Pokey

Pokeys are a recurring enemy in the Mario franchise. They made their first overall appearance in Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, and would become part of the Mario franchise when the game was reissued as Super Mario Bros. 2 outside of Japan.
Like Bob-ombs and Shy Guys, two other enemies that also debuted in Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, Pokeys have since become commonplace throughout the Mario franchise, and have even found their way into a few The Legend of Zelda games.
== Profile ==
=== Physical description ===
Pokeys are tall, yellow, cactus-like creatures with several green spikes festooning their bodies, including their head. Pokeys are made up of a varying number of round body segments that are combined to form a wiggly structure. In Super Mario 64, Pokeys have red eyes, a design also used for them in Mario Party 3. Super Mario Sunshine is the first game to give Pokeys a pink flower on their head, making them further resemble a cactus; this design returned in various other appearances, such as Super Mario 64 DS, but eventually retired after Mario Kart Wii.
In Super Mario Bros. 2 and The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, Pokeys have a green body, but since Super Mario World, they have been consistently depicted with a yellow body, with exceptions being their appearances in the and Mario Pinball Land. However, Paper Mario: Sticker Star and Paper Mario: Color Splash feature Green Pokeys, which are based on Pokeys from Super Mario Bros. 2. In Mario Party 6 and Mario Party Advance, Pokeys closely resemble their counterparts in Super Mario Bros. 2, but are yellow like the ones in later games. In Mario Pinball Land, although Pokeys have a green body, they have a flower of their head.
As of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Pokeys have commonly maintained a design with spikes only their head instead of a flower. In the earlier Paper Mario installments, Pokeys sport fewer spikes, a head segment that somewhat resembles a cat's, and have eyes and head spikes appearing to be based on that of a Spiked Fun Guy's.
=== Behavior ===
Pokeys are very slow, but nonetheless move after Mario or other playable characters to try and attack them. If a character touches any of a Pokey's spikes, they take damage. In the 2D games, getting around taller Pokeys requires greater maneuvers. A Pokey can sometimes regenerate any body segments they had lost, and in some cases, a Pokey can also turn its segments into fruits that a Yoshi can eat.
===Habitats===
Pokeys usually dwell in desert areas.
===Variants===
Pokeys have various relatives such as Snow Pokeys, Blow Hards, Bramballs, and Poison Pokeys.
==In ==
=== Super Mario Bros. 2 ===
Pokeys slowly chase after the player's character. Pokeys can be defeated by either throwing vegetables or other objects at their body segments, or by picking up one segment at a time. Pokeys are common throughout the earlier levels.
=== Super Mario World ===
Following an absence from Super Mario Bros. 3, Pokeys return as enemies in Super Mario World. They are only encountered in a hidden area of Yoshi's Island 4 as well as the Special World level Groovy. 
Pokeys cannot be defeated using the same methods as in Super Mario Bros. 2, mainly because of different game mechanics. A Pokey can be instantly defeat by throwing either a Koopa Shell or a Grab Block at it. A Pokey can also be defeated from Mario or Luigi sliding up or down a hill at it. Another option was to defeat them with Yoshi, who can eat their individual body segments. Pokeys normally have three body segments, allowing Mario or Luigi to jump over it, but if he is riding Yoshi, a Pokey has five body segments. 
In Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2, during Fall, Pokeys turn into bizarre, gray, spiked creatures sporting a face on each body segment.
=== Super Mario 64/Super Mario 64 DS ===
Pokeys are encountered as enemies in Shifting Sand Land. Here, Mario can destroy each body segment with a punch, kick or by throwing a Bob-omb at it; attacking the head defeats it and causes the whole body to instantly disappear. If Mario waits too long after destroying any of his segments, the Pokey will grow them right back. They give Blue Coins when defeated. If Mario gets hit by a Pokey, he will lose two wedges of health. Unlike most enemies in this game, Pokey does not respawn shortly after defeat. In Super Mario 64 DS, the Pokeys' role is the same but they now use their Super Mario Sunshine Appearance with the flower on their head.
In Super Mario 64 DS, the Pokey's graphics are updated to reflect their design as seen in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! However, jumping on their head normally now damages Mario instead of defeating the Pokey, Yoshi can defeat a Pokey by swallowing it's head, each of it's segments, tossing an egg.
