The best Super Mario power-ups of all time

Domagoj Belancic

21.10.2023

Translation: Katherine Martin

Super Mario history is laden with iconic power-ups. I’ve taken a ride in Mario’s time machine and rounded up my favourite items from the game’s almost 40-year history.

The new Super Mario Bros. Wonder has everything I could possibly want from a Mario game. When I’m playing it, I feel like a little kid who’s just picked up a controller for the first time. Besides its whacky Wonder Flowers, this is largely down to its terrific new power-ups.

The new items in Super Mario Bros. Wonder inspired me to take a journey back in time. I took a closer look at the power-ups from every Mario jump 'n' run and drew a comparison. Here are my top ten.

10. Cloud Flower

• Type: Flower
• First appearance: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii, 2010)
• Total appearances: 1
• Aesthetic: 🍄
• **Usefulness:**🍄🍄🍄🍄
• Fun factor: 🍄🍄🍄

Until now, the cute Cloud Flower has only ever appeared in the Wii classic Super Mario Galaxy 2. Oh, how I loved that game. Whenever Mario touches the flower, he puts on a white cloud costume. Admittedly, this doesn’t look particularly cool, but the things Mario can do with it certainly are.

With a flick of the Wii Remote, Mario whips up three temporary cloud platforms. I use them to reach remote sections of levels and find hidden items. Finding more Cloud Flowers allows me to replenish my cloud ammo. I love it when games give me new tools to explore the game world – and this is exactly what Cloud Flower does. With this in mind, it’s more than deserving of the number 10 spot on this list.

Before I move on to the next item, let me just get one thing off my chest: Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 are the best Mario games of all time. That’s not an opinion, it’s a fact.

9. Mega Mushroom

• Type: Mushroom
• First appearance: New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo DS, 2006)
• Last appearance: Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (Switch, 2021)
• Total appearances: 8
• Aesthetic: 🍄🍄
• **Usefulness:**🍄
• **Fun factor:**🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄

Rather than allowing me to explore a level better, the Mega Mushroom gives me the power to destroy it. If Mario touches the mushroom, he turns into the giant Mega Mario. For a few moments, nothing and no one is safe from me, as I stomp down Goombas, Koopas and Piranha Plants with ease. Even obstacles such as blocks and pipes crumble in the wake of Mega Mario’s inexorable strength.

I think the Mega Mushroom is done especially well in New Super Mario Bros. In that game, my appetite for destruction is rewarded. The more stuff I break, the more the bar at the top of the screen fills up. Once it’s full, I get five 1-Up mushrooms.

The item is seriously fun in other Mario games too. It almost feels like cheating, only better. Too bad Mario never changes his appearance during his brief Mega phase. A Godzilla costume would’ve been so fitting here.

8. Blue Shell

• Type: Shell
• First appearance: New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo DS, 2006)
• Last appearance: Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story (Nintendo DS, 2009)
• Total appearances: 2 (not including Mario Kart)
• Aesthetic: 🍄🍄
• **Usefulness:**🍄🍄🍄
• **Fun factor:**🍄🍄🍄🍄

Most Mario fans will recognise the Blue Shell from Mario Kart. However, the hatedbeloved controversial item had already made an appearance outside of the racing game series. In New Super Mario Bros, everyone’s favourite Italian plumber turns into a blue Koopa when touched. If I duck, Mario retreats into the Shell, which protects him from most enemies. Mario also moves faster and more precisely in water.

But it gets even better. Mario also withdraws into the Shell if I quickly run in a particular direction with the power-up. Mario extraordinaires have christened the move «Shell Dash». Doing this, I can speed through the level like a deadly blue bullet, killing most enemies as soon as I touch them. My turtle-like form even makes short work of Boos and pesky stone blocks. The only drawback is that it’s difficult to control Mario in Shell Dash mode. Unable to change direction, I’m constantly shunted back and forth, quickly ending up in the void.

Even so, it’s worth it. The Shell looks cool, is useful and completely transforms the gameplay. Nintendo, please bring back the Blue Shell as a power-up!

