Blinking Block
- "Beat Block" redirects here. For the galaxy of the same name, seeBeat Block Galaxy.
| Blinking Block | |
|---|---|
 Artwork fromSuper Mario 3D World | |
| First appearance | Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010) |
| Latest appearance | Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2025) |
| Effect | Shifts position with another block in time with the music |
- “The red and blue blocks switch back and forth, so pay close attention to the timing.”
- —Doctor Gizmo,Super Mario Maker 2
Blinking Blocks (also known asBeat Blocks orBeep Blocks) are a type ofblock found in the 3DSuper Mario series. Blinking Blocks alternate between solid blocks and intangible outlines of various colors to the beat of in-game music. Because of this, Blinking Blocks function both as platforms that the player character can safely stand on when solid and as dangerous pitfalls in their "vanished" state. Depending on the game, both the physical appearance and functions of Blinking Blocks differ.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]
Beat Blocks are first seen inSuper Mario Galaxy 2, appearing exclusively inBeat Block Galaxy. In this appearance, all Beat Blocks are cube-shaped and alternate between yellow and green. The player'sWii Remote also beeps three times before the Beat Blocks switch. Due to the effects of theDouble Time Comet, the missionSilver Stars in Double Time causes the Beat Blocks to alternate at four times their regular speed (despite the mission's name).
Super Mario 3D Land[edit]
Beat Blocks return inSuper Mario 3D Land, appearing inWorld 6-4,Special 3-5, andSpecial 7-2. In this appearance, Beat Blocks come in an assortment of shapes and are now red, yellow, and blue. In World 6-4 and Special 7-2, all three colors appear one by one, then vanish in the same manner, leaving periods where all or none of the Beat Blocks appear solid. However, in Special 3-5, the blocks alternate between one color each time.
Super Mario 3D World /Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[edit]
Beat Blocks return inSuper Mario 3D World andSuper Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury as they appeared inSuper Mario Galaxy 2, where they are now known as Beep Blocks. They alternate between blue- and pink-colored blocks. Laterlevels also include Beep Blocks in quadruple time, namedBlast Blocks. When they are in quadruple time, the frequency of alternating between different blocks is the same as the frequency of Beat Blocks' alternation under the orbit of thePrankster Comet inSuper Mario Galaxy 2. Beep Blocks also appear in levels where the song has different beats per minute (such asChampion's Road), but they still alternate in the beat of the original song's BPM (fromBeep Block Skyway andBlast Block Skyway).
Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
Beep Blocks, now known as Blinking Blocks, return inSuper Mario Maker 2 in theSuper Mario 3D World style, behaving the same as in past appearances. However, they now alternate independently from the music, doing so every four seconds instead. They are also notably smaller than in other games, now being the same size as? Blocks.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker[edit]
Beep Blocks reappear inCaptain Toad: Treasure Tracker andits Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS ports in the stageBeep Block Sky Plaza. They are identical in appearance and behavior to those inSuper Mario 3D World, but many of them includeladders that do not disappear to allowCaptain Toad, who cannotjump, to climb them.
Profiles[edit]
Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
- North American website bio:"Blinking Blocks phase in and out. Make sure to carefully time those jumps!"
Gallery[edit]
Screenshot fromSuper Mario Galaxy 2
Screenshot fromSuper Mario Galaxy 2
Screenshot fromSuper Mario 3D Land
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | チカチカブロック[1] Chikachika Burokku | Flickering Block | Super Mario Galaxy 2 |
| リズム床[2] Rizumu Yuka | Rhythm Floor | Super Mario 3D Land | |
| 点滅ブロック[3] Tenmetsu Burokku | Blinking Block | Super Mario 3D World | |
| てんめつブロック[?] Tenmetsu Burokku | Super Mario Maker 2 | ||
| Chinese(Simplified) | 闪烁砖块[?] Shǎnshuò Zhuānkuài | Flickering Block | |
| Chinese(Traditional) | 炫目方塊[?] Xuànmù Fāngkuài | Dazzling Cube | Super Mario Galaxy 2 |
| 閃爍磚塊[4] Shǎnshuò Zhuānkuài | Flickering Block | Super Mario Maker 2 | |
| Dutch | Knipperblok[?] | Blinking Block | Super Mario Maker 2 |
| French(Canadian) | Blocs tic-tac[?] | Tick-Tock Blocks | Super Mario Galaxy 2 |
| Bloc intermittent[?] | Sporadic Block | Super Mario Maker 2 | |
| French(European) | Blocs tac-tic[?] | Tock-Tick Blocks (also a pun ontactic) | Super Mario Galaxy 2 |
| Bloc intermittent[?] | Sporadic Block | Super Mario Maker 2 | |
| German | Ticktack-Block[?] | Tick-Tock Block | Super Mario Galaxy 2 |
| Rhythmusboden[?] | Rhythm Floor | Super Mario 3D Land | |
| Blink-Block[?] | Blinking Block | newer games | |
| Italian | Blocchi Ritmici[?] | Rhythmic Blocks | Super Mario Galaxy 2 |
| Blocco intermittente[?] | Intermittent block | Super Mario Maker 2 | |
| Korean | 깜빡블록[6] Kkamppak-beullok | Blinking Block | |
| Portuguese(European) | Bloco intermitente[5] | Intermittent Block | |
| Russian | Мерцающий блок[?] Mertsayushchiy blok | Flickering Block | |
| Spanish | Bloque Rítmico[?] | Rhythmic Block | |
| Bloque Parpadeante[?] | Blinking Block | ||
| Bloque Alternante[?] | Alternating Block |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Sakai, Kazuya (Ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors (2015). "Super Mario Galaxy 2."『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 170.
- ^---- (2015). "Super Mario 3D Land."『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 186.
- ^---- (2015). "Super Mario 3D World."『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 233.
- ^Nintendo HK. (May 17, 2019).《Super Mario Maker 2 (超級瑪利歐創作家 2)》Direct 2019.5.16.YouTube. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
- ^Nintendo Portugal. (May 15, 2019).Super Mario Maker 2 Direct - 15/05/2019.YouTube. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
- ^한국닌텐도 공식 채널 (May 16, 2019).슈퍼 마리오 메이커 2 Direct 2019.5.16.YouTube. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
