Muncher

This article is about species derived from Piranha Plant. For the enemy in Donkey Kong Country Returns, see Muncher (Donkey Kong Country Returns). For the sample level in Super Mario Maker, see Muncher (level).

Muncher
Artwork of three Munchers from New Super Mario Bros. U
First appearance	Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988)
Latest appearance	Super Mario Maker 2 (2019)
Variant of	Piranha Plant
Variants Chomp-Muncher
Comparable Nipper Plant

Munchers are a near-invincible species of Piranha Plant. Unlike Nipper Plants, Munchers are usually colored black and are immobile. Even a Super Star cannot defeat a Muncher, but it can prevent it from hurting Mario or Luigi. Only a Switch Block (in Super Mario Bros. 3), a POW Block, a Spiny Shell, or a big Goomba's Stiletto (all in Super Mario Maker) can defeat a Muncher.

History

Super Mario series

Super Mario Bros. 3

Munchers from the Super Mario All-Stars version of Super Mario Bros. 3 (top) and from Super Mario World (bottom).

Artwork of Munchers from Super Mario Bros. 3.

Munchers first appear in Super Mario Bros. 3 and are first encountered in World 5-3 where they appear in large numbers. World 6-10 features frozen Munchers, which can be identified by the black Ice Block in which they are encased. As Princess Toadstool warns to Mario in her letter leading into the world, they are harmless when frozen and act like platforms, but if the player uses a fireball, the Muncher will become active again. If Mario or Luigi hits a Switch Block, all regular Munchers will briefly turn into coins; if Mario or Luigi tail whips one, the Muncher will become an Empty Block (except in the GBA version, where they are unaffected). If the player has Goomba's Shoe, they can walk along them without taking damage.

A blue Muncher

In this game, Munchers are damage-causing foreground tiles rather than sprites. In their official art, they are black with orange leaves, but in the game itself, they can come in other colors depending on the level, sometimes having blue leaves, due to the inconsistencies between the limited four palettes available for foreground tiles on the NES in different levels. In Super Mario All-Stars and Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, they have green leaves with heads that are either dull orange or indigo depending on the location.

Munchers that pop out of tiny pipes also appear in the Piranha Plant stages of Pipe Land. Additionally, in any version of the game, Munchers remain animated even when the game is paused, as they are tiles on the foreground layer comparable to Jelectros.

Super Mario World

Munchers appear again in Super Mario World, where they behave just like they did previously, including acting like objects. However, Caped Mario cannot turn them into blocks as Raccoon and Tanooki Mario could. As before, being Invincible Mario can allow the player to walk on the Munchers without being harmed; also, Yoshi can walk on them safely. Touching a Muncher from the side or bottom while riding on Yoshi, however, damages Mario directly without causing Yoshi to run away, removing Mario's power-up if he has one or causing him to lose a life if he does not. This unique behavior is only seen in Vanilla Dome 3, as there are a few Munchers that can be touched from the sides.

In this game, they have a slightly different appearance: their eyes are absent and their head is oval-shaped instead of round.

Gray P Switches can turn Munchers into coins; however, this behavior goes unused since no levels in the game have both.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Normal and frozen Munchers in New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

Model animation of a Muncher from New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Munchers only appear in World 9-7, and even then, they only appear in ice blocks. However, they cover most of the floor, and the level is filled with Venus Fire Traps, whose fireballs can burn the ice the Munchers are in, exposing them to the players. The players can also melt them if they have a Fire Flower. Once they are thawed out, they cannot be frozen again, even if they are hit with a iceball from an Ice Flower.

Hacking the game reveals that unlike in Super Mario World, Yoshi can no longer safely walk on Munchers or Spike Traps in this game. This behavior is unused in the game proper since no level has both of them.

New Super Mario Bros. U

Munchers in New Super Mario Bros. U.

Munchers, no longer in ice blocks, appear in New Super Mario Bros. U, and are found in Spinning-Star Sky and Thrilling Spine Coaster. They retain their appearance from New Super Mario Bros. Wii and behave the same way as they do in other games.

New Super Luigi U

Munchers appear in New Super Luigi U, in the levels Lemmy's Lights-Out Castle, Cooligan Shrooms, and Wiggler Rodeo. They behave the same as in other games.

Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS / Super Mario Maker 2

Munchers reappear in Super Mario Maker, Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, and Super Mario Maker 2. They can be placed in courses normally, but they can also be made huge by dragging a Super Mushroom onto them, or be made to spawn from Lakitus, Warp Pipes, ? Blocks, Brick Blocks, or Bill Blasters.

Munchers in these games are treated as sprites instead of objects, acting the same as Piranha Plants but smaller and harder to defeat. Shaking them has no apparent effect other than producing a purple-black cloud of smoke, but shaking them repeatedly will produce flies, which the player can swat to initiate the Gnat Attack minigame. In 1.20 onwards, shaking it after the flies have emerged will cause King Watinga to pop out, and swatting him will trigger a harder version of Gnat Attack.

