History of the Koopalings
The Koopalings are Bowser's minions who debuted in Super Mario Bros. 3 (originally depicted as his children), notable for appearing as world bosses in Super Mario platformers. In some role-playing games such as the Mario & Luigi and Paper Mario series), they also appear as bosses. They made some appearances in spin-offs as separate playable characters. They appear in other Super Mario media under different names while they did not have their official names during production.
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
The first appearance of the seven Koopalings was in Super Mario Bros. 3 where they are the main bosses of the first seven worlds of the game. Here, the Koopalings were ordered by Bowser to use their airships and armies to conquer the various lands of the Mushroom World. Each Koopaling, after attacking a kingdom, stole the ruler's magic wand and transformed that ruler into an animal of some kind (or in the case of Pipe Land's ruler in the NES version, a plant).[1]
Mario and Luigi battle a Koopaling every time they travel through a heavily-guarded airship. The battle against the Koopalings consists mostly of dodging the Koopalings' leaps and magical blasts from their stolen wand. It takes three stomps on the head or nine fireballs in order to defeat a Koopaling. Unlike Bowser, they are immune to hammers. Once defeated, that Koopaling retreats into their shell, flies away and drops their magic wand. After Mario or Luigi picks it up, the airship vanishes and that world's king is restored.
The Koopalings played the same role in Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, with Morton, Lemmy and Ludwig each given an extra e-Reader level. There is a scene showing Larry attacking Grass Land and turning its king into a Cobrat. In addition, if the player manages to defeat Bowser before defeating the other Koopalings, a cutscene plays when the player arrives at their respective world's castle that shows them ambushing the king, stealing the wand, and then departing shortly before Mario arrived. In the Japanese versions, one Koopaling appears on the key art of several level cards, with the only exceptions being Classic World 1-1 and No Time to Dawdle (both of which feature Mario and Luigi), Treacherous Halls (which features Boom Boom), Bowser's Last Stand, Bowser's Airship 1, and Bowser's Airship 2 (all three of which feature Bowser himself, for obvious reasons).[2] On a related note, the cards also have the respective Koopalings giving some commentary in the flavor text, with the only exception being the Japanese version of Airship's Revenge. To a lesser extent, the Koopalings also appeared on some of the level cards descriptions in the English releases of the level cards.[3]
Super Mario World[edit]
In Super Mario World, the Koopalings aid Bowser in his attack on Dinosaur Land. Each Koopaling was charged with guarding a castle on each of Dinosaur Land's areas.
After traveling through a Koopaling's castle, Mario or Luigi would battle a Koopaling, who would need to be bashed on the head three times, or in Iggy and Larry's case, knocked into the lava to be defeated. Morton, Ludwig, and Roy can also be defeated with a dozen fireballs. After a Koopaling was defeated, a captured Yoshi's Egg would be rescued, the castle would be destroyed and the path to a new area would be opened.
Once defeated, Morton, Ludwig, and Roy went spiraling into the background wall (signified by a puff of smoke), while Iggy, Lemmy, Wendy and Larry all fell into the lava. Afterwards, Mario or Luigi would totally destroy their castle in a variety of different ways. The narration gives a unique description for each defeat in the English translation, though the original Japanese text for each castle is uniform for each victory and does not individually refer to their loss. In International versions, each fort and castle can also be challenged again by holding L & R at the rubble.
The Koopalings' in-game sprites differ drastically from their game artworks (likely due to technical restrictions). The Koopalings generally use the palettes intended for Koopa Troopas (blue for Iggy and Roy, green for Morton and Larry, yellow for Lemmy and Ludwig, and red for Wendy), and none of the Koopalings match their artwork coloration except Larry (who uses the green color sprite). Additionally, the game's cast roll uses alternate color palettes for three of the Koopalings, which if rearranged, would match their sprites from Super Mario Bros. 3: Morton gets a teal palette, the same one applied to the Buzzy Beetles' in-game sprites, which would match Ludwig's; Ludwig gets a pink palette more appropriate for Roy; and Roy gets a gray palette that would fit Morton. Iggy also uses Larry's hairstyle during battle, despite the correct style being used during the game's cast roll. The original SNES version's sprites depicts the Koopalings with three fingers on each hand; this error was corrected in the Game Boy Advance remake to more closely resemble their actual appearances.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]
The Koopalings reappear in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, serving as the tertiary antagonists and bosses in seven of the game's worlds. They are first seen in the game's opening sequence, where they, along with Bowser Jr., hide in a cake (with their hair, Wendy's bow, and Roy's sunglasses) as toppings that the Koopalings presented Princess Peach with. The seven Koopalings all sport what seems to be replicas of the magic wands from their first appearance, while Bowser Jr.'s Junior Clown Car is introduced. In the first seven worlds, an Airship drops off a Koopaling at a Tower in the middle of the world. Mario and his friends would have to ascend it, at the top of which the Koopaling of that world waited. When defeated in battle, the Koopaling then jumps away after their defeat, much like Bowser Jr. in the original New Super Mario Bros., setting up a rematch at the Castle at the end of the world. Upon catching up with the Koopaling again, Magikoopa appears and adds a new element to the battle, such as replacing the floor of Larry's room with one that shifts up and down, giving Lemmy an even larger Wonder Ball, flooding Wendy's room, or even making three platforms in Ludwig's room. The Koopalings have also been given unique voices from this game onwards; Roy, Morton and Ludwig in particular have noticeably deeper voices than they had in the cartoon series.
