Buzzy Beetle

Buzzy Beetle
	; Artwork from New Super Mario Bros. U
First appearance	Super Mario Bros. (1985)
Latest appearance	Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition (2024)
Variant of	Koopa
Variants
	Big Buzzy Beetle; Bony Beetle; Buster Beetle; Buzzy Beetle Gang; Buzzy Beetle Tower; Magmite; Noko Bombette; Paper Macho Buzzy Beetle; Para-Beetle; Small Buzzy Beetle; Spike Top; Stone Buzzy
Comparable
	Goombeetle
Notable members
	Chan

This article is about the recurring species of turtle-like enemies. For the bee enemies from Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, see Buzzy.

“Buzzy Beetle Blocker...engage!”

—Buzzy Beetle, Paper Mario: Color Splash

Buzzy Beetles, also referred to as Buzzies, are common, quadruped, turtle-like Koopa enemies with hard, outer shells that are often dark blue. Buzzy Beetles first appear in Super Mario Bros., where they are first found in subterranean levels, the common habitat trope for Buzzy Beetles. Ever since, Buzzy Beetles can be found in a wider variety of darker, interior locations such as tunnels, sewers, ruins, etc. Buzzy Beetles attack mainly by walking towards characters. If Buzzy Beetles approach a ledge, they fall off of it with a few exceptions.

Buzzy Beetles hide in their shells if jumped on, and they can be kicked in a similar manner to a Koopa Shell to eliminate more enemies, destroy Brick Blocks, and activate switches. Buzzy Beetles wear a shell that is resistant to fireballs, leaving them unaffected by it. In a way, they are the polar opposite of the Spinies; enemies who are immune to stomps, but vulnerable to fireballs. Buzzy Beetles and their derivative species such as Spike Tops are also able to climb up walls and ceilings; Buzzy Beetles often use that vantage point to drop onto characters below in an ambush. Unlike Koopa Troopas, Buzzy Beetles are quadrupedal in all of their appearances.

Despite having the word "beetle" in their name, Buzzy Beetles are not beetles; rather, they were named as such because their shells give them an almost insectoid appearance, and that more recent games even confirm that Buzzy Beetles are indeed a type of Koopa.

Buzzy Beetles and Koopa Paratroopas are the only enemies from Super Mario Bros. that have yet to appear in a 3D game of the Super Mario series. Similarly, Buzzy Beetles, along with Lava Bubbles and Cheep Cheeps, are also the only enemies from Super Mario Bros. to not appear in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!

History

Super Mario series

Super Mario Bros.

The first appearance of Buzzy Beetles in Super Mario Bros.

Buzzy Beetles are enemies in Super Mario Bros. They are encountered in some of the later levels, and they are first seen in World 4-2. Buzzy Beetles can damage Mario or Luigi on contact. A Buzzy Beetle walks off of ledges, like with green Koopa Troopas. Though Buzzy Beetles hide in their shell when jumped on and reemerge eventually if left for long enough, Buzzy Beetles do not indicate when they are about to reemerge from their shells. Their shells can be kicked in the same manner as Koopa Troopa shells, where they can break blocks and defeat enemies as well as rebound off walls. Due to their hard shells, Mario and Luigi cannot defeat them with fireballs. Buzzy Beetles are black in the overworld, but blue-gray in underground levels. In World 5-2, three Buzzy Beetles appear in a consecutive line. A single Buzzy Beetle appears in World 7-1 on the steps before the flagpole, though a Goomba replaces it in the VS. Super Mario Bros. release. Buzzy Beetles replace all Little Goombas in the harder new quest playthough. Sometimes, like Koopa shells, Buzzy Beetle shells can potentially be flipped upside down (much like its death animation) only to right themselves back up if left undisturbed afterwards, either by being hit from below or being stomped while falling.

In World 3-4, a Buzzy Beetle is disguised as one of the seven fake Bowsers in the castle levels, so this is technically the first level where they appear. While in Bowser form, this Buzzy Beetle can be attacked with fireballs, which requires five fireballs to defeat it, as with all other fake Bowsers.

Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels

A Buzzy Beetle from Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

In Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Buzzy Beetles return and act just as they did in the previous game. They first appear in World 1-2, the first underground level of the game, though only one of them appears in that level. They appear more frequently throughout the game and in more levels than the game's precedent. They are also found underwater occasionally in World 9, along with all the other enemies, specifically in World 9-1 and World 9-4. When underwater, Buzzy Beetles cannot be jumped on, making them invulnerable. These Buzzy Beetles are colored black with gray outlines due to them sharing Blooper's color palette. In the Super Mario All-Stars version, Buzzy Beetles replace all Goombas appearing in Worlds A-D, much like in Hard Mode of the original.

Super Mario Bros. 3 / Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3

Upside-down Buzzy Beetles were introduced in Super Mario Bros. 3

Buzzy Beetles are enemies in Super Mario Bros. 3. They behave no different than before. Additionally, there is a certain type known as an Upside-down Buzzy Beetle,^[1] which walk on the ceiling and attack the player character by dropping from there and spinning along the ground in their direction. In Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, when the red switch e-Reader card is scanned, all walking Koopa Troopas are replaced with Buzzy Beetles. In addition, there is a flying variation called Para-Beetle, which are found only in one level. In the original version, they have the same sprites as in Super Mario Bros., albeit with a different palette, slightly different color mapping, and a single missing pixel on the top of the shell on one frame. In this game, Buzzy Beetles are an exclusive feature of cave-themed levels and no longer appear in other places. A variant called Buster Beetle is also introduced.

Super Mario World

Buzzy Beetles are enemies in Super Mario World. They are still resistant to fireballs, though Yoshi can eat and swallow them, unlike Koopa Shells. Buzzy Beetles hide in their shells when jumped on, as opposed to sliding out, as the Koopas sometimes do when stomped. Spike Tops, Buzzy Beetles with a spike on their back, which cannot be jumped upon, are introduced in this game. Yoshi or a successful Spin Jump will protect Mario and Luigi from getting hit by the spikes. This game also introduces Bony Beetles, which are undead skeletons of a Buzzy Beetle. After clearing the Special Zone for the first time, stomped Buzzy Beetle shells will not shake before the beetles start moving again.^[2]

New Super Mario Bros.

Buzzy Beetles are enemies in New Super Mario Bros.. They appear in only two levels; they are first encountered in World 5-C and make their last appearance in World 6-Tower2. Spike Tops also return as enemies. Buzzy Beetles can be kicked when stomped on, and are impervious to fire. When a "paah" plays in the background music and future installments, Buzzy Beetles will do a short jump.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Buzzy Beetles are enemies in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Unlike in Super Mario World, they cannot be swallowed by Yoshi, though he can spit out their shells in the same manner as with a Koopa Troopa shell. In World 6-3, a big group of Buzzy Beetles can be seen on the ceiling, and will fall on Mario and the group, as they did in Super Mario Bros. 3. In both games, Buzzy Beetles hop to the electronic vocal "paah" in the background music. They also appear in World 8-1, and these ones do not walk off ledges, unlike normal Buzzy Beetles, mainly because they walk off ledges that lead to a body of lava. Magikoopa may also transform blocks into them during his boss fight in World 8-Tower. Spike Tops also reappear again. Para-Beetles also make a reappearance, and a new sub-species called Heavy Para-Beetle. They only appear in World 7-6.

Big Buzzy Beetles were originally going to appear in this game, but they were removed from the final game, so they never appeared in any levels. However, through hacking methods, it is possible to use one in a level.

New Super Mario Bros. 2

Buzzy Beetles are enemies in New Super Mario Bros. 2. They are found in numerous underground levels, including World 6-1 and World Flower-A.

