#bombshell koopa

Mario Prize Machine

So many people believe all turtles in the Mario world are a variant of Koopa, and they are all one big species in general Something I even did in the past. However, this is wrong. Not every turtle in the Mario World is a Koopa, aka a NokoNoko in Japanese.

So, the confusion stems from the Koopa Troopas being called Koopas, while Bowser is known as King Koopa and the King of the Koopas at times. This is because Bowser's name in Japanese is Kuppa, while the Koopa Troopas are actually known as NokoNokos. Bowser's Japanese name Kuppa is also likely his species name as well, which differentiates him from the Koopas(NokoNokos).

So Koopa Troopas aka NokoNoko are one of many species of turtles which can comprise the Turtle Tribe. In the Super Mario Bros. manual they are stated to be "Soldier(s) of the Turtle Empire."

Then you have the other turtle members of the turtle tribe, Spikes in Super Mario Run description says the following about Spikes. "This hardworking turtle has a very small shell." And the Bad Ball Boy Constellation from Mario Party 9 says the following about Spikes. "A constellation that calls to mind a fiendish turtle who can spit spiked balls at his foes."

Spiny's Egg Description from the SMB Manuals says the following. "Eggs of the turtle Spiny, pet of Lakitu." And the Sharp Shell Constellation says it's "a constellation named after a turtle who hides beneath a spiky shell."

Buzzy Beetle's Super Mario Run's description says the following about them. "This black turtle is protected by a tough shell."

Notice how none of these descriptions said they are a Koopa or NokoNoko. But rather just said they are turtles. This is because to my knowledge all turtles in Mario's world are not intended to be various species of Koopas. But rather Koopas are various species of turtles.

However, there are some actual Koopa species/ relatives. I believe with part of the Koopa's Japanese name NokoNoko is used in a name, makes connect amongst these species. There is the Bombshell Koopa whose name is Nokobon in Japanese meaning Koopa Explosion.

There is the Snooza Koopa whose name in Japanese is Tamago Nokonoko, meaning Eggshell Koopa. This would make them an ocean based species of Koopas that converged with Sea Turtles. This is because we see Sea Turtles in the Kong Archipelago which don't look similar to Snooza Koopas.

Then you have the Snortoise from the Flower Kingdom, whose name is Suppoko meaning Softshell Koopa. This would make them the Softshell Turtle equivalent of the Koopas Species. Written by Eris the Lorekeeper

Part 2

Name: Bombshell Koopa

Debut: Super Mario Land

Not sure about all of you, but I’m a little surprised we haven’t covered this enemy sooner! I mean, Goombo and Bullet Biff both got posts within a month of this blog’s creation, but ol’ Bombshell Koopa here has sorta been left in the dust. Well this fella will not be left there any longer, as we tackle them today!

Sarasaland is known for having slightly different variants of the traditional Mario enemies, but Bombshell Koopa is an especially weird case, as when you kick them into their shells, they’ll light a fuse and explode! This... does not seem like an evolutionary advantage at all. Do Bombshell Koopas explode whenever they hide in their shells? Imagine trying to get rest like that! Imagine tucking yourself into your bed, only for your blanket to spontaneously combust! I am not sure how Bombshell Koopas have survived for any significant length of time. Maybe Sarasaland just usually doesn’t have plumbers that hop around and stomp on turtle shells.

In the Mario Kart arcade games, there’s a Black Shell that explodes when it hits another player! I’m not sure if this is related to Bombshell Koopa, but it could be! We’ve never shied away from Weird Mario Speculation on this blog, now have we?

Name: Noko Bombette

Debut: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

Super Mario Land 2 decides to swap Bombshell Koopas for this nearly identical enemy, Noko Bombette, which I like a little more! Look at its little buggly eyes! You can’t go wrong with eyes like that! Noko Bombette, as you probably noticed, looks a bit more like Buzzy Beetle than a Koopa Troopa, and like most Buzzies, Noko Bombette is immune to fireballs! However, There is another way to take care of Noko Bombette, which is with a spin jump!

I’m just curious why two Mario turtle species evolved this exact same way that has no benefits as far as I can see. Like, yeah, exploding is pretty nice, you can take care of all enemies in a decent radius, but like... you only explode once. May as well hide in your shell without an explosion, if that increases your life expectancy!

Sarasaland is also home to a species of Koopa called the Nokobon. Its shell sits higher on its body than those of its cousins, an early hint to its ferocious unique ability. A powerful enough blow will cause unstable chemicals stored in its shell to ignite, taking the Nokobon (and, with any luck, its attacker) out in a fiery blast.

Habitat: Castles & Fortresses, other areas of Koopa Troop influence Diet: Omnivorous Disposition: Dry, Sarcastic, Aloof

A very-rarely seen variety of Koopa classified separately due to their unique position in the Koopa Troop. Bombshell Koopas appear like most normal Koopas, save for their generally more subdued coloring, with their shell, and often their hair, uniformly being black. Their shell is larger and thicker than most other Koopas, giving them a slower speed in comparison, and it seems more artificial in appearance than the usual crafted shell; while not exactly metal, it is smoother and harder to ascertain the more natural ingredients to its composition. Their limbs appear shorter, but are actually the same size, if not longer and stronger, than the average Koopa, due to the heftiness of the shell they possess, and their hair is kept short to maintain visibility for their given duty.

The reason for their rarity, as well as the reason for their strange and unique shell, is similar to the Boomerang Sister, in that they are specially designated member of the Koopa Troop with little knowledge in where exactly their concept came from and why. But whereas the Boomerang Sisters proved useful in their unique way of working, Bombshell Koopas were not so effective in their design. Before the Bob-Ombs were created and mass-produced, it was the Bombshell Koopas who provided work efforts as tactically placed explosives, and were expected to use this as a defensive mechanism, as well.

With a rare mixture of the Koopa shell craftsmanship and the magic that would later play a chief part in Bob-Omb creation, the heavy and large shells of the Bombshell Koopa are designed to, once triggered by either a specific amount of outside force or by the Bombshell Koopa herself, to activate an internal timer. When said timer runs out, the shell would explode with energy, causing damage to anything within range. As such, Bombshell Koopas were expected to get in, set off a timer, and get out, or, if disrupted on the way to their target, take out whatever it was that cost them their mission. Due to their slow speed, they often had escorts of faster, more agile soldiers to protect them onto their mission.

With their one-use limitations and the failure rate to successfully reach targets that needed to explode, as well as the moral issues involved with sending soldiers that could get caught in their own blasts, the Bombshell Koopas were quickly canned for the majority after their inception, seeing little action besides a small operation in Sarasaland during the Tatanga Invasion. After that, few Koopas were ever trained in this manner and given the proper munitions, unless in desperate times. Given their reputation in these days, as well as their past missions as almost-disposable soldiers with serious handicaps in the force, most Bombshell Koopas ended up having rather dry, dismissive attitudes towards their jobs and with their interactions with others. Quick to dismiss important matters and quick to throw a sarcastic comment to the side or even in someone's face, Bombshell Koopas also quickly became known as almost express loners of the army.

Super Mario Land Enemies

The back of the package for Super Mario Land says that “Ancient ruins, giant crabs, [and] Koopa Troopas… await in this brand new world of adventure,”. Despite this, neither Koopa Troopas nor giant crabs appear in the game. Although a Koopa Troopa-like enemy appears, this is actually a subspecies of Koopa Troopas called “Bombshell Koopas” that have bombs for shells.

Goombo, Bombshell Koopa, Pakkun Flower, & Bullet Biff (Super Mario Land)