Spearhead (enemy)
Template:Quote2 Spearheads[1] are spear-shaped enemies that appear in both Wario Land 3 and Dr. Mario 64. Spearheads look like blue blobs with feet (but no legs), two large, black eyes with white pupils, and spears for noses.
History
Wario Land 3
In Wario Land 3, Spearheads are common enemies. They walk back and forth on a platform, turning around at the edge of a platform or a wall. The only part that hurts Wario is their frontal spiky snouts. They are vulnerable to any attack, as long as Wario attacks from other sides besides the front, and they are also vulnerable when they turn. Unlike other enemies, Spearheads sleep at night, where they are known as Sleepsters[2]. When sleeping, they stay in a spot until Wario is close to them or they get attacked, which wakes them up, where they consequently patrol across a platform like normal. Besides them, owls also sleep, but only during the day while being active at night. Spearheads function similarly to Pirate Gooms from Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 and Wario Land II where they hurt Wario from the front but are otherwise vulnerable. They are also described in the English manual as a "Goom"[1], although the Japanese version does not.
Spearheads appear in the most levels, where 23 out of the 25 regular levels have them. They appear in the following levels, in the following quantities:
| North | West | South | East |
|---|---|---|---|
| Out of the Woods (12) | Desert Ruins (3) | The Grasslands (8) | The Stagnant Swamp (4) |
| The Peaceful Village (4) | The Volcano's Base (17) | The Big Bridge (3) | The Frigid Sea (5) |
| The Vast Plain (3) | The Pool of Rain (10) | Tower of Revival (2) | Castle of Illusions (1) |
| Bank of the Wild River (1) | A Town in Chaos (8) | The Steep Canyon (3) | The Colossal Hole (1) |
| The Tidal Coast (1) | Beneath the Waves (2) | Cave of Flames (8) | The Warped Void (2) |
| Sea Turtle Rocks (3) | The West Crater (7) | N/A | Forest of Fear (4) |
Like all Wario Land 3 enemies, Spearheads are originally humans in the music box world, but were cursed by the hidden figure and turned into strange creatures. Their reasons for attacking Wario involves their realization that Wario is helping the hidden figure escape The Temple that they had sealed him within, though they are unaware that Wario does not realize the hidden figure's malicious intentions while doing so. During Wario Land 3's ending sequence, a Spearhead is the first enemy shown to have its curse released, and its restored form is shown as an elderly woman.
Dr. Mario 64
In Dr. Mario 64, Spearhead is the second opponent both Dr. Mario and Wario face in their respective story modes. It has the lowest CPU difficulty, alongside Webber. After either Dr. Mario or Wario has beaten both of them, both of them report to the hidden figure about the chase occurring between Dr. Mario, Wario, and Mad Scienstein, who is not fazed by their chase as he is certain that Hammer-bot can stop them.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ヤリマル[3] Yarimaru |
Portmanteau of「槍」(yari, spear) and「丸」(maru, a word for "circle" also used as an affectionate suffix) |
| Chinese | 矛头[9] Máotóu |
Spearhead |
| Dutch | Prikkop[6] |
From "prikken" (to prick) and "kop" (an informal word for "head") |
| French | Tête de pic[5] |
Spikehead |
| German | Spearhead[7] |
- |
| Italian | Testa di lancia[8] |
|
| Spanish | Spearhead[4] |
- |
References
- ^ a b "Watch out for this stubborn Goom." - Wario Land 3 English instruction booklet, page 26.
- ^ Official American Wario Land 3 website (Internet Archive)
- ^ Wario Land 3: Fushigi na Orgel Japanese instruction booklet, page 26.
- ^ Wario Land 3 European instruction booklet, page 99
- ^ Wario Land 3 European instruction booklet, page 59
- ^ Wario Land 3 European instruction booklet, page 79
- ^ Wario Land 3 European instruction booklet, page 39
- ^ Wario Land 3 European instruction booklet, page 117
- ^ Chinese back cover of Dr. Mario 64.
| Dr. Mario 64 | |
|---|---|
| Playable characters | Dr. Mario • Wario • Spearhead • Webber • Silky • Appleby • Jellybob • Octo • Helio • Lump • Hammer-Bot • Mad Scienstein • Rudy • Metal Mario • Vampire Wario |
| Other characters | Para-Goom • Virus |
| Items and objects | Vitamin Capsule |
| Other | Fever • Gallery • Staff |
