View source for Urchin

{{distinguish|Invincible Urchin|Sea Urchin}}
{{species-infobox
|image=[[File:NSMBU Urchin Artwork.png|190px]]<br>Official art of an Urchin from ''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]''
|first_appearance=''[[Super Mario World]]'' ([[List of games by date#1990|1990]])
|latest_appearance=''[[Dr. Mario World]]'' ([[List of games by date#2020|2020]])
|derived_species=[[Big Urchin]]<br>[[Small Urchin]]<br>[[Urchin (land)]]
|related=[[Brier]]<br>[[Unibō]]<br>[[Unira]]
}}
'''Urchins''' are spiked aquatic creatures that have appeared as enemies throughout the [[Mario (franchise)|''Mario'' franchise]]. As their name and appearance suggest, they are based on real-life {{wp|sea urchin}}s. They are slow, yet tough enemies that [[Mario]] or [[Luigi]] must avoid usually because they cannot be defeated by normal means, like a single [[jump]]. Although they live mostly underwater, Urchins can also live on land. 

==History==
===''Super Mario'' series===
====''Super Mario World''====
[[File:SMW Art - Urchin.png|150px|thumb|left|Artwork of Urchin from ''Super Mario World'']]
In ''[[Super Mario World]]'', Urchins move between tunnels in [[Forest of Illusion 2]]. [[Yoshi]] cannot eat them, but he can bounce on them. Urchins cannot be defeated with [[fireball]]s. However, they can be defeated by [[Grab Block]]s. Players must time their movements carefully as to avoid an Urchin's spikes.

The Urchins in ''[[Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2]]'' can be defeated by [[Luigi]] riding [[Yoshi]] by swallowing a [[Blurp]] and spitting it at the Urchin.

====''Super Mario Galaxy''====
Urchins appear in ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'' in the [[Beach Bowl Galaxy]], the [[Drip Drop Galaxy]], the [[Buoy Base Galaxy]], the [[Sea Slide Galaxy]], and the [[Deep Dark Galaxy]]. In this game, they have a slightly different appearance: they have a different array of spikes, they are slightly larger, have a flatter face, and have visible orange eyelids. However, they do not swim around in the water; instead, they will stay on the sea bottom, and when they see Mario, they start chasing him by rolling towards him. Urchins also appear on land in the [[Freezeflame Galaxy]]; they act exactly the same as they do underwater. There are also fuzzy [[Urchin (land)|red Urchin]]s on land to go along with the fiery area of the stage; they will act exactly the same as the normal Urchins, and can be defeated if the player lures them into entering the lava, or if they are hit by a [[fireball]] shot by [[Fire Mario]] or Fire Luigi. A single red Urchin appears in the Deep Dark Galaxy in the [[Boo in a Box]] mission as well. The underwater versions can be destroyed with a shell. They release six [[Star Bit]]s when defeated. Urchins have a unique defeat animation when they get burnt, showing them being turned black with a shrunk center; when other enemies die from fire, they use their ordinary defeat animation.
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====''New Super Mario Bros. Wii''====
[[File:Mega_Urchin.png‎|120px|thumb|left|A model of a [[Big Urchin]] from ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii''.]]
Urchins appear in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'' along with a larger version of them called [[Big Urchin]]s. Urchins start floating up and down like their ''Super Mario World'' incarnation, but when frozen with an [[Ice Flower]] or [[Penguin Suit]] they will float briefly on the water before breaking free and getting knocked out underwater permanently. In this state, the Urchin can block underwater [[Pipe]]s that spray out jet streams, which can be used to the player's advantage or disadvantage, depending on the situation. They could also be defeated with a fireball, a Koopa Shell or a [[Super Star|Star]]. Big Urchins are stronger than normal Urchins and only defeated with a Star. In the game, when there is a "bah" in the background music, Urchins will briefly open their mouths, releasing bubbles, as if they were saying "bah" underwater.

