Skeeter
- This article is about the enemies first appearing in Super Mario 64. For the similar enemy of the same name from New Super Mario Bros., see Skeeter (New Super Mario Bros.).
| Skeeter | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork from Super Mario Galaxy 2 | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario 64 (1996) | ||
| Latest appearance | Mario Kart World (2025) | ||
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Skeeters[1] are giant water strider enemies that are introduced in Super Mario 64. They appear in a few of the 3D games of the Super Mario franchise. Like real water striders, they usually skim on the surface of water. Their name comes from "water skeeter," one of many alternate names for water striders.
Skeeters have had distinct designs throughout all four of their Super Mario-series appearances, though their abilities have remained largely the same. In addition to skating on water, they can also walk on land, though they move a bit slower.
History
Super Mario series
Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS
In Super Mario 64, Skeeters appear frequently in Wet-Dry World, where one is seen on the entrance painting. They are found floating aimlessly on the water, and they appear as big cyan-colored pond skaters with yellow suction cup-like webbed feet and vermillion-colored antennae on their backs, with bulgy eyes. They can be defeated by most methods of attack, and they release three coins upon defeat. They can be lowered onto platforms, where they will slowly skitter about and home in on Mario if they see him, acting just like a Scuttle Bug. If hit, Mario will lose two health wedges.
In Super Mario 64 DS, Skeeters are now blue, and their yellow webbed feet are slightly larger and also cover their ankles; the antennae on their heads are red instead of vermillion, and they have black eyes that are now positioned flat on their faces, instead of bulging out. Skeeters now also appear in Dire, Dire Docks, where five of them can be found. Their other attributes remain unchanged from the original.
Super Mario Sunshine
Skeeters reappear in Super Mario Sunshine, where they are referred to as Pondskaters[2] or Blue Spiders.[3][4] They are found exclusively in the lake of Bianco Hills. When they are jumped on, Mario propels upward to a height rivaling the Rocket Nozzle. Pondskaters stop moving temporarily if sprayed with FLUDD. Pondskaters can be defeated only by a Yoshi, by either eating them or spraying juice at them to turn them into platforms, which will remove the Pondskaters after the platform disappears.
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Skeeters in Super Mario Galaxy 2 were given an overhauled appearance consisting of flat purple bodies without antennae. They are enemies first encountered in the Cosmic Cove Galaxy. They always home in on Mario or Luigi, and they can be stomped for a coin or hit with a spin to release three Star Bits. They also appear in Starshine Beach Galaxy and Throwback Galaxy.
Appearances
marks missions where Skeeters are completely absent.
marks missions where Skeeters are loaded and may be visible but cannot be encountered directly.
| Normal | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worlds | Galaxies | Missions | ||
| World 2 | Cosmic Cove Galaxy |  |
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| World 4 | Starshine Beach Galaxy | |
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| World 6 | Throwback Galaxy | |
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| Frozen | ||||
| Worlds | Galaxies | Missions | ||
| World 2 | Cosmic Cove Galaxy | |
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Mario Party 3
In Mario Party 3, an immobile Skeeter is in the background of Woody Woods, and a large mechanical Skeeter is one of the vehicles in Ridiculous Relay.
Mario Kart World
Skeeters return in Mario Kart World, where they use their Super Mario Galaxy 2 design but with a starburst pattern on the back. As in the mainline games, Skeeters occur on the surface of water and propel themselves forward by flexing their legs. They cause racers to briefly get knocked over on contact. Mario Kart World is the first new game to include Skeeters in fifteen years, since the release of Super Mario Galaxy 2. They appear in aquatic areas such as the lake in Acorn Heights.
Gallery
Super Mario 64
Super Mario Sunshine
Super Mario Sunshine
Super Mario 64 DS
A Skeeter seen in Super Mario 64 DS
Names in other languages
The contemporaneous name for each language is listed first. Subsequent names are listed in chronological order for each language, from oldest to newest, and have the media they are associated with in the "notes" column.
