Top 20 Mario Power-Ups

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Every Nintendo fan knows what it's like to get a blue shell up their exhaust but let's forget about those Mario Kart power-ups for a moment as we look into the power-ups that have helped Mario through his adventures. He may look like a portly plumber but he has an arsenal of gadgets and power-ups that any super hero would be jealous of. After all, Superman can only fly but our Mario can do that and he can also transform into a frog, chuck fireballs and throw hammers. He's our super hero and here is our list of the plumber's top 20 power-ups.

Mini Mushroom

20. Mini Mushroom (New Super Mario Bros.)
We all know the normal Mario rule. Mushrooms make you grow. Not the Mini Mushroom though. This blue and white spotted fungi makes Mario shrink to the size of a fly, allowing him to jump really high and run across the surface of water.

Carrot

19. Carrot (Super Mario Land 2)
You've got to feel sorry for Mario. When other people eat carrots, not much happens. They get a bit less hungry and maybe it helps their vision, but that's all. Instead, Mario grows a pair of giant rabbit ears which somehow help him float in the air. Poor lad.

Blue Koopa Shell

18. Blue Koopa Shell (New Super Mario Bros.)
It's impossible to count how many Koopa Troopas have been kicked across the floor by Mario over the years. At least the Blue Koopa Shell lets him see how it feels. After building up speed Mario can hide inside the shell and skid along, hurting anyone in his path.

Spring Mushroom

17. Spring Mushroom (Super Mario Galaxy)
Either you love the Spring Mushroom - which wraps a huge coil around Mario and lets him bounce around stages while jumping ridiculously high - or you hate it. It's certainly one of the trickiest power-ups to control, but awesome once you "get" it.

Invisibility Cap

16. Invisibility Cap (Super Mario 64)
Never mind all this Harry Potter cloak rubbish: Mario was doing the invisibility thing when Harry was still in nappies. The Invisibility Cap breaks Mario up into loads of tiny pieces, allowing him to safely walk through fences that he couldn't otherwise get past.

Hammer

15. Hammer (Donkey Kong)
All hail the original Mario power-up! Donkey Kong's chucking barrels at you so what do you do? Grab a hammer and start swinging for dear life. It comes complete with nifty music, but awesomeness comes at a price - you can't jump or climb ladders with it.

Boo Mushroom

14. Boo Mushroom (Super Mario Galaxy)
If Mario turns his back to a Boo, the Boo comes towards him. If Mario looks at a Boo, the Boo hides. But if Mario IS a Boo, then... well, we're confused. What happens if he looks in a mirror? Will he hide from himself? Either way, what's important is that this power-up is ruddy mint.

Ice Mushroom

13. Ice Mushroom (Super Mario Galaxy)
He's been able to throw fireballs ever since the '80s, but Mario never really embraced the colder side of life until Super Mario Galaxy came along. The Ice Mushroom lets him throw ice balls at enemies and also allows him to walk on water, freezing it under his feet.

Starman

12. Starman (Super Mario Bros.)
On paper, it seems that the Starman power-up should be the best by far. Imagine if you could just run through everyone and defeat them with a single touch, while awesome music plays in the background. So why is it not even in our top ten? Because it's all over so painfully quickly!

Mega Mushroom

11. Mega Mushroom (New Super Mario Bros.)
There are times when growing twice your size just won't quite do the trick. For moments like that, the Mega Mushroom is what's needed. This absolutely ridiculous power-up makes Mario grow to almost the full size of the screen, causing massive destruction wherever he goes. Awesome.

Metal Mario

10. Metal Mario (Super Mario 64)
What do you get when you cross Mario with the T-1000 from Terminator 2? Why, Metal Mario of course. Made entirely of chrome, Metal Mario can walk underwater and is completely invincible. You'll only find him in Super Mario 64, but we'd like to see a comeback for this suit!

Hammer Bros. Suit

9. Hammer Bros. Suit (Super Mario Bros. 3)
The rarest of all Mario's power-ups, the Hammer Bros suit only ever makes the odd appearance late into Super Mario Bros. 3. As you'd expect by the name, it turns our lad into a Hammer Brother, allowing him to chuck sledgehammers at his enemies. Vicious.

Bee Mushroom

8. Bee Mushroom (Super Mario Galaxy)
The bee suit was the first big surprise of the brilliant Super Mario Galaxy. It takes some doing to take a much-hated creature (come on, nobody really likes bumblebees do they?) and make it lovable, but Mario manages it with his usual charm. Luigi got in on the act too!

Fire Flower

7. Fire Flower (Super Mario Bros.)
This one lets Mario chuck fireballs that would make Ryu and Ken jealous. It went missing for a while (it wasn't in Super Mario 64 or Super Mario Sunshine) but the Fire Flower made its welcome return in New Super Mario Bros and Super Mario Galaxy.

Super Mushroom

6. Super Mushroom (Super Mario Bros.)
Ask a non-gamer about Mario's power-ups and they're most likely to know about the iconic Super Mushroom. It's the definitive rule in the Mushroom Kingdom: Mario + Super Mushroom = Super Mario. It's the second chance we wish real life offered. A legendary power-up.

Wing Cap

5. Wing Cap (Super Mario 64)
Super Mario 64 was awesome enough on its own. Having Mario wander around a massive 3D environment was a huge deal back when the game was first released in 1997. But finding a Wing Cap and being able to fly around each world... well, that was really amazing.

Cape

4. Cape (Super Mario World)
Criminally. the cape isn't much of a force in the world of high street fashion these days, but for a lad who wears a red shirt under dungarees style isn't really a major issue. The important thing is that the cape lets Mario fly for as long as he wants. Handy.

Frog Suit

3. Frog Suit (Super Mario Bros. 3)
We'd love to know what was in the Kyoto drinking water when Nintendo R&D4 were coming up with power-up ideas for Super Mario Bros. 3, but whatever it was it resulted in the awesome Frog Suit, which lets Mario swim easily and quickly when underwater.

Super Leaf

2. Super Leaf (Super Mario Bros. 3)
Grabbing the Super Leaf turned Mario into Raccoon Mario, giving him the power of flight for the first time. We're a bit worried that the development team thought raccoons could fly though. We hope they didn't chuck any out the window to test it.

Tanooki Suit

1. Tanooki Suit (Super Mario Bros. 3)
Our favourite Mario power-up by far, because it's so mental. Tanooki Mario can fly like Raccoon Mario, but he can also change into a statue for no reason at all. Sure, enemies walk past him, but there's never any need for it. It doesn't matter - we think he looks ace.

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