Buzzy Beetle

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Buzzy Beetle

A Buzzy Beetle from New Super Mario Bros..
First appearance Super Mario Bros. (1985)
Latest appearance Mario Party Superstars (2021)
Variant of Koopa
Variants
Big Buzzy Beetle
Bony Beetle
Buster Beetle
Buzz-Bomb
Dark Spike Top
Dark Stone Buzzy
Heavy Para-Beetle
Mecha-Spike Top
Mad Mecha-Spike Top
Magmite
Magmus
Noko Bombette
Para-Beetle
Parabuzzy
Red Spike Buzzy
Spike Top
Spiked Parabuzzy
Stone Buzzy
Notable members
Big Buzzy Beetle
Buzzo
Chan
Spiky Joe
Tiny Spinies
Torque

Buzzy Beetles (or simply Buzzy) are turtle-like creatures with hard, outer shells that are often blue. Buzzy Beetles will hide in their shells if jumped on, and, like a Koopa Shell, can be kicked to eliminate more enemies. The shell of the Buzzy Beetle is strong enough to resist fireballs, and as such, they cannot be defeated by fire. In a way, they are the polar opposite of the Spinies; enemies who are immune to jumps, but vulnerable to fireballs.

History

Super Mario series

Super Mario Bros.

A Buzzy Beetle's artwork for Super Mario Bros..
The first appearance of Buzzy Beetles in Super Mario Bros..

Buzzy Beetles first appear in World 4-2, an underground level of Super Mario Bros.. Like a Koopa Troopa, they will hide in their shell when jumped on, and can be kicked around the level. However, Mario and Luigi cannot defeat them with fireballs. When the player completes the game and restarts, all the Goombas will get replaced with Buzzy Beetles.

In World 3-4, a Buzzy Beetle is one of the seven False Bowsers. Unlike all other Buzzy Beetles, this one is affected by fireballs; like all the other False Bowsers, five fireballs will destroy him.

They later appear in the game's remake, Super Mario Bros. Deluxe. They serve the same purpose. In the challenge mode of the game, Buzzy Beetles take the place of all the Goombas.

Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels

A Buzzy Beetle, from Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.

In Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels, Buzzy Beetles return just as they did in the previous game. They are also found underwater occasionally in World 9, along with all the other enemies. When underwater, Buzzy Beetles are completely invulnerable, since no enemies can be jumped on while underwater.

Super Mario Bros. 3

Buzzy Beetles in Super Mario Bros. 3.

In Super Mario Bros. 3, Buzzy Beetles return, acting the same way as they did before. Here, Buzzy Beetles can also climb and walk on the ceiling. To attack intruders, they can drop, and spin along the ground to attack. In the Game Boy Advance remake Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, when the Red Switch e-Reader Card is scanned, all walking Koopa Troopas are replaced with Buzzy Beetles. In addition, there is a flying variation called Para-Beetle, which are found only in one level.

Super Mario World

Buzzy Beetles also appear in Super Mario World. They are still resistant to fireballs; however, Yoshi can swallow them whole, unlike Koopa Troopas' shells, which Yoshi cannot immediately swallow. They hide in their shells when jumped on, as opposed to sliding out, as the Koopas sometimes do when stomped. Spike Tops, Buzzy Beetles with a spike on their back, which cannot be jumped upon, are introduced in this game. Yoshi or a successful Spin Jump will protect Mario and Luigi from getting hit by the spikes. This game also introduces Bony Beetles, which are undead skeletons of a Buzzy Beetle.

New Super Mario Bros.

Buzzy Beetles reappear as enemies in New Super Mario Bros., although they are very rare in this game. In fact, they only appear in two levels, World 5-C, and World 6-Tower 2, where during the start of the level, the beetle is flipped over. They behave similar to their appearance back in Super Mario Bros. 3. As in Super Mario Bros., they can be kicked when stomped on, and are impervious to fire. Spike Tops reappear in this game also.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Buzzy Beetles later reappear in the sequel, New Super Mario Bros. Wii. In World 6-3, a big group of Buzzy Beetles can be seen on the ceiling, and will fall on Mario and the group, as they did in Super Mario Bros. 3. In both games, Buzzy Beetles hop to the electronic vocal "bah" in the background music. They also appear in 8-1, and these ones don't walk off ledges, unlike normal Buzzy Beetles, mainly because they walk off ledges that lead to a body of lava. Kamek may also transform blocks into them during his boss fight in the World 8-Tower. Spike Tops also reappear again. However, the most notable appearance is the reappearance of Para-Beetles who have not been seen since The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, and a new sub-species called Heavy Para-Beetle. They only appear in World 7-6.