=== Super Mario Sunshine ===
Regular Pokeys make an appearance alongside a newly introduced smaller variant, Pokey Sprouts. Both types of Pokeys have flowers on their heads, and their spikes somewhat resemble stubble. Pokeys were also given a dark blue variant, Seedy Pods. All three commonly appear in Bianco Hills.
To defeat a regular Pokey, Mario must come close to the tall cactus, causing the Pokey to attempt to crush him, as the Pokeys are planted to the ground, and cannot move. However, the Pokey's spikes will get stuck in the ground and Mario can jump on its head to defeat it. If Mario can manage to stomp on a Pokey's head while it is upright, the defeated Pokey will yield three Coins instead of one. Some leave behind a Blue Coin when defeated; jumping on these while upright yields two regular Coins in addition. One can see goopy bubbles rising from the flower on their heads as they bop up and down, so this may mean they may have some connection to Shadow Mario and his Magic Paintbrush.
=== New Super Mario Bros. ===
Pokeys are enemies only encountered in World 2-1, and maintain their design from Super Mario Sunshine. A Pokey can be defeated by either having Fire Mario shoot fireballs at its body segments, rolling over it with Shell Mario, crushing it as Mega Mario, or touching it while under the effects of a Starman. If a Pokey is hit on the head, it gets defeated instantly. Without these power-ups, Mario must attempt to jump over the Pokeys. Some Pokeys have over ten body segments, requiring Mario to use special platforms to jump over these tall creatures. Defeating a Pokey earns the player 200 points.
The Mummipokey, an undead Pokey, appears as the boss of World 2.
=== Super Mario Galaxy ===
Pokeys return as enemies once more. A single Red Pokey appears in the Dusty Dune Galaxy. It attacks by trying to crush Mario, similar to in Super Mario Sunshine, except that now it doesn't get stuck in the ground. It can be defeated by destroying all its body segments by Spinning, or jumping on its head. Pokey Heads also appear, but now they are green. A larger Pokey with a more traditional appearance is seen in the Good Egg Galaxy and the Dusty Dune Galaxy. These giant Pokeys can only be defeated by throwing a Coconut at their body, and then jumping on or spinning the head. Pokeys still use their Super Mario Sunshine appearance in this game. In Super Mario Galaxy 2, only Pokey Heads reappear.
=== New Super Mario Bros. Wii ===
Pokeys return as enemies once more. Like in New Super Mario Bros., Pokeys only appear in one level, specifically World 2-5. Like Super Mario World, the Yoshis can eat the individual segments of a Pokey, but eating the head defeats it instantly. Fire Mario's fireballs return as an effective method to defeat Pokeys. One of Ice Mario's Ice Balls can now be used to freeze a Pokey.
The main difference that Pokeys have from before is that whenever a bah sound is played, they turn into an alternate, non-spiked form in which each body segment resembles an orange. Even while a Pokey is in its fruit-like form, Mario or another playable character still cannot safely jump on them without taking damage, whereas Yoshi still bounces off them. Yoshi can eat an entire Pokey while it is in its non-spiked form, and by doing so, he lays an egg with an item, depending on how many segments the Pokey had: one-, two-, or three-segmented Pokeys yield three coins; four yields a Super Mushroom, five or six segments yield a Fire Flower, Ice Flower, or Propeller Mushroom; and seven or more yields a 1-Up Mushroom.
=== Super Mario Galaxy 2===
While Pokeys do not make a reappearance, Pokey Heads return from Super Mario Galaxy, retaining their behavior and the flower on their head.
=== Super Mario 3D Land ===
Pokeys are seen in desert or canyon areas, usually in groups of two or five. Pokeys have a similar appearance as in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Mario or Luigi can defeat a Pokey by either touching it while under the effects of a Starman or an Invincibility Leaf or by using his Boomerang, Fire, or Tanooki forms to knock out their individual segments. Because Pokeys have a spiked body, Mario or Luigi cannot safely jump on a Pokey without being in his Statue form.
=== New Super Mario Bros. 2 ===
Pokeys return as enemies, acting the same way as in the previous games, but they no longer turn into their non-spiked fruit-like forms like in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, likely because Yoshi does not return. They are commonly found in World 2 and appear in more than just one level. Pokeys can be defeated with the effects of a Fire Flower, Starman, Mega Mushroom, Super Leaf, Gold Flower, or an Invincibility Leaf. In this game, Pokeys can come in various different sizes commonly ranging from really tall to really short.
