Enguarde

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Enguarde
Artwork of Enguarde the Swordfish from Donkey Kong Barrel Blast
Enguarde in Donkey Kong Barrel Blast
Species Swordfish
First appearance Donkey Kong Country (1994)
Latest appearance Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (spirit cameo) (2018)

Enguarde is a blue swordfish and an Animal Friend who appears mostly in the Donkey Kong Country series. His name is taken from the French phrase used in fencing: "En garde" ("on guard", "put your guard up", ie: "be ready"), presumably due to Enguarde's long, sword-shaped bill. As an aquatic creature, Enguarde appears in many underwater areas. With his sharp, pointed bill, he can defeat many underwater enemies, which the Kongs cannot do by themselves. Enguarde is capable of moving around fast while underwater. While usually portrayed as an individual, occasionally multiple Enguardes can be seen at once.

History[edit]

Donkey Kong Country series[edit]

Donkey Kong Country[edit]

Enguarde in Donkey Kong Country.
Enguarde's original appearance in Donkey Kong Country

Enguarde first appears in Donkey Kong Country, where he appears in all four underwater levels, starting with Coral Capers. He also appears in Clam City, Croctopus Chase, and Poison Pond. Coral Capers and Poison Pond have two Enguarde Boxes unlike the other levels, which only have one animal crate. It is optional for Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong to ride Enguarde in every level, as his main role is helping them defeat underwater enemies, except for Clambos and Croctopuses, or even Mincers. However, if Enguarde gets hit by an enemy, he swims away, but the Kongs can swim back on to Enguarde to continue riding him.

Like the other Animal Friends, there are animal tokens in the shape of Enguarde. By collecting three Enguarde Tokens, the player is redirected to the Enguarde Bonus!, an underwater area with a red background. Here Enguarde must collect as many mini Enguarde Tokens within the time limit.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest[edit]

Diddy and Dixie riding Enguarde in Lockjaw's Locker of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

Enguarde reappears in many of the underwater levels of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. He appears in five levels, in order from Lockjaw's Locker, Lava Lagoon, Arctic Abyss, Clapper's Cavern and Animal Antics. He does not appear in some underwater levels, such as Glimmer's Galleon, which instead features another aquatic Animal Friend, Glimmer.

The game introduces Enguarde's Superstab maneuver, where he can build up energy and then release to quickly charge into a straight direction. Unlike the previous game, the Kongs are required to use Enguarde, whose Supercharge ability must be used to break open a fragile wall so they can enter a Bonus Level. In Arctic Abyss, Clapper's Cavern and Animal Antics, there is a part where the Kongs must enter an Animal Barrel to transform into Enguarde. Enguarde is the second Animal Friend with a section in Animal Antics.

In the Swanky's Bonus Bonanza of Gloomy Gulch, during the "Gibbon Game" challenge, a question asks what "Enguarde," "Swordy," and "Stabber."

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble![edit]

Floodlit Fish
Enguarde attacking a Gleamin' Bream during Floodlit Fish from Donkey Kong Country 3

Enguarde makes his fourth game appearance in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, and retains his abilities from the predecessor, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. Enguarde appears in the following five levels, in order of: Tidal Trouble, Bazza's Blockade, Floodlit Fish, Pot Hole Panic, and lastly Poisonous Pipeline. In addition, Enguarde fights Barbos in the Razor Ridge boss level, Barbos's Barrier, where he can attack Barbos and Lurchins alike by performing a Supercharge on the squishy center part of their body, but if Enguarde stabs their spiky shell, he becomes hurt instead. In the Game Boy Advance version, Enguarde instead fights Barbos in Pacifica, where he was also added in two of the world's levels: Dingy Drain-Pipe and Stormy Seas.

Donkey Kong Land series[edit]

Enguarde the Swordfish's sprite from Donkey Kong Land 2 and Donkey Kong Land III. Enguarde in Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong for the Game Boy Color.
Enguarde's sprite in Donkey Kong Land 2 (left) and Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong (right)

Enguarde's appearances in the Donkey Kong Land series are based on his appearances from the Donkey Kong Country series. In Donkey Kong Land 2, like the other Animal Friends, Enguarde can only be transformed into via an Animal Barrel, but he still retains his Superstab ability from Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. In Donkey Kong Land III, Enguarde can no longer use his Superstab attack, unlike Donkey Kong Land 2, and just like in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, Enguarde is transformed into for the duration of the boss fight against Barbos, taking place at Barbos Bastion. A difference with the boss fight is that Enguarde instead attacks Barbos by charging a Lurchin into its center.

For Donkey Kong Land 2, Enguarde appears in only a few levels, in order of: Lockjaw's Locker, Lava Lagoon, Glimmer's Galleon, and lastly Arctic Abyss. In Donkey Kong Land III, Enguarde appears commonly in water-based levels: Seabed Shanty, Ford Knocks, Koco Channel, Coral Quarrel, and Deep Reef Grief.

