counterpart, the one Lakitu seen in this episode resembles more to the games; however, it has a more prominent nose and forehead, and the Lakitu's Cloud is a dark, eyed storm cloud resembling a dog. Lakitu's only role in this cartoon is to throw some explosive Spiny Eggs at Luigi, who is in dog form, to stall him in his chase with Hip and Hop Koopa.

Nintendo Comics System
Lakitu's one and only appearance in the Nintendo Comics System came in the comic "Cloud Burst", which depicted Lakitu as almost identical to how they appeared in games. However, drastic changes were made to this Lakitu's cloud and shell; although the front of this cloud (which happened to be the only side with a smile) looked similar to game art, this front was attached to a larger, flat cloud where Lakitu kept its things and seemed to live in. This Lakitu's Cloud, which Lakitu identified in one line of dialogue as Fluffy, was also capable of speech, limited free movement, and it had a large dissipation plug amidst it. This Lakitu's shell was several colors. It was white, black, blue, and yellow instead of the normal green and white. Lakitu itself was depicted in this comic as a kleptomaniac, stealing most everything it saw, including its own king's crown and Koopabits. The Lakitu had also stolen Princess Toadstool's crown, which she desperately needed for her re-coronation ceremony; as such, she sent Mario and Luigi out to find the jeweled headdress (which she thought had been stolen by King Koopa). Lakitu, with orders from its king (who happened to not be aware of the cloud-riding Koopa's mutinous crimes), attacked Mario and Luigi with Spinies; although Mario managed to get away from Lakitu, a less fortunate Luigi was sprung up into its cloud. This Lakitu, despite its later cruelty to the plumber in green, actually started a limited friendship with Luigi as it stole his clothing; however, Luigi would appear to have just been playing along when he started a bond with the turtle, as he had found Princess Toadstool's crown amongst Lakitu's treasures and had to get away with it. In the end, Luigi pulled the cloud's aforementioned dissipation plug (raining Koopabits and the like down at Bowser's troops) and got away with Princess Toadstool's crown along with Mario. While it is unknown what happened to Lakitu, it is assumed that he was reprimanded by Bowser for theft.

Club Nintendo
In its only appearance in the Club Nintendo comics, Lakitu was briefly seen in the opening panel of "Mario will hoch hinaus". It is shown to watch Mario flying, surprised. It doesn't appear in the comic afterwards.

Super Mario-Kun
Lakitu appeared in various volumes of Super Mario-Kun where it served as an enemy, and in other issues, Mario Kart referee and an announcer in various Mario Kart tracks. In the latter case, it seems to be more wild than normal, as it bonks Mario with the traffic light.

Super Mario Adventures
Many Lakitus also appeared in Super Mario Adventures, where they briefly attacked Princess Toadstool and her Toads with Spiny Eggs. These Lakitus appeared in an unknown desert area just at a time when Princess Toadstool's troopers were dehydrating; when the gang of Toads first saw a Lakitu's Cloud appear, they mistook it for a harmless raincloud and initiated a rain dance to ensure water. However, when they saw that their actions had only provoked the Lakitus, they declared that they had "done the wrong dance" and chaos ensued. After this brief appearance, it was later revealed that Bowser had kidnapped Princess Toadstool and therefore, it can be assumed that the Lakitus captured her and her gang. Later, during Bowser and the princess's wedding, a Lakitu could be seen tossing confetti.

Mario Kart series
In the Mario Kart series, Lakitu starts its friendly roles, taking the prominent role of a referee, guiding the racers in almost every circumstance. The most notable is Lakitu holding the traffic lights in front of the racers at the start of every race or battle, telling them when to start driving. Lakitu also tell the racers the current lap they are in the race after crossing the checkered line and tell when they are going in the wrong direction. In these circumstances, Lakitu shows a yellow flag with a black "X" in Super Mario Kart, a sign saying "REVERSE" in Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart: Super Circuit, or a sign with a U-turn arrow for Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and the subsequent games, indicating that the player is going in the opposite way of the road and must turn back to take the right way.

