The Unused Mario Enemy that Stumped Modders for 11 Years
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- Опубликовано: 9 сен 2024
- Special thanks to Aurum! ► / deraurumburger
Super Mario Galaxy has a ton of unused content hiding beneath its surface. Quite literally a horde of objects ranging from maps, to stage elements, to enemies, and everything in-between. The repository of cut content is as vast as the galaxies themselves. But there is a peculiar enemy that once it was discovered, it wasn't really known how it functioned until several years later. This is the story of that enemy: The Dragon Head Flower. And how it eventually was solved.
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Credits and sources:
Research and recreation by Aurum.
Peardian for originally discovering the Dragon Head Flower.
Written and filmed by SwankyBox.
Editing by SwankyBox.
Music credits:
Songs from Super Mario Galaxy 2 OST
"Unidentified Planet - SMG2
"Honeybloom Galaxy" - SMG2
"Sky Station Galaxy" - SMG2
I don't think I've ever been more anxious in my life then when playing the star ball levels, especially the green star one
@Keebe The Kirby plush WNH
True
@Keebe The Kirby plush hi keebe
I totally agree with this
ITS ARCADE ASSASSIN
The amount of unused and unseen content that is still being unearthed after all these years is astounding 😄. Thanks as always for taking us on these amazing trips, Swanky 🥰✌
Why are you using emojis?
@@THEREALspypasta Because they can
@@THEREALspypasta Reddit moment
@@THEREALspypasta Reddit moment
r/emojissuck
You know what the head of this thing reminds me of? Poochy from Yoshi's Island, the friendly lovable mutt that helps Yoshi. I think the link between these similarities would have tipped the player off that this thing meant no ill will. However, not everyone has played Yoshi's Island nor know about Poochy, so I can see why new players could be confused if this thing was a threat.
I love Poochy but I didn't know about him until I played Yoshi's Woolly World, I don't think I played Yoshi's island. Or, I remember I had it on the DS, maybe that's a different version? Or also I had it but I didn't finish it all the way through, maybe it's in a later level I didn't play? I don't know. Anyway, I actually thought Poochy was invented in Woolly World before seeing your comment and looking it up.
"lovable"
at least poochy has a color scheme that resembles a dog, i however do not like the fleshy dragon plant
And plus, the creature resembling Poochy is not as quieting as people would think it would be thanks to the infamy of the levels involving Poochy in the original Yoshi’s Island.
@@LittleCart Well obviously if it made it to the final game it would have been properly textured. It's unfinished here.
Maybe they scrapped it because it’s freaking terrifying. Why does it look like that?
they didn't polish it yet, they wanted to see if it would work before finalizing it. they most likely start with crude models before putting effort into realistic ones.
Those beady lil eyes make it kinda cute
it looks like poochy
Naked piranha plant
Pepto bismol demon
I dunno...even for a Mario character it doesn't look dangerous, even the cute enemies have something that signifies danger, like sharp teeth or angry eyebrows. This has no teeth, no angry expression, it isn't even moving in a way that's dangerous. It's a giant head that looks like it's chewing cud like a cow.
Its face kinda reminds me of Poochy from the Yoshi games
Well, Wigglers don't look threatening until they're angry.
Eh, the model and textures are clearly quite unfinished. It's hard to tell whether the lack of "evil" features is an indicator of it not actually being an enemy, or if it just hadn't gotten those details added before it got scrapped.
I think it was most likely not supposed to be helpful to the player, all flower dudes and things that try to suck you in are usually bad in Mario games. I doubt it would have instantly shot you into the void and killed you but it’s probably likely that it sent you back a bit in the level
But it has those dix suxing lips that piranha plants have.
You should make a video about the unused power up “Bone Mario”. Aurum also covered this!
Wait bone mario?
Wasn't that just a model used for when Mario gets shocked?
@@jackpijjin4088 Yes but In the files of Galaxy 2 is a power up called the Bone’s Curse. The model Mario would turn into doesn’t exist anymore so aurum just had the game load the skeleton model when the power up became active. It exists under the name “Horror” in the list of power ups in the game. Aurum goes into full detail in his video documenting the discovery.
