Spike Top
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- Not to be confused with Spiky Topman.
- “See this spike on my back? Without it, I'd just be an ordinary Buzzy Beetle!”
- —Spiky Joe, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Spike Tops are Buzzy Beetles with shells that are red and have a single spike projecting out of the top (hence the name), making them impossible to jump on. They are also still resistant to fire, which makes them one of the most resilient enemies in the Mario franchise. Their defining trait is their ability to crawl along vertical and upside-down surfaces. Despite being a shelled enemy, in the platforming games, any effective method of attack will defeat them instantly instead of having them retreat into their shells.
History
Super Mario series
Super Mario World
Spike Top's debut appearance was in Super Mario World, where they would crawl around the walls and ceilings of caves. They could only be destroyed by a Cape Feather, Shell, Super Star, or by having Yoshi eat them. Yoshi could bounce off a Spike Top without ill effect to either creature jumped. They are distinct from Buzzy Beetles in that their eyes are less obscured and their shells are flatter. Instead of having four legs, as they do in later appearances, they have six legs.
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
Spike Tops appear in the e-Reader levels of Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, a Game Boy Advance remake of Super Mario Bros. 3. In the game, they act as they did in Super Mario World.
New Super Mario Bros.
They return once again in New Super Mario Bros., with the same attack pattern from Super Mario World. A Shell, Starman, or Mega Mushroom could defeat them, as could hitting a block one is on. They only appear in World 5-2, World 6-
Tower2, and World 8-Tower.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
They also appear in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, mostly in World 2-3. They can be defeated by a Star, Shell, hitting a block from below with the Spike Top on top of it, or Ground Pounding the block with the Spike Top on the bottom. Additionally, Spike Tops can be frozen by ice balls and used as weapons against other enemies.
Through hacking methods, it is also shown that Yoshi can completely eat Spike Tops, as well as safely bounce off them.
New Super Mario Bros. 2
Spike Tops reappear in New Super Mario Bros. 2, where they act the same as in previous games. They can be defeated with the same methods from the previous games, in addition to swinging Raccoon Mario's tail near them. In Prima's strategy guide, they are referred to as "Red Spike Buzzy"[1] (an alternative name of Red Spike Tops in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door). They appear in World 2-3 and World 
Flower-A.
New Super Mario Bros. U
Spike Tops reappear in New Super Mario Bros. U. They behave exactly as in the previous games, and they may be eaten by any Baby Yoshi. However, they are invincible to Bubble Baby Yoshi bubbles. They appear in Stoneslide Tower, Shifting-Floor Cave and Rising Tides of Lava.
Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
Spike Tops reappear in Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, using the same behaviors as in previous games. They can be used in all four styles, with new sprites for their Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3 appearances. The game also introduces a blue variant, which crawls much faster than its red counterpart. Applying wings to one will have it fly in a straight line, similarly to a Para-Beetle, except it will cause damage if stood on without a Goomba's Shoe or Yoshi.
Nintendo Adventures Books
A swarm of Spike Tops appear to attack Mario and Yoshi in Dinosaur Dilemma of the Nintendo Adventure Books, throwing themselves at the plumber and dinosaur as they are traveling through a desert. Depending on how the reader solves the accompanying puzzle, Yoshi will either eat all the Spike Tops, or one will succeed in knocking Mario out for several hours, allowing Bowser to easily conquer Dinosaur Island.
Paper Mario series
Paper Mario
In Paper Mario, Spike Tops appear as enemies in Mt. Lavalava. They are much more like Buzzy Beetles in that they can be flipped over, are resistant to fire and explosion attacks, and attack by Shell Tossing. Appearance-wise, Spike Tops sport "angry" eyebrows to contrast from Buzzy Beetles, who have a more docile look about them.
Spike Tops also appear in Toad Town Tunnels, but only in battle with Dark Koopas.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, the Spike Tops have blue shells instead of red, whereas the two red-shelled Spike Tops encountered in the game are specifically called Red Spike Tops.
Regular Spike Tops are found in Creepy Steeple alongside Buzzy Beetles. Additionally, a winged variant called Spiky Parabuzzy makes its debut in this game. Stomping it causes it to lose its wings and turns it into a Spike Top. All these species also make an appearance in the Pit of 100 Trials.