Lakitu also helps the racers when they are in a bad predicament. Whether the racers fall into a void, a body of water, lava or get stuck in an inaccessible place for the vehicles, Lakitu takes the racers using his fishing pole back to the race track. In Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart 8, being rescued by Lakitu from a peril charges the player up to three coins. In Mario Kart 8 when the player is going at the opposite way and doesn't turn to take the right way in five seconds, Lakitu takes the racer the right way by using its fishing pole back to the race track. However, it only does this in Grand Prix and VS. Race. Once the racer finishes a race by crossing the finish line, Lakitu also appears on screen waving a checkered flag. In a short intro before the Mario Kart: Double Dash!! opening screen, Lakitu is usually seen with the traffic lights on its fishing pole and saluting the players, but often it appears with a Cheep-Cheep or a Giant Cheep-Cheep hanging on it. In Mario Kart Wii, Lakitu can actually get crushed by a crushing hazard, such as a Thwomp, if the player is in the opposite direction.

A red-shelled Lakitu appears as a playable character in Mario Kart 7, marking the second time one is ever playable (the first being Tetris Attack) and making his second appearence with a red shell, the first being Super Mario World. While clearly different by the shell color, his American bio implies that he is the green-shelled Lakitu referee that has appeared in the past Mario Kart games, who is also present. He is unlocked by winning the 150cc Lightning Cup. The playable Lakitu returns in Mario Kart 8 as an unlockable character, with his red shell from Mario Kart 7, proving it's the same Lakitu.

In Mario Kart 8, Lakitu films the racers for Mario Kart TV, along with many other characters such as Toads, for letting the player watch the highlights from their last race (or watch the whole race). Because of this, Lakitu's role in the game is highly improved, possibily making it the most important character of the series.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island / Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
Because of the player playing as Yoshis, Lakitu skills are better compared to those from the Super Mario series in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and its remake. Lakitus are featured so prominently that they have three stages ("Watch Out for Lakitu", "Lakitu's Wall", and "The Cave of the Lakitus") named in its moniker. The game is the first chronological appearance of Lakitus. In this game, Lakitus chase their opponents (here Yoshi and some of his friends) in the same manner that they did in Super Mario World, although the Lakitus' mechanics are changed the most in that they now use cursors (not unlike Yoshi's own) to throw Spiny Eggs; if a Yoshi accidentally touch one of these cursors, its Lakitu owner throws an egg towards the Yoshi's spot, making his projectiles very accurate but somewhat easy to avoid, as it fumbles around before actually throwing the Spiny Egg, giving Yoshi time to escape. Lakitus' attacking methods are also changed by the fact that Spinies themselves do not exist in Super Mario World 2, meaning that their eggs simply explode upon contact with the ground. The game also introduces the common, wall-bound Wall Lakitu sub-species, as well as a rarer Aqua Lakitu which uses a snorkel to live underwater and an even rarer Thunder Lakitu creature (found only in the level "BLIZZARD!!!") which can emit thunderbolts at oncoming Yoshis. The game also reuses Super Mario World's ability to hijack Lakitu's Cloud (although it is here done with a stomp due to Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island ' s lack of Fireballs) and gives the Fishin' Lakitu a return appearance, although rather than tempting Yoshi with a 1-Up Mushroom (as it did in the previous game), the Fishin' Lakitus of Yoshi's Island rather use actual fishing hooks to grab Baby Mario and run away with him.

Tetris Attack
When the largely Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island-themed game Tetris Attack was translated from the Japanese game Panel de Pon, Lakitu took the role as a hero in place of the air fairy Windy. Yoshi and Lakitu settle their differences and become friends in this game, although the events of Vs. Com state that Lakitu rejoined the Koopa Troop when Bowser and Kamek hypnotized it. Yoshi, bent on freeing all his friends, then travels to the Breeze Stage and fights Lakitu and its Goonie ally, which breaks the enchantment and reforges Lakitu's friendship with Yoshi. Like the majority of Tetris Attack bosses, Lakitu is also playable in that game's Time Trial mode, which makes Tetris Attack the first game to feature a playable Lakitu and the only game where a generic, unnamed Lakitu can be taken control of by the player.