After the credits, they are shown helping Bowser get back up (with the exception of Larry, who is shown just arriving, exhausted and limping, and passing out before being gestured by Bowser Jr. to get up). When the Koopalings get Bowser back up, however, Bowser's castle falls on top of them. When the screen cuts to black at the moment of impact, Bowser can be heard moaning in pain afterwards.
In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Larry is in World 1, Roy is in World 2, Lemmy is in World 3, Wendy is in World 4, Iggy is in World 5, Morton is in World 6, and Ludwig is in World 7.
While in Super Mario Bros. 3 Morton was the boss of a desert world, Roy was the boss of a sky world, and Ludwig was the boss of a pipe world, these have all been slightly switched. Roy is the boss of a desert world, Ludwig is the boss of a sky world, and Morton is the boss of a mountain world (replacing the pipe world). Also, Iggy's giant world is replaced with a jungle world. Larry, Lemmy, and Wendy each retain their world themes (grass, ice, and water, respectively).
New Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]
The seven Koopalings reappear in the game New Super Mario Bros. 2 as the secondary antagonists, serving the main antagonist, Bowser. Five of them (Roy, Iggy, Wendy, Morton, and Ludwig) serve as the castle bosses of the first five main worlds, while the two others (Larry and Lemmy) are the castle bosses in the two special worlds.
They use the Koopa Clown Car to kidnap Princess Peach, as seen in the intro, where Mario and Luigi fly around for coins while the Koopalings capture the Princess. After Mario and Luigi safely landed, the Koopalings crash onto the floor, making the Mario Bros. lose their Super Leaves. They show them Princess Peach and fly away, with Mario and Luigi closely behind them.
One of the Koopalings is seen at the beginning of each world, where they run to the Tower with Princess Peach. After defeating the Reznors in the Tower, the Koopaling of this world comes down with a chain, laughing or taunting Mario and then disappearing again, running to their castle. After the castle fight, the next Koopaling awaits with Princess Peach, only to run away to the next world. They are also seen with the Koopa Clown Car to turn Mario into stone in the final castle (and World 
Star-
Castle) by blasting a bright light. After Bowser's initial defeat, the Koopalings, similar to Magikoopa in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, attempt to aid Bowser by magically making him grow bigger, although this only resulted in them being knocked down by a giant Bowser (and later Dry Bowser). During the credits, they are seen trying to carry the defeated Bowser with the vehicle, but his weight pulls them down, scattering them all on the ground and trees.
In this game, Roy is in World 1, Iggy is in World 2, Wendy is in World 3, Morton is in World 4, Ludwig is in World 5, Larry is in World Mushroom, and Lemmy is in World Flower. On a side note, when all Koopalings are in the Koopa Clown Car, the five Koopalings that are required to be fought (Roy, Iggy, Wendy, Morton and Ludwig) are within the car, while the two optional Koopalings (Larry and Lemmy) are holding onto the outside of the car. The New Super Mario Bros. 2 guide mistakenly gives the name Larry Koopa to Iggy Koopa.[4]
New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe[edit]
The Koopalings, along with Bowser Jr. and Magikoopa, return in the Wii U game New Super Mario Bros. U and its Nintendo Switch port. The Koopalings aid Bowser in seizing Peach's castle and also travel to the neighboring regions in order to ensure that the Mario Bros. don't return to the castle. Like in Super Mario Bros. 3, each Koopaling has a personal airship, which have now been stylized with decorations of their heads representing the bow and their colored shells on the top. They are bosses in castle levels once again, but are fought in their airships, which are accessed via a cannon within the castles. Unlike the game's predecessor, they are no longer the bosses in towers. While Larry, Iggy and Ludwig retain their magic wands, Lemmy, Morton, Wendy and Roy don't use them this time around, and instead they have various weaponry. (e.g. Roy uses a handheld Bill Blaster during his battle) In addition, Lemmy, Morton, Larry, Wendy, and Iggy fight Mario in the cabin area of their airships, while Roy and Ludwig fight Mario on the crow's nest of their airships.
Lemmy is the Acorn Plains boss and thus the first Koopaling to fight, followed by Morton who is the boss of Layer Cake Desert (which is his first time as a desert boss since Super Mario Bros. 3), Larry as the Sparkling Waters boss, Wendy as the Frosted Glacier boss, Iggy to be the boss of Soda Jungle, much like how he was the boss of World 5 in New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Roy as the boss of Rock-Candy Mines, leaving Ludwig as the final Koopaling to fight, like in the previous New Super Mario Bros. games, as the boss of Meringue Clouds.
