Wire Trap
| Wire Trap | |
|---|---|
 Artwork of two Wire Traps from Super Mario Sunshine | |
| First appearance | Donkey Kong (Game Boy) (1994) |
| Latest appearance | Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch) (2024) |
| Variant of | Spark |
A Wire Trap[1][2] is an obstacle introduced in the Game Boy version of Donkey Kong. It is an indestructible faceless type of Spark that moves on wires and ropes rather than platforms.
History[edit]
Donkey Kong[edit]
Wire Traps are obstacles in the Game Boy version of Donkey Kong. They are first seen in Stage 1-3. Wire Traps travel from the left to the right of their wire, disappearing once they reach the end, and spawn at regular intervals. Upon contact, Wire Traps can shock Mario and cause him to lose a life. They resemble balls with four diagonal needle-like protrusions that constantly emit electricity between them in a pattern resembling that of a Jacob's ladder.
Super Mario Sunshine[edit]
Wire Traps are obstacles in Super Mario Sunshine. They are encountered in Bianco Hills and Noki Bay. Wire Traps are either red or blue in color and resemble spiral-shaped seashells that are covered in spikes. Glowing sparks of electricity emit from their centers as they cling to a wire and move along it by spinning themselves. Red ones are the most common, and they normally grow from a funnel on one side, travel to the other, and then disappear. However, ones found in Noki Bay instead slowly follow Mario along the rope. Blue Wire Traps, also exclusive to Noki Bay, are bigger and much slower than their red counterparts, and they constantly go back and forth between ends of the rope without disappearing. If Mario touches a Wire Trap, he will get burned and may fall off the rope. The player can slightly hinder the Wire Traps' progress by spraying water on them with FLUDD. The only way to avoid them is to jump over them. As they move, they make a low chirping noise, similar to that of a real-life hermit crab.
Super Mario-kun[edit]
A Wire Trap appears in Super Mario-kun, where Mario gets shocked by the obstacle.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong[edit]
Wire Traps are obstacles in Mario vs. Donkey Kong and its remake. They are first encountered in Level 1-4. Wire Traps travel through wires periodically, similarly as in Donkey Kong, and retain their ability to shock Mario upon contact, which causes him to lose a life.
New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat[edit]
Wire Traps are obstacles in New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. They appear starting in Desert Oasis, where they are blue with small eyes. They travel along floating noninteractive rails of various shapes, with lines containing circular points to end their path. The ones with points on their rails are faster, though most pause before traveling to the other point. Rectangular rails contain more than one on them. They make a technological beeping sound when nearby, similar to the background of Mario's Hideout from Donkey Kong Jr.
Profiles and statistics[edit]
Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten[edit]
| スパーク (JP) / Wire Trap (EN) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Original text (Japanese) | Translation | ||
| ウエポン |
Tribe | Weapon clan | |
| Disposition | Straight line | ||
| Game appearances | Jr., GB Donkey | ||
| A lump of electricity that emits sparks In JR, they are running around on the floor, so you have to run past them at once when you see a chance; in GB, they are moving over the ropes, so avoid them at all costs. In both cases, you will be electrocuted if you touch them. | |||
Gallery[edit]
Additional names[edit]
Internal names[edit]
| Game | File | Name | Meaning
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Sunshine | wiretrap/wire_trap[4] | wire_trap | Wire Trap |
| Mario vs. Donkey Kong | string in ROM (SPARKY_LOOP) | SPARKY_LOOP | Sparky |
| New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat | 1 Data/ObjectData/Biribiri.arc | Biribiri | Onomatopoeia for electric shocking |
| Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch) | Pack/Actor/Sparky.pack.zs | Sparky | - |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | スパーク[3][5] Supāku |
Spark | Donkey Kong and Super Mario Sunshine |
| スパーキー[6][page number needed] Supākī |
Sparky | Mario vs. Donkey Kong | |
| French | Spark[7] | Spark | |
| German | Spark[?] | Spark | |
| Italian | Trappole di corda[8] | Wire trap | |
| Wire Trap[9] | - | ||
| Sfavillo[10] | From sfavillare ("to spark") | Shared with Hothead in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate |
References[edit]
- ^ Bogenn, Tim, and Doug Walsh (2002). Super Mario Sunshine Official Strategy Guide. BradyGAMES (American English). ISBN 0-7440-0180-3. Page 7.
- ^ Hodgson, David S J, Bryan Stratton, and Stephen Stratton (September 3, 2002). Super Mario Sunshine Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Prima Games (American English). ISBN 0-7615-3961-1. Page 18.
- ^ a b November 20, 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). Tokyo: Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 4-09-259067-9. Page 96.
- ^ Super Mario Sunshine, internal filename root/data/scene/bianco2.szs/scene/wiretrap/wire_trap.bmd
- ^ October 10, 2002. 「スーパーマリオサンシャイン任天堂公式ガイドブック」 (Super Mario Sunshine Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook). Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 4-09-106064-1. Page 19.
- ^ Mario vs. Donkey Kong Shogakukan book
- ^ July 4, 2018. Super Mario Encyclopedia. Soleil Productions (French). ISBN 2302070046. Page 99.
- ^ 2002. Mario Sunshine. Guida strategica. Prima Games (Italian). ISBN 8890092211. Page 18.
- ^ November 15, 2018. Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN 889367436X. Page 99.
- ^ Colombo, Alessandro (March 9, 2022). Super Mario Mangamania. Edizioni BD (Italian). ISBN 978-88349-07122. Page 26.