Yoshi's Story
Lakitu also appears in Yoshi's Story, but with a less significant role and different attacks. In this game, they now throw rocks instead of spinies, but they still ride on clouds, which Yoshi can use upon its defeat. Their clouds are different from normal: their smile is red and more at the bottom.

Yoshi's Safari
A lone Lakitu appears in Yoshi's Safari, where it is combated in the Dark Realm stage Ghost Mansion (which is a Ghost House, a rather strange place to find a Lakitu). This Lakitu, like all its brethren, attacks by throwing Spinies; although simply shooting it is all one has to do to defeat it, the fact that he has much HP and no "hurt" animation makes it a very challenging and confusing enemy for Mario and Yoshi to fight. However, they eventually blast him out of his cloud and it is not seen again in Yoshi's Safari until just before the final battle, where they fight it (or possibly another Lakitu) in a long round of rematches against other bosses; it is here battled after Boomerang Bro. and before Sledge Bro..

Yoshi's Island DS
Lakitus and Wall Lakitus reappear in Yoshi's Island DS, acting like they did in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. Other than the updated graphics, they are completely unchanged.

Yoshi's New Island
Once more, Lakitus from Yoshi's New Island act like in previous game of the Yoshi series. Just like in Yoshi's Island DS, their behavior is unchanged.

Mario vs. Wario
A single Lakitu makes a small appearance in Mario vs. Wario, appearing as a mailman who delivers Wario's letter to Mario at the start of the comic. He wears a blue cap and have a blue rucksack. Also, its cloud is shown to have a little tail when moving.

Mario Tennis series
Lakitu often appears in various spin-offs to take friendly roles, the Mario Tennis series being an example. It appears in three games of the series so far, taking different roles in each one, but always remaining as umpire, showing useful informations and/or saving lost balls in a similar fashion to the Mario Kart series, where its friendly roles originated.

Mario's Tennis
A Lakitu makes a small appearance as an umpire in Mario's Tennis, released on the Virtual Boy. Its fishing pole holds a screen that shows information about the score.

Mario Power Tennis
Lakitus help save lost balls in Mario Power Tennis like they do in the Mario Kart series with falling racers. Lakitu also appears in two minigames in that game as well. In the minigame Chain-Chomp Challenge, it holds the game timer to tell the player how much time is left during the game. Lakitu is also responsible for starting the Artist On the Court minigame with his traffic lights from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!.

Mario Tennis Open
Lakitu appears in Mario Tennis Open, with the same role he had in Mario Power Tennis: saving lost balls. As opposed to the aforementioned predecessor, however, Lakitu appears in no minigames, and as such, he appears less often then before. It neither appears in Super Mario Tennis, which is a minigame based upon Super Mario Bros., due to none of the levels being based on levels that had a Lakitu in it.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Lakitus make their RPG debut as a somewhat uncommon enemy in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. In this game, Lakitus for the most part take up their role in other games, although one noticeable change is given to them: rather than throwing Spinies, Super Mario RPG Lakitus toss that game's similar Spikeys. Enemy Lakitus appear in four different levels in the game, and all of these Lakitus behave differently based on the level they appear in. Despite their appearances being fairly spread out, there is no more powerful sub-species of Lakitus to take their place later in the game.

