Para-Beetle

Para-Beetle
	; Sprite from Dr. Mario World
First appearance	Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988)
Latest appearance	Super Mario Party Jamboree (2024)
Variant of	Buzzy Beetle
Variants
	Buzz-Bomb; Heavy Para-Beetle; Spiky Parabuzzy
Comparable
	Albatoss; Goonie

Para-Beetles (known as Parabuzzies in the Paper Mario series and Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey) are flying Buzzy Beetles that first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3. In most games, they lack visible legs, though occasionally they are shown dangling from beneath.

History[edit]

Super Mario series[edit]

Super Mario Bros. 3 / Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]

Para-Beetles, as originally depicted for Super Mario Bros. 3

Para-Beetles are found only in World 5-6 in Super Mario Bros. 3. They can be stood on by the player character to lift them into the air,^[1] so jumping on a Para-Beetle does not defeat it, as it would for most other enemies. If stepped on, a Para-Beetle lowers slightly before fluttering upwards diagonally.^[2]^[3] Para-Beetles are unaffected by fireball attacks, but they can be defeated from either a tail swipe from Raccoon Mario's tail, a Super Stars, or a hammer. In the remake, Para-Beetles appear throughout the World-e stage, Para Beetle Challenge.

Faster, green varieties are present in the game's files,^[4] as well as the remake's,^[5] but they go unused in both games.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]

The front and side views of a Para-Beetle in New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Para-Beetles return in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, only within World 7-6. Besides being slower, slightly larger, and receiving a larger variant, Heavy Para-Beetle, Para-Beetles have little difference than in Super Mario Bros. 3. If players jump on eight Para-Beetles in succession (including Heavy Para-Beetles) without touching the ground, a 1-Up Mushroom drops from the sky.^[6]

There are unused variants of Para-Beetles and Heavy Para-Beetles that fly to the right and stand still and face the screen.^[7]

New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U[edit]

Para-Beetles are featured in the level Flight of the Para-Beetles in New Super Mario Bros. U and its New Super Luigi U equivalent, Para-Beetle Parade. The Para-Beetles in New Super Mario Bros. U function like in their previous appearance,^[8] but in their New Super Luigi U appearance, some Para-Beetles carry Piranha Plants, Big Piranha Plants, and P Switches.^[9]

Super Mario Maker series[edit]

Para-Beetle in the New Super Mario Bros. U style in Super Mario Maker.

Para-Beetles can appear in Super Mario Maker, its port, and Super Mario Maker 2 if the player applies wings to a Buzzy Beetle. With Para-Beetles now being literal winged Buzzy Beetles, they no longer have a unique appearance, though their behavior goes unchanged regardless. Heavy Para-Beetles now ascend like Para-Beetles when stood on,^[10] no longer moving the opposite direction.

Unlike Para-Beetles in other games, they can lose their wings and become normal Buzzy Beetles by having Yoshi lick one and spit it back out. Although called Para-Beetles by the game itself, they count towards the "defeat Buzzy Beetles" clear condition in Super Mario Maker 2 and do not have a clear condition of their own.

Amada Anime Series: Super Mario Bros.[edit]

A Para-Beetle flying alongside Mario, a Boomerang Bro, and a Spike in Super Mario Momotarō

In Super Mario Momotarō, a female Para-Beetle is the first creature who joins Mario to rescue Princess Peach after Mario gives some food to the starving Para-Beetle. During the final battle, she aids Mario by knocking out Wendy O. Koopa with a powerful tackle and later using the same move on Bowser. After the final battle, she helps Mario return the treasures that Bowser had stolen back to their rightful owners. She is based off of the bird from Momotarō.

The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]

Para-Beetles act as minions of King Koopa in "Reptiles in the Rose Garden" and "True Colors." Mario, Luigi and Toad also ride on them in "7 Continents for 7 Koopas".

Paper Mario series[edit]

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[edit]

In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and its Nintendo Switch remake, Parabuzzies can be found in the Pirate's Grotto and in the Pit of 100 Trials. They are depicted as Buzzy Beetles with wings, unlike before. Like other Buzzy Beetles, they have high Defense and are immune to fire attacks, and flying allows Parabuzzies to evade ground attacks. A single jump can knock off a Parabuzzy's wings, turning it into a Buzzy Beetle.^[11]

Super Paper Mario[edit]

The Parabuzzies of Super Paper Mario become Buzzy Beetles when stomped,^[12] just like in the predecessor. They appear in The Overthere and Castle Bleck.

Mario Golf: World Tour[edit]

Para-Beetles fly in the background of Sky Island in Mario Golf: World Tour,^[13] but have no interactive properties.

Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition[edit]

Para-Beetle in Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition

In Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition, Para-Beetles are a light-attributed enemy with a high HP stat and low Attack and RCV stats, being ranked 4 out of 6 in HP and 2 out of 6 in their other stats. Their skill is Support, which cures the team of Paralysis. Their second skill is Light Boost, which raises the attack of Light attribute team members if players clear a horizontal line of light orbs. Buzzy Beetles can turn into Para-Beetles if they are given four P-Wing transformation items. If a Para-Beetle is given six Super Mushroom transformation items, it becomes a Heavy Para-Beetle.

Mario & Luigi series[edit]

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions[edit]

Para-Beetles appear in the Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser mode of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions. Here, they are a Flying troop. Their Special Skill is Dive Attack, letting them dive into their opponents. They are weak against ordinary Buzzy Beetles, despite Flying troops typically being strong over Melee troops.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey[edit]

Para-Beetles reappear in the Bowser Jr.'s Journey mode of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, reprising their roles as enemies and allies.

Dr. Mario World[edit]

A Para-Beetle appears as an Assistant in Dr. Mario World. Their stage mode effect is to transform an object, mainly a virus, into a shell when the stage starts. Their versus mode effect grants a chance one of the viruses that appear is transformed into a shell when all viruses in the player's play area are eliminated. For both modes, the chance of a shell appearing is increased at higher levels, starting from 20% at the first level and ending at 100% at the maximum level.

The in-game artwork for this game shows their shells have holes for legs to go through, implying they tuck them inside while flying.

Super Mario Party Jamboree[edit]

In Super Mario Party Jamboree, artwork of Para-Beetles can sometimes appear on balls in the minigame Big-Top Quiz. In addition, they can be seen flying in the background of Mario's Rainbow Castle when the tower has been turned to reveal Impostor Bowser.

Unused appearances[edit]

Sprites found in prototype revisions of Super Mario World include those for Para-Beetles, which were not included in the final game. According to the sprites, they would have used a color scheme not found in the final game, though they were also incomplete.^[14]

Profiles and statistics[edit]