Swimming in the Mushroom Kingdom is a nightmare. Honestly, it’s mostly because of the fish. Since 1985, these wide-eyed, winged aquatic nuisances have been ending speedruns and ruining casual playthroughs with a level of persistence that’s almost admirable. They’re called Cheep Cheeps, and while they look adorable with those little pink fins and puckered lips, they are arguably some of the most versatile enemies Shigeru Miyamoto ever dreamed up.
Most players think of Super Mario fish as just another obstacle to fireball into oblivion. But if you look at the evolution of the Cheep Cheep—from the pixelated 8-bit sprites of the NES era to the terrifyingly large Boss Bass that can swallow Mario whole—there’s a lot of weirdness to unpack. They aren't just there to swim. Sometimes they fly. Sometimes they’re massive. Sometimes they’re literally made of bone.
Why Cheep Cheeps Are Actually Terrifying
Let’s get one thing straight: Cheep Cheeps are everywhere. They first appeared in Super Mario Bros., specifically in those bridge levels where they’d jump out of the water in endless arcs. It felt unfair. You’re trying to time a jump across a tiny platform, and a random fish hits your toe. Game over.
What’s interesting is how their AI has changed. In the early days, they just followed set paths. In later games like Super Mario World, we saw them sleeping in bubbles or swimming in organized schools. By the time we got to the 3D era, like in Super Mario Odyssey, you could actually become the fish. Cappy allows you to possess a Cheep Cheep, giving you the ability to swim without worrying about an oxygen meter. It’s a complete reversal of the power dynamic. Suddenly, the thing that’s been killing you for forty years is your best friend.
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The Evolution of the Species
Nintendo didn't stop at the basic red fish. They went deep into the "species" lore. You've got the Green Cheep Cheeps, which generally swim in a straight line and don't care about you. Then there are the Deep Cheeps, which are more aggressive and will actually track Mario's movement.
- Boss Bass / Big Bertha: These are the stuff of childhood trauma. First appearing in Super Mario Bros. 3, these giant versions of Super Mario fish don't just hurt you. They eat you. One hit and you’re gone, regardless of whether you have a Super Mushroom or a Fire Flower.
- Fishbone: This is the skeletal version found in castle levels. You can't kill these with fireballs. It adds a layer of difficulty because your primary defensive tool is suddenly useless.
- Blurps: These are the ones wearing goggles. Usually, they just mind their own business, but they contribute to the sense that the Mushroom Kingdom's oceans are a crowded, chaotic mess.
- Porcupuffer: A giant, spiked fish that follows you at the surface. If you’ve played the New Super Mario Bros. series, you know the panic of seeing that purple dorsal fin trailing behind you while you try to navigate a sinking platform.
The Mechanics of Underwater Combat
Underwater levels are notoriously hated in platformers. Super Mario is usually the exception, but even then, the physics change everything. Your jumps become slow drifts. Your momentum is sluggish. This is where Super Mario fish have the advantage.
In a standard land level, Mario is a god. He can run, triple jump, and wall kick. Underwater, he’s a slow-moving target. The Cheep Cheep moves faster than you. This creates a specific type of tension that Nintendo designers use to balance the game. Think about the "Water-Land" levels in Super Mario Bros. 3. The water isn't just a setting; it’s a hazard that limits your movement while the enemies remain perfectly agile.
One thing people get wrong is thinking you can always just "fireball" your way out. In many games, certain fish types are immune to fire or require a specific power-up like the Frog Suit or the Penguin Suit to outmaneuver. The Frog Suit, introduced in Super Mario Bros. 3, turned Mario into a swimming master, but it made him nearly useless on land. It was a trade-off. You become the predator, but only until you reach the shore.
Cheep Cheeps in Other Media
The influence of these fish goes way beyond the main platformers. In Mario Kart, Cheep Cheeps are hazards that can spin your car out if you drive into the water. In Mario Party, they show up in dozens of minigames, usually as things you have to catch or avoid. They even made a cameo in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. It’s a weird bit of cross-pollination that shows just how iconic the design is.