====''Super Mario Galaxy 2''====
{{multiple image
|align=right
|direction=horizontal
|image1=SMG2 Urchin.png
|width1=100
|caption1=An Urchin underwater
|image2=SMG2 Land Urchin.png
|width2=100
|caption2=An Urchin on land
}}
Urchins reappear in ''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]'', behaving the same way as in the predecessor. They appear in the [[Starshine Beach Galaxy]] and in the [[Slimy Spring Galaxy]]. Three [[Urchin (land)|red Urchin]]s also appear in this game in the [[Battle Belt Galaxy]].

====''New Super Mario Bros. 2''====
{{multiple image
|align=left
|direction=horizontal
|footer_align=center
|footer=Urchin species in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. 2]]''
|image1=Urchin NSMB2 Prima.jpg
|width1=77
|caption1=Original Urchin
|image2=Small Urchin NSMB2 Prima.jpg
|width2=77
|caption2=[[Small Urchin]]
}}
Urchins also appear in the [[Nintendo 3DS]] game ''[[New Super Mario Bros. 2]]'', where they behave the same way they did in ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii'', and have the same appearance. [[Small Urchin]]s also appear, acting exactly like their bigger versions, only standing still.

====''New Super Mario Bros. U''====
[[File:NSMBU Urchin Screenshot.jpg|thumb|left|Big Urchin and an Urchin for size.]]
Urchins also make an appearance in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]''. In [[Urchin Shoals]] in [[Sparkling Waters]], Urchins are placed over [[Water Geyser|water geysers]] used to rise them to the platform surface, when lifted by geysers, they have an angry expression. In Urchin Shoals, Urchins and their big relatives are the main features.

===''Super Mario World'' television series===
[[File:UrchinsCartoon.jpg|thumb|Several Urchins, from the [[Super Mario World (television series)|''Super Mario World'' cartoon]].]] 
Several Urchins make a small appearance in the [[Super Mario World (television series)|''Super Mario World'']] episode "[[Mama Luigi]]". In the episode, Yoshi and Luigi, while being chased through an underwater tunnel by a [[Rip Van Fish]], almost swim directly into several Urchins. Luckily, Yoshi and Luigi manage to avoid bumping into these Urchins. In addition, the [[porcupinefish]] from the episode [[Fire Sale]] resemble Urchins.

===''Nintendo Adventure Books''===
Some Urchins make a small appearance in the ''[[Nintendo Adventure Book]]'' "[[Brain Drain]]", being seen in a large fish tank by Luigi, after [[Iggy Koopa]] takes over the WMUSH radio station.

===''Super Mario Adventures''===
In ''[[Nintendo Power]]''{{'}}s ''[[Super Mario Adventures]]'' comic, several Urchins act as guards in the moat surrounding the [[Koopalings]] tower.

===''Yoshi Touch & Go''===
Though they were seemingly going to make a return in ''[[Yoshi Touch & Go]]'', Urchins were not seen in the final game. They were, however, featured in the ''[[Balloon Trip]]'' tech demo that can be thought of as a ''Yoshi Touch & Go'' beta. In the demo, they float in the skies and take one of [[Baby Mario]]'s [[balloon]]s away if he touches one of them. They can never be trapped in bubbles, making them some of the more challenging enemies featured in the demo. By the final game's release, these Urchins were redesigned as the plant-like [[Brier]]s.

===''Super Princess Peach''===
[[File:Gleam Glacier 6-2.png|thumb|right|[[Gleam Glacier 6-2]]]]
Urchins also make an appearance in ''[[Super Princess Peach]]''. They appear in the Subrella sections of the game. They move back and forth, and cannot be defeated.

===''Mario Party'' series===
====''Mario Party 9''====
In ''[[Mario Party 9]]'', Urchins appear in the [[minigame]] [[Pier Pressure]]. The ten fishing rods either have [[Cheep Cheep]]s or Urchins at the end of them; if the player ends up choosing one with an Urchin on it, they are eliminated.

[[Blooper]] also tosses Urchins at the players in its boss minigame, [[Blooper Barrage (minigame)|Blooper Barrage]]. They target a specific player, and their course can be redirected by hitting it with a [[cannonball]]. Getting hit by an Urchin results in that player losing one point; hitting it right before it is about to hit the player sends in into the sea below. Additionally, in the minigame [[Bowser's Block Battle]], if Blooper appears on the stage, it attacks by throwing Urchins at the players.

