Big Piranha Plant

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Big Piranha Plant
Big Piranha Plant
Artwork from Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
First appearance Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988)
Latest appearance Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition (2024)
Variant of Piranha Plant
Variants
Notable members

A Big Piranha Plant (also known as Piranhacus Giganticus,[1] Super Piranha Plant[2][3] or Mega Piranha Plant)[4] is a larger variety of Piranha Plant that debuted as an enemy in Giant Land from Super Mario Bros. 3.

History

Super Mario series

Super Mario Bros. 3

Piranhacus Giganticus

In Super Mario Bros. 3, they only appear in Giant Land. Although they are huge, a single fireball will destroy them, and they are mostly the same as any other typical Piranha Plant, other than presenting a larger target and obstacle; however, the ones in giant pipes will pop out even if Mario is next to them, like the red normal-sized Piranha Plants in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. In the NES version, most of them have red heads and red leaves, except for the ones in World 4-6, which have green heads and green leaves. In the remakes, all of them have red heads and green leaves, though they also have orange lips.

New Super Mario Bros.

Super Piranha Plants are found in the game New Super Mario Bros. Unlike their previous appearance, Super Piranha Plants are never seen in pipes due to their size. Fire Mario must shoot three fireballs at one to destroy them. When defeated, they give up eight coins instead of the usual one coin.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

A Super Piranha Plant
Super Piranha Plant in New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Super Piranha Plants function the same as before. Upon defeat, they now give up three coins instead of eight. Its fiery counterpart also makes its debut in a sidescroller.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Super Piranha Plant and Big Paragoombas in Supermassive Galaxy
Mario finding a Super Piranha Plant and two Big Paragoombas in Super Mario Galaxy 2.

Super Piranha Plants appear alongside Giant Goombas, Big Paragoombas, and Giant Koopas in Super Mario Galaxy 2, where they appear in the Supermassive Galaxy. They are shown in giant pipes similar to how they appear in Super Mario Bros. 3, only much bigger. However, in contrast to their original appearance in Super Mario Bros. 3, they are invincible, thus serving more as an obstacle than an enemy. They can, however, be stunned with a spin or a Star Bit, but that just hinders the player as it stops the plant from going back in the pipe.

Appearances
  • Baseline sprite of the Star Pointer in Super Mario Galaxy. marks missions where they are completely absent.
  • Mission icon from Super Mario Galaxy marks missions where they are loaded and may be visible, but cannot be encountered directly.
Worlds Galaxies Missions
World 4 Supermassive Galaxy Huge Trouble with Big Wigglers Big Wigglers Speed Run In Full Bloom

New Super Mario Bros. 2

In New Super Mario Bros. 2, Big Piranha Plants are among the enemies that are affected by the Gold Ring. When defeated, the location they once stood upon spouts coins. They once again exclusively appear outside pipes, just like in New Super Mario Bros. and New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

New Super Mario Bros. U

Big Piranha Plant
A lone Big Piranha Plant in New Super Mario Bros. U.

In New Super Mario Bros. U, Big Piranha Plants are seen in numerous stages, such as Rise of the Piranha Plants. One Big Piranha Plant is also featured in the Boost Rush level Piranha Plant Hideaway. A shortcut for this level is to have the player utilizing the Wii U GamePad rapidly tap on the Big Piranha Plant, creating room for the player to jump over its head, reaching the goal ring. Notably, Jungle of the Giants is the only level to feature the classic pipe-dwelling Big Piranha Plants, making this the first game to show them alongside the newer grounded variant.

New Super Luigi U

Giant Swing-Along, the first level of Soda Jungle in New Super Luigi U.
Luigi encountering the Big Piranha Plants of Soda Jungle.

Both forms of the Big Piranha Plant reappear in New Super Luigi U. Piranhas in the Dark introduces upside-down versions in dirt, and Giant Swing-Along introduces upside-down versions in pipes.

Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury

Mega Piranha Plant in Mount Beanpole
Mega Piranha Plant in Super Mario 3D World

Mega Piranha Plants appear in Super Mario 3D World and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. Like normal-sized Piranha Plants in modern 3D games, these can be stomped to be defeated, but two stomps are required to do so, with the first stomp merely stunning them. Their size and behavior is very similar to the Spiny Piranha Plants from Super Mario Galaxy. This is their second appearance in a 3D Super Mario game. They make a cry similar to Petey Piranha's cry from Super Mario Sunshine when defeated.

