Empty Block
- This article is about the recurring object also referred to as "Brown Block" in Super Mario World. For the object fromWario Land 4, seebrown block.
| Empty Block | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Artwork fromSuper Mario 3D World | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario Bros. (1985) | ||
| Latest appearance | Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2025) | ||
| |||
| |||
- “This block's already been hit. You can hit it all you want, but nothing else will happen.”
- —Goombella,Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
AnEmpty Block[1] (sometimes referred to as aSteel Block[2] or simply as aBlock[3][4]) is a type ofblock in theSuper Mario franchise that usually replaces a? Block, an item-holdingBrick Block, or aCoin Block when the player strikes it, though it sometimes is naturally already in an "empty" state. Empty Blocks tend to be visually based on ? Blocks from their respective games, only brownish and lacking their mark.
History[edit]
This section is astub. Please considerexpanding it to include any missing information.Specifics: Be more specific for the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi series sections, add Wario Land series coverage
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Bros. /Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels[edit]
Empty Blocks debut inSuper Mario Bros. and recur inSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. In these games, they are colored to match the level's theme, like Brick Blocks and ? Blocks.Fire Bars often rotate around Empty Blocks.
Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
After an absence inSuper Mario Bros. 2, Empty Blocks return inSuper Mario Bros. 3; both these blocks and ? Blocks are yellow (brown in remakes) in this game. Big Empty Blocks also debut in this game, being the result of hittingGiant ? Blocks; they also form part of the level designs ofWorlds 4-2 and4-5. Certain bonus rooms are made up of cyan or periwinkle Empty Blocks with transparent bolts; these are replaced with more standard walls inSuper Mario All-Stars.
Super Mario Land[edit]
Empty Blocks return inSuper Mario Land, acting as in prior games. They also occur naturally empty, mostly as bonus room terrain.
Super Mario World[edit]
InSuper Mario World,Brown Blocks[5] have small, closed, angry eyes in their sides' centers, rather than their usual holes. If the player hits a blueSwitch Block, all Brown Blocks turn into coins and vice versa for a short time. In their first appearance,Snake Blocks look like ordinary Brown Blocks, and the angry eyes fromSuper Mario World's Brown Block design would continue to be used on Snake Blocks andIce Snake Blocks in later games in theSuper Mario series.
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins[edit]
InSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, Empty Blocks, looking like they do inSuper Mario World (albeit with their eyes being slanted at a steeper angle), appear in the same capacity as in prior games.
New Super Mario Bros. series[edit]
Empty Blocks return in theNew Super Mario Bros. games, working as they did previously; in the first three of these games, they are color-coded according to their environment, as inSuper Mario Bros. They can now be broken byMega Mario (inNew Super Mario Bros. andNew Super Mario Bros. 2) or stronger enemies, such asBroozers (in all games),King Bills (inNew Super Mario Bros. Wii andNew Super Mario Bros. U), andSuper Bowser (inNew Super Mario Bros. Wii).
Big Empty Blocks also return in red and orangeToad Houses inNew Super Mario Bros. (as a result of hitting their respective blocks, eitherRoulette Blocks orMega ? Blocks),World 6-5 inNew Super Mario Bros. Wii, andSoda Jungle inNew Super Mario Bros. U; Long Empty Blocks return inNew Super Mario Bros. 2.
Super Mario Galaxy /Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]
Empty Blocks appear in a 3DSuper Mario game for the first time inSuper Mario Galaxy, and they return inSuper Mario Galaxy 2 andSuper Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2; however, they are always found naturally empty, as Brick Blocks always shatter when hit, even if they contain items, and ? and Coin Blocks vanish once used up. The Empty Blocks feature smooth, silver bumps within the holes on the corners of the faces of the blocks.
Giant Empty Blocks also appear in theSupermassive Galaxy inSuper Mario Galaxy 2, where they are part of the stage's level design.