In this game, Munchers are damaging to the touch on every side, unless Mario is wearing a Goomba's Shoe, during which only hitting a Muncher with Mario's head will damage him. Mario can also use Buzzy Shells to bounce them up from below. Munchers can be defeated by a POW Block, a fast fly down while Cape Mario, a ground pound with a giant Goomba's Shoe, and the Spiny Shell from below. Yoshi can once again walk safely across Munchers, even in the New Super Mario Bros. U style. Munchers are heavy enough to press a P Switch without needing to be enlarged with a Super Mushroom, and also defeat any enemy (including Bowser) should they fall over it.

Also, as Munchers are absent from Super Mario Bros., new sprites are made for this style. In the Super Mario World style, a new sprite was made instead of using the original one: they have yellow lips and have a blue shading.

The Munchers in this game are affected by gravity, and fall down if they are not on top of any ground. They can also operate like solid blocks in that they take out most enemies just by falling onto them.

Super Mario Run

Munchers appear again in Super Mario Run, acting as they do in other games. Yoshi can walk freely on Munchers whereas the other characters cannot.

Nintendo Adventures Books

Munchers appear as scenery in Double Trouble, where it's mentioned Roy Koopa has parked the Doomship above a patch of them in the Mushroom Kingdom. In Leaping Lizards, some Munchers are a part of the first International Mushroom Games event, the obstacle course. If Roy's flying carpet is sabotaged by a Rocky Wrench, he will fall into a patch of the plants, though the Munchers leave him alone due to deeming his tough hide unappetizing.

In Pipe Down!, if Mario and Luigi follow Princess Toadstool out of her castle and to the Koopahari Desert, they have to zig-zag through patches of Munchers. The plants make a similar cameo in Dinosaur Dilemma, where they can be spotted prowling the Valley of the Koopas by Mario and Yoshi.

In Flown the Koopa, a patch of Munchers can be found in the desert surrounding a tree inhabited by Cheep Cheeps, and will swarm Luigi if he tries to get his and his friends lost International Dino-Flying Derby tickets out of the tree; more of the plants can be found by the Mario Bros. in the swamp containing Magikoopa's Fortress.

Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3

Munchers also appear in Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3. They retain their original black coloration and are found early in the game. There is no distinction between how they inflict damage on Wario and how they inflicted damage on other heroes in past Mario games. Munchers are stationary and populate the ground in long arrays of specimens. They cannot be knocked out in any way.

Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Although Munchers do not directly appear in Mario Kart 8 or Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, several appear along the bottom adverts in some courses for Green Service.

Mario Tennis Aces

Several Munchers at the Ancient Altar in Mario Tennis Aces

Munchers appear in Mario Tennis Aces, where they are found in the background of the Ancient Altar while the player battles Petey Piranha.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Munchers are mentioned briefly by Viridi during Palutena's Guidance dialogue for Piranha Plant.

Characteristics and traits

Munchers act like spikes, as touching them would damage Mario and Luigi. However, both Yoshis (except in the New Super Mario Bros. games) and the Goomba's Shoe can walk on them without harm. In a few levels, they spring from thin pipes. The only way for Mario or Luigi to cross a patch of Munchers by himself is by acquiring a Super Star or by carefully jumping to the gaps between Muncher patches.

Gallery

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  Super Mario Bros. 3

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  Super Mario World

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  A size chart for a 1996 Nintendo Character Manual

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  Super Mario Game Picture Book 5: Princess Peach's Birthday

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  Super Mario All-Stars (Super Mario Bros. 3)

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  Super Mario Maker (Super Mario Bros. style)

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  Super Mario Maker (Super Mario Bros. style)

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  Super Mario Maker (Super Mario Bros. 3 style)

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  Super Mario Maker (Super Mario World style)

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  Super Mario Maker (New Super Mario Bros. U style)

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	ブラックパックン Burakku Pakkun	Black Piranha
Chinese	黑吞食花[?] Hēi Tūnshí Huā	Black Piranha Plant
Dutch	Muncher[?]	-
German	Mampfer[?]	Muncher
Italian	Sgranocchio[?]	From sgranocchiare (to munch) with suffix "-cchio" attached
Korean	블랙뻐끔[?] Beullaek Peokkeum	Black Piranha
Portuguese (NOE)	Trincas[?]	Little Bites (name is singular masculine)
Russian	жевалка[?] zhevalka	From жевать (zhevat, to munch)
Spanish (NOA)	tulipán piraña[?]	Piranha Tulip
Spanish (NOE)	Mordiscador[?]	Nibbler, from mordiscar (to nibble)