Cannonball
- This article is about the projectile weapon found in multiple platformers, typically as an obstacle. For other uses, seeCannonball (disambiguation).
| Cannonball | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork of a Cannonball fromSuper Mario Run | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) | ||
| Latest appearance | Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2025) | ||
| |||
| |||
| |||
- “When cannon balls are raining down on you, I suggest you look for a way past who's responsible.”
- —Cranky Kong,Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Cannonballs appear in theSuper Mario franchise as heavy metal spheres that are launched fromcannons, and can bestomped on in midair to stop them from moving.
History[edit]
This section is astub. Please considerexpanding it to include any missing information.Specifics: Add information on missing games, including theMario Party series,Yoshi's Island, andMario vs. Donkey Kong, as well asThe Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 episodes
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
Cannonballs inSuper Mario Bros. 3 are fired from various cannons mounted onBowser'stanks,boats, andairships. Cannonballs in the game also havegiant variations that are fired frombig guns. UnlikeBullet Bills, they are immune toHammer Mario'shammers.
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins[edit]
Cannonballs inSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins are fired byBomubomu and appear in gray or black, depending on the location.
Super Mario Galaxy[edit]
Cannonballs inSuper Mario Galaxy bear a unique design sporting a white line around their center and two yellow circles on opposite sides. They are regularly fired from cannons built into the level geometry. One notable difference withSuper Mario Galaxy's cannonballs is that rather than simply colliding with Mario or Luigi, they explode upon impact. This will knock Mario down and may also result in him being thrown off a platform or into ablack hole. They can be destroyed by eitherjumping on them or shooting them with aStar Bit. The first three cannonballs originating from the same cannon to be destroyed this way produce acoin each.
Cannonballs appear in the following list of galaxies and missions. If no mission is stated, cannonballs appear during all missions:
- Battlerock Galaxy ("Battlerock Barrage", "Purple Coins on the Battlerock", "Luigi under the Saucer")
- Sling Pod Galaxy
- Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada
- Gusty Garden Galaxy ("Gusty Garden's Gravity Scramble")
- Dreadnought Galaxy (all missions but "Dreadnought's Garbage Dump")
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]
Cannonballs inNew Super Mario Bros. Wii appear only inWorld 8-
Airship. Thegiant cannonballs also return fromSuper Mario Bros. 3. Since the cannons are always found in a group, there is a high chance for the player to earn endless1-Ups by jumping on each cannonball consecutively without touching the ground.
Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]
Cannonballs inSuper Mario Galaxy 2 and its Nintendo Switchport appear only inFleet Glide Galaxy, and function the same as inSuper Mario Galaxy.
New Super Mario Bros. U[edit]
Cannonballs and giant cannonballs inNew Super Mario Bros. U act just like in previous sidescrolling installments in theSuper Mario series. They can only be found inThe Mighty Cannonship, fromSoda Jungle. There is also a Challenge calledAirship 1-Up Rally, which consists of jumping on many cannonballs without falling to receive many 1-Ups. Cannonballs do not reappear inNew Super Luigi U.
Super Mario 3D World[edit]
Cannonballs appear again inSuper Mario 3D World, in which they are fired out of cannons andCannon Boxes.
Super Mario Maker series[edit]
Cannonballs inSuper Mario Maker,its Nintendo 3DS version, andSuper Mario Maker 2 are fired from cannons, as usual, and shaking a cannon will make it produce red cannonballs, which are much faster than normal ones. When aMushroom is dragged onto a cannon, it will become a giant cannon capable of shootinggiant cannonballs.
In the version 3.0.0 update forSuper Mario Maker 2 the Cannon Box was added as a power-up.
Super Mario Run[edit]
Cannonballs inSuper Mario Run behave similarly as inSuper Mario Bros. 3, and appear in the levelsAirship Cannons...Fire!,Airship Armada, andSecret Course 10.
