Albatoss
- This article is about the enemy that first debuted in Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, and later in Super Mario Bros. 2. For the birds that are named albatrosses in Game & Watch Gallery 3, see Seagull.
| Albatoss | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork of an Albatoss carrying a Bob-omb in its talons from Super Mario Advance | |||
| First appearance | Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic (1987, overall) Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988, Super Mario franchise) | ||
| Latest appearance | Ultimate NES Remix (2014) | ||
| |||
Albatosses are bird enemies that appear in Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic and its Western counterpart, Super Mario Bros. 2. They fly with Bob-ombs in their talons and drop them when a player character is below. The enemy's English name is a portmanteau of "albatross" and "toss," which refers to its attack method.
Their means of attack is invocative of bombers and their overall design is similar to large birds of prey in the order Accipitriformes, like eagles, hawks, and Old World vultures. Despite the lack of resemblance the Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten states that Albatosses are pterosaurs, prehistoric flying reptiles that are unrelated to birds.[1]
History
Super Mario series
Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic / Super Mario Bros. 2
In Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic and Super Mario Bros. 2, Albatosses used to be normal residents of Subcon until Wart took control.[2] Albatosses carry Bob-Ombs and drop them, attempting to hit one of the playable characters: Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, or Toad. An Albatoss can be defeated if the player's character throws a vegetable at it or touches it under the Starman effects. Unlike most other enemies, Albatosses cannot be picked up and thrown. If an Albatoss flies low enough, the character can jump on its back and ride on it. World 6-2 and World 7-1 require the player's character to ride Albatosses to reach otherwise inaccessible parts of the level; these Albatosses do not carry Bob-Ombs.
In Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, Albatosses move at two frames, while in Super Mario Bros. 2, they move at seven frames; an eighth frame exists, showing the wings moving back upwards, but is unused due to a glitch.[3] The Super Mario All-Stars and Super Mario Advance remakes restore the missing frame.
Super Mario All-Stars / Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
An Alabatoss makes a cameo appearance in both the Super Mario All-Stars and Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 versions of Super Mario Bros. 3, where the king of The Sky is turned into an Albatoss; in the original version, he is turned into a regular bird.
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
- “Albatoss leader to squadron, Bob-Ombs away!”
- —Albatoss, "Jungle Fever"
Albatosses make a few appearances in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! They are usually used as bombers by King Koopa, and they sometimes capture Mario and company in nets. Albatosses are also seen in the show's intro. In this show, they have a dark-brownish head, instead of matching their bodies' red color.
In the episode "Jungle Fever," Mario and his friends ride an Albatoss to get off the bridge King Koopa sliced. The one in this episode is shown to be able to speak, as shown after getting a Birdo egg on its face. Koopa's rocket also slightly resembles the head of an Albatoss. Additionally, the character Hooded Robin somewhat resembles an Albatoss.
Albatosses are featured in the following episodes:
King Koopa's Kool Kartoons
In King Koopa's Kool Kartoons, an Albatoss would deliver mail to King Koopa's character.[4] The Albatoss was a brown bird prop dangled with strings to simulate it flying.
Super Mario-kun
In a part of Super Mario-kun, an Albatoss carries Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi, but then it hurls them into a wall.
Profiles
Super Mario Bros. 2 / Super Mario Advance
- Super Mario Bros. 2 instruction booklet: "He used to be only a resident in the world of dreams. Now, by order of Wart, he works as a carrier of Bob-Ombs."
- Super Mario Advance instruction booklet: "Albatosses were just average residents of Subspace until Wart ordered them to carry Bob-ombs about."
Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten
Gallery
Artwork
Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic Hisshō Kōryakuhō
Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario USA
Super Mario USA (Famicom 40th Anniversary)
An early poster for The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, showing a pelican-like Albatoss holding a red Bob-Omb
Super Mario Bros. 2 (Club Nintendo magazine)
Sprites
Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic
Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario All-Stars (Super Mario Bros. 2)
Super Mario All-Stars (Super Mario Bros. 3)
Super Mario Advance
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
Scans
Super Mario Maze Picture Book 6: Take down Wart!
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | トンドル[5][6] Tondoru |
Pun on "condor" and either "toss" or「 |
|
| アルバトス[6] Arubatosu |
Transliteration of the Super Mario Bros. 2 name | ||
| アバトス[7] Abatosu |
Alternate transliteration of the English name. | ||
| Chinese (simplified) | 飞鹰[12] Fēiyīng |
Flying Eagle | |
| French | Albatoss[?] | - | |
| German | Albatoss[?] | - | |
| Italian | Albatoss[8] | - | |
| Albatros bombardiere (The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!)[?] | Bombing albatross | ||
| Albatrosso[9] | Portmanteau of albatros ("albatross") and rosso ("red"); it could also be a transliteration of the English name | ||
| Albatiro[10][11] | Portmanteau of albatros ("albatross") and tiro ("throw") | ||
| Korean | 앨버토스[?] Aelbeotoseu |
Transliteration of the English name | |
| Romanian | Albat(r)os[?] | Albat(r)oss | |
| Swedish | Albatross[?] | - |
References
- ^ 1994. 「パーフェクト版 マリオキャラクター大事典」 (Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten). Shogakukan (Japanese). Page 140.
- ^ "He used to only be a resident in the world of dreams. Now, by order of Wart, he works as a carrier of Bob-Ombs." – Nintendo (1988). Super Mario Bros. 2 instruction booklet. Nintendo of America. Page 25.
- ^ Super Mario Bros. 2 | TCRF article. The Cutting Room Floor.
- ^ King koopa’s kool kartoons Compilation. YouTube.
- ^ Nintendo (1987). Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic instruction booklet. Nintendo. Page 33.
- ^ a b Nintendo (1992). Super Mario USA instruction booklet. Nintendo. Page 28.
- ^ Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten. Page 225.
- ^ Super Mario Bros. 2 Italian manual. Page 25.
- ^ Super Mario Advance European manual. Nintendo of Europe (Italian). Page 112.
- ^ Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition Italian manual. Page 38.
- ^ Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Page 68.
- ^ 无敌阿尔宙斯 (August 28, 2013). 神游 超级马力欧2敌人官译. Baidu Tieba. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