Super Mario 3D Land[edit]
Empty Blocks return inSuper Mario 3D Land, working as they do in the 2D games. Giant Empty Blocks are also found in hidden rooms accessed viaWarp Pipes (as well as inWorld 6-3) and are often put together to form sculptures that create 3D illusions.
Long Empty Blocks also debut in this game, as a result of hitting Long ? Blocks.
Super Mario 3D World[edit]
Normal-sized and long Empty Blocks return inSuper Mario 3D World, acting as they do in prior games. Certain ? Blocks also produce lines of Empty Blocks when hit, similar toface blocks fromSuper Mario 3D Land; giant versions of these blocks (though with a normal-sized "?" mark) also appear and make Giant Empty Blocks.
Super Mario Maker /Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS /Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
Empty Blocks return inSuper Mario Maker,Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, andSuper Mario Maker 2, working as they do in theNew Super Mario Bros. games. InSuper Mario Maker 2, giant Empty Blocks also appear in theSuper Mario 3D World style, as! Blocks take the role that Mega ? Blocks did in the actual game.
Super Mario Run[edit]
InSuper Mario Run, Empty Blocks again are the inert form of blocks that dispense items.Time Blocks are a new type of block that can be hit for an effect, and also become Empty Blocks. Some Brick Blocks inBoohind Lock and Key turn intoLong Jump Blocks instead of Empty Blocks.
In the Kingdom Builder mode, Empty Blocks are part of a number ofstatues depicting power-ups, with the power-up placed on top of the Empty Block so as to imply the item came out of another kind of block. They are theSuper Mushroom Statue,1-Up Mushroom Statue,Fire Flower Statue,Super Star Statue, andMega Mushroom Statue. The first four of these have 8-bit counterparts, which do not include Empty Blocks.
Super Mario Odyssey[edit]
Only normal Empty Blocks reappear inSuper Mario Odyssey. They can be found naturally empty in 8-bit sections.
Paper Mario series[edit]
Empty Blocks appear in allPaper Mario games, working as in the main series. Giant Empty Blocks return inMondo Woods inPaper Mario: Color Splash.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
Empty Blocks also appear onSuper Mario-themed stages in theSuper Smash Bros. series.
Super Smash Bros. Melee[edit]
They first appear inPrincess Peach's Castle inSuper Smash Bros. Melee, if the red, blue, or green! Blocks are touched or hit (or if items are turned off).
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]
InSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, ? Blocks onMushroomy Kingdom become these if hit or jumped into from below, and they are refilled when the stage loops; they are made of wood with metal borders, and like the rest of the stage, they look more realistic.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS /Super Smash Bros. for Wii U[edit]
In3D Land inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS andSuper Mario Maker in both the Nintendo 3DS andWii U versions, they act the same as inBrawl but have their respective appearances; Empty Blocks are instead refilled after a while on the latter stage. An Empty Block also serves as the base for theFire Bar item in this game.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate brings back not only the aforementioned stages, but also theMushroom Kingdom stage fromSuper Smash Bros.; in this version of the stage, thepass-through platforms are made of Empty Blocks, rather thanHard Blocks like in the original version. Empty Blocks are also embedded into the brick wall at the left side of the stage, and they are also used as the paths and ledges fighters walk and grab on. The hazardless versions of the stages with ? Blocks also have all of them naturally empty.
The Fire Bar returns as an item, retaining its Empty Block base from the previous game.
Mario & Luigi series[edit]
Empty Blocks appear in theMario & Luigi series, acting the same as in the 2D games.
Mario Kart series[edit]
Mario Kart 7[edit]
InMario Kart 7, Empty Blocks appear as parts of platforms that can be driven on inPiranha Plant Slide, which is based on the underground courses inSuper Mario Bros.
Mario Kart 8 /Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
Empty Blocks return in3DS Piranha Plant Slide inMario Kart 8 and itsNintendo Switchport. They also appear inSNES Mario Circuit 3 in theBooster Course Pass in the latter version.
