Koopa Paratroopa

"What a gorgeous day!"

- Koopa Paratroopa

Koopa Paratroopas (also known as Parakoopas, Sky Troopas in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, or simply Paratroopas), are Koopa Troopas with wings. They lose their wings when they are attacked in air, such as getting stomped or hurt by fireballs. They traditionally come in two varieties: Red Koopa Paratroopas will usually fly up and down or side to side in a set path, while green Koopa Paratroopas will often bounce in the player's general direction. Red Koopa Paratroopas first appear in World 1-3 of Super Mario Bros., while the green ones first appear in World 2-1 of the same game. However, some Paratroopas hover left and right, but in Super Mario Bros., World 7-2 had left/right Paratroopas. Their name comes from "paratrooper", a term used in the military to describe soldiers who parachute down to attack.

Background
While Koopa Troopas weren't always the main soldiers of the Koopa Troop, Koopa Paratroopas were always common flying enemies. As seen in Yoshi's Island titles, Koopa Paratroopas outnumbered the Koopa Troopas serving Baby Bowser at the time; the majority of the foot soldiers were Shy Guys.

''Super Mario Bros.
Paratroopas debuted in Super Mario Bros., when Bowser decided to overrun the Mushroom Kingdom and steal Princess Peach. They would, as usual, lose their wings and turn into normal Koopa Troopas if Mario or Luigi jumped on them. They kept their two different attack patterns: Green Paratroopas that fly back and forth, while the Red variety could actually fly up and down.

''Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Once again, Bowser decided to kidnap Princess Peach in the Japan-only game (until Super Mario All-Stars) called Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. Here, Paratroopas were a very common enemy, and in some levels even more common than Koopas or Goombas. Also, a new feature was added in this game: If Mario or Luigi jumped on them to clip their wings before they touched the ground, they would turn around and go whichever way the player was. Their attack pattern is very different from any other game, as both colors could jump up and down and actually fly. They also appeared in certain water levels, where they could not be stomped.

''Super Mario Bros. 3
Although absent in Super Mario Bros. 2, Paratroopas made an appearance in Super Mario Bros. 3. Here, they retained the exact same role they played in Super Mario Bros., even keeping both Green and Red Paratroopas. Nothing much about the Koopa Paratroopas changed, however. An item called the P-Wing, meaning "Paratroopa Wing", could be used in Super Mario Bros. 3. It would allow Mario or Luigi to fly around an entire level, without the wings wearing out. The effects would stop in the next level, however. They were much less common here than in Super Mario Bros. or Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island.

''Super Mario World
Koopa Paratroopas reappeared in Super Mario World when Bowser wrecks Mario, Luigi and Peach's trip to Yoshi's Island. In this game, a lot of them are capable of flight instead of simply hopping, including all red varieties and certain green Paratroopas. They will still lose their wings when jumped on by Mario or Luigi. If the player jumps on them while riding Yoshi, they will be defeated in a single stomp. In some situations, it is necessary to bounce off of flying Paratroopas to cross gaps.

Green-shelled Paratroopas either jump in one direction, some jumping higher than others, or fly in one direction, while the red-shelled Paratroopas fly back and forth horizontally or vertically. Even though blue-shelled Koopas and yellow-shelled Koopas were introduced in this game, only the yellow-shelled Koopas have a Paratroopa variant. Yellow-shelled Paratroopas act like regular Koopas, but they will chase after Mario and jump over any shells that are in their way. Jumping on them will get rid of their wings and turn them into regular yellow-shelled Koopas. Yellow-shelled Paratroopas only appeared in the Special World levels Awesome and Funky, making them very rare enemies.

Another species of flying Koopas was also introduced in this game; the Super Koopa. While being capable of flight, they are not Paratroopas, as they have no shells and use a Cape instead of wings to fly in one direction.

''New Super Mario Bros.
Paratroopas made an appearance as a common enemy in the 3D Platformer, New Super Mario Bros. In this game, they act the same as they did in Super Mario Bros. Only red and green Paratroopas appear in this game. Unlike Koopa Troopas, they do not move to the music; they just simply fly in their set direction.

''New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Paratroopas' latest appearance is in the successor of New Super Mario Bros., New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Here, they have the same attack pattern as the previous games Paratroopas appeared as enemies but unlike its precedence, the Paratroopas move to the music while flying. Like the precedence, only green and red Paratroopas appear.

"King Mario of Cramalot"
In The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, Koopa Paratroopas made only one appearance, in the episode "King Mario of Cramalot", where they appeared to drop a net on top of Mario, Luigi, Toad, Princess Toadstool and Mervin the Magician. It should be noted that the Koopa Paratroopas were based off of show's Koopa Troopa design, except that they were depicted in shades of red, and had wings similar to a bee's, rather than their usual feathered ones. Much like the Koopa Troopas that appeared in that same episode, the Koopa Paratroopas were dressed up as knights to fit the medieval setting of Cramalot.