In Bowser's Fury, cat versions appear with the same appearance as regular-sized Cat Piranha Plants.

Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS

Big Piranha Plants reappear in Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS. The player can enlarge a normal Piranha Plant with a Super Mushroom, and it will transform into its larger variant.

Super Mario Odyssey

Main article: Big Poison Piranha Plant

While regular Big Piranha Plants do not appear in Super Mario Odyssey, Big Poison Piranha Plants appear, where they can be found in the Wooded Kingdom, the Metro Kingdom, and the Dark Side.

Super Mario Maker 2

Big Piranha Plants return in Super Mario Maker 2, where they behave in a similar manner from its predecessor; additionally, they attack by lunging at the player in the Super Mario 3D World style.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Big Piranha Plants return in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, first appearing in Piranha Plants on Parade. Some appear in giant Warp Pipes similar to Super Mario Bros. 3 and New Super Mario Bros. U, along with its related expansions and ports, while others appear outside of them similar to the New Super Mario Bros. games. In addition, a new Trottin' Piranha Plant variant of them make their debut.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, a regular Piranha Plant named Naval Piranha is transformed by Kamek into a giant-sized Piranha as a boss of World 3.

Mario Golf: World Tour

Big Piranha Plants reappear as obstacles in Mario Golf: World Tour. This is the first appearance of Big Piranha Plants in a Mario Golf game.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Exclusively in the Wii U version of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, one Big Piranha Plant reappears in the bonus level, Shadow-Play Alley.

Mario Kart series

Mario Kart Arcade GP VR

Big Piranha Plants in Mario Kart Arcade GP VR
Big Piranha Plants in Mario Kart Arcade GP VR

Big Piranha Plants reappear in Mario Kart Arcade GP VR, where they appear in the start of the track, where they bite down on patches of dirt making any racer who touches them spin out.

Mario Kart Tour

In Mario Kart Tour, Piranha Plants come in a range of sizes, though they are all labeled in-game as simply "Piranha Plant". Big Piranha Plants that reside in large pipes appear in Paris Promenade, Paris Promenade 2, and Paris Promenade 3. They are also usually added as stage hazards in the R, T and R/T variants of various courses (with RMX Choco Island 1R/T featuring the largest Piranha Plant in the game), and are also often found in the Steer Clear of Obstacles bonus challenges. A variant that is found on the ground can be seen in SNES Choco Island 2R/T and the Steer Clear of Obstacles bonus challenge on GCN Yoshi Circuit.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Big Piranha Plants reappear in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass in DS Peach Gardens and Tour Paris Promenade, reprising their roles from Mario Kart Tour.

Mario Party series

Mario Party: The Top 100

A Big Piranha Plant appears in the Mario Party: The Top 100 version of Tug o' War where it eats the loser(s) that gets tugged into its jaws.

Mario Party Superstars

Big Piranha Plants reappear in Mario Party Superstars, being grown from large Piranha Pods thrown by Lakitus in Peach's Birthday Cake. If an opponent lands on the Event Space where the Big Piranha Plant is stationed, they lose a Star to the player that planted it. They also eat and spit out the losers except for the winner at the end of a game. In addition, one also reprises its role in Tug o' War.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Big Piranha Plants (just called Big Piranhas) are mentioned briefly by Viridi during Palutena's Guidance dialogue for Piranha Plant. Unlike most other variations generally mentioned in order of appearance, they are listed amongst New Super Mario Bros. Wii debuts. Nipper Spores, Big Fire Piranhas, Small Piranhas, and Fire Stalking Piranhas are similarly listed out of order.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

In the climax of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, a Big Piranha Plant briefly traps Invincible Mario and Invincible Luigi in its mouth, before they force it to spit them out.

