Level up
- This article is about the game mechanic. For the board game, seeSuper Mario Level Up!
- “Wahoo! One more suit, and it's1-Up time! I mean, level-up time!”
- —Mario,Fortune Street
"Level up" is a term in role-playing games. Characters must defeat enough enemies in battle to gain enoughexperience points to level up. As characters grow to higher levels, more experience points are needed to level up. Once characters level up, their stats are increased, and in some games, they may also learn a new skill or attack.
History[edit]
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars[edit]
Upon leveling up inSuper Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Mario or one of hisparty members can choose one of three stat combinations to get a bonus on along with the regular stat boost. The three choices are attack and defense, represented by a hammer; maxHP, represented by aMushroom; and magic attack and magic defense, represented by a star. These bonuses are slightly boosted at certain levels: physical bonuses are higher on levels that are 3n (n being an integer), HP bonuses are higher on levels that are 3n + 1, and magic bonuses are higher on levels that are 3n - 1. At certain levels, the characters learn a new special magic ability. The maximum level is 30.
Paper Mario series[edit]
Paper Mario /Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[edit]
In both of these games,Mario levels up when he collects 100Star Points. Instead of the requirement for leveling up increasing with each level, the number of Star Points gained from enemies decreases as Mario increases in level, eventually to the point that weak enemies stop rewarding Mario with Star Points.
At each level up, Mario must choose one of his stats to boost. If he choosesHP orFP, his maximum for that stat increase by five points. If he choosesBP, his maximum BP is increased by three points. The stats not chosen remain unchanged. Unlike most RPGs, leveling up never directly increases Mario's attack power.
Leveling up also fully restores Mario's HP, FP, andSP, as well as his active partner's HP inPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. The maximum level Mario can reach is 27 inPaper Mario, and 99 inThe Thousand-Year Door.
InPaper Mario, the music played when the player levels up is an arrangement of theGrass Land theme fromSuper Mario Bros. 3.
Mario'spartners can also be ranked up, similar to a level up, which increases their attack power and teaches them a new move, and increases their HP inPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. InPaper Mario, this is done using aSuper Block. These blocks are spread throughout theMushroom Kingdom. Using one allows Mario to upgrade one of his party members to Super Rank. After he has received theUltra Stone fromRaphael the Raven, he can use Super Blocks to upgrade Super Rank partners to Ultra Rank. Each Super Block can be used only once.
InPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door,Merlon can level up Mario's partners, for threeShine Sprites each. One level up upgrades a partner to Super Rank. To level up the partners again, Mario must first obtain theUp Arrow. After doing so, Merlon can level them up to the Ultra Rank.
Super Paper Mario[edit]
In this game, the characters level up after obtaining enoughpoints in the player's score. Level up bonuses are preset, alternating between an increase of five HP at every even-numbered level and one attack point at every odd-numbered level. All party members in this game share the same stats, excludingBowser, who shares HP but has double attack. As is the case withThe Thousand-Year Door, the maximum level the party can reach is 99. Notably, it is possible to level up twice simultaneously, unlike in the previous games.
Like in the previous twoPaper Mario games, the player's HP is fully restored with each level up.
Mario's party can also permanently increase their HP and attack power without leveling up by using theHP Plus and Power Plus items. However, both of these items are very rare.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star /Paper Mario: Color Splash[edit]
In bothPaper Mario: Sticker Star andPaper Mario: Color Splash, stats such as HP and attack power do not increase via enemy battles, as in previous installments. Instead, Mario gradually gets stronger as he progresses through the story, with progressively strongerstickers orBattle Cards appearing more often as Mario collects moreRoyal Stickers andBig Paint Stars. However, items that permanently increase Mario's stats also exist, similarly to leveling up from previous games in the series. By collectingHP-Up Hearts, Mario's HP increases by a certain amount (5 points inSticker Star and 25 points inColor Splash), allowing for a grand total of 100 HP inSticker Star and 200 HP inColor Splash. Mario'sFirst Strike attack power also increases whenever he collects two HP-Up Hearts in the former game or aBig Paint Star in the latter game.
