Noki

"Oh, hi there! My door's open, and there's nothing to be suspicious of... How about a game of jacks? Ha ha ha ha!"

- Noki

The Nokis are a race of short creatures with shells which debuted in Super Mario Sunshine. They, along with Piantas, inhabit Isle Delfino. They thrive primarily in Noki Bay; many of the Nokis that reside there rarely rise to the surface of the bay, but instead inhabit a large underwater area located directly beneath the bay's large waterfall. They are some of the most relaxed and intelligent characters in the Mario franchise.

Their profile in Mario Superstar Baseball reveals that Nokis evolved from shellfish.

Super Mario Sunshine
The Nokis first appear in Super Mario Sunshine, they inhabit on Isle Delfino with the Piantas. Their primary home on the island is Noki Bay. While they inhabit on Noki Bay, the Nokis appear in other areas of Isle Delfino. Most of the Nokis seen in Pinna Park wear clam like shells instead of hermit shells. In Episode 8 of Noki Bay, many Nokis are seen floating on jellyfish, this implies that Nokis are capable of surviving in underwater habitats, with little or no air available. A trio of Nokis called the Buckies also appear in this game. They are called Plucky, Lucky, and Ducky.

Unlike Piantas, Nokis appear to be more trusting of Mario and more aware that he's not the real criminal. In Noki Bay, the Noki elder often aids Mario by instructing him on how best to go about his tasks. He also helps Mario by training him to use a deep sea helmet so that he can fight Eely-Mouth in Noki Bay, and later reap the rewards of the Coin Fish.

Mario Kart series
Nokis make a small appearance in both Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart Wii in Peach Beach, where some can be seen cheering in the plaza or on the cruiser ship. They also appear in the ending ceremonies. A single male blue Noki also appears on one of the Mario Racing trackside banners in the battle course Delfino Pier in Mario Kart Wii.

Nokis also spectate in the Water Park course in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, where they have a slight facial redesign. Here, they have more fish-like lips and chubbier cheeks.

Mario Tennis series
Nokis along with the Piantas appear as audience and spectators in Peach Dome court of Mario Power Tennis for the Nintendo GameCube and Mario Tennis: Power Tour for the Game Boy Advance.

Mario Baseball series
Nokis are playable in Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers making their first and only playable role. The Nokis in these games are female, and come in three different colors, being blue, red, and green.

In Mario Super Sluggers, while the Piantas share good chemistry with the Toads and Toadsworth, the Nokis have good chemistry with Toadette, whose chemistry is neutral with the Piantas. In a similar manner, the Toads and Toadsworth have neutral chemistry with the Nokis. The Piantas and Nokis also have good chemistry with each other. When Mario meets the Nokis, he arrives in Mario Stadium and both the green Noki and the blue Noki are unlocked by playing a scout mission. Red Noki is unlocked by unlocking Blue Noki and Green Noki.

In both games, the Nokis are generally fast runners, weak batters, and their pitching and fielding range from average to weak. Their special move in Mario Superstar Baseball is Sliding Catch, while in Mario Super Sluggers, they use Ball Dash instead.

Mario Strikers series
Nokis once again appear in the audience in Super Mario Strikers and its sequel, Mario Strikers Charged.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
Nokis appear in the audience during the opening and various Events in the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
A Noki appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as a sticker. In The Subspace Emissary, the sticker can be used on any fighter to power up their leg-based attacks by 12 points.

Super Mario Sunshine description
''Nokis wear vibrant seashells reminiscent of their time living in the coral reefs. They are timid but highly intellectual.''

Collectible Card Info
Another resident of Isle Delfino who befriended Mario on his ill-fated tropical vacation, Blue Noki isn't a power player on the baseball field, but can put a wicked curve on her changeup.

Trivia

 * In Pinna Park, the Noki playing the conch shell plays the first six notes of the Super Mario Bros. overworld theme.
 * The word "Noki" translates to "shell" in English, which is what a Noki wears; additionally, keeping with the Italian name theme, it is a homophone of "gnocchi".

Paradiso Noki