The first Lakitu Mario encounters is found in Mushroom Way. This Lakitu throws Spikeys down at Mario, but can not be attacked because it flies so high above the ground, out of Mario's jumping range (and would make for a rather challenging enemy so early in the game if it could be attacked). The next one is found shortly afterward in Rose Way; this Lakitu (who is depicted with a Fishin' Lakitu pole on the overworld) attacks by lowering Shy Guys down at Mario and Mallow. The crew (which then consists of Mario, Mallow, and Geno) finds the last Lakitu in Booster Pass, where it attacks with Spikesters. Unlike the Lakitu from Mushroom Way, the Lakitu at Booster Pass can be attacked by scaling one of the rocky cliffs and jumping on the enemy from above. Lakitus can also be fought in the enemy corridors of Bowser's Keep. In battle, Lakitus often use quick, hard-to-dodge attacks.

Although Lakitus have a minor role in this game, a huge, mustachioed Lakitu actually plays a vital part in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars by operating a bus to transport the heroes from Nimbus Land to Bowser's Keep. Earlier in the game, another Lakitu appears in Tadpole Pond as a helper of Frogfucius; this one carries the sage across the lake to talk to Mallow and Mario when they first arrive, to give the illusion that he can float in midair (though the illusion is ruined when the Lakitu lowers and can be seen fully on-screen, but they recover soon after); the Lakitu is also present when Frogfucious admits to Mallow that he isn't a tadpole. Both these Lakitus appeared riding a large cloud float based on the former's bus during the game's ending sequence.

Super Mario RPG was also initially going to feature a Fishin' Lakitu helper in Booster Tower.

Mario Party series
Though Lakitu doesn't have a major role in the Mario Party series, iy does make a few appearances throughout. The majority are mostly, but not limited to, minigames.

Mario Party-e
Lakitu's first Mario Party appearance was in Mario Party-e, in the minigame Lakitu's Luck. The player must stop a roulette held up by a Fishing Lakitu to win or lose something.

Mario Party 5
Lakitu is perhaps best known in the Mario Party series for his Orb, the aptly-named Lakitu Orb. This Orb (under the name "Lakitu Capsule") makes its first appearance in Mario Party 5 and allows players to steal Orbs of their choice from other players.

Mario Party Advance
Despite Tumble's role as the main host of Mario Party Advance, Lakitu actually does get minor (but noticeable) roles as that game's minigame referee; at the start of a minigame, Lakitu (and his whistle-blowing cloud) alerts players to start and announces the end when time runs out for minigames. A single Lakitu also appears in the Lakitu House in the Seaside Area of Shroom City. This Lakitu is an avid Toad Force V fan, and carrys a Fishing Pole with a Toad Force V Action Figure on the end of it. It enjoys knowing trivia about the show, and the Quest "What's That Line" revolves around traveling to the Mushroom Condo to ask Mushbert what a certain line in the show is, and then returning to the Lakitu House to inform the questioner. He then rewards the Player with the Gaddget Bait 'n Wait. The ending of the game states that it secretly wants to be a screenwriter.

Mario Party 7
The Lakitu Orb (finally being named as such) makes a return appearance in Mario Party 7's Neon Heights, where players can use it to steal one of Koopa Kid's Treasure Chests at random, awarding the player with the item inside (which could vary in helpfulness).

Mario Party 8
In Mario Party 8's Test for the Best, Lakitu holds up the 6,000 point sign with his fishing pole. One Lakitu appears in the minigame Glacial Meltdown where, instead of throwing Spinies at the player, this Lakitu strangely throws Buzzy Beetles at the player for them to jump on and hit their opponent.

Mario Party 9
In Mario Party 9, a Lakitu is one of the game's twelve bosses. It is the miniboss in Toad Road in Solo Mode and the first boss to be fought. The players fight it in the minigame Sock It to Lakitu, where players must hit blocks to send varying numbers of Bullet Bills at it. Lakitu attacks the players by throwing Spinies at them. When Lakitu's health is half depleted, it throws larger Spinies onto the field.

Mario Party: Island Tour
Lakitus reappear in Mario Party: Island Tour as non-playable characters. One appears in the minigame Pachinko Wizard where it throws Spiny Eggs at the players, who are trying to stand in safe places. The last one standing wins. In the minigame Pool Buoy, Lakitu flies above the pool, throwing flag buoys; players must get the most points to win. Red buoys are worth one point and gold buoys are worth three. They also appear in Perilous Palace Path with the item Lakitu Leech, which, similarly to Mario Party 5, allows the user to steal an item (a random one if the target has 2) from the player of choice.