Gallery

Naming

Etymology

Since the introduction of large-sized enemies as a concept in 1988, the Japanese monikers applied to individual variants has been varied, as have the localizations of these names. Standardization occurred around 2010, after which the localized adaptations of these names have also largely been consistent with the following schemes:

  • 「でか」(Deka) is the preferred prefix applied to large enemies in most of the mainline Super Mario series of platformers, RPGs, and nearly all other appearances. In English, this name is usually adapted as "Big" (e.g, 「でかパックンフラワー」(Deka Pakkun Furawā) is translated as "Big Piranha Plant").
  • 「巨大」(Kyodai) is the preferred prefix applied to large enemies from Giant Land in Super Mario Bros. 3. In English, this name is usually adapted as "Mega" (e.g, 「巨大パックンフラワー」(Kyodai Pakkun Furawā) is translated as "Mega Piranha Plant"). By virtue of its application to the enemies from one game, this name is not exercised as often, but it is always the preferred name for the large Piranha Plants in Super Mario Bros. 3, even in retrospective media that covers it alongside more recent Super Mario games.
  • 「ビッグ」(Biggu), a transliteration of the English "Big," is the preferred prefix applied to the large enemies in the Yoshi series. Some of these are normal enemies magically-increased in size by Kamek, as is the case with Piranha Plants. In English, the bosses are not given uniformed names, with unique ones applied instead (e.g, 「ビッグパックン」(Biggu Pakkun) is localized as "Naval Piranha").

When introduced in Super Mario Bros. 3, the large Piranha Plant enemy was localized as "Piranhacus Giganticus" in English, an allusion to binomial nomenclature. The words "piranha" and "gigantic" are altered to fit the Latin grammatical form, itself a practice known as Dog Latin.

Internal names

Game File Name Meaning

Super Mario Galaxy 2 SystemData/ObjNameTable.arc/ObjNameTable.tbl でっかパックン (Dekka Pakkun) Huge Piranha

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.

Big Piranha Plant

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese でかパックンフラワー[5][6]
Deka Pakkun Furawā
Big Piranha Plant
でかパックン[7]
Deka Pakkun
Big Piranha
巨大パックンフラワー[8][9]:36
Kyodai Pakkun Furawā
Giant Piranha Plant Super Mario Bros. 3
おおきなパックンフラワー[10]
Ōkina Pakkun Furawā
Large Piranha Plant;「おおきな」(ōkina) is typically an informal descriptor Mario Party
大パックンフラワー[9]:114
Dai Pakkun Furawā
Big Piranha Plant New Super Mario Bros.
Chinese (simplified) 大吞食花[11]
Dà Tūnshíhuā
Big Piranha Plant
Chinese (traditional) 大吞食花[11]
Dà Tūnshíhuā
Big Piranha Plant
Dutch Reuzen-Piranha Plant[12] Giant Piranha Plant
French (NOE) Maxi-Plante Piranha[13] Maxi-Piranha Plant
Plante piranha géante[14] Giant piranha plant Mario Party
German Piranha Maxima[7][15] Maxmimum Piranha
Riesen-Piranha-Pflanze[16] Giant Piranha Plant Super Mario Bros. 3
Riesigen Piranha-Pflanze[17] Mario Party
Italian Pianta Piranha gigante[18] Giant Piranha Plant
Pianta Piranha Gigante[19]:114, 195, 226 Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia (New Super Mario Bros., New Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario 3D World)
Super Pianta Piranha[19]:144, 160 Super Piranha Plant Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia (New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Super Mario Galaxy 2)
Mega Pianta Piranha[19]:210 Mega Piranha Plant Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia (New Super Mario Bros. U)
Korean 점보뻐끔[7]
Jeombo Ppeokkeum
Jumbo Piranha
Portuguese (NOE) Planta Piranha Gigante[7][20] Giant Piranha Plant
Russian Огромное растение-пиранья[7][21]
Ogromnoe rastenie-piran'ya
Huge Piranha Plant
Spanish Grande Planta Piraña[7] Grand Piranha Plant

Red Mega Piranha Plant

"Red Mega Piranha Plant" refers to a specific Mega Piranha Plant the moves in and out of pipes regardless of the player's position in Super Mario Bros. 3.

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese あか巨大パックンフラワー[22]
Aka Kyodai Pakkun Furawā
Red Mega Piranha Plant
巨大パックンフラワー(赤)[23]
Kyodai Pakkun Furawā (Aka)
Mega Piranha Plant (Red)
Italian Pianta Piranha rossa gigante[19]:36 Giant red Piranha Plant

Green Mega Piranha Plant

"Green Mega Piranha Plant" refers to a specific Mega Piranha Plant the does not exit its pipe when the player is on top of or next to it in Super Mario Bros. 3.

