Boulder

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This article is about actual boulders that have appeared in various media. For the special move that was seen in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, see Boulder (move). For the recurring object also known as a rolling rock, see Wobble Rock.
Not to be confused with Rock, Stone, or Brolder.
Boulder
Rendered model of a Boulder in Mario Kart Tour.
Model of a rolling rock from Mario Kart Tour
First appearance Super Mario World (1990)
Latest appearance Mario Party Superstars (2021)

Boulders, also referred to as Rolling Boulders,[1] appear in the Super Mario franchise as obstacles that roll down areas, usually sloped ones, and are capable of harming the player characters.

History[edit]

Super Mario series[edit]

Super Mario World[edit]

Rocks[2] first appear in Super Mario World, where they are dug up by Diggin' Chucks as a form of attack. They continuously bounce on the ground in one direction (turning the other way when they bump into a wall) until they are hit by Caped Mario's attack or sink into lava.

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins[edit]

Sprite of a rock from Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

In Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, they are dug up by Gorontos and act the same as in Super Mario World.

Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS[edit]

A rock rolling towards Mario in the Hazy Maze Cave

In Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS, Rolling rocks[3] appear as obstacles. They roll down a slope and into a pit in a wide room of Hazy Maze Cave. The rolling rocks deliberately roll in the direction of the player character. The Hazy Maze Cave has a mission called Watch for Rolling Rocks, where the goal is for Mario to avoid the rocks and grab the Power Star on a nearby corner. In Super Mario 64 DS, the Power Star is obtained differently: Mario, Luigi, or Wario must grow from a mushroom and break three or four rocks to reveal the Power Star. Alternatively, Wario can break the rocks by punching them. Also, the DS version of the mission Swimming Beast in the Cavern, requires Wario to a rock on the island in the center of the Underground Lake to reveal the mission's Power Star.

Super Mario Galaxy[edit]

Boulder Planet.png
Ruby Rocks rolling around a planet in Super Mario Galaxy

In Super Mario Galaxy, Ruby Rocks[4] and Big Ruby Rocks[4] roll on open or closed circuits, coming out infinitely out of tunnels in the former case and falling into an abyss afterwards. If Mario touches them, he is knocked away and loses one wedge of his Health Meter. Ruby Rocks are semi-common obstacles that appear in several galaxies, including the Good Egg Galaxy and the Honeyhive Galaxy. They can be destroyed if Mario spins their weak spot, a circular red area. They can also be destroyed if Rainbow Mario collides with them, a rubbery bulb is knocked into them, or the second player uses their Star Pointer to hold one in place, allowing a second Ruby Rock to collide with it, destroying both Ruby Rocks. Upon destruction, Ruby Rocks leave a large number of Star Bits. Ruby Rocks in this game have some subtle size differentiation in different levels, though one in the underground section of the Dusty Dune Galaxy is especially large. One of Bowser's attacks in the first part of his final battle involves surrounding himself with rock fragments and rolling around the planet much like a Ruby Rock in an attempt to squash Mario. Bowser's head sticks out of the rock in the same area where the red spot would be on an actual Ruby Rock. Mario must spin Bowser's head to break him out of his rock shell.

Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]

Boulder
A Ruby Rock from Super Mario Galaxy 2

In Super Mario Galaxy 2, Ruby Rocks[5] reappear in the Boulder Bowl Galaxy, a galaxy that is appropriately centered around boulders, as well as the Rock Mushroom. This time, the Ruby Rocks can also be destroyed by Rock Mario. The boss of this galaxy, Rollodillo, attacks in the same way as a Ruby Rock, and can be defeated only by using Rock Mario. Sorbetti, the boss of the Freezy Flake Galaxy, also uses a similar strategy during the boss battle.

When Mario collects a Rock Mushroom, he transforms into Rock Mario, taking the form of a round Ruby Rock-like object which enables him to roll into obstacles and enemies, much like Bowser does in Super Mario Galaxy's final battle. Mario's head sticks out of the rock where the red spot is normally on a regular Ruby Rock.

New Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]

World 3-5
A boulder and a Blooper chasing Mario in World 3-5

In New Super Mario Bros. 2, boulders are common obstacles in an underwater level, World 3-5, and are the only way to obtain certain Star Coins that are enclosed in blocks, since Mario cannot break them. Boulders can be destroyed using a Super Star, an Invincibility Leaf, or a Gold Flower.

