Paddle Platform

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Paddle Platform
NSMBW Paddle Wheel Sprite.png
Sprite of a paddle wheel in New Super Mario Bros. Wii
First appearance Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995)
Latest appearance Yoshi's Crafted World (2019)

A Paddle Platform[1] (formerly known as a paddle wheel)[2] is a round platform made up of four smaller platforms that typically moves on tracks (similar to Flatbed Ferries), appearing in numerous 2D platformers in the Yoshi and Super Mario franchises. Some Paddle Platforms, particularly those of the New Super Mario Bros. games, strictly move left and right, while others travel along paths or have a stationary pivot point. Either way, the player must walk on the platforms to make them start spinning.

History

Yoshi franchise

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island / Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3

SMW2 Paddle Wheel.png

Paddle wheels make their debut in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and its reissue; while big ones first appear in the level Hop! Hop! Donut Lifts and then appear occasionally afterwards, small ones appear in Prince Froggy's Fort, More Monkey Madness, and Danger - Icy Conditions Ahead. While big paddle wheels are green in color, small ones are magenta in color.

In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the windpump in the Yoshi's Island race course plays the sound effect as the paddle wheels in this game.

Yoshi's Island DS

Paddle wheels reappear in Yoshi's Island DS, behaving the same as in their debut game. While the large ones first appear in Castle of the Big Burt Bros. and appear occasionally throughout, small ones are slightly less common now, first appearing in Castle of Priscilla the Peckish. While large paddle wheels on tracks are still green in color, the large stationary paddle wheels are now yellow in color. Additionally, a new variety of paddle wheel with a pivot point resembling the spokes of a pedal-powered vehicle is showcased in Six-Face Sal's Fort and also occasionally appears in At Last, Bowser's Castle!; when turned, they cause certain mechanisms to move.

Yoshi's New Island

Smiley Flower 2 in Slime Drop Drama from Yoshi's New Island
Yellow Yoshi on a Paddle Platform in Yoshi's New Island.

Paddle Platforms return in Yoshi's New Island. This time, they are slightly less common; while ones of numerous colors and consisting of five or three platforms appear in the level Slime Drop Drama, one appears near the end of Don't Fear the Spear, one appears in a secret area of Lose the Lunge Fish, and one with shorter platforms appears after the halfway point of Leapin' Lava Meltdown. They behave the same as in previous installments.

Yoshi's Woolly World / Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World

Paddle Platforms reappear in Yoshi's Woolly World and its port, behaving the same as in previous installments. They are about as common as they were in Yoshi's New Island but made of yellow and green yarn; three appear in the first half of Rollin' Down the River, one appears near the end of Frozen Solid and Chilled, and two each appear near the beginning and near the end of Kamek's Last-Ditch Flyby. The ones in the latter two levels move horizontally despite not having any visible tracks, and the later one in the game is a long version.

Yoshi's Crafted World

Paddle Platforms return in Yoshi's Crafted World, where they only appear in Spinwheel Shuffle. They move along horizontal and vertical tracks. One of them looks like a Ferris wheel.

Super Mario series

New Super Mario Bros.

Paddle wheels make their debut in the Super Mario franchise in New Super Mario Bros., appearing in World 4-A and World 7-7. They behave the same as they do in the Yoshi franchise, although some move on poison rather than tracks, and one can be shown falling off a track without an end point. A large, automatic counterclockwise-spinning version appears in World 2-Tower.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

A single paddle wheel appears in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, specifically in World 5-1 during the segment with the level's Red Ring. It rolls along a horizontal track.

New Super Mario Bros. 2

Paddle wheels return in New Super Mario Bros. 2, with multiple appearing throughout World 5-6 and World Flower-2, as well as one appearing throughout the second section of the first level of the Impossible Pack. They behave the same as in past installments.

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

Paddle Platforms return in New Super Mario Bros. U and its remake. Only two appear in the entire game, both in Fuzzy Clifftop: the first one appears just after the level's Checkpoint Flag, and the second one appears just before the level's Goal Pole. They move along tracks.

Mario Party series

Mario Party 9

Paddle wheels appear along horizontal tracks in Mario Party 9, in the minigame Pedal to the Paddle. The paddle wheels consist of five platforms instead of the usual four, which would later be implemented in Yoshi's New Island. Its pivot point resembles a Turning Floor from World 6-Airship of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which would later be the basis for the platforms in Yoshi's Crafted World.

Mario Party 10

Paddle Platforms appear along tracked floors in Mario Party 10, in the minigame Revolving Relay.

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Paddle Platform.

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese 回転リフト
Kaiten Rifuto
足こぎ回転リフト[3]
Ashikogi Kaiten Rifuto
水車リフト[4]
Suisha Rifuto
大回転リフト[5]
Dai Kaiten Rifuto
空回りリフト[6]
Karamawari Rifuto
こぎリフト[7]
Ashikogi Rifuto
Spin Lift (most games); shared with Single Swing Lift and Triple Swing Lift

Pedal Spin Lift (Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, pedal variety)

Waterwheel Lift (New Super Mario Bros., New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and New Super Mario Bros. U)

Big Spin Lift (New Super Mario Bros., large/automatic variety)

Spinwheel Lift (Yoshi's Island DS, stationary variety)

Pedal Lift (Yoshi's Island DS, pedal/track variety)
Chinese (traditional) 旋轉踏板[?]
Xuánzhuǎn Tàbǎn
Spinning Pedal
Italian Piattaforma mulino[8] Mill platform
Piattaforma girevole gigante[9] (New Super Mario Bros. giant version) Giant turning platform
Ascensori rotanti (Yoshi's Crafted World)[?] Turning lifts

References

  1. ^ Stratton, Steve. New Super Mario Bros. U PRIMA Official Game Guide. Page 146.
  2. ^ Miller, Kent, and Terry Munson. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Player's Guide. Page 122. "PADDLE WHEEL Red ones spin in place, while green ones move across the screen. The trick to getting a paddle wheel to spin is to jump straight up. When you land on the next platform, your weight will cause the wheel to spin. You'll find lots of opportunities to practice, because these dino-movers are found throughout Yoshi's Island."
  3. ^ 「任天堂公式ガイドブック スーパーマリオ★ヨッシーアイランド」 (Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook – Super Mario: Yossy Island), page 21.
  4. ^ Shogakukan. 2015. Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook, pages 118, 150, 215.
  5. ^ Shogakukan. 2015. Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook, New Super Mario Bros. section, page 118.
  6. ^ 「任天堂公式ガイドブック ヨッシーアイランドDS」 (Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook – Yoshi's Island DS), page 33.
  7. ^ 「任天堂公式ガイドブック ヨッシーアイランドDS」 (Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook – Yoshi's Island DS), page 34.
  8. ^ Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia, pagg. 118, 150, 215
  9. ^ Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia, pag. 118