Beetle Mania

Beetle Mania
Gameplay screenshot
Appears in	Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (1996)
Controls	Move beetle , , or Shoot
Cost	500 coins

Beetle Mania is a secret minigame found in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Its name is a reference to Beatlemania, a pop culture phenomenon connected to the influential English rock band The Beatles.

The minigame can be purchased from the Beetle Mania Toad at the Mushroom Kingdom inn for 500 coins. When Mario returns to the Mushroom Kingdom after his turmoils in Marrymore, he has the opportunity to buy the minigame from the Toad. After speaking to the Beetle Mania Toad enough times, Mario is asked if he wants to buy the minigame. Saying "yes" adds "game" to the 'X' menu.

Gameplay

The gameplay is simple: When the player presses , , or , a beetle shoots stars at red Koopa shells that fall over the insect. Hitting one causes red stars to pop out. These can both hurt the beetle or activate other shells. The first time Mario plays the minigame, Toad runs onto the screen, asking the player not to use a Turbo Controller to play the minigame. The player is awarded points for each shell hit and more points for combos from the stars. After about 10,000 points, a flashing heart falls from the top of the screen, and it recovers some of the beetle's stamina.

The background of the minigame changes depending on who is in the middle slot of the party; if either Bowser or Mallow are in the middle slot, the background is based on the Yoshi's Island 2 level from Super Mario World, but if it is Geno or Princess Peach, a background of smiling clouds is shown instead.

Gallery

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  Gameplay screenshot showing the alternate sky background

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  The background graphic based on Yoshi's Island 2

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  The background graphic with smiling clouds

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ばくれつカブト虫 Bakuretsu Kabutomushi	Bombshell Beetle