Balloon Mario
| Balloon Mario | |
|---|---|
| |
| Applies to | Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Toad, Yellow Toad, Blue Toad, Toadette, Yoshi, Red Yoshi, Yellow Yoshi, Light-Blue Yoshi, Nabbit |
| Item needed | Power Balloon (most appearances) Power Flower (Super Mario 64 DS) Air vent (Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story / Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey) Wonder Flower (Super Mario Bros. Wonder) |
| Power(s) given | Float like a balloon |
| First appearance | Super Mario World (1990) |
| Latest appearance | Super Mario Bros. Wonder (2023) |
- “With the Power Flower, Mario can float like a balloon. In Standard Mode, press
repeatedly to make Mario float up, and crouch to land. Change his direction with the 
. Try it out!” - —Instruction text, Super Mario 64 DS
Balloon Mario (referred to as Floating Power for Super Mario 64 DS)[1] is a form of Mario first appearing in Super Mario World; it later makes sporadic appearances, starting with Super Mario 64 DS. This form was originally obtained by getting a Power Balloon.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario World / Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2[edit]
In Super Mario World, upon collecting a Power Balloon, Mario or Luigi swells up like a balloon, causing him to hover in the air. They will gradually float upwards if not moved by the player, but are capable of moving in any direction for a limited amount of time. During this time, Yoshi cannot be ridden. Mario or Luigi will start to deflate when the item is about to wear off, and once it does, they return to normal size and drop out of the air. The level Tubular in the Special Zone requires the player to continually pick up new Power Balloons to maintain flight while they make their way across the level.
If Mario or Luigi pass through a Giant Gate while under the form, they will gain a bonus Super Mushroom.
In Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2, the game music's tempo is slightly decreased while Mario or Luigi is in this form. When the form is about to wear off, a deflating sound plays until they return to normal.
Super Mario 64 DS[edit]
The form and its effects return in Super Mario 64 DS, where, upon picking up a Power Flower, Mario inflates like a balloon and can float. The control scheme for this transformation has been changed somewhat; Mario now gradually floats downwards instead of upwards and has to be kept in the air by tapping the jump button, similar to swimming in 2D Super Mario games. Additionally, when the item's effect is about to wear off, Mario now flashes until finally plummeting. The player can also automatically end the transformation at any time by ground-pounding. Mario is the only character who is affected this way when he picks up the Power Flower. In this game, the music that plays when Mario turns into Balloon Mario is a slow-paced arrangement of the Wing Mario theme.
Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS[edit]
While this form is not usable in Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, knocking on a Warp Door in the Super Mario World style may cause Weird Mario to appear in this form.
Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
Super Mario Maker 2's 3.0.0 update adds the Power Balloon along with Balloon Mario and balloon variants of the other characters, exclusively to the Super Mario World game style. There is a visual difference in the sprites in this form, as the character's pants are now yellow and emblazoned with a white "P" (for Toadette, the "P" is on her skirt). The functionality of the Balloon form was also altered, allowing the character to be fully in control of which angle and direction they are floating towards, as opposed to the original game's simple vertical and horizontal mobility. While moving quickly with jump or run, blocks can be activated (Hidden Blocks still can only be hit from below) but there is no way to directly attack enemies. While in the Balloon Mario state, Mario counts as constantly airborne even when on the ground. Balloon Mario is no longer timed, but no longer stacks with the current power-up; if hit, Mario reverts to Super Mario.
Unused sprites indicate that originally, the Buzzy Shell and Spiny Shell could be used by Balloon Mario, with the shell becoming a bubble around him. There are two variants of the former and three of the latter, suggesting the idea went through multiple iterations before being abandoned.[2]
The Weird Mario Easter egg also returns.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder[edit]
The Balloon form reappears in Super Mario Bros. Wonder as the Wonder Effect in Bloomps of the Desert Skies. The form retains controls similar to Super Mario Maker 2, as the player can turn in any direction and propel forward. However, in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the player flaps their arms at a constant speed to move, rather than a gust of air that accelerates more the longer the jump button is pressed.
Super Mario-kun[edit]
Balloon Mario also appears in volume 6 of Super Mario-kun, being featured in a single chapter. Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi are shown with these forms throughout the chapter.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story / Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey[edit]
In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and its remake, Mario can walk into an air vent and become inflated. Luigi can grab onto Mario, allowing them to jump higher and slowly float down. The brothers learn the skill at Toadley Clinic after they get the second Star Cure, when Dr. Toadley's intern asks them to catch Birdley flying in the clinic.
Media[edit]
 Floating Power - The theme from Super Mario 64 DS | File info 0:30 |
Gallery[edit]
- For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Balloon Mario.
Super Mario World (Mario)
Super Mario World (Luigi)
Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Mario)
Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Luigi)
Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Peach)
See also[edit]
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | バルーンマリオ[?] Barūn Mario |
Balloon Mario | |
| 風船マリオ[3] (Super Mario 64 DS) Fūsen Mario |
|||
| Chinese (simplified) | 气球马力欧[4] Qìqiú Mǎlì'ōu |
Balloon Mario | |
| Chinese (traditional) | 氣球瑪利歐[?] Qìqiú mǎlì ōu |
Balloon Mario | |
| French | Mario Ballon[?] | Balloon Mario | |
| Italian | Mario palloncino[?] | Balloon Mario | |
| Korean | 풍선마리오[?] Pungseon Mario |
Balloon Mario | |
| Portuguese | Mario balão[?] | Balloon Mario | |
| Russian | Марио-шар[?] Mario-shar |
Balloon Mario | |
| Spanish | Mario Globo[?] | Balloon Mario |
References[edit]
- ^ 2005. Super Mario 64 DS instruction booklet. Nintendo of Europe (British English). Page 18.
- ^ Spritesheet. The Spriters Resource (English). Retrieved June 26, 2024.
- ^ 1996. スーパーマリオ
６４ (Sūpā Mario Rokujūyon) instruction booklet (PDF). Nintendo (Japanese). Page 18. - ^ 神游马力欧DS的动作. iQue (Simplified Chinese). Retrieved June 26, 2024.
