! Block
- Not to be confused with? Block orSurprise Ball.
| ! Block | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Yellow block artwork fromSuper Mario 64 | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario World (1990) | ||
| Latest appearance | Super Mario Bros. Wonder (2023) | ||
| |||
| |||
! Blocks, also calledExclamation Mark Blocks[1] or! Platforms,[2] are floatingblocks that first appear inSuper Mario World. Since their debut, ! Blocks have made recurring appearances in theSuper Mario franchise, appearing in various colors and serving different functions. In most games, hitting a ! Block causes a certain event to occur; in others, ! Blocks instead release items, or do nothing at all and simply serve asplatforms.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario World /Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2[edit]
InSuper Mario World andits reissue, there are four types of Exclamation Mark Blocks (also referred to asSwitch Blocks):[3]Yellow Blocks[4] (orMushroom Blocks),[5]Green Blocks,[6]Red Blocks,[7] andBlue Blocks.[8] They all start out as outlines, more specificallyDotted-Line Blocks.Mario orLuigi can turn every Exclamation Mark Block of a certain color solid by activating its! Switch in the correspondingSwitch Palace. Exclamation Mark Blocks mainly serve as platforms, although the Yellow and Green Blocks always contain a specific power-up too: aSuper Mushroom andCape Feather, respectively. The Red and Blue Blocks do not contain any power-up and only serve as platforms and/or walls.
Super Mario 64 /Super Mario 64 DS[edit]
InSuper Mario 64, all four color variations of ! Block return, each with a distinct purpose. The red, green, and blue ones are collectively calledCap Blocks, and they start the game as transparent outlines. Mario can turn all of them solid if he activates each of their correspondingCap Switches.Yellow blocks[9] (or Yellow Blocks),[10] also named! Boxes,[11] are the equivalent of the common? Blocks in other games.[12] They contain various items, such ascoins, aPower Star, or a1UP Mushroom. Some even contain aKoopa Shell.
InSuper Mario 64 DS's Adventure mode, due tocap changes, the three Cap Blocks were reduced to a type of red ? Block. However, yellow blocks (simply called ! Blocks)[13] retain their role. InVS Mode, a large yellow block called aVS Item Block[14] appears in the coursesSunshine Isles andBattle Fort, and it providesYoshi, Luigi, andWario withWings. In the Korean version, a yellow block appears on the roof of theMushroom Castle, and it grants unlimited1-UPs.[15][better source needed]
Super Mario 3D Land[edit]
Both regular block-sized and large red ! Blocks appear inSuper Mario 3D Land in multiple levels, includingWorld 4-2,World 4-3, andSpecial 4-
Airship. Each time one is hit, it spawns aface block in a specific path, often leading to out-of-reach locations and collectibles, though the blocks disappear after a short time. The ! Block darkens after all of its face blocks have been spawned, and it can be hit again after all of the face blocks have disappeared.
Super Mario 3D World[edit]
- Main article:Switch Block (Super Mario 3D World)
A large red ! Block known as a Switch Block appears inSuper Mario 3D World, and it changestracks when hit.
Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
InSuper Mario Maker 2, giant yellow ! Blocks appear as course elements in theSuper Mario 3D World style. When hit multiple times, they produce giantEmpty Blocks in an identical manner to the? Block towers inSuper Block Land inSuper Mario 3D World. Whenground-pounded, the blocks appear all at once. After a period of time, the blocks disappear. In editing mode, the path in which the blocks form can be set by the player likeSnake Blocks,Clear Pipes, andPiranha Creepers.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder[edit]
Standard-sized ! Blocks return inSuper Mario Bros. Wonder when wearing the Add ! Blocks badge. They will appear in predetermined locations in courses, and may serve as platforms or containcoins or items. In this game they feature a plain look, reminiscent of their appearance inSuper Mario World, with a more rounded exclamation mark instead of the angular design introduced inSuper Mario 3D Land.[16][17] Like? Blocks, ! Blocks turn purple duringWonder Effects. InWelcome to the Flower Kingdom!, a secret area can be reached exclusively by climbing avine from a ! Block.
Hotel Mario[edit]
In a cutscene ofHotel Mario,Luigi kicks a ! Block that then grows abeanstalk in order to reachLemmy's High-ate Regency Hotel.
