! Block

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It has been requested that this article be rewritten and expanded to include more information.

Not to be confused with ? Block.

Template:Item-infobox ! Blocks,[1] also called Exclamation Mark Blocks,[2] are floating blocks first introduced in Super Mario World. Since their debut, ! Blocks have made recurring appearances in the Mario franchise, appearing in various colors and serving different functions. In most games, hitting a ! Block causes a certain event to occur; in others, ! Blocks instead release items, or do nothing at all and simply serve as platforms.

History

Super Mario series

Super Mario World

In Super Mario World, there are four types of ! Blocks: yellow, green, blue, and red. They all start out as an outline, more specifically Dotted-Line Blocks. Mario or Luigi can turn every ! Block of a certain color by activating its ! Switch in the corresponding Switch Palace. ! Blocks mainly serve as platforms, although the yellow and green ! Blocks always contain a specific power-up too, a Super Mushroom and Cape Feather respectively. The red and blue ! Blocks do not contain any power-up and only serve as platforms or walls.

Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS

In Super Mario 64, all four color variations return, each with a distinct name and purpose. Every ! Block starts as an outline except the yellow ones. Mario can turn all of the red, blue, and green ones solid if he activates each of their corresponding ! Switches.

In Super Mario 64 DS, all ! Blocks except the yellow ones were replaced by red ? Blocks. The yellow ones retain their role from the original game.

New Super Mario Bros. series

Main article: Super Guide Block

A type of ! Block called a Super Guide Block appears in New Super Mario Bros. Wii and New Super Mario Bros. U, which causes a CPU-controlled Luigi to clear the current level for the player.

Super Mario 3D Land

Both regular block-sized and large, red ! Blocks appear in Super Mario 3D Land in multiple levels, including World 4-2, World 4-3, and Special 4-Airship. Each time it is hit, it spawns a face block in a specific path, often leading to out-of-reach locations and collectibles, though they disappear after a short time. The ! Block darkens after all of its face blocks have been spawned, and can be hit again after all of the face blocks have disappeared.

Super Mario 3D World

Main article: Switch Block (Super Mario 3D World)

A large, red ! Block known as a Switch Block appears in Super Mario 3D World, which changes tracks when hit.

Super Mario Maker 2

A ! Block in Super Mario Maker 2
An ! Block in Super Mario Maker 2

In Super Mario Maker 2, giant, yellow ! Blocks appear as course elements in the Super Mario 3D World style. When hit multiple times, they produce giant Empty Blocks in an identical manner to the Mega ? Blocks in Super Block Land in Super Mario 3D World. When ground-pounded, the blocks appear all at once. After a period of time, the blocks disappear. In editing mode, the path in which the blocks form can be set by the player similar to Snake Blocks, Clear Pipes and Piranha Creepers.

Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3

Both small and large ! Blocks appear in Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, triggering different events when hit. In Courses No. 5, 15, and 38, a ! Block can be found in a small room and causes certain unbreakable blocks in the previous room to disappear. The giant ! Blocks appear instead of goal doors at the end of Courses No. 12, 38, and 39. In Course No. 12, activating the giant ! Block causes the lid to fall on top of Mt. Teapot, turning Course No. 10 into Course No. 13; in Courses No. 38 and 39, the ! Blocks demolish the outer portions of Syrup Castle, revealing its core (later revealed to be a statue of Princess Toadstool).

Yoshi franchise

! Blocks in Yoshi's New Island

In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and its GBA remake, Yoshi's Island DS, Yoshi's New Island, and Yoshi's Woolly World, Dotted-Line Blocks temporarily become solid ! Blocks after a nearby ! Switch is pressed, allowing Yoshi to use them as platforms.

Super Mario-Kun

! Block from Super Mario-kun
Mario getting thrown against an ! Block in Super Mario-Kun

Several ! Blocks appear in the Super Mario-Kun, where their role reflects whatever the volume is adapted from. In volume 16 of the Super Mario-Kun, which is based on Super Mario 64, they give him power-ups the same as in the game.

Mario Party

! Blocks can also be seen as part of the treasure hoard inside the safe in the Mario Party minigame Key-pa-Way. One of the ! Blocks is purple. Also, in the Mushroom Bank, the safe that keeps the items bought from the Mushroom Shop resembles a red ! Block.

Super Smash Bros. series

The Metal Box, the green ! Block that grants Mario the Metal Cap, appears as an item in the Super Smash Bros. series starting with Super Smash Bros. Melee. ! Blocks also appear on Princess Peach's Castle in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where they, alongside two same-colored platforms, appear for a brief time after pressing a switch of the same color (red, blue, or green). They release items when hit or touched, becoming empty upon doing so.

Mario & Luigi series

A few ! Blocks also appear in all installments of the Mario & Luigi series (called Switch Blocks in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga[6], and Event Blocks in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time[7]). They have various functions and can activate events. Purple-colored ! Blocks are introduced in these games, which have varying effects. These blocks are colored orange in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team and Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Three special ! Blocks in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time are used to create three giant ! Blocks on Yoshi's Island and destroy giant ! Blocks of the same color in Thwomp Caverns, allowing the Mario quartet to traverse further down the volcano. The blue variety later appears in the Star Shrine, where it would change color depending on whether Baby Mario or Baby Luigi hit it.

Super Princess Peach

Fury Volcano 4-3
An orange ! Block in Super Princess Peach

! Blocks, coming in a pink version of their Super Mario 64 appearance, also appear in Super Princess Peach, where they each contain a trapped Toad that needs to be rescued. There are three in each level and each Toad needs to rescued in order to complete the game. The Toad's cry for help can also be faintly heard when near the block. Orange ! Blocks with an original design also appear, which serve as switches to toggle certain platforms.

Minecraft

In the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack in Minecraft, four paintings are Super Mario 64-style red, orange, blue, and green ! Blocks. 3D pixel art of red and orange ! Blocks appears in the world premade for the pack.

Profiles

Super Mario Maker 2

  • North American website bio: "The ! Block extends when hit. Ground pound to expand it faster."

Gallery

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese ビックリブロック[?]
Bikkuri Burokku 		Surprise Block
Chinese (simplified) ！砖块[?]
! Zhuānkuài 		! Block
Chinese (traditional) ！磚塊[8]
! Zhuānkuài 		! Block
Dutch !-blok[?] ! Block
German !-Block[?] -
Italian Blocco ![?] ! block
Portuguese Bloco de Exclamação[?] Exclamation Block
Russian Блок «!»[?]
Blok «!» 		Block "!"
Spanish Bloque ![?] ! block

Trivia

The blue ! Block in an early version of New Super Mario Bros.

References

  1. ^ Super Mario 64 DS instruction booklet, page 29.
  2. ^ Super Mario World instruction booklet, page 21.
  3. ^ Super Mario 64 Player's Guide, page 8.
  4. ^ Nintendo Power Volume 90, page 54.
  5. ^ Super Mario 64 English instruction booklet, page 19.
  6. ^ Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga Nintendo Power Player's Guide, page 11
  7. ^ Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time Nintendo Power Player's Guide, page 10
  8. ^ Official traditional Chinese website for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Retrieved April 5, 2020.

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