Recorder
- Not to be confused with Magic Silver Whistle or Flute.
| Recorder | |
|---|---|
 Artwork of a Magic Whistle from Super Mario Bros. Mushroom World | |
| First appearance | The Legend of Zelda (1986, overall) Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988, Super Mario franchise) |
| Latest appearance | The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023, cameo) |
- “One toot on this whistle will send you to a far away land!”
- —Toad, Super Mario Bros. 3
A Recorder, also known as a Magic Whistle,[1][2][3] a Warp Whistle,[4][5][6][7][8] or simply a Whistle,[7] is a rare item that appears in Super Mario Bros. 3. It is originally from The Legend of Zelda; the six notes played upon use are identical, as is the whirlwind it summons that whisks the player to another location.
History[edit]
Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
In Super Mario Bros. 3, using a Magic Whistle summons a whirlwind that takes Mario or Luigi to World 9, the Warp Zone, where the player can skip ahead to the start of a later world. Using the Magic Whistle in World 1 allows Mario or Luigi to warp to World 2, World 3, or World 4; using it in World 2 through World 6 allows him to warp to World 5, World 6, or World 7; and using it in World 7, World 8, or World 9 allows him to warp to World 8.
There is a total of three Magic Whistles: Two of them are in World 1, and one is in World 2. Each Magic Whistle can be collected from a certain treasure box, but only two are required to warp directly to World 8. The first Magic Whistle is obtained in World 1-3 by holding Down on 
while standing on the White Block at the end of the level, so that Mario or Luigi drops behind the background, and then quickly getting behind the black curtain at the end of the level before the White Block's effect wears off. Behind the curtain is a secret Toad House, whose single box contains the Whistle. The second Magic Whistle is obtained in World 1-
Fortress by flying above the ceiling at the end of the first room, where there is a door hidden above the top of the screen. The door leads to a small secret room where a treasure box contains the Magic Whistle. Clearing World 1-Fortress in that way does not open its lock on the map. The third Magic Whistle can be obtained by defeating the Boomerang Brother in World 2-
to obtain a Hammer, which must be used to break the rock at the top right of the map screen, opening a secret passage behind a palm tree. The passage contains a Toad House (with a Frog Suit) as well as a pair of Fire Brothers. Defeating both Fire Brothers awards the player the Magic Whistle. According to Princess Toadstool's letter upon the player completing Giant Land, the Magic Whistle had been stolen and taken to the sand dunes on the east side of Desert Land.
Exclusively in the original Family Computer release, there is a glitch that allows the player to obtain a fourth Magic Whistle in World 5-1. The glitch can cause the treasure box to appear at the end of the level instead of in its usual location. The glitch is performed by reaching the end of the level, then turning around and flying above the wall of blocks until the player hears the sound of a treasure box appearing. After that, if the player returns to the goal, they will notice glitched graphics (as it is not supposed to be possible to activate a treasure box and the goal simultaneously). If the player then hits the goal from the far left corner, the treasure box will teleport to the goal, and picking it up will earn the player either five extra lives or a Magic Whistle. Later versions shorten the level by replacing the Warp Pipe to this area (as well as a Buster Beetle) with the goal in international NES releases and reissues.
Paper Mario: Color Splash[edit]
In Paper Mario: Color Splash, this item (now known as the Recorder, its original name from The Legend of Zelda) makes a reappearance after 28 years of absence and in time for its 30th anniversary debut. It is hidden in the Green Energy Plant, in a course specially dedicated to Super Mario Bros. 3. Mario must flip into 3D and go beyond the Goal Pole at one of the ends of the area. At first, it looks identical to its appearance in Super Mario Bros. 3, but after Mario tosses it into the air, it becomes a photo-realistic recorder. The Recorder can also be purchased from the Wringer for 300 coins and sold as a card for one coin. A replica version of the Recorder can be collected from the Battle Spin. It is also given developers' notes in the game's digital manual.
When the Recorder Card is used in battle, the scenery changes to a field and the Recorder plays the original melody. Three more Recorders appear and play the Super Mario Bros. 3 Coin Heaven/Sky Land/Warp Zone theme, which causes a tornado to appear. The tornado lifts any enemies into the air and causes them to plummet back down. The effect of the attack is increased if the player presses the buttons on the Wii U GamePad when the Recorder is playing the initial melody.
References in other media[edit]
- In the series The Legend of Zelda, the Recorder reappears in the television series and comic under the name "Magic Whistle"; in addition, its melody has been remixed throughout the series, most notably as the title theme of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
- During the climax of The Wizard, Haley tells Jimmy to seek out the Magic Whistle (which she refers to as the "Magic Flute") in the World 1 Fortress, which he succeeds in doing. However, it is unclear how Haley even knew of its existence, as Super Mario Bros. 3 was a game that the characters had never played before.