Super Smash Bros. series
Lakitus make their debut in Super Smash Bros., where a Lakitu Bro. rarely appears in the background of the Princess Peach's Castle stage. It appears again in Super Smash Bros. Melee, where a Super Mario World sprite of it cameos alongside a Banzai Bill in the background of the Yoshi's Island stage. It also appears in the upper part of Mushroom Kingdom, alongside two green Koopa Troopas and a Goomba. Also, a Fishin' Lakitu (although simply named "Lakitu") appears as a trophy. Lakitu appears again in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as an Assist Trophy character, appearing in its original 8-bit form from Super Mario Bros. It will toss Spinies on the ground when released from the Assist Trophy, hurting players who hit the Spinies. It is, however, one of the few Assist Trophies that can be attacked and defeated.

Mario Golf series
Lakitu has friendly roles once more in the Mario Golf series. However, its figure is not so important as in other spin-off series. Its most important role is saving balls that ends up in water, thus signaling the Water Hazard. This is its only role in normal games though. In Speed Golf games, it also takes the role of signaling the player when to start playing just like they do in the Mario Kart series.

Mario Golf
In Mario Golf, perhaps with influence from Super Mario 64, places a Lakitu in the role of a cameraman and referee of the Speed Golf sub-game with his traffic lights from Mario Kart 64 that can be seen at the start of the first hole of any course.

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour'
Lakitu is used as catcher of balls lost to water hazards in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, which also featured a surprisingly Lakitu-less course called Lakitu Valley. Also in the game, he is served as the referee of the Speed Golf sub-game once again, but this time, with his Double Dash!! traffic light.

Mario Golf: World Tour
Lakitu makes an appearance as the referee of the Speed Golf sub-game for the third time in Mario Golf: World Tour. Their name can also appear on the tournament scoreboard of the Castle Club, usually hanging in medium-last places.

Paper Mario
In Paper Mario, Lakitu are found only in the area Flower Fields, where they aid Huff N. Puff in his plot to cover the fauna filled place with clouds. In this game, Lakitus, as well as throwing Spiny Eggs, employ a new tactic: if one sights Mario in the field, it will charge towards him, attempting to ram the plumber. As well as appearing as generic enemies, Lakitus appear as mini-bosses at least three times in Paper Mario. The Lakitu in this game appear to directly serve Huff N. Puff rather than just Bowser.

Two notable Lakitu in this game are Lakilester, who joins the party after a fight, and his girlfriend Lakilulu.

3 Lakitus along with a Yellow Magikoopa are trying to prevent Mario from destroying the Puff-Puff Machine since they act as a mid-boss.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Lakitus appear as rare enemies since only one appears in the main story, which is a part of Spike Storm, a Lakitu/Spiny team Mario and his partners fight in the Glitz Pit's minor league. However, Lakitus are more common in case of NPCs (such as Laki, a train enthusiast found near the Excess Express boarding area). Additionally, a more powerful sub-species known as the Dark Lakitu, along with the regular ones, can be found in the Pit of 100 Trials. There is a Grey Lakitu in the Glitz Pit with a camera. Oddly, this Lakitu lacks a nose.

