(a.k.a. Pakkun Flower, Jumpin' Piranha Plant, Hanging Piranha Plant.)
AUTHOR:
David Mitchell
(Revision History)
GAMES: SMB, SMB3, SML, SML2, SMW, SMW2, SMRPG, SM64, YS, PM, ML, PM2, SPP, NSMB, SM64DS, SMBLL, SPM, SMG, YIDS, NSMBW, SMG2.
TYPE: Plant.
TURF: Castles, Caves, Forests.
AFFILIATIONS: Koopa Troop.
CLOSE RELATIVES: Piranha Bean, Petey Piranha, Pale Piranha, Graffiti Piranha, Dino Piranha, Frost Piranha, Venus Fire Trap, Putrid Piranha, Ptooie, Prickly Piranha Plant.
SKILLS AND ATTACKS: Pollen Nap, S'crow Dust.
STRENGTHS: They can't be stomped (unless wearing special equipment).
WEAKNESSES: They're weak against fireballs in most games, but not Super Mario RPG.
BACKGROUND:
Piranha Plants come in such a huge variety that it is sometimes difficult to tell
them apart - in this case, Jumpin' Piranha Plants and Hanging Piranha Plants
have been determined to be close enough relatives to the regular Piranha Plant
to be included in this area. In Sarasaland, a variety of these species grows,
and is known as the Pakkun Flower, or the Upside Down Pakkun Flower if growing
down from above. Both are very similar in appearance and behaviour to the
Piranha Plants grown in the Mushroom World, and nearby areas.
It is commonly believed that Piranha Plants were bred to eat animals
by the Koopas several centuries ago, so that they could be used as garden
guards. However, some scientists believe that they are a natural species
of plant, although it is duly noted that Piranha Plants can usually
only be tamed by Koopas.
Piranha Plants are one of the most common pests in the Mushroom World,
and can be quite dangerous if not handled with care. They usually have
a long, vine-like stem, with a large head-shaped flower on top. The flower
is normally coloured red with white polka-dots, but green varieties are
found ocassionally. The flowers contain a "mouth" full of sharp teeth,
for consuming animals.
Piranha Plants are usually somewhat timid, and will not come out of their
burrowing areas (they particularly like pipes, but can be found in soil
and swamps) if a large animal is nearby. However, they will defend themselves
fiercely if attacked, and they get most of their nourishment by eating
animals - particularly small birds and rodents, as well as insects. This
food source is what allows Pirhana Plants to survive in a variety of
conditions, including deserts and caves.
EVOLUTION:
Piranha Plants have become one of the most recognizable and regular enemies in the Super Mario games. When they first appeared in Super Mario Bros, they were venus-flytrap-like plants that attacked from pots.
However, the large "lips" had not yet developed, and whereas most Piranha Plants
today are red, these were usually a sort of orange color. The Lost Levels
introduced Hanging Piranha Plants, a variation of the species that lives in
upside-down pipes.
Like many enemies in Super Mario Land, Pakkun Flowers have funny names, but
look and behave much like the familiar Piranha Plants. The ones in this game
are a lot more primitive than the others. In Super Mario Bros.3, the basic
Piranha design that would continue on down through the years was established.
In fact, Pirahna Plants are one of the few enemies that are almost
drawing-perfect in that game.
In Super Mario World, Mario and Luigi discovered a jumping species of
Piranha Plant on Dinosaur Island. There is still some debate over whether
these creatures should be considered a seperate species, but I have assumed
that they were one-time mutations, which is something that was quite commmon
in that game. Also pictured above is a Hanging Piranha Plant from the
same game.
You can see that the Super Mario Land 2 Piranhas were much the same as the
ones in Super Mario World - the next really interesting change occured in
Super Mario World 2, where Piranha plants stopped growing out of pipes,
and started growing wherever they wanted to. In this game, the plants
"shrink" when nobody is nearby, but they grow very large and try to eat
you when you get close. In Super Mario RPG, some plants were actually
able to walk. This suggests that the enemies in this game are perhaps
closer related to Pitooies than Piranha Plants, but the game says they're
Piranha plants, so why argue?
In Super Mario 64, Piranha Plants' lips turned green, for no apparent
reason. They also started sleeping in flower gardens instead of hiding
in pipes. The Piranha plants in this game are actually remarkably lifelike,
I think, and they're probably my favourites, with the possible exception
of the ones in Yoshi's Story. These specimens are quite nice looking, and
their motion is very interesting. They also grow on much longer vines
than their relatives, and have thorns all over them.
Paper Mario sees the return of Piranha Plants, not surprisingly. They look like
traditional Piranha plants, but again they don't come out of pipes.
These monsters have appeared many more times since, with relatively few changes to their appearance, but many new species popping up.
QUOTES:
n/a.
MEDIA:
