Super Mushroom

Super Mushroom
Basic Information
Type(s)	Item
Franchise	Mario

A Super Mushroom, often referred to simply as Mushroom, is an item in the Mario franchise. It first appears in Super Mario Bros., and its general function is to increase Mario or another character in size, changing them to their Super form. In some games like the Super Smash Bros. series, the Super Mushroom can make a character grow to mega size, although the function is usually part of the Mega Mushroom.

Super Mushrooms are consistently depicted as spotted mushrooms with short and thick stems. Originally, in Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mushrooms have parasols that are yellow with red spots. Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels is the first game to depict Super Mushrooms with eyes, which they retained ever since. In Super Mario Bros. 3, their parasols are white with red spots (like a Toad's head), an inverse of the similar Mushroom item in Super Mario Bros. 2. Since Super Mario World, Super Mushrooms have been standardized to have red parasols with white spots. Dash Mushrooms and the healing Mushrooms in the Mario role-playing games are usually designed identically to Super Mushrooms, so they are often confused and conflated with them.

History

Super Mario series

Super Mario Bros.

Artwork of Mario holding a Super Mushroom for Super Mario Bros.

In Super Mario Bros., a Super Mushroom, named Magic Mushroom in the manual, is located in various ? Blocks if Mario or Luigi is in his Small form. Mario or Luigi can free the Super Mushroom by jumping underneath the ? Block, then the Super Mushroom slides off of a block. If Mario or Luigi is in his Super form, a Fire Flower spawns from the ? Block instead. When Mario or Luigi collects a Super Mushroom, he gains 1,000 points, even if he is already in his Super form.

The first Super Mushroom is located in the second ? Block of World 1-1. A Fire Flower can never be obtained from that ? Block because Mario or Luigi is only ever in his Small form there.

The Super Mushroom not only increases the size of Mario or Luigi, giving him an extra hit point, but he can also break Brick Blocks by jumping below them. The effects of the Super Mushroom wear off if Mario or Luigi takes damage from an enemy or most obstacles, returning him into his Small form.

Super Mario Bros. 3

In Super Mario Bros. 3, the Super Mushroom makes another appearance. It retains the same core function as before, appearing from ? Blocks and turning Mario or Luigi into his Super form when touched. They still reward 1,000 points as before. Unlike the Super Mushroom can slide out a ? Block to the left, if Mario or Luigi jumps at the ? Block from the opposite side, and vice versa.

Super Mario Land

In Super Mario Land, the Super Mushroom returns as a power-up item. It functions identically as in Super Mario Bros., except when Mario jumps at a ? Block containing a Super Mushroom, it launches out of the ? Block and does not slide out of the right side. Super Mushrooms are still worth 1,000 points.

Super Mario World

In Super Mario World, Super Mushrooms function the same once again. Like most power-ups, Super Mushrooms can be part of the item storage, which occurs if Fire Mario or Cape Mario collect one. However, there are some Yellow Blocks that contain Super Mushrooms even if Mario or Luigi is in his Super form.

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

In Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, the Super Mushroom returns as a power-up item. It retains its sprite from Super Mario World.

Super Mario 64 DS

In Super Mario 64 DS, Super Mushrooms appear as rare power-up items. They change Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, or Wario into his Mega form temporarily, giving him temporary invincibility and allowing him to destroy several obstacles and enemies upon contact.

New Super Mario Bros.

In New Super Mario Bros., the Super Mushroom returns as a common power-up item. They can be added into the item storage, just like in Super Mario World. Additionally, if Mario or Luigi jumps at a Coin Block at least eleven times before it becomes an Empty Block, a Super Mushroom emerges, even if Mario or Luigi is in a higher-tier form like Fire or Shell.