Battle Plan

Super Mario Bros / Lost Levels / Super Mario Bros. 3

Attack Pattern: It has often been mistakenly said that Red Koopas are cowardly or stupid because they pace back and forth between collumns and pits. The fact is that they're way smarter than Green Koopas. After all, the greens charge straight into pits. Not too bright...
Basic Fighting Strategies: A single stomp (or a tail attack, in SMB3) will cause them to hide in their shell. An attack from below will do the same. A fireball, hammer or starman will kill them completely. So will another shell.
Advanced Strategies: Koopas are often more useful as weapons than dead. Simply knock one on the head, and it hides in the shell. Now you can use the shell to kill other enemies (including toughies like Buzzy or Spiney). You can also use it to break throuh brick walls. These techniques are especially useful in SMB3, because you can pick shells up.
However, there is an element of danger in all of this. If you carry a shell for too long, the Koopa will pop back out and hurt Mario. Also, after it's kicked, a shell can hurt Mario as well as enemies. Stopping the shells is a bit of a challenge, but no problem if you've got fireballs or another shell handy. Stomping or tail attacks will also work, although they require better timing. Finally, note that in SMB3, if Mario kicks a shell against a wall while he is less than one body-length away, it will rebound right past him without hurting him.

Super Mario World

Whoo boy, this is complicated.

Attack Pattern: I think Blue and Yellow Koopas move back and forth, like Red ones. Green ones still charge straight forward. Also, you'll sometimes find them climbing back and forth on chain-link fences. If sideways-moving ones come to the end of the fence, they'll climb around the post, and come out on the other side, then go in the opposite direction.
Basic Fighting Strategies: If you stomp any Koopa once, it will fly out of it's shell. Then you can use the shell as a weapon or tool. Since Koopas get knocked right out of their shells, and can't re-emerge, they're even more useful than in previous titles. BUT!
Naked Koopas can get back into empty shells. Also, if a Blue Koopa is out of it's shell, and gets a shell kicked at it...it will catch the shell and kick it right back! Finally, if any naked Koopa finds a Yellow shell, it will hop in, and become invincible! The shell will spin around really fast (as if it's been kicked) too. You can spin stomp an invincible shell-spinner without getting hurt, but you won't hurt it, either.
Because of this, it's wise to stomp naked Koopas before they can do any damage. They squish just like Goombas! Any other attack will also kill a naked Koopa, I think you might even be able to kick them. Fireballs, invincibility, and spin jumps will all kill a shelled Koopa outright.
Advanced Strategies: A fireball will earn you a coin. Eating a Koopa can earn you a coin, but it takes Yoshi a while to digest them. During that time, he gains special powers. This is where it gets really complicated! A green Yoshi will be able to spit green shells back out, as if Mario were kicking them. He will spit fireballs if he's got a red shell. If he has a yellow one, every stomp he does will kick up a little bit of dust that can hurt other enemies. If he eats a blue one, he'll grow wings, and he can fly for a while!
But, if you have a different coloured Yoshi, they will get the power the shell normally gives, plus the power you get from having a shell of the colour of that Yoshi. (I said this was complicated!) For instance, if a blue Yoshi eats a red shell, he can fly, plus he can spit out fireballs!
Of course, after Yoshi swallows the shell (occurs about 10 seconds after eating it), he loses the powers. You can keep the powers (except for the red shell) by pressing down and spitting the shell out. This way, Yoshi will just drop it right in front of you instead of spitting it away, and you can eat it all over again. Mario can also "drop" shells this way, instead of kicking them.
Keep in mind that if you let Yoshi swallow the shell, you'll earn a coin. Also, by attacking a Koopa from below (if it's walking on blocks) or with the cape, you can make it hide in it's shell instead of popping out, just like the good old days. Also, taking a shell through the level goal will turn it into a power up. Finally, as with SMB3, kicking a shell against a wall while standing quite close to it will make it rebound, and go right past Mario without hurting him.
Fighting the Fence-Climbers: Finally, one last strategy. Fighting fence-climbing Koopas is fairly easy. If you stand just above their heads when they're on the same side as you, they'll be killed. You can beat Koopas on the other side of the fence by punching them with the Y button.
However, your best bet is to "stomp" them while they're on the same side as you, because if you stomp several without getting of the fence, the game will count them up just as if you were stomping them without touching the ground. This means that you'll earn more and more points, and eventually 1-Ups. It's a fairly easy way to earn extra lives, although it's slow.

