! Switch
| ! Switch | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Artwork fromYoshi's Island DS | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario World (1990) | ||
| Latest appearance | Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2025) | ||
| Effect | Triggers an effect to change the stage in some way | ||
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A! Switch[1][2][3] (or!-Switch),[4] also known as a! Switch Block[5] or simply aswitch, is a type ofSwitch Block first seen inSuper Mario World. ! Switches usually either turnblocks solid or affect the environment in some capacity.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario World /Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2[edit]
Each of the fourSwitch Palaces inSuper Mario World andits reissue features a differently colored ! Switch (simply referred to as a "big switch" in the manual[6] and also known as aSwitch[7]) of a different color, in the order ofYellow Switch,[8]:56 theGreen Switch,[8]:67 theRed Switch,[8]:82 or theBlue Switch.[8]:108 They turn everyDotted-Line Block of the same color into anExclamation Mark Block. Pressing in the originalSuper Mario World the instant a switch is pressed keeps them in midair while a message is displayed for activating it.[9]
Super Mario 64 /Super Mario 64 DS[edit]
Super Mario 64 features two types of ! Switches.Purple Switches[10] (orPurple Exclamation Switches)[11] appear in most courses and are flat and rectangular in shape, being colored plum inSuper Mario 64 and later dark red inSuper Mario 64 DS. Purple Switches usually cause either breakable platforms to appear or make it possible to bypass terrain. A Purple Switch makes a ticking sound indicating its effects and sounds increasingly fast until the effects expire. The original version also has threeCap Switches, which are shaped like ! Switches in the previous game and similarly make a certain type of block usable,Cap Blocks.Super Mario 64 DS integrates the functions of the three ! Switches into one red? Switch and adds another variation, theStar Switch.
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
Small yellow !-Switches are in threeWorld-e levels ofSuper Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3:Doors o' Plenty,A Sky-High Adventure, andSea to Sky. Pressing them turns every Dotted-Line Block into ! Blocks temporarily. They can be carried, similar toSwitch Blocks, though they can be activated more than once.
New Super Mario Bros.[edit]
Every ! Switch is red inNew Super Mario Bros., temporarily making every Dotted-Line Block into aRed Block.
The Purple Switch fromSuper Mario 64 exists as anunused object in the files.
Super Mario Galaxy /Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]
- Main article:Blue switch (Super Mario Galaxy)
There are ! Switches titledblue switches, a type ofGround-Pound Switch inSuper Mario Galaxy,Super Mario Galaxy 2, andSuper Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 with a temporary effect indicated by a timer noise.
Anunused model of a red checkpoint ! Switch is in the files ofSuper Mario Galaxy.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]
! Switches appear inNew Super Mario Bros. Wii. Activating one inWorld 3 makes every Red Block usable inWorld 3-4 andWorld 3-5, though a different one nearby deactivates them. A ! Switch functions in place of anaxe during the final battle withBowser, causing him to fall, and alarge ! Switch is later into the battle, defeating Bowser completely.
New Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]
Red ! Switches are single-use objects inNew Super Mario Bros. 2. They usually causecoins to appear, but they do appear in various fights against Bowser, including the final one,Dry Bowser inWorld Star, and in thethird course of theGold Classics Pack.
New Super Mario Bros. U /New Super Luigi U /New Super Mario Bros. Deluxe[edit]
The map ofRock-Candy Mines inNew Super Mario Bros. U has red and blue switches similar to ! Switches, and one functions in the battle against Bowser the same as inNew Super Mario Bros. Wii.
Super Mario Run[edit]
! Switches are yellow inSuper Mario Run, although Red Blocks are formed fromDotted-Line Blocks temporarily.Scuttlebug Forest has some ! Switches that cause coins to dangle from strings temporarily.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder[edit]
There is only one ! Switch inSuper Mario Bros. Wonder, found in the second10-flower coin room ofThe Midway Trial: Hop to It. Having aHoppycat press the ! Switch causes a line of yellow blocks to form overspikes temporarily, then the player character has a chance to get the 10-flower coin. There is also alarge ! Switch under the chin ofWonder Bowser.
Yoshi's Island series[edit]
Switches[12][13][14][15] appear in every installment of theYoshi's Island series:Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (andits reissue),Yoshi's Island DS,Yoshi's New Island. Jumping on them causes theDotted-Line Blocks to transform into red! Blocks. These allow theYoshis to cross obstacles such aspits and spikes, or reach otherwise inaccessible areas. Pressing these switches also occasionally causes a warp to a bonus area to appear, indicated by a red arrow above it.Yoshi's Story instead features the? Switch, which has a similar role to the latter function.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars[edit]
Green Exclamation Switches[16] are circular and have a flat top inSuper Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. One inKero Sewers drains the water in the main portion, andBelome stands on another with more water contained behind a lock. A switch is also found in a house ofRose Town and activates the stairway to it.Booster Tower has a switch that opens a path inBooster Pass. Belome stands on a different switch inBelome Temple, now causing a door toMonstro Town to be closed. Several switches are in one ofDr. Topper's puzzles inBowser's Keep, where pressing them is required. There is lastly a switch in theFactory that activates a crane toSmithy's workshop.
