Dark
- "Darkness" redirects here. It is not to be confused withDarkmess.
| Dark | |
|---|---|
The dark inNew Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe | |
| First appearance | Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) |
| Latest appearance | Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2025) |
In theSuper Mario franchise, thedark is a recurring obstacle, representing player characters' reduced range of vision in low light.
Player characters and other important entities, such as enemies,coins, andpower-ups, often appear lit to remain visible to the player. In this case, the dark mainly obscures the terrain, leavingpits unmarked and making projectiles' trajectories harder to predict. The exact lighting effect used for this has depended on hardware limitations and stylistic considerations. Many games use a spotlight effect.
Emissive objects increase the range of vision in the dark. Some, such asLight Boxes, can also defeat light-sensitive enemies. After touching aSuper Star,Invincible Mario illuminates the entire screen, clearing the dark until the invincibility expires.
The dark has a more aesthetic than mechanical effect in some games. For example, in some games in theMario Kart series,karts' headlights will turn on in dark areas, but the visibility is relatively good regardless.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
InSuper Mario Bros. 3, the third overworld screen ofDark Land is shrouded in darkness, with only the player's vicinity lit in a circle. InSuper Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, this circle expands while the lock on the same screen is undone.Unlike later games, the levels themselves are not darker than expected, aside from exclusively having black backgrounds in the original version.
Super Mario World[edit]
InSuper Mario World, the final room ofBowser's Castle before the battle withBowser is dimly lit. Aspotlight below theItem Stock casts a beam of light down across the center of the screen, rocking back and forth. The dark room is accessed directly though theBack Door, with slight alterations from theFront Door layout.
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins[edit]
InSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, darkness appears inPumpkin Zone, where it causescertain blocks to fade in and out of visibility.
Super Mario Sunshine[edit]
- “Though it is daytime inDelfino Plaza, our poor residents tremble beaneath a veil of darkness.”
- —Pianta prosecutor,Super Mario Sunshine
A subdued version of darkness appears inSuper Mario Sunshine, where it affectsDelfino Plaza due to the fleeing of theShine Sprites. Rather than blackness, it appears as a haze preventing the sunlight from getting through aside from around theShine Gate. The more Shine Sprites are recovered, the further out the lit area grows until it eventually covers the whole plaza.
Super Mario 64 DS[edit]
InSuper Mario 64 DS, darkness is used in theHide and Boo Seek minigame. The player has to wipe away the darkness to reveal the hiddenBoos. This minigame returns inNew Super Mario Bros.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]
The dark occurs in multiple courses inNew Super Mario Bros. Wii. It is first present in the main underground area ofWorld 2-3, which demonstrates that it is warded off by thefireballs ofFire Mario,Fire Piranha Plants,Fire Snakes, andFire Bros, as well as torches in the ground.
Glow Blocks increase the holder's range of vision. They appear inWorld 2-5,World 5-
Ghost House,World 6-6, andWorld 8-4.
World 8-4 introduces bioluminescent enemies:Bulbers andJellybeams.
Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]
InSuper Mario Galaxy 2 and itsNintendo Switchport,Flash Black Galaxy is pitch-black; a flash of light illuminates the course every eight beats of the background music. Entities that are not part of the terrain proper, such as player characters (Mario andLuigi), items, enemies, andEmpty Blocks, are always shown at full brightness. Parts of the background are also dimly lit, which can provide contrast with the pitch-black terrain. However, the back wall of the tower makes this less effective. TheGhost Maze Planet inBoo Moon Galaxy is shrouded in darkness. While on this planet, the player's character illuminates a small portion of the surroundings.
New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe[edit]
The dark returns inNew Super Mario Bros. U,New Super Luigi U, andNew Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, serving as the same visual hazard as inNew Super Mario Bros. Wii in all three games. The player(s) are able to temporarily push back the dark withGlowing Baby Yoshis.
Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
InSuper Mario Maker 2, dark sub-areas occur with the Underwater (night) and Ghost House (night) course themes. A small radius around player characters and certain objects is lit up; this radius changes based on the state of theON/OFF Switch.