Mario Kart Tour[edit]
InMario Kart Tour, Empty Blocks appear as platforms on3DS Mario Circuit T,RMX Mario Circuit 1 and Piranha Plant Slide. In RMX Mario Circuit 1, they are always paired with? Blocks. The player can perform aJump Boost by driving off them. Empty Blocks also appear in the T variants ofGBA Sky Garden andRMX Rainbow Road 2, where they are used as platforms for aPiranha Plant.
Mario Party 9[edit]
In theMario Party 9 minigameFungi Frenzy,? Panels turn into panels resembling Empty Blocks after they are ground-pounded.
Minecraft[edit]
In the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack inMinecraft, Bedrock is replaced by Empty Blocks.
Dr. Mario World[edit]
InDr. Mario World, Empty Blocks appear as stage objects. If a Brick Block contains coins, it will become an Empty Block after all three coins are removed from it.Dr. Morton's skill in stage mode can also transform anyice fans orbubble machines into Empty Blocks, effectively disabling them. Empty Blocks act as walls for any projectiles such asshells and cannonballs frompop cannons, and will block them. If a capsule match is made next to an Empty Block, the skill meter will be filled by one extra point for each Empty Block in contact with the match. In versus mode, a variation of Empty Blocks appear where it is grey instead of brown, where after a period of time has passed in which neither player has won yet, these blocks appear in rows and will push the objects down by one row at intervals, effectively shrinking the play area for both players.
WarioWare: Get It Together![edit]
An Empty Block is a background element inWarioWare: Get It Together! It appears outside of9-Volt's House during the opening cutscene of9-Volt's level.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie[edit]
InThe Super Mario Bros. Movie, yellow Empty Blocks can be seen scattered around theTraining Course. Some haveSpike Traps attached to them. Empty Blocks also appear amongBrick Blocks and? Blocks in theGreat Ring of Kong.
Gallery[edit]
- For this subject's image gallery, seeGallery:Empty Block.
New Super Mario Bros. (Ground)
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | カラブロック[6] Kara Burokku | Empty Block | |
| プンプンブロック[?] Punpun Burokku | Angry Block | Super Mario World | |
| ブロック[7] Burokku | Block | Super Mario Galaxy | |
| Chinese(Traditional) | 金剛磚塊[8] Jīn'gāng Zhuānkuài | Adamant Block | |
| German | Benutzter Block[?] | Used Block | |
| Block[9] | Block | ||
| Italian | Blocco Resistente[10] | Resistant Block | |
| Spanish | Bloque vacío[?] | Empty block | Super Mario 3D Land |
| Bloque[?] | Block | Super Mario Galaxy |
References[edit]
- ^Screenshot fromMario Sports Superstars describing the difference between a Brick Block and an Empty Block.
- ^Walsh, Doug, and Epstein, Joe (October 27, 2017).Super Mario Odyssey Prima Collector's Edition.Prima Games (American English). ISBN9780744018875. Page 22.
- ^2007.Super Mario Galaxy instruction booklet.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 18.
- ^Alt text for the Empty Block decoration in theMushroom Kingdom 2023 Calendar Creator application.Play Nintendo. Retrieved May 21, 2023. (Archived January 29, 2023, 03:56:19 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^September 1991.Nintendo Power Volume 28.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 12.
- ^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』 (Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook), スーパーマリオワールド (Sūpā Mario Wārudo) section. Tokyo:Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN978-4-09-106569-8. Page 60.
- ^2007.Super Mario Galaxy instruction booklet.Nintendo (Japanese). Page 21.
- ^Official Chinese manual forSuper Mario Galaxy 2.Nintendo (Traditional Chinese). Page 26.
- ^Nintendo of Europe GmbH (2007).Super Mario Galaxy Spielanleitung. Frankfurt:Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German). Page 21.
- ^2007.Super Mario Galaxy Italian manual.Nintendo of Europe (Italian). Page 21.
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