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | メンボ[5][6][7] Menbo |
From「アメンボ」(amenbo, "water strider") | |
| French | Aquaraignée[8][9] | Portmanteau between aqua and araignée ("spider") | |
| German | Wasserläufer[10][8] | Water strider | |
| Italian | Idroragno[8][11] | The prefix idro- ("hydro-") with ragno ("spider") | |
| Pattinatore[12] | Skater | Super Mario Sunshine | |
| Spanish | Acuaraña[8][13]:100, 161 | Portmanteau of acuático ("aquatic") and araña ("spider") | |
| Skeeter[14][13]:86 | - | Super Mario 64 |
References
- ^ Pelland, Scott, and Dan Owsen (1996). Super Mario 64 Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 11.
- ^ Hodgson, David S J, Bryan Stratton, and Stephen Stratton (September 3, 2002). Super Mario Sunshine Prima Official Strategy Guide. Prima Games. ISBN 0-7615-3961-1. Page 18.
- ^ Loe, Casey (August 12, 2002). Super Mario Sunshine Perfect Guide. Versus Books. ISBN 1-931886-09-1. Page 33.
- ^ Bogenn, Tim, and Doug Walsh (2002). Super Mario Sunshine Official Strategy Guide. BradyGames. ISBN 0-7440-0180-3. Page 5.
- ^ Takashi, Watanabe, Noriko Oketani, Yugo Nagasawa, and Junichiro Okubo, editors (1996). 『任天堂公式ガイドブック スーパーマリオ64』(Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook – Super Mario 64). Tokyo: Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 4-09-102554-4. Page 5.
- ^ Noriaki, Kamiguchi, Kaisa Hitoshi, Teshiromori Nobuhito, Nagashima Kazutaka, Somoto Shitsuya, and Matsumoto Royo (2005). 『「スーパーマリオ64DS」タッチ！＆ゲット！パワースター
攻略 ブック』. Tokyo: Kadokawa (Japanese). ISBN 4-8402-2960-0. Page 141. - ^ Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors (2015). 『スーパーマリオブラザーズ百科: 任天堂公式ガイドブック』. Tokyo: Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 978-4-09-106569-8. Page 86, 100, 161.
- ^ a b c d In-game name displayed on the scoreboard of the Lakitu Cup from Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour.
- ^ Browne, Catherine (2010). Super Mario Galaxy 2 Prima le Guide Officiel. Ligugé: Prima Games (French). ISBN 978-2-952-67394-5. Page 31.
- ^ Kraft, John D., Thomas Görg, and Marko Hein, editors (1997). Der offizielle Nintendo 64 Spieleberater "Super Mario 64". Großostheim: Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German). Page 9.
- ^ Browne, Catherine (2010). Super Mario Galaxy 2 Guida Strategica Ufficiale (Multiplayer.it Edizioni). Translated by Christian La Via Colli, Francesca Noto, and Virgina Petrarca. Terni: Multiplayer Edizioni, Prima Games (Italian). ISBN 9788863551198. Page 29.
- ^ Hodgson, David S. J., Bryan Stratton, and Stephen Stratton (2002). Super Mario Sunshine Guida Strategica Ufficiale realizzata de Prima Games. Translated by Associazione Culturale Go!. Giaveno: Yoo Too Videogames, Prima Games (Italian). ISBN 88-900922-1-1. Page 18.
- ^ a b Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors (2017). Enciclopedia Super Mario Bros. 30ª Aniversario. Translated by Gemma Tarrés. Barcelona: Editorial Planeta, S.A. (European Spanish). ISBN 978-84-9146-223-1.
- ^ Rodriguez, Gustavo, and José Sierra, editorial directors (1997). "Super Mario 64" in Club Nintendo, yr. 6, no. 1. Productos y Equipos Internacionales, Editorial Samra (Mexican Spanish). Page 66.