New Super Mario Bros. U

Buzzy Beetles are enemies in New Super Mario Bros. U. Bony Beetles also make a return since their debut in Super Mario World, now resembling an undead Buzzy Beetle. The large variety of Buzzy Beetle, which first appeared in Paper Mario: Sticker Star, also appears.

Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS

A Buzzy Beetle in Super Mario Maker

Buzzy Beetles reappear in Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS with the addition of a new Buzzy Shell which Mario can wear on his head, protecting him from enemies and traps from above. The player can also place the empty shell by shaking a Buzzy Beetle in the editor.

Mario is able to ride on Buzzy Shells by jumping and landing on them as they move, if they are shot by a Bill Blaster. By adding wings, Buzzy Beetles will slowly float from right to left (or left to right in some scenarios, such as being shot by a Bill Blaster) while maintaining Mario's ability to stand on them. Single winged Buzzy Beetles will rise when stood upon, while those with any number of enemies stacked upon them (including additional winged Buzzy Beetles) will maintain a constant altitude.

When placed in a dark area in the Super Mario Bros. style, instead of using a cyan or gray palette like in the original game, they use a palette resembling the underground palette for brown enemies (including them) from Super Mario Bros. 3, having a dark teal shell with light tan details. However, the rim and feet colors are switched from this, due to still using Super Mario Bros.'s mapping. The Super Mario Bros. 3 graphics themselves are redrawn, having an outline to better fit with other sprites in the style.

Super Mario Run

Buzzy Beetles appear in Super Mario Run, behaving identically as in New Super Mario Bros. and its follow-up games. They appear in Danger High and Low and Chase the Snaking Coins.

Super Mario Maker 2

Buzzy Beetles in Super Mario Maker 2

Buzzy Beetles return in Super Mario Maker 2, retaining their behavior in its predecessor. Furthermore, wearable Buzzy Shells return, also retaining retaining their behavior; this time, however, they can now be worn by Luigi, Toad, and Toadette. Likewise, the player can also place the empty shell by tapping a Buzzy Beetle and selecting that shell in the editor. There is also a new trait introduced in Version 2.0.0; unlike Costume Mario, which cannot wear any Buzzy Shells in Super Mario Maker and were originally considered for Super Mario Maker 2 before being scrapped from the game, Link can wear the those shells.

Buzzy Beetles are one of several enemies to not appear in the Super Mario 3D World game style.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Buzzy Beetles in Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Buzzy Beetles appear in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, where they are shown to now be able to swim in lava. Their snouts have been slightly redesigned to match those of Bony Beetles.

Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!

In Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!, Buzzy Beetles appear gold in color. One makes brief appearance in the walking montage after Mario acquires the mushroom, seen staring at the super-sized Mario in shock. Another one appears with a big-sized Buzzy Beetle in the montage after Mario acquires the Fire Flower. Mario shoots the big one with a fireball, despite the fact that Buzzy Beetles are ordinarily immune to fire attacks in the games.

Nintendo Adventure Books

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Some Buzzy Beetles appear in Nintendo Adventure Books series of gamebooks in the fourth book, Koopa Capers. They appear in Wendy O. Koopa's secret camp in the Magma Pits.

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Hotel Mario

Buzzy Beetles are enemies in Hotel Mario. They are introduced in Larry's Chillton Hotel, where they are depicted with a clump of snow on their backs fit for the chilly environment, and later appear in Bowser's Seizures Palace Hotel without it. Unlike in other appearances, they behave more like Goombas except they will walk in Mario's direction when he arrives on their floor.

Super Smash Bros. series

In Super Smash Bros., a single Buzzy Beetle appears in the Mushroom Kingdom stage, hopping on a Trampoline. Each hop, it goes progressively higher, until the fourth hop, where it does a flip and restarts the cycle. This Buzzy Beetle returns in the same capacity in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

A Buzzy Beetle also appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS as a trophy. According to a datamine, Buzzy Beetles (as well as Dry Bones) were meant appear as enemies in the Subspace Emissary before being removed from the final game.