Unlike in Super Mario World, Yoshi can't completely eat Buzzy Beetles. However, he can spit out their shells in the same manner as with a Koopa Troopa shell.

Giant Buzzy Beetles were originally going to appear in this game too, but they never appeared in any levels in the final game. However, through hacking methods, it is possible to use one in a level.

New Super Mario Bros. 2

Buzzy Beetles reappear in Nintendo 3DS game New Super Mario Bros. 2. They are found in numerous underground levels, including World 6-1.

New Super Mario Bros. U

A Walking Buzzy Beetle.

Buzzy Beetles also appear in the Nintendo Wii U title, New Super Mario Bros. U. Bony Beetles also make a return since their debut in Super Mario World, now resembling an undead Buzzy Beetle. The large variety of Buzzy Beetle, which first appeared in Paper Mario: Sticker Star, also appears.

Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyushutsu Dai Sakusen

In Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyushutsu Dai Sakusen, two Buzzy Beetles (although gold in color) made a brief appearance in the movie where they attempted to attack the heroes but were defeated by Mario when he used a Fire Flower to shoot them with a fireball, despite the fact that Buzzy Beetles are ordinarily immune to fire attacks in the games.

Nintendo Adventure Books

Some Buzzy Beetles appear in Wendy O. Koopa's secret camp in the Magma Pits in Koopa Capers.

Paper Mario series

Buzzy Beetles also appear in the Paper Mario series. They are shell enemies like the Koopa Troopas, meaning they can be flipped over when they are jumped on or by a POW Block. However, unlike the Koopas, Buzzy Beetles do not spend a turn struggling on their back; they can right themselves on their very next turn, though they can't attack on that turn. Fire attacks won't hurt them at all. However, if they are flipped on their back, they lose the fire immunity. Related enemies are Spike Tops, Parabuzzies (which now lose their wings when they are stomped), and Bony Beetles. One of the new types of Buzzy Beetles are Spiky Parabuzzies, which flies and have a spike on their back, making it hard to damage them. In Paper Mario, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, and Super Paper Mario, Buzzy Beetles eyes and entire face are visible, unlike the other games, where most of its face is covered revealing glowing eyes.

Paper Mario

In Paper Mario, Buzzy Beetles appear in the Toad Town tunnels and in the Dry Dry Ruins. In Dry Dry Ruins, several Buzzy Beetles climb on the ceiling, like in Super Mario Bros. 3. They can drop on Mario to attack them, and he cannot jump on them while they are hanging from the ceiling. However, he can use a badge to cause an earthquake, which causes the Buzzy Beetles to fall to the ground. Spike Tops, which are red in the game, are enemies fought inside Mt. Lavalava; and Bony Beetles are found in Bowser's Castle.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, the first Buzzy Beetles in the game are fought in the Glitz Pit. They are red Spike Tops; however, as regular Spike Tops in the game are blue, they are called Red Spike Buzzies in the game. Two of them build up the fighting team known as the Tiny Spinies.

Regular Buzzy Beetles later appear as enemies in the cave under the well of the Creepy Steeple, as well as the Pirate's Grotto and the Pit of 100 Trials. Regular Spike Tops and Spiky Parabuzzies are also found in Riverside Station.

The game also features Sky-Blue Spinies. It is implied that these are a cross between Buzzy Beetles and Spinies, as they are called "Käfer-Stachis" ("Buzzy Beetle Spinies") in the German version of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.

Super Paper Mario

Buzzy Beetles reappear in Super Paper Mario. The game introduces a new sub-species, the Stone Buzzies: Buzzy Beetles with stone shells that always take three hits to be defeated. They are found in the Downtown of Crag. The game also features "dark" versions of several Buzzy Beetles, notably Dark Spike Tops and Dark Stone Buzzies, found in the Flopside Pit of 100 Trials.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star

Buzzy Beetles appear in Paper Mario: Sticker Star where they are in cave-like places and in 2D underground segments. Their appearance is similar to that of their New Super Mario Bros. counterparts. The Buzzy Beetle's main attack in this game is going into its shell and ramming into Mario. If Mario jumps on it but does not defeat it, it will hide inside its shell for a short time. When hiding, no attack will damage it. Mario can jump on it again to kick it at enemies behind it, damaging them. Spike Tops and Bony Beetles also appear in this game, as well as the introduction of Shiny Buzzy Beetles. A Buzzy Beetle may rarely drop a Flashy Shell sticker.

An optional mini-boss, Big Buzzy Beetle also appears in the game.

Mario Party series

Mario Party 6

Buzzy Beetles make a cameo appearance in the 2-vs-2 mini-game, Slot Trot. They appear as one of the images on the slots. They appearance here is similar to the Paper Mario series appearance, except for their claws and paws, which aren't white.

