181. Blue Nokonoko

Koopa Troopas (usually Koopas, occasionally Troopas, Japanese ノコノコ Nokonoko) are common enemies in the Mario series, usually displayed as foot soldiers of the Koopa Troop, under the direct leadership of Bowser. Since Super Mario 64, however, many Koopas have appeared who do not work for Bowser (or any other villain), some of whom even act as allies to Mario during his adventures. Koopa Troopas are turtle-like creatures with shells that come in many different colors, with red and green Koopa Troopas being the most common. Koopas, along with Goombas, are some of Mario's most common foes.

As mentioned below, an enemy that first appeared in Mario Bros., the Shellcreeper, was the "ancestor" of the Koopa Troopa. When creating Super Mario Bros., a few changes were made to the enemies, including the ability to jump on them in order to damage them.

The Koopa Troopa's name comes from Bowser's Japanese name, クッパ　Kuppa, which is itself derived from the Korean dish of the same name. The last name Troopa, is taken from the word "troop" in reference to the Koopas' role as foot soldiers in Bowser's army, with the a likely added on to make the name rhyme. It could also be viewed as a corruption of the word "trooper", in the same way that Paratroopa could be analogous to "paratrooper". Their Japanese name, ノコノコ　Nokonoko, means "unconcernedly," although the latter use is usually written in hiragana.