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I heard that some big, mechanical snake has gotten loose hereabouts. I wouldn't want to tangle with that mecha-monster.
— Daroach • Kirby Mass Attack

Steelsnapper is a mid-boss in the Kirby series, debuting in Kirby Mass Attack.

Physical Appearance[]

Steelsnapper is a robotic sea snake. His body is divided into ten cubes with portholes on each, which occasionally turn pink and extend spikes. These segments are linked like a chain and end in a pointed tail. Steelsnapper's head covered in spikes and has glowing yellow eyes.

Games[]

Kirby Mass Attack[]

Steelsnapper appears exclusively in Stage 6 of Dedede Resort and the Survival Rush sub-game. He inhabits the waterway in this stage and even keeps treasure in a shell. The robot is territorial; when the Kirbys swim through, he pokes his head out of a hole in the underwater catacombs and spits a torpedo at them. While this blasts away Metal Blocks halting the heroes, the Kirbys must swim quickly to dodge more torpedoes as Steelsnapper follows them.

!Steelsnapper Kirbys

Kirbys are captured in Steelsnapper's stomach.

The Kirbys end up in a room deep underwater where Steelsnapper challenges them. He first inhales three air bubbles and a banana, visibly storing them inside his "stomach" units; this demonstrates his main attack mechanic. Steelsnapper primarily fights by inhaling and spitting torpedoes that loosely home onto the Kirbys. The inhale drags air bubbles into the arena, allowing the Kirbys to easily replenish their air. Any heroes who are successfully swallowed by the mid-boss become trapped unharmed inside his stomach and cannot be controlled by the player. As such, if Kirbys are swallowed and the remainder are KO'd, the player receives a Game Over despite some still being alive.

Steelsnapper slowly swims through the room, often straight vertically or horizontally. This is the player's chance to send Kirbys after its individual body segments. They must grab hold and break all ten segments to defeat the mid-boss, and each one releases air bubbles as well as its visible contents. Once a unit is broken, Steelsnapper reacts by fleeing and attacking in a less vulnerable way.

!Steelsnapper Missile Battle

Steelsnapper spits a missile mid-battle.

After breaking four segments, Steelsnapper gains the ability to produce spikes on his exterior. He swims past as usual, now with some segments being spiky and invincible. The Kirbys must break those that are not—touching a spike damages the Kirbys. Once the mid-boss is down to four units, he gains his final attack: Steelsnapper winds around the top and bottom of the area, exposing his remaining (vulnerable) body on either the floor or ceiling. His head appears on the other side, spitting torpedoes as the Kirbys attack him.

Once all ten segments are destroyed, Steelsnapper is defeated. Dismayed, he swims around the arena and explodes piece by piece.

Related Quotes[]

That mecha-snake swimming around this island is called Steelsnapper. If you get gulped down, don't give up. It takes him a while to digest anything. If a Kirby gets lodged in his stomach, you have time to pry him back out. So be sure to have a lot of Kirbys when you take on that snake.
— Daroach • Kirby Mass Attack
The Steelsnapper spits torpedoes. You may have already found that out the hard way. It's said that the Steelsnapper hides things inside clams. Its treasure must be in one of them!
— Daroach • Kirby Mass Attack

Trivia[]

  • Daroach's dialogue about Steelsnapper is inconsistent; some quotes refer to him using masculine pronouns, while others refer to him using gender-neutral ones.
  • The player can get a Game Over if Steelsnapper inhales all the Kirbys. This is the only way the player can receive a Game Over while every Kirby is alive and well, if one ignores moments that imply off-screen KOs.

Gallery[]

Sprites[]

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