These critters include hungry wildlife, aggressive varmints, and servants of Bowser and the Broodals. One way or another, they can harm Mario. They can be captured, too. Capturing one of these baddies changes Mario’s controls in the new form. Usually, these creatures are more capable or agile than Mario in specialized ways. Tap the Crouch button anytime to drop out of captured form as Mario and Cappy. The captured enemy is dazed for a while before disappearing.
Bullet Bill
This classic bullet adversary launches from a cannon nearby then seeks out Mario. It can turn left or right, but can’t pitch up or down to change altitude. In 8-bit pipes, standing right next to a Bullet Bill cannon prevents it from firing, but this isn’t true in regular environments like Sand Kingdom. After capturing Bullet Bill, pilot him to otherwise unreachable platforms before he flashes red and explodes. Shake the controller for a speed boost while flying.
Banzai Bill
An enormous Bullet Bill, basically. Banzai Bill plows through breakable bricks, unlike a Bullet Bill who is destroyed by the impact. Banzai Bill also has a much longer max flying range, so he can access even more remote platforms. When flying a captured Banzai Bill, shake the controller for an extra speed burst.
Chain Chomp
Gnashing Chain Chomps hop around and snap on their chain-link tethers, watchful for anything within their reach. They telegraph their paths briefly before sliding forward, snapping all the while. A captured Chain Chomp can be stretched and primed to launch in the other direction, destroying other enemies or shattering breakable surfaces.
Big Chain Chomp
A much bigger momma to the regular Chain Chomps. Big Chain Chomps hop around and stretch on their chains in the same way.
Chargin’ Chuck
This heavily-padded football line-Koopa lowers a shoulder and plows at targets, smashing anything in the way. Capture Chargin’ Chuck and you can barrel through anything breakable too.
Cheep Cheep
Normally, Cheep Cheeps are typical fishbrains, drifting languidly. A captured Cheep Cheep is a surprisingly agile underwater swimmer, able to wriggle quickly along while producing a headlamp-like effect with the glow of its huge eyes. Produce a spinning attack by shaking the controller.
Cheep Cheep (Snow Kingdom)
These Cheep Cheeps are just very much like their relatives in warmer kingdoms. These can survive the extreme temperatures found in the waters around Shiveria, which damages other creatures (Mario included) after just a few seconds of exposure. They can even survive a few errant bounces on freezing ground, outside of the water, before expiring and returning Mario to his own skin.
Fire Bro
The classic Super Mario Bros. enemy returns, switching between flurries of fireballs and big hops to new vantage points. If Mario gets tagged by a Fire Bro fireball he’ll be briefly scorched, forced to run around cooling off for several seconds. After capturing a Fire Bro, mash Cap Throw or shake the controller quickly for rapid fireball fire. Fireballs are obviously strong attacks, and will also light flammable objects.
Fire Piranha Plant
Like Fire Bros, Fire Piranha Plants can set Mario on fire with their fireballs. Like Poison Piranha Plants, these toothy predators must be choked with a throwable item before they’re vulnerable to Cappy capture. If flammable objects are nearby, captured Fire Piranha Plants can burn them down, Fire Bro-style.
Goomba
These small mushroom-like creatures clomp around in groups, aggressively ganging up on Mario. They can be squashed by jumping on them, or captured with a cap toss. When controlling a Goomba, start stacking his friends by jumping on other Goombas. Dash while using Goombas by holding the Cap Throw button, and shake the controller for an extra-high jump. Running around as a captured Goomba and building up Goomba stacks ends up being more useful than you might expect!
Gushen
These angry little octopuses can jet around aquatic environments with a reserve of water contained in a bubble around their bodies. Capture a Gushen to pilot it around, keeping an eye on the size of the water bubble to tell when the Gushen needs to touchdown on a body of water to recharge. Shake the controller for a spray of water in all directions. The water jets Gushen ejects are a forceful weapon, on top of being great propellant.
Hammer Bro
Hammer Bros hop around like Fire Bros, but throw heavy objects in arcs instead of hurling fireballs. Hammer Bros don’t only throw hammers. Some Hammer Bros who are aspiring cooks on top of their Koopa duties sling heavy pots. The heavy hammers or pots thrown by Hammer Bros can shatter some objects like crates, bricks, breakable rocks, and huge hunks of brittle cheese.
Lava Bubble
While most things don’t want to be immersed in bubbling liquid, Lava Bubbles are right at home. Normally, they just leap up and down in place somewhere in a
scalding pool, usually above somewhere Mario would want to jump. They’re not expressly hostile though. A captured Lava Bubble becomes like driving a speedboat through hot soup. Shake the controller to leap forward in a spinning leap above the stew. Lava Bubbles can pass through chain-link grates, but landing on a solid surface extinguishes the bubble and returns Mario to normal form. Slain Magmatos collapse into lava puddles that work as “platforms” for Lava Bubbles across regular terrain.
Parabones
These undead bags of Koopa bones have little wings, granting them the ability to hover over any gap. Stomping a striking Parabones only causes them to briefly collapse into bones, but they’ll reanimate and renew their pursuit of Mario soon enough. Capture a Parabones to experience the joy of undead flight. Shake the controller for faster flapping and airspeed.
Paragoomba
Flying Goombas aren’t naturally as aggressive as their earthbound relatives. Paragoombas usually just flap around a little path. Capture a Paragoomba to take advantage of its flight ability. Flap faster for quicker flight with motion controls.
Poison Piranha Plant
These Piranha Plants spit poison around them. They’re not safe to stomp on unless they’re choking on something like a seed, rock, or hat. To capture a Poison Piranha Plant, throw a seed or rock into its gullet first, then toss Cappy onto it.
Pokio
This little woodpecker packs an unexpected punch, stabbing targets with a long, sharp beak. Captured Pokios can climb certain walls by planting with the beak, then launching from it like off a Pole or Volbonan. Shake the controller while planted for a stronger launch than a regular flick. Shake the controller while jumping for a spinning little double-jump. Shake the controller while poking with the beak for a special spinning slice!
Sherm
Dodge tank shots and ground pound them to destroy Sherms. If captured, a Mario tank is a dominating offensive force, with a turret that can be motion-controlled for greater accuracy while launching rapid-fire tank shells.
T-Rex
The apex predator of all time is no match for a magical cap and a perseverant plumber. Naturally, no one wants to go toe-to-claw with a T-Rex, but get a little height with a nearby ledge or platform to get a clear cap throw at the dinosaur’s cranium.
Tropical Wiggler
These spiky, stretching inchworms aren’t hostile, but they still aren’t safe for Mario to touch without getting hurt. Captured Wigglers allow unique and fun movement, extending to seek new footholds over gaps and around corners with the front segment of the worm.
Ty-foo
These voluminous cloud beings blow forceful gusts that push anything movable out of the way. As enemies, they’ll be dangerous for the threat of blowing Mario off the stage. In captured Mario cloud form, Ty-foos can float across huge gaps and blow platforms and enemies away effortlessly.
Uproot
Uproots are round seed creatures who can sprout straight up at will on rapidly-growing legs. Blocks and seeds above are smashed apart by the Uproot rocketing upward. Releasing the grown legs to drift back down works like a makeshift jump. Shake the controller to sprout higher and quicker than normal.