Super Paper Mario
As per usual with Mario RPGs, Lakitu is a rare enemy character in Super Paper Mario, which is actually a cross between platforming and role-playing. In this game, Lakitus are only seen in areas such as The Dotwood Tree and Overthere Stair; however, the aforementioned Laki character from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is given a reference in some Merlee's Mansion graffiti in this game and a Lakitu (despite his species's obscurity in Super Paper Mario) can appear as one of the randomly-generated characters on the first page of the Japanese Super Paper Mario website. The Lakitu Catch Card in Super Paper Mario states Lakitu's motives for throwing Spiny Eggs at opponents: Lakitu's actions are because someone "made fun of its glasses". It's implied that Laki wrote graffiti on the wall of Merlee's Basement.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star
Lakitus make another Paper Mario appearance in Paper Mario: Sticker Star. Despite most of the enemies in the game having new appearances, Lakitu has retained his form from the last two Paper Mario games. Only one appears in the game and is found in Whammino Mountain as an obstacle, throwing Spinies. By grabbing a Starman nearby, Mario can run through the Spinies and to the top of the mountain. Though, the Lakitu flys high and can't be defeated.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Lakitu has always been a rare thing to come across in the Mario & Luigi series, where it first appears in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. In that game, a Fishin' Lakitu with a red shell appears every time a Mario Bro. leveled up, carrying a selecting device that lets Mario and Luigi choose what they wish to level up in; the device then flips over and becomes a roulette that determines how many points the brother earns. The only other appearance of Lakitus in this game is in the final battle with Fawful, where a cutscene before said battle depicts a pair of Lakitus holding up spotlights to reveal Fawful's cloakless form; Lakitus also have the Lakipea sub-species in the game, one of the Beanbean Kingdom's many vegetable-based answers to Mushroom Kingdom foes. Lakipeas, who throw Sharpeas rather than Spinies, can be found in a northeastern area of the Beanbean Kingdom near the entrance to Teehee Valley.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Lakitu's minor, friendly roles in the Mario & Luigi series continued with Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, where he takes on his role of level up assistant yet again, only here with a better-animated fishing line. A Fishin' Lakitu with a camera (quite possibly one of Super Mario 64 ' s Lakitu Bros.) also goes to Princess Peach's Castle presumably to report on the launch of Professor Elvin Gadd's Time Machine towards the beginning of the game; when Toadsworth's fainting faces Mario with the challenge of retrieving a Refreshroom from the elderly Toad's room, this friendly Lakitu reporter aids the plumber with a "cloud-cam view" of the castle, actually the bird's-eye map that Mario, Luigi, and their baby selves continue to use throughout the rest of their adventure. The Lakitu then flies off and is never seen again; as a matter of fact, the only other generic Lakitu seen in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time is an unnamed agent of Lakitu Travel who transports Kylie Koopa and Toadbert to the Star Shrine right before the battle with Elder Shrooboid. However, another Lakitu sub-species can be fought in the Vim Factory; these Shroobified Lakitus, the Lakitufos, fly on UFOs rather than clouds, have antennae, and beam down Spiny Shroopas rather than throwing Spinies.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Lakitu kept his role in the Mario & Luigi series for a third time in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story as the level up assistant yet again. However, this is his only role. Two new species of Lakitu are also introduced: Glam Lakitu and Lakitu King, respectively.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
While regular Lakitus doesn't appear in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, not even when leveling up, a subspecies of them, called Commander Lakitu, did. Their appearence is the same as regular Lakitus, and they only appear in the background when against Boomerang Bros., commanding them with various signals.

Yakuman DS
Lakitus appear in the Mario-themed mahjong game Yakuman DS as the host of the tutorial, as well as providing advice to the player during games. He wears an academic cap, as he knows how to play mahjong very well.

Mario Baseball series
In both Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers, a green Lakitu takes the role of an umpire just as it did in Mario Tennis. This time, it calls the strikes, outs, and announces the start or the end of any exhibition game.

Super Princess Peach
Bowser brings many Lakitus with him (who in this game fight with appearance and Spiny Egg-throwing mechanics similar to those seen in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island) when he invades Vibe Island in Super Princess Peach, and some of them (the Calm Lakitus) are even made drowsy by the Vibe Scepter (only sneaking past these sleeping Lakitus can keep them from waking up and fighting like normal Lakitus). Super Princess Peach also brings back the long-neglected Fishin' Boos, and even introduces a calm variety of them.