Super Mario Odyssey[edit]
Cannonballs inSuper Mario Odyssey are launched fromBowser'sairship at theOdyssey in the cutscene that plays afterMario's first boss battle atNimbus Arena. The resulting impact of the cannonballs causes the ship to crash, leaving Mario stranded withCappy in theLost Kingdom.
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
Cannonballs occasionally appear in several episodes ofThe Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3.
Mario is Missing![edit]
InMario is Missing!,Luigi has to returnthe cannonball of theEmperor's Cannon to theKremlin. It had been stolen byKoopa Troopas.
Donkey Kong Country series[edit]
Donkey Kong Country[edit]
Cannonballs inDonkey Kong Country are summoned byKing K. Rool during his battle, falling across the length ofGang-Plank Galleon from one end to the other, returning the other way for each further time he is hit.
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest[edit]
InDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest,kannonballs[1] orKannon Balls[2] appear as means of activating akannon to blast theKongs up to aBonus Area. It also has a side use for defeating enemies, including stronger ones such asZingers,Krunchas, andKlingers. The kannonballs have a varying distance from their corresponding kannon, and some appear in atreasure chest. Upon finding a kannonball, theKongs must pick it up and travel a distance until reaching the kannon itself. To activate the kannon, the Kongs must either throw or carry the kannonball into it. When a kannonball is used to defeat an enemy, the Kongs usually lose grip, and the kannonball falls onto the ground. If a kannonball falls into a pit, the Kongs cannot get it back unless they restart the level.
Kannonballs also act as a stage hazard, because theKannon enemies fire an indefinite number of them. Unlikebarrels, the fired kannonballs cannot be jumped on, as these objects injure the Kongs upon direct contact. Kannonballs, including spiked ones, are also shot out fromKaptain K. Rool'sblunderbuss during both fights inK. Rool Duel andKrocodile Kore. As K. Rool is vacuuming them, the Kongs attack him by throwing the kannonball back into his vacuum. By doing so, Kaptain K. Rool's blunderbuss backfires and he blasts out the kannonball.
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island[edit]
InSuper Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, large cannonballs are fired byKaboombas. These ones are so heavy that they fall to the ground almost immediately after being fired.
Donkey Kong Land 2[edit]
Cannonballs[3][4] inDonkey Kong Land 2 are no different from their appearance inDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest.
Donkey Kong 64[edit]
A large cannonball appears inDonkey Kong 64 near the starting area ofGloomy Galleon. The cannonball can be lifted by onlyChunky Kong, who has to place it into a nearby cannon to activate it. These cannonballs explode if they hit into something. Using the cannon, the player must use it to shoot several moving targets in the room they are in, with a limited amount of time and cannonballs for ammunition. If player hits all the targets with cannonballs, they will gain aGolden Banana.
Wario World[edit]
Cannonballs inWario World are gigantic, white projectiles with human-like faces on them, and are shot byCaptain Skull, exploding upon impact with the ground.
Mario & Luigi series[edit]
Cannonballs inMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga are fired at the Mario Bros. byGunner Guys in battle, and cannonballs inMario & Luigi: Dream Team are one of the methods of attack forShy Guy Airtubs and their stronger relatives,Shy Guy Airtubs R andShy Guy Airtubs DX. The cannonballs fired from the front cannon of an Airtub have spikes covering them.
During the battle withBowser Jr. inMario & Luigi: Dream Team , cannonballs identical in appearance to the Airtubs's side cannons appear as objects that Mario and Luigi can throw at him while riding hisJunior Clown Car.
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat[edit]
Cannonballs inDonkey Kong Jungle Beat are shot fromMini Elephant Cannons and otherTusks, exploding when they hit any surface. Cannonballs in the first segment ofBattle for Storm Hill rain down from the sky, and the ones shot byTorch Tusk in its second phase can create shockwaves of fire that cover the platforms where they land.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
Cannonballs in theSuper Smash Bros. series are shot byBowser Jr. in hisneutral special move inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS,Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, andSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate,Clown Cannon.King K. Rool also usesDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest-style kannonballs (here simply called "iron balls") as part of hisBlunderbuss move.
