Midas River

Screenshot from Super Mario RPG for the Nintendo Switch

The Midas River is a location in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars and its remake. It is a large river, and the "Midas" of its name is derived from the name of a figure in Greek mythology, Midas, a king who turned everything he touched into gold.

History

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, when Mario and Mallow are flushed out of the Kero Sewers, they end up being flung down the falls, also known as Midas Waterfall.

The Midas River's falls are segmented and have the first nonstandard gameplay section. After Toad appears and the player accepts or rejects his explanation, Mario is carried by the downward current. It is possible to swim slightly upstream for a moment so as to slow down Mario's fall. Mario can try to grab coins and Frog Coins appearing all around the surface of the water. Holes are visible behind the waterfall as Mario descends; entering one results in a brief scene playing that can result in the player recovering FP or gaining or losing coins, among other effects. Up to 36 coins can be collected. At the bottom of the falls, Mario lands on a barrel floating in the river. This begins the second nonstandard gameplay section introduced by Toad, which is the barrel-jumping event. It is a barrel ride to the end, and the player can collect more coins along the way. There are two "lanes," which can be switched between by bumping into barrels. Certain lanes have more coins than others. Bumping into one of the river's irritable jumping fish results in Mario losing coins. In the original version of the game, fish can come only from the front; in the remake, they can also come from behind. Up to 64 coins can be collected. A Mushroom person waits at the course's end, and he holds on to any coins earned on the course. Collecting 50 coins earns the player one Frog Coin. When the player clears the Midas River for the first time, the Mushroom person also gives Mario a Koopa Shell. The exit in this small area leads to Tadpole Pond. The bucket in Moleville serves as a warp to the Midas River. If it is accessed this way, the Mushroom person at the bottom of the river will be absent, leaving a note saying that the course is closed for the day; reading the note will give the player any coins they earned on the course to keep.

The background music uses microtonality; it is written in A flat major internally but pitch-shifted upward by 50 cents, so that the song as heard uses a nonexistent key between A flat major and A major. The updated composition in the remake is played in A flat major throughout, with no microtonality; this can be observed by switching from the music version from Modern to Classic through the System menu.

Mario and the Incredible Rescue

Midas River is a location in Mario and the Incredible Rescue. Mario, Luigi, and Toad pass through here to reach Tadpole Pond. They get there after falling off the waterfall, an event that later inspires Mario to compose a song on the flute called "Falling Down a Waterfall," which he plays for Toadofski.

Gallery

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  Screenshot from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

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  Screenshot from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

Names in other languages

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Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	ワイン川がわくだり[?] Wain-gawa Kudari	Wine River Descent (waterfall)
	ワイン川がわ[?] Wain-gawa	Wine River (course)
	ワイン川がわのほとり[?] Wain-gawa no Hotori	Wine River Bank (map)
Chinese (simplified)	红酒河漂流[?] Hóngjiǔ hé piāoliú	Wine River Drift (waterfall)
	红酒河[?] Hóngjiǔ hé	Wine River (course)
	红酒河边[?] Hóngjiǔ Hé Biān	Red Wine Riverside (map)
Chinese (traditional)	紅酒河順流[?] Hóngjiǔ hé shùnliú	Wine River Descent (waterfall)
	紅酒河[?] Hóngjiǔ hé	Wine River (course)
	紅酒河邊[?] Hóngjiǔ Hé Biān	Red Wine Riverside (map)
Dutch	Midas-Kanaal[?]	Midas Canal
French	rivière Midas[?]	Midas river
German	Fluss Krösus[?]	Croesus River
Italian	Fiume Mida	Midas River
Korean	와인강 내려오기[?] Wain Gang Naeryeo-ogi	Wine River Descent (waterfall)
	와인강[?] Wain Gang	Wine River (course)
	와인강 둔치[?] Wain Gang Dunchi	Wine River Bank (map)
Spanish	Río Midas[?]	Midas River