Albatoss

An Albatoss is an enemy in Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic and its western counterpart, Super Mario Bros. 2. Their name is a portmanteau of the "" bird species and "toss," which refers to their attack method.

Super Mario Bros. 2
In Super Mario Bros. 2, Albatosses used to be normal residents of Subcon until Wart took control. Albatosses carry Bob-Ombs and drop them, attempting to hit one of the playable characters: Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, or Toad. An Albatoss can be defeated if the player's character throws a vegetable at it or touches it under the Starman effects. Unlike most other enemies, Albatosses cannot be picked up and thrown.

If an Albatoss flies low enough, the character can jump on an Albatoss's back and ride on it. World 6-2 and World 7-1 require the player's character to ride Albatosses to reach otherwise inaccessible parts of the level; these ones do not carry Bob-Ombs.

Super Mario Bros. 3 remakes
In the SNES and Game Boy Advance remakes of Super Mario Bros. 3, the King of The Sky is turned into an Albatoss (in the original version, he is turned into a vulture).

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
Albatosses make a few appearances in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! They are usually used as bombers by King Koopa, and they sometimes capture Mario and company in nets. Albatosses are also seen in the show's intro. In this show, they have a dark brown-ish head, instead of matching their body's red color.

In the episode "Jungle Fever", Mario and his friends ride an Albatoss to get off of the bridge King Koopa sliced. The one in this episode is shown to be able to speak, as shown after getting a Birdo egg on its face. Koopa's rocket also resembles the head of an Albatoss. Additionally, the character Hooded Robin somewhat resembles an Albatoss.

List of episodes featuring Albatosses

 * The Bird! The Bird!
 * Jungle Fever
 * Two Plumbers and a Baby
 * The Pied Koopa
 * On Her Majesty's Sewer Service
 * Mario and Joliet
 * Koopa Klaus
 * Bad Rap
 * Mario of the Apes
 * Raiders of the Lost Mushroom

Super Mario-Kun
In a part of Super Mario-Kun, an Albatoss is carrying Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi but then hurls them into a wall.

Super Mario series

 * Super Mario Bros. 2 manual: "He used to be only a resident in the world of dreams. Now, by order of Wart, he works as a carrier of Bob-Ombs."
 * Super Mario Advance manual: "Albatosses were just average residents of Subspace until Wart ordered them to carry Bob-ombs about."

Perfect Edition of the Great Mario Character Encyclopedia
「トンヅル 種族 恐竜族 性格 優雅 登場ゲーム USA」 頼もしい翼竜 数匹が編隊をくんで飛んでくる翼竜. 持ち上けることはできないが、背中に乗ることはできる. トンドルの背中に乗らないと進めないステージもある. 頼もしい乗り物だ. アメリカ名はアバトス.

Albatoss Species: Dinosaur Tribe Disposition: Elegant Appears in: USA A reliable pterosaur ''Several pterodactyls fly in formation. You cannot lift them, but you can ride on their backs. There are stages where you have to ride on the back of a pterosaur in order to advance. It is a reliable transport. Its American name is Albatoss.''

Trivia

 * In Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, Albatosses move at two frames, while in Super Mario Bros. 2, they move at seven frames; an eighth frame exists, showing the wings moving back upwards but is unused due to a glitch. The Super Mario All-Stars and Super Mario Advance remakes restore the missing frame.
 * In the Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten, Albatosses are erroneously referred to as pterosaurs and listed as "dinosaurs" for their species category.