Ice Mario

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This article is about the transformation of Mario when he gets an Ice Flower in New Super Mario Bros. Wii onwards. For the power-up form from Super Mario Galaxy, see Ice Mario (Super Mario Galaxy).
Ice Mario
Artwork of Ice Mario in New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
Applies to Mario, Luigi, Yellow Toad, Blue Toad, Toadette, Peach and Mii
Item needed Ice Flower
Power(s) given Shoot Ice Balls
First appearance New Super Mario Bros. Wii (2009)
Latest appearance The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) (Ice Peach only)

Ice Mario is a form that Mario takes upon touching an Ice Flower, granting him ice-related powers. It is often viewed as a parallel to Fire Mario. A vastly different form of the same name appears in Super Mario Galaxy.

History

Super Mario series

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Artwork of Ice Mario in New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Ice Mario's artwork from New Super Mario Bros. Wii

The Ice form gives Mario, Luigi, Blue Toad and Yellow Toad the power to shoot Ice Balls, just like with the Ice Flower Bros. Item in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. In this form, Mario's overalls turn red, while his cap and shirt turn cyan, similar to Fire Mario (likewise, Luigi and the Toads have their own take on this appearance).

This form is not to be confused with the Penguin form, as that form has more abilities. In addition to throwing Ice Balls, Penguin characters can slide on their bellies (destroying breakable blocks and enemies in the way), swim with much more control and agility, and walk/run on ice without skidding. The Penguin Suit itself is rarer than the Ice Flower.

Ice Balls can be used to take out Larry, Iggy, Morton, Roy, Ludwig, and Kamek's magical fireballs, as well as Bowser and Bowser Jr.'s fireballs. However, they cannot hurt nor freeze the bosses. Normal enemies will be trapped in ice cubes when hit by an Ice Ball. They will eventually try to free themselves, but the effect of this varies from enemy to enemy. Some will die after breaking free, releasing coins, but others can free themselves without taking damage. If the player lifts a frozen enemy, they will never break free as long as they're being held.

The frozen enemies can be ground-pounded to defeat them. Many frozen enemies can also be defeated by lifting and throwing them, which makes them slide in the direction they were thrown, defeating other enemies in their path until they shatter on a wall or fall of a cliff. Even unbeatable enemies like Dry Bones can be destroyed after being frozen and will not revive. However, some enemies and obstacles, like Thwomps, are so solid that Ice Balls cannot freeze them. Other large enemies, such as Porcupuffers and Big Piranha Plants, can be frozen, but will break out immediately and ultimately cannot be harmed by ice. Other enemies, like most other Piranha Plants and Sledge Bros., cannot be picked up. Flying enemies can be frozen in mid-air, allowing the player to jump off them, but after a while, their block will fall and break on the ground, defeating them.

New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe

Ice Mario makes a reappearance in New Super Mario Bros. U and New Super Luigi U, functioning identically. Miis can also make use of Ice Flowers to become Ice Miis. This time, most of the bosses can be frozen, but will break out immediately.

In the Nintendo Switch port New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, Toadette can also make use of Ice Flowers to become Ice Toadette. As Ice Toadette, she gains a pink-spotted cyan cap, cyan vest and pink pants while her dress remains unchanged.

Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS / Super Mario Maker 2

While Ice Mario doesn't appear in Super Mario Maker, Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS and Super Mario Maker 2 as a usable form, knocking on a Warp Door in the New Super Mario Bros. U style may cause Weird Mario to appear in this form.

Paper Mario series

Ice Mario sprite from Paper Mario: Color Splash
Ice Mario from Paper Mario: Color Splash

Paper Mario: Sticker Star

Ice Mario appears briefly in Paper Mario: Sticker Star, whenever Mario uses any type of Ice Flower sticker.

Paper Mario: Color Splash

As in the previous game, Ice Mario appears in Paper Mario: Color Splash as a Mario transformation by using a normal or Big Ice Flower card.

Paper Mario: The Origami King

In Paper Mario: The Origami King, as in the previous Paper Mario games, Mario briefly takes this form when using a normal or Shiny Ice Flower in battle.

Mario Kart Arcade GP DX

Artwork of Ice Luigi in Mario Kart Arcade GP DX
Artwork from Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, showing Ice Luigi as an alternate color scheme for Luigi.

In Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, Ice Luigi appears as a downloadable alternate color scheme for Luigi. His special item is the Ice Ball, which can be thrown forward or backward. When hit, in addition to damage, the tires freeze and becomes unstable for a certain period of time.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Near the end of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Princess Peach, during her forced wedding to Bowser, becomes Ice Peach, marking the first time she is seen in this form, after secretly smuggling an Ice Flower to the wedding, knowing that he will destroy the Mushroom Kingdom and kill her and her subjects if she ever refuses, and plans to fight back against him in this form once this finally happens.

Profiles

New Super Mario Bros. U

  • Digital instruction manual bio: "Freeze enemies by throwing ice balls at them."

Gallery

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese アイスマリオ[?]
Aisu Mario
Ice Mario
Chinese (simplified) 冰冻马力欧[?]
Bīngdòng Mǎlì'ōu
Icy Mario
Chinese (traditional) 冰凍瑪利歐[?]
Bīngdòng Mǎlì'ōu
Icy Mario
Dutch IJs-Mario[?] Ice Mario
German Eis-Mario[?] Ice Mario
Italian Mario Ghiaccio[?] Ice Mario
Korean 아이스마리오[?]
Aiseu Mario
Ice Mario
Portuguese Mario de Gelo[?] Ice Mario
Russian Ледяной Марио[?]
Ledyanoy Mario
Ice Mario
Spanish (NOA) Mario de hielo[?] Ice Mario
Spanish (NOE) Mario Gélido[?] Icy Mario

Trivia

  • As Ice Mario, Mario's overalls turn red, and his hat and shirt turn a light blue, resembling the Mario found on the cover of the first issue of Nintendo Power and his outfit in the three DIC cartoons and in the early Mario games prior to Super Mario Bros. 3 in which his colors were inverted from his current design. His color scheme also matches his appearance on the cover of Alleyway and his blue costume from the first three Super Smash Bros. games.
  • As Ice Luigi, Luigi's overalls turn green, and his hat and shirt turn a light blue, resembling his appearance from Super Mario Bros. 2 prior to Super Mario Bros. 3 and his outfit in the three DIC cartoons in which his colors were inverted from his current design.
  • The Ice Mii's player 4 costume bears a striking resemblance to Luigi's light-blue alternate costume in all of the Super Smash Bros. games.