Hériss (Spiny) : l'ennemi à pics lancé par Lakitu

Spiny: the spiky enemy thrown by Lakitu

1430 words | Reading time : 7 minute(s)

EnemySpinyLakitu

You simply cannot stomp him: that is the whole point of the character. Togezō in Japan, the Spiny is that four-legged Koopa covered in spikes that Lakitu has been raining down nonstop since Super Mario Bros. in 1985. This profile covers the infernal duo they make, why stomping is useless, the methods that really work and the variants of the species.

Small, round, bristling with spikes and infuriatingly immune to stomps: the Spiny (Hériss in French, トゲゾー Togezō in Japan) is one of the craftiest enemies in the Mario universe. Present as early as Super Mario Bros. in 1985, he is inseparable from his master, the Lakitu perched on his cloud, who rains him down on the plumber in the shape of a spiked egg.

Unlike a Goomba or a Koopa, you cannot simply bounce on his head: his spikes turn Mario's classic stomp into a punishment. Here is the complete profile of this 1985 enemy, from the duo he forms with Lakitu to the methods that finally take him down.

Contents

The Spiny, the spiked enemy born in 1985

The Spiny is a small four-legged Koopa whose shell is covered in spikes. He shows up in Super Mario Bros., released on Famicom on September 13, 1985 (Japan), where he makes his very first appearance in World 4-1, alongside his inseparable Lakitu.

His Japanese name, トゲゾー (Togezō), combines toge ("spike", "thorn") with the masculine given-name ending -zō. The French localization went with Hériss, from "hérissé" (bristling), while English uses Spiny, German Stachi and Italian Koopistrice (a blend of "Koopa" and istrice, the porcupine). A full-fledged member of the Koopa clan, the Spiny moves slowly but charges straight at Mario as soon as he gets close.

Lakitu + Spiny: an endless enemy factory

A Spiny almost never drops out of the sky on its own: it is the Lakitu, that Koopa perched on a cloud, who throws them down in unlimited supply. In the early games, he drops Spiny Eggs (French name Pic-Pic, Spiny Egg in English), small red balls covered in spikes. The moment an egg touches the ground it hatches instantly and releases a Spiny that starts marching toward the player.

In Super Mario Bros., the trajectory is vertical; starting with Super Mario Bros. 3, Lakitu lobs the egg in an arc to anticipate Mario's movements. The game does impose a limit, though: Lakitu stops throwing new Spinies once four of them are already on screen. So the best way to stop the flood is still to take out Lakitu himself.

Why you cannot stomp a Spiny

This is THE rule that defines this enemy: the spikes planted on his back make the head stomp, Mario's basic attack, completely useless. Trying to squash him or hit him with a ground pound hurts Mario instead of defeating the enemy.

This quirk makes the Spiny the exact opposite of the Buzzy Beetle (Bruyinsecte in French), his shelled cousin: the Buzzy Beetle takes a stomp just fine but shrugs off fire. The Spiny therefore forces the player to switch strategy and pull out a power-up, which makes him a far more demanding enemy than his harmless little ball looks suggest.

How to beat a Spiny

Since stomping is off the table, you need a ranged attack or invincibility. The reliable methods are:

  • The Fire Flower: two fireballs are enough, the most common solution in the platformers.
  • The Ice Flower: freeze the Spiny, then shatter the ice block.
  • The Super Star: while invincible, a single touch wipes him out.
  • The tail whip of Tanooki Mario (or Raccoon Mario), which sweeps the enemy away with no risk.
  • A thrown shell or a hurled enemy, a POW Block, or even a flick of Yoshi's tongue.
  • The hammer and dedicated attacks in the RPG entries (Paper Mario, Mario & Luigi).

In Super Mario World, a notable quirk: when hit by a power-up, the Spiny is defeated instantly and leaves no reusable shell behind, unlike ordinary Koopas.

The Spiny variants

Forty years of games have produced a whole spiky family:

  • Spiny Egg (Pic-Pic in French): the curled-up ball form, Lakitu's projectile.
  • Blue Spiny: a tougher version dropped by the Dark Lakitus in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
  • Big Spiny: a giant Spiny, more imposing but just as prickly.
  • Spike Top (Picos in French): introduced in Super Mario World, he has a single spike on his red shell and can crawl along walls and ceilings.

Behavior also shifts from game to game: in the series New Super Mario Bros., the Spiny floats on water by curling up into a Spiny Egg, and the ones clinging to the ceiling can be stomped, picked up and thrown once they have been flipped onto their backs. His cousin the Buzzy Beetle, meanwhile, plays the opposite card by resisting fire.

A Spiny in pixel art, orange shell bristling with spikes
The design has grown rounder, but the spikes have stayed strictly identical.

The Spiny beyond the platformers

The Spiny's influence reaches far beyond the platform games. He is the reason the infamous blue spiked shell in Mario Kart (the Spiny Shell) takes its name and its bristling look, the most feared item in the races since it goes after the racer in the lead. Spinies themselves also return as track obstacles in Mario Kart World.

You also come across Spinies and their variants in the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi games, where they become turn-based battle enemies, as well as in Super Mario Maker, which lets players drop Lakitu and his Spinies into their own levels. Proof that a simple 1985 enemy remains, four decades later, a cornerstone of Mario's bestiary.

Spiny ID card

Japanese name トゲゾー (Togezō)
French name Hériss (Spiny in English)
First appearance Super Mario Bros. (1985, Japan)
Type Four-legged Koopa with a spiked shell
Strength Immune to stomps (spikes on his back)
Weaknesses Fire, ice, Star, tail whip, shell
Associated projectile Spiny Egg (Pic-Pic), thrown by Lakitu

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FAQ

  • Can you stomp a Spiny?
    No. The spikes planted on his back hurt Mario if you try to squash him or hit him with a ground pound. That is exactly what makes this enemy so nasty: you have to find another way to attack him.
  • How do you defeat a Spiny?
    You need a ranged attack or invincibility: fireballs or iceballs, a Super Star, Tanooki Mario's tail whip, a thrown shell, a POW Block, Yoshi's tongue, or a hammer in the RPG games.
  • Where do Spinies come from?
    Most of them are thrown by a Lakitu, that Koopa perched on a cloud. He tosses Spiny Eggs (Pic-Pic) that hatch into Spinies as soon as they touch the ground. Beating the Lakitu cuts off the supply.
  • What is the difference between a Spiny and a Buzzy Beetle?
    They are two opposites. The Spiny survives stomps but fears fire; the Buzzy Beetle (Bruyinsecte in French) shrugs off fire but can be flattened with a stomp on the head.
  • Is the blue shell in Mario Kart a Spiny?
    The blue spiked shell (Spiny Shell) takes its name and its bristling appearance from the Spiny. It is the most feared item in the races, because it charges straight at the racer in the lead.
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