Goal Pole

The Goal Pole, also called the Flagpole, is a recurring object in the . It first appears in Super Mario Bros..
==Description==
A Goal Pole is an object found at the end of a level in Super Mario Bros. and some other installments, such as the New Super Mario Bros. sub-series. Touching a Goal Pole ends the level and stops the timer, after which the remaining time is deducted and converted into points (or coins in Super Mario 3D Land). The higher Mario or another character touches a of the Flagpole, the more points they earn, and touching the top of a Goal Pole usually earns them a 1-Up.
In earlier games, the characters slide down from the left side of the Flagpole, but in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, they slide down from the right side.
Originally, Goal Poles were mainly depicted as having a white flag with a green skull symbol attached to a green pole on a Hard Block, and a dark green finial is at the top. In the Super Mario All-Stars, the white and green parts of the Goal Pole are inverted, but the finial at the top is instead light green. In New Super Mario Bros., the flag was changed to black, it depicts a skull emblem, the pole is instead light gray, and it is positioned on a fortress-styled base instead of a Hard Block. New Super Mario Bros. Wii and later New Super Mario Bros. installments retain this design, except the finial at the top is yellow, and the skull emblem was changed to a Bowser emblem.
Super Mario 3D Land is the first 3D Super Mario game that Goal Poles appear in. Here, when Mario grabs any part of a Goal Pole, a red flag with bearing his trademark "M" emblem replaces the black flag depicting a red Bowser emblem. This also applies if Luigi touches a Goal Pole, except grabbing one as him changes the flag to green with Luigi's signature "L" emblem. If Mario or Luigi grabs the top of a Goal Pole, the flag turns golden instead.
In New Super Mario Bros., Goal Poles received their first variation, Red Flagpoles, which are functionally identical but denote taking an alternate exit in a level. Super Mario 3D Land introduced another variation, Big Goal Poles. Aside from having a different appearance, Big Goal Poles identically to regular Goal Poles. Most Big Goal Poles are found the end of a castle or airship course.
==In ==
===Super Mario Bros.===
A flagpole is usually preceded by a series of Hard Blocks arranged in the form of a staircase, which is about the same height as the staircase. If Mario or Luigi activates a Flagpole while there is either a 1, 3, or 6 on the timer, they can get one, three, or six Fireworks, each worth 500 points, depending on which number the last digit is.
In certain levels, Mario or Luigi are able to jump over the Flagpole, although this does not have any gameplay advantage, as the Flagpole itself still has to be touched in order to complete the level, even if it is done from the other side. If Mario or Luigi keep moving after jumping over the Flagpole, they are trapped in an endless loop until the time limit runs out, as this causes them to lose a life. While this was not fixed in the Super Mario All-Stars remake, Mario or Luigi can now no longer move past the castle on the other side. In the Super Mario Bros. Deluxe remake, it is impossible to jump over Flagpoles.
The number of points depending on where the Flagpole is touched are as follows:
*0-17 pixels high: 100 points
*18-57 pixels high: 400 points
*58-81 pixels high: 800 points
*82-127 pixels high: 2000 points
*128-153 pixels high: 4000 points
*Top of the flagpole: 5000 points
===Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels===
Goal Poles function the same as in Super Mario Bros., but because Luigi can now jump higher than Mario, it is potentially easier for him to jump over a Goal Pole. It is now possible to receive an life from touching the top of the Flagpole, but only if both digits of the coin counter and the last digit of the timer are the same when Mario or Luigi touch a flagpole.
Three of the levels, World 3-1, World 5-1, and World A-3, each feature a Warp Zone beyond the Flagpole. Because of this, even the Super Mario Bros. for Super Players remake included on Super Mario Bros. Deluxe allows for the Flagpole to be jumped over, but only in the former two levels because World A-3, and Worlds A-D do not reappear.
===Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3===
Flagpoles only appear in four World-e levels—Classic World 1-1, Classic World 1-2, Classic World 1-3, and Classic World 2-2—each of which are a remake of a level from Super Mario Bros.. Unlike before, these flagpoles do not mark the end of the level, as the goal found shortly afterward is the actual end, just like with most other levels in the game. As such, the inclusion of Flagpoles are more of a gimmick to reference the original levels.
The tiers of points earned from touching a flagpole are also different, from lowest to highest: 100 - 200 - 400 - 800 - 1000 - 2000 - 4000 - 8000. If the top of the flagpole is touched, Mario or Luigi receives a 1-Up. Fireworks can also appear from touching a flagpole.
=== New Super Mario Bros. ===
Goal Poles retain their usual purpose, having a similar scoring system as in Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, but had their role slightly expanded upon. It is possible for Mega Mario to destroy the Goal Pole, in which case he earns 8000 points, and one-fifth of the meter is filled, ensuring that Mario or Luigi at least obtain a 1-Up Mushroom when completing the level. After destroying the Flagpole, Mega Mario or Mega Luigi say their usual quote when touching a Goal Pole before shrinking back into his Super form and entering the Fortress as usual. If the Goal Pole is destroyed, the remaining time is not added to the player's total score.
If Mario or Luigi touch the Goal Pole while the last two digits of the timer are the same (except 00), the "Course Clear" theme from Super Mario Bros. is played instead, and some fireworks are shown. The number of fireworks shown corresponds to the digit that the last two numbers of the timer ended on (e.g. ending a level with "33" as the last two digits displays three fireworks). After the fireworks, a Toad House appears at the map's starting point. The type of Toad House to appear there depends on what the last two digits were on the timer were when the flagpole was touched: 11, 22, or 33 yield a Power-Up Toad House; 44, 55, and 66 yield a 1-Up Toad House; and 77, 88, and 99 yield a Mega Mushroom Toad House. 
===New Super Mario Bros. Wii===
Similarly to New Super Mario Bros., if the player's character touches a Flagpole while the last two digits on the timer match, a Mushroom House appears at the starting point. The Toad Houses that appear depending on the last two digits are different: a 1-Up Toad House instead appears if the timer's last two digits are 11 or 22; a Mushroom House appears if the timer ends with 33, 44, 55, 66, 77, 88; and a Star Mushroom House appears if the timer ends with a 99.
If the player's character rescues a Toad in a level and takes him to the Goal Pole at the end, only the last digit of the timer causes the respective Toad House to appear.
===Super Mario 3D Land===
Goal Poles appear again in Super Mario 3D Land, the first game where they are referred to by their current name. Aside from rewarding coins instead of points, Goal Poles have a few other differences. If Mario or Luigi touches a Goal Pole, the default flag with Bowser's emblem is replaced with a red flag with Mario's emblem or a green flag with Luigi's emblem, respectively. As usual, if Mario or Luigi grabs the top of a Goal Pole, he earns an extra life, but now doing this also results in him briefly performing a trick around the finial, and the flag turns golden once he slides to the bottom. Ending every level with a golden flag is one of the prerequisites to achieving a 100% completion rating.
Unlike before, all castle and airship courses now have a Big Goal Pole at the end. Because of this, after Mario or Luigi defeats the boss in either type of, the course does not immediately end, as he has activate the Big Goal Pole afterward. 
If Mario or Luigi grabs a Goal Pole when the last digit on the timer is either a 1, 3, or 6, streamers, fireworks, or balloons are displayed, respectively, while the "COURSE CLEAR!" notice is shown. In World 2-3 and Special 1-3, both of which are themed after the original Super Mario Bros., touching the Goal Pole plays the Super Mario Bros.s level clear theme instead of Super Mario 3D Lands.
===New Super Mario Bros. 2===
Like in Super Mario 3D Land, the Bowser flag is replaced by one of Mario or Luigi's when they touch the Goal Pole. However, the golden flag mechanic from Super Mario 3D Land does not return. If Mario or Luigi touch a Goal Pole at the end while the last two digits are not only the same as one another but also as the current world's, a Rainbow Course appears on the map. For instance, in World 1, this occurs specifically from touching the Goal Pole while the timer's last two digits are both 1's. In Co-op mode, either Mario or Luigi's flag appears on the Goal Pole, depending on who reached higher on the Goal Pole.