Mario Golf series

“XC Golf is really different from anything you've seen before. No two routes are the same! Of course, sometimes that means you really get into a pickle where the ball ends up. That's when you should think about a redo. Did you know about that? Just press

to open your golfwatch, and scroll over into the In Trouble? menu. One of the options is to rehit! Yeah, you'll take a one-stroke penalty, but sometimes it's worth it.”

—Buzzy Beetle, Mario Golf: Super Rush

The name "Buzzy" is sometimes mentioned on the scorecard in the Nintendo 64 version of Mario Golf. The only time that Buzzy Beetles physically appear in the Mario Golf series is as non-playable characters in Ridgerock Lake in Mario Golf: Super Rush.

Paper Mario series

Buzzy Beetles also appear in the Paper Mario series. They are shell enemies like the Koopa Troopas, meaning they can be flipped over when they are jumped on or by a POW Block. However, unlike the Koopas, Buzzy Beetles do not spend a turn struggling on their back; they can right themselves on their very next turn, though they cannot attack on that turn. Fire attacks will not hurt them at all. However, if they are flipped on their back, they lose the fire immunity. Related enemies are Spike Tops, Parabuzzies (Para-Beetles which now lose their wings when they are stomped), and Bony Beetles. One of the new types of Buzzy Beetles are Spiky Parabuzzies, which flies and have a spike on their back, making it hard to damage them. In Paper Mario, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, and Super Paper Mario, Buzzy Beetles' eyes and entire face are visible. However, from Paper Mario: Sticker Star to Paper Mario: The Origami King, they resemble their appearance from New Super Mario Bros. and onward.

Paper Mario

In Paper Mario, Buzzy Beetles appear in the Toad Town Tunnels and in Dry Dry Ruins. In Dry Dry Ruins, several Buzzy Beetles climb on the ceiling, like in Super Mario Bros. 3. They can drop on Mario to attack him, and he cannot jump on them while they are hanging from the ceiling. However, he can use a badge to cause an earthquake, which causes the Buzzy Beetles to fall to the ground. Spike Tops, which are red in the game, are enemies fought inside Mt. Lavalava, and Bony Beetles are found in Bowser's Castle.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and its Nintendo Switch remake, the first Buzzy Beetles in the game are fought in the Glitz Pit. They are red Spike Tops; however, as regular Spike Tops in the game are blue, they are called Red Spike Tops in the game. Two of them build up the fighting team known as The Tiny Spinies.

Regular Buzzy Beetles later appear as enemies in the cave under the well of the Creepy Steeple alongside Spike Tops. Para-Beetles, now known as Parabuzzies, appear in Pirate's Grotto. Spiky Parabuzzies are also introduced, which are found in Riverside Station. Most of these species can be found in the Pit of 100 Trials.

The game also features Sky-Blue Spinies. It is implied that these are a cross between Buzzy Beetles and Spinies, as they are called "Käfer-Stachis" ("Buzzy Beetle Spinies") in the German version of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.

Buzzy Beetles have very high defense and are immune to fire. Using special moves or some items such as Earth Quake will easily defeat them. The Buzzy Beetle and its species share the same stats and immunities.

Super Paper Mario

Buzzy Beetles reappear in Super Paper Mario. The game introduces a new variant, the Stone Buzzies: Buzzy Beetles with stone shells that always take three hits to be defeated. They are found in the Downtown and Gap of Crag. The game also features "dark" versions of several Buzzy Beetles variations, notably Dark Spike Tops and Dark Stone Buzzies, found in the Flopside Pit of 100 Trials.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star

Buzzy Beetles appear in Paper Mario: Sticker Star. They are encountered in cavern areas and in 2D underground segments. They are modeled after their appearance in New Super Mario Bros. In the overworld, Buzzy Beetles can travel along the bottoms and sides of platforms, similar to a Spike Top. The Buzzy Beetle's only attack in this game is going into its shell and ramming into Mario. A Buzzy Beetle's shell toss attack sometimes gets Mario Dizzy. If Mario jumps on it but does not defeat it, it will hide inside its shell for a short time. When hiding, no attack will damage it. Mario can jump on it again to kick it at enemies behind it, damaging them. Spike Tops and Bony Beetles also appear in this game, as well as the introduction of Shiny Buzzy Beetles. A Buzzy Beetle may rarely drop a Flashy Shell. The only other enemies to appear in battles with Buzzy Beetles are Goombas.