=== New Super Mario Bros. U/New Super Luigi U/New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe ===
Pokeys are enemies commonly found in various levels of Layer-Cake Desert, such as Perilous Pokey Cave. Pokeys once again turn into their fruit segments whenever a "Bah" sound is played. A Yoshi can eat a Pokey for a power-up item or 1-Up Mushroom. Pokeys can be defeated using the same methods as in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, including being swallowed by Yoshi, one of Fire Mario's fireballs, or touching it while under the effects of a Starman. Just as before, they can also be frozen from an Ice Ball, provided by an Ice Flower or Penguin Suit. Pokeys were given the added ability to stand on the ceiling without falling off.
Giant Pokeys appear in Morton Koopa Jr.'s battle, who uses his hammer to knock segments into Mario's path.
=== Super Mario 3D World ===
While regular Pokeys do not make an appearance, a variant named Snow Pokeys appear instead.
=== Super Mario Maker 2 ===
Pokeys were added as enemies in the version 2.0 update, and can appear in any of the styles. Pokeys have behavior similar to their appearance in Super Mario World, except they can be hit by fireballs, and Yoshi can swallow several of a Pokey's segments. In the Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3 styles, Pokeys have a green body, a homage to their design from Super Mario Bros. 2. In ice-themed areas, Pokeys are replaced with Snow Pokeys, and in the night theme, Pokeys have the ability to fly.
==In Mario is Missing!==
Pokeys only appear in the MS-DOS and Super Nintendo Entertainment System versions, in which they can be blocking the exit pipe of a level, preventing Luigi from being able to complete it. In both versions, Luigi is required to have Yoshi with him to get rid of the Pokey and therefore open the exit pipe; in the MS-DOS version, Yoshi swallows the Pokey, but in the Super Nintendo Entertainment System version, the Pokey is merely scared away from Yoshi's presence.
Pokey's sprite in the Super Nintendo Entertainment System version is a darkened recolor of its Super Mario World sprite.
==In Mario Clash==
Pokeys are made up of four segments, although the game's associated Pokey artwork inconsistently depicts a Pokey with four segments. The bottom two segments can be taken out with a Turtle Shell from any direction, but the head can only be stunned by attacking it from its side. A Pokey can regenerate lost sections over time. Pokeys are one of the later enemies encountered, and they first appear in Level 17.
== In ==
=== Paper Mario ===
Pokeys are mainly encountered as enemies in Dry Dry Desert, but can also appear in Shy Guy's Toy Box when Bowser asks Peach what Mario is most afraid of.
Pokeys were given another ability to use their body segments as projectiles by launching them at their target. They can also call other Pokeys, which rise from the ground. Spin Smash and Kooper's Shell Toss can knock off a Pokey's body segment, lowering their height. 
The game introduces another Pokey variant, Pokey Mummy, which appears in Tutankoopa's tomb and commonly fight alongside Swoopers.
=== Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door ===
Pokeys are enemies encountered in Pit of 100 Trials, specifically in levels 11, 13-16, 18, and 19. A trio of Pokeys, the Pokey Triplets, are also a fighting team in the Glitz Pit.
During battle, a Pokey attacks by slamming it, doing 2 damage, but they can also throw their body segments like in Paper Mario, dealing 3 damage. If a Pokey loses all its body segments, it attacks by bonking into its target, which deals 4 damage. If Superguard is performed on a Pokey's thrown body segment, it is returned to the Pokey, dealing the same amount of damage to it as it would have done to its target.
Pokeys were given a new variant in place of the Pokey Mummy, Poison Pokeys, which are encountered in Riverside Station.
=== Super Paper Mario ===
Both Pokeys once again return in Super Paper Mario. Regular ones are found in the Gap of Craig and the Poison ones are found in Castle Bleck. They act the same by launching their body segments from its distance trying to damage Mario and company.