After Bowser is defeated, the Koopalings attempt to get Bowser to jump to safety on his own beat-up airship. However, Bowser inadvertently destroyed the ship while attempting to board it, with the Koopalings clinging to Bowser's tail, while Bowser himself holds on to Bowser Jr.'s Junior Clown Car.
New Super Luigi U[edit]
The Koopalings return in New Super Luigi U. Unlike most other aspects of the game, they act the same way as they do in New Super Mario Bros. U. At the beginning of each castle, a stone face of the Koopaling with glowing eyes will appear on a wall, but is only for decorative purposes.
Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
The Koopalings appear as placeable enemies in the final update for Super Mario Maker 2. They are available in all game styles except for the Super Mario 3D World style. In the Super Mario Bros. style, the Koopalings' designs are based on Bowser's sprite from that game. In the North American update trailer, the Koopalings are shown using their Super Mario Bros. 3 sprites in the Super Mario World style. As already shown by the Japanese trailer, this was changed in the final release where they are given new sprites, following a similar design to Bowser and Bowser Jr., while using palettes resembling those of their Super Mario Bros. 3 sprites (aside from Lemmy, who remains yellow). Each Koopaling fights differently in-game, and their abilities are as follows:
- Larry fights using blasts from his magic wand and jumps around.
- Iggy walks around and fires fast-moving spells.
- Wendy casts candy rings that bounce off of the ground, walls, and ceilings.
- Lemmy casts magical balls while balancing on one himself.
- Roy digs into the ground and appears anywhere in the room (usually on the ceiling).
- Morton jumps up and slams into the ground, sending a shockwave across the floor and can even break Brick Blocks if his slams are in the vicinity of them.
- Ludwig blasts 3 to 5 beams at once from his magic wand and flutter-jumps.
The Koopalings are considered their own group in the editor, which has a limit of seven per section for a limit of fourteen per course, which means that in a single section all seven Koopalings or even seven of the same Koopaling can be placed to fight the player.
The Koopalings' magic spells are treated as fire elements in the New Super Mario Bros. U style, but not in the other styles; for example, they can be eaten by a Yoshi and are capable of thawing Frozen Coins in the former, but not in the latter.
Amada Anime Series: Super Mario Bros.[edit]
The first appearance of the Koopalings outside of video games was in the Japanese-exclusive Super Mario anime series, which was an adaptation of three fairy tales. In the Super Mario version of Momotarō, they appeared as the minions of Bowser, who was portrayed as the stories' ogre. The Koopalings also appeared as minions of Bowser (now the Wicked Queen) in the adaptation of Snow White ("Shirayukihime").
Super Mario-kun[edit]
The Koopalings are fought within the first three volumes of the Super Mario-kun, but they are rarely seen unless there is a volume based on a game they have appeared in.
DIC cartoons[edit]
In The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World produced by Nintendo and DIC Entertainment, the Koopalings (sometimes referred to as the Koopa Kids) were featured as recurring villains, replacing Mouser, Tryclyde, Fryguy and Clawgrip from The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!. They appear in these cartoons under altered names. This is likely due to the show's production preceding the North American release of Super Mario Bros. 3, which provided their individual names. In these cartoons, the relationship between Bowser and the Koopalings was interpreted as more of a powerful father spoiling his bratty children. They did things such as try to get his attention, gain his appreciation, and even plot against him. Cheatsy (Larry) and Kooky (Ludwig) seemed to be Bowser's favorites out of the bunch, which somewhat follows older game material.
List of The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 episodes featuring all of the Koopalings[edit]
- Sneaky Lying Cheating Giant Ninja Koopas
- Reptiles in the Rose Garden
- Princess Toadstool for President
- Reign Storm
- Do the Koopa
- Mush-Rumors
- Crimes R Us
- 7 Continents for 7 Koopas
Super Mario World: Mario to Yoshi no Bōken Land[edit]
The Koopalings appear in the interactive anime adaptation of Super Mario World that was exclusive to Japan. Although Iggy and Lemmy are fought in the same worlds that they were fought in the prior games (Yoshi's Island and Vanilla Dome, respectively), Larry, Morton, Ludwig, Roy, and Wendy are fought together at Chocolate Island, whereas in the game, only Wendy was fought there. In addition, the battles with the Koopalings varied slightly from the game: Iggy has a horde of Koopa Troopas, Rexes, and Chargin' Chucks attack the Mario Bros., and later summons Koopa Paratroopas and Monty Moles before Yoshi takes care of them, forcing him to flee; Lemmy had blocked the route to him with a series of switches that operate a bridge, with Mario effortlessly knocking him aside when he solved the puzzle; Wendy produces copies of herself and then attempts to attack Mario while he's confused, but Mario stepped aside and leaves her dangling over the lava pit; and the others ganged up on Mario and Luigi shortly afterward, with Roy and Morton being stomped on and then getting back up, only to be swatted away with the other Koopalings by Mario's Cape Feather.
