|latest_appearance=''[[Mario Party Superstars]]'' ([[List of games by date#2021|2021]])
|latest_appearance=''[[Mario Party Superstars]]'' ([[List of games by date#2021|2021]])
}}
}}
'''Boulders''', also referred to as '''Rolling Boulders''',<ref>{{cite|author=Musa, Alexander|title=''Mario Kart 8'' PRIMA Official Game Guide|page=130|date=May 30, 2014|publisher=[[Prima Games]]|quote='''Rolling Boulders:''' Near the end of the course, boulders begin to roll downhill towards you.|isbn=978-0-804-16328-6|language=en-us}}</ref> appear in the [[Super Mario (franchise)|''Super Mario'' franchise]] mainly as large rocks that are obstacles capable of hurting the player characters.
'''Boulders''', also referred to as '''Rolling Boulders''',<ref>{{cite|author=Musa, Alexander|title=''Mario Kart 8'' PRIMA Official Game Guide|page=130|date=May 30, 2014|publisher=[[Prima Games]]|quote='''Rolling Boulders:''' Near the end of the course, boulders begin to roll downhill towards you.|isbn=978-0-804-16328-6|language=en-us}}</ref> appear in the [[Super Mario (franchise)|''Super Mario'' franchise]] as obstacles that roll down areas, usually sloped ones, and are capable of harming the player characters.
==History==
==History==
===''Super Mario'' series===
===''Super Mario'' series===
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====''Super Mario 64'' / ''Super Mario 64 DS''====
====''Super Mario 64'' / ''Super Mario 64 DS''====
[[File:SM64DS Hazy Maze Cave Star 6.png|thumb|left|200px|A rock rolling towards Mario in the Hazy Maze Cave]]
[[File:SM64DS Hazy Maze Cave Star 6.png|thumb|left|200px|A rock rolling towards Mario in the Hazy Maze Cave]]
'''Rolling rocks'''<ref>{{cite|deadlink=y|archive=web.archive.org/web/19980610064632/http://www.nintendo.com/n64/super_mario64/6-6.html|title=Course 6 - Star 6: Watch for Rolling Rocks|publisher=Nintendo: Super Mario 64 Strategy|accessdate=February 23, 2018}}</ref> in ''[[Super Mario 64]]'' and ''[[Super Mario 64 DS]]'' are obstacles that 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 [[Super Mushroom|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.
'''Rolling rocks'''<ref>{{cite|deadlink=y|archive=web.archive.org/web/19980610064632/http://www.nintendo.com/n64/super_mario64/6-6.html|title=Course 6 - Star 6: Watch for Rolling Rocks|publisher=Nintendo: Super Mario 64 Strategy|accessdate=February 23, 2018|language=en-us}}</ref> in ''[[Super Mario 64]]'' and ''[[Super Mario 64 DS]]'' are obstacles that 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 [[Super Mushroom|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.
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|Jap2R=Gorogoro Iwa
|Jap2R=Gorogoro Iwa
|Jap2M=Rolling Rock <small>(''Super Mario 64'')</small>
|Jap2M=Rolling Rock <small>(''Super Mario 64'')</small>
''Donkey Kong: Jungle Climber'' Japanese instruction booklet. Page 19.</ref>
|Jap5R=Ō Iwa
|Jap5R=Ō Iwa
|Jap5M=Big Rock <small>(''Donkey Kong: Jungle Climber'')</small>
|Jap5M=Big Rock <small>(''Donkey Kong: Jungle Climber'')</small>
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|DutM=Rockblock
|DutM=Rockblock
|Fre=Rocher
|Fre=Rocher
|Fre2=Grand rocher<ref>{{cite|title=''Super Mario Encyclopedia'' (French)|page=127}}</ref>
|Fre2=Grand rocher<ref>{{cite|date=July 4, 2018|title=''[[Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia|Super Mario Encyclopedia]]''|publisher=Soleil Productions|language=fr|isbn=2302070046|page=127}}</ref>
|Fre3=Grosse pierre ronde<ref>{{cite|url=https://archive.org/details/NM6401/mode/2up?view=theater|title=Nintendo official French magazine N1]|page=93|publisher=nintendo64ever.com|accessdate=May 12, 2023}}</ref>
|Fre3=Grosse pierre ronde<ref>{{cite|url=archive.org/details/NM6401/mode/2up?view=theater|title=Nintendo official French magazine N1]|page=93|publisher=nintendo64ever.com|accessdate=May 12, 2023}}</ref>
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.
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.
A rock rolling towards Mario in the Hazy Maze Cave
Rolling rocks[3] in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS are obstacles that 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.
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
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
A boulder and a Blooper chasing Mario in World 3-5
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
A falling boulder in Mountain Mayhem
Boulders in Donkey Kong Land 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.
Boulders in Mario Kart Wii appear again in GCN DK Mountain.
Mario Kart 7
Boulders in Mario Kart 7 are as obstacles in Rock Rock Mountain and Maka Wuhu towards the end of the track. Boulders in this game and following Mario Kart games spin out racers on contact and do not flatten them.
Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
A boulder on the Bowser's Castle course from Mario Kart 8
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
Rolling rocks[6] in Mario Kart Tour are obstacles in 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
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.
Boulders in Wario Land 3 are small, lumpy objects appearing only in Above the Clouds, working as they did in Wario Land II.
Wario Land 4
Boulders in Wario Land 4 are indestructible objects produced by Bowlers from the ground, where they roll on until hitting a wall or falling into lava, and these boulders will damage Wario on contact. There are also small, holdable boulders that appear in several levels, working as before.
Boulders in Wario Land: Shake It! are 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.
Boulders in Donkey Kong 64 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
Donkey Kong Country Barrel Maze
Boulders[7] in Donkey Kong Country Barrel Maze initially stand still, but start rolling towards the player's barrel when approached. Boulders 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
Boulders in Donkey Kong Country Returns appear in varying sizes, and most are covered in spikes. Boulders are encountered primarily in Boulder Roller.
Yoshi Topsy-Turvy
Boulders in Yoshi Topsy-Turvy 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.
Boulders in Wario: Master of Disguise 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. Boulders can hurt Wario if touched from the sides, but can be destroyed with a jump.
DK: Jungle Climber
Boulders[8] in DK: Jungle Climber 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.
^"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.
^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.