Buzzbee
Artwork of Buzzbee from Donkey Kong 3
First appearance Green House (1982, overall)
Donkey Kong 3 (1983, Super Mario franchise)
Latest appearance NES Remix Pack (2014)
Variants
Relatives
Comparable

Buzzbees[1][2] (or Buzz bees),[3] also referred to simply as bees,[4] are insect-like enemies that appear in Donkey Kong 3. They are the primary units of the beehives in Stanley's greenhouse. They attack by either throwing spears or swooping down from their hives, trying to steal Stanley's flowers. In the Family Computer and Nintendo Entertainment System version, Buzzbees only throw darts when they are carrying a flower. In the arcade version, Buzzbees feed the flowers to Donkey Kong to become Super Bees. In the Famicom and NES version, Buzzbees carry the flower to their beehive and disappear. One or two will sometimes escort Beespies, where they are referred to as Guards.[5] From round 12 (9 in the Famicom and NES version), their appearance is altered. The new Buzzbees are more aggressive and do not escort Beespies.

While unnamed, a Buzzbee first appears in Green House for the Game & Watch, poking a cat as the game's alarm.

In Donkey Kong 3: Dai Gyakushū, Buzzbees transform into Super Bees when they are sprayed once. Being sprayed a second time defeats them. The design of Buzzbee itself is based on earlier rounds from the arcade game.

Buzzbees reappear in the Donkey Kong 3 Game & Watch, where they are simply called "bees." Stanley and Donkey Kong use their sprayers to force the bees to sting each other. One version of the North American box artMedia:DK3 G&W pocketsize.jpg gives them a less fuzzy appearance.

GalleryEdit

Names in other languagesEdit

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese 兵隊バチ・バズビー[6]
Heitaibachi Bazubī
Soldier-Bee Buzzbee
こバチ バズビー[7]
Kobachi Bazubī
Child-Bee Buzzbee
Italian Ape blu[8] Blue bee
Ape[9][10] Bee
Buzzbee[11] -

TriviaEdit

  • Buzzbees greatly resemble the unnamed stinger-wielding bee enemy from VS. Ice Climber. In the Disk System version, this enemy is replaced with a Nitpicker.

ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ Donkey Kong 3 back flyer (English).
  2. ^ 1986. Donkey Kong 3 NES instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 6.
  3. ^ 1986. Donkey Kong 3 NES instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 2.
  4. ^ MICRO VS. SYSTEM DONKEY KONG 3 instruction. Page 8.
  5. ^ 1986. Donkey Kong 3 NES instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 7.
  6. ^ Donkey Kong 3 back flyer (Japanese).
  7. ^ ドンキーコングスリー (Donkī Kongu Surī) instruction booklet. Nintendo (Japanese). Page 4.
  8. ^ Donkey Kong 3 (Virtual Console) e-manual. Page 8.
  9. ^ Arcade Archives Donkey Kong 3, in-game manual
  10. ^ 2002. Game & Watch Gallery Advance manual. Nintendo of Europe (British English). Page 120.
  11. ^ Arcade Archives Donkey Kong 3, in-game manual