Urchin

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Not to be confused with Sea Urchin.

Template:Species-infobox Urchins are spiked aquatic creatures that have appeared as enemies throughout the Mario franchise. As their name and appearance suggest, they are based on real-life sea urchins. They are slow, yet tough enemies that Mario or Luigi must avoid usually because they cannot be defeated by normal means, like a single Jump. Although they live mostly underwater, Urchins can also live on land.

History

Super Mario series

Super Mario World

Artwork of an Urchin, from Super Mario World.
Artwork of Urchin from Super Mario World

In Super Mario World, Urchins move between tunnels in Forest of Illusion 2. Yoshi cannot eat them, but he can bounce on them. Urchins cannot be defeated with fireballs. However, they can be defeated by Grab Blocks. Players must time their movements carefully as to avoid an Urchin's spikes.

The Urchins in Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 can be defeated by Luigi riding Yoshi by swallowing a Blurp and spitting it at the Urchin. [citation needed]

Super Mario Galaxy

After a 19-year hiatus, Urchins appear in Super Mario Galaxy in the Beach Bowl Galaxy, the Drip Drop Galaxy, the Buoy Base Galaxy, the Sea Slide Galaxy, and the Deep Dark Galaxy. However, they do not swim around in the water; instead, they will stay on the sea bottom, and when they see Mario, they start chasing him by rolling towards him. Urchins also appear on land in the Freezeflame Galaxy; they act exactly the same as they do underwater. There are also fuzzy red Urchins to go along with the fiery area of the stage; they will act exactly the same as the normal Urchins, and can be defeated if the player lure them into entering the lava, or if they are hit by a fireball shot by Fire Mario or Fire Luigi. A single red Urchin appears in the Deep Dark Galaxy in the Boo Box as well. The underwater versions can be destroyed with a shell. They release six Star Bits when defeated. Urchins have a unique defeat animation when they get burnt, showing them being turned black with a shrunk center; when other enemies die from fire, they use their ordinary defeat animation.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

A model of a Big Urchin.
A model of a Big Urchin from New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

Urchins appear in New Super Mario Bros. Wii along with a larger version of them called Big Urchins. Urchins start floating up and down like their Super Mario World incarnation, but when frozen with an Ice Flower or Penguin Suit they will float briefly on the water before breaking free and getting knocked out underwater permanently. In this state, the Urchin can block underwater Pipes that spray out jet-streams, which can be used to the player's advantage or disadvantage, depending on the situation. They could also be defeated with a fireball, a Koopa Shell or a Star. Big Urchins are stronger than normal Urchins and only defeated with a Star. In the game, when there is a "bah" in the background music, Urchins will briefly open their mouths, releasing bubbles, as if they were saying "bah" underwater.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Urchins reappear in Super Mario Galaxy 2, behaving the same way as in the predecessor. They appear in the Starshine Beach Galaxy and in the Slimy Spring Galaxy. Three red Urchins also appear in this game in the Battle Belt Galaxy.

New Super Mario Bros. 2

Urchin species in New Super Mario Bros. 2
Original Urchin
Urchin species in New Super Mario Bros. 2
Small Urchin
Urchin species in New Super Mario Bros. 2

Urchins also appear in the Nintendo 3DS game New Super Mario Bros. 2, where they behave the same way they did in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and have the same appearance. Small Urchins also appear, acting exactly like their bigger versions, only standing still.

New Super Mario Bros. U

File:NSMBWiiU Water-03.jpg
Big Urchin and an Urchin for size.

Urchins also make an appearance in the Wii U game New Super Mario Bros. U. In one of the Sparkling Waters levels, Urchins are placed over water geysers used to rise them to the platform surface, when lifted by geysers, they have an angry expression. In the level Urchin Shoals, Urchins and their big relatives are the main features.

Super Mario World television series

Urchin
Several Urchins, from the Super Mario World cartoon.

Several Urchins make a small appearance in the Super Mario World episode "Mama Luigi". In the episode, Yoshi and Luigi, while being chased through an underwater tunnel by a Rip Van Fish, almost swim directly into several Urchins. Luckily, Yoshi and Luigi manage to avoid bumping into these Urchins.

Nintendo Adventure Books

Some Urchins make a small appearance in the Nintendo Adventure Book "Brain Drain", being seen in a large fish tank by Luigi, after Iggy Koopa takes over the WMUSH radio station.

Super Mario Adventures

In Nintendo Power's Super Mario Adventures comic, several Urchins act as guards in the moat surrounding the Koopalings tower.

Yoshi Touch & Go

Though they were seemingly going to make a return in Yoshi Touch & Go, Urchins were not seen in the final game. They were, however, featured in the Balloon Trip tech demo that can be thought of as a Yoshi Touch & Go beta. In the demo, they float in the skies and take one of Baby Mario's balloons away if he touches one of them. They can never be trapped in bubbles, making them some of the more challenging enemies featured in the demo. By the final game's release, these Urchins were redesigned as the plant-like Briers.

