Joystiq [Nintendo]

Koopa Troopa

First appearance: Super Mario Bros.

Relatives and variants: Shellcreeper, Koopa Paratroopa, pretty much anything with a shell

Special characteristics: wears cool shoes and a tanktop beneath the shell, will kick its own shell at you, does other things that turtles do

Depending on how technical you want to be, Koopa Troopa might have been the first of Mario's antagonists ever to appear. Small turtles referred to as Shellcreepers crawled out from the opening stages of Mario Bros. way back in 1983, but because they appeared in different colors and could not be harmed by Mario's jumping, some consider them to be another species altogether. Still, it's safe to say that Koopa Troopa is one of the most persistent enemies, particularly since so many other foes with shells seem to be descendants of this basic turtle form.

23/07/08