Super Mario 3D World[edit]
InSuper Mario 3D World, the dark occurs inSwitchblack Ruins, illuminated bytorches,lava, andFire Piranha Plants. It returns in later levels,A Beam in the Dark andDeep-Black Jungle Drift, where players can use theLight Box to cast a beam of light.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder[edit]
There are two types of darkness inSuper Mario Bros. Wonder: the first and most common renders all elements as silhouettes, causing objects on the same plane to blend into one another and obscure most identifying details with some exceptions, such as characters' eyes orPiranha Plants' teeth, similar toDonkey Kong Country Returns. An area can appear this way by default, or darkness may be turned on or off by aWonder Flower orON/OFF Switch. The second type obscures the entire level in darkness except for the player. Elements such as fire and electricity can light the way; enemies that walk through electric currents become light sources themselves. InPull, Turn, Burn andHigh-Voltage Gauntlet, their respectiveWonder Effects can grant the player a fiery shield or theMetal Mario transformation (allowing them to conduct electricity) to light the way.
Hotel Mario[edit]
- “You bring a light?”
- —Luigi,Hotel Mario
InHotel Mario,Roy's HardBrick Hotel has flickering lights due to a room full of toasters using too much electricity. In hallways with windows, the visibility is unaffected by the power going out.
Some stages ofLarry's Chillton Hotel also feature the dark. Floors other than the one that Mario is currently on are dimly lit.
Donkey Kong Country series[edit]
Donkey Kong Country[edit]
InDonkey Kong Country, darkness occurs in a few stages.Blackout Basement has the lights flicker on and off every few moments, with the stage and enemies disappearing completely when the lights are out.Torchlight Trouble andLoopy Lights feature a more subdued darkness that can be lit withSquawks in the former andOn & Off Barrels in the latter.
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest[edit]
InDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, darkness appears exclusively inGlimmer's Galleon, where it is lit byGlimmer.
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble![edit]
InDonkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, darkness appears in only two levels:Murky Mill, where it must be used to keepEllie from seeingSneeks under the lights as she is afraid of them; andFloodlit Fish, whereEnguarde can temporarily brighten the dark reef by defeating aGleamin' Bream.
Donkey Kong Country Returns (3D /HD)[edit]
A different kind of darkness occurs inDonkey Kong Country Returns and itsNintendo 3DS andNintendo Switch ports, where it instead causes everything to appear in black silhouette against a brightly lit background, with only a few objects such as the red inDonkey Kong's tie remaining colored. This appears in only three levels:Sunset Shore,Foggy Fumes, andSmokey Peak.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze[edit]
InDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, the type of darkness fromDonkey Kong Country Returns reappears in only three levels:Busted Bayou,Amiss Abyss, andCliffside Slide. Of these, the middle one is the most ambiently dark, being otherwise only lit by bioluminescent deep-sea creatures in the foreground and background, such aspyrosomes,brittle stars, andleafy seadragons.
Donkey Kong Land 2[edit]
InDonkey Kong Land 2, darkness returns inGlimmer's Galleon, though due to the absence of Glimmer,Light Barrels are used to light the stage instead.
Yoshi's Island series[edit]
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island[edit]
InSuper Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, darkness appears in certain rooms offorts andcastles.Piro Dangles are found in one such room, providing a small amount of light.
Yoshi's Island DS[edit]
InYoshi's Island DS, darkness appears in a similar capacity as it does in the predecessor. Due to the generally lighter colors of the game, the darkness is also easier to see through.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars[edit]
InSuper Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, darkness appears inBowser's Keep during the second visit, specifically the room immediately beyond where Mario fightsBowser in the first visit. A spotlight effect is used, though the surrounding areas can still faintly be seen. Enemies inhabit the dark here.
Mario Party series[edit]
Mario Party[edit]
In theMario PartyminigamePedal Power, the player starts in a dark room and has to pedal a stationary bike to power a light and prevent a Boo from catching them.
Mario Party 2[edit]
InMario Party 2, darkness is used in theLights Out minigame. When the room occasionally becomes dark, only the players carrying lightbulbs remain visible.
Mario Party 4[edit]
InMario Party 4, theCandlelight Flight minigame takes place in a dark room. The solo player carries a candle which becomes dimmer as the other three players spray water on it.
Mario Party 6[edit]
In theMario Party 6 minigameLight Up My Night, darkness is used to obscure the candles within the maze.Dark 'n' Crispy also features darkness that veils Bowser.
Mario Party 7[edit]
InMario Party 7, theGhost in the Hall minigame has players navigate a dark maze-like mansion.
