Debut: Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
I know you don’t need us to keep saying this, but... dang! Super Mario RPG is WEIRD! There are no Koopa Troopas in this game. None whatsoever. Instead, that role is played by Terrapins, simply Koopa Troopas in armor. I know this is an RPG, but... really? Why cover their silly, adorable faces with an emotionless helmet? Why have Koopas in your game at all if you’re clearly ASHAMED of them? There aren’t even any friendly Koopas to distinguish them from!
The Paper Mario series, however, WOULD go on to feature friendly Koopas, and so the enemy Koopa Troopas are distinguished by the obligatory spiky bands and these absolutely KILLER shades. No one wears those shades unless they’re up to no good, but dang, they look good doing it!
But back to Super Mario RPG! We do at least get some Terrapin-related silliness, particularly with the character of Chef Torte here, who wears his hat and apron over his armor for some reason. He speaks with a very thick German accent and bakes a cake that comes to life. It’s fun stuff.
But still, the fact that they cover these Koopas’ faces at all is still baffling, especially considering this is the game that brought us...