Worm (Super Mario Galaxy): Difference between revisions

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m (Nintendo101 moved page Big Green Caterpillar to Worm (Super Mario Galaxy): Black, pp. 35, 172)
(Rewrote. I say this as someone who works as an ecologist off-site and is in an entomology lab - the whole caterpillar vs. worm thing is silly because 1.) the character is clearly based on the "worm in an apple" trope and 2.) there are no animals discretely called worms anyways. Annelids are worms. Nematodes are worms. And there are many, many real-life caterpillars called worms. So it is not even "incorrect" that this character is called "worm" anyways.)
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{{move|Worm (Super Mario Galaxy)|reason=per "public source" found}}
{{italic title|Worm (''Super Mario Galaxy'')}}
{{internal name}}
 
{{species infobox
{{character infobox
|image=[[File:WormSuperMarioGalaxy.png|220px]]<br>The caterpillar bursting from the first apple
|image=[[File:WormSuperMarioGalaxy.png|220px]]<br>Screenshot from ''Super Mario Galaxy''
|species=caterpillar
|first_appearance=''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'' ([[List of games by date#2007|2007]])
|first_appearance=''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'' ([[List of games by date#2007|2007]])
|latest_appearance=''[[Super Mario 3D All-Stars]]'' ([[List of games by date#2020|2020]])
|latest_appearance=''[[Super Mario 3D All-Stars]]'' ([[List of games by date#2020|2020]])
}}
}}
[[File:Apple planets.png|thumb|left|The caterpillar burrowing through some apple planets]]
[[File:Apple planets.png|thumb|left|The caterpillar burrowing through some apple planets]]
The '''Big Green Caterpillar'''<ref>''Super Mario Galaxy'' internal filenames (<tt>GreenCaterpillarBigBody</tt>, <tt>GreenCaterpillarBigBodyLow</tt>, <tt>GreenCaterpillarBigFace</tt>, <tt>GreenCaterpillarBigFaceLow</tt>)</ref> (generically referred to by [[Prima Games|Prima]] as a "'''worm'''")<ref>Fletcher Black. ''Super Mario Galaxy'' PRIMA Official Game Guide. Pages 35 and 172.</ref> is a giant harmless insect appearing only in ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]''. Specifically, it appears in the [[Gusty Garden Galaxy]]'s mission called [[The Dirty Tricks of Major Burrows]], where it is found after [[Mario]] uses a [[Ground Pound]] on a specific [[stump]] on a giant apple planet. Once Mario does this, the caterpillar bursts out of the apple before crawling into another apple planet. After Mario does this process two more times, the caterpillar instead leads to a [[Launch Star]], which Mario can use to continue. The caterpillar is most likely based on the larva of the codling moth, due to its tendency to burrow into apples. Despite this, however, the Prima guide refers to it as a worm, which is also implied by the Japanese name.
 
The '''worm'''<ref>Black, Fletcher. ''Super Mario Galaxy: PRIMA Official Game Guide''. Collector's Edition, Roseville, [[Prima Games]], 2007, pp. 35, 172.</ref> is a giant caterpillar from ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]''. It is harmless and has its own [[gravity|gravitional pull]], allowing [[Mario]] (or [[Luigi]]) to walk along its body as if it was a planetoid. It lives in [[Gusty Garden Galaxy]], where it can be found inside one of the three [[apple]]-shaped planets during "[[The Dirty Tricks of Major Burrows]]". Each apple has at least one [[stump]] on its surface that disturbs the worm once [[Ground Pound]]ed, causing it to tunnel into the next nearest apple. This forms a permanent bridge between these planets that ultimately connects all three apples. Striking the stump in the final, red-colored apple causes the worm to poke its head out of the surface, allowing Mario to reach a nearby [[Launch Star]]. The worm does not appear anywhere else in the game. The spots found on its body segments suggests it may be related to [[Wiggler]]s.
 
The character is likely based on the culturally ubiquitous {{wp|Trope (literature)|trope}} of the "worm in an apple",<ref>"[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WormInAnApple Worm in an Apple]." ''TV Tropes''. Accessed 10 Nov. 2023.</ref> itself potentially derived from the apple-eating larvae of widespread pest species such as ''{{wp|Cydia pomonella}}'', ''{{wp|Grapholita lobarzewskii}}'', and ''{{wp|Rhagoletis pomonella}}''. A [[Worm (character)|similar character]] from ''[[Donkey Kong 64]]'' is also derived from this trope.
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==Additional names==
==Additional names==

Revision as of 01:14, November 11, 2023

Worm
WormSuperMarioGalaxy.png
Screenshot from Super Mario Galaxy
Species caterpillar
First appearance Super Mario Galaxy (2007)
Latest appearance Super Mario 3D All-Stars (2020)
The caterpillar burrowing through some apple planets

The worm[1] is a giant caterpillar from Super Mario Galaxy. It is harmless and has its own gravitional pull, allowing Mario (or Luigi) to walk along its body as if it was a planetoid. It lives in Gusty Garden Galaxy, where it can be found inside one of the three apple-shaped planets during "The Dirty Tricks of Major Burrows". Each apple has at least one stump on its surface that disturbs the worm once Ground Pounded, causing it to tunnel into the next nearest apple. This forms a permanent bridge between these planets that ultimately connects all three apples. Striking the stump in the final, red-colored apple causes the worm to poke its head out of the surface, allowing Mario to reach a nearby Launch Star. The worm does not appear anywhere else in the game. The spots found on its body segments suggests it may be related to Wigglers.

The character is likely based on the culturally ubiquitous trope of the "worm in an apple",[2] itself potentially derived from the apple-eating larvae of widespread pest species such as Cydia pomonella, Grapholita lobarzewskii, and Rhagoletis pomonella. A similar character from Donkey Kong 64 is also derived from this trope.

Additional names

Internal names

Game File Name Meaning

Super Mario Galaxy StageData/ObjNameTable.arc/ObjNameTable.tbl GreenCaterpillarBig Big Green Caterpillar
Super Mario Galaxy StageData/ObjNameTable.arc/ObjNameTable.tbl 虫食い惑星オオムイムイ (Mushikui Wakusei Ōmuimui) Planet-Eating Bug, Big Muimui

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning
Japanese ムイムイ[3]
Muimui
A Kansai dialect slang term equivalent to「虫」(mushi, worm)

German Muimui[4]
Romanization of the Japanese name
Italian Millepiedi[5]
Millipede

References

  1. ^ Black, Fletcher. Super Mario Galaxy: PRIMA Official Game Guide. Collector's Edition, Roseville, Prima Games, 2007, pp. 35, 172.
  2. ^ "Worm in an Apple." TV Tropes. Accessed 10 Nov. 2023.
  3. ^ Shogakukan. 2015. Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook, Super Mario Galaxy section, page 126.
  4. ^ Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia; page 126
  5. ^ Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia; page 126