====''Mario Party 10''====
In ''[[Mario Party 10]]'', Urchins appear in some minigames, such as [[Fruit of the Doom]], where they act as obstacles, and as a selectable enemy in [[Meanie Match]].

====''Mario Party: The Top 100''====
In ''[[Mario Party: The Top 100]]'', Urchins reappear in the minigame [[Pier Pressure]] from ''[[Mario Party 9]]'', with the same rules.

====''Super Mario Party''====
In ''[[Super Mario Party]]'', Urchin makes a cameo appearance in the minigame [[Absent Minded]], where he is one of the characters that can be chosen as a guess.

===''Mario & Luigi'' series===
====''Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam''====
Urchins appear in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam]]''. They are only encountered in [[Twinsy Tropics]], and are usually fought alongside [[Cheep Cheep]]s. They can neither be jumped on nor hammered, similarly of how [[Spiky Parabuzzy|Spiky Parabuzzies]] work in ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'', and can only be attacked via [[Bros. Attack]]s or [[Trio Attack]]s. If the Urchin is damaged but not defeated, it will eventually blow up, causing major damage to the trio, along with any enemies that are fighting alongside them. The trio can only counter this attack by blocking it. Also, if they are left alone after the trio defeats all the other enemies, they will [[flee]] without any experience given. They have low HP but very high defense; their second encounter has the highest defense rate, at 625 (600 in easy mode).

====''Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey''====
[[File:MLBISBJJUrchin.png|thumb]]
Urchins reappear in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey]]'', where they are found as enemies in the ''Bowser Jr.'s Journey'' mode. They are flying troopers, and their spikes damage Minions who attack them physically. They only appear in levels in [[Plack Beach]]. At the start of rounds involving them, they are not initially seen with the rest of the squad, but jump out of the water to their positions as soon as the battle starts. Urchins and [[Cheep Cheep]]s cannot be recruited as allies, due to their shared inability to travel on land.
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==Profiles and statistics==
===''Super Mario'' series===
====''Super Mario Galaxy''====
*'''Trading Card description:''' "''Urchins are spiky blue fish that Mario must face in an underwater challenge in the Beach Bowl Galaxy and a land mission in the Freezeflame Galaxy. They roll along the seafloor or ground trying to poke Mario with their spikes. There are also red Urchins in lava areas that Mario can hit with a fireball or trick into falling into the lava.''"

====''New Super Mario Bros. Wii''====
*'''Trading Card description:''' "''These spiky Urchins basically just bob up and down. But you need to be a good swimmer and cautious if they are nearby. Their mere presence (especially the Big Urchin) can be a tricky nuisance to avoid, and their spikes cause damage. Freezing Urchins can send them to the surface for a short time, so try using them to your advantage. But even that is risky...''"<br>
'''Card Number: 40'''

===''Mario & Luigi'' series===
====''Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam''====
{{:Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam bestiary|transcludesection=Urchin (1)|align=horizontal}}
{{:Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam bestiary|transcludesection=Urchin (2)|align=horizontal}}

====''Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey''====
*'''''Bowser Jr.'s Journey'' profile:''' ''Their bodies are covered with dangerous spikes. They won't join your side... mostly because they can't leave the water.''

===''Mario Party: Star Rush''===
{|width=100% cellspacing=0 border=2 cellpadding=3 style="border-collapse:collapse;background:white"
|-style="background:white;"
!Image
!Name
!Bio
|-
|align="center"|[[File:MPSRCM_Urchin.png|75px]]
|align="center"|[[Urchin]]<br>''A spiky enemy usually found underwater.''
|"''Urchins spend their time floating innocently in water, making it hard for Mario and friends to swim around.''"
|}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Urchin_SMW.png|A sprite of an Urchin in ''Super Mario World''.
SMW Art - Urchin.png|An Urchin's artwork in ''Super Mario World''.
SPPUrchin.png|Sprite from ''[[Super Princess Peach]]''
Galaxy Urchin.jpg|Artwork from ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]''.
SMG Urchin model.png|Data-rendered model from ''Super Mario Galaxy''.
UrchinNSMBW.png|In-game model from ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]''
Minecraft Mario Mash-Up Urchin.jpg|''[[Minecraft|Minecraft: Wii U Edition]]''
DMW-Urchin.png|''[[Dr. Mario World]]''
</gallery>