InPaper Mario: Color Splash, defeating enemies yieldsHammer Scraps, which function similarly toStar Points from the first two games in the series. By collecting a certain number of these, Mario'spaint storage grows bigger, up to a maximum of 600 points.
Paper Mario: The Origami King[edit]
MAX UP hearts return, being acquired through a mix of story progression and exploration. In this game, MAX UP hearts increase not just the power of Mario’s first strike but also his attack power in general. Maximum HP can be increased from 50 up to a maximum of 200, and an increase in attack power occurs at every multiple of 20.
Mario can also do more damage in battle by equipping limited-use upgraded variants of boots and hammers, the acquisition of which is generally tied to story progression. They somewhat resemble both badges and stickers in function.
Mario & Luigi series[edit]
In these games, max HP, maxBP (Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga,Mario & Luigi: Dream Team,Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam,Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions,Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, andMario & Luigi: Brothership) or maxSP (Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story only),Power,Defense,Speed, andStache (Horn for Bowser) are all initially increased immediately after leveling up (though inMario & Luigi: Partners in Time andMario & Luigi: Dream Team, Stache never increases on its own), generally anywhere from zero to five points, but as high as fourteen inMario & Luigi: Partners in Time. The player can then choose any stat they want and give additional points to it, though this is not possible inMario & Luigi: Paper Jam.
A roulette (carried by aLakitu in the first three games in the series, or aBoo, in the case for Bowser inMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and its remake) determines how many additional points are added. The possibilities are one to five inMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga,Mario & Luigi: Dream Team,Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, andMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey; one to six inMario & Luigi: Partners in Time; and one to nine inMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. However, the roulette often does not include this entire range, since the numbers that appear on the roulette are reduced with each level-up a given stat is upgraded and increased with each level-up that it is not upgraded.
The highest level inMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga,Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story,Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, andMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey is level 99, while the highest level inMario & Luigi: Partners in Time,Mario & Luigi: Dream Team,Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam andMario & Luigi: Brothership is level 100.
InMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and its following games (excludingMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions), if the player reaches a certain level, theyrank up, and receive special benefits.
Itadaki Street series[edit]
The level system in theItadaki Street series, includingItadaki Street DS andFortune Street, is different. Instead of experience points, the player must collect all four Suits scattered around the board and return to the bank to level up. By using Suit Yourself cards, these reduce the amount of Suits required for a player to level up.
InFortune Street, it is also known as aPromotion.
When a player levels up, a fanfare plays depending on which character levels up:
- Super Mario character: An arrangement of the "Course Clear" music fromNew Super Mario Bros. plays.
- Dragon Quest character: An arrangement of the "Gained Level" music fromDragon Warrior plays.
- Mii character: Based upon which board is being played.
There is one exception: In thePractice Board, all characters use theDragon Quest level up fanfare (even whenToad gets a promotion).
When a player levels up, they get money for their salary as follows:
| Type | Calculation |
|---|---|
| Base salary | B |
| Promotion bonus | P ×L |
| Shop bonus | S ÷10(rounded down) |
| Total | Sum of the three values above |
The variables for determining the player's salary is:
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
| B | The fixed amount the player gets. |
| P | An amount that controls the amount the player gets corresponding to their level. |
| L | The player's level before promotion. |
| S | The sum of all the player's shop value. |
Should a player's Net Worth reach the target amount after the salary gets added to the player's bank upon leveling up, that player automatically wins the board.
There is also aventure card that gives the player a sudden promotion without having to return to the bank.
Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition[edit]
The player's teammates inPuzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition can not only level up by winning battles in courses (only for those in the player's active team, however), but can level up quicker by depowering other teammates in the player's Ally Box for their XP to other allies in the Power Up spot atToad Houses. Depowering teammates removes them from the player's Ally Box and up to five allies can be depowered at a time. Teammates getting an ally's XP receive 50% more if their attributes match.Coin Coffers andKing Coin Coffers provide a significant power up for teammates using this method.