With the reintroduction of New Super Mario Bros.s Mega form, Mario or Luigi can still destroy a Goal Pole while he is in this form. However, this can only be done in World 5-6, where breaking the Goal Pole is worth 8,000 points before, but three 1-Up Mushrooms always the reward for doing so, as the meter associated with the Mega Mushroom does not return.
If Mario or Luigi are in his Gold form, he gains coins upon grabbing the Goal Pole instead of points, similarly to Super Mario 3D Land. However, for New Super Mario Bros. 2, this in turn adds more points to the score.
In Coin Rush, hitting the top of a Goal Pole doubles the round's accumulated coin total.
===New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe===
Unlike before, touching a Goal Pole while the last two digits are the same (except if they are zeroes) rewards the player's character with a power-up item: a Super Mushroom is rewarded if the timer ends with either a 11, 22, or 33; a Fire Flower is rewarded for 44; an Ice Flower is rewarded for 55; a Mini Mushroom is rewarded for 66; a Super Acorn is rewarded for 77; and a Starman is awarded for either 88 or 99. By activating a Goal Pole, the Bowser flag is pulled down to the base before disappearing, but a difference from before is that a flag bearing the emblem of whoever touched it is raised to where they landed.
In certain Challenge Mode missions, the goal ring appears as the endpoint instead.
====New Super Luigi U====
Both the original New Super Luigi U and the New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe version give Goal Poles the same function as in New Super Mario Bros. U. However, if Nabbit grabs a Goal Pole, he receives a number of 1-Up Mushrooms matching the number of power-up items he collected.
===Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury===
The role of Goal Poles are most closely based on their appearance in Super Mario 3D Land. Touching a Goal Pole replaces the Bowser flag with one of the character's color or emblem: Mario's flag is red and has his "M" emblem, like before; Luigi's is green and has his "L" emblem, also like before; Princess Peach's is pink and has an emblem of her crown; Toad's is blue and has an emblem of his face; and Rosalina's is turquoise and has a Grand Star emblem. Just as before, touching the finial causes the flag to turn golden, regardless of the character, but it still depicts their emblem. Getting a golden flag in every level is once again a requirement to complete the game. Getting a golden flag in every level of the first eleven worlds now unlocks the final world, World Crown.
Unlike with Super Mario 3D Land, touching the Goal Pole rewards points, like in the 2D Super Mario titles, and touching a Goal Pole's finial rewards 10,000 points instead of an extra life. Cat Mario can climb the Goal Pole for a short time, making it easier to reach the finial and therefore achieve a golden flag. In fact, some levels, such as Mount Beanpole, outright require the form in order to reach the top.
In multiplayer, similarly to New Super Mario Bros. 2, the flag that appears when touching a Goal Pole depends on who touches the Goal Pole the highest. Whoever touches a Goal Pole while wearing the crown earns an additional 5,000 points from the crown as it disappears.
The game also features two other types of Goal Poles. In Ghost House levels, there are Fake Goal Poles, and touching one reveals them to be made up of several Boos, which promptly disappear. In The Great Goal Pole and Back to Hands-On Hall, there is a Flying Goal Pole, which is a Goal Pole with a pair of wings, and in both levels, the player's character has to chase after the Flying Goal Pole to the end. In Back to Hands-On Hall, the Flying Goal Pole moves to the left and right during the outside segment.
=== Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS ===
Goal Poles are a placeable object in the Super Mario Bros. and New Super Mario Bros. U formats, where they once again indicate the end of a level. While designing a level, the player can adjust the location of the Goal Pole using a slider at the bottom of the screen, making the level longer or shorter. Magikoopas can cause a Goal Pole to disappear until Mario defeats them, in which case the Goal Pole reappears. If Mario reaches the top of the Goal Pole, he earns a 1-Up.
