This article is about an enemy from the original Mario Bros. For other uses, see Turtle (disambiguation).
Shellcreeper
Shellcreeper MB.png
MarioSymbol.svg

Sprite of a Shellcreeper from Mario Bros.

Universe Mario
Debut Mario Bros. (1983)
Smash Bros. appearances Brawl
SSB4
Ultimate
Most recent non-Smash appearance Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (2021)
Console/platform of origin Arcade
Article on Super Mario Wiki Shellcreeper

Shellcreepers' (シェルクリーパー, Shellcreeper) are enemies from the original Mario Bros. game.

Origin

 
Shellcreepers as they appear in the arcade version of Mario Bros.

Shellcreepers, along with Sidesteppers and Freezies, made their debut in Mario Bros.. They are turtle-like creatures and are considered to be the predecessors of Koopa Troopas, which they strongly resemble. Unlike the Koopa Troopas, however, the Shellcreepers cannot be defeated by jumping on them and will cause the player to lose a life on contact. Also, Shellcreepers can attack by biting the player.

Shellcreepers emerge from the pipes on the upper portion of the stages and move from one side to the other. They can be defeated either by being hit from below or is turned upside-down by the POW Block, after which they can be kicked off-screen. If the Shellcreepers are not defeated while flipped upside down, they take their shell off, put it upright, and put it back on, after which they change color and moves faster.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

 
A Shellcreeper.

Shellcreepers appear as a stage element in the Mario Bros. stage. They are stage hazards until they are attacked or hit by the stage's POW Block, at which they retreat into their shells and become throwable items.

Shellcreepers, like the other enemies in the stage, cause very large horizontal knockback, whether or not they are thrown. Due to the odd shape and low ceilings of the stage, throwing these enemies is the easiest way of defeating opponents, as there is not enough vertical knockback for them to tech on the ceilings. A flipped-over Shellcreeper can be eaten by Munchlax.

Similar to their behavior in the original game, each time a Shellcreeper is left on its back for long enough, it will get up again, will change color, and move faster. Throwing these faster Shellcreepers at enemies will cause even more knockback, even becoming a one-hit KO in many situations.

Trophy

 
Trophy in Brawl.
Shellcreepers
Shelled enemies Mario and Luigi faced back when they were plumbers. They had to be bumped from below to flip them over and then kicked off the stage. The last one on a stage turned from green to red and raced really fast. If one got flipped but not sent off, it would eventually right itself and move at high speeds. They were simply called "turtles" in Japan.
 : Mario Bros.
 : Super Mario Advance

In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

The Shellcreepers appears as part of the Mario Bros. Trophy Box.

 
Trophy in for Wii U.
Shellcreepers
  With a name that implies silently sneaking up on its prey, the Shellcreeper might be considered cooler than your average turtle. The Koopa is apparently an evolved form of this veteran of Mario Bros. We'd recommend not jumping on this one like you would a Koopa, though...
  With a name that implies silently sneaking up on its prey, the Shellcreeper might be considered cooler than your average turtle. A true veteran from way back in Mario Bros., this guy even predates Koopas, which apparently it evolved into. We wouldn't recommend jumping on this one like you'd jump on a Koopa, though...
Mario Bros. (1983)
 : Super Mario Advance (06/2011)

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Shellcreepers appear as a stage hazard in the Mario Bros. stage, reprising their behavior in Brawl.