@@_Sp4ce_ Oh rad. I've got some catching up to do. :)
I don't think that the Dragon Head Flower was cut due to it being replaced, I think it was cut due to it being the exact same, but it would've been used to send Mario in the opposite direction then where he should be going. Think about it, in the files this is labeled as an enemy. Naturally a path would be created to function the exact same as the hole you use the sphere, but it would send you in the opposite direction or into a death plain. I believe it was cut due to it possibly being annoying as not only do you need to balance on a sphere, but then you have this guy over here trying to spit you into an abyss if you get to close.
spot on, if it was intended as an "anti-hole" they probably thought it'd be too frustrating and annoying in an already stressful star ball level.
I think that this is correct as well, because when launched, Mario just falls into the death plain, even if there is ground (see the end of the video to know what I mean)
Could have been that the testers had a hard time avoiding this enemy, and got frustrated. Leading to the developer cutting it out. Besides, it doesn't even look finished adding to the theory
@@SuperPostall I think that's just do to it being unfinished
I doubt it would launch off the map with the suction effect, but launching back to the start is very viable to me.
I wonder what happens if Nintendo made a Mario game based off all the unused content from the previous games
Sad to say: They are never going to. :
Oh god imagine the elh from Luigi's Mansion
There is a lot of wild possibilities for story in game like that, and hope maybe fandom could make a fan game… but then again Nintendo seems to shut down fan games fast…
I believe that's called Super Mario Galaxy 2.
I’ve always thought it’d be cool to have a game where Mario gets sucked into a world of cut and forgotten game content like Epic Mickey with cartoons
I used to play with those marble maze toys when I was younger, so when I got to those Star ball stages, I was actually excited about it. And since I didn't have a lot of bad experience with those stages, I actually love that music.
I can definitely see why a lot of people feel differently, though.
every time he says "nevidia", i get a heart palpitation
I've never heard it being pronounced like that, although their old logo (stylized as nVidia) might suggest it
@@TommyAgramonSeth "N." "Vidia." "N. Vidia"
Crazy how old this game is now.
For me its another good mario game, but for many younger ppl this is their childhood. Amazing how much memories this game holds for many
Yeah. This game is for me what super Mario odyssey is to 2010’s kids, and super Mario 64 was for 90’s kids.
In my mind the Wii came out yesterday.
@@leeiif funnily enough mine broke fairly early and i didnt bother. 2 years later i got it fixed and really enjoyed it again lol.
twilight princess is the best zelda imo.
I was 7 when this game out
@@TrueLadyEvilChan i cant remember when it came out but i think i was 17? Lol
I did not know that this enemy was taken out of the first Mario Galaxy game! It would’ve been new to all of us, once we came across it! We would only see what it would do to attack us, if it was ever added to the game in the first place!
The funniest thing is Swanky, I found the “dragon head flower” so cool that me and my friends decided to make it our group chat banner!
I’m surprised people would have so much anxiety playing the Green Green Galaxy. I totally get it if you have bad memories doing Rolling Gizmo on the Star ball, but that introductory level wasn’t something that gave me trouble even while collecting all the star bits and coins. Maybe it’s because I grew up with the Wii so my handle on the motion controls was easier to grasp, idk
Ironically, when you first introduced the flower my thought was "some kind of elevator" but that's probably because I'm not a Mario player and so a flower entity with no teeth and a non-menacing color pattern doesn't inherently seem too much like an enemy.
I think it was probably supposed to help you rather than to throw you off the cliff. That would explain the design. Yes, it's a big plant, but they gave it a friendly look with those eyes.
It's somewhat cute, but the fleshy skin colour makes me uncomfortable. Also I wonder why it is called a dragon head flower, cause it looks like a mix between a piranha plant and those weird enemies from galaxy 2 (the ones from yoshi star galaxy)
There is a flower called the dragonhead flower. Maybe it's a placeholder name. A lot of new enemies in the Galaxy games have notable placeholder names in the code (such as Gringills being called Snake Fish in the code, or the Jammyfish just being called Jellyfish internally).