Comics[edit]
The Koopalings are recurring characters in Valiant's Nintendo Comics System imprint. Here, their personalities were somewhat similar to their animated series counterparts, though they retain their names and appearances from the games. While Wendy and Lemmy each had solo appearances (the former in "Fins and Roses", and the latter in "The Buddy System" and "The Revenge of Pipe Ooze!"), their siblings only appear in the story "Bowser Knows Best" (where the group abducts Princess Toadstool for Bowser as a Father's Day present) and the short "Get Koop-ed Up With the Nicest People!" (where they and Bowser are shown vacationing in a resort called Klub Koopa).
In Nintendo Power's Super Mario Adventures comic, the Koopalings aid Bowser in his plot to kidnap and marry Princess Toadstool, as he decided she would be a good mother for them.
Nintendo Adventure Books[edit]
The Koopalings appear throughout the Nintendo Adventure Books, often aiding Bowser in his latest scheme, though they would occasionally strike out on their own, as was the case with Ludwig in Pipe Down! and Iggy in Brain Drain. The only book in which all seven appeared together was Koopa Capers, which has Wendy steal her brothers' wand so she can fuse them with her own to make a super wand that, along with minions loyal only to her, would allow her to usurp her father.
Iggy is featured most commonly in the books, often appearing as the main threat due to whipping up a new invention like the GLOM, Monster Mixer and Synapse Switcher. Larry is utilized least often, his only noteworthy role in the series being ambushing Mario and Yoshi in an entirely skippable sequence in Dinosaur Dilemma.
Mario is Missing![edit]
In Mario is Missing!, the Koopa Kids aid Bowser in his plan to melt Antarctica, thereby flooding the Earth. Presumably, they also headed the Koopas that were being deployed to steal the artifacts around the world. A Koopa Kid would guard the corridor of Bowser's fortress and battle Luigi, who was searching for his missing brother.
In the Super Nintendo version of Mario is Missing!, only Ludwig, Roy and Iggy appear, although Larry and Morton are referenced in the manual; in the DOS version of the game, Lemmy and Morton are the only ones not appearing. Cut dialogue in the CD-ROM Deluxe version, however, implied that Lemmy and Morton were considered to be implemented as bosses. Also in the DOS version, instead of stomping the Koopa Kids a few times, Luigi defeats them with a single blast from a fire flower that he gains after locking each door on a floor. Until Mario Kart 8, the DOS version is also the only major appearance of the Koopa Kids where they speak intelligibly in-game.
Yoshi's Safari[edit]
In Yoshi's Safari, the Koopalings once again aid Bowser in the conquest of a kingdom, this time Jewelry Land. In this game, the Koopalings attack Mario by using giant mecha weaponry. It would take various shots from Mario's Super Scope to beat a Koopaling, thus forcing it to hold up a white flag of defeat.
Larry, Wendy, and Morton were also given plush toys as part of the Yoshi's Safari plush set (along with Mario, Yoshi, and Bowser).[5]
Hotel Mario[edit]
In Hotel Mario the Koopalings each guard one of seven hotels scattered throughout the Mushroom Kingdom. Their hotels are passed in this order:
- Morton's Wood Door Hysteria Hotel
- Roy's HardBrick Hotel
- Larry's Chillton Hotel
- Lemmy's High-ate Regency Hotel
- Ludwig's Thump Castle Hotel
- Wendy's Blitz Snarlton Hotel
Iggy does not have his own hotel; he is instead faced before Bowser in his hotel, in a paper-thin disguise.
Mario & Luigi series[edit]
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga[edit]
- “Koopalings! Your time has come!”
- —Bowletta, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
After a decade of absence, the Koopalings make a return appearance in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. During the game, the witch Cackletta who had previously stolen Bowser's body takes control of Bowser's Castle and uses the fortress to attack Beanbean Castle Town. The Koopalings serve "Bowletta" and work to impede the Mario Bros.' progress.
After getting into Bowser's Castle, Mario and Luigi fight the Koopalings in their respective rooms, usually needing to complete some sort of challenge in order to battle them. Additionally, the last three (Roy, Wendy, and Larry) use a special Time Bob-omb in battle. If the Mario Bros. failed to end the battle successfully in eight turns, the Bob-omb's timer would reach zero and it would explode, resulting in an instant Game Over. The Koopalings are encountered in the same order as in Super Mario World (Iggy, Morton, Lemmy, Ludwig, Roy, Wendy, and Larry). After being defeated, each Koopaling leaves a warp point for the Mario Bros.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions[edit]
The Koopalings have an expanded role in the remake Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions. In the former mode, they have the same role as before, although the battles are different, especially that against Ludwig, the Time Bob-omb has a different turn limit for Roy, Wendy, and Larry (nine, seven, and five, respectively), and this time they actually have dialogue, with Morton's personality being influenced by Paper Mario: Color Splash in the way he talks.
