Author Topic: Fave Five... Mario Power-ups  (Read 3916 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline King Bowser Koopa

  • NWR Staff
  • Score: 7
    • View Profile
Fave Five... Mario Power-ups
« on: March 19, 2012, 03:10:32 PM »

If only mushrooms had the same affect in real life.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/29555

Ever since that original, fateful journey to save Princess Peach, Mario has been an adventurer for life. A hero who literally jumps at the chance to quest across unknown territories to right wrongs, save damsels, and defeat evil oppressors. But there are times when jumping alone just doesn't cut the mustard and he must search for something more. Over the years Mario has found a way to extract additional prowess from fungi, vegetables, leaves, flowers, feathers, and even various articles of clothing.

Across his diverse range of amazing transformation abilities, here are the ones I find to be the most fun to use—the items I'll happily sacrifice whatever other ability I have just to obtain.

5 - Metal Cap – Super Mario 64

Tin Man, eat your nonexistent heart out.

Found only in the green Metal Box in Super Mario 64. When Mario dons one of these magical metallic marvels, he turns into an indestructible being of pure metal. Not only is he blindingly glossy (with a reflectivity to make the Terminator jealous), but he is completely impervious to any and all attacks. Metal Mario will also sink to the bottom of any bodies of water, allowing him to easily press underwater switches or traverse the briny depths with ease. And that music—best rendition of the Starman theme ever? I think so!

4 - Cape Feather – Super Mario World

How a white feather can turn into a yellow cape is beyond me.

There are plenty of power-ups throughout the series that allow Mario the gift of flight, but Super Mario World's Cape Feather trumps them all. After a quick running start, Mario will rocket into the sky until you reach your desired altitude, and then the cape opens like a parachute. Here is where the arial theatrics begin! Swooping downwards will allow you to pull back up and regain your height, and repeating this process will make quick work of a level. Alternately, you can crash-land into the ground like a missile and KO any enemies in the immediate area, or pull back with your chute open and gracefully glide down to belly-press an enemy into oblivion. You could even swing the cape around as a land-based attack that could defeat some enemies that other attacks wouldn't even faze.

3 - Goomba's Shoe – Super Mario Bros. 3

I wish I had a giant shoe to sit in...

Due to a mistranslation in the original NES game, this was known as Kuribo's Shoe for a long time. This is the rarest item in the entire Super Mario series, as it only appears in a single level! When Mario comes across a Goomba wearing this clockwork boot, he can punch their platform from below to steal the oversized footwear. Riding in this shoe allows Mario to stomp on spiky enemies, including Spinies and Piranha Plants, as well as walk safely across spiked floors. You can even use regular power-ups while wearing Goomba's Shoe. Try using the Tanooki Suit and dropping into the shoe in statue form—the results are incredible!

2 - Fire Flower

Burn, baby!

The original and still one of the best. Fire Mario is perhaps the most recognizable of any of his power-up abilities in the entire series, and for good reason: it's freaking awesome. There's something incredibly satisfying about defeating Bowser at the end of Super Mario Bros. without having to resort to hitting the axe on the other side of the drawbridge. Not to mention burning enemies to a crisp with little bouncing balls of flame is simply fun. I know I'm not the only one who pined for this power-up to appear in a 3D game, and Super Mario Galaxy finally, finally delivered.

1 - Hammer Suit – Super Mario Bros. 3

I'd like to see tradesmen try this suit out when house-building.

Ever wanted to dress like the Hammer Bros., some of the most annoying enemies in the entire series, and get a little carpenter-style vengeance? In Super Mario Bros 3, you certainly can. A considerably rare power-up that doesn't show up until World 6 at the earliest, the Hammer Suit is hard to pass up. With his endless supply of hammers to throw, Mario can make quick work of almost every enemy in the game, including Boos, Thwomps and even Bowser himself. The suit even comes equipped with the shell of a Buzzy Beetle, allowing Mario to duck down inside and partake of their fire resistance. It's so unbelievably cool that even the regional kings are in awe if you complete an airship level while wearing one: “Hey you! How about lending me your clothes! No dice? What a drag.”

