Blargg
Template:Species-infobox Blarggs are large dinosaurs commonly found inhabiting pools of lava in underground caverns. They first appear in Super Mario World and resemble lazy-eyed lava dinosaurs, but Yoshi's Story depicts them as blob-like beings with large mouths, small arms and beady eyes, while numerous other games involve an assortment of similarly blob-like derived species.
History
Super Mario World
Blarggs appear in Super Mario World, its Super Mario All-Stars remake, and Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 as fairly rare enemies, encountered primarily in the Vanilla Dome. When Mario or Luigi approach a Blargg on a Skull Lift, the eyes of the Blargg will be visible before they dip back into the lava, moments before lunging. Yoshi is capable of jumping on them and, with some difficulty, eating them, the only way they can be defeated. The player can also opt to Spin Jump if lacking a Yoshi, although this method only prevents one from taking damage if landing on a Blargg or its eyes. They are mainly seen in Vanilla Dome 3, though they make their first appearance in Vanilla Dome 1 and later reappear in Chocolate Secret.
As shown by graphics in the source code of pre-release builds, Blargg went through many design iterations of varying sizes, as both a dinosaur like in the final and as a shark.[1]
Super Mario World television series
Blarggs, though never referred to as such onscreen, appeared in two episodes of the Super Mario World animated series.
In the episode "The Wheel Thing", Mario and Luigi, having been banned to the Lava Pits, begin attempting to cook a pizza over a fire. The smell from this cooking pizza causes a Blargg to emerge from a nearby lake of lava and begin to chase Luigi, attempting to eat the plumber. Luigi is rescued from being devoured as Mario swoops down and saves his brother as Cape Mario.
In a later episode titled "Mama Luigi", a Blargg makes a brief appearance. Luigi and Yoshi, while running away from a pair of Tyrannosaurus Rex, use a Blargg's head as a stepping stone to cross a river of lava.
Nintendo Adventure Books
A Blargg, which lived in water, appears in one of the bad endings in Dinosaur Dilemma, eating Mario if he falls into a pit while fleeing from some Mega Moles.
Super Mario-kun
A singular Blargg appears in the 9th chapter of the first volume as the chapter's main baddie.
After Indy, the friendly Mega Mole, leads Mario, Luigi and Yoshi towards the underground exit, they travel on a Lava Lift where they are immediately attacked by the Blargg, who was given the order to kill Indy as well due to his betrayal. In the manga, apparently Blarggs are able to breath fire, since the Blargg attacks the protagonists by spitting fire. Mario tries to hurt it with a fireball, but ends up making it stronger due to its fire affinity. Indy, meanwhile, cowers in fear and uses Mario as a shield and, when Mario asks him what a Blargg's weakness is, Indy reads the Super Mario World manual and finds out that Blarggs cannot be defeated. When the Blargg is about to kill Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi, Indy jumps on the Blargg, attacking it and landing right in its mouth, clogging it. The Blargg falls back into the lava, and while Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi mourn the death of their friend, they meet Indy on shore, where he managed to survive from the lava and with Blargg's mouth still stuck on his forehead, pleading to be put back into the lava. In this shot, the Blargg's body is revealed: the neck is the entire body and it has little arms and legs.
Super Mario Adventures
Several Blarggs make a minor appearance in Nintendo Power's Super Mario Adventures comic, appearing in the lava flooded basement of Bowser's Castle. These Blarggs are used as stepping stones by Mario to reach a Warp Pipe leading to another part of the castle.
Mario & Wario
A Blargg appears in Honō no Dōkutsu, the fifth stage of Mario & Wario. It is nearly identical to its appearance in Super Mario World, but unlike its previous appearance, it is docile and merely part of the scenery.
Yoshi's Story
In Yoshi's Story, Blarggs are altered, being larger, and given small arms with a blob-like appearance. They appear in only one level, Stage 2-2: Blargg's Boiler. In this game, Blarggs do not harm Yoshi when touched, although Yoshi gets a forceful push from them. While they cannot be harmed, Yoshi can throw an egg at one to force it back into the lava. There is also one Blargg unaffected by Eggs which will briefly pursue Yoshi.
Due to their large size and blobbish appearance, these Blarggs appear to be visually based off of the Gargantua Blarggs in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island.
Other appearances and references
Blarggs, with their appearance resembling how they appeared in Super Mario World, were originally going to appear in Super Mario 64 as enemies in Lethal Lava Land, Bowser in the Fire Sea, and even Wing Mario Over the Rainbow as they were found in the game's coding. With GameShark codes, the player can make them appear on the level, being fully functional and with a complete model (aside from a lack of eyes).
In the Japanese versions of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Super Paper Mario, the "-tail" dragon bosses Hooktail, Gloomtail, Bonetail, Fracktail, and Wracktail instead have names that pun off Blargg's Japanese name, Unbaba.
Blarggs are also referenced in both Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time and Super Paper Mario. In the former, they are mentioned by Kylie Koopa, while in the latter, a Sammer Guy named Raging Blargg can be fought.
A Blargg sticker can be collected in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and a Blargg Spirit appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Both use their Yoshi's Story artwork.
In addition, Czar Dragon, the lava-dwelling boss of Barrel Volcano in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, resembles a Super Mario World Blargg.
Profiles and statistics
Super Smash Bros. Brawl sticker
| Image | Game | Effect |
|---|---|---|
|
Yoshi's Story | [Specials: Direct] - Attack +13 |
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate spirit
| Name | Image | Game | Type | Class | Effect | How to obtain | Spirit battle | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponents | Battle conditions | Stage | Song | |||||||
| Blargg | 
|
Yoshi Series | Support (2) | Advanced | Mouthful of Curry | Spirit Board | Curry Bowser |
|
Castle Siege (volcanic area) | Melty Monster |
Gallery
Super Mario World
Super Mario World
Cover of a Super Mario Picture Book
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ウンババ[2] Unbaba |
Possibly from 「婆」 (baba, "old woman" or "hag"), referencing the teeth gaps, bulging eyes, and large nose resembling a wicked witch |
| Chinese | 乌巴巴[3] Wūbābā |
From Japanese Unbaba |
| German | Feuerdrache Blargg (newer games) |
Fire dragon - |
| Italian | Blargg |
- |
| Korean | 짜자잔 Jjajajan |
Korean equivalent for exclamation "Ta-Da" |
| Russian | Студнезавр Studnezavr |
From Студень (Jelly) and -завр (Suffix for dinosaurs) |
| Spanish (NOA) | Blargg |
- |
| Spanish (NOE) | Blargg |
- |
References
- ^ Twitter post showing early SMW tiles. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
- ^ 「ヨッシーストーリー 任天堂公式ガイドブック」 (Yoshi's Story Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook), page 7.
- ^ 无敌阿尔宙斯 (August 28, 2013). 神游 超级马力欧世界 敌人官译. Baidu Tieba. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