This video is really well made- you set it up so that the viewer can realize what the flowerhead is meant to do just before you tell us. Really enjoyed that “aha!” moment
You perfectly summed up the game's feel! On the other hand, I got over the Star Ball levels some time ago. Considering there's only three, and they're *so* short, are they really bad with a bit of practice?
Either way finding out about yet more elements of SMG is pretty cool! Looking at its design as a whole, perhaps the Starball missions wouldn't have had a golf theme at all? (Modders, get on that please!)
This is also the first time I've heard anyone pronounce nVidia as "ne-vidia" rather than "en-vidia".
It’s kind of a cute, a terrifying horrifying cute but cute indeed
like a fat pink goth
Yall hate the motion ball levels? Those were the easiest levels...the most hated star to me, was the one with the garbage and bombs...and super strict time limit.
I love these videos. SwankyBox has definitely evolved into that plane of existence next to JonTron, Caddicarus, AVGN, Oddheader, The Easter Egg Hunter, PBG, Shesez, VaatiVidya, illusorywall, IronPineapple, YuriOfWind etc. That awesome area of RUclips that gives me the utmost comfort to watch. I always get excited when you release new videos. We all do. Please, never stop. These videos are going to stay with us forever.
The fact that this has finally been solved is amazing. I’d read on it before, but I too assumed it was just an enemy. Fascinating that we’re still discovering things in Mario Galaxy 1 and 2’s code!
6:55 i could understand it if it was like, a special level had that as a replacement and/or it had some sorta friendly-looking idle animation so it looks nonthreatening, but since it was definetely scrapped it wont really ever be known
I like to think that with the three ball levels having their own distinct themes, certain elements like the ball launchers would've been themed around those levels too. Like if the Melty Molten level had any, they could be giant lava geysers or mini volcanos, and Rolling Gizmo could've had ones that looked like actual springs. Maybe this one could've been put into a more plant/forest based theming? But I guess like Swanky said with this one, it would probably confuse players more if it wasn't a consistent and safe looking object.
I just realized that I started watching you the summer before my freshman year and I am now over half way through my junior year. You have supplied me so much content over the years that have fed my love of Nintendo and undertake.
I love super Mario Galaxy stuff it’s just something that will never be old
Can’t believe Mario galaxy still is reviewed and revisited considering how old it is. I love it. Also the ball levels were fun for the most part
I remember hearing about this, but never thought we would get an update
Damn I'd definitely try to avoid that thing as it does indeed look like it will hurt you
Thank you and thanks Arum for unearthing this discovery 🙂😌😊
Some people say that this Dragon Head Flower thing is "cursed" because of it looking "fleshy colored", and because of its eyes where regular piranha plants don't have. But I for one welcome our new Mario plant variant. I think the name is cute as well.
Also, I think some of the developers at Nintendo are vorephiles. We have Kirby (thats also pink BTW), Yoshi, giant man eating fish named Cheep Chomp, the giant eel in SM Sunshine. So now we have this unused plant creature? The stuff we find hidden in games that went unfinished is always interesting.
These are the cut content video I absolutely love, finding out the intended purpose of unused stuff in the code! I've browsed cut content from games like Super Mario Galaxy numerous times in the past. It would be awesome to see this enemy included in a mod, maybe spitting the player backwards in the course if they get too close.
Another possibility i was thinking, what if the ball first wasnt some rock with a star. What if it was a candy or food with a star inside? Feeding the plan and the plant would shoot out the star. Maybe a toad or a sign at the beginning would tell the player the plant is hungry
I think it was probably meant to be an obstacle in the levels, they probably didn’t kill you but it would make sense if they sent you back a bit in the level
starts actually talking about the enemy instead of padding for time at 1:59
The reason I was thinking it was removed by the time you showed that it was going to do what those launching holes did, I had the exact same theory. Everyone assumed it was an enemy at first glance, you wouldn't instinctively want to move toward it. That being replaced by the holes is a good example of the psychology that goes into game design. The hole is entirely self-explanatory, but this is almost automatically seen as a threat despite being the opposite. Fascinating.