In the latter mode, they act as playable characters and bosses, where they have been controlled by a more powerful version of a spray sent by Fawful and are sent to conquer the Beanbean Kingdom, and they are gradually rescued from the effects of the spray by Captain Goomba, joining him and the other minions of Bowser to save the latter in the Beanbean Kingdom. In said mode, they initally display arrogance and disrespect toward their minions, outright ignoring the warnings sent to them by Captain Goomba, while toward the end of the story almost all of them, with the exception of Roy, end up recognizing his superiority, while still retaining a higher rank than him. In general, in this game it is noted how the Koopalings are among the highest ranking of Bowser's minions, as can be seen by the underlings using terms such as Sir, my Lordship, Master when talking to them; Ludwig also again acts as their leader, as briefly hinted in Gwarhar Lagoon and then reconfirmed in the battle where Captain Goomba must prove his loyalty to Bowser as well as his prowess in battle by fighting all the Koopalings he just rescued from the effects of the spray. Larry, Iggy, Wendy, Morton and Roy are found in the Beanbean Fields, Chucklehuck Woods, Gwarhar Lagoon, Teehee Valley and Joke's End respectively, while Lemmy and Ludwig stay in Bowser's Castle. After being beaten on a stage, they are replaced by dark versions of them just like the other characters that can be rescued from the effects of Fawful's spray. Since in the Minion's Quest mode all the minions of Bowser are sent against Mario and Luigi by Bowletta disguised as Bowser, the cutscene where Bowletta calls the Koopalings against Mario and Luigi is missing in the remake. They are later present during Bowser's official reinstatement of Captain Goomba into leader of the Koopa Troop forces, and the subsequent demotion of Captain Goomba from both this position and his rank of Captain after it was discovered that Captain Goomba was, albeit unintentionally, the reason why Bowser was rendered amnesiac beforehand.
If all the Koopalings are used in a squad, a bonus skill called "The Seven Koopalings" is activated which increases the squad's HP by 20% and POW by 10%.
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam[edit]
- “"I thought we were operating as a collective trust!"
"No. If anything, we're a republic..."” - —Iggy Koopa and Ludwig von Koopa, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
The Koopalings make an appearance in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, as the tertiary antagonists. Contrary to Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, the Koopalings have in-game dialogue. Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario encounter them at specific points throughout the adventure, which is again unlike in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, where they were only encountered during the end of the game before the final fights with Fawful and Cackletta. Although paper versions of the Koopalings are not featured, they are alluded to; when Roy asks Wendy why there are no paper counterparts of the Koopalings, she speculates that they are "probably just busy doing important stuff back home."
Roy, Wendy, Larry and Ludwig first appear after Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario were knocked out by cannonballs, ordering the Chargin' Chuck Corps to take them to the Twinsy Tropics Dungeon. Roy and Wendy fight the trio to try to prevent them from escaping. Morton, Iggy and Lemmy are later seen with King Bob-omb as he showers the kingdom with paper terrain and enemies. Ludwig and Larry guard the pipe from Twinsy Tropics to Bowser's Castle and fight the Mario Bros. to stop them from entering. As they enter the castle, Morton and Lemmy commandeer Papercraft King Boo, which the Mario Bros. demolish using Papercraft Yoshi. All seven of the Koopalings reappear as Bowser's last line of defense right before the final battle, where they are defeated for good.
During the battle with Dry Bowser, he can summon two Koopalings at a time to aid him, who must be defeated as well. First he summons Roy and Wendy, and then Ludwig and Larry. Morton, Lemmy and Iggy do not appear in this battle.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey[edit]
Although they were not present in the original game, the Koopalings appear in the remake's add-on story mode Bowser Jr.'s Journey, acting as Bowser Jr.'s allies. Bowser had told the Koopalings to look after Bowser Jr. while he went to Peach's Castle. Lemmy was initially not with the group since he decided to stay at Bowser's Castle. However, they each left Bowser Jr. for different reasons; Ludwig was worried something was wrong at Bowser's Castle, Roy ended up being fed up with his more selfish nature, Larry and Wendy in order to attempt to save Bowser's Castle from falling under Fawful's control, Iggy due to Bowser Jr. firing him due to finding him annoying, and Morton was brainwashed by the main villains, the Best Fitness Friends, into turning against him via the Malatone Formula:X. One Koopaling (along with Kamek) can be set as a First officer which gives stat boosts depending on which Koopaling, and each one also has their own Captain commands. During the final battle against the Best Fitness Friends' combined form, the latter entity summons dark doppelgangers of the Koopalings to act as its troops. Similar dark doppelgangers appear in the final post-game level, Beat the Minions!, all under the effects of Malatone Formula:X. In each round, two of them are fought together as the captain and first officer, and in the last round they are all regular troops while the captain is a dark version of Bowser.
Mario Kart series[edit]
Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
The Koopalings make their spin-off debut appearance as unlockable playable characters in Mario Kart 8.[6] This also marks the first appearance overall of the Koopalings as playable characters. Larry, Wendy, and Lemmy are classified as lightweight characters, Iggy and Ludwig are medium weight, and Morton and Roy are heavyweight. The Koopalings get their own emblems similar to Bowser and Bowser Jr.'s in this game.
