-William M. Tweed
I’ve always loved the different Power-Ups available in the Super Mario series. With each new release of Mario, be it 2D or 3D, I’ve waited excitedly like a child on Christmas Eve – guessing what Nintendo might add to mix it up. At its heart, Mario is a solid platforming series, rewarding those players that enter that zen-like flow with joy and triumph for pulling off a series of clutch, gravity-defying jumps to reach the flagpole in acrobatic fashion. So, what better way to elevate that than with well-designed power-ups that prolong that acrobatic routine?
The very first power-ups felt exactly like that, a way to power up Mario. While that is still true of power-ups in the later games, newer power-ups always felt more crucial for traversing levels, finding secrets, and defeating certain enemies. The earlier power-ups, to me, always felt like they were more about survival, whilst later power-ups had specific abilities that allowed the design of levels to take on new possibilities by increasing their creativity and flow. Sure, the Fire Flower meant Mario could plough through a parade of Goombas, but items like the Super Acorn meant you could glide to previously unreachable areas to find hidden delight. Some items even allowed you to get through a level without touching the ground!
These items that created new ways to play each iteration of Mario became fundamental to the enjoyment and variety found within. But, like punching a question mark block, there wasn’t any way of telling what these items held in store until you rolled up your plumbing overalls and dived in. So whilst some of the Power-Ups in the series haven’t always been memorable, the ones that have stuck out have been those that left their mark on the game, some even becoming the key thing you’d remember for a Mario title.
I should say that I won’t be mentioning Invincibility Power-Ups or “P” Items (like the P-Wing) in this list, as I find their purpose overwrites the challenge of Mario to the point that there becomes little purpose to play (although I totally understand their inclusion for newer, more casual gamers). But with that said, and without further ado, here’s my latest Nintendo Blog, my Top 10 Mario Power-Ups.
Did You Know?
- The series started with the Super Mushroom, Fire Flower & Super Star.
- There have now been over 70 different Power-Ups over the series!
- The Super Mushroom has appeared in all mainline Mario titles.
10) Frog Suit
Introduced in Super Mario Bros. 3, the Frog Suit was one of the rarer items that you’d come across. Super Mario Bros. 3 was a mess with Super Leafs and Fire Flowers, so I always enjoyed those sporadic moments of donning this green, amphibian ensemble. Whilst a bit useless on land, the Frog Suit helped make Mario more nimble and agile in the water – as you’d probably expect. This was a welcome addition to a game that features quite a few water levels in an era of gaming where transitioning through water worlds could sap the fun you were having. Well, thanks to this formidable frog get up, those water levels became less of a nuisance and a bit easier to swallow!
9) Mega Mushroom
First, making its appearance in New Super Mario Bros., the Mega Mushroom turned Mario (you guessed it) into a massive behemoth. I mentioned earlier that later items affected how you traversed the level and the Mega Mushroom achieves by allowing you to flatten the landscape entirely. Literally, nothing is safe if it’s Mario’s path when he grabs one of these big boys – question mark blocks, enemies, even pipes go flying into the distance as you trample, stamp and launch your massive body forward. The Mega Mushroom appeared in later Mario titles too, like Super Mario 3D World. However, I prefer the NSMB version, which comes with a gauge that fills up, encouraging your destruction. The more full the gauge, the more 1-Up Mushrooms you receive after your rampage. Who said you couldn’t have your cake (or Mushrooms, I guess) and eat it.
8) Propellor Box
Whilst I could have included the fantastic Propellor Mushroom in this blog, my hat goes off to the later adaptation, the Propellor Box. Making its debut in one of my favourite 3DS titles, Super Mario 3D Land, this item starts disguised as a question mark block, but upon hitting it, reveals itself as the Propellor Box before wrapping itself tightly around Mario’s Italian cranium. Like the Propellor Mushroom, the Propellor Box extends the height of your jump as well as slows your descent. However, the elevated jumping height is especially noticeable with the 3DS stereoscopic 3D. Super Mario 3D Land is one of the better titles to utilise this feature on the 3DS, and that’s thanks, in part, to this item. The box also acts as a bit of a shield, so if you’re donning a Fire Flower, for example, and then grab a Propellor Box, taking damage means you lose the Box first – a cheeky added bonus.
7) Fire Flower
Speaking of the classic Fire Flower power up – it’s next! Getting this out of the way, I really wasn’t impressed by the Super Mario Galaxy version of the Fire Flower. It puts you on a time limit, meaning you have a very short period of use to either take out your enemies or light some torches before the Power-Up dissipates. However, in the 2D games (and Super Mario 3D Land/World), this Power-Up needs no explanation. A staple of the series and easily the best known item other than perhaps the Super Mushroom, the Fire Flower allows Mario to hurl fireballs at all enemies and obstacles. Bouncing along the level until they find a target, it’s a simple Power Up that’s still effective today as it was back in 1985 when this item first found its way onto our screens, and into our hearts, in Super Mario Bros. on NES.
