Mario's power-ups

This article refers to the many different power-ups that characters such as Mario can use within the Super Mario series. In traditional gameplay environments, these power-ups are tied to the character's health and are forfeited upon taking damage. This system is typically altered in the 3D Mario titles and spin-offs.
When Mario is one of the multiple playable character options, the other characters are usually able to use the same set of power-ups. However, spinoff games may give them exclusive power-ups that Mario is not seen using. Some games also have power-ups exclusive to certain characters; for instance, Super Mario Galaxy 2 gives Yoshi his own set of power-ups.
==History of canon power-ups==
===Donkey Kong===
In Donkey Kong, Mario can collect a hammer that he temporarily swings to destroy obstacles in front of him. It pairs a background music change with a limited-time use like the later Super Star. The hammer is later referenced with the Super Pickaxe in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.
===Super Mario Bros.===
Super Mario Bros. introduces the traditional power-up system and four power-ups, which Luigi can also use.
*The Super Mushroom doubles the user's height, allowing them to break empty Brick Blocks. Super Mario can take damage once, reverting to Small Mario.
*The Fire Flower lets the user throw two fireballs at a time to defeat enemies at range. Some enemies are immune, forcing the player to stomp or dodge anyway. Later games build on this, with multiple power-ups each effective against different enemies.
*The Super Star makes the user temporarily invincible. Invincible Mario defeats most enemies on contact, but can still lose a life by falling into a bottomless pit, water hazard, lava, and the like. Later games also feature a speed boost while running.
*The 1-Up Mushroom gives the user an extra life. Collecting 100 coins, defeating enemies consecutively, and more has the same effect.
Unlike in later games, taking damage as Fire Mario returns the character to Small Mario, rather than Super Mario. This was changed in the international releases of the later games. This more forgiving system then became series standard across all regions.
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels introduces the Poison Mushroom, a "power-up" that deals damage when collected. It looks like the Super Mushroom but has a different color scheme.
===Super Mario Bros. 2===
Super Mario Bros. 2 uses a different health system. However, at one point of health, the player character still appears in Small form.
The playable Toad and Princess Peach can use the same power-ups as Mario and Luigi.
The player character can collect 5 Cherries to acquire a Super Star.
===Super Mario Bros. 3===
Super Mario Bros. 3 reuses the traditional power-up system, introducing various new power-ups, many being animal-themed suits that Mario wears. It establishes a trend of 2D Super Mario games introducing a major new powerup, often flight-based, that is heavily associated with it through promotional material. Though not playable here, Toad and Princess Peach are still shown using these power-ups in supplemental material such as television series.
*The Super Leaf gives the user a raccoon dog's ears and tail. Raccoon Mario can swing this tail to destroy nearby obstacles and slow a fall. When Raccoon Mario fills the Power Meter, they can fly until the meter is empty.
*The rarer Tanooki Suit augments Raccoon Mario's powers. Tanooki Mario can turn into Statue Mario to avoid or Ground Pound enemies.
*The P-Wing lets Tanooki Mario fly freely until exiting a level.
*The Frog Suit alters the user's movement on land and gives them greater agility underwater.
*The Hammer Suit lets the user throw hammers to defeat enemies, and shield themselves against fire attacks by crouching.
*The Goomba Shoe is found with a Goomba inside. The player character can defeat it and wear the shoe to cross spiky hazards and enemies unharmed.
===Super Mario Land===
As a Game Boy launch title, Super Mario Land alters the base set of power-ups to fit its monochrome, lower-resolution graphics and more basic programming.
*The Fire Flower is replaced with the Superball Flower. Superball Mario can throw balls that travel diagonally and bounce off of solid surfaces.
*The Heart takes the 1-Up Mushroom's place due to the color limitations.
===Super Mario World===
Super Mario World also limits its main power-up selection. The only second-tier power-ups are the Fire Flower and the new Cape Feather, which is like the Super Leaf with more involved flight controls. Both work with the new Spin Jump move. The game also introduces the Item Storage, where an extra power-up is reserved for later use, so the player can have access to both power-ups.
Despite having their own power-ups, ridable Yoshis have much in common with Mario's power-ups, providing new abilities and an extra hit point. In later games, they can also Flutter Jump. However, Yoshis run off and can be retrieved after taking damage. Depending on an adult Yoshi's color, and the color of a shell it holds in its mouth, it has different abilities. Green is the default, while red, yellow, and blue offer extra powers.
The Power Balloon also stacks with its user's current form aside from forcing them to dismount Yoshi. It temporarily inflates the user, allowing them to float in any direction through the air.
