View source for Urchin

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{{species infobox
|image=[[Image:UrchinNSMBU.png|190px]]<br>Official art of an '''Urchin''' from ''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]''.
|first_appearance=''[[Super Mario World]]'' ([[1990]])
|variants=[[Red Urchin]]<br>[[Mini Urchin]]<br>[[Mega Urchin]]
|latest_appearance=''[[Super Mario Party Jamboree]]'' ([[2024]])
}}
'''Urchins''' are spiked aquatic creatures that have appeared as enemies throughout the [[Mario (franchise)|''Mario'' franchise]]. As their name and appearance suggest, they are based on real-life [[wikipedia:Sea Urchin|Sea Urchins]]. They are slow, yet though enemies that [[Mario]] must avoid usually because they cannot be defeated by normal means, like a simple [[Stomp]]. Although they live mostly underwater, Urchins can also live on land. 

==History==
===''Super Mario'' series===
====''Super Mario World''====
[[File:SMW Urchin.jpg|150px|thumb|left|Artwork of Urchin from ''Super Mario World''.]]
In ''[[Super Mario World]]'', Urchins move between tunnels in [[Forest of Illusion 2]]. [[Yoshi]] can't eat them, but he can bounce on them. They can be defeated by [[Grab Block]]s. They however can't be defeated by using a [[fireball]]. Players must time their movements carefully as to avoid an Urchin's spikes.

The Urchins in ''[[Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2]]'' can be defeated by [[Luigi]] riding on [[Yoshi]] and swallowing a [[Blurp]] and spitting it at the Urchin.

====''Super Mario Galaxy''====
Urchins appear in ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'' in the [[Beach Bowl Galaxy]] and the [[Deep Dark Galaxy]]. However, they do not swim around in the water; instead, they will stay on the sea bottom, and when they see Mario, they start chasing him by rolling towards him. Urchins also appear on land in the [[Freezeflame Galaxy]]; they act exactly the same as they do underwater. There are also red Urchins called [[Ground Urchin]]s to go along with the fiery area of the stage; they will act exactly the same as the normal Urchins, and can be killed if the player tricks them into entering the lava, or if they are hit by a [[fireball]] shot by [[Fire Mario]] or Fire Luigi. The underwater versions can be destroyed with a shell. They release six [[Star Bit]]s when defeated.

====''New Super Mario Bros. Wii''====
[[File:Mega_Urchin.png‎|150px|thumb|A model of a [[Mega Urchin]] from ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii''.]]
Urchins appear in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'' along with a bigger version of them called [[Mega Urchin]]s. Urchins start floating up and down like their ''Super Mario World'' incarnation, but when frozen with an [[Ice Flower]] or [[Penguin Suit]] they will float briefly on the water before breaking free and getting knocked out underwater permanently. In this state, the Urchin can block underwater [[Warp Pipe]]s that spray out jet-streams, which can be used to the player's advantage or disadvantage, depending on the situation. They could also be defeated with a fireball, a Koopa Shell or a [[Starman]]. Mega Urchins can only be defeated with a Starman. In the game, when there is a "bah" in the background music, Urchins will breifly open thier mouths, releasing bubbles, as if they were saying "bah" underwater.

====''Super Mario Galaxy 2''====
Urchins reappear in ''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]'', behaving the same way as in the predecessor. They appear in the [[Starshine Beach Galaxy]] and in the [[Slimy Spring Galaxy]]. Red Urchins also appear in this game in the [[Battle Belt Galaxy]].

====''New Super Mario Bros. 2''====
[[File:NewUrchin.png|frame]]
Urchins also appear in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. 2]]'', where they behave the same way they did in ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii'', and have the same appearance. [[Mini Urchin]]s also appear, acting exactly like their bigger versions, only standing still.

====''New Super Mario Bros. U''====
Urchins also make an appearance in the [[Wii U]] game ''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]''. In one of the [[Sparkling Waters]] levels, Urchins are placed over [[Water Spout|water geysers]] used to rise them to the platform surface. In the level [[Urchin Shoals]], Urchins and their big relatives are the main features.
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===''Super Mario World'' television series===
[[Image:UrchinsCartoon.jpg|thumb|left|Several Urchins, from the [[Super Mario World (television series)|''Super Mario World'' cartoon]].]] 
Several Urchins make a small appearance in the [[Super Mario World (television series)|''Super Mario World'']] episode "[[Mama Luigi]]". In the episode, Luigi and Yoshi, while being chased through an underwater tunnel by a [[Rip Van Fish]], almost swim directly into several Urchins. Luckily, Luigi and Yoshi manage to avoid bumping into these Urchins.