The parts used by the Koopalings receive extra details, but as with characters such as Metal Mario, Pink Gold Peach, Bowser, Donkey Kong, certain Mii, Yoshi and Shy Guy colors as well as downloadable characters, this mainly consists of unique frames for their Standard Karts, Standard Bikes, Standard ATVs and Super Gliders. In addition to these, all the Koopalings, unlike the other characters, have Pipe Frames with unique colored steering wheels and exhaust pipes as well as Landships which are based on their personal airships from New Super Mario Bros. U.
CPU-controlled Koopalings, as well as Bowser, may use the Landship as their vehicle of choice aside from the Standard bodies and the Pipe Frame.
The Koopalings return in the Nintendo Switch port Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, this time as default playable characters. In this game, the rims of their Koopa Clowns are colored according to the Koopaling, like in the Super Smash Bros. series.
Mario Kart Tour[edit]
The Koopalings appear as playable characters in Mario Kart Tour as playable characters of Normal rarity, making them very easy to unlock. The Koopalings each have their own special item, and they were added in the game on October 8, 2019 as part of the Tokyo Tour. Iggy's special item is the Triple Green Shells, Larry's is the Boomerang Flower, Lemmy's is the Bubble, Ludwig's is the Dash Ring, Morton's is the Giant Banana, Roy's is the Double Bob-ombs, and Wendy's special item is the Heart. Some of their special items were different items in the closed beta test: Larry and Lemmy's special items were the Triple Bananas, Ludwig's special item was the Double Bob-ombs, and Morton's special item was the Triple Green Shells.
At the start of the 2022 Holiday Tour, Larry gained a winter-themed variant called Larry (Wintertime), which possesses the Coin Box as his special item. He is the only Koopaling to possess a variant.
Starting with the 2023 Bowser Tour, Mii Racing Suits based on most of the Koopalings have been released, with additional suits based on Lemmy and Morton being released during the 2023 Mii Tour, and the final suit based on Wendy released during the Vacation Tour. Like most Mii Racing Suits, each suit shares a special skill with their inspiration (ex. Larry and the Larry Mii Racing Suit both utilize the Boomerang Flower).
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U[edit]
The Koopalings make their Super Smash Bros. series debut as unlockable (default in the Wii U version) newcomers in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, as seven model swaps of Bowser Jr.[7] They all have their own voices and are acknowledged as separate fighters by the announcer (similar to how Alph is a "separate" fighter from Olimar). Each Koopaling drives a specific-colored Junior Clown Car that has yellow eyes resembling light bulbs instead of black like Bowser Jr.'s version. They all fight identically, however.
Because each Koopaling is a model swap of Bowser Jr., they all have been resized to match him in height (and, to some extent, their in-game heights from games such as Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World), and they also use Bowser Jr.'s animations, but some retain their unique properties; for example, Iggy is thinner than the others.
The order Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings are scrolled through on the character selection screen is similar to the order in which the Koopalings are fought in Super Mario Bros. 3 (except Roy and Morton, who switched spots) and New Super Mario Bros. Wii (except Lemmy is placed second-last), starting with Bowser Jr., then Larry, Roy, Wendy, Iggy, Morton, Lemmy, and Ludwig.
Because the Koopalings are model swaps of Bowser Jr., they are unlocked as playable characters in the 3DS version at the same time as him (after the player either clears Classic Mode on 6.0 intensity or higher as Bowser or plays 100 matches, then defeats Bowser Jr. on the 3D Land stage).
The Koopalings reuse their voice clips from the New Super Mario Bros. games. Thus, Larry, Lemmy, Wendy, and Morton are voiced by Lani Minella, Iggy and Ludwig are voiced by Mike Vaughn, and Roy is voiced by Dan Falcone.
Similar to the other fighters, they are also subject to Pit's Smash Taunt, Palutena's Guidance. However, other than their full name when identified by Palutena, all the conversations are the same. They also have their own titles in the Boxing Ring monitor for the Wii U version. It should be noted, however, that them possessing their own titles and attributes is only the case in international versions; in the Japanese version, they actually share the same title as Bowser Jr., which is「万能のチャリオット」(or "all-purpose chariot").[8]
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
The Koopalings return as alternate skins for Bowser Jr. in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Now, each Koopaling has unique facial expressions from Bowser Jr., as opposed to sharing them. Additionally, when attacking during Abandon Ship, each of the Koopalings use their own wands, as opposed to using the same hammer like Bowser Jr., which also applies to other situations in which Bowser Jr. would use a hammer such as in one of his victory poses.
Larry
Roy
Wendy
Iggy
Morton
Lemmy
Ludwig
Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition[edit]
The Koopalings return as bosses to fight at the end of each world in Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition. Additionally, they reappear during the final battle alongside Bowser and Bowser Jr., riding in the Koopa Clown Car with Bowser. The combination of the Koopalings and Bowser is treated as a single enemy, and is named Bowser and His Minions.[9]
Unlike most other enemies in this game, the Koopalings are one of a kind enemies who cannot be recruited by normal means. Instead, the player has to defeat them at their special world airships in order to recruit them. Upon joining the player as allies, the Koopalings stop appearing as enemies, and instead, get replaced by generic enemies for their castles and airships. Also, the player is not able to part ways with any of the Koopalings, nor can they be depowered.
