Big Sphen
| Big Sphen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| First appearance | Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Wii U) (2014) | ||
| Latest appearance | Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Nintendo Switch) (2018) | ||
| Variant of | Tucks | ||
| |||
Big Sphens are enemies in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and its port. They are fat, blue penguins with a yellow mohawk, a pair of brown wristbands, and a belt bearing the Snowmad insignia. Big Sphens usually carry a blowing horn with them. Their name comes from Sphenisciformes or Spheniscidae, which is the order and family penguins belong to, respectively. Big Sphens are first encountered in the boss level Big Top Bop, where they assist Pompy.[1] They do not have blowing horns in the battle, and their initial attack is to jump out the water and pound onto the arena. Later in the battle, Pompy and three Big Sphens slide around on the arena, performing stunts and attempting to hit the Kongs. The Kongs have the option to avoid Big Sphens, but they are required to hit Pompy. In later levels, starting with Seashore War, Big Sphens attack by blowing their horn, releasing icy creatures resembling butterfly fish, which slide continuously until they crash into a wall or get stomped by a Kong. Big Sphens move slowly back and forth after each attack. The Kongs can defeat them by jumping on them three times, rolling into them three times, or by throwing a barrel or enemy at them.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ペンゴー[2] Pengō |
A variation of「ペンガー」(Pengā, Tucks) and possibly the honorific suffix「 |
Big Top Bop |
| ホーンペンゴー[?] Hōn Pengō |
Horn Big Sphen | ||
| ホルペンゴー[3] Horu Pengō |
Hor Big Sphen; "hor" is a contraction of German word "horn" | ||
| French (NOE) | Grofoufou[?] | Play on gros ("big" or "fat") + Gorfoufou ("Tucks") | |
| German | Kaiserpeinguin[?] | From Kaiser ("emperor") + play on pinguin ("penguin") and pein ("torment") | |
| Italian | Pinguingo punk[?] | Punk tucks | |
| Spanish (NOE) | Vilgüino emperador[?] | Emperor tucks |
References
- ^ "While he’s in the water, Pompy still utilizes his minions. During this phase of the battle, he starts by summoning a group of Big Sphens. Rather than use their standard attacks, these bulky enemies leap out of the water and slam down on the floor. You can simply dodge the enemies as they appear, but if you bop each Big Sphen as it lands, you can earn extra items like bananas or hearts." – von Esmarch, Nick, and Cory van Grier (February 21, 2014). Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze PRIMA Official Game Guide. Roseville: Prima Games (American English). ISBN 978-0-804-16252-4. Page 55.
- ^ 2014. 「ドンキーコングトロピカルフリーズ任天堂公式ガイドブック」 (Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook). Shogakukan (Japanese). Page 13.
- ^ 2014. 「ドンキーコングトロピカルフリーズ任天堂公式ガイドブック」 (Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook). Shogakukan (Japanese). Page 14.