==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names
|Jap=ウニラ<ref>''Super Mario World'' Japanese instruction booklet (fold-out)</ref><ref>Shogakukan. 2015. ''Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook'', ''Super Mario Galaxy 2'' section, page 159.</ref><br>''Unira''<br>ウニゾー<ref>Shogakukan. 2015. ''Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook'', ''Super Mario Galaxy'' section, page 126.</ref><ref>''Super Mario Galaxy'' / ''Super Mario Galaxy 2'' internal filename (<tt>Unizo</tt>)</ref><ref>''New Super Mario Bros. Wii'' / ''New Super Mario Bros. 2'' / ''New Super Mario Bros. U'' internal filename (<tt>unizo</tt>)</ref><br>''Unizō''
|JapM=From ''uni'' (ウニ), meaning "sea urchin". Officially romanised as "Unira" or "Unizo".
|SpaA=Ericín
|SpaAM=From "erizo" (urchin).
|SpaE=Erincho
|SpaEM=From ''erizo de mar'' (sea urchin) and ''pincho'' (spike) 
|FraA=Oursino
|FraAM=From "oursin" (sea urchin).
|FraE=Oursin
|FraEM=Sea urchin
|Ger=Igluck<br>Aqua-Wummp (''Super Mario World'' guide)
|GerM=Pun on ''Igel'' (from ''Seeigel'', sea urchin) and ''Gluckern'' (gurgling)<br>Aqua (water) [[Thwomp]]
|Ita=Ricciospino
|ItaM=Spiked Urchin
|Por=Ouriço
|PorM=Urchin
|Rus=Еж
|RusR=Ezh
|RusM=Urchin
|ChiS=海胆<ref>无敌阿尔宙斯 (August 28, 2013). [http://tieba.baidu.com/p/2560204606 神游 超级马力欧世界 敌人官译]. ''Baidu Tieba''. Retrieved February 2, 2017.</ref> (''Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2'')<br>''Hǎidǎn''<br>海胆小子 (''New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe'')<br>''Hǎidǎn Xiǎozi''<br>海胆球<ref>[https://www.nintendoswitch.com.cn/new_super_mario_bros_u_deluxe/pc/stage/index.html Official Chinese website for ''New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe'']</ref> (''New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe'' simplified Chinese website)<br>''Hǎidǎn Qiú''
|ChiSM=Sea Urchin<br><br>Sea urchin guy<br><br>Sea Urchin Ball<br><br>
|ChiT=海膽小子<ref>[https://www.nintendo.com.hk/ssqj/minigame/index.html Official Chinese website for ''Mario Party 9'']. Retrieved February 12, 2020.</ref>
|ChiTR=Hǎidǎn Xiǎozi
|ChiTM=Sea urchin guy
|Kor=성게돌이
|KorR=Seonggedori
|KorM=From 성게 (''Seongge'', meaning sea urchin)
}}

==Trivia==
*Hacking into ''[[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]'' reveals that the game [[List of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars pre-release and unused content|was initially planned]] to feature what would appear to be a tiny Urchin, likely as some kind of item.
*The ''Super Mario Galaxy'' trading card for Urchin states that it is a spiky blue fish; however, Urchins seem to be purple in ''Super Mario Galaxy'', and most of their appearances for that matter. They are also not fish, but echinoderms.
*Their original Japanese name may imply that Urchins were intended to be a redesign or cameo of [[Unira]].
*In the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack in ''[[Minecraft]]'', Guardians are replaced by Urchins.

==References==
<references/>
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[[Category:Echinoderms]]
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[[de:Igluck]]
[[it:Ricciospino]]