=== Paper Mario: Sticker Star ===
Regular Pokeys are encountered in World 2, and a very large Pokey named Tower Power Pokey appears as the main boss. There is also Green Pokeys that appear on certain levels of World 2. The biggest difference they have from the regular yellow Pokeys is that the green Pokeys do not have spikes and as a result, can be stomped. In this game, their appearance has been updated to be more modernized. It is also revealed that some Pokeys have flowers on their heads as seen when Tower Power Pokey heals. In battle, Pokeys attack by toppling themselves on Mario (which can crumple him) and cannot sink in quicksand.
In the beta files of the game, there exists a Spiked Green Pokey that was never used in any levels of the game.
=== Paper Mario: Color Splash===
Pokeys make a reappearance alongside the Green Pokeys. Pokeys behave similarly as before, commonly appearing in Mustard Cafe. Pokeys can also swim in the quicksand in a similar fashion to sharks and will pursue Mario when he steps in the quicksand.
== In ==
=== Mario Kart: Double Dash!! ===
Pokeys are encountered in the course Dry Dry Desert. They also received a larger counterpart, Big Pokey, which makes its first appearance in the game. Both Pokeys and Big Pokeys sway left and right in place, occasionally bending their bodies into an arch that racers can drive in between. If a racer . Attacking a Pokey with an item such as a Bowser Shell or Bob-omb defeats it temporarily, but the Pokey regenerates after a period of time.
=== Mario Kart DS ===
Pokeys appear in the course Desert Hills, where the Pokeys move left and right like before but no longer arch their body. Just as before, if a racer drives into a Pokey, they get knocked over. Various items can temporarily defeat a Pokey, including Green Shells, Red Shells, Bob-ombs, a Bullet Bill or a Starman. Pokeys will respawn shortly after.
In Mission Mode, Pokeys are featured in Mission 2-6, in which Wario has to hit five of them with Bob-ombs within the time limit.
=== Mario Kart Wii ===
Pokeys appear in the Dry Dry Ruins course and reappear in . Pokeys are essentially the same as in Mario Kart Wii, aside from appearing in 3D model form rather than a 2D graphic. Just as before, items such as Green Shells, Red Shells, or Bob-ombs can defeat a Pokey it hits temporarily, and a racer spins out if they drive into a Pokey.
Pokeys appeared in November 2008's second competition, taking place in . Pokeys were given another variant, Giant Pokey, which are even larger than Pokeys and only appeared in a few online tournaments.
=== Mario Kart 8/Mario Kart 8 Deluxe===
Pokeys return as obstacles in , now being designed after their appearance in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Pokeys once again bend over, but this time a Coin spawns between them whenever they perform this action. Just as before, Pokeys can be defeated temporarily using Shells or various other items.
==In ==
===Mario Party 3===
Pokeys make a background appearance in the party board Spiny Desert.
===Mario Party 5===
In Super Duel Mode, one of the weapons is named Pokey Tower Gun, which depicts a Pokey.
===Mario Party 6===
Pokeys are featured in the mini-game Pokey Punch-out, where the object for each character is to punch out a Pokey's body parts to win. 
===Mario Party Advance===
A Pokey character is the guardian of a patch of desert in the Desert Area of Shroom City. The player's character can solve his riddle for the Tap-Tap Sumo Gaddget.
As a species, several Pokeys appear as enemies in Outta My Way; their segments can be individually punched out, and when their head is punched off, the rest of their body disappears.
===Mario Party 7===
Pokeys are featured in the minigame Pokey Pummel, where each character must use a hammer to whack away each segment on a Pokey's body and lastly its head. The first character to accomplish this is the winner.
Three Pokeys make a background appearance in Pyramid Park.
===Mario Party: Island Tour===
Pokeys are featured in the minigame Pokey Corral, where they are obstacles that have be avoided. A Pokey sometimes makes a cameo appearance in Match Faker and Starring Artist.
===Mario Party: The Top 100===
Pokeys make a reappearance in the Mario Party 7 minigame Pokey Pummel, having the same role as before. Pokeys also make a cameo appearance in Mario Party 10s Flash Forward, but do not appear here in the minigame's original version.
===Super Mario Party===
Pokeys appear in two minigames, Metal Detectors and Home on the 'Rang. In Metal Detectors, the characters have to avoid Pokeys while searching for coins to dig up from the ground. In Home on the 'Rang, the characters each have to throw a boomerang at the Pokeys. If a character hits a body segment with their boomerang, they earn a point, and if they hit a Pokey's head, they earn three points.
