Cannonball
It has been requested that this article be rewritten and expanded to include more information. Reason: Add information on missing games, including the Mario Party series, Yoshi's Island, and Mario vs. Donkey Kong, as well as The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 episodes (tagged on March 19, 2021)
- This article is about the projectile weapon found in multiple platformers, typically as an obstacle. For other uses, see Cannonball (disambiguation).
| Cannonball | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork of a Cannonball from Super Mario Run | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) | ||
| Latest appearance | Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition (2024) | ||
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Cannonballs appear in the Super Mario franchise as heavy metal spheres that are launched from cannons, and can be stomped on in midair to stop them from moving.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
Cannonballs in Super Mario Bros. 3 are fired from various cannons mounted on Bowser's tanks, boats, and airships. Cannonballs in the game also have giant variations that are fittingly fired from giant cannons. Unlike Bullet Bills, they are immune to Hammer Mario's hammers.
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins[edit]
Cannonballs in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins are fired by Bomubomu and appear in gray or black, depending on the location.
Super Mario Galaxy[edit]
Cannonballs in Super Mario Galaxy are designed sport a white line around their center and two yellow circles on opposite sides, and are fired by cannons located in Battlerock Galaxy and Dreadnought Galaxy, as well as from airships in Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada. One notable difference with these cannonballs is that rather than simply colliding with the hero, they explode upon impact. This will knock Mario down and may also result in him being thrown off a platform or into a black hole. A player character can attack a cannonball by either jumping on it or shooting it with a Star Bit. The first three cannonballs originating from the same cannon to be destroyed this way produce a coin each.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]
Cannonballs in New Super Mario Bros. Wii appear only in World 8-
Airship. The giant cannonballs also return from Super Mario Bros. 3. Since the cannons are always found in a group, there is a high chance for the player to earn endless 1-Ups by jumping on each cannonball consecutively without touching the ground.
Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]
Cannonballs in Super Mario Galaxy 2 appear only in Fleet Glide Galaxy, and are the same as in Super Mario Galaxy.
New Super Mario Bros. U[edit]
Cannonballs and giant cannonballs in New Super Mario Bros. U act just like in previous sidescrolling installments in the Super Mario series. They can only be found in The Mighty Cannonship, from Soda Jungle. There is also a Challenge called Airship 1-Up Rally, which consists of jumping on many cannonballs without falling to receive many 1-Ups. Cannonballs do not reappear in New Super Luigi U.
Super Mario 3D World[edit]
Cannonballs appear again in Super Mario 3D World, in which they are fired out of cannons and Cannon Boxes.
Super Mario Maker series[edit]
Cannonballs in Super Mario Maker, its Nintendo 3DS version, and Super Mario Maker 2 are fired from cannons, as usual, and shaking a cannon will make it produce red cannonballs, which are much faster than normal ones. When a Mushroom is dragged onto a cannon, it will become a giant cannon capable of shooting giant cannonballs.
In the version 3.0.0 update for Super Mario Maker 2 the Cannon Box was added as a power-up.
Super Mario Run[edit]
Cannonballs in Super Mario Run behave similarly as in Super Mario Bros. 3, and appear in the levels Airship Cannons...Fire!, Airship Armada, and Secret Course 10.
Super Mario Odyssey[edit]
Cannonballs in Super Mario Odyssey are launched from Bowser's airship at the Odyssey in the cutscene that plays after Mario's first boss battle at Nimbus Arena. The resulting impact of the cannonballs causes the ship to crash, leaving Mario stranded with Cappy in the Lost Kingdom.
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
Cannonballs occasionally appear in several episodes of The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3.
Mario is Missing![edit]
In Mario is Missing!, Luigi has to return the cannonball of the Emperor's Cannon to the Kremlin. It had been stolen by Koopa Troopas.
Donkey Kong Country series[edit]
Donkey Kong Country[edit]
Cannonballs in Donkey Kong Country are summoned by King K. Rool during his battle, falling across the length of Gang-Plank Galleon from one end to the other, returning the other way for each further time he is hit.
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest[edit]
In Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, kannonballs[1] or Kannon Balls[2] appear as means of activating a kannon to blast the Kongs up to a Bonus Area. It also has a side use for defeating enemies, including stronger ones such as Zingers, Krunchas, and Klingers. The kannonballs have a varying distance from their corresponding kannon, and some appear in a treasure chest. Upon finding a kannonball, the Kongs must pick it up and travel a distance until reaching the kannon itself. To activate the kannon, the Kongs must either throw or carry the kannonball into it. When a kannonball is used to defeat an enemy, the Kongs usually lose grip, and the kannonball falls onto the ground. If a kannonball falls into a pit, the Kongs cannot get it back unless they restart the level.
Kannonballs also act as a stage hazard, because the Kannon enemies fire an indefinite number of them. Unlike barrels, the fired kannonballs cannot be jumped on, as these objects injure the Kongs upon direct contact. Kannonballs, including spiked ones, are also shot out from Kaptain K. Rool's blunderbuss during both fights in K. Rool Duel and Krocodile Kore. As K. Rool is vacuuming them, the Kongs attack him by throwing the kannonball back into his vacuum. By doing so, Kaptain K. Rool's blunderbuss backfires and he blasts out the kannonball.