Wario Land 4[edit]

Three colored blocks are inWario Land 4, and these"!" Buttons[17] (orExclamation Switches[18]) similarly solidify whenWario hits them from below and often appear inpink areas.
Paper Mario series[edit]
Paper Mario[edit]
InPaper Mario, switches trigger various events when hit or jumped on and are often involved in puzzles. The standard dome-shaped switches appear in blue and red. Blue switches can only be used once, normally for opening passages of some kind, while the red switches can be used an unlimited amount of times, and are normally used for moving important objects.
In the prologue, theGoomba King warnsMario not to press a blue switch, claiming it is "dangerous". However, Mario presses it, theGoomba King's Fortress turns into a bridge, and the Goomba King andGoomba Bros. are thrown away. In Chapter 1, Mario has to useKooper to press switches that appear over gaps. InDry Dry Ruins, flat, stone, square off-pink colored ones appear in certain rooms and are used to drain sand, or in one case cause stairs to emerge from a wall. Similar switches without the exclamation mark are used to rotate stairways.
In the basement ofBoo's Mansion, a giant-sized switch appears, and must be triggered using aSpin Jump to make the stairs appear. In Chapter 6, a series of paired stone elevators appear with flat, square switches on top in red, green, and purple and must be navigated to reach thePuff Puff Machine; these also must be pressed with a Spin Jump.
In Chapter 7, a flat, circular green one nearly identical to the ones inSuper Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, called afloor switch byGoombario, appears onShiver Mountain and is used to raise a platform of icy ground. Additionally, more flat square switches which change color when slammed are used to switch between doors in theCrystal Palace, and Mario needsBombette for two round red switches that activate a rotating door in the same area. Finally, Bowser uses another green floor switch to remove the bridge to thePower Platform once Mario and his team have boarded, triggering the final battle.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[edit]
Switches make appearances in several parts ofPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, appearing as red or blue like the previous, as well as retaining its usual functionality of hitting blue switches once and red switches for an unlimited amount of time. Standard switches in this game are now cube-shaped. On rare occasions, they float in the air as blocks and must be jumped at to activate.
InPetal Meadows, Mario has to hit two blue switches with circular insides, calledtandem switches (which appear after retrieving thetwo StoneKeys inShhwonk Fortress), simultaneously to activate theWarp Pipe toHooktail Castle; he accomplishes this by utilizingKoops's hold ability.
There are also black and white switches found inthe Great Tree.Mario and company push the black switch to reveal four white switches in the room where Mario found the blue key to free the otherPunies. Mario has to hit the white switches in this order: Sun, Moon, Puni, and Star to retrieve theSuper Boots. Also in the Great Tree is a light-blue colored flat switch (simply called a "typical switch" byGoombella) which causes a standard blue switch to move underwater whenever it is depressed. Koops' hold ability again must be used to hit the switch when it comes back out.
A giantsuper switch appears outside the juice bar inGlitzville. Mario needs to perform a Spin Jump on it to activate it, allowing him to reach the roof. More super switches appear inRogueport Underground, and cause blue pipes to appear when triggered.
Switches with numbers inside appear in the lower floors of theRiverside Station. Mario and friends have to defeat threeGoombas guarding them to access them. The left switch has to be hit 3 times, the center switch has to be hit 10 times and the right switch only has to be hit once. Hitting the switches the correct amount of times will make them flash red until the last switch is hit. After all the switches are hit, the switches will vanish, opening a staircase leading Mario and friends to theUltra Boots, as well as aShine Sprite. Goombella cannot tattle these switches.
Seven red switches found in thePalace of Shadow are the only red switches that can only be used once. They move a wheel allowingMario and his friends to get to theShadow Queen's throne room and crypt. From left to right, hitting the first, third, fourth and sixth switches, as noted by the stars underneath the wheel, will activate it.
- Tattles
- "That's just a normal switch. Stomp on it or whack it to flip the switch."
- "That's a super switch. Do a Spin Jump above it to activate it."
- "That's a Lift Switch. Hit it to ride a Lift Block of the same color."
