Fighter Fly

Artwork

A Fighter Fly (originally written as Fighterfly) is a hopping insectile enemy in the Mario franchise. It first appears in the arcade version of Mario Bros. Fighter Flies have rarely returned, but they have appeared in a number of Hudson Soft titles during the 1980s.

Mario Bros. series

Mario Bros.

In Mario Bros., Fighter Flies leap on the floors. They only become vulnerable to an attack from Mario or Luigi while they are on the ground, so he has to jump under the Fighter Fly the moment it lands on the floor to flip it over. Like other enemies, while a Fighter Fly is flipped over, Mario or Luigi has to walk into the Fighter Fly to defeat it. Fighter Flies are first seen in Phase 6, but in the Japanese version, they are first encountered slightly later, in Phase 7.

In the Game Boy Advance version, the color and movement speed of the Fighter Fly depends on how many times it has been flipped, a feature also shared with other enemies in those ports.

Mario Bros. Special

In Mario Bros. Special, developed by Hudson Soft, Fighter Flies have a difference in their behavior. Instead of being stunned by floor hits, Fighter Flies can only be interrupted if Mario lands on a moving conveyor belt or a trampoline first. Fighter Flies are introduced even later into the game than before, beginning with Phase 9.

Punch Ball Mario Bros.

In another Hudson Soft spin-off, Punch Ball Mario Bros., the method for attacking Fighter Flies is different again. Mario or Luigi can flip a Fighter Fly by hitting it with a bouncing Punch Ball or using the POW Block while they are on the ground. Fighter Flies appear red at first, but if they are either the last enemy left or recover from being flipped over, they turn green and begin to move faster. Fighter Flies are first seen in Phase 6.

Super Mario series

Super Mario Bros. Special

In Super Mario Bros. Special, they are named Nakaji, and it is their only appearance as an enemy in the Super Mario series. Nakaji bounce erratically toward Mario, attempting to corner him with quick leaps. Unlike common enemies, Nakaji cannot be defeated by simply stomping on them. They can be defeated from either getting knocked off a Brick Block, taking damage from a Hammer, or being hit by one of Fire Mario's fireballs.

Super Mario Bros. 3

Fighter Flies appear in the Mario Bros. minigame in Super Mario Bros. 3. They behave identically as in the original Mario Bros. game. They appear in stages 2, 3, 6, and 10.

Fighter Flies also appear in the Battle Game appearing in the remaster included within Super Mario All-Stars. They still retain the same behavior and are found in stages 4 through 9.

Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury

In Super Mario 3D World and its enhanced Nintendo Switch port Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, Fighter Flies appear only in the Luigi Bros. mode, a reskin of Mario Bros. The movements, behavior, and attack style of Fighter Flies remain true to their original design, but they now use an updated greenish color palette that distinguishes them from past appearances.

Super Mario Maker

In Super Mario Maker, there is a Mystery Mushroom costume of the Fighter Fly that can be unlocked after defeating the harder version of Gnat Attack, which was made accessible in the version 1.20 update. Once equipped, performing a jump triggers the retro buzz of the original arcade sound effect, paying homage to this leaping pest. While performing its taunt, done by holding up on the Wii Remote's D-Pad, Fighter Fly transforms into a Freezie, another enemy that debuted in Mario Bros.

Mario spinoff titles

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga / Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions

Fighter Flies return during the early portion of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, showing up in Stardust Fields. When a Fighter Fly attacks in battle, it leaps forward, as usual, and tries to collide with either Mario or Luigi. Either brother must time his jump correctly to avoid being hit by the Fighter Fly.

The game introduces a more formidable type, the Super Fly, which lurks beneath Beanbean Castle.

In the Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser campaign within Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, a Fighter Fly is among the characters who auditions to become Popple's new "Rookie," a title previously held by an amnesiac Bowser.

Mario Power Tennis

In Mario Power Tennis, Fighter Flies are featured in Mario Classic Court along with other enemies from Mario Bros. Fighter Flies appear in 2D sprite form, matching the 8-bit aesthetic of the background, and scuttle around during matches. If the characters touch a Fighter Fly, their movement is disrupted.

Crossover appearances

Family BASIC

Fighter Flies also appear as prebuilt sprites in Family BASIC and Playbox BASIC, applications used with the Family Computer. One variant can even be found positioned on the Biorhythm Board in Playbox BASIC.

One of the programmable games listed in the manual, UFO, involves the player's Starship having to battle a Fighter Fly.

In Family BASIC V3, Fighter Flies are among the enemies in the endless space shooter Star Killer.

NES Remix

Fighter Flies appear in some of the Mario Bros.-based challenges in NES Remix.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Fighter Flys are featured within their own trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. The trophy depicts their sprite from Mario Bros. Returns, an updated reissue of Mario Bros. for the Family Computer Disk System, thereby offering a visual take that differs from other trophies depicting Mario enemies.

General information

Physical appearance

Their design went through some notable changes over time. In the early arcade sprites, these bugs featured exaggerated grins and bright, reflective eyes. In the Super Mario Bros. 3 remake included within Super Mario All-Stars as well as the Game Boy Advance remake of Mario Bros., Fighter Flies received a softer appearance — including gentler facial expressions, lighter-colored heads with a hint of orange, and round noses.

In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Fighter Flies sport an orange body with bright blue hands and feet, pink-tipped antennae, small wings, and sleepy green eyelids. In the remake, their feet are light-pink instead.

Fighter Flies have never made any proper 3D appearances, although the data of Mario Power Tennis has an unused 3D model for a Fighter Fly, which appears to be designed after the enemy's sprites from the Super Mario Bros. 3 remake in Super Mario All-Stars.

Names

In different publications, it has also been labeled as a firefly and a bee.

In Super Mario Bros. Special, the name Nakaji is likely a nod to one of the game's developers, Tomohiko Nakajima.