Fire Snake
| Fire Snake | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork of a Fire Snake used for New Super Mario Bros. 2 | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) | ||
| Latest appearance | New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (2019) | ||
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Fire Snakes[1][2] (earlier parsed as Firesnakes,[3] though Fire Snake was in use initially),[4] are long snake-like creatures with bodies made up of fireballs. They have appeared as uncommon enemies in several games of the Super Mario franchise, mostly in desert-themed levels.
History
Super Mario series
Super Mario Bros. 3
Firesnakes first appear in Super Mario Bros. 3 in Desert Land. If a Firesnake sees Mario, it begins to chase him by bouncing and trying to collide with him. A Firesnake can only be defeated by either being hit by a Shell or Hammer, by having Mario touch it while he is invincible, by being hit by Mario's tail as either Raccoon Mario or Tanooki Mario, or a stomp from Statue Mario. He can also lead them into a pit (though they reappear after a few seconds). In the original NES version, Firesnakes do not have eyes, whereas they have them in Super Mario All-Stars and Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3.
Super Mario World
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In Super Mario World, an enemy of the same name appears in the Special Zone stage Outrageous. As it hops along, it leaves behind small, indestructible fires that fade away after a few seconds.
New Super Mario Bros.
Fire Snakes also appear as uncommon enemies in New Super Mario Bros. in World 2-5. These Fire Snakes try to attack Mario by chasing him while bouncing, like in Super Mario Bros. 3. The Fire Snakes of New Super Mario Bros. can be defeated by a Shell or by being touched by Invincible Mario or Mega Mario. Like in Super Mario Bros. 3, they can fall into an abyss and reappear up to two times after a few seconds. They are depicted with eyes similar to re-releases of Super Mario Bros. 3.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Fire Snakes reappear in the game New Super Mario Bros. Wii, acting like they did in New Super Mario Bros., but with a new ability. After several hops, their heads enlarge, then go back to normal size. They only appear in World 2-3 and can be defeated with a Star or ice balls.
New Super Mario Bros. 2
Fire Snakes reappear in the Nintendo 3DS title New Super Mario Bros. 2. This time, they also appear in lava-themed levels, and behave the same as they do in New Super Mario Bros. They appear in World 2-4 and World 
Star-7.
New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
Fire Snakes reappear in New Super Mario Bros. U acting exactly as in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. They have their own level called Fire Snake Cavern located in Layer-Cake Desert in which they are very common alongside the Fire Bros, and can now be eaten by any Baby Yoshi. Fire Snakes are also pushed back if Mario uses a Glowing Baby Yoshi. Fire Snakes also appear in New Super Luigi U, where they appear infrequently in Light-Up-Lift Tower. Both roles are reprised in New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe.
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
Firesnakes make a few minor appearances in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3. In "Princess Toadstool for President", Mario and Luigi end up in Dark Land and while there, they get ambushed by many enemies, including a Firesnake. In "Crimes R Us", the Koopalings break in to the Mushroom Kingdom Treasury, using a Chain Chomp to open the barred window, a Ptooie to blast a hole in the wall, and a Firesnake to bust a hole in the roof. In "Recycled Koopa", a Koopa Zombie attacks Luigi with three Firesnakes which get out of his case.
Nintendo Adventure Books
In Double Trouble, a swarm of Firesnakes can be encountered in the Koopahari Desert if Mario decides to take a shortcut to Fort Koopa. Depending on how an accompanying puzzle is solved, Mario either dodges and escapes them, or is sent running after being singed twice, losing his Super Mushroom in the process. Far fewer Firesnakes can be encountered on the main road to Fort Koopa, and Mario can easily avoid them.
Two Firesnakes appear as competitors in the International Mushroom Games in Leaping Lizards, being members of a team called the Sneaks. During the Beetlebowl, an all-team game, they may (depending on who the reader chooses as their offensive line) leap into the middle of the ring when the event begins and flare up, blinding everyone nearby besides Roy Koopa and their Rocky Wrench teammate, due to their sunglasses. When one of the Firesnakes grabs a Hoopster and tries to dunk it into the Mushroom Kingdom Royals's bucket, Mario unintentionally stops it when the Mushroom King (who had been turned into a rabbit) hops by, causing him to sneeze and blow the Firesnake out. What other events the Firesnakes compete in besides the Beetlebowl are unspecified.
In Koopa Capers, Wendy O. Koopa, needing some Firesnake scales for a potion she is brewing, captures several and locks them in a freezing cave in the Magma Pits, causing them to enter a catatonic state and begin shedding.
