Freezie

A Freezie (originally known as a Slipice) is an enemy made entirely of ice that first appeared in the arcade game Mario Bros. They vary greatly in size and shape, but are instantly recognizable thanks to their permanently puzzled expression. Occasionally, Freezies are used as items to (obviously) freeze enemies. Despite being one of Mario‘s first enemies, they have only recently started appearing in games again.

Mario Bros. (Arcade 1983)

In the original Mario Bros., Freezies emerge from pipes and travel along the stage’s platforms (just like other enemies). They first appear in Stage Nine. When a Freezie reaches the center of a platform, it will coat the entire platform with ice, destroying itself in the process. A frozen platform is very slippery, and it may occasionally drop harmful icicles). Thus, it is in Mario and Luigi’s best interest to eliminate these enemies quickly, before they can freeze a platform. Hit a Freezie from below to destroy it and earn five hundred points. Freezies don’t count as regular enemies, meaning Mario and Luigi don’t have to clear them from the stage to complete the level. If Mario or Luigi touch a Freezie, they will lose a life (and the Freezie will dissipate).

Freezie is the only recurring enemy from Mario Bros. that has kept its NES name rather than its original Arcade name.

Super Smash Bros. Melee (Nintendo GameCube 2001)

The first game outside of the various Mario Bros. remakes to feature Freezie. They are used as items in this game, randomly appearing on the battlefield. When a Freezie appears, it will slide across the stage until picked up by a character. The Freezie can then be thrown at an opponent, encasing the opponent in a block of ice. While frozen, the opponent will be defenseless for a few seconds, allowing others characters to mercilessly attack the incapacitated foe. Interestingly, if an opponent is knocked-out by a thrown Freezie, the player receives a “Freezie KO” Bonus. Additionally, the Freezie appears as a collectible trophy.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (Nintendo GameCube 2003)

Freezies also appear in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. Large, stationary Freezies are located on the ice lake at the end of the racetrack Sherbet Land. If a character drives into a Freezie, their kart will become frozen in a block of ice for a few seconds. After being hit (by kart or item), a Freezie will slide along the ground until it hits a wall and shatters. However, a sliding Freezie can still freeze any karts that it runs into.

Mario Pinball Land (Game Boy Advance 2004)

In this game, a Freezie appears in the Snowy stage. On the second screen of this stage, a Freezie can be found sitting in the middle of the screen while penguins walk around it. Mario must hit this Freezie, pushing the ice creature over a crack in the ice. This then creates a hole that leads to the boss area.

Mario Power Tennis (Nintendo GameCube 2004)

Freezies appear as a rare obstacle in Mario Power Tennis. On the Mario Bros. Classic stage, the original sprites for enemies are used (instead of modern sprites). When playing a Gimmick Match, Freezies will occasionally slide onto the court and freeze half of a character’s play area. Hit the POW Block to stop it.

Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix (Nintendo GameCube 2005)

Additionally, Freezies make an appearance in Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix. In the game, a gigantic Freezie is the boss of World Four and the keeper of the fourth Music Key. In fact, the key is lodged in the huge ice creature. This giant Freezie resides on the top of a snow-capped mountain and is surrounded by normal (and much smaller) Freezies. When Mario (or Luigi) and Toad arrive to retrieve the key, Toad politely asks the giant Freezie to return the musical item. However, the Freezie does not respond. As such, Toad tells Mario to melt the giant icicle with his burnin’ hot dance moves. As Mario starts dancing, the giant Freezie (who recognizes the seriousness of the word “melt”) attempts to block Mario’s dance steps with ice. However, the dancing master Mario counters by activating Fire Flowers to keep his hot beat alive. Eventually, the giant Freezie melts away into a puddle of water and Mario recovers the last Music Key.

Names

In Japan, the Freezie is known as the Freeze.