Gao
Gao
First appearance Super Mario Land (1989)
Comparable
Notable members

Gao[1][2] are fire-breathing, sphinx-like enemies that are located within the borders of the Birabuto Kingdom in Super Mario Land. They stay in one place and shoot fireballs at Mario. These fireballs can even be shot backwards, and therefore Mario is not safe while they are on the screen. As with most enemies, they can be defeated after a single jump or Superball, awarding Mario with 800 points. King Totomesu is the ruler of the Gao. They are only seen towards the end of the stage in World 1-3, along with throughout the stage in World 1-1 on subsequent playthroughs. In appearance, they look like a mix between a pyramid sphinx and a lion. An enemy from the Chai Kingdom, Nyololin, has the same behavior.

In Super Mario Land manga, only two Gao appear towards the end of the pyramid stage, where they are chained to the ground. Using Mekakuribō's propeller-antennas, Mario flies over them without fighting them.

ProfilesEdit

Super Mario LandEdit

  • Instruction booklet: This stiff-bodied creature doesn't move. But it spits out fireballs aimed at Mario.
  • 3DS Virtual Console manual: This stiff creature doesn't move, but it spits out fireballs aimed at Mario.

Perfect Ban Mario Character DaijitenEdit

ガオー
種族 ビースト族
性格 ものぐさ
登場ゲーム ランド1
近づくのを待っている
体が重いためじっとしている珍しい敵キャラ。動かないが、マリオをねらって火の玉をはいてくるので注意しよう。見かけは怖いが、踏んだりスーパーボールで簡単に倒せるぞ。[3]

Gao
Tribe: Beast clan
Disposition: Lazy person
Game appearances: Land 1
Waiting for you to approach
A rare enemy character that stays still because of its heavy body. It does not move, but it will aim a fireball at Mario, so be careful. It may look scary, but it can be easily defeated by stepping on it or by using the Superball.

GalleryEdit

Names in other languagesEdit

Language Name Meaning
Japanese ガオー[4]
Gaō
Japanese onomatopoeia for a roaring sound

Dutch Gao[5]
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French Gao[6]
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German Gao
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Italian Gao[7][8][9]
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Spanish Gao
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ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ Super Mario Land English instruction booklet, page 14.
  2. ^ M. Arakawa. Nintendo Game Boy Player's Guide. Page 5.
  3. ^ Shogakukan. 1994.「パーフェクト版 マリオキャラクター大事典」 (Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten), page 52.
  4. ^ Super Mario Land Japanese instruction booklet, page 16.
  5. ^ Club Nintendo (Netherlands) Classic, page 7.
  6. ^ Super Mario Land French instruction booklet, page 14.
  7. ^ Super Mario Land Italian manual, pag. 14
  8. ^ Super Mario Land (3DS - Virtual Console) Italian e-manual, pag. 14
  9. ^ Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia, pag. 46