Super Mario Odyssey[edit]

A Boulder in Super Mario Odyssey
A boulder captured by Mario

Boulders in Super Mario Odyssey have various roles. One specific boulder that takes the form of a large, oblong rock is found in front of a tree in the Deep Woods in the Wooded Kingdom and can be captured, which allows it to be moved to reveal a tunnel containing a Power Moon. Many rolling boulders also appear in the Underground Moon Caverns in the Moon Kingdom and in the segment where Mario captures Bowser in the cave on the Darker Side of the moon. These round boulders can be destroyed by ramming into them as a Chargin' Chuck or by clawing them as Bowser, and may produce a heart in the latter case. Additionally, during the first battle against Bowser in the Cloud Kingdom, Bowser occasionally attacks Mario by throwing brick-like boulders at him (the second battle in the Moon Kingdom replaces the brick boulders with burning Bowser shells), and many boulders fall down at the end of the game when Mario captures Bowser in the Moon Kingdom as the caves collapse, serving as obstacles, with yellow markers appearing where they are set to land.

Donkey Kong Land[edit]

Mountain Mayhem
A falling boulder in Mountain Mayhem

In Donkey Kong Land, boulders are indestructible obstacles that periodically fall down from holes in the background wall, bouncing briefly on any platform they fall onto, and will damage the Kongs on contact. Boulders appear only in two levels, Mountain Mayhem and Landslide Leap.

Mario Kart series[edit]

Mario Kart 64[edit]

Boulders appear obstacles at the Choco Mountain course in Mario Kart 64. They flatten player characters on contact.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!![edit]

Boulders reappear in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! as obstacles at DK Mountain, acting like their Mario Kart 64 counterparts.

Mario Kart DS[edit]

In Mario Kart DS, boulders are once again obstacles at N64 Choco Mountain. Similar large pinballs appear as obstacles in Waluigi Pinball.

Mario Kart Wii[edit]

In Mario Kart Wii, boulders appear again in GCN DK Mountain.

Mario Kart 7[edit]

Mario Kart 7 also features boulders as obstacles, this time integrating them at Rock Rock Mountain and Maka Wuhu towards the end of the track. In this game and following Mario Kart games, boulders spin out racers on contact instead of flattening them.

Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]

Boulder from Mario Kart 8
A boulder on the Bowser's Castle course from Mario Kart 8

Rolling boulders reappear as are obstacles in the Bowser's Castle course of Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. In these games, they resemble their Super Mario Galaxy counterparts in texture, but without the red jeweled side. Millstones similar to boulders appear in Thwomp Ruins. Rolling boulders also appear in N64 Choco Mountain, 3DS Rock Rock Mountain, Tour Athens Dash, and GCN DK Mountain in the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass DLC.

Tour Sydney Sprint features a type of boulder[6] that is stationary and has an elongated shape. Such boulders appear on the grassy, off-road portions of the Barangaroo Reserve segment. They slow down racers when driven into, but do not crash them like rolling rocks do. They can be launched into the air by hitting them with a Spiny Shell or a Super Horn, or by touching them while under the effects of a Bullet Bill or Super Star.

Mario Kart Tour[edit]

In Mario Kart Tour, rolling rocks[6] appear as obstacles at 3DS Rock Rock Mountain, N64 Choco Mountain, GCN DK Mountain and Athens Dash 2. The player can destroy a rolling rock and get bonus points in the process by hitting it with a Spiny Shell, Bowser's Shell, Bob-omb, Super Horn, Giga Bob-omb, or Super Bell, or by ramming into one while under the effects of a Frenzy, Mega Mushroom, Bullet Bill, or Super Star.

The boulders[6] seen in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's rendition of Tour Sydney Sprint also appear in Mario Kart Tour on Sydney Sprint 3 and its variants. In this game, they can be launched into the air by almost the same means used to destroy rolling rocks, except with Bob-ombs, and they grant bonus points in the process.