The 3-Up Moon grants three extra lives.
===Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins===
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins uses power-ups in a more traditional form than its predecessor. However, Fire Mario has a feather in his cap due to the color limitations. Some of the sound effects for power-ups are different; the 1-Up doesn't use the typical melody, and the Super Star music is comprised of accelerating chiptune squeaking.
The Carrot is the headlining power-up. Bunny Mario has enhanced jump height, and the Bunny Ears can slow a fall.
Wario uses this game's power-ups against Mario throughout the final boss battle. His Small form, Tiny Wario, returns in later games.
===Super Mario 64===
Super Mario 64 places much less emphasis on power-ups, and retools old items' imagery for other aspects of the game. For instance, the Power Star resembles the Super Star but is collected to unlock new levels instead.
The player character's health is again decoupled from their power-up state. Unlike in Super Mario Bros. 2, it has no bearing on the character's form.
The new power-ups are special caps that Mario can wear temporarily. They must first be unlocked by finding and pressing their respective ! Switches in hidden courses.
*The Wing Cap lets the user fly after Triple Jumping or shooting from a cannon.
*The Metal Cap makes the user heavier and mostly invincible. Metal Mario sinks to the seabed and can press underwater switches.
*The Vanish Cap grants partial intangibility, and thus, invulnerability and passage through translucent surfaces.
Super Mario 64 DS spreads these capabilities across its multiple playable characters. Upon using the Power Flower, Luigi and Wario get the abilities of the Vanish Cap and Metal Cap, respectively. While Mario's Power Flower ability is Balloon Mario, returning from Super Mario World, he can also find "Wings", the Wing Cap redesigned as a white feather.
The remake also alters the Mushroom to yield Mega Mario, an invincible giant form that can destroy obstacles in a combo to earn extra lives.
===Super Mario Sunshine===
Super Mario Sunshine reuses the health system and general gameplay structure of Super Mario 64. Mario has no major power-ups, with the arguable exceptions of F.L.U.D.D., who has a set of power-up nozzles, and Yoshi, who has different juice powers based on the fruit he requested.
===New Super Mario Bros.===
New Super Mario Bros. reuses the classic power-up system and the Item Storage, now moved to the Nintendo DS Touch Screen and tweaked to always activate manually. New power-ups heavily focus on twisting and subverting past concepts.
*The Mega Mushroom and Mini Mushroom both change the user's size more drastically than the Super Mushroom. Mini Mario is ineffectually frail, but has floatier jumps and access to unique areas.
*The Blue Shell lets the user slide around, bounce off of walls, and break obstacles from the side like a kicked Koopa Troopa. Shell Mario can also hide in place to avoid damage, and swimming speed is increased. Any carried shell can be used this way in Super Mario 3D World.
===Super Mario Galaxy===
Super Mario Galaxy ties the wedged health system back in with power-ups through the Life Mushroom, which adds three additional hit points until the user's health decreases to the standard maximum. It is a counterpart to the 1-Up Mushroom in Lumalees' Luma Shops.
Since the game returns to using Power Stars as collectibles, the Super Star is replaced by the Rainbow Star.
The game also has power-ups with more traditional appearances, despite not returning to the classic system of the 2D games. They appear in specific missions and usually must be used to progress, more so than the caps in Super Mario 64.
*The Bee Mushroom lets the user fly for a limited time, stand on special platforms, and cling to surfaces like honeycombs. The Bee Mario form is forfeited upon taking damage or touching the water.
*The Boo Mushroom turns the user into a Boo. Boo Mario can float and turn invisible to pass through translucent surfaces. It is forfeited if the character takes damage or passes through bright light.
*The Spring Mushroom causes its user to bounce around automatically. Spring Mario can use high jumps to reach new areas, but is harder to control.
*The Red Star gives lets the user fly freely and Star Spin to attract coins. It only appears in one mission and the hub world.
The Fire Flower and Ice Flower have their 3D Super Mario debut, but are timed. Ice Mario works differently than in other games, being an animate ice statue that can cover liquid surfaces with hexagonal ice tiles. Fire Mario's fireballs are larger and can now be used in puzzles, such as lighting torches.
===New Super Mario Bros. Wii===
Unlike past flight power-ups, the Propeller Mushroom has less emphasis on the boxart. Instead, Yoshis are showcased heavily in promotional art, despite being restricted to six out of 77 courses.
*The Propeller Mushroom lets the user propel high into the air, then slows their descent with a spin, like bouncing off of a Spindrift or Spin Block. It can be used with the new multiplayer features in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Someone carrying Propeller Mario can activate the propeller by proxy. The Propeller Block is a carriable block with the same effect, an idea elaborated upon in future games.