The maximum level teammates can reach depends on the type of teammate: "low-tier" teammates that have not transformed into stronger forms have a maximum level of 25; "mid-tier" teammates that have transformed but have not transformed as far as they can,Hammer Bros., and "Bob-omb andLakitu"s have a maximum level of 50; Leaders, Helpers, theKoopalings,Bowser Jr.,Boom Boom, "top-tier" teammates that have transformed as far as they can, Lakitus,Flame Chomps,Magikoopas, andGold Goombas have a maximum level of 99. Coin Coffers and King Coin Coffers have a maximum level of 1 and cannot level up any further. The higher the teammate's maximum level, the more XP is required to level up.
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games[edit]
TheRoad to Rio mode in the 3DS version ofMario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games features several Training Gyms where the player can train by participating at an event of the 3DS version ofMario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Depending on the place reached, the player gains Training Points. After enough Training Points have been obtained, the Mii levels up and gain stars that are needed to wear outfits. The maximum level is 10.
Super Mario Run[edit]
InSuper Mario Run, the player levels up enemies by defeating them in the World Tour and Toad Rally modes. This is based on defeating specific numbers of enemies, with breakpoints where the enemy levels up. After a course ends in either mode, the number of enemies defeated in the course and the progress toward leveling up is displayed. Progress can also be checked in the Notebook menu's Enemies section. The number of enemies that have to be defeated to level up an enemy varies depending on the enemy. For example. the player has to defeat 160Spikes to for them to go from the second level to the third level, but only 120Red Koopa Troopas to have that enemy do the same. Enemies leaving the screen does not count as defeating them. This usually affectsKoopa Troopas andBuzzy Beetles, since stomping them only kicks their shell away.Dry Bones give coins whenstomped but are not defeated. For such enemies, the player has to defeat them through other means such asrolling or withinvincibility to level them up.
When the player defeats a leveled up enemy in Toad Rally, that enemy provides morecoins than it normally does. The first level provides one extra coin, the second level provides two extra coins, and the third level provides three extra coins. While enemies cannot gain any further levels, the game continues to track the total number of enemies defeated.
Certain enemies cannot be leveled up. Every enemy added in the version 3.0.4 update cannot level up.
Mario Kart Tour[edit]
InMario Kart Tour, the player can raise their level or multiplayer rank by racing on courses and getting high placements. Characters,karts, andgliders can also be leveled up by usinglevel-boost tickets and obtaining duplicates of them from pipes and the Shop. Leveling up player level and multiplayer rank grants rewards such as coins and rubies, while leveling up characters, karts, and gliders increases the points bonuses they give in races. As of theBattle Tour, the maximum level the player can reach is 400.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope[edit]
InMario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, the maximum level each playable character can reach is LVL 30, and LVL 5 for eachSpark. Characters gain oneSkill Prism, used to upgrade or unlock abilities, each level.
InThe Tower of Doooom, the heroes' maximum level is LVL 10. InThe Last Spark Hunter, the heroes begin at LVL 30 and can be leveled up higher, and all Sparks begin at LVL 4.
Profiles[edit]
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team[edit]
- Instruction manual description:To defeat enemies more easily, you need to train Mario and Luigi by actively seeking battles and leveling up.
Super Mario Run[edit]
- Enemy Leveling:Defeating lots of enemies will level them up, making them drop even more coins in Toad Rally.
Gallery[edit]
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | レベルアップ[?] Reberu Appu | Level Up | |
| Chinese(Simplified) | 等级提升[?] Děngjí Tíshēng | Level Up | |
| Chinese(Traditional) | 等級提升[?] Děngjí Tíshēng | Level Up | |
| Dutch | Nieuw level NiveauThousand Year Door remake[?] | New level Level | |
| French | niveau ↑[?] | level ↑ | |
| German | Neuer Level[?] | New Level | |
| Italian | nuovo livello[?] | new level | |
| Korean | 레벨 업[?] Rebel Eop | Level Up | |
| Spanish | nivel +[?] | level + |
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•- Terms
- Game mechanics
- Fortune Street
- Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
- Mario & Luigi: Brothership
- Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
- Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
- Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
- Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
- Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
- Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
- Paper Mario
- Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
- Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition
- Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
- Super Mario Run
- Super Paper Mario
