POW Block

A POW Block (short for "Power Block"), or alternatively named POW, is a recurring item in the . POW Blocks make their first appearance in the Mario Bros. arcade game.
==Description==
Each POW Block features the word "POW" on one side, all in capital letters. POW Blocks are generally blue in color, but some of them are red, such as in Super Mario Bros. 2. In Yoshi Touch & Go, a POW Block is green.
POW Blocks have similar effects in each of their appearances. Upon being used, a POW Block knocks over any enemy onscreen that is currently on the ground or a platform. In many appearances, this defeats the enemies instead. The POW Block has a limited number of uses, and it shrinks upon each hit. In most games, POW Blocks can be picked up and thrown, and some are required for a 100% completion rating.
==In ==
===Mario Bros. (arcade)===
Two POW Blocks appear during each phase. When the player hits one, it shakes the screen, causing all enemies on a platform to be knocked onto their backs, and is essentially like hitting every platform at once. A POW Block can only be struck three times before it disappears completely, and gets flattened further from the first two hits.
===Mario Bros. (Game Boy Advance)===
Unlike in the original arcade version, a POW Block can now be picked up and thrown, but in doing so, the POW Block entirely disappears in the process, similarly to Super Mario Bros. 2, regardless of how many times it had been hit prior.
==In ==
===Super Mario Bros. 2===
The POW Block is an item which can be picked up and thrown, which causes an earthquake that defeats any enemy onscreen. Unlike in Mario Bros., a POW Block breaks after one throw, and they cannot be found in midair. Super Mario Advance has a variation named Giant POW Block that can perform four bounces upon being thrown before disappearing.
Unlike its other appearances, the "POW" on a POW Block is animated, with the POW repeatedly going through the top and then out from the bottom. In Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, POW Blocks do not have this animation.
===Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3===
One POW Block appears in the World-e level Koopaling Confusion. It appears similarly as in the Game Boy Advance game Mario Bros., but functionally, the POW Block is thrown like the ones in Super Mario Bros. 2. Unlike earlier appearances, the POW Block also affects airborne enemies, such as Bullet Bills.
===New Super Mario Bros. Wii===
Like in Super Mario Bros. 2, a POW Block is an object that can be picked up, carried, and thrown to defeat all enemies onscreen. Another effect that occurs as a result is that all coins in midair drop onto the ground. Certain levels require the use of the POW Block to collect a Star Coin.
===New Super Mario Bros. 2===
While regular POW Blocks do not appear, they were given a variation named Red POW Block, featured as an object.
===New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe===
POW Blocks return as an object, functioning the same as in New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
===Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury===
POW Blocks are mainly featured in the form of Red POW Blocks return. At the end of The Great Tower of Bowser Land, there is a blue Super POW Block, which needs to be hit four times in order to beat Meowser at the end. POW Blocks cannot be picked up.
Regular POW Blocks appear in the side-game Luigi Bros., functioning identically as in Mario Bros..
===Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS===
POW Blocks are placeable objects in Course Maker in the Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and New Super Mario Bros. U styles. While playing through a level, POW Blocks function identically as in New Super Mario Bros. U. They are capable of defeating Bowser within a single hit.
===Super Mario Maker 2===
POW Blocks return in the original four styles, but for the Super Mario 3D World style, they are instead replaced with Red POW Blocks. In nighttime underwater and Ghost House levels, POW Blocks illuminate the area around them.
===Super Mario Bros. 35===
The POW Block was a roulette item which, upon being obtained, defeated all enemies on-screen. It is depicted with the same sprite as in Mario Bros.s Nintendo Entertainment System version.
==In ==
===Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island===
POW Blocks appear in only one level, 4-2: The Cave of Lakitus, where only two of them appear. POW Blocks are more similar to their appearance in Mario Bros. in that a Yoshi can hit it from underneath and up to three times. Whenever a POW Block is hit, all of the enemies on-screen are turned into Stars. POW Blocks retain a similar red border on the top and bottom from Super Mario Bros. 2, although a bit wider, and the POW displays a different font than in other appearances.
There is a Special Item equivalent of the POW Block named Anywhere POW, which functions similarly to a POW Block, except it can be used anywhere.
===Yoshi's New Island===
POW Blocks appear in Enemy Eat-Off, and hitting one turns every enemy on the stage into Yoshi Eggs.
==In ==
The POW Block is among the several items featured in the Paper Mario series. POW Block is an item that deals two damage to every enemy on the ground and the ceiling in Paper Mario and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, and it can also flip over shelled enemies.
In Super Paper Mario, oddly enough, the POW Block causes minor damage to all enemies that are on the screen, including flying enemies as well.
In Paper Mario: Sticker Star, POW Blocks return as Stickers. Unlike the previous Paper Mario games, Mario can hit the POW Block twice with the Action Command to do damage to all enemies. There are also Shiny POW Blocks and Flashy POW Blocks.
In every Paper Mario game, POW Blocks can be bought from some of the earlier Item Shops, usually in the second store.
==In ==
===Mario Kart: Double Dash!!===
POW Blocks do not appear, but they are referenced in that "POW" is the license plate of several cars in Mushroom Bridge and Mushroom City.
===Mario Kart Arcade GP 2===
The POW Block is a Special Item for Waluigi. When used, it causes an opponent to be stunned for a short amount of time.