*The Ice Flower is changed back to a Fire Flower counterpart. The redesigned Ice Mario can throw iceballs to freeze enemies into solid ice blocks. Depending on their size, ice blocks can be carried and thrown, sliding across the ground to hit other enemies. Breaking an ice block defeats the frozen enemy.
*The Penguin Suit appears later, and augments the Ice Flower's abilities with traction on ice, increased agility underwater, and a belly slide that can break obstacles and grants partial invulnerability.
===Super Mario Galaxy 2===
Super Mario Galaxy 2 carries over some Super Mario Galaxy power-ups, with new additions both for the Mario Bros. and for Yoshi.
*The Cloud Flower causes the user's Star Spin to create temporary cloud platforms below them. This uses clouds as ammo, with each Cloud Flower providing three clouds to work with.
*The Spin Drill lets the user drill through soft ground, rebounding off of hard obstacles in straight lines.
*The Rock Mushroom lets the user roll into a boulder to bowl through obstacles.
The game's power-ups are collected by completing their missions, and displayed in cases in a room inside Starship Mario.
===Super Mario 3D Land===
Super Mario 3D Land places a heavy emphasis on the returning Super Leaf, with many enemies using it. It grants Tanooki Mario, although the form can no longer take flight, nor turn into Statue Mario without the Statue Leaf.
*The Boomerang Flower lets the user throw a boomerang to destroy obstacles and collect distant items. It closely resembles the Hammer Suit.
*The Invincibility Leaf is an assist power-up that yields the invincible White Tanooki Mario, reverting to Tanooki Mario when the course is cleared. It has led to counterparts like the Invincibility Mushroom and Invincibility Bell.
*The P-Wing is now a second-tier assist item that warps the player character to the Goal Pole when used.
Super Mario 3D Land also introduces boxes worn on the head, which stack with the current power-up state.
*The Propeller Box is equivalent to the Propeller Mushroom and Propeller Block. Unlike with them, the wearer falls at a normal rate after propelling, and slows their descent by holding the jump button.
*The ? Box grants coins from a large supply as the user moves around.
===New Super Mario Bros. 2===
New Super Mario Bros. 2 reverts the Super Leaf to granting a flighted Raccoon Mario in the 2D games. By analogy, the Invincibility Leaf yields White Raccoon Mario. Due to the game's coin theme, most of the other items are based on gold and accumulating coins.
*The Gold Flower lets the user throw gold or silver fireballs, with a shockwave that turns blocks and enemies in range into coins. Gold Mario reverts to Fire Mario when the course is cleared.
*The Gold Block is like the ? Box, granting up to 100 coins as the user moves around. They appear when all coins are claimed from a Coin Block. If a Gold Block can't be worn, it ejects a shower of coins instead.
===New Super Mario Bros. U===
*The Super Acorn is the headlining power-up of New Super Mario Bros. U. Flying Squirrel Mario can glide, boost up once mid-glide (leaving the user prone with decreased speed), cling to walls, and use a higher Spin Jump.
*The rare P-Acorn lets the user glide and boost unlimitedly. They return to Flying Squirrel form after clearing the course.
Baby Yoshis now come in three colors with innate abilities. The Bubble Baby Yoshi can spit up bubbles to defeat enemies. The Glowing Baby Yoshi illuminates dark areas and stuns enemies in a flash of light. The Balloon Baby Yoshi can inflate to carry its holder through the air.
In New Super Luigi U and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, Nabbit can't use any power-ups. Any that he touches are stored in his bag and converted to extra lives when a course is cleared. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe also introduces the Super Crown, which only Toadette can use in said game.
===Super Mario 3D World===
*The Super Bell lets its user can climb walls, including the Goal Pole, and swipe and pounce.
*The Lucky Bell lets Cat Mario transform into Lucky Cat Mario, comparable to Statue Mario but also granting coins when the player character falls in Lucky Cat form.
*The Double Cherry clones its user. All clones are controlled at once, and are defeated in one hit until only one remains, which is then assumed to be the original copy.
Super Mario 3D World also adds new headgear items: the Light Box, Cannon Box, and Goomba Mask. The Potted Piranha Plant and Ice Skate also debut.
===Super Mario Maker===
*The Weird Mushroom, Mystery Mushroom, and Big Mushrooms are exclusive to the Super Mario Bros. game style.
===Super Mario Odyssey===
Cappy's Capture ability replaces power-ups in Super Mario Odyssey.