Super Paper Mario[edit]
Red and blue switches appear inSuper Paper Mario similarly as before. Floating block versions are uncovered by thePixlFleep. A standard blue switch can be activated to spawn a giant red switch on the floor ofYold Ruins, causingSpiky Tromps to fall into a large pit and opening access to a door.Flopside similarly has one near aHeart Pillar. Switches changing between blue and pink appear inThe Dotwood Tree, spawning platforms of the same color but removing those of the other color. Four switches inFloro Caverns change between black, white, blue, and red, and changing them is required to match nearby portraits ofFloro Sapien royalty.
Super Mario-kun[edit]
! Switches appear several times inSuper Mario-kun. In one instance, the switch is used to defeat Rex. In another instance, a Reznor knocks Mario onto a building shaped like the ! Switch. After defeating the Reznor, Mario is shown to be exasperated at a set of invisible blocks, which require a ! Switch to activate.
Mario Pinball Land[edit]
Mario Pinball Land includes theRed Switch,[19]:23 found in every level, and theBlue Switch,[19] appearing in theGrassy Greens Stage, the Bob-omb minigame within the blueToad's tent, and the boss fight against Bowser. Both types of switches give 3,000points when activated. The Red Switch spawns eightRed Coins temporarily, but the player can activate it again afterward until Mario gets aStar, turning the deactivated switch into a red! Block with aSpecial Egg. The Blue Switch functions differently by location, including by making the windmill more easily accessible in the Grassy Greens Stage, making cannons shoot a Bob-omb if activated while flashing, and droppingThwomps during the Bowser battle temporarily, obstructing him.
Mario Party 6[edit]
A non-functional green, a yellow, and a red ! Switch are displayed inside ofOrb huts inMario Party 6.
Super Princess Peach[edit]
Switches are found in theFury Volcano stages and certain secret stages inSuper Princess Peach. They can be activated while theRagevibe is in effect. There are orange, floating, block-like switches that can turn on or off, and they appear blue inWavy Beach.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story /Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey[edit]
There are many ! Switches inMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and itsremake. They can only be activated usingBowser'sBody Slam attack. ! Switches are pink (red in the remake) and transparent but otherwise use their design fromSuper Mario 64. ! Switches have various effects, like opening doors or spawning platforms, then they become grayed, meaning they are no longer usable.
Yoshi's Woolly World /Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World[edit]
Red and yellow ! Switches are inYoshi's Woolly World andPoochy & Yoshi's Woolly World. The red ! Switches work the same as in theYoshi's Island series. The yellow type, found only inPerils of the Perplexing Pyramid, works the opposite by turning yellow ! Blocks back into Dotted Line Blocks.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
Several red, blue, and yellow ! Switches appear inWorld of Light ofSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, most prominently within theMolten Fortress. They cause ! Blocks to appear, creating functional bridges composed of ! Blocks.
Unused appearances[edit]
Paper Mario: Sticker Star[edit]
Blue ! Switches were intended to appear inPaper Mario: Sticker Star but were removed from the game.
Profiles[edit]
Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3[edit]
- Instruction booklet description:
- English (United Kingdom):
Step on these to reveal hidden objects and cause other special things to happen.[page number needed]
- English (United Kingdom):
Gallery[edit]
- For this subject's image gallery, seeGallery:! Switch.
A Purple Switch in theHazy Maze Cave inSuper Mario 64
A Purple Switch inRainbow Ride
A sand-draining switch fromPaper Mario
The Yellow Switch fromSuper Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2
The Purple Switch as it appears inSuper Mario 64 DS
Anunused checkpoint ! Switch fromSuper Mario Galaxy
The red ! Switch fromNew Super Mario Bros. Wii
The red ! Switch fromNew Super Mario Bros. 2
The yellow switch fromSuper Mario Run
Names in other languages[edit]
! Switch[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ビックリスイッチ[20] Bikkuri Suitchi | Surprise Switch | Super Mario World,New Super Mario Bros. series |
| スイッチ[21][22][23][24][25][26] Suitchi | Switch | ||
| [﹗]ボタン[27] [﹗] Botan | [!] Button | Wario Land Advance | |
| スイッチブロック[28] Suitchi Burokku | Switch Block | New Super Mario Bros., shared withP Switch and? Switch | |
| Chinese | 开关[?] Kāiguān | Switch | |
| French | Interrupteur ![?] | ! Switch | |
| German | !-Schalter[?] | ! Switch | |
| Italian | Interruttore ![?] | ! Switch | |
| Interruttore[29] | Switch | Super Mario 64 | |
| Portuguese | Interruptor ![?] | ! Switch | |
| Bloco de Mudança ![?] | ! Change Block | New Super Mario Bros. | |
| Russian | Переключатель[?] Pereklyuchatel' | Switch |
Floor switch[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ゆかの スイッチ[25] Yuka no Suitchi | Floor Switch |
Super switch[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | スーパースイッチ[26] Sūpā Suitchi | Super Switch | Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door |
| 大きいスイッチ[25] Ōkii Suitchi | Big Switch | Paper Mario |
Blue Switch[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | Ao Suitchi | Blue Switch |
Red Switch[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | Aka Suitchi | Red Switch |
References[edit]
- ^Bueno, Fernando (November 15, 2009).New Super Mario Bros. Wii: PRIMA Official Game Guide.Prima Games (American English). ISBN978-0-307-46592-4. Page 67 and 171.