If a Buzzy Beetle is upside down, it will try to get back up. Unlike the Koopa Troopas, these Buzzy Beetles will always get back up as soon as they are flipped over, and rarely make the First Strike. However, five Buzzy Beetles in Drybake Stadium aim directly at Mario when he enters. They are also the last Buzzy Beetles encountered and the only fight to have a group of five.

A mini-boss, Big Buzzy Beetle, also appears in the game, encountered at Hither Thither Hill.

Paper Mario: Color Splash

Buzzy Beetles return in Paper Mario: Color Splash. They have the same behavior and appearance as they do in Paper Mario: Sticker Star. They appear in Indigo Underground and Redpepper Volcano. A Buzzy Beetle also serves as the second-round opponent in Roshambo Temple #2. Small Buzzy Beetles appear in the Sacred Forest, along with a Small Buzzy Beetle Gang. A Buzzy Beetle Tower that consists of a Buzzy Beetle, a Small Buzzy Beetle, a Big Buzzy Beetle, and a green Spike Guy appears in the Emerald Circus. Buzzy Beetle Gangs appear in the parallel world on Lighthouse Island.

Paper Mario: The Origami King

An origami Buzzy Beetle

Origami versions of Buzzy Beetles appear as enemies in Paper Mario: The Origami King, first appearing in Breezy Tunnel. As usual, they attack Mario with a Shell Shot move, flinging at him in their shells.

Regular Buzzy Beetles later appear as NPCs in Shangri-Spa, and help battle the Folded Soldiers in Bowser's Castle.

A Buzzy Beetle appears in the dungeon of Peach's Castle alongside other minions at the beginning of the game after Mario is sent there as well by origami Peach.

In Scuffle Island, a Paper Macho version called the Paper Macho Buzzy Beetle is fought as the seventh and final opponent of the island. In Bowser's Castle, a different kind of Paper Macho Buzzy Beetle called the Paper Mistake Buzzy Beetle is fought as a boss.

Mario & Luigi series

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

Buzzy Beetles are enemies in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. They are encountered in the lower half of Mount Brrr. Each time it takes damage, it will hide in its shell. While the Buzzy Beetle is in its shell, the damage it takes is reduced to 0. The only way to get the Buzzy Beetle out of hiding is to hammer the shell and then dodge it when it comes back towards the bro who hit it. When it hides in its shell, it has an attack where it can spin so much that, if jumped on it when it spins hard, Mario and Luigi become dizzy, and Paper Mario loses most of his copies. They can also attack by walking towards one of the bros., occasionally getting into their shell. The attack can be countered with a hammer, though attacking them when they are in their shell causes the shell to get knocked away, and into the bro that hit it. If the Trio Hammer is used near them, they are flipped over. When they are flipped, the player can do a First Strike to them, which also prevents them from hiding in their shell at least once. Oddly, in this game, they are not fireproof when Mario and Luigi use the Fire Flower Bros. Attack on them, though they take half damage from fire. Their paper form does not appear in this game.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions

Buzzy Beetles appear are enemies and recruitable allies exclusively in the Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser mode of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions. Buzzy Beetles are melee troopers, and attack by ramming enemies with their shells. Buzzy Beetles have high defense, and their special skill, Rock Solid, allows them to increase their defense, depending on how filled the meter that appears becomes. They are strong against Para-Beetles.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey

Buzzy Beetles reappear in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, as enemies and recruitable allies in the Bowser Jr.'s Journey mode. They are melee troopers, and are strong against Para-Beetles.

