Shellcreeper

Not to be confused with Koopa Troopa.

Shellcreeper
Artwork of a Shellcreeper from Mario Bros.
Chronological information
First game	Mario Bros. (1983)
Game appearances	Mario Bros. Super Mario Bros. Special Punch Ball Mario Bros. Mario Power Tennis Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Luigi Bros. NES Remix
Game information
Attacks	Contact
Defeated by	Hitting the floor below them, then running into them

Shellcreepers are green-shelled turtles that first appear in the Mario Bros. arcade game. They are the predecessors of Koopa Troopas, which debuted two years after the Shellcreepers, in Super Mario Bros., and have since filled in for Shellcreepers in most of their appearances.

Profile

Physical description

Shellcrepepers heavily resemble Koopa Troopas, with their trophy description in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U even stating that Koopas evolved from Shellcreepers, although the Japanese text specifies Koopa Troopas. Shellcreepers are known to wear undershirts and shorts when outside of their shells.

Nomenclature

The Shellcreeper was given many different names in different languages.

• Its Japanese name is カメさん Kame-san (Turtle-san) シェルクリーパー Sherukurīpā (Shellcreeper).
• Its Spanish name is Tortuga (Turtle).
• Its French name is Carapeur, which is a pun on carapace (the upper shell of turtles) and peur (fear).
• Its German name is Schildkröte (Turtle).
• Its Italian name is Tartaruga (Turtle).
• Its Russian name is Черепашкин (Cherepashkin), which comes from черепаха , which means cherepakha, turtle.
• Its Korean name is 거북님 (Geobuk-Nim), which is a translation of its Japanese name.

Appearances

Mario Bros.

Artwork of Shellcreepers from Mario Bros.

Shellcreepers are the first enemies encountered. They emerge from the Pipes at the top of the screen and make their way toward the bottom. The player must use the traditional method of bumping a Shellcreeper from underneath their platforms to incapacitate them. When knocked over, the player can run up to a Shellcreeper and automatically kick them off-screen, earning them 800 points. However, if the player does not do this within a limited amount of time, the Shellcreepers flip back over, creeping back out of their shells and turning yellow, moving at a faster speed. If this is repeated again, they turn red and move at their fastest speed. This automatically happens to the last remaining Shellcreeper in each phase. Jumping on these foes results in the player losing a life. They also attack by biting Mario or Luigi, which also results in a life loss.

Shellcreepers have been replaced with Spinies in versions following the battle mode of Super Mario Bros. 3, as to avoid confusion between them and the Koopa Troopas. However, a single Shellcreeper is still featured on the title screen of each Game Boy Advance remake.

Mario Bros. Special

Shellcreepers return as enemies in Mario Bros. Special, a follow-up game developed by Hudson Soft. Unlike the previous game, this game has a new method of attacking these foes. Instead of striking them from below, they can be stunned by jumping on a trampoline they are on (second stage), jumping on a conveyor belt (third stage), or can be instantly defeated by leaping over or beside them and hitting a platform. However, they will often respawn if this method is used.

Punch Ball Mario Bros.

Shellcreepers return once again as enemies in Punch Ball Mario Bros., which is a semi-sequel to Mario Bros.. They have a much more similar role as they did before. However, Punch Balls are the new method of attack against these foes, and they do not change colors upon regaining consciousness.

Mario Power Tennis/New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis

Shellcreepers in Mario Power Tennis.

Unused 3D Shellcreeper model.

Shellcreepers appear in the background of the Mario Classic Court in Mario Power Tennis, along with other enemies from Mario Bros., still retaining their NES sprites. The game's data contains an unused 3D depiction of a Shellcreeper, which shows it as a small, quadrupedal Koopa Troopa flat, clawed feet.

Super Smash Bros. series

Shellcreeper in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Shellcreepers are featured on the Mario Bros. stage. They emerge from the pipes at the top of the stage. If the player incapacitates them with a hit beneath or an attack, they can pick them up and throw them at other opponents, making them fly offscreen sideways. Shellcreepers also have their own trophy in Smash Bros. Brawl and its Wii U remake.

Super Mario 3D World

A game within Super Mario 3D World, Luigi Bros., marks yet another appearance of Shellcreepers. This game is based on Mario Bros. Like other enemies in Luigi Bros., they retain the same behavior as in Mario Bros.

NES Remix

Shellcreepers are featured in NES Remix, appearing in challenges and remixes based on Mario Bros.

Super Mario Maker

Although, Shellcreepers do not officially appear in Super Mario Maker, there is an unlockable costume that resembles the sprite of a Shellcreeper in Kaettekita Mario Bros. It is unlocked at random after the player clears the 100 Mario Challenge on Expert difficulty or higher. Holding the 'Up' button on the GamePad while in the costume will cause the Shellcreeper to make a grimace. Its shell will turn red when the player runs in the costume.

Gallery

Mario Bros. (Nintendo Entertainment System) sprite