===Other characters===
Mario can use a lot of Power-Ups, but Luigi, his brother, can use the same Power-Ups. The same counts for the Toads, Princess Peach, Waluigi, and Birdo. Yoshi is also able to use some of these, but he also has a set of his own. Wario can use his unique power-ups as well as some of Mario's, as well as Reactions in the later entries of Wario Land series. He has his page on his transformations and power-ups.
Some characters have their Special Power-Up; either a special item or a special transformation activated by a Power Flower.
It was speculated that enemies in the Super Mario series use Power-Ups as well. The Heligoomba might be the solution of an ordinary Goomba using a Propeller Mushroom, and the Super Koopa on a Beach Koopa using a Cape Feather. This theory was confirmed in Super Mario 3D Land, where the Koopa Troop uses Super Leaves to turn into Tail forms of enemies.
==Gallery==
===Canon power-ups===
Super Mushroom - 2D shaded.png|Super Mushroom(Super Mario)
Fireflower 2D shaded.png|Fire Flower(Fire Mario)
Super star shaded.png|Super Star(Invincible Mario)
Super Leaf 3D Artwork.png|Super Leaf(Raccoon Mario, Tanooki Mario)
Tanooki Suit All-Stars.png|Tanooki Suit(Tanooki Mario, Statue Mario)
P-Wing All-Stars.png|P-Wing()
Frog Suit All-Stars.png|Frog Suit(Frog Mario)
Hammer Suit All-Stars.png|Hammer Suit(Hammer Mario)
Superball Flower SMM2.png|Superball Flower(Superball Mario)
MK8 Deluxe Art - Cape Feather.png|Cape Feather(Cape Mario)
Power Balloon SMM2.png|Power Balloon(Balloon Mario)
CarrotGameBoy.png|Carrot(Bunny Mario)
SM64 Wing Cap.png|Wing Cap(Wing Mario)
STROOP- Vanish Cap.png|Vanish Cap(Vanish Mario)
SMO Metal Mario Cap.png|Metal Cap(Metal Mario)
Power Flower2.PNG|Power Flower(Fire Power Yoshi, Balloon Mario, Vanish Luigi, Metal Wario)
SM64DS Luigi'sHat.jpeg|Luigi Cap()
SM64DS Wario'sHat.jpeg|Wario Cap()
Wingfeather.png|Wings(Wing Mario)
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe Ice Flower.png|Ice Flower(Ice Mario)
Mega Mushroom - MTUS.png|Mega Mushroom(Mega Mario)
NSMBU Mini Mushroom Artwork.png|Mini Mushroom(Mini Mario)
NSMB1 BlueShell.png|Blue Shell(Shell Mario)
BeeMushroom.png|Bee Mushroom(Bee Mario)
SMG RainbowStar.jpg|Rainbow Star(Rainbow Mario)
2BooSuit.jpg|Boo Mushroom(Boo Mario)
Spring Mushroom.png|Spring Mushroom(Spring Mario)
SMG Red Star.png|Red Star(Flying Mario)
40668C7B-8946-4A1D-BF46-0EDCC22C3D97.png|Propeller Mushroom(Propeller Mario)
NSMBUDX Penguin Suit.png|Penguin Suit(Penguin Mario)
SMG2 Cloudflower.png|Cloud Flower(Cloud Mario)
SMG2RockMushroomModel.png|Rock Mushroom(Rock Mario)
BoomerangFlowerMK8.png|Boomerang Flower(Boomerang Mario)
Statueleaf.png|Statue Leaf(, Statue Mario)
InvincibilityleafNSMB2.png|Invincibility Leaf(White Tanooki Mario, White Raccoon Mario)
GoldFlower.png|Gold Flower(Gold Mario)
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe Super Acorn.png|Super Acorn(Flying Squirrel Mario)
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe P-Acorn.png|P-Acorn(P Flying Squirrel Mario)
Super Bell 2D Shaded Artwork.png|Super Bell(Cat Mario)
DoubleCherry.png|Double Cherry(Double Mario)
Lucky Bell SM3DW Prima.jpeg|Lucky Bell(, Lucky Cat Mario)
WeirdMushroomSprite.png|Weird Mushroom(Weird Mario)
Mystery Mushroom.png|Mystery Mushroom(Costume Mario)
BigMushroomSSMP.png|Big Mushroom(Big Mario)
8-bit SMM2 Master Sword.png|Master Sword(Link)
Super Hammer3.png|Super Hammer(Builder Mario)
8-bit SMM2 SMB2 Mushroom.png|SMB2 Mushroom(SMB2 Mario)
SM3DWBF Giga Bell Art.png|Giga Bell(Giga Cat Mario)
SM3DWBF Invincibility Bell Screenshot.png|Invincibility Bell(White Cat Mario)
SMBW Elephant Fruit.png|Elephant Fruit(Elephant Mario)
SMBW Bubble Flower.png|Bubble Flower(Bubble Mario)
SMBW Drill Mushroom.png|Drill Mushroom(Drill Mario)
====Other characters' power-ups====
:This section notes power-ups that, despite not being usable by Mario himself, can be used by other characters who share a character role with Mario.
