Falling Pillar

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Revision as of 13:55, October 26, 2024 by PhGuy12 (talk | contribs) (They were already in MK8DX before Tour. Also, the falling pillars in Dry Dry Ruins are cylindrical; the obelisks don't fall.)
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Falling Pillar
Model of a triangular column from Super Mario 64.
Model from Super Mario 64
First appearance Super Mario 64 (1996)
Latest appearance Mario Kart Tour (Exploration Tour, 2023)

Falling Pillars[1] (originally lowercased)[2] are stone obstacles that have primarily appeared in the Mario Kart series but debuted in Super Mario 64. In Mario Kart, they first appeared in Mario Kart Wii on the course Dry Dry Ruins, and they have appeared a few times throughout the series since.

History[edit]

Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS[edit]

Triangular Pillars in Super Mario 64 DS
Luigi looking at two triangular columns

In Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS, seven falling pillars, also referred to as triangular columns,[3] appear in the cave portion of Jolly Roger Bay. When the player character gets close to one, it falls in the direction of him and deals three points of damage if he gets hit. It does not respawn once it falls.

Mario Kart series[edit]

Mario Kart Wii[edit]

On Dry Dry Ruins in Mario Kart Wii, falling pillars are decorated similarly to the obelisks, with various hieroglyphs depicting various emblems from certain characters such as Mario and Peach. Once a pillar has fallen on the ground, it can be used as a ramp, aiding players in performing tricks, and a fallen pillar can be used to perform shortcuts throughout the course too.

Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]

Falling Pillars return in Mario Kart 8, this time appearing in GCN Dry Dry Desert. Here, they take the form of Egyptian obelisks and act identically to how they acted in Mario Kart Wii. Once again, they begin to fall as racers approach them on the second lap, and the pillars remain on the ground until the end of the course. Also like before, they can be used as ramps once they have fallen over. Piranha Plant Cove also returns in the Booster Course Pass, and its Falling Pillars return with it.

Mario Kart Tour[edit]

Falling pillars appear again in Mario Kart Tour in Piranha Plant Cove and Piranha Plant Cove 2. They are more oblong-shaped, are darker in color, and feature engravings that glow bright blue. These pillars appear just ahead of the course's starting line, and they fall over as the course is played, as indicated by an official social media post highlighting the course.[4] Falling pillars also reappear in Dry Dry Ruins, returning from Mario Kart Wii.

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Epstein, Joe, Garitt Rocha, and Alex Musa (28 Apr. 2017). Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Prima Official Guide. Roseville: Prima Games. ISBN 9780744018400. Page 104.
  2. ^ Pelland, Scott and Dan Owsen (1996). Super Mario 64 Player's Guide. Nintendo of America. Page 33.
  3. ^ ---- (1996). Super Mario 64 Player's Guide. Nintendo of America. Page 31.
  4. ^ @mariokarttourEN (February 1, 2023). Piranha Plant Cove, an all-new course for the Mario Kart series, will appear in the Exploration Tour starting Feb. 7, 10:00 PM PT! To get ready, can you spot the differences between these two images? There are 10 in total! #MarioKartTour. X. Retrieved February 1, 2023.