Wire
- This article is about taut, swingable objects. For the elastic wired cables fromSuper Mario Sunshine, seerope. For the obstacles thatBoo Mario can pass through, seeBars (Boo Mario).
| Wire | |
|---|---|
 Artwork fromMario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch) | |
| First appearance | Donkey Kong (Game Boy) (1994) |
| Latest appearance | Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch) (2024) |
In several games of theSuper Mario franchise, the player character can swing fromwires[1]:5, 7, 18 orbars.[2][3]:4[4] The character automatically grabs on to one on contact. Depending on the game, flicking the control stick or pressing the action button causes the character to start swinging. Letting go at the apex propels the character high into the air, allowing them to access heights that they otherwise would not be able to reach. Wires are comparable to horizontally strungropes andtrapezes.
Though inconsistent, the term "wire" is generally applied to taut power cables that span across opposite walls or towers. The ones discontinuous with opposing walls are typically referred to as "bars" and are more recurring in theSuper Mario franchise. They resemblehorizontal bars.
History[edit]
Donkey Kong (Game Boy)[edit]
In theGame Boy version ofDonkey Kong,ropes,[5] also calledhorizontal bars,[6] are attached to transmission towers.Mario can grab on and move across ropes and can also do theWire Spin to do either a small jump or a large jump to get to areas he could not reach. Ropes are either diagonal or horizontal, which can help make Mario ascend heights or traverse gaps. Enemies calledWire Traps sometimes appear along ropes.
Thewire ropes fromSuper Mario Sunshine share some traits and were potentially derived from these ropes, but they are more elastic and can by walked across like tightropes.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong[edit]
InMario vs. Donkey Kong and theNintendo Switch remake, wires, alternatively called bars[2] ormonkey bars,[7] function like inDonkey Kong. They take the appearance of regular wires inMario Toy Company andTwilight City, but are instead ropes in worlds likeDonkey Kong Jungle.
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Galaxy[edit]
InSuper Mario Galaxy, bars appear only on the walls of theDeep Dark Galaxy. They are silvery with light-orange ends in this game, and provide a limited range for the player character tojump off. If the character jumps onto a bar with maintained momentum, they will automatically be swung forward, enabling them to immediately be swung forward and reach the apex without needing to tilt the control stick. Bars are clustered together and evenly spaced apart, allowing the player to swing from one to another in rapid succession.
Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]
InSuper Mario Galaxy 2, bars, referred to as "nails" in thePrima Games guidebook,[8] appear only in theClockwork Ruins Galaxy, where they function identically as inSuper Mario Galaxy. Bars are used in themission "Time for Adventure" to reach thePower Star. Bars in the game look rusted, matching the aesthetic theming of the Clockwork Ruins Galaxy.
Super Mario Odyssey[edit]
Bars inSuper Mario Odyssey are red objects with gray, reflective orbs at the end. They are embedded into the walls of subareas in theMetro Kingdom andSnow Kingdom. In theWooded Kingdom, there aremultiple Timer Challenges where bars briefly appear on the sides of terrain onceMario tossesCappy at aScarecrow. In theHanging from a High-Rise subarea in the Metro Kingdom, bars are attached to a cross-shape apparatus that rotates every few seconds, after which they stop and shake before rotating again.Mario can grab on to these bars andjump from them. TheDarker Side has a challenge involving poles.
On the streets ofNew Donk City, the overhanging traffic lights function exactly like bars.
Wario Land: Shake It![edit]
InWario Land: Shake It!, bars appear suspended in the air. When clinging to a bar,Wario performs aBar Spin if the player shakes the
. Pressing
while spinning allows the player to move him to a subsequent bar. Bars are significant components in the boss battle againstChortlebot.
Gallery[edit]
Donkey Kong (Game Boy)
Donkey Kong (Game Boy)
Donkey Kong (Game Boy)
Wario Land: Shake It!
Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Odyssey
.png)
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ワイヤー[9][10] Waiyā | Wire | |
| 鉄棒[11][12] Tetsubō | Horizontal Bar | ||
| ロープ[13] Rōpu | Rope | Donkey Kong | |
| French | Câble[1]:58 | Cable | |
| Barre[3]:18 | Bar | ||
| German | Stange[1]:38 | Bar | |
| Italian | Parallela[1]:118 | Parallel bar | |
| Spanish | Cable[14] | Cable | |
| Barra[1]:98[3]:30 | Bar |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^abcde2004.Mario vs. Donkey Kong European instruction booklet (PDF). Großostheim:Nintendo of Europe. Page 5, 7, 18, 38, 58, 98, 118. Retrieved March 27, 2025 from nintendo.com.
- ^ab"You can use bars to jump higher." – 2011.Mario vs. Donkey Kong in-game eGuide for theNintendo 3DS rerelease.Nintendo, Co. Ltd. Page 12.
- ^abc2008.Wario Land: Shake It!: Instruction Booklet (PDF). Redmond:Nintendo of America. Page 4, 18, 30. Retrieved March 24, 2024 from nintendo.com.
- ^Walsh, Doug, and Joe Epstein (2017).Super Mario Odyssey: PRIMA Official Game Guide. Roseville:Prima Games. Page 99, 102, 105, 107, 145.
- ^"Jump onto a rope .While Mario hangs from it, press ▲ on the +Control Pad. Mario will then beginning spinning. Press the A Button again and due to the centrifugal force, he can jump higher and further. [sic]" – 1994.Donkey Kong: Instruction Booklet. Redmond:Nintendo of America. Page 11.
- ^"Mario must gracefully swing from the horizontal bar to make it to the next platform." – Moyse, Claude M., Andreas G. Kämmerer, Marcus Menold, and Jeff Running, editors (1994).The Super Game Boy Player's Guide. Redmond:Nintendo of America. Page 36.
- ^"Last time, Mario hitched a ride on amonkey tail, played around on some monkey bars, and, of course, faced off against the biggest monk—I mean, baddie in the jungle,Donkey Kong!" –Jordan,Play Nintendo channel (February 17, 2025).Let’s Play Mario vs. Donkey Kong Part 3 😲 Gameplay For Kids | @playnintendo (0:14).YouTube. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
- ^Browne, Catherine (2010).Super Mario Galaxy 2: PRIMA Official Game Guide (Premiere Edition). Roseville:Prima Games. Page 220.
- ^Mario vs. Donkey Kong Shogakukan bookMedia:Mvsdk book i.jpg
- ^2004.Mario vs. Donkey Kong instruction booklet (PDF).Nintendo (Japanese). Page 4. Retrieved from nintendo.co.jp.
- ^2004."Action & Puzzle."Mario vs. Donkey Kong. Japanese. Retrieved 22 Feb. 2024.
- ^Sakai, Kazuya (Ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors. (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』. Tokyo:Shogakukan (Japanese). Page 136, 170.
- ^1994.Donkey Kong (Game Boy) instruction booklet.Nintendo (Japanese). Page 9.
- ^OfficialMario vs. Donkey Kong guide.Guías Nintendo (European Spanish). Retrieved November 28, 2018. (Archived September 15, 2008, 10:51:24 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