Mario Party 10[edit]
InMario Party 10, it occurs in the minigameMurky Maze, wherein the players use Glow Blocks to navigate a dark maze.
Donkey Kong 64[edit]
InDonkey Kong 64, darkness appears a few times. In a hidden cave underJungle Japes, a path is only lit by flaring torches that occasionally go off. Additionally, the shipwrecks inGloomy Galleon are dark and lit by aLightfish as a call-back toGlimmer inDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest.
Paper Mario series[edit]
Paper Mario[edit]
DuringChapter 4 ofPaper Mario, darkness is incorporated in the battle with the Big Lantern Ghost. While the Big Lantern Ghost is obscured in darkness, Mario and hispartner are unable to attack him. In order to dissipate the darkness, they need to repeatedly hit his lantern. The Big Lantern Ghost is able to blow into his lantern, causing the room to become dark again.
The Big Lantern Ghost's room, the room precedingGeneral Guy's room, the interior of thewhale, the cave where the green member of theFearsome 5 is trapped, and the cavernous room inBowser's Castle are all dark. In order to illuminate them, Mario needs to useWatt's ability.
Super Paper Mario[edit]
In Chapter 7-2 ofSuper Paper Mario, theUnderwhere Road, the dark obscures certain rooms. The dark is stylized as an animated scribble around the player character.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star[edit]
InPaper Mario: Sticker Star, the basement of one of the warehouses inSurfshine Harbor is obscured in darkness. The player mustpaperize and use aLightbulbsticker to light up the room and reveal theShip's Wheel.
Paper Mario: Color Splash[edit]
- “I wanna illuminate the darkness and all, but the light won't work...'cause there's no power... or something. I dunno. I'm not an electramatrician, bro. This darkness is really getting to me. It's, like, extinguishing the light in my heart...and stuff.”
- —Lighthouse keeper,Paper Mario: Color Splash
InPaper Mario: Color Splash, a solid wall of darkness obscures the world pastLighthouse Island. By fixing the lighthouse by using thecutout ability and placing a LightbulbBattle Card, the lighthouse dissipates the darkness and reveals aMini Paint Star in the process.
Paper Mario: The Origami King[edit]
- “It's too dark to see anything! Can't you flip the lights on? Somehow?”
- —Olivia,Paper Mario: The Origami King
In theGraffiti Underground, each floor is initially dark, preventing Mario from seeing past the entrance. He must hit the switches with hishammer to turn on the lights. The music in the area is also dynamic, being an arrangement of "Underground BGM" fromSuper Mario Bros. that only has the lead melody while the darkness is active, and adds the backing track once the room is lit up.
Luigi's Mansion series[edit]
- “Ghosts love to hide in dark places. Isn't that a hoot? There! Here they come!”
- —Professor E. Gadd,Luigi's Mansion
- See also:Blackout
In theLuigi's Mansion series, darkness represents rooms Luigi has not cleared out all theghosts from. The originalLuigi's Mansion also features ablackout event, where the power goes out and plungesthe entire mansion into darkness, allowing ghosts to respawn indefinitely when rooms are revisited until the power is restored.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
In theSuper Smash Bros. series, darkness occurs sometimes due to random effects fromTogepi andTingle. It also appears in theBattleship Halberd Interior stage ofAdventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary ofSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, where temporary switches turn the lights on.
Super Princess Peach[edit]
InSuper Princess Peach, darkness appears inShriek Mansion. In the battle againstKing Boo, he is invincible until the darkness is lifted by lighting all theLantern Ghost-shapedtorches withRage.
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time[edit]
InMario & Luigi: Partners in Time, darkness appears in certain passages whereBaby Mario andBaby Luigi travel through. They are temporarily lit by aShine Sprite spawned from anAdult Shine Block.
Gallery[edit]
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | くらやみ[?] Kurayami | Darkness |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- Hazardous objects
- Hotel Mario
- New Super Mario Bros. Wii objects
- New Super Mario Bros. U objects
- Paper Mario: The Origami King objects
- Super Mario Bros. 3 objects
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder objects
- Super Mario Maker 2 objects
- Super Mario Galaxy 2 objects
- Super Mario 3D World objects
- Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
- Super Mario World objects
- Super Paper Mario objects
- Mario Party 10