Wario Land series[edit]
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3[edit]
Both small and large ! Blocks (referred to asswitches)[18] appear inWario Land: Super Mario Land 3, triggering different events when hit. InCourse No.05,Course No.15, andCourse No.38, a ! Block can be found in a small room and causes certain unbreakable blocks in the previous room to disappear. The giant ! Blocks appear instead ofgoal doors at the end ofCourse No.12, Course No.38, andCourse No.39. In Course No.12, activating the giant ! Block causes the lid to fall on top ofMt. Teapot, turningCourse No.10 intoCourse No.13; in Course No.38 and Course No.39, the ! Blocks demolish the outer portions ofSyrup Castle, revealing its core (later revealed to be a statue ofPrincess Toadstool).
Wario Land 4[edit]
InWario Land 4, switches emblazoned with an ! mark turn Dotted-Line Blocks into solid ! Blocks, as well as activating some ladders and semi-solid platforms. They come in red, green or purple colors and activate objects of the same color.
Yoshi's Island series[edit]
InSuper Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (andits GBA reissue),Yoshi's Island DS, andYoshi's New Island, Dotted-Line Blocks temporarily become solid ! Blocks after a nearby Switch is pressed, allowing aYoshi to use them as platforms. In theYoshi's Island DS levelYoshi's Island Easter Eggs, they are referred to as "fickle blocks".
Super Mario-kun[edit]
Several ! Blocks appear inSuper Mario-kun, where their role reflects whatever the volume is adapted from. In volume 16 ofSuper Mario-kun, which is based onSuper Mario 64, they give Mario power-ups the same as in the game.
Mario Party[edit]
! Blocks can also be seen as part of the treasure hoard inside the safe in theMario PartyminigameKey-pa-Way. One of the ! Blocks is purple. Also, in theMushroom Bank, the safe that keeps the items bought from theMushroom Shop resembles a red ! Block. The green ! Block fromSuper Mario 64 is used in theSlot Machine minigame.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
! Blocks appear onPrincess Peach's Castle inSuper Smash Bros. Melee andSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, where they, alongside two same-colored platforms, appear for a brief time after the player presses a switch of the same color (red, blue, or green). They release items when hit or touched, becoming empty upon doing so. In addition, the green block fromSuper Mario 64 appears as theMetal Box item in theSuper Smash Bros. series starting withSuper Smash Bros. Melee.
Mario & Luigi series[edit]
A few ! Blocks (calledSwitch Blocks inMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga[19] andEvent Blocks inMario & Luigi: Partners in Time[20]) are objects in every game of theMario & Luigi series. They have various functions and can activate events. Purple-colored ! Blocks are introduced in these games, and they have varying effects.
These blocks are colored orange inMario & Luigi: Dream Team andMario & Luigi: Paper Jam. InDream Team, thePi'illo Castle underground section has two ! Blocks which, after being hit, duplicate and turn purple with gray Pi'illo insignias. The first challenge with them involves finding which of the insignia has the logo rotating differently. For the second challenge, one block will flash colors, then be shuffled with two others. Hitting the right block in both cases allows Mario and Luigi to progress.
Three special ! Blocks inMario & Luigi: Partners in Time are used to create three giant ! Blocks onYoshi's Island and destroy giant ! Blocks of the same color inThwomp Caverns, allowing the Mario quartet to traverse farther down the volcano. The blue variety later appears in theStar Shrine, where it would change color depending on whetherBaby Mario orBaby Luigi hit it.
Super Princess Peach[edit]
! Blocks, coming in a pink version of theirSuper Mario 64 appearance, also appear inSuper Princess Peach, where they each contain a trappedToad that needs to be rescued. There are three in each level, and each Toad needs to rescued in order to complete the game. The Toad's cry for help can also be faintly heard when the player is near the block. Orange ! Blocks with an original design also appear, and they serve as switches to toggle certain platforms.
Yoshi's Woolly World /Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World[edit]
InYoshi's Woolly World and itsNintendo 3DS version, ! Blocks function identically as in theYoshi's Island series.
Minecraft[edit]
In the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack inMinecraft, a yellow block fromSuper Mario 64 appears as a painting, along with the red, green, and blue Cap Blocks. 3D pixel art of red and orange ! Blocks appears in the world premade for the pack.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie[edit]
InThe Super Mario Bros. Movie, yellow ! Blocks can be seen inside the antiques shop.
