Hammer Bro

“Now ya got my hammer angry - ya shouldn't have done that!”

—Hammer Brother, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

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A Hammer Brother as it appeares on Mario Party 8.

Hammer Brothers (or Hammer Bros.) are Koopas that stand upright and throw hammers at passers-by. They have been around since Super Mario Bros. They also have bigger beaks than normal Koopas and wear armor. They can use special hammers to shrink enemies.

History

Super Mario Bros.

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A Super Mario Bros. Hammer Bro.

Hammer Bros. first appeared in Super Mario Bros. as enemies who are encountered infrequently. Often, they appear in groups of two, and attack by jumping from a row of bricks at the top of the screen to a row of bricks in the middle of the screen to the ground. Rarely, a Hammer Brother will appear alone. Hammer Bros. will occasionally take a break from throwing hammers and jump into the air; this is Mario's chance to run below them. On a side note, while normally immobile, if the player waited long enough, the Hammer Bros. would charge towards the player.

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

In Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2, Hammer Bros. returned to help King Koopa as he kidnapped Princess Peach once again. Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels was much like Super Mario Bros., so Hammer Bros. behaved little different from Super Mario Bros. in this game. However, this game did introduce a new attack pattern for certain Hammer Bros.: some would gradually home in on Mario and Luigi.

Super Mario Bros. 3

Although absent from Super Mario Bros. 2, Hammer Bros. were given bigger roles in Super Mario Bros. 3. In this game, they essentially did what they did in Super Mario Bros., but were given three new variations: the rare Fire Brothers., who spat fire in a manner immensely similar to that of Fire Mario, the Boomerang Brothers., whose weapons would return to them, and the Sledge Brothers, who were huge and could pound the ground (temporarily immobilizing Mario or Luigi). Also, Hammer Bros. patrolled the map screens, and touching one there would result in a battle with him and his brothers.

Super Mario World

Normal Hammer Bros. were absent from Super Mario World, instead, two variations of them appeared. One of these variations, the Amazing Flyin' Hammer Brother, was a stout Hammer Bro. riding a winged platform. The other was the Sumo Brother, which could create thunderbolts that exploded upon impact with the ground.

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A Hammer Brother from the game Yoshi's Safari.

Yoshi's Safari

In Yoshi's Safari, Hammer Brothers, as well as Boomerang Brothers and Sledge Brothers, would occasionally appear as mini-bosses; in this game, Hammer Brothers would attack Mario and Yoshi by quickly throwing hammers at them, which would need to be dodged or knocked away by a blast of Mario's Super Scope. After being blasted repeatedly by Mario's Super Scope, a Hammer Brother would be defeated.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Hammer Bros. were made completely different. Like their predecessors, these Hammer Bros. had yellow skin, however, instead of green shells with green armor, the Hammer Bros. of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars had black shells with black armor. They are also significantly larger than a normal Hammer Bro. (but presumably not larger than a Sledge Bro.). Additionally, these Hammer Bros. speak fondly of their hammers, as if their wooden weapons were sentient, living beings.

In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, the Hammer Bros. were the leaders of the Koopa Troop's forces in Mushroom Way. They were ordered to capture any intruders, which they did when the fungus Toad tried to pass through Mushroom Way to the Mushroom Kingdom. However, Mario showed up to rescue his friend. As a result, a battle erupted between the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom and the two Hammer Bros. During the battle, the Hammer Bros. pounded Mario with their hammers, and even used the special move Hammer Time, by throwing multiple hammers at the plumber. When Mario defeated one of the brothers, the remaining brother used the move Valor Up to increase his defense. However, even though his defense was boosted, the second Hammer Bro. was defeated by Mario. After the fight, Toad was freed, Mario earned a Flower Jar, and the hero even picked up his defeated enemies' Hammers to use in battle.

Later in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, a single, green colored Hammer Bro. named Dr. Topper appears in Bowser's Keep, which has been taken over by the Smithy Gang; Dr. Topper is not an enemy, per se, but he will block Mario's progress through Bowser's Keep, unless Mario solves his various puzzles and riddles.

Paper Mario

In Paper Mario, Hammer Bros., along with Koopatrols and Magikoopas, were the elite of Bowser's forces. In this game, Hammer Bros. would attack Mario by either throwing one hammer at him or several, weak hammers at him. Additionally, Hammer Bros. will occasionally throw a hammer at Mario which can cause him to shrink in size and diminish his attack power.