Super Paper Mario
Blue-shelled Spike Tops make a reappearance in Super Paper Mario. Due to this game being more of a 2D or 3D side-scrolling adventure and not a turn-based RPG they have the same attack patterns as in the regular installments of the Super Mario series.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star
Spike Tops reappear in Paper Mario: Sticker Star, this time with their original red coloration and eye color from Super Mario World and the New Super Mario Bros. series. Spike Tops appear in Rustle Burrow, Holey Thicket, Chomp Ruins and Rumble Volcano. Once again, they cannot be stomped on unless using an Iron Jump sticker or if they are crumpled. Using an normal Jump sticker will cost Mario 3 HP even a First Strike as a jump. They can retreat in their shells if Mario uses a Iron Jump sticker. Their only method of attack is going into their shell and ramming into Mario and if Mario does not block this attack, he will not only take full damage but there is also a small chance that he may get dizzy which can cause his attacks to miss. Also, a sticker based on the Spike Tops' shell called the Spike Helmet can be used. In its artwork it shows that Spike Tops have a nervous face but in the game they have a mad face much like the Spinies do. In this game Spike Tops have much more HP like most enemies do. They are very common in Chomp Ruins since they fight in groups of 4 or 5.
Paper Mario: Color Splash
Spike Tops return in Paper Mario: Color Splash with the same appearance they had in the previous game. They are found in Redpepper Volcano and Redpepper Crater.
They attack Mario by transforming into a shell and flipping towards him. When they take enough damage, they transform into a shell, though some attacks can defeat them before they go into their shell.
Super Princess Peach
In Super Princess Peach, Spike Tops return as "Mecha-Spike Tops"[2]. Despite this new name, the Spike Tops of Super Princess Peach do not appear to be mechanical, merely looking no different than Spike Tops of other games. Super Princess Peach also introduces an angry variety, the Mad Mecha-Spike Top, which can stretch out its spike to attack foes. They can only be defeated by using Rage or Poundbrella.
Mario Party series
Mario Party: Island Tour
In Mario Party: Island Tour, Spike Tops only appear in the minigame Starring Artist on a constellation.
Super Mario Party
In Super Mario Party, a Spike Top makes a cameo appearance in the minigame Absent Minded, where it is one of the characters that can be chosen as a guess.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
Spike Tops appear in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS as enemies in Smash Run. They seem to look and behave as they do in the New Super Mario Bros. series.
Mario Family
A Spike Top appears as a sewing design in Mario Family.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey
This section is about an upcoming game. Editors must cite sources for all contributions to this section. Edits that do not follow this standard may be reverted without notice.
Spike Tops are set to make their debut in the Mario & Luigi series in the Bowser Jr.'s Journey mode of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, as allies and presumably enemies.[3]
Profiles and statistics
Paper Mario series
| Paper Mario enemy | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spike Top | |||||||||
|
Max HP | 4 | Attack | 3 | Defense | 4 (standing), 0 (flipped) | |||
| Role | Common | Type | Ground, Top-Spiky (standing), Ground (flipped) | Level | 17 | ||||
| Strong | Fire, Explosion (standing), None (flipped) | Weak | None | Moves | Shell Toss (3), Stand Up | ||||
| Sleep? | 60%, -1 | Dizzy? | 75%, 1 | Shock? | 75%, 0 | ||||
| Shrink? | 75%, 0 | Stop? | 90%, 0 | Fright? | 60% (standing); 0% (flipped) | ||||
| Air Lift? | 70% | Hurricane? | 65% | Coins | 1 + 2-3 | ||||
| Items | Super Soda | Run | 18 | Location(s) | Mt. Lavalava, Toad Town Tunnels | ||||
| Tattle | This is Spike Top. Spike Tops have spikes on top. Duh! Max HP: 4, Attack Power: 3, Defense Power: 4 They're tough, just like Buzzy Beetles, and fire attacks don't affect 'em at all. But their defense power drops if you can flip 'em over. | ||||||||
| Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door enemy | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spike Top | ||||||||
| File:PaperSpikeTop.png | Max HP | 5 | Attack | 3 | Defense | 4 | ||
| Location(s) | Creepy Steeple | Role | Common | Level | 17 | |||
| Sleep? | 75% | Dizzy? | 75% | Confuse? | 75% | |||
| Tiny? | 90% | Stop? | 90% | Soft? | 95% | |||
| Burn? | 0% | Freeze? | 75% | Fright? | 60% | |||
| Gale Force? | 30% | KO? | 95% | Moves | Shell Toss (3), Get Up (Stops Being Flipped) | |||
| Exp. points | 0 | Coins | 1 - 3 | Items | Slow Shroom | |||
| Tattle Log #: 32 |
Log | This Buzzy has high defense and a pointy spike on its shell. You'll take damage if you stomp on it. | ||||||