Yoshi's Safari
In Yoshi's Safari, only two Firesnakes appear as mini-bosses. They are defeated by blasting them repeatedly with the Super Scope. Unlike other appearances, they are composed of a string of blue Podoboos in this game, and instead of jumping, wind around rapidly like an actual snake, albeit through the air. They are destroyed one segment at a time, with each becoming a normal orange Podoboo and leaping at Yoshi upon taking enough damage.
Mario Kart series
Fire Snakes have made a few appearances as obstacles in the Mario Kart series. In all of their appearances, if a racer drives into a Fire Snake, their kart briefly spins out. Fire Snakes first appear in Mario Kart DS, on Desert Hills, where they are fired from the Angry Sun in the sky and hop along the track for a short time. The Fire Snakes in this game do not have eyes. In Mario Kart Wii, aside from returning in DS Desert Hills, Fire Snakes also appear in Grumble Volcano, where they near the end hopping out of pipes on the side of the course. In Mario Kart 8 and its Nintendo Switch version, Fire Snakes also appear in Wii Grumble Volcano.
Other appearances
In the premade world for the Super Mario Mash-up in Minecraft, 3D pixel art of a Fire Snake appears in the desert.
Gallery
Super Mario Bros. 3
New Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. 3 (Famicom 40th Anniversary)
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ファイアスネーク[5] Faia Sunēku |
Fire Snake | |
| Chinese | 火焰蛇[?] Huǒyàn Shé |
Flame Snake | |
| French | Serpenflamme Serpodoboo Serpent de feu (Super Mario Bros. 3 instruction booklet)[?] |
From "serpent" (snake) and "flamme" (flame) From "serpent" (snake) and "Podoboo" Fire Snake |
|
| German | HeatHeat[citation needed] Loderschlange Feuer-Schlange[citation needed] |
Blaze Snake Fire Snake |
|
| Italian | Vampaserpe Serpente di fuoco[6] |
Fom "vampa" (flame) and "serpe" (snake) Fire snake |
|
| Korean | 파이어스네이크[?] Paieo Seuneikeu |
Fire Snake | |
| Portuguese | Chamiço[?] | From "chama" (flame) and the adjective-forming suffix "-iço" | |
| Russian | Огненный змей[?] Ognennyy Zmey |
Fiery Snake | |
| Spanish | Serpiente de Fuego[?] | Snake of Fire |
Trivia
- Fire Snakes were written into the desert sequence of the Super Mario Bros. film, but were cut for unknown reasons. Scripts state that they "[...]resemble moray eels, their mouths filled with pointed piranha-like teeth," and that "They gnaw through the skin, burrow into the body cavities, and lay their larvae. It can take weeks for the host to die." Earlier scripts had given this description to "Sand Eels" which similarly did not appear in the final product. In the final cut, a neon sign labeled "Fire Snake" can be seen during the establishing shot of Dinohattan.
References
- ^ Nintendo Power Volume 13, page 9.
- ^ von Esmarch, Nick. New Super Mario Bros. 2 PRIMA Official Game Guide. Page 30.
- ^ Super Mario Bros. 3 English instruction booklet, page 35.
- ^ Nintendo Power Volume 11, page 13.
- ^ Super Mario Bros. 3 Japanese instruction booklet, page 35
- ^ Super Mario Bros. 3 Italian instruction booklet, pag. 35
| Lava Bubbles | |
|---|---|
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| Species | Big Lava Bubble • Black Lava Bubble • Bō • Ember • Lava Babble • Lava Blubble • Lava Bubble • Lava Ghost • Paper Macho Lava Bubble • Phantom Ember • Podoboo Tower • Poison Bubble |
| Relatives | Fire Bar • Fire Snake • Fireball (Donkey Kong) • Lava Blobble |
| Yoshi's Safari | ||
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| Bosses | Hammer Brother • Lemmy Koopa • Ludwig von Koopa • Boomerang Brother • Wendy O. Koopa • Sea Devil • Larry Koopa • Sledge Brother • Morton Koopa Jr. • Iggy Koopa (King Gessō) • Roy Koopa • Firesnake • Magikoopa • Lakitu • Big Boo • Chargin' Chuck • Mecha Nokonoko • Bowser | |
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| Miscellaneous | Gallery • Media | |
- Snakes
- Fire creatures
- Double Trouble enemies
- Leaping Lizards enemies
- Mario Kart DS species
- Mario Kart Wii species
- Mario Kart 8 species
- New Super Luigi U enemies
- New Super Mario Bros. enemies
- New Super Mario Bros. 2 enemies
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- Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 enemies
- Super Mario Bros. 3 enemies
- The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 enemies
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