Flutter: Difference between revisions

Flutter
	; A Flutter from Mario Party: Island Tour
First appearance	Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995)
Latest appearance	Yoshi's Crafted World (2019)
Variant of	Wiggler

Revision as of 12:42, September 7, 2024

This article is about butterfly Wigglers. For the move used by Yoshi, see Flutter Jump. For the character from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, see Sergeant Flutter.

Not to be confused with Flitter or Floater.

“Wiggler ate till Wiggler's tummy was full, and now Wiggler grew up into Flutter!”

—Flutter, Paper Mario: Sticker Star

Flutters (also called Flying Wigglers^[1]) are the winged imago of Wigglers that first appeared in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. When hit, they act like the normal Wiggler, getting enraged. Instead of flying around aimlessly, though, they charge straight for the Yoshi that hit them. In early games, they had light orange noses contrasting Wigglers' dark brown ones, though most recent appearances give both dark brown noses.

History

Yoshi's Island series

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island / Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3

Artwork of a Flutter from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, depicting its original design

Flying Wigglers are enemies in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. They appear only in the level GO! GO! MARIO!!, as well as at the beginning of the secret level, Endless World of Yoshis in the remake. Just before the goal, a swarm of Flying Wigglers appear over a flat turf, flying in a wavy manner. If attacked with an egg or a jump, they turn angry and charge towards Yoshi's current position, disappearing off-screen after a time. Flying Wigglers can cause Yoshi to drop Baby Mario off his back if they come into contact with him. Yoshi can defeat them with a Ground Pound or by eating and turning them into an egg. If spat out instead, they fly away. They can also be defeated by touching them as Superstar Mario.

Yoshi's New Island

Flutters appear in Yoshi's New Island in the level Ride the Blarggwich, where they act slightly different from their original appearance. They simply fly up and down on a predetermined line, like red Koopa Paratroopas, and cannot be eaten, though some fly the same as their debut appearance near the end of the level. If angered however, they charge in Yoshi's direction. Their angry appearance has their original nose color, along with some other changes.

Tetris Attack

A Flying Wiggler appears in Tetris Attack, which depicts it as a friend of Yoshi rather than an enemy. It replaces the jewel fairy, Ruby, from Panel de Pon. Flying Wiggler is playable in Time Trial mode, and can be fought and rescued on the Flower Stage in the main Vs. Com mode. In the SNES version, it is paired with the similarly-themed Eggo-Dil.

Super Mario-kun

A moth-like adult form of Wiggler

An angry Flutter after Mario has plucked its flower

Prior to Flutters' official introduction in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, one Wiggler in volume 6 of Super Mario-kun transforms into a moth-like form after Bowser and a Magikoopa replace the flower on its head with a Muncher. It otherwise looks very little like a Flutter, notably having its nose interpreted as a pair of pincers.

In volume 14 of Super Mario-kun, a Flutter gets infuriated after Mario plucks a flower off it.

Mario Party series

“My problem is that I'm in love...”

—Flutter, Mario Party Advance

Bowser buying an item from Flutter's item shop in Super Mario Party

Flutters have had various roles in the Mario Party series. In Mario Party 5, Mario Party 6, and Mario Party 7, Flutters appear as the Flutter Orb (titled "Wiggler Capsule" in the former), which can take players to the Star. Additionally, in Mario Party 7, a Flutter is featured in the minigame Spider Stomp, where it is kidnapped and has to be rescued. In Mario Party 8, Flutter appears in a few minigames, including Specter Inspector, as one of the hiding characters (found in the piano); Moped Mayhem as a racer; and in the minigame contest Test for the Best, holding the 4,000 points sign. In Mario Party: Island Tour, Flutter appears at the first, second, and last Star Stages on the Star-Crossed Skyway board, where it gives out ten Mini Stars to the player who reaches it. Flutter appears in Super Mario Party as a non-playable character who owns the item shop. On Megafruit Paradise and its team-mode variant, Watermelon Walkabout, after passing Flutter's shop, the thermometer next to it rises a small amount every time. When it reaches the top, a giant scoop of ice cream falls and destroys Flutter's shop, and Flutter tells the player that they need to clean it up, making the shop unavailable to all the players for the rest of the game.

One particular Flutter appears in Mario Party Advance, where she resides on the third floor of the Mushroom Condo. She is in love with Mr. I, but is also the crush of Petal Guy who seeks her affection. Petal Guy attempts to win her over with a lovely poem but is rejected in favor of Mr. I, who does not return Flutter's affections toward him.

Mario Power Tennis / New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis

Wiggler having turned into Flutter for his Defensive Power Shot

In Mario Power Tennis, Wiggler transforms into a Flutter for his Defensive Power Shot. If the player is to win a match as Wiggler, he will transform into Flutter during his winning animation.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star

Flutter makes its debut in the Paper Mario series in Paper Mario: Sticker Star as Wiggler's fully grown and true form. Flutter explains he became his form after eating a plentiful amount of leaves from the forest. Flutter will offer to fly Mario and Kersti out to Bowser's Sky Castle. He also refers to himself as "grown up". In this game it appears with the brown nose of a Wiggler rather than the usual pink nose. Though Wiggler/Flutter can no longer take Mario to the shipwreck in Whitecap Beach, a pipe appears that transports Mario to the southwestern area of the island.

Mario Golf: World Tour

In the ninth hole of Wiggler Park in Mario Golf: World Tour is a large Flutter hovering above the green, and it does a loop if it touches a ball.

Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition

Flutter appears in Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition as an enemy and ally alongside a Flame Chomp. Its types are Fire and Light.

Super Mario series

Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS

Although Flutters themselves do not appear in Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, the player can attach wings to Wigglers, which references Flutters.

Super Mario Odyssey

Screenshot of the large butterfly in Super Mario Odyssey.

In Super Mario Odyssey, there is a location called the Forgotten Isle that is inhabited by Tropical Wigglers. There is a mission on this isle titled "A Butterfly's Treasure" that features a large, colorful butterfly. The Art of Super Mario Odyssey directly suggests that this butterfly is an adult form of the Tropical Wigglers.^[2]

Super Mario Maker 2

Although no actual Flutters appear in Super Mario Maker 2, Wigglers attached to wings, which references Flutters, make a return, retaining their behavior in its predecessor.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

Main article: Wiggler § Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

A Flutter makes an appearance in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. After the Wiggler boss battle, a seemingly-exhausted Wiggler, along with some Paragoombas, goes up into the sky, then returns as Flutter. Flutter takes this form for the rest of the game, and can take Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario between Gloomy Woods and Mount Brrr.

Yoshi's Crafted World

A Flutter in Yoshi's Crafted World

Flutters reappear in Yoshi's Crafted World during the level Weighing Acorns where they are seen flying above flower platforms and later on when Yoshi is on a bus ride. They are invincible and cannot be defeated by any means of attack. If Yoshi angers one, they swoop in his direction. Unlike previously, they will stop being angry after a few seconds. There is also a Flutter Sign craft that is found on the flip side of Spring Sprung Trail and serves as its local Blockafeller's first souvenir request.

Unused appearances

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3

Flutters were originally going to appear in World-e of Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, where they were to have the same behavior as in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, but they were left unused likely due to the discontinuation of the e-Reader.