Club Nintendo[edit]

Enguarde in the comic "Donkey Kong Country"

Enguarde appeared as Donkey and Diddy's Animal Friend in the third part of Club Nintendo's comic "Donkey Kong Country". Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong ride him through a body of water, while being attacked by several underwater enemies. An exploding TNT Barrel pushes them out of the water and onto King K. Rool's ship Gangplank Galleon, after which Enguarde does not appear again.

Super Mario-kun[edit]

Enguarde appears in volume 14 of Super Mario-kun. After Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong ride on a fake Enguarde, Mario and Yoshi find a box that contains Enguarde. They meet Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong in ropes. Before Mario can do anything, he gets attacked by a Croctopus. Enguarde saves him, but a Clambo breaks his nose. Mario responds by attaching a drill to his nose. Enguarde then plows through the Croctopus, breaking its arms.

Donkey Kong 64[edit]

Enguarde the Swordfish
Enguarde's appearance in Donkey Kong 64

In Donkey Kong 64, Enguarde (also named Enguard the Swordfish[1] or simply Enguard[2]) only appears in Gloomy Galleon, and Lanky Kong is the only Kong who can enter the Enguarde Box to transform into Enguarde. Enguarde Boxes are present in both the lighthouse and shipwreck areas of the level. Unlike games in the Donkey Kong Country series and Donkey Kong Land series, Enguarde cannot defeat underwater enemies, though he can charge into treasure chests to destroy them and reveal hidden items. Enguarde has the ability to jump out of the water, and doing so is necessary in the shipwreck area, where Enguarde must jump through a star with a DK symbol three times to open the Coin Room.

Enguarde is the star of his own unlockable minigame, Enguarde Arena, which can be unlocked after catching six Banana Fairies. The minigame's objective is for Enguarde to jump through as many stars with the DK logo within the time limit.

Donkey Kong Barrel Blast[edit]

Enguarde appears in Donkey Kong Barrel Blast as a ridable Animal Friend in underwater racetracks once he is released from his crate. In this game, he can ram through anything in his path, including an electrified Chomps. Enguarde and Rambi cannot hurt other racers by ramming into them, but they are unaffected by attacks and Wild Moves from other players as well as all items, except for the reversed control effects and loss of Wild Moves from a Mega TNT Barrel. Enguarde is found in the underwater portions of Salty Sea and Open Ocean.

Super Smash Bros. series[edit]

In the Super Smash Bros. series, there are a few items of Enguarde. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Enguarde has both a trophy and a sticker, both of which can be unlocked by playing through various modes at random, and the sticker can be used on Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong in The Subspace Emissary to boost their attack power by 15 points. In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, there is another obtainable trophy of Enguarde, also obtained as a random drop. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, there is an Advanced-class Attack-type primary spirit that, when equipped, boosts the fighter's power but leaves them more vulnerable to electric attacks. In the game's World of Light, the spirit is encountered in the Coral Capers spot on the DK Island sub-map of the Light Realm. The spirit's puppet fighter is a male Corrin in a low-buoyancy fight on the Great Bay stage.

Picross NP Vol. 8[edit]

Enguarde makes a cameo appearance in Picross NP Vol. 8 as one of the images that must be cleared.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle[edit]

In the Donkey Kong Adventure story of Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, one of Rabbid Peach's Sentry weapons, the Trophy Fish Terror, is based on Enguarde's appearance. The weapon's description reassures that Enguarde is "safe and sound" despite the implication in the weapon's name that he was hunted and turned into a trophy.

Unused appearances[edit]

Donkey Kong Racing[edit]

Donkey Kong Racing pre-release screenshot: Tiny Kong on Enguarde and Diddy Kong on a unnamed purple swordfish during underwater
Tiny Kong and Diddy Kong riding Enguarde and the purple Enguarde respectively in the trailer for Donkey Kong Racing

Enguarde appears while being ridden by Tiny Kong underwater in early screenshots and during the trailer of the canceled Donkey Kong Racing, along with a slightly larger purple Enguarde ridden by Diddy Kong. It is unknown if the purple Enguarde would have had any distinctive qualities aside from its color.

Diddy Kong Pilot (2003)[edit]

In Diddy Kong Pilot's 2003 iteration, a few Enguardes are seen in the course Shore Strife, splashing in and out of the water. In the Cranky Kong Pilot title screen variation, an Enguarde is shown jumping out of the water below every few seconds, at a slower pace than the Enguardes of Shore Strife.