As of version 2.0, each of the Koopalings have received two different transformations, with each one having them be paired with one or more generic enemies. This in return, gives them a sub-attribute, along with altering their Awoken Skill. The transformations can be switched at any time by using the proper transformation items, but once the player has transformed the Koopalings, it is impossible to revert them back to their original forms.
Mario & Sonic series[edit]
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games / Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games[edit]
In both the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games and Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, the only appearances of the Koopalings are as unlockable costumes that can be worn by Miis.
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games[edit]
Larry, Wendy, Roy and Ludwig appear as playable characters in Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. In the Nintendo 3DS version, they can only be used in certain events; Larry plays Equestrian, Wendy plays 100m Freestyle, Roy plays Beach Volleyball, and Ludwig plays Table Tennis.[10] The former three Koopalings have to be unlocked in Story Mode before they can be played as, whereas Ludwig is playable from the start.
In the Wii U version, only Larry and Wendy reappear as playable guest characters, while Ludwig and Roy have been cut. Like in the 3DS version, Larry can only be used in Equestrian and Wendy in 100m Freestyle, and they must be unlocked first to play as them.
In both versions, the Koopalings once again speak in-game with text dialogue (with the exception of Ludwig, who does not appear in the 3DS version's story mode), and their voice clips are reused from Mario Kart 8. Additionally, the unlockable Mii costumes based on all seven Koopalings return from previous installments as well. In the Wii U version, the costumes must be obtained in separate head and body pieces.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020[edit]
Larry, Wendy and Ludwig return, in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Larry and Ludwig are Technique-type characters while Wendy is a Power-type character. Like in Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Larry is exclusive to Equestrian and Wendy is exclusive to 100m Freestyle. Ludwig is exclusive to Fencing, rather than Table Tennis like in the last game.
All three of them make an appearance in the game's Story Mode. When Bowser Jr. takes the Tokyo '64 away from Luigi and Tails, Bowser Jr. has Wendy guard him from them, though she ends up losing to Silver in Swimming. Later, after Eggman Nega has a Magikoopa charge the Excitement Battery, the latter gives it to Larry offscreen, though he does not believe Luigi and Tails when they say Eggman Nega sent them. After being very stubborn against them, including sending an army of Shy Guys and challenging Peach to an Equestrian match, he reluctantly gives the battery to them. However, offscreen, he falsely accuses them of stealing it to Wendy and Ludwig, the latter of whom steals the battery and gives it to the former. After Ludwig has a Fencing match with Waluigi, the charging of the Excitement battery from the match startles Wendy, causing her to toss it in the air, landing in Luigi's hands again. After learning how it works, they leave, not wanting anything to do with it.
Outside of that, Larry and Ludwig, along with Roy, Morton, and Iggy, are mentioned as the answer to Ludwig's trivia card, which asks how many of the Koopalings have fangs. This makes Lemmy the only Koopaling that is not shown or mentioned in any way in this game.
Paper Mario: Color Splash[edit]
In Paper Mario: Color Splash, the Koopalings make their Paper Mario series debut, appearing as bosses. They are fought in order to obtain Big Paint Stars, whose color depends on the magic wand the Koopaling wields. Morton appears in The Crimson Tower to get the red star; Iggy guards the yellow star at The Golden Coliseum; Ludwig guards the blue star at Fort Cobalt; Wendy guards the purple star on Fortune Island; Larry tries to get the orange star at Starlight Cape; Lemmy guards the green star at The Emerald Circus; and Roy, whose wand color is black, has no Big Paint Star to guard, but fights Mario in Black Bowser's Castle. As in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, the Koopalings have spoken dialogue, but some of them are portrayed differently in this game. After being defeated, the Koopalings appear in the final scene of the game, fleeing from Prism Island on an airship with Bowser taped to the ship, although a stray firework hits the airship, forcing them to crash land off screen. They also appear together during the game's staff credits parade.
The paper versions of the Koopalings follow the designs introduced in New Super Mario Bros. Wii with a bigger size than the one shown in that game. Additionally, the sprites of Ludwig, Wendy, Lemmy and Roy present a pose derived from artwork released during the 30th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. and some of their features, notably the color of the eyebrows, are derived from said artwork as well. Each Koopaling also has a unique sound for their speech bubbles when they talk.
Defeated Koopalings can also be summoned in battle using their Enemy Cards won by beating the Rock Paper Wizard at the Roshambo Temples. Immediately after being summoned, they make enemies flee by running into them. Just like the other enemies summoned through Enemy Cards, they run away when in front of major bosses, however, unlike normal enemies, they run into minor bosses that are forced to escape, only to return soon after.
Dr. Mario World[edit]
All of the Koopalings appear as playable characters in Dr. Mario World, taking on the role of doctors. They generally have the same overall design as their standard counterparts, barring that they wear a white armband with a pill logo on it, as well as carrying white satchels.
