Magic ball
- Not to be confused with Magical ball, Magic Orb, or ? Balloon.
| Magic ball | |
|---|---|
 Sprite from Super Mario World | |
| First appearance | Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) |
| Latest appearance | Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition (2024) |
| Effect | Ends a level when Mario or Luigi touches it |
Magic balls[1][2] (also capitalized),[3][4] also known as Crystals,[5] "?" Balls,[6] or Orbs,[7] are items introduced in Super Mario Bros. 3. They have the appearance of round power-up objects with a question mark on each, and certain levels can be cleared only by touching a magic ball.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
Magic balls are dropped by Boom Boom after he is defeated in a fortress or vehicle in Super Mario Bros. 3.[8] When touched, the magic ball destroys the fortress or vehicle, letting the player complete the level, and opens a corresponding locked gate or spawns a corresponding bridge on the world map; if Mario gets a Game Over, any gates magic balls open stay open and any bridges they spawn stay present, thus acting as a both a shortcut and a sort of checkpoint. Completing a fortress without collecting a magic ball (possible by collecting the Magic Whistle in World 1-
Fortress) causes the gate to remain after the fortress is completed. If Invincible Mario defeats Boom Boom by touching him, the magic ball spawns upside down in the center of the arena.[9] In Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, magic balls bounce when hit by attacks.
Super Mario World[edit]
A magic ball is at the end of the Sunken Ghost Ship in Super Mario World, and touching it finishes the level instantly.[10]
There is also a glitch to receive a magic ball and use it in any level to instantly complete it. Using the ball in any horizontal level reveals that when Mario collects it, he goes through the same end-of-level motions that he would if he had used the Giant Gate, albeit with the "boss defeated" fanfare and no chance of Bonus Stars. By contrast, getting the ball in a vertical level causes the screen to freeze.
Game & Watch Gallery 2[edit]
Magic balls also appear in the Modern version of Parachute in Game & Watch Gallery 2. If the player has any misses at 200,[11] 500,[12] or 700 points,[13] three magic balls come out of the flying ship, then all of them disappear to reveal a 1 UP Heart for removing a miss in one of them.[11][12][13]
Super Mario-kun[edit]
In Volume 4 of Super Mario-kun, whose arc is based on Super Mario World, Mario grabs the magic ball to exit the level, and he and his friends are later found on the top of the entrance to the Valley of Bowser.
Gallery[edit]
Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario World
The upside down magic ball in Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario All-Stars (Super Mario Bros. 3)
Game & Watch Gallery 2
Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2
Super Mario-kun
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | マジックボール[14] Majikku Bōru |
Magic Ball | Super Mario Bros. 3 |
| 水晶玉[15] Suishōdama |
Crystal Ball | Super Mario World | |
| Italian | Palla magica[16][17] | Magic ball | |
| Sfera ?[18] | ? Sphere |
References[edit]
- ^ 1990. Super Mario Bros. 3 instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (English). Page 22.
- ^ 2010. Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (English). Page 16.
- ^ 1993. Super Mario All-Stars instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (English). Page 32.
- ^ 2003. Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (English). Page 23.
- ^ August 1991. Nintendo Mario Mania Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (English). Page 134, 136-137.
- ^ Hodgson, David S J. (2003). Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Prima Games (American English). ISBN 0-7615-4425-9. Page 11.
- ^ Playing With Super Power: Nintendo Super NES Classics eGuide, Super Mario World Confidential Information Tab.
- ^ Nintendo Base (October 4, 2017). NES Classics - Super Mario Bros 3: World 1 Walkthrough (IN HD) (06:26). YouTube (English). Retrieved December 30, 2024.
- ^ YuRi Sunga (June 2, 2023). Super Mario Bros. 3 - killing Boom Boom with a star (World 8-Fortress) (0:39). YouTube (English). Retrieved December 30, 2024.
- ^ VideoGamePhenom (September 26, 2019). Super Mario World - Sunken Ghost Ship (03:03). YouTube (English). Retrieved December 30, 2024.
- ^ a b Treecks van Veluwe (July 1, 2023). Game & Watch Gallery 2 - Part 1 - Parachute (18:57). YouTube (English). Retrieved December 30, 2024.
- ^ a b Game & Watch Gallery 2 - Part 1 - Parachute (23:04). YouTube.
- ^ a b Game & Watch Gallery 2 - Part 1 - Parachute (25:20). YouTube.
- ^ 1988. スーパーマリオブラザーズ3 (Sūpā Mario Burazāzu Surī) instruction booklet. Nintendo (Japanese). Page 20.
- ^ Sakai, Kazuya (Ambit) et al. (October 19, 2015). Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook, Super Mario World section. Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 978-4-09-106569-8. Page 60.
- ^ Super Mario Bros. 3; Italian booklet. Page 22.
- ^ «Sconfiggi il boss e ottieni la palla magica.» – Scontro brutale. Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition. Nintendo (Italian).
- ^ November 15, 2018. Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN 889367436X. Page 60.
