Porcupuffer: Difference between revisions

|image=[[File:NSMBU Porcupuffer Artwork.png|200px]]<br>A Porcupuffer as seen in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]''

|variant_of=[[Big Cheep Cheep]]

|relatives=[[Spiny Cheep Cheep]]

|comparable=[[Cheep Chomp]]<br>[[Spike Bass]]

'''Porcupuffers''' (alternatively '''Porcu-Puffers''') are a species of large, garishly colored [[Cheep Cheep]]s that debuted in ''[[Super Mario World]]''. They resemble gigantic indigo Cheep Cheeps, with magenta lips and indigo, cyan, and yellow spikes all over their back. Their faces are nearly identical to those of [[Big Cheep Cheep|Boss Bass]]es and [[Cheep Chomp]]s, but did not try to eat [[Mario]] until ''[[Super Mario Maker 2]]''.  Porcupuffers sometimes serve as the giant counterpart to regular Cheep Cheeps, such as in ''Super Mario World'' and ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]''.  Their name is a portmanteau of "porcupine" and "{{wp|Tetraodontidae|pufferfish}};" this combined with the Japanese name also suggests an intentional reference to [[Porcupo]].

 

Porcu-Puffers appear in ''[[Super Mario World]]'', where they follow Mario and [[Luigi]] in the water. The Mario Bros. can perform the [[Spin Jump]] on them to "ride" them, or use [[Yoshi]]. They appear in three levels: [[Vanilla Secret 3|the third secret level]] on top of the [[Vanilla Dome]], a secret area in the [[Cookie Mountain]] level, and a hidden area within [[Chocolate Island 1]]. Unlike the [[Floating Mine]]s, they are vulnerable to [[fireball]]s and [[Cape Mario|Cape]] swipes. The in-game sprite depicts them with magenta lips, while the artwork depicts them with yellow lips.

Porcupuffers appear in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'' where they attack exactly the same as the [[Spike Bass]] in [[New Super Mario Bros.|the predecessor]], swimming near the surface to pursue the plumber and his party or even leaping from the water to attack. Porcupuffers serve as [[Enemy Course|obstacles]] for [[World 4 (New Super Mario Bros. Wii)|World 4]], and they appear again in [[World 6-5 (New Super Mario Bros. Wii)|World 6-5]] and later in [[World 9-2 (New Super Mario Bros. Wii)|World 9-2]]. They can only be defeated with a fireball, [[Super Star|Star]] or [[Koopa Shell]]; another one will come to take its place several seconds later. This also occurs in the Enemy Courses, although the replacement occurs much quicker. They can also be frozen, but they crack out almost instantly, much like a [[Spiny Cheep Cheep]].

[[File:SM3DLlevel4.png|150px|thumb|right]]

Porcupuffers later appear in ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]'', inhabiting underwater and beach levels. They retain their appearance from ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii''. In this game, Porcupuffers swim back and forth while underwater, while in [[World 6-1 (Super Mario 3D Land)|World 6-1]], they jump out of the water in specific locations attempting to hurt Mario, and may even break some portions of the bridge he uses to reach the end of the level. Aside from the bridge-breaking, these behaviors are shared by this game's Cheep Cheeps, making them functionally similar to a [[Big Cheep Cheep]] in this game, albeit with spikes.

[[File:PorcupufferSM3DW.jpg|thumb|100px|right|Porcupuffer in ''Super Mario 3D World'']]

Porcupuffers appear as enemies that can be placed in ''[[Super Mario Maker 2]]'' stages. Despite debuting in ''[[Super Mario World]]'', they are exclusive to the ''Super Mario 3D World'' style. Unlike in the original game, Porcupuffers will actively pursue Mario and attempt to eat him, like a Cheep Chomp. In non-underwater themes, they will act like a slow Boss Bass, briefly hovering at their jumps' peaks if they are given wings. It takes four consecutive fireballs from [[Fire Mario]] to defeat Porcupuffers. After one fireball, it will darken, puff up slightly, and no longer try to eat Mario, though it will still pursue him. Each fireball afterwards makes it more red and swollen until it pops. Once one pops, it will not be replaced by another, unlike most appearances. When it pops, it will destroy any nearby [[Brick Block]]s. Akin to regular Cheep Cheeps, a Porcupuffer will catch fire if submerged in lava, therefore becoming immune to fireballs. They cannot be placed in pipes.

[[File:SpikBomb.png|thumb|left]]

In ''[[Mario Kart Arcade GP]]'', an item known as a [[Needle Bomb]] appears, which resembles a Porcupuffer.

[[File:MKAGPDX Porcupuffer.png|thumb|right]]

In ''[[Mario Kart Arcade GP DX]]'', they appear as an item that can be placed behind the player, popping the tires of any racer that touches them. They can come singularly, or in a group of three as an item dubbed Triple Porcupuffers.

===Other appearances===

In ''[[Minecraft]]'', the Super Mario Mash-up replaces the skins of the Elder Guardians to skins of Porcupuffers, as well as replacing Pufferfish.

Mario Puzzle Artwork.png|Artwork used for a ''Mario'' puzzle.

1993 NCM sizechartC.png|A size chart for a 1993 ''Nintendo Character Manual''

Porcupuffer NSMB2 Prima.jpg|''[[New Super Mario Bros. 2]]'' (Prima)

Porcupuffer SM3DW Prima.jpg|''[[Super Mario 3D World]]'' (Prima)

|JapM=From「河豚」(''{{wp|fugu}}'', pufferfish) written in katakana, thus resembling「プク」(''puku''), short for「プクプク」(''Pukupuku'', [[Cheep Cheep]]), and「万年」(''man'nen'', ten thousand years); also possibly a play of「ハリマンネン」(''Harimannen'', [[Porcupo]])

|SpaAM=Balloon Cheep

|FraA=Héripouff

|FraAM=From the word "hérisson", meaning "hedgehog", and the onomatopoeia "pouf"

|FraE=Porc-Kipic

|FraEM=Distortion of the word ''Porc-épic'' meaning "Porcupine"

|Ita=Pescespino

|ItaM=Spike Fish

|PorM=From ''Cheep Cheep'' and ''"peixe-balão"'' (puffer fish)

|KorR=Bulttukbogeo

|KorM=From 불뚝 (''Bulttuk''), a mimetic word for something soaring up and 복어 (''Bogeo''), meaning Pufferfish.