A Goal Pole's Super Mario Bros. 3-style equivalent is a Goal, and its Super Mario World-style equivalent is the Giant Gate, like with the original respective games. In castle levels of the Super Mario Bros. and New Super Mario Bros. U, Goal Poles are instead replaced with an Axe.
===Super Mario Run===
Whenever the player's character touches a Goal Pole, they can earn up to ten coins, depending on how high they landed onto the Goal Pole. Similarly to New Super Mario Bros. U, activating a Goal Pole lowers Bowser's flag and then replaces it with a flag corresponding to the character who touched the Goal Pole: red for Mario; green for Luigi; blue for Toad; pink for Peach and Toadette; and orange for the Yoshis and Daisy. Just as before, each character's emblem is depicted on their respective flag. Touching the Goal Pole also turns all enemies present on-screen into coins, including any that are still falling off-screen.
Goal Poles appear in the first three levels of each world in World Tour. In Remix 10, they appear in several levels except the underground-themed ones, towers, Ghost Houses, and boss levels. Goal Poles are absent from Toad Rally. Character-themed Goal Poles are usable decorations in Kingdom Builder mode.
===Super Mario Maker 2===
Goal Poles function identically as in Super Mario Maker, but are now also included in the Super Mario 3D World style, which expands upon the role of a Goal Pole in a few ways. Cat Mario retains the ability to climb to the top of a Goal Pole. In the castle levels, a Big Goal Pole is used instead of a Goal Pole, to be consistent with the original game.
In general, levels with clear conditions feature the Goal Pole as a dashed outline until the conditions have been met, causing the Goal Pole to replace the outline. If the clear condition is lost, the Goal Pole disappears, softlocking Mario in the level until the player either resets or the time limit runs out. If Mario activates the Goal Pole but an object obstructs him from moving any farther, he eventually stops moving, turns around, and crouches before the level ends.
==In ==
===Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga===
In front of Little Fungitown, there is a small flagpole that can be slid down. A flagpole also makes a cameo in a Super Mario Bros.-themed picture behind the Border Bros.
===Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story / Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey===
Whenever either Mario and Luigi or Bowser gain Experience Points from winning a battle, a flagpole is represented as their EXP meter. When a character begins at a level, the flag starts at the bottom, but as they gain experience points, it gradually slides up the pole. When the flag reaches the finial at the top, the character levels up. Both Mario's and Luigi's flagpole each has an orange flag depicting a mushroom emblem.
Since the flagpole mechanic's introduction in the original Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, it has returned in all subsequent Mario & Luigi installments.
===Mario & Luigi: Dream Team===
Flagpoles retain their role from Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, aside from Bowser no longer being playable. Both Mario's and Luigi's flag now retains their usual color and emblem respectively.
===Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam===
Flagpoles retain the same role as before. Given that Paper Mario is now the third playable character, he has his own flagpole, instead of Bowser like in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. Unlike other Mario & Luigi game, each character's flagpole has the castle-like structure beneath the pole.
===Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions===
Aside from retaining their two appearances from the original Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, flagpoles are once again used as an EXP meter for Mario's and Luigi's experience points. Unlike earlier installments, the player must press to raise the flag.
==In ==
===Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door===
A Flagpole appears at the end of all three Bowser intermissions: World 1, World 2, and World 3. If Bowser is large enough, he can knock the flagpole off-screen, something that would later be similarly featured in New Super Mario Bros.. 
===Super Paper Mario===
One Sammer Guy is named Over the Flagpole, referencing when Mario or Luigi do so in Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.
===Paper Mario: Color Splash===
In the Green Energy Plant, Goal Poles are used to exit the area. Ironically, while the Goal Poles are based on their appearance from Super Mario Bros., the Green Energy Plant largely takes inspiration from Super Mario Bros. 3.
In Black Bowser's Castle, there is a Goal Pole that Mario can use to get off of a conveyor belt he is on. This Goal Pole is not designed after its Super Mario Bros. sprite, but its colors are retained from said game.
