Cap
- This article is about the standard hat characters wear. For the hat-like character debuting in Super Mario Odyssey, see Cappy.
A cap is the trademark type of garment seen in the Super Mario franchise. Many characters wear a cap, such as Mario, Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, and more.
Mario was designed with a cap because it was easier to create and animate than hair.[1]
History
Super Mario series
Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS
The three power-up caps in Super Mario 64 give Mario certain special abilities:
- The Wing Cap, which is basically Mario's cap but with wings, gives Mario the ability to fly.
- The Vanish Cap, a see-through version of Mario's cap, turns Mario intangible.
- The Metal Cap, a metal replica of Mario's cap, makes Mario metallic and invincible.
Mario's cap can be stolen by Klepto and a Ukkiki, or blown away by a Fwoosh or the giant snowman in Snowman's Land. When Mario does not have his cap and takes a hit by an enemy or a hazard, he loses an additional health wedge to how many health wedges he loses (for example, if Mario, without wearing his cap, takes damage from an enemy that causes him to lose two health wedges, he loses three health wedges). When lost, Mario's cap can be found by grabbing the Ukkiki, attacking Klepto, or simply picking it up if no enemies stole it. If the cap is blown off by the Fwoosh on Tall, Tall Mountain, the player has to exit the course, return to it, and grab the Ukkiki wearing Mario's cap. This applies only to the Nintendo 64 version of this game. In the DS remake, if Mario, Luigi, or Wario loses his cap and the player exits the level and completes a mission in another level, a Toad in the main lobby of the Mushroom Castle can be seen wearing it. Talking to the Toad returns the cap to the player.
In Super Mario 64 DS, the various characters' caps appear instead and serve a new function. Grabbing a cap allows whoever possesses it to change his appearance and abilities (however, his voice remains unchanged). If a character (besides Yoshi) loses his cap, short-fused Bob-ombs pop out of red blocks instead of power-ups, in addition to the original game's defense penalty. If the character without his cap takes damage from an enemy or hazard that takes one health wedge, he loses one health wedge on the first hit, then loses two health wedges on the second hit, and the process repeats. In the early portion of the game, those kinds of caps also act as 1-UP Mushrooms. For example, if Yoshi wears Mario's cap and takes another one, he is awarded a 1-UP. However, as Yoshi frees Mario, Luigi, and Wario, redundant caps are replaced with ones of a different color, and it is impossible to find two caps of the same color, except during the Bob-omb Battlefield's second mission, Footrace with Koopa the Quick, where one extra Mario Cap is still present. Yoshi can choose to wear the caps of whatever characters were rescued before entering a course. If the character, along with his own cap, is blown off, this time he needs to retrieve it from the enemy who is wearing it.
Super Mario Sunshine
In Super Mario Sunshine, Swipin' Stus can steal the Mario Cap. If Mario does not get back his cap, his energy slowly drains until he loses a life, due to it being so hot (standing in the shade has no effect). Along with wearing his cap, the Swipin' Stu gains a Mario-esque mustache. This design is later used for the captured enemies in Super Mario Odyssey.
Super Mario Odyssey
In Super Mario Odyssey, Cappy can take the forms of many different caps that Mario can wear. These caps can be thrown to hit blocks and enemies, capture certain characters or objects, and be used as a temporary jumping platform for Mario (among other uses). All caps are aesthetic and have identical abilities (excluding access to certain areas).
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
In Super Mario Bros. Wonder, if a Parachute Cap Badge is equipped on a course, players can use large caps to glide through the air.[2] While Mario and Luigi's own caps are removed from their heads and expand in size, every other character instead has a unique cap (which is appropriately colored and features their emblem) that appears only while gliding.[3]
Paper Mario
In Paper Mario, an item called the Stone Cap can be bought at Harry's Shop for 30 coins, or found in hidden blocks in Shy Guy's Toy Box and Jade Jungle. When Mario wears it, he gains the Stone status, transforming into a stone statue. Mario is invincible to any damage for three turns, but wearing the Stone Cap prevents him from attacking.
Gallery
The Metal Cap, a metallic version of Mario's cap that transforms Mario into Metal Mario
The Wing Cap, a copy of Mario's cap with wings that transforms Mario into Wing Mario
The Vanish Cap, a transparent version of Mario's cap that transforms Mario into Vanish Mario
The Golf Cap, which is used by Mario in the Mario Golf series
The Painter's Cap
The Mario 64 Cap, which is modeled after Mario's cap's appearance in Super Mario 64
The Fashionable Cap
The Crazy Cap's Employee Cap
The Mechanic Cap, which has the "Famicom" logo on it
The Classic Cap, Mario's original cap from Donkey Kong
Diddy Kong's cap, which has the "Nintendo" logo on it
The Gold Mario Cap
The 8-Bit Mario Cap, a voxelated version of Mario's cap that references Small Mario's appearance in Super Mario Bros.
A Toad in Super Mario 64 DS wearing Mario's cap after he loses it in a stage
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ぼうしアイテム[4] Bōshi Aitemu |
Cap Item (Super Mario 64) |
References
- ^ IGN Presents The History of Super Mario Bros.
- ^ Nintendo of America (August 31, 2023). Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct 8.31.2023. YouTube. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
- ^ Nintendo of America (June 21, 2023). Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Nintendo Direct 6.21.2023. YouTube. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ^ Super Mario 64 Japanese instruction booklet, page 19.
