Debut: Mario Pinball Land
Wow! This one sure is... A cartoon hymenopteran! And hey, y’know what? There’s nothing wrong with that. I think as far as cartoon hymenopterans go this one is pretty dang cute! I mean come on, just look at those big elliptical eyes and bitey little fangs :) And who can resist the inherent adorability of the ‘ol boots ‘n mittens combo? Certainly not me, that’s for darn sure.
As you can see in the screenshots above (courtesy of WhiteKhakis on YouTube), Bumblers live in little medieval-style inspired beehives that will issue forth a couple Bumblers when Mario pings off them. They then try to sting Mario, sending him launching out of control (a reasonable response, I would say), and can only be defeated by a hit from the sides or back (though this is considered rude). I also think that the pre-rendered 3D sprites very nicely capture the cuteness of the original design. Or the other way around! Whichever came first!
I do find it really interesting that they chose to concoct an entirely new enemy to fill Bumbler’s role as opposed to recycling a pre-existing enemy, though I suppose this was before the introduction of Stingby as the go-to standardized bee guy. The pre-rendered style also makes me realize how much it looks like a more anthropomorphized Zinger, particularly in the head design... Interesting... I feel like I should also go on record as saying I think it’s pretty clear Bumbler was based on a wasp rather than a bee. Just thought that was worth clarifying.
Even though some people may consider it a rather plain design, I can’t help but be smitten with just how stinking cute this little guy is, and I hope that you too, dear reader, were able to discover and relish the simple joys of Bumbler.