:For example, in a Super Mario game where Mario and Wario are both playable, a Wario-specific item could be listed here. See also Wario's power-ups.
:For Yoshis' roles, draw a distinction between main playable character, controlled directly in the same game as Mario (Super Mario 64 DS, Super Mario Run, etc.); and mount, only controlled when ridden (Super Mario World, Super Mario Odyssey, etc.). In the case of main playable character, a Yoshi-specific item could be listed here. See also Yoshi's power-ups.
Mariohat.jpg|Mario Cap()
SuperCrownNSMBUDeluxe.png|Super Crown(Peachette)
===Canon forms===
File:FireMarioSME.png|Fire Mario
File:PDSMBE-IceMario.png|Ice Mario
File:SMDR Cape Mario.png|Cape Mario
File:Cat Mario Artwork % 28alt% 29 - Super Mario 3D World.png|Cat Mario
File:Boomerang mario nsmb3 nx.png|Boomerang Mario
File:Hammer mario nsmb3 nx.png|Hammer Mario
File:Tanooki Mario SM3DW.png|Tanooki Mario
File:White tanooki mario by yoshigo99-d4ijq4s.png|White Tanooki Mario
File:SmallMario3DLand.png|Small Mario
File:MiniMarioNSMBU.png|Mini Mario
File:Super mario render brothers by nibroc rock-d8x9ljm.png|Super Mario
File:SuperballMario.png|Superball Mario
File:RabbitMario2019.png|Bunny Mario
File:Bubble Mario SMBW.png|Bubble Mario
File:Drill Mario SMBW.png|Drill Mario
File:White Cat Mario.png|White Cat Mario
File:Wing Mario.png|Wing Mario
File:RACCOON MARIO.png|Raccoon Mario
File:PropellerMarioJump.png|Propeller Mario
File:Cloud mario by banjo2015-d8mqyqe.png|Cloud Mario
File:PDSMBE-BeeMario.png|Bee Mario
File:MetalMarioSM64 (2).png|Metal Mario
File:SM64 Vanish Mario.png|Vanish Mario
File:Drill Mario.png|Spin Drill Mario
File:Rock mario.png|Rock Mario
File:SML2 Bomb Mario.png|Bomb Mario
File:Flying Mario.png|Flying Mario
File:Flying squirrel mario by banjo2015-d8mq5vt.png|Flying Squirrel Mario
File:P-FlyingSquirrelMario.png|P-Flying Squirrel Mario
File:Invincibility Raccoon Mario - New Super Mario Bros 2.png|White Raccoon Mario
File:FrogMarioSMB3Art.png|Frog Mario
File:Golden Statue Cat Mario Transparent.png|Cat Statue Mario
File:StatueMario 3DL.png|Statue Mario
File:Gold Mario.jpg|Gold Mario
File:Rainbow mario by banjo2015-d8mv80s.png|Rainbow Mario
File:Elephant Mario SMBW.png|Elephant Mario
File:Builder Mario Run.png|Builder Mario
File:ShellMario.png|Shell Mario
File:SMW Balloon Mario.png|Balloon Mario
File:Penguin mario by banjo2015-d8mqgmh.png|Penguin Mario
File:SM3DWBF Giga Cat Mario Art.png|Giga Cat Mario
File:Mega Mario Group Artwork - Super Mario 3D World.png|Mega Mario
File:Boo mario by banjo2015-d8mqv3y.png|Boo Mario
File:SpringMarioArtwork1.png|Spring Mario
File:P-Wing Raccoon Mario.png|P-Raccoon Mario
File:Double Mario Artwork - Super Mario 3D World.png|Double Mario
===Fanon power-ups===
===Fanon forms===
==Category==
:Articles in the Mario's Power-Ups category should appear here automatically.
==See also==
*Wario's power-ups
*Yoshi's power-ups
Category:Mario's Power-Ups
Category:Mario (series)
Category:Transformations
Category:Super Mario Exploit
Category:Mario Items
Category:Mario Kart (series)