"Flatbush Koopa"
Additionally, in "Flatbush Koopa", after falling off a roller coaster and into Lower New York Bay, a Koopa Troopa muttered that he wished that he had joined the Paratroopas, claiming that they received parachutes.

"Do the Koopa"
Koopa Paratroopas had a very brief cameo in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 episode "Do the Koopa", where several of them could be seen dancing along with a few Paragoombas in the Doomship's cargo hold. Unlike the Koopa Paratroopas from The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, these ones were redesigned to better resemble their in-game counterparts. Standard Koopa Troopas never appeared on the show.

"Marios Rückkehr"
A Koopa Paratroopa also appeared in the Club Nintendo comic "Marios Rückkehr" where it collides with Raccoon Mario, causing him to turn to normal Mario.

"Fire Sale"
While no Koopa Paratroopas ever made an appearance on the Super Mario World television series, the design of the single Koopa Troopa that did appear in the episode "Fire Sale" was apparently based off of the ones from The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3.

''Super Mario Adventures
Koopa Paratroopas made a few appearances throughout Super Mario Adventures. A few green and red ones could be seen in the onslaught at the beginning of the story. Later, after recapturing Princess Peach, Bowser sends some Paratroopas, mostly red and green ones, to attack the Mario Bros. (Luigi curiously mistakes them for Mecha-Koopas.) Mario manages to fight off the Paratroopas while Yoshi eats them up, until he eats a blue Troopa and gains wings.

''Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Chronologically, Paratroopa's first appearance was in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. They are basic enemies in this game, alongside their kin; the Koopa Troopas. There are two varieties: red and green-shelled. As in Super Mario World, The red variety will fly back and forth on a set path, while the green ones can only hop towards the player. As in other games, stomping on them causes their wings to fall off and turns them into regular Koopa Troopas. Yoshi cannot swallow Parakoopas, but like regular Koopas, he can spit them back out to make them slide across the ground in their shells, defeating enemies in their path. Licking them up will also make them lose their wings. Paratroopas are very common in this game, sometimes even more common than their land-based brothers. Their appearance in this game resembles their official art much more than in previous games.

''Yoshi's Island DS
The Yoshis encountered the Paratroopas in Yoshi's Island ' s sequel, Yoshi's Island DS. Yet again, they act as a common enemy along with the Koopa Troopas. As in Yoshi's Island, they exist in two different colors and attack in the exact same way they did in that game. In the Island Museum, Paratroopas appear in the Ground Exhibit, the same area which the Koopas appear in. Their appearance is similar to that in Yoshi's Island, but they possess a much lighter outline and are slightly larger.

''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
The flying Koopas made yet another appearance in the game Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, when Smithy takes over the Mushroom World. However, in this game, they went under the name of Sky Troopas. They appeared in the levels Mushroom Way, Bandit's Way, and Booster Pass.

In this game, all Sky Troopas have red shells and do not lose their wings when hit. These shells give Sky Troopas a high defense rating compared to other enemies fought early in the game. Additionally, Sky Troopas use their shells for offense. To attack, they will hide in their shells, then ram into their opponent with force.

In Mushroom Way, some Sky Troopas guard Treasure Boxes while others will actively pursue Mario. One Sky Troopa even kidnaps Toad. In battle, Sky Troopas will either fight alone or in pairs. At Mushroom Way and in Booster Pass, Sky Troopas will also aid Spikeys in battle if they are attacked. Four Sky Troopas can be fought in Bandit's Way while Mario chases Croco through the last area of the level. They fly high in the sky and do not actively pursue Mario, so the mustacioed plumber has to jump if he wants to fight them. After Croco is defeated, these Sky Troopas disappear and do not return for the rest of the game.

One prominent Sky Troopa featured in the game is Sergeant Flutter, a reformed Koopa who leads a large squad of friendly Sky Troopas. These Sky Troopas help out Mario in his quest for the Star Pieces at the behest of Monstermama, the leader of Monstro Town. These Sky Troopas assist Mario in ascending the steep cliff located at the end of Land's End, allowing the plumber to reach Bean Valley and eventually Nimbus Land. Mario accomplishes this by jumping from Sky Troopa to Sky Troopa, each Troopa carrying Mario higher into the air and into closer proximity to the next Troopa. If Mario scales the cliff quickly by bypassing the normal sequence of Sky Troopa hops, he will be rewarded with prizes.

The Sky Troopa has a bulky relative called a Heavy Troopa, which in turn are related to the Tub-O-Troopas. Sky Troopas also have stronger relatives called Malakoopas. These Paratroopas have a green shell instead of a red shell. Standard Koopa Troopas were absent from the game.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!


A red Paratroopa is a playable racer in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, where it is a light racer, along with its partner, a green Koopa Troopa. Like its partner, it has Triple Red Shells and Triple Green Shells as a special item. Its personal kart is the Para-Wing, which has very high acceleration, but low top speed and weight, just what a light weight racer's statistics would be. Koopa Paratroopa is one of the three characters in mainstream Mario Kart games (not including Mario Kart Arcade GP) that is playable but is not playable in Mario Kart Wii (Petey Pirahna and DK Jr. are the others).