Paper Mario: Color Splash[edit]
Cannonballs inPaper Mario: Color Splash are fired from the cannons of theSuper Ludship when Mario faces againstLudwig. TheViolet Passage captain's ship also features cannons; whenShy Guys take over the ship, they fire the cannonballs sporadically, narrowly missingHuey. Mario can launch the cannonballs to hit targets and collect coins in theViolet Passage.
Dr. Mario World[edit]
Cannonballs inDr. Mario World are fired frompop cannons androtating cannons after they are eliminated. The former fires two cannonballs above and below it, while the latter fires one cannonball in the direction the cannon is facing.
Profiles[edit]
Donkey Kong Land 2[edit]
- Virtual Console manual bio: "Stuff a cannonball into a cannon and you may be able to open up a path to a bonus level. You can also throw cannonballs at enemies to defeat them."
Super Mario Run[edit]
- Notebook bio: "A projectile fired from a cannon, it travels slowly in the air. Its smooth surface can easily be stepped on."
Gallery[edit]
- For this subject's image gallery, seeGallery:Cannonball.
Sprite of a cannonball fromSuper Mario Bros. 3
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ほうだいのたま[5] Hōdai no tama | Artillery bullet | |
| 砲弾[?] Hōdan | Cannonball | ||
Tama | Bullet | Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island | |
| タマ[7] Tama | Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest | ||
| Chinese(Traditional) | 砲台的砲彈[5] Pàotái de pàodàn | Cannonball | |
| Dutch | Kanonskogel[5] | Cannonball | |
| French | Boulet de canon[5] | Cannonball | |
| German | Kanonenkugel[5] | Cannonball | |
| Italian | Palla di cannone[5] | Cannonball | |
| Palla di kannone[?] | Kannonball | Donkey Kong Country 2 andDonkey Kong Land 2 | |
| Proiettile[8] | Projectile | ||
| Korean | 발사대 탄알[5] Balsadae tanal | Launcher bullet | |
| Portuguese | Bola de canhão[5] | Cannonball | |
| Russian | Ядро[5] Yadro | Cannonball | |
| Spanish(Latin American) | Bola de cañón[5] | Cannonball | |
| Spanish(European) | Bala de cañón[5] | Cannonball |
Notes[edit]
- InMario vs. Donkey Kong, Mario will not get struck by a cannonball if he makes contact with one during certain frames of thebackflip animation.
References[edit]
- ^1995.Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest instruction booklet.Nintendo of America (American English). Page17Media:DKC2 Manual 16-17.jpg.
- ^1995.Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest instruction booklet.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 3.
- ^Donkey Kong Land 2Nintendo 3DSVirtual Console electronic manual. Tab 9: "Progressing Through Stages".
- ^Nintendo Magazine System issue 47. Page 46.
- ^abcdefghijkNotebook entry (15 Dec. 2016).Super Mario Run byNintendo EPD (Ver. 3.2.4).Nintendo. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
- ^November 20, 1995. 「オールカラー版 スーパーマリオヨッシーアイランド全百科」 (All-Color Ban - Super Mario: Yossy Island All Hyakka).Shogakukan (Japanese). Page 69.
- ^1995.Super Donkey Kong 2: Dixie & Diddy instruction booklet.Nintendo (Japanese). Page 20.
- ^November 15, 2018.Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia.Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN889367436X. Page 41.
- Hazardous objects
- Explosives
- Donkey Kong 64 objects
- Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest objects
- Donkey Kong Jungle Beat objects
- Donkey Kong Land 2 objects
- Dr. Mario World
- Mario Party 3
- New Super Mario Bros. U objects
- New Super Mario Bros. Wii objects
- Paper Mario: Color Splash objects
- Super Mario 3D World objects
- Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 objects
- Super Mario Bros. 3 objects
- Super Mario Galaxy enemies
- Super Mario Galaxy 2 enemies
- Super Mario Maker objects
- Super Mario Run objects
- Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island objects
- The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 objects