I think a pretty easy way to show players that this thing wouldn't hurt them (assuming it's used alongside the orange holes) would be for one of the holes to launch you directly into it, only for it to catch you and throw you the rest of the way to your destination. The player would notice that it got them where they were going, and did no damage to them in the process.
the way swanky pronounces nvidia gives me shivers
I brings me joy to know that these classic games are given new life by the fans so many years after release. How cool is it to see something like this, you know? And to discover the purpose of these leftover assets... just goes to show how a game can be adored for generations.
You've heard of the piranha plant
Now get ready for the blobfish plant
dragon head flower: i chomp mario and spit him out. but if i'm hit with a shell, i drop a power star
I have a question, does somebody knows where the background in the comet observatory come from? It's look like a island on google map, but I'm unable to find where is this island. You can kinda see it at 0:40 on the right.
I'm certain peoples live on this island, you can see what is looking like a road on the eastern part of the island.
I think it's adorable, personally.
And they could have solved the usability problem by putting in a point where the first encounter with it was unavoidable. Like, say, putting it at the end of a slope that was the only path forward, with the next portion of the level floating conspicuously near it.
That was the NES Mario games' approach to explaining mechanics.
Did we ever figure out why there were realistic bug enemies in the code?
They seemed like they were almost from a seperate project altogether
I think it may have also made more sense from a gameplay standpoint to need to roll the ball into a socket to launch it, rather than getting sucked in from a distance. With the dragon head flower, you'd only need to get close enough to get sucked in. It would be easy to even do it by accident. Replacing the flower with a socket that launches you makes the minigame more challenging, requiring you to roll the ball into a precise spot.
I don’t know why but this enemy give me a “yoshi Island” feels
Tbh the two dots make it look like the helping dog in Yoshi Island !
How ironic that I see this 11 days after it’s upload.
COINCIDENCE?! I THINK NOT!
when you mentioned how it eats something and spits it out upwards , i immediatly thought of the guys that launch you in super mario sunshine
Sad that this concept was never used in galaxy and not in any other Nintendo games that I know of. It looks so cool, especially with the animations.
0:50
I couldn’t agree more.
I personally hated those surfing levels
I think perhaps the reason it was replaced might be the fact that the plant may have given child me very disturbing dreams about a fleshy coloured plant that moves strangely and has terrifying eyes.
I don't remember having much trouble with the star ball levels, but the ones where you're followed by Shadow Mario are the most anxiety-inducing things in the world.
A video about a mystery from 11 years ago, posted 11 days ago.
Nice
I feel like I’ve seen this video before, but it just came out? This is the third time I’ve seen this video in the past month and a half, but the first time I’ve ever actually watched it. The human mind is a crazy thing sometimes
I agree with your thought of this "enemy" simply existing as a mode of transportation to another part of the stage, and that it was replaced by the hole for the reason you gave.
They could have had a sign to explain it though. Or maybe even at the start of the level, pan the camera over to one and explain, before you start, but it's very possibly nobody thought of that. In any case, I think the hole was just much simpler, which is why this "enemy" was removed.
to anyone that has trouble with the ball rolling levels: set your wiimote upright on your hand and tilt it around like you were using a joystick.
This is a relatively complete unused thing
Swamkybox videos feel like the opposite of Odd Header videos. Swankybox has so much fluff and stuff at the beginning of the video, and builds up to such a small thing. Plus there's always a lot of repetition throughout the video.
It's frustrating.
How cool!
I was worried that it may just have been corrupted
While Mario Galaxy or Galaxy 2 aren’t my favorite 3D Mario games, they’re still overall good games and it’s cool seeing modders bring back old unused elements from them.
I don't know why, but I'm always so relaxed when watching your Super Mario Galaxy videos...