Tetris DS
A Super Mario Bros. Lakitu sprite is the opponent icon in the fourth difficulty level of the Vs. CPU mode featured in Tetris DS's Standard Mode, as well as the player's own icon in various other Standard Mode games.

Mario & Sonic series
Lakitus appear as non-playable characters in the games Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, and Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. They mainly take the role of referees.

In Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, a special Lakitu asks Princess Daisy to compete in two events which would give them the Curling Puck for Curling Bowling. Also it made an appearance in the Extreme Snowboarding in which, just like in Mario Kart, it would inform them what lap the players are on, respectively. In Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Lakitu also appears in London Party Mode. It also appeared in Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games as the referee in various events including some events with his starting lights from the Mario Kart series.

Mario Sports Mix
Lakitu appears in Mario Sports Mix where it served as the referee of the basketball, hockey, and dodgeball matches. It drops the puck in hockey matches during a face-off, and throws the dodgeball or basketball in the air for basketball and dodgeball matches during a tip-off.

Fortune Street
In Fortune Street, Lakitu appears when Venture Card 92 is drawn. It travels along the board like the players and forces all shops it passes by to close for the day.

Mario Pinball Land
A single Lakitu appears in Mario Pinball Land. When the player goes to the Shifting Sands world, they must take the left path (they will need 4 Power Stars) to encounter Lakitu. It cannot be defeated, as it floats and therefore is unreachable: instead, they must defeat 4 Spinies to obtain a Power Star.

Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix
Several Lakitus appear in Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix. They appear differently throughout worlds. There are 3 items to buy in their shops, and they, except for the first two worlds, are optional to stop by. In the first two worlds, Lakitu plays prominent roles. In World 1, they ask help to Mario (or Luigi) to clean its garden from the Koopa Troopas. After then, he will give them the key to Truffle Towers. In World 2, a pirate Lakitu have a powerful motor that is needed to pass over a whirpool, but the bro must first beat the Lakitu to a fishing contest, because the motor isn't on sale. Evetually they beat him, obtain the motor and search into the whirpool.

The Legend of Zelda series
Lakitu is notable for appearing outside of the Mario series by appearing in non-Mario games such as the Legend of Zelda game The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. In this game, Lakitus were recognizable, but their clouds had no smiles, they seemed to not wear goggles, their hair was thicker (actually resembling Lakitu's hair as it appeared in Mario Superstar Baseball), and they threw thunderbolts rather than Spiny Eggs (much like the Mario enemy Thunder Lakitu). They were found in the sky and even Link had the ability to steal their clouds with an item called the Gust Jar.

Game Boy Camera
A Lakitu, along with other Mario series characters, appeared as a stamp featured on the Game Boy Camera. This stamp, like with the others, can be placed in the photos the player takes.

Augmented Reality Games
A Lakitu randomly appears in the Free Fishing minigame included in the Augmented Reality Games software on the Nintendo 3DS, in which it fishes for Bloopers. Such Bloopers can also be caught by the player, but they must be very quick, as Lakitu appears for a sbort window of time.

Physical appearance
Lakitus are Koopas who employ clouds as vehicles. However, Lakitus themselves have a rather different appearance than the normal Koopa Troopas; Lakitus have very different heads with much smaller, circular noses, all generic Lakitus wear thick goggles, and Lakitus have a ring pattern on their shells rather than the hexagon pattern featured on those of Koopas. Also, while most Koopas (other than the Dry Bones of certain Paper Mario games) have no hair at all, Lakitus are usually depicted with three small strands of hair, or (as seen in Mario Superstar Baseball) a small clump of black hair.

However, Lakitus are most differentiatable from Koopa Troopas in that they simply ride clouds. These clouds have changed over the years perhaps even more than Lakitus themselves; although 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System games depicted Lakitu as riding a cloud identical to certain block-like cloud platforms (except with a green outline rather than black due to graphical limitations), Super Mario World (which still included these small platforms of old) gave Lakitus more realistic, larger clouds to commandeer.