Dinohattanite

From the Super Mario Wiki, the Mario encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to search
The printable version is no longer supported and may have rendering errors. Please update your browser bookmarks and please use the default browser print function instead.
Dinohattanite
President Koopa
President Koopa showing his evolution trajectory
First appearance Super Mario Bros. (1993)
Variant of Dinosaur
Relatives
Comparable
Human
Notable members

The Dinohattanites[1] are a human-like race that evolved from dinosaurs featured in the 1993 Super Mario Bros. film, inhabiting the parallel dimension of Dinohattan. They are not properly referred to by name neither in the film nor in the film's manga adaptation, Super Mario: Makai Teikoku no Megami.

History

Main article: Dinohattan#History

During the extinction event in which a meteorite crashing into Earth caused the extinction of the dinosaurs and provided the conditions necessary for the evolution of mankind, the impact was so powerful that it created a parallel dimension called Dinohattan. This alternate dimension to Earth conversely caused the extinction of mammals and gave conditions to evolve dinosaurs into intelligent human-like creatures. Dinosaurs living at the meteorite impact site were exposed to its geomagnetic energy, gradually evolving into the Portal Guardian cult. The Guardians were devoted to worshiping the monolith and maintaining the gateway between worlds, secretly ruling through the Monarchy. They harnessed its energy into the grid that powers their great city.

Biology

Dinohattan pests
Small reptiles fighting in Koopa Square

The Dinohattanites are a species of human-like creatures that evolved from dinosaurs displaced millenia ago from our world. While most of the population is indistinguishable from mammalian-evolved humans, some do possess reptilian traits such as tails, slitted pupils, scales, and oviparity. Lena makes the comparison that while humans evolved from apes, the Dinohattanite species evolved from dinosaurs. Unbeknownst to Daisy, she analyzes the skeletal remains of her mother early in the film. She points out to Luigi that though it is a dinosaur fossil, the hands have opposable thumbs much like humans. She states that it seems as if it "was a monster trying to be a human being".

Typical dinosaurs also appear in the city, yet are treated as pets or wild animals. Koopa himself calls Yoshi a "throwback", suggesting a sense of racial superiority to their ancestors. Other animals, such as real-world lizards, snakes and Tweeters, are seen or mentioned as food sources to this world's humans. Small dinosaur-like reptiles appear in the Koopahari Desert and rummaging through Koopa Square, acting as Dinohattan's equivalent of real world pests (a more direct comparison being New York's rats).

It can be inferred from the Devo Chamber de-evolution technologies that Goombas may have been an earlier evolution of a Dinohattanite, though it is not explicitly stated. Snifits are possibly other variations, as they are not capable of human speech and instead communicate in reptile noises.

Manga adaptation

Dinohattanite evolution from Super Mario: Makai Teikoku no Megami
Dinohattanite evolution seen in Super Mario: Makai Teikoku no Megami

In the manga adaptation of the Super Mario Bros. film, Super Mario: Makai Teikoku no Megami, the species has the same origin story as explained by Koopa. Differing from the film, Koopa appears much more reptilian and less humanoid-like, bearing blue-tinted skin with scales. Also differing from the film, the Dinohattanite species is revealed to have regenerating powers. Upon Koopa being hit by Mario's exploding mushroom, he loses various limbs including his left leg and both his arms. Koopa reveals his whole species is able to regrow their limbs.

References

  1. ^ Nintendo Magazine System (AU) Issue #3, page 13.