7. Penguin Suit

• Type: Suit
• First appearance: New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii, 2009)
• Last appearance: New Super Mario Bros. U (Wii U, 2012)
• Total appearances: 2
• Aesthetic: 🍄🍄🍄🍄
• **Usefulness:**🍄🍄🍄
• **Fun factor:**🍄🍄🍄

Penguins are freaking cool. Seeing Mario as a penguin, however, is even cooler. Slipping into the skin of the flightless seabird, Mario’s even able to freeze enemies by shooting them with ice projectiles. I can then force the frozen monsters into serving as my platforms. Alternatively, I shoot or push them into other enemies. I know, I know, I can do the same thing with an Ice Flower. But let’s face it, Ice Mario just isn’t as cute as Penguin Mario.

The power-up is also more advantageous in terms of movement than the Ice Flower. In the Suit, I can slide across icy platforms on my stomach, knocking enemies out of my way with ease. It’s immensely good fun. What’s more, I’m generally more sure-footed on icy surfaces as a penguin. Any item that makes ice levels more bearable easily earns itself a place in my top ten.

6. Super Leaf

• Type: Leaf
• First appearance: Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES, 1988)
• Last appearance: Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (Switch, 2021)
• Total appearances: 7
• Aesthetic: 🍄🍄🍄🍄
• **Usefulness:**🍄🍄🍄🍄
• **Fun factor:**🍄🍄🍄

The Super Leaf is a true classic. We first encountered it in Super Mario Bros. 3 on the NES. Upon touching the Leaf, Mario turns into a raccoon. Cute. Once transformed into a nocturnal predator, I can, for whatever reason, take off into the air. To do this, I need to fill a power meter at the bottom of the screen, which I manage by sprinting continuously in one direction. Once the power meter is full, I start flying with a jump. Woo-hoo!

When I fall, the power-up slows my descent at the touch of a button, briefly allowing Mario to hover. Using this move, I can time my jumps even more precisely, elegantly dodging opponents. I can also whip enemies away with my racoon tail. Awesome.

Unlike in the 2D games, the brown Leaf transforms 3D Mario into a tanuki, not a raccoon. A Japanese species, the animal is a cross between a raccoon and dog. No less cute than real raccoons, they even look charming in video game form. Unfortunately, I can’t fly in tanuki form. Luckily, however, the revamped version of Raccoon Mario kept his ability to fall slowly and tail-whip enemies.

5. Super Bell

• Type: Bell
• First appearance: Super Mario 3D World (Wii U, 2013)
• Last appearance: Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (Switch, 2021)
• Total appearances: 3
• Aesthetic: 🍄🍄🍄🍄
• **Usefulness:**🍄🍄🍄🍄
• **Fun factor:**🍄🍄🍄

I’m a dog person through and through. But even I have to admit that Cat Mario is damn cute. Our chubby plumber dons a cat costume whenever he touches a Super Bell. In his elegant, feline form, Mario is much faster and more agile, and can even run up walls for a short period of time. He’s also able to attack enemies with his sharp claws.

The item premiered in Super Mario 3D World. The really cool thing about that game? All playable characters get their own stylish cat costume.

Besides the standard version of the Super Bell, there’s also the Lucky Bell and the Giga Bell. The former makes Mario invincible after Ground Pounding. Meanwhile, the Giga Bell temporarily transforms Mario into a giant cat monster during special boss battles in Bowser’s Fury, where he faces off against an equally massive Bowser. Not only does this look spectacular, but it’s also a lot of fun.

4. Bee Mushroom

• Type: Mushroom
• First appearance: Super Mario Galaxy (Wii, 2007)
• Last appearance: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii, 2010)
• Total appearances: 2
• Aesthetic: 🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄
• **Usefulness:**🍄🍄
• **Fun factor:**🍄🍄🍄🍄

Thought you’d hit the Mario Games’ peak cuteness level with the cat costume? Think again. Mario’s bee costume from the two Super Mario Galaxy games overshadows all the rest. Would you just look at the feelers on his helmet? And his little wings! And the subtle «bzzzzz» Mario makes when he’s flying. Glorious.