===Mario Party Superstars===
Pokeys return in Pokey Pummel again, having the same role as in Mario Party 7.
==In ==
===Mario Golf: Advance Tour===
S Pokey appears in Dunes Club Practice Center, where the player's character has to shoot three shots at it to earn a Custom Ticket B.
===Mario Golf: World Tour===
Pokeys appear as obstacles in the downloadable course Layer-Cake Desert. The player's character must avoid hitting the ball into the Pokeys.
===Mario Golf: Super Rush===
Pokeys appear in the courses Balmy Dunes and Spiky Palms. If the golf ball hits a Pokey's head, it instantly collapses. Aside from Pokeys, Snow Pokeys are also encountered as obstacles, but only in arctic areas.
==In Mario Pinball Land==
Pokeys are encountered in Shifting Sands Stage. To defeat the Pokey, Mario first has to destroy the three lower segments, then the head.
==In Super Princess Peach==
Pokeys appear as enemies, retaining their design from Super Mario Sunshine. Pokeys are commonly found on Wavy Beach, while shorter than in previous appearances, Pokeys are tougher in this game as they are immune to whacks from Perry and stomps cause damage. They can only be defeated with the use of Rage, a new variety native to Vibe Island called the Mad Pokey also appears in this game.
== In ==
=== Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time ===
Pokeys are encountered in the Gritzy Desert. They start out as Pokey Heads with pink flowers, but when engaged in battle, a Pokey grows additional body segments. In battle, a Pokey rams into a Mario brother to attack. The body segments can be knocked away with the Hammer. This makes the Pokey shorter (allowing the Mario Bros. to jump over it). The Pokey can also launch its body segments at the Mario Bros. To counter this attack, the Baby Bros. should hit the body segments with their Hammers. The Pokey jumps normally when hitting Mario and spins once when hitting Luigi. A Pokey can also spin its body and shoot spines at the Mario Bros. The Pokey spins the individual body part to the brother it will attack. The brothers have to jump to dodge them. In this game, only attacks to the head can damage a Pokey. Pokeys in this game use their Super Mario Sunshine appearance. The Skellokey, a new sub-species of Pokeys, also appears in the game.
Pokey's Stats	Pokey's Stats
HP 	56
POW 	66
DEF 	55
Speed 	54
EXP 	36
Coins 	10
=== Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam ===
Pokeys appear in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam in Doop Doop Dunes. While they don't initially appear on Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario's first visit, they begin to show up on their second visit. On their first visit, however, a Big Pokey appears as a boss alongside Paper Tower Power Pokey. 
==In ==
While various variants of Pokeys such as Blow Hards and Cactus Jacks appear as early as the first installment, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, regular Pokeys did not appear until the third installment, Yoshi's New Island.
=== Yoshi's New Island===
Pokeys are enemies commonly encountered in a level bearing their name, Underground Pokey Patrol. Pokeys behave similarly as in the 2D Super Mario platformers, and a Yoshi can defeat a Pokey by either swallowing it or by throwing an egg at it.
A variant of Pokeys named White Pokeys also appear, commonly in World 5. Their leader Punkey the Pokey Prince appears as the boss of World 5.
==In Dr. Mario World==
Pokeys are among the different assistants.
==Crossover appearances==
======
Pokeys appear as an enemy in a few The Legend of Zelda games. 
====The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening====
Pokeys are encountered in Yarna Desert. If Link strikes a Pokey with his sword, sections of its body fly off while the remaining segments move faster, similar to the Bouncers from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.
In the Nintendo Switch version, after clearing Turtle Rock, a Pokey figure can be won in the Trendy Game and then placed in the Quadruplets' house. The text that appears upon acquiring the figure reads, "You got a Pokey figure! The memory of meeting these still stings..."
====The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons====
Pokeys are encountered in Samasa Desert. Unlike in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, attacking a Pokey with a sword instantly defeats it. If a Pokey is hit with a Mystery Seed, it grows a segment, which it can grow up to five of. By default, a Pokey has three segments.
===Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS===
A Pokey is featured as a collectible trophy. Although the trophy description mentions Super Mario Sunshine, the trophy depicts Pokey's design from New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
== Gallery ==
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