- ^von Esmarch, Nick (2012).New Super Mario Bros. 2 PRIMA Official Game Guide.Prima Games (American English). ISBN978-0-307-89552-3. Page 86, 87, 142, 168, 228.
- ^Stratton, Steve (November 18, 2012).New Super Mario Bros. U PRIMA Official Game Guide.Prima Games (American English). ISBN978-0-307-89690-2. Page 201.
- ^Hodgson, David S J (October 21, 2003).Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 Prima's Official Strategy Guide.Prima Games (American English). ISBN0-7615-4425-8. Page 122.
- ^2012.New Super Mario Bros. European instruction booklet (PDF).Nintendo of Europe (British English). Page 18.
- ^Super Mario World English instruction booklet. Page 21.
- ^September 1991.Nintendo Power Volume 28.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 14 and 22.
- ^abcdAugust 1991.Mario Mania Player's Guide.Nintendo of America (American English).
- ^February 12, 2022.Yump.Super Mario World Speedrunning Wiki. Retrieved July 17, 2023. (Archived July 17, 2023, 23:25:45 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^1996.Super Mario 64 Player's Guide.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 18.
- ^"Bowser in the Dark World"Nintendo: Super Mario 64 Strategy.nintendo.com (American English). Archived February 24, 1998, 21:11:56 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
- ^1995.Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island instruction booklet (PDF).Nintendo of America (American English). Page 17.
- ^2002.Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 instruction booklet (PDF).Nintendo of Europe (British English). Page 11.
- ^2006.Yoshi's Island DS instruction booklet (PDF).Nintendo of Europe (British English). Page 17.
- ^Yoshi's New Island digital manual (PDF). Page 13.
- ^Get the second Star Piece.Nintendo: Super Mario RPG Strategy (American English). Archived February 24, 1998, 20:08:51 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
- ^2001.Wario Land 4 instruction booklet.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 26.
- ^Fall 2001.Nintendo Power Advance V.3.Nintendo Power (American English). Page 53.
- ^ab2004.Mario Pinball Land instruction booklet (PDF).Nintendo of America (American English). Page 23.
- ^Sakai, Kazuya (Ambit) et al. (October 19, 2015).Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook.Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN978-4-09-106569-8. Page 61, 119, 151, 201, and 216.
- ^Super Mario World Japanese instruction booklet, Switch Palace section (PDF).Nintendo (Japanese). Page 25.
- ^1995.Super Mario: Yossy Island instruction booklet (PDF).Nintendo (Japanese). Page 16.
- ^2006.ヨッシーアイランドDS (Yosshī Airando DS) instruction booklet (PDF).Nintendo (Japanese). Page 15.
- ^2014.Yoshi New Island digital manual (PDF).Nintendo (Japanese). Page 15.
- ^abcTattle inPaper Mario
- ^abTattle inPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
- ^2001.Wario Land Advance Japanese instruction booklet.Nintendo (Japanese). Page 22.
- ^2006.
New スーパーマリオブラザーズ (Nyū Sūpā Mario Burazāzu) instruction booklet (PDF).Nintendo (Japanese). Page 17. - ^November 15, 2018.Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia.Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN889367436X. Page 92.
- ^2004.Super Mario Ball instruction booklet (PDF).Nintendo (Japanese). Page 16.
- ^2004.Super Mario Ball instruction booklet (PDF).Nintendo (Japanese). Page 18.
- Switches
- Mario Pinball Land objects
- New Super Luigi U objects
- New Super Mario Bros. objects
- New Super Mario Bros. 2 objects
- New Super Mario Bros. U objects
- New Super Mario Bros. Wii objects
- Paper Mario objects
- Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door objects
- Super Mario 64 objects
- Super Mario 64 DS objects
- Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 objects
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder objects
- Super Mario Run objects
- Super Mario World objects
- Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island objects
- Super Paper Mario objects
- Super Princess Peach objects
- Wario Land 4 objects
- Yoshi's Island DS objects
- Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
- Yoshi's New Island objects
- Yoshi's Woolly World objects
















