Shark
- This article is about the enemies from Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. For other uses, see Shark (disambiguation).
| Shark | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork from Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992) | ||
| Latest appearance | Super Mario Story Quiz Picture Book 1: Chase Wario (1997) | ||
| |||
Sharks[1][2] are underwater enemies in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins that wear boxing gloves. They are large-bodied sharks with toothy maws and narrowed eyes. Additional details are present in artwork and paratextual material that are absent in the game itself, specifically lavender dorsa, white underbellies, and a white star-shaped pattern on the tips of their snouts. A shark is one of three enemies on the box art for Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, with the other two being a Noko Bombette and a Battle Beetle. Though sharks have not appeared outside of Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins and related media, they are the first shark enemies in the Super Mario series, predating Sushi's debut in Super Mario 64 by four years.
Unlike most mainline titles, there was no accompanying reference that provided English names for all of the enemies in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins when it was released in 1992, resulting in many of them being unnamed in English despite having original designs. For this enemy, it has only been passively referred to as a "shark" in an issue of Nintendo Power.[1] "Shark" has subsequently been utilized as the enemy's name in the 2018 English localization of the Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia[3] and Mario Portal circa 2022.[2] By contrast, the Japanese name for the enemy is 「ジョー」(Jō).[4][5][6]
History[edit]
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins[edit]
Sharks are uncommon enemies found only in the Turtle Zone, occurring in the Cheep Cheep Course and the submarine level of the same name. The sharks are the largest fish enemies in the game and swim in straight lines. When they reach an opposing wall, they turn around. Sharks swim slowly, but quicken when Mario is in their line of sight. Direct contact damages him. Despite wearing gloves, the sharks do not attack by punching. In the first part of the Cheep Cheep Course, a shark occurs in such a narrow corridor of water that Mario's best option to avoid contact is by crouching.
Sharks are impervious to fireballs tossed by Fire Mario. They are only defeated if he makes contact with them in his Invincible form or by striking them with a Koopa Shell. There are only seven sharks in the entire game: five in the Cheep Cheep Course and two in the Turtle Zone level.
Super Mario-kun[edit]
In volume 9 of Super Mario-kun, Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi encounter a shark during their boat trip. The shark attacks them, but Mario throws Yoshi to the shark to defeat it, although Yoshi gets injured.
Profiles and statistics[edit]
Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten[edit]
| ジョー (JP) / Shark (EN) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Original text (Japanese) | Translation | ||
| アクア |
Tribe | Aqua clan | |
| まっすぐ | Disposition | Direct | |
| ランド２ | Game appearances | Land 2 | |
| ファイアも ボクシンググローブをはめたサメのモンスター。 |
Fire doesn't work on these awesome guys. A shark monster wearing boxing gloves. It will suddenly dash out and attack you. Fire is ineffective, so you will have a hard time in the water. It moves only horizontally, so you will have to change your position. | ||
Gallery[edit]
Key artwork from Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Artwork from Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Artwork from Game Boy - Nintendo Switch Online
Sprite from Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Kellogg's trading card
Scan from Super Mario-kun
Cover of Super Mario Story Quiz Picture Book 1: Chase Wario
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ジョー[4][5][6] Jō |
Joe; a potential play on 「矢吹丈」(Jō Yabuki), the boxer protagonist of the manga「あしたのジョー 」(Ashita no Jō, Ashita no Joe), and「ジョーズ」(Jōzu, Jaws) | |
| German | Joe[?] | - | |
| Italian | Joe[7] | - |
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Sharks cannot be stopped. Swim around them . . . carefully." – Dec. 1992. Nintendo Power (Volume 43). Nintendo of America. Page 49.
- ^ a b Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins entry on the official Mario Portal. nintendo.co.jp (English). Retrieved August 13, 2022. (Archived August 13, 2022, 13:51:45 UTC via archive.today.)
- ^ Roberts, Rachel, and Cardner Clark, editors (2018). "Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins" in Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia: The Official Guide to the First 30 Years (First English Edition). Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books. ISBN 978-1-50670-897-3. Page 76.
- ^ a b スーパーマリオランド２ ６つの金貨／敵キャラクター. Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Japanese). Retrieved 8 Jul. 2024.
- ^ a b c 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). Shogakukan (Japanese). Page 91.
- ^ a b Sakai, Kazuya (Ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors (2015). "Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins" in『スーパーマリオブラザーズ百科: 任天堂公式ガイドブック』. Tokyo: Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 978-4-09-106569-8. Page 75.
- ^ November 15, 2018. Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN 889367436X. Page 75.
