Kooper
- “I don't even care that I have no shell on! I'm gonna show those Fuzzies what's what!”
- —Kooper, Paper Mario
Kooper is Mario's second party member in Paper Mario. He is a blue, bold, adventure-loving (and seemingly young) Koopa who dreams of becoming an archaeologist like his childhood hero Kolorado. He is the exact opposite of his successor, Koops, in terms of his personality. However, in the battlefield, the two have very similar abilities. Kooper's name is a pun on "Cooper", but with a K for Koopa.
History
Paper Mario series
Paper Mario
Mario and Goombario enter Koopa Village to find that Fuzzies have attacked the village and are stealing all the Koopas' shells. Mario gets the shells back for the Koopas and eventually finds Kooper. He tells Mario that his blue shell had been stolen by a Fuzzy and Mario agrees to get it back. Once Mario gets the shell back for Kooper, he joins the party. In the field, Kooper will retreat into his shell and Mario can shoot him out short distances, allowing him to flip switches, grab items and attack enemies. Kooper has a defense value of 1, meaning he takes one less damage from attacks that happen to damage partners.
Kooper receives three letters in the Post Office at Toad Town throughout the game: one from Kolorado's wife, one from Koover and one from his fan.
When the game ends, Kooper is seen in an expedition with Kolorado in Shiver City. Kooper is told by Parakarry that Peach wants him at the party (which is held at the end of the game). Kooper wants to help Kolorado instead, but Kolorado insists he goes to the party, and so he does.
Start Menu description
- This adventure-loving Koopa wants to be an archaeologist. He admires Kolorado, a world- renowned expert in archaeology. Press
to toss a shell and reach items at a short distance. His specialty is attacking enemies on the ground.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Although Kooper himself doesn't appear in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, early concept artwork exists and unused sprites are found in the game's data. Koops functions very similarly to him, and is even encountered in the first chapter of the game.
Super Paper Mario
Although Kooper doesn't appear in Super Paper Mario, his sprites are still present in the game's data.
Kooper also appears as a Catch Card found on the thirtieth floor of the Flopside Pit of 100 Trials and as a picture in the Mario Bros.' House.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl he is a Sticker that raises arm attack power of a player by ten.
Super Mario-Kun
Kooper, along with Goombario are seen with Mario in the Paper Mario arc in Super Mario-Kun. In volume 28's Super Wario-Kun, he is pushed away along with Mario and Goombario by Wario's foot.
Attacks
| Attack | Flower Points Needed | Effect | To Attack | Move Ranks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shell Toss | None | Attacks one enemy. Outside of battle, he can use this attack to flip switches, grab items and attack enemies. | Tilt  until the red star lights up.
|
Initial |
| Power Shell | 3 | Attacks all grounded enemies. | Tilt until the red star lights up.
|
Initial |
| Dizzy Shell | 4 | Makes enemies Dizzy. | Repeatedly press  to fill the gauge.
|
Super Rank |
| Fire Shell | 5 | A fiery move that attacks all grounded enemies. Can kill Dry Bones in one go. | Repeatedly tilt to fill the gauge.
|
Ultra Rank |
Catch Card
Card Type: Rare
Card Description: This is Mario's good buddy Kooper from Paper Mario. His Power Shell move was, and is, a thing of beauty.
Sticker information
| Image | Game | Effect |
|---|---|---|
|
Paper Mario | [Arm] - Attack +10 |
Gallery
Paper Mario
- PMTTYD-Kooper Concept Artwork.png
Concept artwork for Paper Mario[1].
Kooper without his shell.
Kooper is excited to see Kolorado.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | カメキ[?] Kameki |
"Kame" (亀) means "turtle" in Japanese. | |
| Chinese | 卡米龟[?] Kǎmǐguī |
Based on the Japanese name. 龟 (guī) means "turtle". This name is also the Pokémon Wartortle's official Mandarin name. | |
| German | Kooper[?] | - | |
| Korean | 엉큼이[?] Eongkeumi |
- | |
| Portuguese | Kooper[?] | - |
Trivia
- Although one of Kooper's artworks depicts him having an "X"-shaped arrangement of bandages on his cheek, no in-game sprites has shown him as such, not even those of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door or Super Paper Mario. It is worth noting that in another artwork for the game, Mario has a similar arrangement of bandages on his nose, meaning the two artworks may be intended to depict the two after a battle, and not be truly indicative of Kooper's intended appearance.
- Kooper is one of only two partners in the original Paper Mario to be able to do a First Strike, the other being Bombette.
References
- ^ Spaceworld 1999 preview page for Paper Mario on Nintendo of Japan's website. (Accessed on 29 October 2015)