Mario Party series[edit]

Boulders appear in some minigames in the Mario Party series. In Boulder Ball in Mario Party 3 and Mario Party Superstars, the solo player must use a machine to fling boulders at the team players to prevent them from reaching the top of a slope. In Granite Getaway in Mario Party 6, the players need to run away from a giant rolling boulder. In Rocky Road in Mario Party 6, Mario Party: The Top 100, and Mario Party Superstars, teams need to punch and kick boulders blocking the road to destroy them so they can reach the finish line. In Block and Roll in Mario Party 9, the rivals must roll boulders down to the solo player to prevent them from transporting three blocks from one side to the other.

Wario Land series[edit]

Wario Land II[edit]

In Wario Land II, boulders fall from holes in the walls of underground areas in Avoid the rocks! and The Final Battle!!. Large ones squash Wario into Flat Wario, but small ones can be held and thrown by him to defeat enemies or Enemy Blocks.

Wario Land 3[edit]

In Wario Land 3, boulders are small, lumpy objects appearing only in Above the Clouds, working as they did in Wario Land II.

Wario Land 4[edit]

In Wario Land 4, boulders are produced by Bowlers from the ground and are indestructible. Once created, they are tossed in the direction of Wario, rolling until hitting a wall or falling into lava. They damage Wario on contact. There are also small, holdable boulders that appear in several levels, working as in previous Wario Land games.

Wario Land: Shake It![edit]

Wario being chased by two boulders in Sneak Peak
Two boulders rolling towards Wario in the level Sneak Peak of Wario Land: Shake It!

Boulders also appear in Wario Land: Shake It!, acting as obstacles in volcano-related courses. In Mt. Lava Lava, there are enormous boulders held in place either by Hard Blocks or Bomb Blocks. When Wario destroys these, the boulders immediately start chasing him down a path, destroying every enemy and block in its path. If a boulder catches up to Wario, he will remain stuck to its surface and move along with it until the boulder stops somewhere and flings Wario forward due to the momentum. In Sneak Peak, there are small boulders that can also pick up Wario as they roll, but can be jumped on to reach a higher area. They endlessly come out of openings in walls and roll on the ground until they fall into lava.

Donkey Kong 64[edit]

Chunky Kong holding a boulder in Donkey Kong 64.
Chunky Kong holding a boulder in Donkey Kong 64
“Can pick up a boulder with relative ease. Makes crushing rocks seem such a breeze!”
DK Rap

In Donkey Kong 64, boulders are stationary obstacles colored dark green that can be lifted by only Chunky Kong. Many boulders appear on pads, which are unusable until the boulder is lifted. In some cases, boulders can press down on various switches.

Donkey Kong Country series[edit]

Donkey Kong Country Barrel Maze[edit]

In Donkey Kong Country Barrel Maze, boulders[7] initially stand still, but start rolling towards the player's barrel when approached. They roll straight ahead until hitting a wall, a slope, or the playable barrel, at which point they break. If the playable barrel is hit by a boulder, it loses some energy. Boulders appear in most levels.

Donkey Kong Country Returns[edit]

In Donkey Kong Country Returns, boulders appear in varying sizes, and most are covered in spikes. They are encountered primarily in Boulder Roller.

Yoshi Topsy-Turvy[edit]

In Yoshi Topsy-Turvy, boulders are depicted with three indentations similar to a bowling ball. They are also interactive objects that Yoshi can stand, and tilting the Game Boy Advance causes the boulder to roll, defeating enemies along the way.

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat[edit]

Rolling boulders appear as obstacles in Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, being first encountered in Massive Canyon. They damage Donkey Kong on contact, and can only be jumped over.

Wario: Master of Disguise[edit]

In Wario: Master of Disguise, boulders are created by Poobah the Pharaoh from his nostrils as part of his first attack phase. Boulders remain still for a moment when landing on the ground before rolling towards Wario, breaking when they hit a wall. They can hurt Wario if touched from the sides, but can be destroyed with a jump.

DK: Jungle Climber[edit]

Boulders[8] appear in DK: Jungle Climber, where they have many pegs on them, and are required for reaching high areas, including Peg Boards and ledges. Donkey Kong can spin the boulder either left or right, based on which side he is spinning from it. Boulders appear in cave levels, beginning with Cool Cool Cave.