All I imagine are the developers of the game sitting back and laughing at how wrong some are and shocked at how spot on modders got.
i personally get the feeling it was meant to be more aggressive. being clearly based off the piranha plant and forcefully sucking in mario on the ball, it was likely meant as an obstacle in the star ball levels that'd suck you in and shoot you off the level. though tbh it looks sorta friendly? mainly cause of how derpy it looks
As soon as he talked about the animations, I was thinking "are you sure it's an enemy, it seems like a friendly guy that sends you where you need to go rather than do damage." I thought that that much would've been obvious based on the animations.
My first thought when seeing the Dragonhead Flower was: This looks actually quite similar to the dogs head (Pooch?) in Yoshis island
1:59 if your tired of the damn shadow version of the character
I think it makes more sense that dragon flower probably acted like piranha plants, and it probably waited inside perhaps fake holes to trick you, and spit you out in the wrong direction. But the creators probably felt the stages were challenging enough, so took it out. I can't see them making something that most Mario players would instinctively avoid, being something you have to directly go in.
Close your eyes while listening to the part where swanky explains what he thinks is the reason for the removal of the flower from the ball courses
As a non-modder, I don’t understand all the terms used, but overall I appreciate the straightforward explanations.
Maybe the Dragon Flower was replaced with the launching hole because A) it fit the mini-golf theme of the star ball levels better; and B) because it made the stages slightly more challenging, because whereas the dragon flower seems to suck you in when you're in it's general vicinity, the holes require a lot more precision to get inside of it and progress through the level.
I was thinking while playing Mario galaxy, how small we are. I was frightened.
The dragon head plant could’ve been the birds that launch you… don’t you think?
This is so cool! Still these discoveries and mysterious missing pieces of the MG history being found 🔥So interesting
I like to call that enemy "choonky woonky" lol
What a “ *dangerous* “ looking flower.
As someone who’s childhood console was the Wii, and my favorite video games of all time are Galaxy 1 and 2. Seeing stuff like this makes me happy.
Hi! I'm playing now "Kirby: Squek squad" for NDS and this enemy appears there. And yes, it swallows you and then spits, damaging you
Maybe in the past Nintendo have been thinking of 3D Kirby?
This flower wouldn't make for a good launch star equivalent as it's big, a bit creepy (probably due to a likely incomplete design), and is constantly chewing, signifying intense hunger and therefore danger. However, it could work as a enemy that tries to suck up Mario on a Star Ball (but can be escaped), and upon success, would either insta-kill him (annoying, but logical), trap him until the Wii Remoted is shaken enough, or spit him towards a "bad/hard path" area of the level, which would be rather unique and challenging!
The piranha plant that was meant to be in Smash lol.
Good find and interesting backstory.
I have a theory. I think the purpose is probably similar to an enemy. It would suck Mario/Luigi up, and spit them back to an earlier part of the level. This is sort of just a guess but i think it makes the most sense. It would also help to make the ball levels more annoying and we know the devs were trying to do that.
Why did you have to play that nightmare inducing music from those maddening star ball levels
I actually really liked the Star Ball Challenges as a kid and even when I played them on switch not long ago :D
I thought it was a fun challenge which wasn't easy but not that hard either :)
Dragon-headed flower: “I’m a chuckster!”
The rolling levels (and their music) are great
At this point I feel like unused content can be considered a sort of never ending cave, going deeper and darker forever
"They want to put the ball in the hole" - SwankyBox 2022
Imagine if the flowers were like Super Mario Sunshine's Chucksters. You had to pick the right one or get yote into the void.
I love the star ball levels... Except the music. That hurt
This thing. This is such a bizarre freaking thing.
I liked the levels where you move the ball with motion controls, thought I got very good at it too after lots of practice, the manta ray levels and a lot of the purple coin levels were FAR worse than any of the marble type levels at least for me
Dam, it’s so interesting that people can figure out stuff like this about unreleased content. Would be nice if the developers themselves could just comment on it though, but oh well….
After all these years it Phenomenal to see the unused content solved.
That big unused flower creature is relatively cute!! I'm sad he's no longer in the game!
That’s a really nice piece of knowledge
To finally see this big boi in action, I thought I'd never see the day.
it's honestly Interasting as hell how much unused stuff still gets dug up
Everything you said about the star ball levels is exactly how I would describe it