Blargg
| Blargg | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork of a Blargg from Super Mario World | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario World (1990) | ||
| Latest appearance | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (spirit cameo) (2018) | ||
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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
In Super Mario World, Blarggs (also named Munchers[1]) 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 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. It is possible for Invincible Mario to defeat one in Vanilla Dome 1 before falling into the lava. Caped Mario can also defeat it with a Body Press attack before falling into the lava. These methods reveal a glitched sprite.
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.[2]
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 Blargg appears from the 9th chapter of the first volume as the chapter's main baddie.
After a 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 the Mega Mole as well due to his betrayal. 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. Mega Mole, meanwhile, cowers in fear and uses Mario as a shield and, when Mario asks him what a Blargg's weakness is, he 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, Mega Mole 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 Mega Mole 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 show: 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.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
While no Blarggs appear in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Czar Dragon, the lava-dwelling boss of Barrel Volcano, resembles their Super Mario World design.
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. However, they do not have eyebrows.
Their artwork from Yoshi's Story is reused as a stamp in Mario Artist: Paint Studio.
Paper Mario series
In Super Paper Mario, a Sammer Guy named Raging Blargg can be fought. Additionally, 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 are based off Blargg's Japanese name, Unbaba.
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Blarggs are referenced in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, where they are mentioned by Kylie Koopa using "in a Blargg's age" as a figure of speech.
Super Smash Bros. series
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.
Unused appearances
Super Mario 64
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).
Profiles and statistics
Super Mario World
- Shogakukan guide: 火の海に生きるワニに似た敵。ガイコツいかだの近くに潜み、海面から目だけを出してマリオを待ち伏せ。タイミング良く、ジャンプでかわせ。(An enemy resembling a crocodile that lives in a sea of fire. It lurks near the raft and ambushes Mario with only its eyes above the surface of the sea. Dodge them with a well-timed jump.)[3]
- Mario Mania: Blargg gets hot under the collar when intruders enter his cavern. He pops out of the molten lava and tries to snatch you off your skull raft.[4]
Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten
ウンババ
種族 恐竜族
性格 いたずら好き
登場ゲーム ワールド
マグマのしぶきに注意
マグマの海にいる、火炎恐竜。普段は隠れ ているが、近づくと顔を出しておそつてくる。どんな攻撃も通じない無敵キャラだ。出現前にしぶきが上がるので、それを目印にしよう。[5]
Blargg
Tribe: Dinosaur clan
Disposition: Mischievous
Game appearances: World
Watch out for magma spray
A flaming dinosaur in the sea of magma. It is usually hidden, but when you approach it, it will show its face and attack you. It is an invincible enemy that cannot be defeated by any attack. Before it appears, it makes a splash, so use that as a warning sign.
Yoshi's Story
- Shogakukan guide: バブルの親玉、溶岩オバケに立ちおうじょう。しばらく待って、ようすを見よう。[6](The master of the Spark Spooks, this lava monster stalls. Let's wait for a while to see what happens.)
- Nintendo 64 Spieleberater: Der rote Lavasack findet sich todkomisch, deswegen lacht er immer und streckt mir die Zunge raus! [7](The red lava bag thinks he's hilarious, that's why he's always laughing and sticking his tongue out at me!)
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 |
Encyclopedia Super Mario Bros.
Bio: 溶岩に生息。マリオを確認したあと、大きな口を開けて襲いかかる。[8](Lives in lava. After checking on Mario, it opens its large mouth and attacks.)
Gallery
Super Mario World
Super Mario World
Artwork used for a Mario puzzle.
Artwork used for a Mario puzzle.
Artwork used for a Mario puzzle.
Artwork used for a puzzle based on Super Mario Kart, where Blargg is erroneously colored green
Quizbook Number 3: Super Mario Pocket Picture Book
Super Mario Picture Book with Peel-and-Release Stickers 5: Wanda's Birthday
A size chart for a 1996 Nintendo Character Manual
Japanese commercial for the Nintendo Entertainment System version of Wario's Woods
Yoshi's Story
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ウンババ[3][6] Unbaba |
Possibly from「ウンウン」(un'un, onomatopoeia for groaning sound) and「婆」(baba, hag), referencing their teeth gaps, bulging eyes, and large nose resembling a wicked witch, or possibly an allusion to「バブル」(Baburu, Lava Bubble) or the ancient mythological monster Humbaba |
| Chinese | 乌巴巴[9] Wūbābā |
From the Japanese name |
| German | Feuerdrache Dudel Sprudel[7] Blargg (newer games) |
Fire dragon Fizzy doodle - |
| Italian | Blargg |
- |
| Korean | 짜자잔 Jjajajan |
A Korean exclamation equivalent to "ta-da!" |
| Russian | Студнезавр Studnezavr |
From "cтудень" (studen, jelly) and "-завр" (-zavr, suffix for dinosaurs) |
| Spanish | Blargg |
- |
References
- ^ Nintendo Power Volume 28, page 16.
- ^ Twitter post showing early SMW tiles. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
- ^ a b 「任天堂公式ガイドブック スーパーマリオワールド」 (Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook – Super Mario World), page 29.
- ^ Nintendo Mario Mania Player's Guide, pg. 51
- ^ Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten, page 46.
- ^ a b 「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.
- ^ a b Nintendo 64 Yoshi's Story Spieleberater, page 19.
- ^ Shogakukan. 2015. Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook, Super Mario World section, page 54.
- ^ 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.
