Kitten
- Not to be confused with Kitty.
| Kitten | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork of kittens from Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (2021) | ||
| Latest appearance | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (version 11.0.1, spirit cameo) (2021) | ||
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Kittens appear in the Super Mario franchise as non-playable characters in the Bowser's Fury campaign of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. They are present in five different colors: green, red, blue, black, and calico, each representing the different colors of the maneki-neko. The first four also match the Cat form colors of the playable characters in Super Mario 3D World other than Mario: respectively Luigi, Peach (although using a deeper shade of pink similar to Toadette's Cat form), Toad, and Rosalina.
History
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
Kittens can be seen relaxing, grooming themselves, or playing with baseballs in various spots in Lake Lapcat. If there is a Green Shell nearby, kittens lunge at it, knocking the shell forward slightly; if a Green Shell is between a kitten and a wall, the kitten may claw swipe it continually, which eventually breaks the Green Shell and produces a Lucky Bell. They are friendly, and follow and affectionately nuzzle Mario if he is in his Cat form or Lucky Cat form, though they do not follow him into water. If Mario approaches them in any other form, however, they become frightened and try to avoid him. They can also be picked up and carried by Mario. While being carried, they will continuously scratch in front of them, which can destroy Brick Blocks and activate ? Blocks, similarly to Cat Mario's scratch. Kittens will bounce on Mushroom Trampolines and Jump Panels, and cause Donut Blocks to fall, similarly to Mario. If a kitten makes contact with water or lava, it will vanish and respawn at its original location. If Mario or Bowser Jr. attack a kitten, it does not take damage, and confetti appears instead.
Excluding calico kittens, there are forty-one kittens in total: four near the base of Scamper Shores, four on a higher hill in the same area, four in a tunnel behind Fort Flaptrap, four near the lighthouse of Pounce Bounce Isle, four near the lighthouse on Roiling Roller Isle, four on Mount Magmeow, three at the top of Pipe Path Tower, and fourteen around the Wasteland Giga Bell. Although the solid-colored kittens are not related to any gameplay objective, the calico kittens are missing offspring of Neko Parents, and can be returned to the Neko Parent in a given region for a Cat Shine. There are nine calico kittens across Lake Lapcat: one near the Lakeside Giga Bell, three near the Ruins Giga Bell, and five near the Wasteland Giga Bell. Some are located close to their Neko Parent, while others require Mario to carry them a great distance back.
During the ending cutscene of the campaign, three kittens (blue, pink, and green) run off after Bowser lands near them following his defeat as Giant Bowser. After Bowser and Bowser Jr. depart, these kittens circle around Cat Mario. The blue kitten nuzzles Mario, and the pink kitten licks its paw. The three kittens and Mario then jump up into the air. When returning to gameplay after viewing the credits, Cat Plessie becomes able to carry kittens if Mario throws them on top of it or mounts it while holding one, allowing the kittens to travel to different islands.
While Fury Bowser is active, all kittens become corrupted and attack Mario, regardless of his form. If Mario is holding a kitten when Fury Bowser wakes up, then he will be damaged and drop it. If a kitten is riding Plessie when Fury Bowser wakes up, then it will teleport back to its original location.
The calico kitten locations are as follows:
- Lakeside Giga Bell
- Found on the other side of the Giga Bell where the Neko Parent is located.
- Ruins Giga Bell
- Found in a corner near the Clear Pipe Cannon that takes Mario back to the top of Slipskate Slope.
- Found on top of the cat-shaped gate to Clawswipe Colosseum.
- Found near the entrance to Crisp Climb Castle.
- Wasteland Giga Bell
- Found on the opposite side of the Wasteland where the Neko Parent sits.
- Found on a pier with Dash Panels on it at the beginning of the Wasteland area.
- Found near the entrance to Pipe Path Tower.
- Found inside an alcove underneath the entrance to Risky Whisker Island.
- Found near the lighthouse of Mount Magmeow.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, kittens were added as a Novice-class support spirit during the five-day "Bowser's Fury" spirit event that began on April 9, 2021. When used, they reduce the fighter's weight but increase their speed. In their spirit battle, they are represented by five different-colored Kirbys equipped with Super Leaves, and the battle takes place on the Warp Pipe island in Delfino Plaza, referencing Lake Lapcat. The arrangement of Super Mario 64's main theme from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U serves as the battle's music.
Profiles
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
| Spirit #1473 Kittens | ||
|---|---|---|
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Series/game | Super Mario Series |
| Type | Support | |
| Slots | 1 | |
| Class | Novice | |
| Strength / effect(s) | Lightweight | |
| How to obtain | Spirit Board (ver. 11.0.1 or later) | |
| Spirit battle | Opponent(s) | Tail Kirby ×5 |
| Conditions |
Rule: Item: Balls
| |
| Stage | Delfino Plaza (pipe island) | |
| Song | Main Theme - Super Mario 64 |
Gallery
A red kitten
A green kitten
A blue kitten
A black kitten
A calico kitten
Models of a red, green, blue, and black kitten
Kittens nuzzling Cat Mario
Red and blue kittens running with Mario
Kittens playing with a baseball
A red kitten reacting to Cat Mario
A red kitten frightened by Mario
A red kitten after being hit
A red kitten thrown by Mario
A blue kitten being thrown into water
Cat Plessie carrying three kittens on its back
A calico kitten scratching while being carried by Mario
A calico kitten scratching a Cat Koopa Troopa
A red kitten shielding Mario from a Cat Fire Piranha Plant's fireball
Calico kittens reunited with their Neko Parent
Kittens in a Japanese commercial promoting the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary
Promotional screenshot for Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury posted by Nintendo Japan's Instagram account, to celebrate the Japanese Cat Day in 2022
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Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 子ネコ[1] Koneko |
Kitten | |
| Chinese (simplified) | 小猫咪[?] Xiǎo Māomī |
Kitten | |
| Chinese (traditional) | 小貓咪[?] Xiǎo Māomī |
Kitten | |
| Dutch | Kitten[?] | - | |
| Italian | Gattini[?] | Kittens | |
| Spanish | Gatito[?] | Kitten |
Trivia
- The Calico Parafoil's coloration in Mario Kart Tour is similar to that of the calico kittens.
- Due to the way the kittens affectionately nuzzle Mario in his cat form, it can be assumed that the kittens are an all-female species.
References
- ^ SmashBrosJP (April 7, 2021). 【スピリッツイベント】巨大クッパと一騎打ち！ フューリーワールド 出現スピリッツその1]. Twitter (Japanese). Retrieved July 2, 2024. (Archived April 7, 2021, 03:00:17 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
