Blinking Block

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Blinking Block
A Beep Block from Super Mario 3D World.
Artwork from Super Mario 3D World
First appearance Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010)
Latest appearance Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (2021)
Effect Shifts position with another block in time with the music
“The red and blue blocks switch back and forth, so pay close attention to the timing.”
Doctor Gizmo, Super Mario Maker 2

Blinking Blocks (known as Beat Blocks in Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Beep Blocks in Super Mario 3D Land, Super Mario 3D World, and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury) are a type of block found in the Super Mario series. Blinking Blocks alternate between solid blocks and intangible outlines of various colors to the beat of in-game music. Because of this, Blinking Blocks function both as platforms that the player character can safely stand on when solid and as dangerous pitfalls in their "vanished" state. Depending on the game, both the physical appearance and functions of Blinking Blocks differ.

History[edit]

Super Mario series[edit]

Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]

Beat Blocks in Beat Block Galaxy in Super Mario Galaxy 2. The yellow Beat Blocks are presently solid, while the green ones are only outlines.

Beat Blocks are first seen in Super Mario Galaxy 2, appearing exclusively in Beat Block Galaxy. In this appearance, all Beat Blocks are cube-shaped and alternate between yellow and green. The player's Wii Remote also beeps three times before the Beat Blocks switch. Due to the effects of the Double Time Comet, the mission Silver Stars in Double Time causes the Beat Blocks to alternate at four times their regular speed (despite the mission's name).

Super Mario 3D Land[edit]

Beat Blocks appearing in World 6-4 in Super Mario 3D Land

Beat Blocks return in Super Mario 3D Land, appearing in World 6-4, Special 3-5, and Special 7-2. In this appearance, Beat Blocks come in an assortment of shapes and are now red, yellow, and blue. In World 6-4 and Special 7-2, all three colors appear one by one, then vanish in the same manner, leaving periods where all or none of the Beat Blocks appear solid. However, in Special 3-5, the blocks alternate between one color each time.

Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[edit]

Boomerang Bro from Super Mario 3D World
Beep Blocks in Super Mario 3D World

Beat Blocks return in Super Mario 3D World and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury as they appeared in Super Mario Galaxy 2, where they are now known as Beep Blocks. They alternate between blue- and pink-colored blocks. Later levels also include Beep Blocks in quadruple time, named Blast Blocks. When they are in quadruple time, the frequency of alternating between different blocks is the same as the frequency of Beat Blocks' alternation under the orbit of the Prankster Comet in Super Mario Galaxy 2. Beep Blocks also appear in levels where the song has different beats per minute (such as Champion's Road), but they still alternate in the beat of the original song's BPM (from Beep Block Skyway and Blast Block Skyway).

Super Mario Maker 2[edit]

A Blinking Block in Super Mario Maker 2A Blinking Block in Super Mario Maker 2

Beep Blocks, now known as Blinking Blocks, return in Super Mario Maker 2 in the Super Mario 3D World style, behaving the same as in past appearances. However, they now alternate independently from the music, doing so every four seconds instead. They are also notably smaller than in other games, now being the same size as ? Blocks.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker[edit]

Beep Block Sky Plaza
Beep Blocks in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Beep Blocks reappear in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and its Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS ports in the stage Beep Block Sky Plaza. They are identical in appearance and behavior to those in Super Mario 3D World, but many of them include ladders that do not disappear to allow Captain Toad, who cannot jump, to climb them.

Profiles[edit]

Super Mario Maker 2[edit]

  • North American website bio: "Blinking Blocks phase in and out. Make sure to carefully time those jumps!"

Gallery[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning
Japanese チカチカブロック[1]
Chikachika Burokku
リズム床[2]
Rizumu Yuka
点滅ブロック[3]
Tenmetsu Burokku
てんめつブロック
Tenmetsu Burokku
Flickering Block (Super Mario Galaxy 2)

Rhythm Floor (Super Mario 3D Land)

Blinking Block (Super Mario 3D World)

Blinking Block (Super Mario Maker 2)

Chinese (simplified) 闪烁砖块
Shǎnshuò Zhuānkuài
Flickering Block

Chinese (traditional) 炫目方塊 (Super Mario Galaxy 2)
Xuànmù Fāngkuài
閃爍磚塊 (Super Mario Maker 2)[4]
Shǎnshuò Zhuānkuài

Dazzling Cube

Flickering Block



Dutch Knipperblok (Super Mario Maker 2)
Blinking Block
French (NOA) Blocs tic-tac (Super Mario Galaxy 2)
Bloc intermittent (Super Mario Maker 2)
Tick-tock blocks
Sporadic block
French (NOE) Blocs tac-tic (Super Mario Galaxy 2)
Bloc intermittent (Super Mario Maker 2)
Tock-tick blocks (also a pun on tactic)
Sporadic block
German Ticktack-Block (Super Mario Galaxy 2)
Rhythmusboden (Super Mario 3D Land)
Blink-Block (newer games)
Ticktack Block
Rhythm Floor
Blinking Block
Italian Blocchi Ritmici (Super Mario Galaxy 2)
Blocco intermittente (Super Mario Maker 2)
Rhythmic Blocks
Intermittent block
Korean 깜빡블록[6]
Kkamppak-beullok
Blinking Block

Portuguese (NOE) Bloco intermitente[5]
Intermittent block
Russian Мерцающий блок
Mertsayushchiy blok
Flickering Block

Spanish Bloque Rítmico
Bloque Parpadeante
Bloque Alternante
Rhythmic Block
Blinking Block
Alternating Block

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Sakai, Kazuya (Ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors (2015). "Super Mario Galaxy 2."『スーパーマリオブラザーズ百科: 任天堂公式ガイドブック』. Tokyo: Shogakukan (Japanese). Page 170.
  2. ^ ---- (2015). "Super Mario 3D Land."『スーパーマリオブラザーズ百科: 任天堂公式ガイドブック』. Tokyo: Shogakukan (Japanese). Page 186.
  3. ^ ---- (2015). "Super Mario 3D World."『スーパーマリオブラザーズ百科: 任天堂公式ガイドブック』. Tokyo: Shogakukan (Japanese). Page 233.
  4. ^ Nintendo HK. (May 17, 2019). 《Super Mario Maker 2 (超級瑪利歐創作家 2)》Direct 2019.5.16. YouTube. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  5. ^ Nintendo Portugal. (May 15, 2019). Super Mario Maker 2 Direct - 15/05/2019. YouTube. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  6. ^ 한국닌텐도 공식 채널 (May 16, 2019). 슈퍼 마리오 메이커 2 Direct 2019.5.16. YouTube. Retrieved November 11, 2022.