Mario Kart Tour[edit]
A green ! Block replaces theGreen Fuel brand in one of the advertisements inWii Moonview Highway.
Profiles[edit]
Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2[edit]
- Prima Games: "Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue Switch Blocks are not solid and appear only as outlines when you first see them. When you hit the Switch in the appropriate Switch Palace, however, the outlined blocks become solid blocks of that color with exclamation points on them. They often allow you to reach areas you couldn’t normally get to."[3]
Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
- North American website bio: "The ! Block extends when hit. Ground pound to expand it faster."
Gallery[edit]
Naming[edit]
Internal names[edit]
| Game | File | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yoshi's New Island | G:/content0.game/romfs/obj.bch.z | obj_blk_switch01a | Switch Block; comparearrow block |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ビックリブロック[21][22] Bikkuri Burokku | Surprise Block | |
| きいろいブロック[23] Kiiroi Burokku | Yellow Block | Super Mario 64 | |
| 黄色いブロック[24] Kiiroi Burokku | |||
| オレンジブロック[25] Orenji Burokku | Orange Block | Super Mario 64 DS | |
| 「!」ブロック[26] 「!」 Burokku | “!” Block | Super Princess Peach | |
| Chinese(Simplified) | !砖块[22] ! Zhuānkuài | ! Block | |
| Chinese(Traditional) | !磚塊[22][36] ! Zhuānkuài | ! Block | |
| Dutch | !-blok[22] | ! Block | |
| French | Bloc en point d'exclamation[?] | Exclamation mark block | |
| Bloc ![22] | ! Block | Super Mario Maker 2 | |
| German | !-Block[22] | - | |
| Italian | Blocco ![22] | ! block | |
| Blocco "!" giallo[34] | Yellow ! block | ||
| Pulsante ![?] | ! Switch | Wario Land 4 | |
| Korean | !블록[22][37] ! Beullok | ! Block | |
| Portuguese(Brazilian) | Bloco de Exclamação[?] | Exclamation Block | |
| Portuguese(European) | Bloco ![35] | ! block | |
| Russian | Блок «!»[22] Blok «!» | Block "!" | |
| Spanish | Bloque ![22][27][28] | ! block | |
| Bloque ! azul[29] | Blue ! Block | ||
| Bloque ! Rojo[30] | Red ! Block | ||
| Bloque ! Amarillo[31] | Yellow ! Block | ||
| Bloque ! Verde[32] | Green ! Block | ||
| Bloque Interruptor[33] | Switch Block |
Notes[edit]
- In somepre-release versions ofNew Super Mario Bros., a yellow block fromSuper Mario 64 can be seen, automatically switched to agreen block from the same game if hit.[38]
- InNew Super Mario Bros. Wii, there is a red! Switch, which activatesRed Blocks, that acts similarly to the ones inSuper Mario World, but there are no "!" symbols on them.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^1991.Super Mario World instruction booklet. Redmond:Nintendo of America (American English). Page 21.
- ^"The ! Platforms will flash on and off after you stomp a Switch, giving you time to jump through them to another Switch." – Williams, Drew (2002).Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 Player's Guide.Nintendo of America (American English). ISBN1-930206-25-9. Page 126.
- ^abStratton, Bryan (February 26, 2002).Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 Prima’s Official Strategy Guide.Prima Games (American English). ISBN0-7615-3913-1. Page 17.
- ^August 1991.Mario Mania Player's Guide.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 58.
- ^September 1991.Nintendo Power Volume 28.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 18.
- ^August 1991.Mario Mania Player's Guide.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 125.
- ^August 1991.Mario Mania Player's Guide.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 98.
- ^August 1991.Mario Mania Player's Guide.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 107.
- ^1996.Super Mario 64 English instruction booklet. Redmond, WA:Nintendo of America (American English). Page 18.
- ^1996.Super Mario 64 Player's Guide.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 21, 69, 80, 92, 96, 108, and 127.
- ^1996.Super Mario 64 Player's Guide.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 8.
- ^Nintendo of America (August 19, 2024).Nintendo Museum Direct.YouTube (English). Retrieved August 20, 2024.
- ^2004.Super Mario 64 DS instruction booklet.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 29.