Gallery[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

Boulder[edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese ゴロゴロ岩[9][10][11]
Gorogoro Iwa
Rolling Rock
ゴロゴロいわ[?]
Gorogoro Iwa
Super Mario 64
落石らくせき[12]
Rakuseki
Rockfall Mario Kart 64
ころがり岩[13]
Korogari Iwa
Rolling Rock Yoshi Topsy-Turvy
大岩おおいわ[14]
Ō Iwa
Big Rock Donkey Kong: Jungle Climber
大岩[15]
Ō Iwa
New Super Mario Bros. 2
いわ[?]
Iwa
Rock Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart Tour
Chinese 岩石[6]
Yánshí
Rock
Chinese (simplified) 滚动岩石[?]
Gǔndòng Yánshí
Editing Boulder
Chinese (traditional) 滾動岩石[?]
Gǔndòng Yánshí
Editing Boulder
Dutch Rotsblok[?] Rockblock
French Rocher[?] Rock
Grand rocher[16] Big rock/boulder
Grosse pierre ronde[17] Big round rock
German Felsbrocken[?] Boulder
Felsen[?] Rock
Italian Masso/Macigno[?] Boulder
Korean 바위[6]
Bawi
Rock
Russian Валун[?]
Valun
Boulder
Spanish (NOA) Peñasco[?] Boulder
Roca[6] Rock Mario Kart Tour
Spanish (NOE) Roca[?] Rock

Rolling rock[edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Italian Roccia rotolante[6] Rolling rock
Portuguese Pedra rolante[6] Rolling stone

Ruby Rock[edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese ゴロゴロ岩[?]
Gorogoro iwa
Rolling rock Super Mario Galaxy
でかゴロ岩[18]
Dekagoro iwa
Big rolling rock giant type, Super Mario Galaxy
Italian Massoruota[?] Rockwheel

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Rolling Boulders: Near the end of the course, boulders begin to roll downhill towards you." – Musa, Alexander (May 30, 2014). Mario Kart 8 PRIMA Official Game Guide. Prima Games (American English). ISBN 978-0-804-16328-6. Page 130.
  2. ^ August 1991. Nintendo Mario Mania Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (English). Page 114Media:SMW2 Guide 126.jpg.
  3. ^ Course 6 - Star 6: Watch for Rolling Rocks. Nintendo: Super Mario 64 Strategy (American English). Archived June 10, 1998, 06:46:32 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  4. ^ a b English Super Mario Galaxy entry on the official Mario Portal. nintendo.co.jp. Retrieved August 13, 2022. (Archived August 12, 2022, 23:39:09 UTC via archive.today.)
  5. ^ English Super Mario Galaxy 2 entry on the official Mario Portal. nintendo.co.jp. Retrieved August 13, 2022. (Archived August 12, 2022, 23:39:46 UTC via archive.today.)
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Displayed as an action in Mario Kart Tour
  7. ^ "BOULDER: Pursues your barrel in a straight line and causes damage if it hits you." – "Help" screen. Donkey Kong Country Barrel Maze.
  8. ^ Donkey Kong: Jungle Climber instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (English). Page 14.
  9. ^ Sakai, Kazuya (Ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors (2015). "Super Mario 64."『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 92.
  10. ^ Nintendo Co., Ltd. スーパーマリオギャラクシー. Mario Portal (Japanese). Retrieved 7 Mar. 2024.
  11. ^ Nintendo Co., Ltd. スーパーマリオギャラクシー2. Mario Portal (Japanese). Retrieved 7 Mar. 2024.
  12. ^ 1996. マリオカート64六十四 (Mario Kāto Rokujūyon) instruction booklet (PDF). Nintendo (Japanese). Page 29.
  13. ^ 「ヨッシーの万有引力任天堂公式ガイドブック」 (Yoshi Banyū Inryoku Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook). Shogakukan (Japanese). Page 21Media:YUG Shogakukan P21.jpg.
  14. ^ 2007. ドンキーコング ジャングルクライマー (Donkī Kongu Janguru Kuraimā) instruction booklet. Nintendo. Page 19.
  15. ^ Sakai et al. "New Super Mario Bros. 2."『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』. Page 199.
  16. ^ July 4, 2018. Super Mario Encyclopedia. Soleil Productions (French). ISBN 2302070046. Page 127.
  17. ^ October/November 1997. Le Magazine Nintendo officiel N1. Boulogne-Billancourt: Emap Alpha (French) via archive.org. Page 93. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  18. ^ Sakai et al. "Super Mario Galaxy"『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』. Page 127.