User:Salmancer/List of methods of flight
From the Super Mario Wiki, the Mario encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to search
As the franchise that defined the platforming genre, many Super Mario franchise games allow the character to fly as a powerful ability in the game. Flying is powerful because normally the player's ability to move vertically is restricted by if there are platforms available to jump from. There are many different ways games implement flying. This list compares and contrasts all methods that the player can use to fly in different games. Note that this list concerns player characters flying in games where flying is not true of gameplay in general. Microgames, being as short and self-contained as they are, usually do not meet this criteria.
Flying abilities are sorted into one of eight categories:
- "High ascent and slowly descend": Initially using the power sends Mario high into the air, then he enters a controlled descending state that makes it easier to land.
- "Press/Hold jump button to rise": When the button is used in the specified manner, Mario rises. When the button is not being used, Mario falls.
- "Steadily rises": Once this power is activated, Mario steadily rises into the air even without input from the player. Some powers may allow for Mario's height to be controlled past this point, others do not.
- "Momentum based": Mario flies forward and can adjust his altitude freely to a point. If Mario slows down too much, flight is impaired or immediately ends. Mario's speed decreases whe he flies upward. Mario can increase his speed by flying downward. Switching to flying upward during such a speed boost allows Mario to change direction more sharply than otherwise allowed.
- "Free movement in all directions":Mario moves in any specified direction. This is usually also paired with an effect that has Mario fall very slowly or not fall at all.
- "Constant height": While the power is in use, Mario does not rise or fall. He can still move in any other direction. Some of these may have Mario rise and fall in a a set pattern.
- "Dash(es) in a upward direction": This power allows for Mario to dash in one or more upward directions. (Dashes that cannot be aimed upward are better described as weak versions of "Constant height")
- "Fixed path":This power gives the player no control over Mario. He moves over a path in the air as specified by the power.
As a general rule, abilities that are not in the "Press/Hold jump button to rise" and "Momentum based" categories" generally cannot be used more than once for each time the user enters the air. "Free movement in all directions" is another exception: most of them can fly infinitely far or high without having to land.
| Item/Form/Move | Image | Debut year | Games | Type | Notes | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High ascent and slowly descend | Press/Hold jump button to rise | Steadily rises | Momentum based | Free movement in all directions | Constant height | Dash(es) in an upward direction | Fixed path | |||||
| Wing |   |
2007 | ✔ | Uses the swimming controls in the air | ||||||||
| Propeller Mario/Propeller Block |  
|
2007 | ✔ | Activate with Spin Jump or Midair Spin | ||||||||
| Propeller Box | 
|
2007 | ✔ | Slowly descend by holding the jump button. Can ascend three times in Super Mario Maker 2 | ||||||||
| Raccoon Mario/White Raccoon Mario/Tanooki Mario |   
|
2015 | ✔ | Requires a full P-Meter. The P-Meter fills as Mario dashes. Flying drains the P-Meter. Once the P-Meter is empty Mario can no longer fly. White Raccoon Mario fills the P-Meter faster. The P-Meter stays full permanently with a P-Wing. | ||||||||
| Tanooki Mario | 
|
2015 | ✔ | Can only fly during the credits | ||||||||
| Cape Mario | 
|
2015 | ✔ | Requires a running start. Taking damage cancels the flying state without Mario being hurt. Landing on the ground damages enemies. Landing on the ground with a fast dive defeats all enemies on screen. | ||||||||
