Raven
- This article is about an enemy which debuted in the Yoshi franchise. For an enemy named "Raven" in the New Super Mario Bros. Wii Prima Official Game Guide, see Crowber.
- “Oracle of the Stars...Mario comes to this island.”
- —Raven, Paper Mario
Ravens[1] are black, flightless birds that seem to be both allies and enemies of Mario. Although they are called Ravens, they have little in common with the aforementioned birds, aside from their black coloration and "caw" sound. The Ravens of the Mario franchise are slow-moving, wingless, and have elliptical orange beaks. Paper Mario was the only game to depict them flying.
History
Yoshi's Island series
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island / Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
Ravens first appeared in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, where they could be found walking around large, floating rocks. If they ran into Yoshi, they would send Baby Mario flying off his back. Yoshi can defeat them by stomping on their heads or by throwing eggs to them, but could not eat them. A large Raven named Raphael the Raven seems to be the leader of all the birds.
Yoshi's Story
Ravens make a return appearance in Yoshi's Story. In the game, they acted the same way as they did in their past appearance, but were immune to all of Yoshi's attacks. They appeared in the Tall Tower stage, alongside ComBats. They commonly had Melons on the rocks they walked on, and made a squeaking noise as they did so.
Yoshi Topsy-Turvy
Ravens appear as enemies in Yoshi Topsy-Turvy within the Forbidden Pop-Up Book, which is where the game takes place. They stand about as half as tall as Yoshi, and are always continuously walking. They are not affected by gravity, which is a primary focus of the game. Likewise, they are able to walk along walls and across the ceiling. Yoshi can jump on their head to defeat them. If Yoshi is to come into contact with the side of a Raven, he will lose three points from his Health Meter. Ravens are most commonly seen during the Tale of the Spirit of Power and the Tale of the Spirit of Kindness missions.
Paper Mario
In Paper Mario, a friendly group of Ravens can be encountered on Lavalava Island. These Ravens (including Raphael the Raven himself) help Mario and his party reach Mt. Lavalava. This games also proves that Ravens have their own language (which mostly consists of the word "caw"), although some are bilingual and can speak in human tongues. The Ravens in this game also have the ability to fly by flapping their feet.
Super Princess Peach
Creatures called Ravens act as enemies in the English release of Super Princess Peach, but they exclusively have Mini-Ravens' qualities, as well as Japanese name. A vibe-infused derivative known as Sad Ravens appears as well.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | キューちゃん[2][3][page number needed][4] / Ｑちゃん[5] Kyū-chan |
From 「キュウカンチョウ」 Kyūkanchō, the Japanese name of the Common Hill Myna, with the -chan being an honorific for cute animals among other uses. | |
| German | Abroxas[?] | ? | |
| Italian | Bombo[?] | (Referring to its round and black appearance, like a typical cartoon bomb) |
References
- ^ Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Nintendo Player's Guide. Page 128.
- ^ 「スーパーマリオアドバンス3任天堂公式ガイドブック」 (Super Mario Advance 3 Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook), page 15.
- ^ Yoshi's Universal Gravitation Shogakukan guide
- ^ 「ヨッシー New アイランド 任天堂公式ガイドブック」 (Yoshi's New Island Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook), page 19.
- ^ 「ヨッシーストーリー 任天堂公式ガイドブック」 (Yoshi's Story Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook), page 4.