===Paper Mario: The Origami King===
A Goal Pole sticks out of the hole of the putting green on Picnic Road. It is designed after its appearance from Super Mario Bros.. If Mario hammers the putting green from the left side, several Hard Blocks arranged as a staircase emerge just left of the Goal Pole, making for a layout similar to the end of several levels in Super Mario Bros.. If Mario goes up the staircase and grabs the top of the Goal Pole, he slides down the pole with the flag. After this, an arrangement of the "Course Clear" fanfare from Super Mario Bros. plays, while the top of the pole flies into the air and explodes into fireworks, releasing coins and seven Toads. Another Toad can be revealed by hitting the flag itself. The flag appears as the ninth origami Toad in the Musée Champignon.
==In ==
===Mario Party 8===
Flagpoles are the main feature of the minigame Crank to Rank, in which each player's objective is try and best the first to crank the flag on their flagpole to the top. Whoever does this first is the winner.
===Mario Party: The Top 100===
Flagpoles appear in the returning minigame Crank to Rank, having the same role as before.
==In ==
===Mario Kart 7===
In Piranha Plant Slide, several black and red Goal Poles appear on each side of the road right before the finish line.
===Mario Kart Tour===
In , after not returning in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the Goal Poles were added back in.
==In Mario Tennis Open==
Flagpoles appear in the Super Mario Tennis mode. Here, the object of each level is to hit the tennis ball at the Flagpole, which ends the level. A varying number of coins are awarded depending on how high the Goal Pole was struck, similarly to Super Mario 3D Land.
==Crossover appearances==
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Goal Poles typically make a few background appearances in Mario-themed stages throughout the series, especially those that are a homage to Super Mario Bros..
====Super Smash Bros.====
A flagpole makes a cameo appearance in the background of the Mushroom Kingdom stage.
====Super Smash Bros. Melee====
A flagpole makes a background appearance in the game's Mushroom Kingdom equivalent, where like the original Super Smash Bros. stage, the flagpole is also designed after its sprite from Super Mario Bros. Aside from this, another flagpole appears at the end of Adventure mode's first stage, also titled Mushroom Kingdom. Here, the flagpole appears in the background at the end, right in front of the finish line, and while it is designed after its appearance from Super Mario Bros., this flagpole is not a sprite, and it has a white Mushroom symbol.
====Super Smash Bros. Brawl====
The stage Mushroomy Kingdom features a flagpole in the background at the end of the World 1-1 variation. The flagpole is a withered realistic brown, to fit with the stage's ruined look, and its flag is worn out. The flagpole does not sit on a Hard Block, and it is instead stuck into the ground.
====Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS====
The flagpole retains its background appearance in Mushroomy Kingdom, but not in the Final Destination variation.
====Super Smash Bros. Ultimate====
Flagpoles appear in the background of two returning stages: Super Smash Bros.s Mushroom Kingdom and Mushroomy Kingdom. Unlike the latter stage's previous two appearances, the flagpole now sits on a Hard Block.
===Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix===
Flagpoles appear in the minigame Flagpole Leap. The object here is for Mario or Luigi to reach the flagpole as high as they can. If Mario or Luigi does not jump at all, he runs into the flagpole, stunning him temporarily, and he does not earn any points.
==Gallery==
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Category:Objects in Super Mario Bros.
Category:Objects in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Category:Objects in Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
Category:Objects in New Super Mario Bros.
Category:Objects in New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Category:Objects in New Super Mario Bros. 2
Category:Objects in New Super Mario Bros. U
Category:Objects in Super Mario 3D Land
Category:Objects in Super Mario 3D World
Category:Objects in Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
Category:Objects in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Category:Objects in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Category:Objects in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
Category:Objects in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
Category:Objects in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions
Category:Objects in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey
Category:Objects in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Category:Objects in Paper Mario: Color Splash
Category:Objects in Paper Mario: The Origami King
Category:Objects in Mario Kart 7
Category:Objects in Mario Party 8