A Hammer Bro. can be first encountered in Paper Mario in the Shy Guy's Toy Box, if Princess Peach tells Bowser and Kammy Koopa that one of the things that Mario fears most is a Hammer Bro., Kammy Koopa will later warp a Hammer Bro. into the Shy Guy's Toy Box to guard a treasure chest.

Hammer Bros. are also encountered throughout Bowser's Castle, where they act as guards in it, attacking Mario if he approaches. Hammer Bros. also patrol the hallways of Princess Peach's Castle when players gain control of Princess Peach. If a Hammer Bro. sees Princess Peach out of her room, it will grab her and roughly toss her back into her room. It was also possible for Peach to transform into a Hammer Bro. using her Sneaky Parasol.

Tattle Information

• HP: 12
• Attack: 5
• Defense: 1
• Location: Bowser's Castle
• Tattle: These are the Hammer Bros. You've seen these punks before, haven't you? Be careful of that hammer! If it hits you, you'll get shrunk in a wink. When the Hammer Bros. get desperate, they'll hurl a ton of hammers, so watch it. These guys have been a pain for ages, so let's give 'em an old-fashioned whopping. As always, they're not to be underestimated.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

Hammer Bros. made minor appearances in Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga, which (for the most part) took place in the Beanbean Kingdom. On their way to the Beanbean Kingdom, Mario and Luigi encountered the Border Bros., who may be "beanified" versions of Hammer Bros, as they wore armoring almost identical to a Hammer Brother's.

When Mario and Luigi reach Bowser's Castle they encounter traditional Hammer Bros. that (like the rest of the Koopa Troop) had been duped by Bowletta into defending the castle. They attack as usual, by throwing their hammers at Mario and Luigi. By watching the hammer's shadow, the player can tell if the hammer will hit Mario or Luigi, who can knock the hammer away with their own hammers. Sometimes, a Hammer Bro. will throw multiple Hammers (up to three).

Boomerang Bros., though drastically different than their Super Mario Bros. 3 versions, appear as enemies in Gwarhar Lagoon in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. This game also introduces subspecies such as Yo Brothers, Limbo Brothers, and Chomp Brothers.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

“That's a Hammer Bro. You know him. He throws hammers. Hence the name. When his HP drops and he thinks he's in trouble, he'll toss a hammer barrage. Nothing about these guys has changed: they're tough as ever, so brace yourself! Dang! This book always skips the important stuff! How do they carry endless hammers!”

—Goombella, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Hammer Bros. also appear in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. In this game they have the same attack pattern as in Paper Mario and are mainly found in Rougeport Sewers. A bunch of Hammer Bros. also appear when Bowser and Kammy summon their army to fight Lord Crump and the X-Nauts in Twilight Town.

There is also a Hammer Bro. named Hamma Jamma in the Glitz Pit. His team is with his two brothers, Bamma, a Boomerang Brother and Flare, a Fire Brother. Hamma Jamma will also also speak of his father on occasion, who he mentions is a Business Brother, apparently some sort of businessman version of a Hammer Brother.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time

Only one pair of Hammer Bros. appeared in Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time, and these individuals are known as the L33t Hamm3r Broz. In this game, they were reluctantly brainwashed by the Shroobs and forced to guard the Vim Factory from any intruders (or "pwn teh n00bs", as they put it). They were also notable for using leetspeak in their hypnotized forms, which caused a great phenomenon on the internet. Although the two L33t Hamm3r Broz. successfully "pwned" Mario and Luigi, Baby Mario and Baby Luigi were left behind. The L33t Hamm3r Broz. were forced to "continue their pwnership", and went into battle with the babies. They were eventually defeated, though, and proved to be allies. As a reward for saving them from the Shroobs, they gave Baby Mario and Baby Luigi hammers and trained them in hammer use.

Super Princess Peach

Hammer Bros. had a large role in Super Princess Peach, where they seem to be Bowser's most trusted minions. In this game, it is they that storm Peach's Castle and kidnap Mario, Luigi, and the Toads. They are major characters, and they are led by the Army Hammer Bro. They also appear as generic enemies towards the middle of the game, and even Amazing Flyin' Hammer Bros., who were absent from games for some time, reappear. Their militant role was distracted, though, by the wild Vibe Scepter, resulting in sub-species such as the Calm Hammer Brother and Calm Amazing Flyin' Hammer Brother.

New Super Mario Bros.

In New Super Mario Bros., Hammer Brothers appeared once again as infrequent enemies, found only in a few of the game's levels. Like in Super Mario Bros., the Hammer Brothers of New Super Mario Bros. would attack Mario or Luigi by hopping up and down in place and flinging their hammers.