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese みどり巨大パックンフラワー[22]
Midori Kyodai Pakkun Furawā
Green Mega Piranha Plant
巨大パックンフラワー(緑)[23]
Kyodai Pakkun Furawā (Midori)
Mega Piranha Plant (Green)
Italian Pianta Piranha verde gigante[19]:36 Giant green Piranha Plant

References

  1. ^ June 1990. Nintendo Power Volume 13. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 8.
  2. ^ Loe, Casey (May 15, 2006). New Super Mario Bros. Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (American English). ISBN 1-59812-009-3. Page 13.
  3. ^ Bueno, Fernando (November 15, 2009). New Super Mario Bros. Wii PRIMA Official Game Guide. Prima Games (American English). ISBN 978-0-307-46592-4. Page 14.
  4. ^ Musa, Alexander, and Geson Hatchett (November 22, 2013). Super Mario 3D World PRIMA Official Game Guide. Prima Games (American English). ISBN 978-0-804-16249-4. Page 23.
  5. ^ 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 145, 160, 195, 210, 226.
  6. ^ Nintendo Co., Ltd. (circa Jan. 2025). New Super Mario Bros.. Mario Portal (Japanese). Retrieved 23 Jan. 2025. (Archived via archive.today.)
  7. ^ a b c d e f In-game name for Stingy Big Piranha Plants from New Super Mario Bros. U.
  8. ^ Itoi, Shigesato, Ryo Kagawa (APE), Hideaki Nishitani, Masatoshi Watanabe, Koichi Sugiyama (Supersonic), Junichiro Okubo, and Shigeo Tanabe (Shogakukan), editors (1993). 『任天堂公式ガイドブック スーパーマリオコレクション』. Tokyo: Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 4-09-102444-0. Page 211.
  9. ^ a b 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.
  10. ^ とにかくControl Stickを まゆしましょう! がけからおちるとおおきなパックンフラワーにたべられてしまいます。」– Toad's advice for Tug o' War (1998). Mario Party by Hudson Soft. Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Japanese).
  11. ^ a b In-game name for Stingy Big Piranha Plants from New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe.
  12. ^ New Super Mario Bros. U-kanaal (6 Feb. 2013). New Super Mario Bros. U - Missies: Laat die munten maar vliegen (Wii U). YouTube (Dutch). Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  13. ^ Chaîne New Super Mario Bros. U (6 Feb. 2013). New Super Mario Bros. U - Défis : Esquive en nuage (Wii U). YouTube (French). Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  14. ^ "Fais tourner ton Control Stick! Si tu tombes de la falaise, tu seras mangé par une plante piranha géante." – Toad's advice for Tug o' War (1999). Mario Party by Hudson Soft. Nintendo of Europe GmbH (French).
  15. ^ New Super Mario Bros. U Kanal (6 Feb. 2013). New Super Mario Bros. U - Herausforderungen: Wolkenzonenmünzumgehung (Wii U). YouTube (German). Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  16. ^ Matsumoto, Atsuko, Rie Ishii, and Claude Moyse, editors (1992). Der Spieleberater Super Mario Power. Großostheim: Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German). ISBN 3-929034-02-6. Page 14.
  17. ^ "Drehe einfach schnell den Control Stick! Wenn Du von der Klippe fällst, wirst Du von der riesigen Piranha-Pflanze aufgefressen." – Toad's advice for Tug o' War (1999). Mario Party by Hudson Soft. Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German).
  18. ^ Canale New Super Mario Bros. U (6 Feb. 2013). New Super Mario Bros. U - Sfide: Schivando le monete tra le nuvole (Wii U). YouTube (Italian). Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  19. ^ a b c d e Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), and Marco Figini, editors (2018). "Super Mario Bros. 3" in Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Translated by Marco Amerighi. Milan: Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN 889367436X.
  20. ^ Canal New Super Mario Bros. U (6 Feb. 2013). New Super Mario Bros. U - Desafios: Nas Nuvens sem Moedas (Wii U) video description. YouTube (European Portuguese). Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  21. ^ Канал New Super Mario Bros. U (6 Feb. 2013). New Super Mario Bros. U - Challenges: Cloud-Top Coin Evasion (Wii U). YouTube (Russian). Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  22. ^ a b スーパーマリオブラザーズ3 | ヒストリー | マリオポータル. Nintendo (Japanese). Retrieved 26 Mar. 2025.
  23. ^ a b スーパーマリオブラザーズ3 | ヒストリー | マリオポータル. Nintendo (Japanese). Archived 26 Jan. 2025 from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved 26 Mar. 2025.