There's also the 2023 Super Mario Bros. Movie. We saw Cheep Cheeps attacking the Mario brothers on a bridge, a direct nod to those original NES levels. It’s a testament to the design that a simple fish with wings is still recognizable to a kid today, even though the original sprite was only a few dozen pixels.
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Why the Design Works
Simplicity is the key. A Cheep Cheep is basically a circle with eyes and fins. It’s not meant to look scary. It’s meant to look like it belongs in a vibrant, living world. This makes the "cheap" deaths feel a bit more palatable. It's hard to stay mad at a fish that looks like it's perpetually surprised to be there.
The color coding is also brilliant. Red means move. Green means stay still. Spikes mean stay away. It’s visual shorthand that allows the player to understand the threat level without a single word of tutorial text. This is what separates Nintendo's design philosophy from almost everyone else. They teach you through play. You see a giant fish with a huge mouth; you don't need a pop-up window to tell you it might eat you.
Misconceptions About Mario's Fish
A lot of fans think Cheep Cheeps are the only fish in the game. They aren't. We can't forget the Unagi—the massive, terrifying eels from Super Mario 64. They aren't technically Cheep Cheeps, but they occupy the same "ocean terror" niche. The Unagi in "Jolly Roger Bay" was one of the first times a Mario game felt truly scary. The scale was massive. You felt small.
Then there are the Sushis—the blue sharks from the same game. They just circle a point. They aren't particularly smart, but they add to the environmental danger. The term Super Mario fish covers a wide variety of creatures, but the Cheep Cheep remains the undisputed king of the group.
How to Handle Water Levels Like a Pro
If you're struggling with the aquatic sections of a Mario game, there are a few "expert" tips that actually work. First, stop mashing the jump button. In most Mario games, tapping the button gives you more control than holding it. Second, use the "bloop" method. In the original games, you can actually swim "low" to avoid the leaping Cheep Cheeps on bridge levels. They have a fixed arc. If you stay on the very bottom of the screen or the very top, you’re usually safe.
In 3D games like Super Mario Galaxy or Odyssey, the trick is camera management. Most players die because they can't see the fish coming from the side. Keep the camera zoomed out. If you're playing Mario Kart, remember that Cheep Cheeps on the track usually move in a predictable pattern. Don't try to react to them; anticipate where they’ll be in two seconds.
The Cultural Impact
It’s strange to think about, but the Cheep Cheep has become a bit of a fashion icon in the Nintendo world. There's merch, plushies, and even Lego sets. They represent the "cute but deadly" aesthetic that defines the series. They aren't villains in the traditional sense. They don't want to conquer the world like Bowser. They're just fish. They're just doing fish things, and you happen to be in their way.
That's the charm of the Mario universe. Even the enemies have a sort of domestic simplicity. They aren't evil; they're just obstacles in a very colorful world.
Actionable Takeaways for Mario Fans
If you want to master the art of dealing with these aquatic pests, keep these points in mind during your next playthrough:
- Watch the Fins: In many games, the color of the Cheep Cheep tells you its behavior. Red fish are usually more erratic or jumpy, while green ones are predictable.
- Don't Fear the Capture: In Super Mario Odyssey, capturing a Cheep Cheep is often the only way to find hidden Power Moons at the bottom of the lake. Use their ability to ignore the breath meter to explore every nook and cranny.
- Fire is Your Friend: Unless it’s a Fishbone or a Boss Bass, most fish can be cleared with a simple Fire Flower. Always try to enter a water level with a projectile power-up if possible.
- Study the Arcs: On bridge levels, the leaping fish always follow the same trajectory. Once you see the pattern, you can literally run through the level without stopping, as long as you know where the "gaps" in their jumps are.
- Respect the Size: If a fish is bigger than Mario, don't try to jump on it. Most large aquatic enemies in the series are immune to standard jumps and will simply damage you (or eat you) if you get too close.
The next time you’re playing a Mario game and a pink fish ends your run, just remember: you're part of a tradition that’s lasted for decades. These fish are more than just enemies; they're a core part of the game's DNA. They turn a simple platformer into a game of timing, reflex, and occasionally, pure frustration. Whether you’re dodging them on a bridge or becoming one in the deep sea, the Cheep Cheep is an essential part of why we keep coming back to the Mushroom Kingdom.