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
A group of Blue Paratroopa also appeared in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. In this game, they teach the Mario Bros. the blue shell technique. Their appearance is the same as Paper Mario series as they also wear the sunglasses. Another kind of Paratroopas appeared in Bowser's Castle; their shells are red and they don't wear glasses.

''Paper Mario
Paratroopas make their second RPG appearance in Paper Mario. The Paratroopas and Koopas of this game wear sunglasses, which separate them from the Koopas who help Mario. This feature was carried on into the later two installments. They only have red shells. They are found in Pleasant Path, and usually just attempt to headbutt Mario when he approaches. In-battle, they are immune to Hammer attacks, but are weak to Jump attacks. Jumps turn them into normal Koopas. They are defenseless when tipped on their shell. A Paratroopa mailman named Parakarry is also one of Mario's partners in this game. He can carry Mario across small gaps, and is a very powerful fighter.

''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Koopa Paratroopas appear in Paper Mario's sequel, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. They are first seen in Hooktail Castle, where they still attempt to headbutt Mario if he passes by. Paratroopas retain the exact same battle style and statistics they had in Paper Mario, except that they now do two damage, not one. The Paratroopas of this game also wears sunglasses. Additionally, Parakarry makes a cameo in this game.

Super Paper Mario
Koopa Paratroopas appeared in Super Paper Mario. They acted as a common enemy, and retained the same role they have had in all platformers, while looking the same as their Paper Mario relatives. They appear in Chapter 1-2, 2-1, and Room 11 in the Flipside Pit of 100 Trials.

Super Smash Bros. series
Paratroopas appeared in the first stage of the Adventure Mode of Super Smash Bros. Melee. One Paratroopa was red, the others green. When a character jumped on it, it lost its wings and fell to the ground. The player could defeat a Paratroopa without destroying its wings by simply grabbing it, carrying it, and throwing it. Additionally, a trophy of a Paratroopa appeared. The Paratroopas reappear in the Subspace Emissary of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Here, they are tougher enemies, as they can also attack the players and defend themselves.

Mario Party series
The character called Paratroopa usually makes an appearances in the Mario Party games, as a non-playable character, although his role changes each time. In Mario Party 5, he takes away the opposing character's coins determined by a dice block role of the user. In Mario Party 6, the Paratroopa swaps the player who passes the trap with the player who placed the trap. It will not work if the Metal Mushroom Orb is in effect. In Mario Party Advance, he is one of the three suspects in the bank robbery, and he was the one who stole the coins from his cousin, Koopa. He apologizes and says that he was just trying to mess with Koopa, and that is was just a joke.

Mario Tennis series
Paratroopa has been a playable character in many sports games as well. He was playable in Mario Tennis, and was an unlockable technique player in the sequel, Mario Power Tennis.

Mario Baseball series
In both Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers did Paratroopa appear as a playable character. In Mario Superstar Baseball, he is classified as a Technique player while Mario Super Sluggers describes him as an all-around character. In both games, Paratroopa has two colors: his regular red shell and the green-shelled version, which they slightly differ in stats. He has the ability, High Jump, to catch high flying balls in the air. In Mario Super Sluggers, he is one of the few levitating characters who could not feel the effects of a POW ball.

''Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Paratroopa makes an appearance as an unlockable character in the game, Mario Hoops 3-on-3. Unlike the Mario Tennis series where he was playable in, he was a Tricky character. He can be unlocked by at least winning a bronze trophy in the regular Mushroom Tourney. His special ability is the Wing Shot, which can be performed by tapping the screen in an 'N' pattern twice.

Mario Hoops 3-on-3 Information

 * Type: Tricky
 * Special Shot: Wing Shot
 * Letter to Tap: N

''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

 * Kart: Parawing
 * Partner: Koopa Troopa
 * Special Item: Triple Shells
 * Bio: You might think Paratroopa is a cute little tortoise - right up until he blasts you off the course with a Triple Shell attack, that is!

Subspace Emissary
Koopa Paratroopas also made some minor appearances in The Subspace Emissary in Super Smash Bros Brawl, in the stage The Jungle. Like in other Mario games, they will either float horizontally or hop about, while the red variant will float vertically. They also appear in The Lake, The Cave, The Swamp, and in the aforementioned areas in The Great Maze.

Trivia

 * In Super Smash Bros Brawl, the trophy of the Green Paratroopa mentions Mario Hoops 3-on-3. However, in Mario Hoops 3-on-3, the only playable Paratroopa is red.
 * Interestingly enough, a scene in Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyushutsu Dai Sakusen! shows a Mother Paratroopa feeding her shell-less babies in a nest that looks similar to a birds' nest, possibly implying that Paratroopas are raised in a similar fashion to birds.