Mario Party DS

Buzzy Beetles makes a cameo appearance in the Memory Mash minigame as pictures of a possible match. These Buzzy Beetles get their appearance from the Paper Mario series. These pictures are identical to Mario Party 6 Slot Trot ones.

Mario Party 8

Buzzy Beetles appear solely in the Battle Minigame, Glacial Meltdown in Mario Party 8. A Lakitu throws them onto the ice making them both obstacles and weapons for the players to use to knock the opponets off the ice. It is unknown why the Lakitu threw Buzzy Beetles instead of its species' normal Spiny accomplices.

Mario Party 9

Some Buzzy Beetles appear in the minigame Goomba Spotting, as a trick in order to lead the player into miscounting, since only the number of Goombas is counted at the end of the minigame. A Buzzy Beetle is also on one of the puzzles in Jigsaw Jumble.

Official Profiles and Statistics

Paper Mario series

Paper Mario Enemy
Buzzy Beetle
Max HP 3
Attack 2
Defense 2
Location(s) Toad Town Tunnels, Dry Dry Ruins


Moves Shell Toss (2), Ceiling Drop (3), Get Up (Stops being Flipped)
Tattle
This is a Buzzy Beetle. Buzzy Beetles are cute--but mean. Fire attacks don't work very well against these hardheads. If you can flip 'em, though, their defense power falls to 0. Keep flipping 'em, Mario! I heard that they used to flourish all over the place, but now they're only found in dark, shadowy places.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Enemy
Buzzy Beetle
Max HP 5
Attack 3
Defense 4
Location(s) Creepy Steeple, Pirate's Grotto, Pit of 100 Trials (Levels 31-39)
Log It's well protected and immune to fire or explosions, but if you flip it over, its Defense drops to zero.
Items Power Punch, Slow Shroom, Mini Mr. Mini
Moves Shell Toss (3), Get Up (Stops being Flipped)
Tattle
That's a Buzzy Beetle. Awww... It's kinda cute! It's got pretty good Defense... and fire and explosions don't hurt it whatsoever. But, if you jump on it, you can flip it over and drop its Defense down to 0. Then it's at our mercy! Ha! Don't hesitate! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump!
Bestiary
30           31           32
Super Paper Mario Enemy
Buzzy Beetle
Max HP 1
Attack 1
Defense 3
Location(s) Lineland (Yold Ruins (1-4)), Land of the Cragnons (Floro Caverns (5-3)), Flipside Pit of 100 Trials (Rooms 18, 37 and 51)
Card Type Common
Card Description
This little guy is built to withstand anything. Even a Muth stampede wouldn't flatten it...Probably.
Tattle
This is a Buzzy Beetle... It's much tougher than it looks... Max HP is 1, Attack is 1, and Defense is 3. Even flames won't scorch its hard shell... Sometimes, they cling to the ceiling and drop down on your head when you walk by... Not very friendly, Buzzy... Shame on you...
List of Catch Cards
16           17           18
Paper Mario: Sticker Star Enemy
Buzzy Beetle
Max HP 7
Attack 5
Defense 1
Location(s) Hither Thither Hill, Drybake Desert, Drybake Stadium
Moves Shell Toss (5)

Trophy Information from Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Name Image Game Description
Buzzy Beetle NES Super Mario Bros. A Koopa underling with a heavy shell protecting it from fire. Stomping on Buzzy Beetles from above is the main way to deal with them, but spiked variations that cannot be stomped also exist. After saving Princess Peach in Super Mario Bros. and starting a new game, you'll find that most Goombas have turned into Buzzy Beetles.
DS New Super Mario Bros.

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Buzzy Beetle/gallery.

Names in Other Languages

Language Name Meaning
Japanese メット
Metto
"Met", from English "helmet"
Chinese 钢盔甲虫
Gāngkuījiǎchóng
Helmet Beetle
French (American) Blindule
French (Europe) Bruyinsecte Portmanteau of bruyant (noisy) and insecte (insect)
German Käfer
Bummelkäfer (Super Paper Mario)
Beetle
Dawdle Beetle
Italian Nella
Ronzibeo (Mario Party 8)
Nella Capovolta (Super Mario All-Stars - 25th Anniversary Edition gives that name for the upset Buzzy Beetles)
"Nella" it's an Italian female name
literal translation
Inverted Buzzy Beetle
Korean 하잉바
Haingba
From 하이바 Haiba, a slang term for a word "helmet". This word is originally from Japanese 「ファイバー」 (Faibā), means Fiber.
Portuguese Buzzy Beetle -
Spanish Buzzy Beetle
Buzzy (Paper Mario: Sticker Star)
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Trivia