| Tattle | That's a Spike Top. It's a Buzzy Beetle with a spike on its back. Max HP is 5, Attack is 3, and Defense is 4. Like other Buzzies, fire and explosions have absolutely no effect on it. But, you can flip it over to drop its Defense to 0! I'm sure you know this already, but try not to jump on it. That spike hurts. | |||||||
| Super Paper Mario enemy | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spike Top | |||||||||
|
Max HP | 1 | Role | Common | Location(s) | Floro Caverns (5-3 and 5-4), Flipside Pit of 100 Trials (Room 37) | |||
| Attack | 2 | Card type | Common | ||||||
| Defense | 3 | Items | Card location(s) | Card Shop; Catch Card/SP | |||||
| Score | 300 | ||||||||
| Card description | A Buzzy Beetle that's spiked out and ready to go. Try to control your urge to stomp on it. | ||||||||
| List of Catch Cards 17 18 19 |
Tattle | This is a Spike Top. It's a Buzzy Beetle with...well, a spike on top of its shell... Max HP is 1, Attack is 2, and Defense is 3. Even flames won't scorch its hard shell... On top of that, it has a spike. What can we do about this prickly foe...? Throw something at it or use an item... That spike can cause a painful poke... I suggest you just leave it be... | |||||||
| Paper Mario: Sticker Star enemy | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spike Top | ||||||
|
Max HP | 13 | Role | Common | Location(s) | Rustle Burrow, Holey Thicket, Chomp Ruins, Rumble Volcano, Bowser's Sky Castle |
| Attack | 6 | Stickers | N/A | |||
| Defense | 1 | Moves | Shell Toss (6) | |||
| Paper Mario: Color Splash enemy | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spike Top | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
HP | 22 | Type | Spiny, Shelled | 5 |  | ||||||||||||||
| Strong | Jump, Fire | Weak | POW Block |
| ||||||||||||||||
| Moves | Attack (16), Shell Retreat (acts as if stomped on), Stomped-on Attack (32), Line Attack (16), Group Attack (16), Blowback Attack (16) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Location(s) | Redpepper Volcano, Redpepper Crater | |||||||||||||||||||
| Quotes | Usual: "Look who grew a spike!" ~ "I'm basically invincible!" ~ "Only got one spike. Only need one." ~ "Jumps welcome." Shell: "It's cozy in here..." ~ "I'm a shell of my former self..." Flipped: "Well, this is awkward..." ~ "Don't threaten me!" | |||||||||||||||||||
| Enemy class | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ENEMY_RANDAM_1_5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Dropped items | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS trophy
| Name | Image | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Spike Top |  |
These turtles come from the Super Mario series and have one big spike on their backs. Their eyes glow from beneath the edge of their shells, watching you as they approach. In Smash Run, they crawl along walls, floors, and the ceiling. They aren't bothered by projectiles, so you'll have to find other ways to defeat them. |
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | トゲメット Togemetto |
A combination of the Japanese names for Spiny and Buzzy Beetle: the former, Togezō, originates with ｢棘」 toge, "thorn", while the latter, Metto, comes from the English "helmet". Roughly translated as "thorn helm". Officially romanized as "Togemet". |
| Chinese | 刺壳甲虫[4] Cìké jiǎchóng |
Spiky-shelled Beetle |
| German | Pickelkäfer Pickel-Käfer |
Pick Beetle |
| Italian | Punginella (most games) Pungimatic (Super Princess Peach) |
Combination of pungere (to sting) and nella (Buzzy Beetle) - |
| Korean | 가시하잉바 Gasi Haingba |
Thorn Fibre. It is probably a combination of the Korean names for Spiny and Buzzy Beetle. |
| Portuguese | Pico |
A not-so common word for "spike". |
| Russian | Пикожук Pikozhuk |
From "Пик" (Spike) and "Жук" (Beetle) |
| Spanish | Punzón |
Awl. Could also be a pun on Pinchón (Spiny's Spanish Name) and punzante (stinging) or punzar (to sting, to prick) |
References
- ^ von Esmarch, Nick. 2012. New Super Mario Bros. 2 PRIMA Official Game Guide, page 29.
- ^ Super Princess Peach Glossary
- ^ Hira. (September 14, 2018). 新たに描かれる、わがままぼっちゃんの冒険譚！『マリオ＆ルイージRPG3 DX』に収録の『クッパJr.RPG』をご紹介。 Nintendo. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
- ^ 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.
- Disambiguation
- Spike Tops
- Dinosaur Dilemma Enemies
- Mario Clash Enemies
- New Super Luigi U Enemies
- New Super Mario Bros. Enemies
- New Super Mario Bros. 2 Enemies
- New Super Mario Bros. U Enemies
- New Super Mario Bros. Wii Enemies
- New Super Mario Bros. Wii Trading Cards
- Paper Mario Enemies
- Paper Mario: Sticker Star Enemies
- Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Enemies
- Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 Enemies
- Super Mario Maker Enemies
- Super Mario World Enemies
- Super Paper Mario Enemies
- Super Princess Peach Enemies
- Smash Run Enemies
- Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U