Other appearances[edit]
The Koopa Kids' likeness can be seen in the DOS and SNES versions of Mario's Time Machine as banners in the former or statues in the latter on the first and second floor. The Koopa Kids depicted in the DOS version are Ludwig, Larry, Iggy, and Lemmy. In the SNES version, they also appear as wall torches in the background of the last floor, with Ludwig, Roy, and Larry or Iggy in particular being seen in the latter. Iggy and Larry appear in Mario's Early Years. Iggy is in the alphabet, and Larry comes out of a pipe if the player chooses the correct answer, saying "I like your choice". Lemmy also makes a cameo appearance in Super Scope 6, in which he is shown riding a missile and chasing a plane piloted by Mario, while a short clip of Mario fighting Iggy in Super Mario World is briefly shown during FLUDD's scan in Super Mario Sunshine.
While the Koopalings themselves do not appear in the original Mario Party, seven Baby Bowsers (later renamed Koopa Kids) appear in Eternal Star, likely acting as generic stand-ins for the Koopalings.
The Koopalings were originally going to appear in Super Princess Peach as boss characters in the order of Super Mario World, though they were dropped from the final version of the game for unknown reasons. According to the unused sprites, Roy and Morton's shells were apparently going to be colored green rather than their respective original pink and gray.
The Koopalings are briefly mentioned as Bowser's children in his trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee, but only Bowser Jr. is mentioned in the Super Smash Bros. Brawl trophy, while Ludwig alone appears as a sticker.
In Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games and Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, costumes that are based on the Koopalings can be unlocked in that game, and are unlocked in the same order as the Koopalings were fought in New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
The Koopalings make a cameo appearance in Mario Kart Arcade GP DX on banners in the Aerial Road and Sky Arena tracks.
The Koopalings appear in Super Mario Bros. 3 challenges in NES Remix 2. An entire challenge is dedicated to beating all the seven in a row in the order they were fought in Super Mario Bros. 3. In addition, Iggy and Larry have their own challenges. Iggy has to be defeated as Frog Mario, while Larry has to be defeated as Small Mario.
All 7 Koopalings are included as Bosses in the Boss Card deck of Monopoly Gamer. They are joined by either Bowser (in the Standard Edition) or Bowser Jr. (in the Collector's edition) as the "Final Boss". Their boss order is the same as from Super Mario Bros. 3.
While the Koopalings do not appear in Mario Tennis Aces, their airships can be seen in the background of the Savage Sea court.
The Koopalings do not make an appearance in Mario Golf: Super Rush, but their names can be shown on the scoreboard in the Story Mode.
References[edit]
- ^ Depending on the version of Super Mario Bros. 3, the Koopalings will transform the respective rulers into a dog, a spider/silkworm, a kappa, a tyrannosaur, a vulture, a seal, or a Fire Piranha Plant (NES version) or a Cobrat, Hoopster, a purple Dino Rhino, a Donkey Kong Jr. look-alike, an Albatoss, a Monty Mole, and a Yoshi (SNES and GBA remakes).
- ^ In particular, Larry appears on A Musical Trek, Slip Slidin' Away, Ground Work, and Classic World 1-2; Morton appears on Slidin' the Slopes, Swinging Bars of Doom, A Sky-High Adventure, Castle Dash, Classic World 1-3, Airship's Revenge; Wendy appears in Wild Ride in the Sky, Magical Note Blocks, Ice Cubed, Caped Escape, and Classic World 1-4; Iggy appears in Vegetable Volley, Para Beetle Challenge, Ice Dungeon, Rich with Ropes; Roy appears in Bombarded by Bob-ombs, Puzzling Pipe Maze, An Aqueous Adventure, and Classic World 2-2; Lemmy appears in Doors o' Plenty, Piped Full of Plants, Armored Airship, It's a Shoe-In, Vexing Doors; and Ludwig appears in The ol' Switcheroo, Sea to Sky, A Towering Tour, and Koopaling Confusion
- ^ Specifically, Roy Koopa appeared on Swinging Bars of Doom, Morton, similar to the Japanese version of the card, appeared on Airship's Revenge, Ludwig appeared on The ol' Switcheroo, and Iggy appeared on Piped Full of Plants.
- ^ von Esmarch, Nick. New Super Mario Bros. 2 PRIMA Official Game Guide. Page 75.
- ^ nightram56 (January 12, 2011). Koopalings plushes. YouTube. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
- ^ Nintendo Direct – 2.13.2014
- ^ GameXplain (September 13, 2014). Koopalings in Smash Bros 3DS - All Bowser. Jr Alt Skins (Gameplay). YouTube. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
- ^ Mandelin, Clyde (January 24, 2015). These Are the Japanese Boxing Ring Aliases in Smash Bros. Wii U. Legends of Localization. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
- ^ Zephiel810 (May 1, 2015). Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition - Final Boss + Ending. YouTube. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
- ^ Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games - more 3DS footage, details
| Histories | |
|---|---|
| Characters | Bowser • Bowser Jr. • Donkey Kong • Kamek • Luigi • Mario • Princess Daisy • Princess Peach • Wario • Yoshi |
| Species | Boo • Koopa Troopa |
| Groups | Koopalings |
| Items | Coin |
