Korvallis
| Korvallis | |
|---|---|
| |
| Species | Dull Bones (originally a Koopa Troopa) |
| First appearance | Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004) |
| Latest appearance | Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch) (2024) |
- “Ummm... Yeah, I guess this isn't my father, after all.”
- —Koops, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Korvallis, who appears as a non-living Dull Bones in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, was the father of Kolorado from Paper Mario. Although Korvallis is now a Dull Bones, he was once a Koopa Troopa. Unlike other Dull Bones, his shell and shoes are blue.
Korvallis is seen in one of the early rooms of Hooktail Castle, where Koops mistakes the bones for those of his seemingly late father Koopley. Koops breaks down in tears, but then he notices a letter within the skeletal remains and asks Mario whether he should read it or not. If Mario indulges Koops to read it, Koops will read the letter, which reveals Hooktail's weakness and tactics. When Koops reads the last words, he realizes that these are not his father's bones after all, and Mario and his team continue onward. His bones remain intact and the letter can be read again at any point in the game. Korvallis plays no further part in the game.
If the player chooses not to read the letter, they simply move on and neither gain the insight about Hooktail's weakness and tactics nor the knowledge over the true identity of the bones. However, the player can read it again at any time, where Mario reads it instead of Koops.
The name Korvallis is a portmanteau of "Koopa" and "Corvallis", a city in Oregon. This matches the naming scheme of Kolorado's name, which is a portmanteau of "Koopa" and "Colorado": both names originate from locations in the United States. While Kolorado's father is never explicitly referred to as Korvallis in-game, the name is present in one of the Creepy Steeple Boo's quizzes in the Nintendo Switch remake.[1] In the Japanese version, "Richard" replaces "Korvallis" as an answer, which matches the identifier used in the file name of the tattle on Korvallis in the original game.[2] Though this is no longer the case in the remake, as character tattles are labelled by numbers instead,[3] Richard being referenced again in the quiz further indicates that it is the Japanese name of Korvallis. Like Korvallis and Kolorado, Richard and Charles (Kolorado's Japanese name) share a naming scheme: they are both English names containing the syllable "char". With this in mind, it can be presumed that Korvallis is the English localization of Richard.
Letter
GCN
"I came to this castle to destroy Hooktail, but I am stuck and can go no further. So in this letter, I shall note Hooktail's weaknesses for those who follow. The dread Hooktail cannot tolerate creatures that begin with 'cr' and end with 'icket'. Hidden somewhere in this castle is an item related to Hooktail's weakness. If one is to have any hope of defeating Hooktail, one must first find that item. One last thing: if faced with ultimate doom, the fiend will use any trick to save itself. If you hope to defeat it, do not give in to your kinder nature and fall for its tricks. Alas, I do not have the strength to continue writing... Already, mist veils my eyes... My last words go to my son, Kolorado: I love you, and I'm proud of who you've become."
Switch
"I came to this castle to destroy Hooktail, but I am stuck and can go no further. So, in this letter, I shall note Hooktail's weaknesses for those who follow. The dread Hooktail cannot tolerate croaking creatures that begin with 'f' and end with 'rog.' I heard that something related to Hooktail's weakness is hidden somewhere in this castle. If one is to have any hope of defeating Hooktail, one must first find...whatever that thing is. One last thing—if faced with ultimate doom, the fiend will surely use any trick to save herself. Alas, I do not have the strength to continue writing... Already, mist veils my eyes... My last words go to my son, Kolorado—I love you, and I'm proud of who you've become."
Tattle
- "...Koops's dad? No, I don't think so..."
Gallery
Koops mistakes the Dull Bones for his own father.
Koops reading the letter
Koops realizing the Dull Bones is not his father
Koops asking whether he should read the letter in the remake
Mario reading the letter in the remake
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | リチャード[?] Richard |
Richard (Kolorado's name is Charles) | |
| Chinese (simplified) | 理查德[?] Richard |
Richard (Kolorado's name is Charles) | |
| Chinese (traditional) | 理查德[?] Richard |
Richard (Kolorado's name is Charles) | |
| Dutch | Koolrabi[?] | From koolrabi ("kohlrabi") | |
| French | Korvallis[?] | Same as English (Kolorado's name is also the same) | |
| German | Korvallis[?] | Same as English (Kolorado's name is also the same) | |
| Italian | Karles[?] | Rhymes with Charles, Kolorado's name in Italian | |
| Korean | 리처드[?] Richard |
Richard (Kolorado's name is Charles) | |
| Spanish | Korvallis[?] | Same as English (Kolorado's name is also the same) |
References
- ^ Specifically quiz 5, question 2: "What is the name of the son mentioned in the letter held by the Dull Bones in Hooktail Castle?"
- ^ 「リチャード」 ("Richard"), identifier for the tattle found in file gon_03 of the original game.
- ^ In the remake, the file name for the tattle is msg_kuri_npc_026. "kuri" refers to Goombella.