- ^Super Mario 64 DS internal object name (VS_ITEM_BLOCK)
- ^Video showing the ! Block in the Korean version ofSuper Mario 64 DS.Naver. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
- ^GameSpot (August 31, 2023).Super Mario Bros. Wonder Preview.YouTube. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
- ^IGN (August 31, 2023).Super Mario Bros. Wonder: The First Preview.YouTube (English). Retrieved September 18, 2023.
- ^Tilden, Gail, et al. (March 1994).Nintendo Power Volume 58.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 80, 83, and 88.
- ^Thomason, Steve (2003).Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga Player's Guide.Nintendo of America (American English). ISBN1-930206-43-7. Page 11.
- ^Hoffman, Chris (November 18, 2005).Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time Player's Guide.Nintendo of America (American English). ISBN1-59812-006-9. Page 10.
- ^Sakai, Kazuya (Ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors (October 19, 2015). 『スーパーマリオブラザーズ百科: 任天堂公式ガイドブック』. Tokyo:Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN978-4-09-106569-8. Page 61, 186.
- ^abcdefghijFebruary 6, 2024. Super Mario Maker 2 text dump. Version 3.0.3. MessageBikkuriBlock on sheetReferenceMsg/PartsIconName.
- ^1996. スーパーマリオ
64 (Sūpā Mario Rokujūyon) instruction booklet.Nintendo (Japanese). Page 18. - ^---- (2015). "Super Mario 64."『スーパーマリオブラザーズ百科: 任天堂公式ガイドブック』. Tokyo:Shogakukan (Japanese). Page 91.
- ^2004. スーパーマリオ64DS (Sūpā Mario 64 DS) instruction booklet.Nintendo (Japanese). Page 29.
- ^Okamoto, Daisuke, and Norio Ando (STF) (2006). 『スーパー プリンセスピーチ任天堂公式ガイドブック』. Tokyo:Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN4-09-106268-7. Page 46.
- ^2017. "Super Mario World" inEnciclopedia Super Mario Bros 30ª Aniversario. Madrid:Planeta Cómic (Spanish). ISBN978-84-9146-223-1. Page 61.
- ^2017. "Super Mario 3D Land" inEnciclopedia Super Mario Bros 30ª Aniversario. Madrid:Planeta Cómic (Spanish). ISBN978-84-9146-223-1. Page 186.
- ^2017. "Super Mario 64" inEnciclopedia Super Mario Bros 30ª Aniversario. Madrid:Planeta Cómic (Spanish). ISBN978-84-9146-223-1. Page 91.
- ^2017. "Super Mario 64" inEnciclopedia Super Mario Bros 30ª Aniversario. Madrid:Planeta Cómic (Spanish). ISBN978-84-9146-223-1. Page 91.
- ^2017. "Super Mario 64" inEnciclopedia Super Mario Bros 30ª Aniversario. Madrid:Planeta Cómic (Spanish). ISBN978-84-9146-223-1. Page 91.
- ^2017. "Super Mario 64" inEnciclopedia Super Mario Bros 30ª Aniversario. Madrid:Planeta Cómic (Spanish). ISBN978-84-9146-223-1. Page 92.
- ^2017. "Super Mario 3D World" inEnciclopedia Super Mario Bros 30ª Aniversario. Madrid:Planeta Cómic (Spanish). ISBN978-84-9146-223-1. Page 232.
- ^November 15, 2018.Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia.Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN889367436X. Page 91.
- ^Nintendo Portugal (May 15, 2019).Super Mario Maker 2 Direct - 15/05/2019.YouTube (Portuguese). Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^Official traditional Chinese website forSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. Traditional Chinese. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
- ^한국닌텐도 공식 채널 (May 16, 2019).슈퍼 마리오 메이커 2 Direct 2019.5.16.YouTube (Korean). Retrieved November 11, 2022.
- ^November 1, 2009.NSMB E3 - Early Prototype (0:51).YouTube. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- Blocks
- Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga objects
- Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time objects
- Mario Pinball Land objects
- Super Mario 3D Land objects
- Super Mario 64 objects
- Super Mario 64 DS objects
- Super Mario Maker 2 objects
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder objects
- Super Mario World objects
- Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island objects
- Super Princess Peach objects
- Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 objects
- Yoshi's Island DS objects
- Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
- Yoshi's New Island objects
- Yoshi's Woolly World objects
























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