Sure, Bee Mario looks cute, but what superpowers does the Bee Mushroom give me? In Bee form, I can temporarily make Mario fly, landing on special surfaces like clouds and plants. Not only that, but I can also climb honeycombs.

These powers alone are nothing spectacular. In fact, I hummed and hawed over whether to put Bee Mario on this list for ages. Especially since other iconic power-ups such as the Propeller Mushroom and the Cape Feather also give Mario the gift of flight. However, neither of these items is as visually well executed as the Bee power-up. And no other item is as good a fit for the game environment where I first tried it out. Nothing else can replicate the magic of flying around as a busy little bee in the Honeyhive Kingdom in Super Mario Galaxy. Bzzzzzz.

3. Drill Mushroom

• Type: Mushroom
• First appearance: Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch, 2023)
• Total appearances: 1
• Aesthetic: 🍄🍄
• **Usefulness:**🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄
• **Fun factor:**🍄🍄🍄

I already hinted at this in my intro, but the new power-ups in Super Mario Bros. Wonder are fantastic. With the Drill Mushroom, Mario is given a handy costume with a drill as a helmet. This finally allows me to attack enemies, not just with a jump from above, but from below too. As a result, completely new possibilities emerge within the levels.

The costume also allows Mario to drill into the ground and move freely back and forth. This keeps me safe from enemy attacks while I wait for the perfect moment to come bursting out of the ground like a rabid mole and wipe out my enemies. I can even burrow into the ceiling and move around in there. It puts me right in the mood to play the drilling jump 'n' run Pepper Grinder.

2. Elephant Fruit

• Type: Apple
• First appearance: Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch, 2023)
• Total appearances: 1
• Aesthetic: 🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄
• **Usefulness:**🍄🍄🍄
• **Fun factor:**🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄

I’ve been looking forward to using the Elephant power-up ever since it was unveiled in the trailer for Super Mario Bros. Wonder. And it didn’t disappoint. If Mario touches the fruit, he turns into an elephant, easily swiping enemies away with his trunk. The power-up looks like an absolute hoot. Never before have the Goombas been sent sailing quite so dramatically into the air. I almost feel sorry for the little mushrooms. I’m also able to store water in my trunk, which I spray on various objects in the levels to find hidden secrets.

Yes, the other items on this list give me spectacular superpowers, but this one has the whole package. It all looks so incredibly surreal. Even after playing for more than 20 hours, I still haven’t got used to the different elephant versions of the playable characters. How do you come up with an idea like that? Who cooked that one up? Beats me, but I’m glad I get to experience the joy of Elephant Mario. Arouuuu!

1. Fire Flower

• Type: Flower
• First appearance: Super Mario Bros. (NES, 1985)
• Last appearance: Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch, 2023)
• Total appearances: 27
• Aesthetic: 🍄🍄🍄
• **Usefulness:**🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄
• **Fun factor:**🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄

Alongside your bog-standard Super Mushroom, the Fire Flower is probably the iconic power-up. The sound of Mario shooting a fireball is one of the best sound effects in video game history. Depending on how you count, the item has made an appearance in 27 Mario games. The Fire Flower is also one of my most used power-ups in Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

My favourite version of the Fire Flower was always the one from the Super Mario Galaxy games. In those games, Mario is only ever briefly equipped with the superpower. Once Mario’s transformed, a frenetic soundtrack starts to play, driving up my heartrate. I only have a few seconds to make the most of my firepower, which makes the power-up all the more valuable.

As well as in classic jump 'n' runs, the Fire Flower has been used in many other genres over the years. From RPGs like Paper Mario, to iconic beat-em-up Super Smash Bros., to Mario Kart, the power-up’s cameo appearance has always been well received. The Fire Flower is the best Mario power-up of all time and more than deserves the top spot on this list.

Hungry for more Mario content? You can read my detailed review of Super Mario Bros. Wonder here:

Domagoj Belancic

Senior Editor

Domagoj.Belancic@digitecgalaxus.ch

My love of video games was unleashed at the tender age of five by the original Gameboy. Over the years, it's grown in leaps and bounds.

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