Enguarde was replaced with the dolphins from Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge in the final version of this iteration, Banjo-Pilot.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze[edit]

The development team of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze wanted to add more Animal Friends to the game, with Enguarde being considered.[3]

Profiles and statistics[edit]

Donkey Kong Country[edit]

  • Instruction booklet: For aquatic adventuring, Enguarde is essential. While riding him, you do not need to press the B Button Button to swim; the Control Pad directional arrows are enough. By pressing the Y Button or B Button Button, you can get a burst of speed during which Enguarde's sword nose becomes a deadly weapon. Needless to say, you won't find Enguarde anywhere but underwater.[4]

Donkey Kong Land series[edit]

Donkey Kong Land 2[edit]

  • Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console manual bio:
    • English:
      Press A Button while swimming quickly to perform a dash attack. Hold Select Button to perform a super dash.
    • French (Europe):
      Appuyez sur A Button en nageant rapidement pour effectuer une attaque rapide. Maintenez Select Button enfoncé pour effectuer une super attaque rapide.
    • German:
      Drücke A Button, während du schnell schwimmst, um einen Vorstoß auszuführen. Halte Select Button gedrückt, um einen Supervorstoß auszuführen.
    • Italian:
      Premi A Button mentre nuoti a tutta velocità per effettuare un attacco sprint. Tieni premuto Select Button per un super sprint.
    • Spanish (Europe):
      Pulsa A Button mientras nadas para realizar una embestida. Mantén pulsado Select Button si quieres efectuar una superembestida.

Donkey Kong Land III[edit]

  • Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console manual bio:
    • British English:
      Press A Button while swimming quickly to perform a dash attack.
    • French (Europe):
      Appuyez sur A Button en nageant rapidement pour effectuer une attaque rapide.
    • German:
      Drücke A Button, während du schnell schwimmst, um einen Vorstoß auszuführen.
    • Italian:
      Premi A Button mentre nuoti a tutta velocità per effettuare un attacco sprint.
    • Spanish (Europe):
      Pulsa A Button mientras nadas para realizar una embestida.

Super Smash Bros. series[edit]

Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]

Trophy
Enguarde
BrawlTrophy323.png
Appears in:
SNES Donkey Kong Country
SNES Donkey Kong Country 2
How to unlock: Random
A swordfish animal buddy. Enguarde always appears on water levels where he can loyally help Donkey Kong get around. Much appreciated, right, DK? Complementing his cute, round eyes, Enguarde's pointed bill proves to be a powerful weapon. One thrust from it will easily down most underwater opponents.
Sticker
Enguarde
A Sticker of Enguarde.
Artwork from: Donkey Kong Country
Effects in The Subspace Emissary: [Body, Spin] - Attack +15
Usable by: Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U[edit]

Trophy
Enguarde
Enguarde trophy from Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Category: Series Related
(Applies only to the Wii U version) Appears in:
Donkey Kong Country (11/1994)
SNES Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (11/1995)
(Applies only to the Wii U version) Trophy Box: 18: Animal Friends and Items
How to unlock:
Random
If you combine this swordsman of the sea with the king of the jungle, you'll get an aquatic duo no enemy can hope to overcome. Like Rambi the Rhinoceros, Enguarde can dash to blast through foes. Does that mean we should call him the Rhino of the Sea? Or maybe Rambi is the Swordfish of the Shores? Hmmm... (American English)
When this swordsman of the sea and the king of the jungle team up, you get an aquatic duo no enemy can hope to overcome. Like Rambi the Rhinoceros, Enguarde can dash to blast through foes. Does that make Enguarde the rhino of the sea, or is Rambi the swordfish of the shores? Hmmm... (British English)

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate spirit[edit]

# Name Image Series / game Type Class Strength / effect(s) How to obtain Spirit battle
Opponent(s) Battle conditions Stage Song
151 Enguarde Enguarde in Donkey Kong Country. Donkey Kong Series Primary (1) Advanced Attack
Electric Weakness
World of Light (DK Island) Corrin Rule: Buoyancy Reduced
  • You can't swim
  • The enemy's dash attacks have increased power
  • The enemy favors dash attacks
Great Bay Ice Cave Chant

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Enguarde.

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning
Japanese エンガード
Engādo
Enguarde

Russian Ангард
Angard
Enguarde

Spanish Enguarde
-

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Grab Lanky from the underwater Tag Barrel next to the Animal Crate. Then pop him inside to become Enguard the Swordfish." – Barton, Jeff; De Govia, Mario; Tica, Donato (1999). Donkey Kong 64 Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Prima Games. ISBN 9780761522799. Page 82.
  2. ^ "Maneuver Enguard to jump through the DK Star three times." – Barton, Jeff; De Govia, Mario; Tica, Donato (1999). Donkey Kong 64 Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Prima Games. ISBN 9780761522799. Page 82.
  3. ^ NE_Brian (January 21, 2023). Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze almost brought back Enguarde. Nintendo Everything. Retrieved January 22, 2023. (Archived January 21, 2023, 05:04:00 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
  4. ^ Nintendo. Donkey Kong Country instruction booklet. Nintendo of America. Page 25.