Swaphopper
| Swaphopper | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork from Super Mario Galaxy 2 | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010) | ||
| |||
Swaphoppers[1] are enemies in Super Mario Galaxy 2. These bug-like creatures appear only in areas where gravity flips such as Rightside Down Galaxy and Upside Dizzy Galaxy, though they also make a minor appearance in Battle Belt Galaxy. Their name is a portmanteau of "swap", referring to the constant gravity changes in the places they inhabit, and "grasshopper". Swaphoppers have one blue, hard-shelled side with a spike on top, meaning Mario cannot spin or jump on it. On the other side is a soft, tan underbelly. When gravity flips and exposes the Swaphopper's tan side, Mario can jump on it and defeat the Swaphopper. However, in the Battle Belt Galaxy, one of the Swaphoppers behaves oppositely; it has its tan underbelly vulnerable when the gravity is normal, and the spike on top when upside down. They attack by simply hopping towards Mario. Aside from what is described, they are roughly oval shaped, have two bored-looking eyes in between their two sides, and a pair of short legs. Their eyelids tilt a little in (to represent an angered expression) when resistant, and a little out (as if scared) when vulnerable. When they are stopped by the Co-Star Luma they are not affected by gravity changes.
A type of Swaphoppers appear in Super Mario 3D Land called Flophoppers. Their appearance is different and they do not possess the gravity tactics of Swaphoppers, instead attacking like a Bramball.
Gallery
Screenshot from Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Battle Belt Galaxy)
Additional names
Internal names
| Game | File | Name | Meaning
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Galaxy 2 | ObjectData/GrapyonBody.arc ObjectData/GrapyonHead.arc |
GrapyonBody GrapyonHead |
Grapyon; transliteration of below |
| SystemData/ObjNameTable.arc/ObjNameTable.tbl | グラピョン (Gurapyon) | Possibly from "grasshopper" and「ピョン」(pyon, onomatopoeia for bouncing) |
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| French | Versopic[?] | Masculine form of verser ("to turn") + picot ("spike") | |
| German | Gravistachler[?] | From "gravitate" and agentive form of stachel ("sting") | |
| Italian | Saltignotto[?] | From salti ("jump") |
References
- ^ Browne, Catherine (May 23, 2010). Super Mario Galaxy 2: PRIMA Official Game Guide. Roseville: Random House Inc. ISBN 978-0-30746-907-6. Page 29.
- ^ Sakai, Kazuya (Ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors. (October 19, 2015). 『スーパーマリオブラザーズ百科: 任天堂公式ガイドブック』. Tokyo: Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 978-4-09-106569-8. Page 161.
