Falling spike
- This article is about the small obstacle recurring in several games. For the large obstacle that appears inBowser's Fury, seeFalling spike (Bowser's Fury).
| Falling spike | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork fromSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario Land (1989) | ||
| Latest appearance | Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch) (2024) | ||
| Variant of | Spike Trap | ||
| |||
Falling spikes[1][2] are obstacles introduced inSuper Mario Land. They arespikes that fall from ceilings.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Land[edit]
A falling spike appears as an obstacle inWorld 3-2 inSuper Mario Land. InExpert Level, there are six in the level. Like afalling block, it falls down when approached andMario can stand on top of it, but it starts dropping at a further distance and moves rather slowly. It resembles a conjoined pair of stalactites; many such stalactites appear on the ceiling of this stage, harmless and still. Some of the stalactites are layered on top of background stalactites, leaving the original stalactites there even after falling, and some of them are not, leaving a gap on the ceiling after falling, as inSuper Mario World. They are invulnerable to all forms of damage.
Super Mario World[edit]
Falling spikes are obstacles inSuper Mario World. They are more common than before and appear only incastles andfortresses. Falling spikes are typically grouped together with standardspikes. Compared to normal spikes, they are browner and have the sheen on the opposite side. Unlike Icicles, falling spikes remain on the ceiling until Mario orLuigi approaches one, which triggers it into falling, similar to aThwomp. Once it falls, a falling spike continues to fall through the floor until it disappears. If the player goes out of range and back, the falling spike will return. Falling spikes are able to be defeated only by aSuper Star, but this reveals aglitched sprite as falling spikes were never intended to be defeated.
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins[edit]
Falling spikes are obstacles inSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, falling and leaving a gap in the ceiling as inSuper Mario World. Falling spikes appear in thePumpkin Zone'sfirst level andsecond level. They can be defeated by running into them while the player isinvincible.
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
Falling spikes are obstacles inSuper Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3. They act as they did inSuper Mario World, but look the same as the normal spikes inSuper Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, so two fall at a time like inSuper Mario Land. Falling spikes are encountered inBowser's Last Stand only. They are invulnerable to all forms of damage except for theSuper Star.
Yoshi's Story[edit]
Falling spikes are obstacles inYoshi's Story. They appear during the fight againstBaby Bowser only, where they fall if hit by anegg orBob-bomb, and can therefore damage Baby Bowser while he is riding one of theghosts. Falling spikes grow back shortly after falling.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong[edit]
Falling spikes are obstacles inMario vs. Donkey Kong. They fall when approached and then drill into the floor and regenerate on the ceiling a few seconds later. Mario andMini-Mario can use it as a platform. In the original, they are silent, whereas in theNintendo Switch remake, they produce a sound like the icicles.
Gallery[edit]
Artwork from theSuper Mario Kodansha manga
Sprite fromSuper Mario Land
Sprite fromSuper Mario World
Super Mario World (glitched death sprite)
Sprite fromSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Sprite fromYoshi's Story
Sprite fromSuper Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
Sprite fromMario vs. Donkey Kong
Screenshot inMario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch)
Naming[edit]
Internal names[edit]
| Game | File | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch) | Model/SpikeFalling.bfres.zs | SpikeFalling | Falling Spike |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 落ちてくるトゲ[3][4] Ochitekuru Toge | Falling Spike | |
| トゲ[5] Toge | Spike | ||
| トゲック[6] Togekku | From「棘」(toge, thorn) and possibly「チクチク」(chikuchiku, "bristling") | ||
| スパイク[7][page number needed] Supaiku | Spike | ||
| French | Pique chutant[?] | Falling Spike | |
| Aiguillon[8] | Sting | ||
| Italian | Spuntoni cadenti[9]:48 | Falling spikes | Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia (first edition) |
| Spuntone[9]:61[10]:61 | Spike | Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia | |
| Spuntone cadente[10]:48 | Falling spike | Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia (second edition) | |
| Spanish(European) | Pincho[11] | Spike |
References[edit]
- ^"FALLING SPIKES When you see yellow spikes along the ceiling, take a close look at them; some of them fall as you swim underneath. Falling spikes are a darker yellow, and they quiver before they fall." – Stratton, Bryan (February 26, 2002).Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 Prima’s Official Strategy Guide.Prima Games (American English). ISBN0-7615-3913-1. Page 50.
- ^EnglishSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins entry on the official Mario Portal.nintendo.co.jp. Retrieved August 13, 2022. (Archived December 21, 2025, 19:32:03 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^Sakai, Kazuya (Ambit), et al. (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), スーパーマリオランド (Sūpā Mario Rando) section. Tokyo:Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN978-4-09-106569-8. Page 48.
- ^December 10, 1992. 「任天堂公式ガイドブック スーパーマリオワールド」 (Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook – Super Mario World). Tokyo:Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN4-09-104117-5. Page 93.
- ^『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. Page 61.
- ^December 20, 1992. 「任天堂公式ガイドブック スーパーマリオランド２ ６つの金貨」 (Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook – Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins).Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN4-09-102413-0. Page 14.
- ^Mario vs. Donkey Kong Shogakukan book
- ^July 4, 2018.Super Mario Encyclopedia.Soleil Productions (French). ISBN2302070046. Page 75.
- ^abSakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), and Marco Figini, editors (2018).Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Translated by Marco Amerighi. Milan:Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN889367436X.
- ^abSakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), and Marco Figini, editors (2025).Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia (2nd ed.). Translated by Alessandro Apreda. Milan:Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN979-1259575760.
- ^OfficialMario vs. Donkey Kong website.Guías Nintendo (European Spanish). Retrieved July 31, 2024.
