Blue Coin Block
The Blue Coin Block,[1] also called the Blue Coin switch[2] and Blue Switch[3] (or blue Switch[4]), is an object found in Super Mario 64 and its remake, Super Mario 64 DS. Blue Coin Blocks are found in most main courses except for Bob-omb Battlefield, Snowman's Land, and Tall, Tall Mountain. The Blue Coin Block in Lethal Lava Land appears only in Super Mario 64 DS. The Blue Coin Blocks in Jolly Roger Bay and Tick Tock Clock are in different locations in the DS version. Additionally, a Blue Coin Block is also found in the secret level The Princess's Secret Slide.
When Mario finds a Blue Coin Block and ground-pounds it, Blue Coins show up nearby. Mario has a short time to gather the Blue Coins, after which they disappear. The block cannot be reused. The number of Blue Coins that appear varies with each course, ranging from two to ten; they are often necessary to obtain the 100-coin Power Star from the levels they appear in. During the time that Blue Coins appear on the screen, a timer can be heard, which ticks faster when the time is running out. The Blue Coins will also blink faster when they are about to disappear. Due to its role, the Blue Coin Block is comparable to the Switch Block, except that it does not change coins into Brick Blocks and vice versa.
Blue Coin quantities
- N/A signifies that Blue Coin Blocks are not found in the course.
| Course # | Course name | Number of Blue Coins |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bob-omb Battlefield | N/A |
| 2 | Whomp's Fortress | 4 |
| 3 | Jolly Roger Bay | 6 (8 in DS version) |
| 4 | Cool, Cool Mountain | 2 |
| 5 | Big Boo's Haunt | 4 |
| 6 | Hazy Maze Cave | 7 |
| 7 | Lethal Lava Land | 10 (DS version only) |
| 8 | Shifting Sand Land | 3 (4 in DS version) |
| 9 | Dire, Dire Docks | 6 |
| 10 | Snowman's Land | N/A |
| 11 | Wet-Dry World | 6 |
| 12 | Tall, Tall Mountain | N/A |
| 13 | Tiny-Huge Island | 2 |
| 14 | Tick Tock Clock | 7 |
| 15 | Rainbow Ride | 6 |
| - | The Princess's Secret Slide | 6 |
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | スイッチ[5] Suicchi あおコインのブロック[6] Ao Koin no Burokku 青コインブロック[7] Ao Koin Burokku |
Switch Blue Coin Block Blue Coin Block |
|
| Italian | Interruttore blu (in game) Interruttore Moneta Blu (instruction booklet)[?] |
Blue switch Blue Coin switch |
References
- ^ "Break open a Blue Coin Block by Pounding the Ground with the Z Button." - Sign in Whomp's Fortress, Super Mario 64
- ^ Super Mario 64 English instruction booklet, page 18.
- ^ The Super Mario 64 Player's Guide, page 8.
- ^ "Ground-pound blue Switches to make blue coins appear." - Sign in Whomp's Fortress, Super Mario 64 DS
- ^ Super Mario 64 Japanese instruction booklet, page 18.
- ^ 「あおコインのブロックをジャンプちゅうにZボタン『ヒップドロップ』でぶっつぶすとあおコインがでてきます。」 - Sign in Whomp's Fortress, Super Mario 64
- ^ Shogakukan. 2015. Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook, Super Mario 64 section, page 91.