===''Nintendo Adventure Books''===
Some Urchins make a small appearance in the ''[[Nintendo Adventure Book]]'' "[[Brain Drain]]", being seen in a large fish tank by Luigi, after [[Iggy Koopa]] takes over the WMUSH radio station.

===''Super Mario Adventures''===
In the ''[[Super Mario Adventures]]'' comic, several Urchins act as guards in the moat surrounding the [[Koopalings]] tower.

===''Yoshi Touch & Go''===
Though they were seemingly going to make an unexpected return in ''[[Yoshi Touch & Go]]'', Urchins were not seen in the final game. They were, however, featured in the ''[[Balloon Trip]]'' tech demo that can be thought of as a ''Yoshi Touch & Go'' beta. In the demo, they float in the skies and take one of [[Baby Mario]]'s [[balloon]]s away if he touches one of them. They can never be trapped in bubbles, making them some of the more challenging enemies featured in the demo. By the final game's release, these Urchins were redesigned as the plant-like [[Brier]]s.

===''Super Princess Peach''===
Urchins also make an appearance in ''[[Super Princess Peach]]''. They appear in the Subrella sections of the game. They move back and forth and cannot be defeated.

===''Mario Party'' series===
====''Mario Party 9''====
In ''[[Mario Party 9]]'', Urchins appear in the [[minigame]] [[Pier Pressure]]. The ten fishing rods either have [[Cheep-Cheep]]s or Urchins at the end of them; if the player ends up choosing one with an Urchin on it, he or she is eliminated.

[[Blooper]] also tosses Urchins at the players in its boss minigame, [[Blooper Barrage]]. They target a specific player, and their course can be redirected by hitting it with a [[cannonball]]. Getting hit by an Urchin results in that player losing one point; hitting it right before it is about to hit the player sends in into the sea below. Additionally, in the minigame [[Bowser's Block Battle]], if Blooper appears on the stage, it attacks by throwing Urchins at the players.

====''Super Mario Party Jamboree''====
Urchins reappear in ''[[Super Mario Party Jamboree]]'', appearing in [[Dragoneel Slayers]] alongside their Big Urchin relatives, deducting points from players who hit them.

==''Super Mario Galaxy'' trading card description==
[[File:UrchinTradingCard.PNG|thumb|right|150px]]
''Urchins are spiky blue fish that Mario must face in an underwater challenge in the Beach Bowl Galaxy and a land mission in the Freezeflame Galaxy. They roll along the seafloor or ground trying to poke Mario with their spikes. There are also red Urchins in lava areas that Mario can hit with a fireball or trick into falling into the lava.''

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:Urchin_SMW.png|<center>A sprite of an Urchin in ''Super Mario World''.
Image:SMW Urchin.jpg|<center>An Urchin's artwork in ''Super Mario World''.
File:Galaxy Urchin.jpg|<center>Artwork of an Urchin from ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]''.
Image:RedUrchins.PNG|<center>Several red Urchins in ''Super Mario Galaxy''.
File:UrchinNSMBU.png|An artwork of a Urchin in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]''.
</gallery>

==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names|
|Jap=ウニラ<br>''unira''
|JapM=''uni'' means "sea urchin"
|Ger=Igluck<br />Aqua-Wummp (''[[Super Mario World]]'' guide)
|GerM=Pun on ''Igel'' (from ''Seeigel'', sea urchin) and ''Gluckern'' (gurgling)<br />Aqua (water) [[Thwomp]]
|Spa=Erincho
|SpaM= Comes from ''erizo'' (sea urchin) and ''pincho'' (spike) 
|Ita=Ricciospino Marino
|ItaM=Spiked Sea Urchin
|Fra=Oursin
|Por=Ouriço
|PorM=From "''ouriço-do-mar''" (urchin)}}

==Trivia==
*Hacking into ''[[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]'' reveals that game [[List of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars beta elements|was initially planned]] to feature what would appear to be a tiny Urchin, likely as some kind of item.
*The ''Super Mario Galaxy'' trading card for Urchin states that it is a spiky blue fish, however, Urchins seem to be purple in ''Super Mario Galaxy'', and most of their appearances for that matter.
*Urchins in their debut appearance look similar to Gordos in the ''Kirby'' series.

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