Super Paper Mario

Hammer Bros. regained their role as item-flinging Koopas in Super Paper Mario, where they appear as a main species. Like with many other enemy types in this game, there is also a shadowy version, the Dark Hammer Bro..

Other Appearances

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A Hammer Bro. playing soccer as in Super Mario Strikers.

In Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee, Hammer Bros. will occasionally appear in the background of the Mushroom Kingdom stage.

In Super Mario Strikers and Mario Strikers Charged, Hammer Bros. appear as teamates and sidekicks to the game's captains. A Hammer Bro., as well as a Boomerang Bro. and a Fire Bro., appear as teammates of Bowser in Mario Superstar Baseball. Interestingly, Hammer Bro. uses a large hammer as a bat and can be unlocked by beating Mario Superstar Baseball's Adventure Mode as Bowser.

During Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix two Hammer Brothers blocked the entrance of Mushroom Park to stop Mario (or Luigi) and Toad from getting the next Music Key from Wario. However, they would only let them pass if Mario danced against them and won. The Hammer Brothers lost and Mario was able to get into Mushroom Park.

Some Hammer Bros. also made an appearance in the Mario Party series. But their most important role is as an orb, which can be used to steal ten Coins from an opponent when they land on it. A Hammer Bro. is also an unlockable and playable character in the game Mario Party 8.

Appearances in Other Media

Cartoons

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The Hammer Bros. from The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode "The Trojan Koopa / Texas Tea".

In The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, the Hammer Bros. appeared in only two episodes, "Do You Princess Toadstool Take This Koopa...? / Mario Hillbillies" and "The Trojan Koopa / Texas Tea". In "Do You Princess Toadstool Take This Koopa...? / Mario Hillbillies" Hammer Bros. served only a minor role, while in "The Trojan Koopa / Texas Tea" Hammer Bros. they where employed to serve as guardians at one of King Koopa's fortresses.

In The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, Hammer Bros. made minor appearances in a few episodes and their appearance changed once more. Although Hammer Bros. didn't make many appearances, their larger counterparts, the Sledge Bros., were quite prevalent.

Comics

In Nintendo Comics System, several Hammer Bros. appear in the crowd of monsters chasing Mario in the story "The Fish That Should've Gotten Away". Several Hammer Bros., though not weilding any hammers, also appeared to pester Toad, who had become a reporter, in the comic "The Kingdom Enquirer".

Movie

In the Super Mario Bros. movie a tattoo shop called "Hammer X Bros.", a reference to Hammer Brothers, can be seen through a window of the Boom Boom Bar. Additionally, the uniforms of King Koopa's police force in the Super Mario Bros. movie have a slight resemblance to the armor traditionally worn by Hammer Brothers.

See Also

Sub-Species

• Amazing Flyin' Hammer Brother - A large Hammer Bro. who rides around on a winged and flying platform.
  • Calm Amazing Flyin' Hammer Brother - An Amazing Flyin' Hammer Brother who is usually found sleeping.
• Boomerang Brother - A Hammer Bro. that throws boomerangs instead of hammers and wears blue armor.
  • Dark Boomerang Brother - Boomerang Brothers who are completely black in color.
  • Goomerang Brother - A fusion of a Goomba and a Boomerang Brother.
• Business Brother - An unseen type of Hammer Brother who are apparently a type of businessmen.
• Calm Hammer Brother - Hammer Brothers who are lazy and lethargic and can usually be found sleeping.
• Chomp Brother - Extremely muscular Hammer Bros. who utilize Chain Chomps as weapons.
• Dark Hammer Brother - Hammer Brothers who are completely black in color and featureless.
• Fire Brother - A red Hammer Bro who attacks by spitting out fire.
  • Dark Fire Brother - Fire Brothers who are completely shaded and dark.
• Limbo Brother - An obese Hammer Brother who limboes and uses a flaming torch as a weapon.
• Sledge Brother - Large, green Hammer Brothers who can cause earthquakes and throw sledge hammers.
• Sumo Brother - Large, orange and yellow Hammer Brothers who can create waves of fire.
• Yo Brother - Hammer Brothers wearing jester outfits who utilize bladed yo-yos as weapons.

Tools

• Hammer
• Hammer Suit

Notable Hammer Bros.

• Army Hammer Bro. - Super Princess Peach
• Border Bros. - Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
• Dr. Topper - Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
• Hamma Jamma's Grandfather - Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
• Hamma Jamma - Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
• L33t Hamm3r Broz. - Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time