Koopa the Quick
| Koopa the Quick | |
|---|---|
 Asset model from Super Mario 64 | |
| Species | Big Koopa Troopa |
| First appearance | Super Mario 64 (1996) |
| Latest appearance | Super Mario 3D All-Stars (2020) |
- “You must be strong. And pretty fast. So, how fast are you, anyway? Fast enough to beat me...Koopa the Quick? I don't think so. Just try me.”
- —Koopa the Quick, Super Mario 64
Koopa the Quick is a Giant Koopa appearing only in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS. He is one of the competitor characters in the games along with the Big Penguin. According to what Koopa the Quick says, his home is the "huge" variation of Tiny-Huge Island, which explains his size.
History[edit]
Super Mario 64[edit]
Mario first meets Koopa the Quick on the Bob-omb Battlefield after defeating the Big Bob-omb. Koopa the Quick appears only in the mission Footrace with Koopa the Quick. He is seen at the entrance of the stage and challenges Mario to a race from there to the top of the mountain, where the Big Bob-omb originally resided. Once Mario accepts his challenge, the race starts. If Mario makes it to the top of the mountain first and the victory jingle plays, he has to wait until Koopa the Quick makes it to the top as well to receive a Power Star. However, if Mario loses to Koopa the Quick, Mario has to return to the Mushroom Castle, reenter the stage, and try again. Also, Mario cannot use a cannon in his favor to get to the top of the mountain faster, as Koopa the Quick considers it cheating and does not give him the Power Star. However, using either of the warps does not affect the race. Somewhat hypocritically, Koopa the Quick himself cheats, as he takes a shortcut up a slope too steep for Mario to climb normally.
Koopa the Quick is next seen on the "huge" side of Tiny-Huge Island near Windswept Valley in the mission Rematch with Koopa the Quick, where he challenges Mario to a rematch for another Power Star. This time, Koopa the Quick is much faster and more difficult to beat. Again, the race starts if Mario accepts the rematch. Mario must also be careful not to get blown off the Windswept Valley bridge on his way to the flagpole. Once he beats Koopa the Quick, Mario receives another Power Star. If Mario enters the "tiny" side of the island, the player can find an especially small Koopa Troopa that would be in the same location as Koopa the Quick. On this island, if Mario loses to Koopa the Quick, Mario can simply use one of the pipes to go to the Tiny Island, and then use the pipe again to go back to the Huge Island, where Koopa the Quick will be back at the start of race.
Super Mario 64 DS[edit]
- “Well, if it isn't Mario! Long time no see. You've put on a few pounds since I last saw you. Too much pasta and lounging, huh?”
- —Koopa the Quick, Super Mario 64 DS
In the DS remake, Koopa the Quick appears to recognize Mario, as opposed to having to introduce himself like in the original game. Koopa the Quick instead holds his races to help Mario lose weight. Nothing about his races has changed, but he races only Mario. However, he cannot tell the difference between Mario and other characters wearing Mario's cap. Also, if Yoshi, Luigi, or Wario loses his Mario disguise and finishes the race, Koopa the Quick claims that he is the winner since Mario has technically not shown up, but if one of the three player characters beats him, then grabs Mario's cap, Koopa the Quick awards that character the Power Star. Also, if the player finishes the race without their Mario disguise and waits for Koopa the Quick to finish as well, then leaves, grabs a Mario Cap, and returns to the finishing point, Koopa the Quick acts as if the player has lost. While the player still cannot use a cannon in their favor, they can use the Wing Cap if they are wearing it while starting the race; flying with it still counts as a loss.
See also[edit]
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ノコノコ[?] Nokonoko |
Koopa Troopa | |
| Chinese | 喏库喏库[?] Nuòkùnuòkù |
Koopa Troopa | |
| French | Koopa Rapido[?] | Quick Koopa | |
| German | Schneller Koopa[?] | Quick Koopa | |
| Koopa der Schnelle (DS)[?] | Koopa the Quick | ||
| Italian | Koopa il Veloce[?] | Koopa the Quick | |
| Koopa il veloce[1] | Koopa the quick | ||
| Korean | 엉금엉금[?] Eonggeum'eonggeum |
Koopa Troopa | |
| Spanish | Koopa el Rápido[?] | Koopa the Quick |
Trivia[edit]
- During the development of Super Mario 64, the player originally raced against a rabbit, but it was replaced by Koopa the Quick due to the rabbit being too fast.[2]
- Despite the size difference, Japanese materials treat Koopa the Quick interchangeably with the game's Koopa Troopa enemies.[3] The English Mario Portal reflects this.[4]
- The secret to Koopa the Quick's speed on Tiny-Huge Island is his "Koopa Mach 1 Sprint" shoes or, in Super Mario 64 DS, "Supa Koopa Sprint" sneakers, on which he spent all of his cash. Neither is mentioned in the original Japanese script or the French translations, though the German, Italian, and Spanish translations retain the reference.
- In the French translation, Koopa the Quick asks Mario at one point if he has been training for the Olympic Games; the reference is removed in Super Mario 64 DS.
References[edit]
- ^ Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Page 85. One time only
- ^ Super Mario 64 – 1996 Developer Interviews originally featured in the official strategy guides. shmuplations.com. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- ^ スーパーマリオ64 | ゲームアーカイブ | マリオポータル | Nintendo. Nintendo (Japanese). Retrieved May 22, 2024.
- ^ English Super Mario 64 entry on the official Mario Portal. nintendo.co.jp. Retrieved August 13, 2022. (Archived August 12, 2022, 23:38:23 UTC via archive.today.)