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island[edit]
In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, large cannonballs are fired by Kaboombas. These ones are so heavy that they fall to the ground almost immediately after being fired.
Donkey Kong Land 2[edit]
Cannonballs[3][4] in Donkey Kong Land 2 are no different from their appearance in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest.
Donkey Kong 64[edit]
A large cannonball appears in Donkey Kong 64 near the starting area of Gloomy Galleon. The cannonball can be lifted by only Chunky Kong, who has to place it into a nearby cannon to activate it. These cannonballs explode if they hit into something. Using the cannon, the player must use it to shoot several moving targets in the room they are in, with a limited amount of time and cannonballs for ammunition. If player hits all the targets with cannonballs, they will gain a Golden Banana.
Wario World[edit]
Cannonballs in Wario World are gigantic, white projectiles with human-like faces on them, and are shot by Captain Skull, exploding upon impact with the ground.
Mario & Luigi series[edit]
Cannonballs in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga are fired at the Mario Bros. by Gunner Guys in battle, and cannonballs in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team are one of the methods of attack for Shy Guy Airtubs and their stronger relatives, Shy Guy Airtubs R and Shy Guy Airtubs DX. The cannonballs fired from the front cannon of an Airtub have spikes covering them.
During the battle with Bowser Jr. in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team , cannonballs identical in appearance to the Airtubs's side cannons appear as objects that Mario and Luigi can throw at him while riding his Junior Clown Car.
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat[edit]
Cannonballs in Donkey Kong Jungle Beat are shot from Mini Elephant Cannons and other Tusks, exploding when they hit any surface. Cannonballs in the first segment of Battle for Storm Hill rain down from the sky, and the ones shot by Torch Tusk in its second phase can create shockwaves of fire that cover the platforms where they land.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
Cannonballs in the Super Smash Bros. series are shot by Bowser Jr. in his neutral special move in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Clown Cannon. King K. Rool also uses Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest-style kannonballs (here simply called "iron balls") as part of his Blunderbuss move.
Paper Mario: Color Splash[edit]
Cannonballs in Paper Mario: Color Splash are fired from the Violet Passage captain's ship. When Shy Guys take over the ship, they fire the cannonballs randomly, narrowly missing Huey. Mario can use the cannonballs to hit targets and collect coins in the Violet Passage.
Dr. Mario World[edit]
Cannonballs in Dr. Mario World are fired from pop cannons and rotating cannons after they are eliminated. The former fires two cannonballs above and below it, while the latter fires one cannonball in the direction the cannon is facing.
Profiles[edit]
Donkey Kong Land 2[edit]
- Virtual Console manual bio: "Stuff a cannonball into a cannon and you may be able to open up a path to a bonus level. You can also throw cannonballs at enemies to defeat them."
Super Mario Run[edit]
- Notebook bio: "A projectile fired from a cannon, it travels slowly in the air. Its smooth surface can easily be stepped on."
Gallery[edit]
- For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Cannonball.
Sprite of a cannonball from Super Mario Bros. 3
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 砲弾[?] Hōdan |
Cannonball | |
| タマ[5] Tama |
Ball | ||
| Dutch | Kanonskogel[?] | Cannonball | |
| French | Boulet de canon[?] | Cannonball | |
| German | Kanonenkugel[?] | Cannonball | |
| Italian | Palla di cannone[?] | Cannonball | |
| Palla di kannone[?] | Kannon ball | Donkey Kong Country 2 and Donkey Kong Land 2 | |
| Proiettile[6] | Projectile | ||
| Portuguese | Bola de canhão[?] | Cannonball | |
| Russian | Ядро[?] Yadro |
Cannonball | |
| Spanish (NOA) | Bola de cañón[?] | Cannonball | |
| Spanish (NOE) | Bala de cañón[?] | Cannonball |
Trivia[edit]
- In Mario vs. Donkey Kong, Mario will not get struck by a cannonball if he makes contact with one during certain frames of the backflip animation.
References[edit]
- ^ 1995. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 17.
- ^ 1995. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 3.
- ^ Donkey Kong Land 2 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console electronic manual. Tab 9: "Progressing Through Stages".
- ^ Nintendo Magazine System issue 47. Page 46.
- ^ 1995. Super Donkey Kong 2: Dixie & Diddy instruction booklet. Nintendo (Japanese). Page 20.
- ^ November 15, 2018. Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN 889367436X. Page 41.
- Hazardous objects
- Explosives
- Donkey Kong 64 objects
- Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest objects
- Donkey Kong Jungle Beat objects
- Donkey Kong Land 2 objects
- Dr. Mario World
- Mario Party 3
- New Super Mario Bros. U objects
- New Super Mario Bros. Wii objects
- Paper Mario: Color Splash objects
- Super Mario 3D World objects
- Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 objects
- Super Mario Bros. 3 objects
- Super Mario Galaxy enemies
- Super Mario Galaxy 2 enemies
- Super Mario Maker objects
- Super Mario Run objects
- Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island objects
- The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 objects