Andrew Brown - NWR Australia Correspondent

Offline SMWiz

  • Score: 0
    • View Profile
Re: Fave Five... Mario Power-ups
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2012, 03:54:22 PM »
Great list. I think I would replace the metal suit with the tanooki, but that's just me. And I believe that Kirby's Return to Dreamland for the Wii features a successor to the Goomba Shoe.

Offline Chocobo_Rider

  • Embrace the status quo.
  • Score: 13
    • View Profile
Re: Fave Five... Mario Power-ups
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2012, 04:07:26 PM »
No Tanooki/Raccoon suit?!?

Not even a Cloud Suit or Penguin Suit?

...your opinions befuddle me and differ from my own, good sir.  But I begrudgingly respect them as it is the right thing to do.

Offline NWR_Neal

  • NWR Staff Pro
  • Score: 27
    • View Profile
Re: Fave Five... Mario Power-ups
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2012, 04:41:28 PM »
I haven't thought too hard about what my five for this would be. I'd think Tanooki, Kuribo's Shoe, Frog Suit, Penguin Suit, and Yoshi would be it.
Neal Ronaghan
Director, NWR

"Fungah! Foiled again!"

Offline syrindigo

  • Score: 0
    • View Profile
Re: Fave Five... Mario Power-ups
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2012, 05:10:06 PM »
Great list! Im not sure where, but I would also add Cloud Suit! Gotta love that thing.

Offline Spak-Spang

  • The Frightened Fox
  • Score: 39
    • View Profile
    • MirandaNew.com
Re: Fave Five... Mario Power-ups
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2012, 07:18:31 PM »
Tanooki Suit would be my number one. 


But, Hammer is definitely Number two.


The Cape is definitely the best Flight, and deserves mention on the list...probably as number 5 for me.


So Number Four would be Frog Suit Mario, and


Yoshi Number 3.


Offline Ian Sane

  • Champion for Urban Champion
  • Score: 1
    • View Profile
Re: Fave Five... Mario Power-ups
« Reply #6 on: March 19, 2012, 07:43:10 PM »
I think it is interesting to note that the most recent power-up on this list is from 1996!  Nostalgia or is it just the law of diminishing returns where the best ideas are used up first and it becomes harder and harder for Nintendo to match them in later Mario games?

Cape is the best flight.  It's kind of odd that Nintendo introduced multiple flight power-ups over the years.  They re-used fire flower again and again so why after coming up with the Racoon power-up did they feel the need to come up with new flight power-ups?  Ironically it comes across as more unoriginal than if they just used the same flight power-up the whole time.  "Oh this 'new' power-up is just another flight one?  LAME."

Offline NWR_insanolord

  • Rocket Fuel Malt Liquor....DAMN!
  • NWR Staff Pro
  • Score: -18986
    • View Profile
Re: Fave Five... Mario Power-ups
« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2012, 08:02:43 PM »
I think it is interesting to note that the most recent power-up on this list is from 1996!  Nostalgia or is it just the law of diminishing returns where the best ideas are used up first and it becomes harder and harder for Nintendo to match them in later Mario games?

The boomerang suit from 3D Land would be in the running for me if I were to do this list. As great as the Galaxy games were, their power-ups didn't really resonate with me the way a lot of the older ones did. I do think nostalgia is the primary reason for that.
Insanolord is a terrible moderator.

J.P. Corbran
NWR Community Manager and Soccer Correspondent

Offline MegaByte

  • NWR Staff... Can't win trivia
  • NWR Staff Pro
  • Score: 31337
    • View Profile
    • Konfiskated Teknologies Network
Re: Fave Five... Mario Power-ups
« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2012, 08:37:15 PM »
I think most of the new power-ups are terrible, including the several mentioned above. Two exceptions are the propeller box (better than the propeller hat since it's stackable) and the white tanooki suit (which is more of a cheat than a real power-up).
Aaron Kaluszka
Contributing Editor, Nintendo World Report