Mario Party series

Buzzy Beetles' appearances in the Mario Party series are restricted mostly to nonessential roles in minigames.

In Mario Party 6, Buzzy Beetles make a cameo appearance in the 2-vs-2 mini-game, Slot Trot. They appear as one of the images on the slots. Their appearance here is similar to the Paper Mario series appearance, except for their claws and paws, which are not white. Similarly, in Mario Party DS, Buzzy Beetles make a cameo in the Memory Mash minigame as pictures of a possible match, using the same sprite as in Mario Party 6.

In Mario Party 8, Buzzy Beetles have their first tangible Mario Party role in the Battle Minigame, Glacial Meltdown. A Lakitu throws them onto the ice, oddly instead of their species' normal Spiny accomplices, making them both obstacles and weapons for the players to use to knock the opponents off the ice.

A Buzzy Beetle between a stack of Goombas in the Mario Party 9 minigame Goomba Spotting

Mario Party 9 is the Buzzy Beetles' next, albeit smaller, tangible role in a Mario Party game. They appear in the minigame Goomba Spotting, as a trick in order to lead the player into miscounting, since only the number of Goombas is counted at the end of the minigame. However, a Buzzy Beetle still makes a cameo on one of the puzzles in Jigsaw Jumble.

Buzzy Beetles only make a few cameos in Mario Party: Island Tour: in the Match Faker and Tap Dash minigames as well as walking in the rocks of Bowser's Peculiar Peak board.

In Mario Party: The Top 100, Buzzy Beetles retain the same cameos in Mario Party 6's Slot Trot and Mario Party 9's Jigsaw Jumble. Buzzy Beetles also retain their role in the Mario Party 9 minigame Goomba Spotting, as well as in the minigame's reappearance in Mario Party Superstars.

In Super Mario Party, a Buzzy Beetle makes a cameo appearance in the minigame Absent Minded, where it is one of the characters that can be chosen as a guess.

Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition

Buzzy Beetles appear as enemies and potential allies in Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition. They have the Dark attribute, and their skill involves reducing enemy damage for three turns.

Enemy Buzzy Beetles have two skills that they can use. The first skill, called Light Bind, paralyzes all the player's teammates who have Light as their main attribute or sub-attribute for two turns. The second skill, called Beetle Guard, protects the Buzzy Beetle and its allies from all status defects (such as defense reductions and turn delays) for a few turns.

The player can transform a Buzzy Beetle into a Bony Beetle by using four Boo Mushrooms on it. Alternatively, the Buzzy Beetle can transform into a Para-Beetle when given four P-Wings.

Dr. Mario World

Buzzy Beetles are assistants in Dr. Mario World. In both stage mode and versus mode, their effect is to transform an object, mainly a virus, into a shell when the stage starts, where the chance of activation is higher at higher levels (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100% from levels 1 to 5 respectively).

Mario Kart series

The Buzzy Beetle badges in Mario Kart Tour

In Mario Kart Tour, the Buzzy Beetles themselves do not appear in the game, but they make cameo appearances on two badges, one on a colored Common Challenges badge and another on a red Expert Challenges badge. Additionally, a Buzzy Beetle appears on a painting in the Prado Museum in Madrid Drive 3. This painting reappears in Tour Madrid Drive in the Booster Course Pass DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Two Buzzy Beetles stacked on top of each other can be seen in The Super Mario Bros. Movie as a part of Bowser's army. During the Koopa Troop's attack on the Snow Kingdom they have Bill Blasters on their shells, similar to the Super Mario Maker games. More are later seen during Bowser's wedding to Princess Peach and the final battle in Brooklyn.

Profiles and statistics

Main article: List of Buzzy Beetle profiles and statistics

Most Buzzy Beetle bios point out their hard carapace and their resistance to fire-based attacks. Some bios also mention their tendency to walk on ceilings, despite this being a trait shared by Spinies.