Super Mario Land 2: The Six Golden Coins

Attack Pattern: I believe they act the same as Red Koopas in other games, although I don't know for sure. It's possible that they act the same as both types, even though they don't come in different colours.
Basic Fighting Strategies: As in other games, you can stomp them and kick them, or pick them up. Unlike other games, Mario carries shells on his head in Super Mario World 2. This means that you can't use them like a cow-catcher, and go charging into other enemies. Also, if you jump and hit a block while carrying one, you'll lose it. However, you can still carry it around and throw it, which is useful in many situations.
Advanced Strategies: If you want to get rid of a Koopa completely, and have no weapons, you can pick it up and then try to hit some blocks with it, as described above.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

Attack Pattern: They follow the same pattern as in previous games.
Basic Fighting Strategies: If you stomp a Koopa, he'll pop out of his shell, and eventually he'll try to get back in. If you Butt-stomp him, he'll be destroyed. If you eat a shell-less Koopa, you can get an egg, and if you eat one with a shell, (or eat just the shell), you can spit the shell out at enemies, much like Mario kicks it in other games. If you throw an egg at a Koopa that is still in it's shell, the shell will start sliding along.
Advanced Strategies: Pound-the-ground is your best bet to get rid of them entirely, but sometimes the shells are useful as weapons. You can spit a shell upwards by pressing up and then Y. Remember that you can get an egg by eating the shell-less ones.

Super Mario RPG

Attack Pattern: They just like to take swings at Mario.
Basic Fighting Strategies: When you meet them, you'll be all alone with Mario, which limits your strategies to either stomping or regular attacks. Don't waste flower points stomping these guys, because one regular hit will kill them (even if you don't use timed hits).
Advanced Strategies: It might be wise just to dodge all of the Koopas (or Terrapins, if you prefer) in Bowser's Keep, because they don't give you any gold or experience. Still, they're so easy to beat, so it isn't too dangerous to fight them.

Super Mario 64

Attack Pattern: Koopas are so pathetic in this game, that the official strategy guide called them an "item" instead of an enemy! They basically waddle around for a while, and then run for their lives as soon as Mario gets near.
Basic Fighting Strategies: Basically, any attack will work. It's best not to use a butt-stomp (I don't know what they're really called, but you know what I mean) because it will probably kill the Koopa. You want it's shell. Punch or dive or stomp instead.
Advanced Strategies: Once you get the shell from a Koopa, it's go time! You can hop on, and ride it like a snowboard-type-thingy. Run those Koopas (and Goombas) down! You can also cross the water on a shell, but watch out for tougher enemies, as they will just bounce you away. Mario can get off himself by pressing Z, and you can speed up or slow down a shell by pressing up and down on the control stick.

Paper Mario

Attack Pattern: You will run into both good and bad Koopa Troopas in this game. Usually the good ones are green, and the bad ones are red with goofy sunglasses on! If a bad Koopa spots you, it will try to hit you by going into it's shell and sliding towards you. They use this same attack in battle. The can be knocked onto their backs by jump attacks, but they will get back up if they are not jumped on again in following turns.
Basic Fighting Strategies: When you are attacked by one on the map, try to stomp it or use the Dizzy Spin attack (if you're wearing the right badge) because the hammer won't hurt them on a first hit. In battle, try to use repeated jump attacks to keep them on their backs. If you know how to use the action command to do double jumps, that's even better. Once on their backs, they can be hurt by the hammer or any other attack.
Advanced Strategies: Use Goombario when you can, as his headbonk attack will keep them on their backs just like a jump attack. Between Goombario and Mario you can keep fairly large groups of Koopas busy without even getting hurt! If you're fighting them at the same time as Goombas, you may want to finish off the Goombas first, since they're easier to beat.
When a Koopa Troopa attacks you, it will spin across the screen towards you. Try to press A at the same time as it hits Mario to block.

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Attack Pattern: Walks in a straight line and turns around when it hits a wall or comes to a ledge.
Fighting Strategies: Pick it up and throw it, suck it up as Kirby, or eat it as Yoshi.
Advanced Strategies: Use any other attack on it, (I suggest jumping on it's head) and you can use it as a shell!

Back to Koopa Troopa
Back to the Main Page