- In Leaping Lizards, a Magic Silver Whistle is the prize of the International Mushroom Games, which are held in a neutral area of the Mushroom Kingdom every six years. Iggy Koopa is the whistle's current holder, and the heroes compete against him in order to reverse the spell placed on the Mushroom King, who was transformed into a rabbit.
- In the 2006 version of Nintendo Monopoly, the Warp Whistle is referenced by the Coin Block "Advance to Go" card.
- Mystical Whistle, the name of a Sammer Guy in Super Paper Mario, is a reference to the Magic Whistle.
Profiles[edit]
Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
- Wii Virtual Console manual: Not much is known about the Magic Whistle. See if you can find it!
- Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console manual description:
- English:
Warps Mario to a different world.
- English:
Paper Mario: Color Splash[edit]
- Item description: The pleasant, nostalgic melody makes you feel like you're being whirled up into the sky.
Gallery[edit]
The first Magic Whistle's location in Super Mario Bros. 3
The second Magic Whistle's location in Super Mario Bros. 3
The third Magic Whistle's location in Super Mario Bros. 3
Paper Mario: Color Splash
Paper Mario: Color Splash
Paper Mario: Color Splash
Paper Mario: Color Splash
Media[edit]
 Whistle (Super Mario Bros. 3) - Plays when the Magic Whistle is used | File info 0:30 |
| Whistle (Super Mario All-Stars) - Plays when the Magic Whistle is used | File info 0:30 |
| Whistle (Super Mario Advance 4) - Plays when the Magic Whistle is used | File info 0:30 |
| Thing: Recorder - Plays while using the Recorder Thing | File info 0:20 |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | フエ[9] / ふえ Fue |
Flute / Whistle / Recorder | |
| まほうのふえ[?] Mahō no Fue |
Magic Whistle | Super Mario Bros. 3, Princess' last letter | |
| タテブエ[?] Tatebue |
Recorder | Paper Mario: Color Splash | |
| French | Sifflet Magique[?] | Magic Whistle | |
| Sifflet[?] | Whistle | Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 | |
| Sifflet magique[?] | Magic whistle | Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 | |
| German | Zauberflöte[?] | Magic Flute | Super Mario Bros. 3 |
| Flöte[?] | Flute | ||
| Italian | Fischietto Magico[10][11][12] | Magic Whistle | |
| Flauto magico[13] | Magic flute | ||
| Flauto[?] | Flute | Paper Mario: Color Splash | |
| Portuguese | Flauta[?] | Flute | |
| Spanish | Flauta Mágica[?] | Magic Flute | |
| Silbato Mágico[?] | - |
Trivia[edit]
- An arrangement of the tune for the Recorder can be heard if the player wins three times in a row in the minigame Loves Me...? from Super Mario 64 DS.
- If the player uses a Magic Whistle while on the canoe in World 3, the player can go off to the left and leave the Warp Zone map. However, they cannot get back and are stuck there unless they have another Magic Whistle. This was fixed in the international versions. The Super Mario All-Stars version fixed this glitch in a different manner by not allowing the player to use a Magic Whistle while on a canoe.
External links[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ 1990. Super Mario Bros. 3 instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (English). Page 24.
- ^ 2003. Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (English). Page 28.
- ^ Peterson, Erik. Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 Player's Guide back cover. Nintendo of America (English). ISBN 1930206-37-2.
- ^ June 1990. Nintendo Power Volume 13 back cover. Nintendo of America (English).
- ^ 1993. Super Mario All-Stars Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (English). Page 111.
- ^ Hodgson, David S J (October 21, 2003). Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 Prima's Official Strategy Guide back cover. Prima Games (American English). ISBN 0-7615-4425-9.
- ^ a b Spring 1991. NES Game Atlas. Nintendo of America (English). Page 31.
- ^ NintendoAmerica (January 4, 2016). To be honest, Mario’s resolutions are pretty similar every year. What are *your* Nintendo-themed resolutions?. X. Retrieved July 9, 2024. (Archived January 27, 2016, 01:37:37 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ 1988. スーパーマリオブラザーズ3 (Sūpā Mario Burazāzu Surī) instruction booklet. Nintendo (Japanese). Page 23.
- ^ Super Mario Bros. 3 Italian manual. Page 24.
- ^ Super Mario Bros. 3 (3DS - Virtual Console) Italian e-manual. Page 14.
- ^ "O magari gli splendidi potenziamenti come il l'Abito Tanooki volante, l'Abito Rana per nuotare nel mare o il Fischietto Magico che richiama vortici d'aria?" – Game Boy Advance - Nintendo Switch Online, Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 description. Nintendo (Italian).
- ^ November 15, 2018. Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN 889367436X. Page 41.