6) Cloud Flower
There’s no better way to live than with your head in the clouds, and there’s no better way to play Super Mario Galaxy than with the Cloud Flower. This cute cloud costume allows Mario to whip up a quick cloud beneath his feet. This neat trick means you can vault across larger gaps or reach greater heights by tactically jumping and positioning the clouds beneath you en route. Not only this, but the outfit makes Mario lighter, which, combined with Galaxy’s whacky gravity, means you can pull off some phenomenal jumps and movement. The clouds do need to be replenished, which means you can’t simply “cloud your way to the goal”, but that’s something I appreciate – otherwise, this item would be stepping on P-Wing territory!
5) Super Acorn
Like the Frog Suit, a lot of Mario’s Power Up result in him taking the form of an animal. In fact, most of the Power-Ups in the rest of this blog do exactly that! Well, the Super Acorn is up first, and this one – introduced in New Super Mario Bros. U – turns Mario into a Squirrel. This Power-Up allows Mario to slow his descent and glide when you’re running at full speed. The Super Acorn also gave Mario one opportunity to boost his height slightly whilst gliding, meaning many levels were designed around this mechanic. These well-timed elevations often resulted in finding hidden Start Coins or a secret exit to a new level. Straightforward for sure, but executed to perfection.
4) Penguin Suit
If you combined the Frog Suit, the Ice Flower and the Blue Shell Power-Ups, you’d, of course, be left with the wonderful Penguin Suit. First, sliding into Super Mario Bros Wii, the Penguin Suit is as useful as it is adorable. The Penguin Suit undoubtedly feels like a Power Up where they tried to cram in as much as possible! Firstly, you can shoot ice balls like you can with the Ice Flower. Next, there’s the option to slide on your stomach so you can slip through small gaps, kind of like the Blue Shell. Lastly, the Penguin Suit naturally allows you to move better in the water, as per the Frog Suit mentioned earlier. The Penguin Suit is the master of all trades and jack of none.
3) Super Bell
Pawing its way into Super Mario 3D Land is the multi-talented Super Bell. This Power-Up dons Mario and the gang in the incredibly useful Cat Suit. What makes this item so great definitely comes down to Super Mario 3D World’s unique 2D/3D hybrid design. These linear levels set on an open plain means that whilst you had to make your way to the flagpole, the direction you took was entirely up to you. The Cat Suit further reinforces this approach, allowing Mario to scale walls and climb your surroundings, unearthing new and individual paths on each playthrough. It was even more useful in Bowser’s Fury and as mentioned in my Top 10 Bowser’s Fury Islands blog, even influenced the enemy design! I really love that the Cat Suit changes colour and pattern depending on the character, with Luigi’s leopard print Green attire perhaps being my favourite. Throw in a claw swipe attack and mid-air lunge that gave you an offensive leap, and you were left with one hell of a ferociously feline frock.
2) Tanooki Suit
The Power Up that’s just slightly not powerful enough to make my top spot is the Tanooki Suit. Introduced in Super Mario Bros. 3, and adapted for Super Mario 3D Land/World, the Tanooki Suit was really a fancier version of the Super Leaf. Rather than Raccoon, Mario becomes a Tanooki and retains the ability to fly and swat enemies with his tail. However, it also allowed you to become Statue Mario which made you invulnerable to attacks from enemies for a brief moment. In Super Mario 3D Land (and the sequel World), the Super Leaf gave Mario the Tanooki Suit by default and, whilst you could still swing your tail for an attack, the flying was swapped for floating, which was better suited for 3D Land’s unique level design. The Tanooki Suit, for me, is probably the most iconic Mario suit, and I love that it’s made appearances in other games like Mario Kart 8. However, whilst iconic, it doesn’t quite beat out the top spot…
1) Feather
My personal, unrivalled favourite Mario Power Up is the Feather. Introduced in Super Mario World, this item gave Mario a Cape which, whilst difficult to control, was a challenging mechanic that, when mastered, gave the ultimate satisfaction. To fly with the Cape, you needed to jump at full speed and then start to dive to the ground before pulling back. Mario would grab the cape in a parachute-esque way, and this allowed you to move through the sky at breakneck speeds. Alternatively, you could not pull back and dive bomb the ground creating a thundering, vibrating ruckus that took out all on-screen enemies. The Cape also included the ability to slow your fall by floating, which could even be used whilst riding Yoshi! Add in the offensive attack, and you’re left with what I consider the greatest Power Up featured in a platform to date. I love that the Cape has been featured in other games, such as being Mario’s Side Special attack in Smash Bros. but what I’d really love is to see this make a reappearance in a future Mario title – let us pray to the Cape Gods that it does.
Varied and fantastic in their own rights, every Mario Power-Up brings a new mechanic to the series that keeps each game exciting, fresh and innovative. Each has its place – from series legends like the straightforward Super Mushroom to more unique and wacky Power-Ups like the Penguin Suit. While I may have favourites, the Mario series wouldn’t be the same without all the Power-Ups we’ve seen so far.