Super Princess Peach

Gleam Glacier 6-2
Gleam Glacier 6-2

Urchins also make an appearance in Super Princess Peach. They appear in the Subrella sections of the game. They move back and forth, and cannot be defeated.

Mario Party series

Mario Party 9

In Mario Party 9, Urchins appear in the minigame Pier Pressure. The ten fishing rods either have Cheep-Cheeps or Urchins at the end of them; if the player ends up choosing one with an Urchin on it, he or she is eliminated.

Blooper also tosses Urchins at the players in its boss minigame, Blooper Barrage. They target a specific player, and their course can be redirected by hitting it with a cannonball. Getting hit by an Urchin results in that player losing one point; hitting it right before it is about to hit the player sends in into the sea below. Additionally, in the minigame Bowser's Block Battle, if Blooper appears on the stage, it attacks by throwing Urchins at the players.

Mario Party 10

In Mario Party 10, Urchins appear in some minigames, such as Fruit of the Doom, where they act as obstacles, and as a selectable enemy in Meanie Match.

Mario Party: The Top 100

In Mario Party: The Top 100, Urchins reappear in the minigame Pier Pressure from Mario Party 9, with the same rules.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

Urchins appear in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. They are only encountered in Twinsy Tropics, and are usually fought alongside Cheep Cheeps. They can neither be jumped on nor hammered, similarly of how Spiky Parabuzzies work in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, and can only be attacked via Bros. Attacks or Trio Attacks. If the Urchin is damaged but not defeated, it will eventually blow up, causing major damage to the trio, along with any enemies that are fighting alongside them. The trio can only counter this attack by blocking it. Also, if they are left alone after the trio defeats all the other enemies, they will flee without any experience given. They have low HP but very high defense; their second encounter has the highest defense rate, at 625 (600 in easy mode).

Profiles and statistics

Super Mario Galaxy trading card description

File:UrchinTradingCard.PNG

Urchins are spiky blue fish that Mario must face in an underwater challenge in the Beach Bowl Galaxy and a land mission in the Freezeflame Galaxy. They roll along the seafloor or ground trying to poke Mario with their spikes. There are also red Urchins in lava areas that Mario can hit with a fireball or trick into falling into the lava.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam enemy
Urchin (1)
An Urchin from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. HP 25 POW 90 (84) Defense 345 (300) Speed 66
Role Common Type Spiny, Flying Weakness None Location(s) Twinsy Tropics, Tropical Paper Toad Hunt
Level 12 Experience 85 (80) Coins 165 Item drop Candy - 60%
LV 1 Character Card - 40%
Notice: Stats in parentheses are from the game's Easy Mode.
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam enemy
Urchin (2)
An Urchin from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. HP 57 POW 160 (155) Defense 625 (600) Speed 117
Role Common Type Spiny, Flying Weakness None Location(s) Twinsy Tropics
Level 21 Experience 320 (315) Coins 275 Item drop Super Candy - 60%
LV 2 Character Card - 40%
Notice: Stats in parentheses are from the game's Easy Mode.

Mario Party: Star Rush

Image Name Bio
Urchin as viewed in the Character Museum from Mario Party: Star Rush Urchin
A spiky enemy usually found underwater. 		"Urchins spend their time floating innocently in water, making it hard for Mario and friends to swim around."

Gallery

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese ウニラ
Unira
ウニゾー
Unizō (Super Mario Galaxy)[?] 		From uni (ウニ), meaning "sea urchin". Officially romanised as "Unira" or "Unizo".
Chinese 海胆[1]
Hǎidǎn 		Sea Urchin
German Igluck
Aqua-Wummp (Super Mario World guide)[?] 		Pun on Igel (from Seeigel, sea urchin) and Gluckern (gurgling)
Aqua (water) Thwomp
Italian Ricciospino Marino
Ricciospino (Super Princess Peach)[?] 		Spiked Sea Urchin
Spiked Urchin
Portuguese Ouriço do Mar[?] Urchin
Spanish (NOA) Ericín[?] From "erizo" (urchin).
Spanish (NOE) Erincho[?] Comes from erizo de mar (sea urchin) and pincho (spike)

Trivia

  • Hacking into Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars reveals that the game was initially planned to feature what would appear to be a tiny Urchin, likely as some kind of item.
  • The Super Mario Galaxy trading card for Urchin states that it is a spiky blue fish; however, Urchins seem to be purple in Super Mario Galaxy, and most of their appearances for that matter. They are also not fish, but echinoderms.
  • Their Japanese name may imply that Urchins are intended to be a redesign/cameo appearance of Unira.
  • In the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack in Minecraft, Guardians are replaced by Urchins.

References

  1. ^ 无敌阿尔宙斯 (August 28, 2013). 神游 超级马力欧世界 敌人官译. Baidu Tieba. Retrieved February 2, 2017.

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