===Mario Kart Wii===
When a racer uses a POW Block, one appears above each of the characters ahead of the user. The POW Block squishes itself down in three phases, one every few seconds, before taking effect, upon which the opponents all spin out a few times. A racer can avoid the effects of a POW Block if they are midair when it is used or while under the effects of either the Star, Mega Mushroom, or Bullet Bill. The instant a POW Block goes off, a character can perform a hop to only spin out once. Any racer caught within the effects of a POW Block loses their items.
Using the POW Block can also affect the environment. If used in in , the Piranha Plants jump into the air, and if used in , the penguins spin out along with anyone else affected by the POW Block.
===Mario Kart Arcade GP DX===
POW Blocks appear as a throw-forward item, functioning the same as in Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, but the POW Block can now be used by any racer.
==In ==
===Mario Power Tennis===
A POW Block moves back and forth across the net in the court Mario Classic Court. If a character hits the ball through the POW Block, all enemies become stunned, giving the player's character the opportunity to defeat them by running into them. For Sidesteppers, they need to be hit a second time, but the effects of a POW Block defeats a Freezie instantly. If airborne, Fighter Flies are not affected by a POW Block. A POW Block disappears after taking a certain number of hits, although after some time, it respawns. Stunned enemies who got hit by the POW Block resume walking after a period of time if they are left alone.
POW Blocks also appear in the mini-game Coin Collectors, taking place on Mario Classic Court. Here, the positions can be changed by hitting a POW Block with a tennis ball.
===Mario Tennis Open===
The POW Block has its own Mii gear, including a racket, uniform, wristbands, and shoes. The POW Block gear generally increases serve and stroke powers while also increasing speed.
==In Yoshi Touch & Go==
POW Blocks appear in Challenge mode, in which they spawn while being carried on a balloon. A Yoshi can throw an egg at the balloon for the POW Block to fall down. The Yoshi has to touch the POW Block while it is on drawn clouds to activate it or let it hit hard ground. Upon being activated, a POW Block defeats all enemies on screen, leaving behind coins depending on each enemy's point value.
==In Mario Clock==
POW Blocks collect every coin on the screen and briefly knock down the numbers on the clock.
==In Mario Party 9==
While POW Blocks do not appear, the High Rollers mode features a space based on it, the POW Space.
==In Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker==
POW Blocks appear as objects, functioning similarly as in their early appearances. To activate a POW Block, either Captain Toad has to throw a turnip at it or the player must tap the POW Block using the Wii U GamePad.
==In Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam==
POW Blocks appear as sheets of paper in the Trio Shuriken minigame. Here, if Mario or Luigi throws a shuriken at a POW Block, it destroys every other sheet of paper onscreen, granting their respective number of points.
==In Luigi's Mansion 3==
The POW Block appears in the ScreamPark minigame, Desperate Measures. Upon being activated, a POW Block creates a shockwave that sends sand out of the weight scale for both teams.
==Crossover appearances==
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====Super Smash Bros.====
POW Blocks are a part of the hidden stage Mushroom Kingdom. If a fighter hits the POW Block, all other fighters on the ground take damage and are sent vertically. The POW Block appears throughout the stage randomly in set locations, so after being hit, the POW Block reappears somewhere else on the stage.
====Super Smash Bros. Brawl====
A POW Block appears in the stage Mario Bros.. Here, the POW Block can be used to stun all stage enemies on the screen, allowing them to be picked up and thrown. A POW Block disappears upon taking a few hits, although it does reappear on the same spot shortly afterward.
====Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U====
POW Blocks appear as throwable items. Throwing a POW Block causes shockwaves upon landing that can damage other characters as long as they are standing on ground.
====Super Smash Bros. Ultimate====
POW Blocks reappear as items, functioning the same as in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U. As a stage feature, POW Blocks are retained in the Mushroom Kingdom stage from Super Smash Bros. and the Mario Bros. stage from Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
===Art Style: PiCTOBiTS===
POW Blocks are used to erase all the bits in the bottom part, using one restore space in the process.
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====Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)====
POW Blocks are an item in two Dream Events, Dream Ice Hockey and Dream Snowball Fight.
In Dream Ice Hockey, POW Blocks knock over every character on the opposing team after a short amount of time.
In Dream Snowball Fight, POW Blocks briefly stun everyone on the opposing team.
====Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games====
POW Blocks appear on the Coin Street rink of Snow Day Street Hockey, where hitting them knocks down all of the opponents and briefly stuns them. Shortly after being used, the POW Blocks respawn in their positions.
====Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Nintendo 3DS)====
POW Blocks appear as an item in two Plus Events, Boxing Plus and Football Plus.
In Boxing Plus, a POW Block stuns the opponent and prevents them from moving, performing punches, and guarding.
In Football Plus, three POW Blocks fall one after the other by whoever received the item, knocking over any other character, including goalkeeper, in the surrounding area.
====Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020====
POW Blocks are one of the items in Dream Karate.
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====NES Remix====
A POW Block appears in some some of the challenges based on Mario Bros..
====NES Remix 2====
A POW Block appears in some of the challenges based on Super Mario Bros. 2.
==Gallery==
fr:Bloc POW
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ja:POWブロック
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