| Power Squirrel Mario | 
|
2015 | ✔ | Can Flying Squirrel Jump an infinite number of times in place of Midair Spin, can glide before, inbetween, or after Flying Squirrel Jumps as per Flying Squirrel Mario. | ||||||||
| Wing Mario/Winged Yoshi | 
|
2015 | ✔ | Requires a cannon or a Triple Jump. | ||||||||
| Lakitu's Cloud | 
|
2007 |
|
✔ | Only lasts a limited time | |||||||
| Koopa Clown Car/Junior Clown Car/Fire Koopa Clown Car/Fire Junior Clown Car |    
|
2007 | ✔ | |||||||||
| Bullet Bill Mask | 
|
2007 | ✔ | Is temporary. Lost upon crashing into walls. | ||||||||
| Bullet Bill/Banzai Bill (via Capture) |  
|
2007 | ✔ | Is temporary. Explodes on contact with walls or enemies, returning Mario to normal. | ||||||||
| Paragoomba/Parabones (via Capture) |  
|
2007 | ✔ | Maximum height is a little above highest platform landed on. | ||||||||
| Winged Yoshi | 
|
2007 | ✔ | Temporary when accessed with Koopa Shells, permanent when accessed with Yoshi's Wings | ||||||||
| Winged Yoshi | 
|
2007 | ✔ | Moves in a sine wave, like a repeating Flutter Jump pattern | ||||||||
| Umbrella Yoshi | 
|
2007 | ✔ | Heavily affected by wind | ||||||||
| Sky Pop Yoshi | 
|
2007 | ✔ | |||||||||
| Launch Star | 
|
2007 | ✔ | |||||||||
| Piranhacopter | 
|
2007 | ✔ | |||||||||
| Pidgit’s carpets | 
|
2007 | ✔ | Is temporary | ||||||||
| Propellerpack | 
|
2007 | ✔ | |||||||||
| Super Dragon | 
|
2007 | ✔ | Is temporary | ||||||||
| Wario-Man | 
|
2007 | ✔ | Rises when using aerial attacks | ||||||||
| Spinning Kong | 
|
2007 | ✔ | Only rises when used in the air. Does not rise very high | ||||||||
| Whirling Fortress | 
|
2007 | ✔ | Only rises when used in the air. | ||||||||
| Rocketbarrel Boost | TrophyWiiU.png){kind=small}
|
2007 | ✔ | Can be aimed mid-dash, defaults to upward | ||||||||
| Rocketbarrel Barrage | 
|
2007 | ✔ | Moves upward, but can be turned such that that upward to Diddy is any direction. Is temporary | ||||||||
| Hyper Rocketbarrel | 
|
2007 | ✔ | Attacks from various directions all around the screen with no control granted to the player. Returns to where the attack started when it concludes | ||||||||
| Jetpack | 2007 | ✔ | In one segment Left and right movement is automatic but Wario can dash upward. In the other segment left and right movement is free free in the next segment. Collecting fuel in the second segment makes it go faster, and it can break a ceiling at max speed. | |||||||||
| Flying Mario | 
|
2007 | ✔ | Starts flying with a Spin. Has to be pointed in a specific direction, then can move forward. | ||||||||
| Balloon Mario | 
|
2007 | ✔ | |||||||||
| Rocket Barrel | 
|
2007 | ✔ | Automatically moves to the right. Must counteract falling momentum to rise. | ||||||||
| Rocket Barrel |
|
2007 | ✔ | Automatically flies with upward scrolling screen. Can boost higher upward | ||||||||
| Green Balloon | 
|
2007 | ✔ | Recovers player from pits. Can pass through some solid objects. Ends with button press or after too long. | ||||||||
| Helicopter Spin | 
|
2007 | ✔ | Upward | ||||||||
| Squawks | 
|
2007 | ✔ | Can be carried by Squawks with his corresponding Animal crate, or transform into Squawks with a Squawks Barrel | ||||||||
| Quawks | 
|
2007 | ✔ | Can only transform into Quawks with his corresponding Animal Barrel | ||||||||
| Rocket Barrel | 
|
2007 | ✔ | Normally falls, starts rising after hitting an Ignition Barrel | ||||||||
| Blimp Fruit | 
|
2010 | Temporarily transforms Yoshi into Blimp Yoshi, causing him to puff up and float, similarly to the Power Balloon. | ✔ | ||||||||
| Blue Shell | 
|
2006 | Transforms Mario into Shell Mario, allowing him to shell dash, crouch in the shell to block most attacks, and swim faster with more control. | ✔ | ||||||||
| Yoshi's Wings | 
|
1990 | Transforms Yoshi into a Winged Yoshi, granting him infinite flight for one level and access to Coin Heaven. Clearing the level removes the wings and, in the SNES version only, makes Yoshi become a Blue Yoshi. | ✔ | ||||||||
