Nintendo seemingly invented a formula for endless joy with the Super Mario series, even bringing a yearly celebration with Mario Day (MAR10 Day), and one of the key variables in that equation is the thrill of picking up a new item. The best power-ups in the series help Mario tap into a new suite of abilities, diversifying the gameplay (for as long as the player can go without getting damaged and losing that boon) and opening a world of possibilities for exploration. Pac-Man may have created the trope, but Mario helped hard-code it into the minds of anyone who’s picked up a Nintendo controller since 1985.
On Mario Day this year, we’ve rounded up our picks for the five best power-ups in Mario history and the powers that have helped define the fun (and power fantasies) of Mario’s adventures—so smash a Question Block and gather around…
5) Fire Flower
First appearance: Super Mario Bros.
It’s hard to beat a classic. For those who grew up playing the original Super Mario Bros. on the NES, was there anything greater than picking up a Fire Flower and raining fire on your foes, two bouncing orbs at a time? Or better yet, toppling Bowser with a flurry of them instead of taking out the bridge?
The Fire Flower earned a place among the series’ best power-ups by paving the way for all the rest. A Super Mushroom is a survival necessity, helping keep Mario alive in the early games, but the Fire Flower was a form of pure enrichment that put the “power” in “power-up.” Though its star has somewhat diminished over the years in light of flashier gimmicks, there’s still something deeply satisfying about grabbing this item for the first time in a new Mario game.
4) Hammer Suit
First appearance: Super Mario Bros. 3
The Hammer Brother enemies were one of the most dastardly foes in the NES original, able to hold Mario at an impasse even with the aid of fireballs by moving erratically, hopping between platforms, and hurling hammers in wide arcs. As great as the Fire Flower was, these jerks could still put a damper on Mario’s stride.
So, when gamers first picked up Super Mario Bros. 3 and stumbled upon one of its most elusive powers, it was like a revelation.
“The best power-ups help Mario tap into a new suite of abilities, diversifying the gameplay and opening a world of possibilities for exploration.”
The Hammer Suit stands as one of the best power-ups in the Mario series by giving Mario a taste of that power and vindication. They’re found sparingly (at least in the original versions), typically as a potential reward in Mushroom Houses or from giant-sized Question Blocks, and as you might expect, they allow Mario or Luigi to hurl hammers. This does make them a little more cumbersome to move on slopes, but these alternate projectiles can harm unlikely foes like Boos and offer an alternate route to victory in the final battle against Bowser.
Regretfully, this power-up remains limited to SMB3 and its various ports, despite the Hammer Bros being fairly prolific enemies, appearing as recently as Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
3) Super Bell/Cat Mario
First appearance: Super Mario 3D World
Most of Mario’s best power-ups stem from the series’ earliest installments, partly due to nostalgia bias and partly because newer suits either iterate on ideas established in the classic games (like the Ice Flower, which puts a thematic spin on the Fire Flower by turning foes into projectiles themselves) or can seem somewhat gimmicky (like the coin-generating Gold Flowers in New Super Mario Bros. 2). However, the Super Bell and the feline power it imparts prove that there’s still room in Mario’s canon for a new signature power.
When Super Mario 3D World launched on the Wii U, its new Cat Suits seemed like they could be the latest fad du jour, but these feisty felines have proven they can stand the test of time better than others. They allow Mario and friends to climb walls, swipe at foes, or perform dangerous aerial lunges (which also come in handy for platforming if used correctly), adding versatility to the player’s move set. When they played a major role in the game’s epic final boss fight against Bowser, it was clear that Nintendo might have a new contender for the power-up Hall of Fame on their hands.
Unlike other “gimmick” powers, the Cat Suit lived on between games by appearing as an alternate version of Peach in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, a distinct power-up in the line of LEGO Mario toys, and even in a key cameo in the Super Mario Bros. Movie, giving Mario a leg-up against Donkey Kong. The Switch port of 3D World helped cement the Super Bell as one of the best power-ups of Mario’s modern age by further enhancing its powers in Bowser’s Fury.
2) Super Star
First appearance: Super Mario Bros.
While the Fire Flower earned its iconic status because of the power it imparts, the Super Star cranks that effect up to 11… for about 20 seconds.
There’s literally no item that can confer more benefit than a Super Star, and if not for its limited duration, it would likely be the frontrunner for best power-up overall. While under its effects, Mario and friends are invulnerable to everything except falling into a pit or running out the clock—like humans in the real world, even Mario can’t escape the ravages of gravity or time. From the flashing lights that dance across the character’s body to the frantically cheerful music, grabbing one of these stars leads to one of gaming’s biggest rushes.
Look at other platformers to see why the Super Star is one of Mario’s best power-ups—how many other mascot-focused platformers have some variation on this item? Sonic, Crash, Kirby, and countless others have copied off Mario’s homework in this department since the 80s, and their kind probably always will; such is the invincible influence of this trope.
They also form the ultimate olive branch when playing the New Super Mario Bros. series with friends and loved ones. Touching a multiplayer companion and sharing your invulnerability goes a long way toward apologizing for knocking each other with Koopa shells or whatever other co-op faux pas you may have committed.
1) Magic Leaf/Raccoon Mario (+ Cape Mario / Tanooki Mario)
First appearance: Super Mario Bros. 3
Small Mario, Big Mario, Fire Mario: this was established as the conventional hierarchy of plumber power in Super Mario Bros. Hurling fireballs was the pinnacle for our mustachioed hero until the Magic Leaf made a run for the throne… and ultimately proved itself Mario’s best power-up.
The unassuming leaf causes Mario to sprout raccoon ears and a tail, which allows him to get a running start and take off flying (since, y’know, raccoons are such great fliers). With enough charge, Mario can fly up and through segments of overworld levels, bypassing all the platforming below. If he does stay on the ground and therefore within reach of roaming enemies, the tail can be used for a spinning attack that topples some foes which can’t be felled by jumping on them from above.
Charging up and taking flight is still one of the most thrilling experiences in the Mario series, whether it’s with Raccoon Mario or the much more rare (but functionally identical) Caped Mario. Since the raccoon suit and the cape function effectively the same, the honour of best power-up is also shared with the Cape Feather that confers the latter—which is only fair when both looks became iconic after being emblazoned upon countless cartridge copies of SMB3 and Super Mario World.
By the same token, the elusive Tanooki Suit confers the same powers but with the added benefit of being able to turn into an invulnerable statue on command, and so it rounds out this three-way tie for the best power-up title. Whatever the look, the act of flying and spin-attacking has become instrumental to the Mario experience, and thus, what could be better to crown this list?
Dishonorable Mention: Poison Mushroom
First appearance: Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japan)/Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
These deceitful mushrooms were an all-time curveball—resembling regular super mushrooms at a casual glance, but instead of powering Mario up, they’ll harm or even defeat him, depending on his status. In a subversion of the game design philosophies behind the all-time best power-ups, poison mushrooms are a detriment to the player, dressed up as a source of salvation. Anyone who’s played the true Super Mario Bros. 2 can attest to the demoralizing effect of these impostors. (And anyone who’s dipped a toe into the world of brutal Mario hacks may have been driven insane by them at some point.)
To the underworld with you, you diabolical fungi.
