Spike Trap

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It has been requested that this article be rewritten and expanded to include more information. Reason: Appearance in Super Mario Bros. Wonder (tagged on October 29, 2023)

This article is about the common obstacle. For other uses of the word "spike", see Spike (disambiguation).
Spike Trap
Rendered 3D model of Spike Trap.
Render of a Spike Trap from Super Mario Odyssey
First appearance Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic (1987, overall)
Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988, Super Mario franchise)
Latest appearance Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch) (2024)
Variants
Comparable
“You'll take damage if you touch a block with spikes protruding in all four directions.”
Super Mario Bros. Deluxe instruction booklet

Spike Traps (or spikes, sometimes Spiked Blocks,[1] spiked platforms,[2] spike platforms,[3] or Spiked Floors[4]) are harmful obstacles that appear in nearly all games of the Super Mario franchise. Spike Traps can be stationary, retractable, or attached to a moving object. They are introduced in Super Mario Bros. 2. They function similarly to the Icicles from Mario Bros.; however, Spike Traps fall differently.

History[edit]

Super Mario series[edit]

Spike Traps are very common obstacles throughout the Super Mario series. When touched, they cause the player to lose their current power-up and if the player is Small Mario, they will lose a life. Players can safely traverse across spikes when invincible without any consequences.

Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]

In Super Mario Bros. 2, in a few levels, the player has to ride an Autobomb in order to cross some Spike Traps.

Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]

Spikes in Super Mario Bros. 3.

In Super Mario Bros. 3, if Mario or Luigi wears a Goomba's Shoe, he can easily hop across spikes but can still be hurt from touching them with his side or head. In this game, spikes can also point left, right or downwards. In Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, the World-e level Castle Dash contains circular Spike Traps that resemble large Spiny Eggs that simply float in place. These also appear in the Orange Mushroom House mini-game alongside moving blue ones.

Super Mario World[edit]

In Super Mario World, Yoshi can safely walk on Spike Traps due to the boots he wears. Some moving stone blocks have Spike Traps. This game also introduces the falling spike.

Super Mario Bros. Deluxe[edit]

In Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, Spike Traps appear during certain levels of the You vs. Boo mode. They can be changed to solid blocks with the use of the Face Blocks.

Super Mario Sunshine[edit]

Spiked platforms in Corona Mountain in Super Mario Sunshine.

In Super Mario Sunshine, they only appear in Corona Mountain. Coming into contact with them will mostly cause Mario to lose a life due to the spikes ignoring Mario's invincibility frames.

New Super Mario Bros.[edit]

In New Super Mario Bros., Spike Traps are found commonly in castle and towers. Like in Super Mario World, some moving stone blocks have Spike Traps on them.

Super Mario Galaxy[edit]

Rendered model of the spike platform in Super Mario Galaxy.
An in-game render of a Spike Trap in Super Mario Galaxy

In Super Mario Galaxy, spikes come in three different varieties: moving lifts with spikes embedded into their sides appear in the Good Egg Galaxy missions Dino Piranha and Dino Piranha Speed Run, the Flipswitch Galaxy mission Painting the Planet Yellow, and the Toy Time Galaxy missions The Flipswitch Chain and Fast Foes of Toy Time; bergy bits covered in spikes out of ice appear in the Beach Bowl Galaxy mission Wall Jumping up Waterfalls; and spikes attached to terrain appear in the Gold Leaf Galaxy mission When It Rains, It Pours. Mario or Luigi bounces into the air, loses health, and runs uncontrollably after coming into contact with spikes attached to terrain, similarly to lava.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]

Spike Traps appear in New Super Mario Bros. Wii in two forms: traps with each spike being one block wide like in Super Mario World, as seen in World 5-Tower, and traps with each spike being half a block wide like in Super Mario Bros. 3, as seen in World 3-Castle.

Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]

Spikes appear in Super Mario Galaxy 2, retaining their behavior and appearance in Super Mario Galaxy. They appear in the Clockwork Ruins Galaxy mission Time for Adventure and the Flip-Out Galaxy missions Wicked Wall Jumps and Cosmic Clone Wall Jumpers.

Super Mario 3D Land[edit]

In Super Mario 3D Land, Spike Bars make their first appearance. They operate similarly to Fire Bars. Retractable spikes on the floor make their appearance as well.

Super Mario 3D World[edit]

In Super Mario 3D World, the ground spike traps appear again in levels such as Hands-On Hall and Spiky Spike Bridge.

Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS[edit]

In Super Mario Maker and its 3DS port, Spike Traps are classified as block objects. Depending on the game style and theme, Spike Traps can change appearance, most notably in the Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World game styles, where in the underwater theme, the Spike Trap is replaced by a Jelectro or a Sea Urchin from The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (which in turn is based on the Gordo from the Kirby series, and in this appearance acts more like one due to being invincible), respectively. Additionally, shaking a Spike Trap in the New Super Mario Bros. U ground theme makes a train sound.[5]

Super Mario Run[edit]

Spike Traps reappear in Super Mario Run, making their first appearance in the level Shell Me the Way! when collecting the Black Coins. They have the same appearance as the Spike Traps in the New Super Mario Bros. U style of Super Mario Maker.

Super Mario Odyssey[edit]

In Super Mario Odyssey, the Spike Traps appear once again in their Super Mario 3D World design, where they can be found in Bowser's Kingdom. In one part, Mario must capture Jizo statues to safely move over them.

Super Mario Maker 2[edit]

Spike Traps reappear in Super Mario Maker 2, functioning as they did in the previous Super Mario Maker games with a slightly wider hitbox. The Super Mario 3D World style replaces them with Spike Blocks.

Yoshi franchise[edit]

Yellow spikes YI.png

Yoshi's Story features living, jumping Spikes in Bone Dragon Pit and Magma Castle.

Unlike other games, spikes are fatal, as simply touching them causes a Yoshi to lose a life. A more common sharp object, a thorn, also appears in the Yoshi's Island series. In the same series, falling into lava or spikes are the only ways Yoshi's death is shown on-screen (not counting when the baby is snatched away); the former shows him spinning and collapsing, while the latter shows him flying off-screen.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong series[edit]

Spikes are common indestructible obstacles throughout the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series. Like the other obstacles in the series, they can instantly take out the playable characters. However, enemies are able to stand or walk safely on spikes. In these games, spikes bob up and down slightly, although this is just aesthetic.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong[edit]

Level 2-3+ of Mario vs. Donkey Kong.
Spikes at the bottom and top-right of Level 2-3+ in Mario vs. Donkey Kong

Spikes have a generic appearance in Mario vs. Donkey Kong. They cover pits and platforms, always pointing upward. In some levels, Mario can stand on enemies such as Shy Guys and RamRams and ride them across a bed of spikes to traverse it.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis[edit]

Starting with Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, spikes have a red metallic base framing them. The sides of these spikes are harmless, but the Minis will attempt to jump over the spikes once they encounter a side and break themselves anyway.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again![edit]

The spikes in Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! are no different than their appearance in Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem![edit]

In Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!, and in future 2D Mario vs. Donkey Kong games, spikes can also be seen covering walls and ceilings.

Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move[edit]

In Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move, some tiles consist of spike pits. When a Mini reaches the edge of one, it will tip there for a short time. If the player does not modify the Mini's path in time, the toy will fall onto the spikes and cause a Game Over.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars[edit]

In Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars, each row of spikes has two additional smaller spikes on its sides, destroying a Mini instantly upon coming into contact with them. The middle spikes also appear shorter now than in previous appearances.

Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge[edit]

Spikes retain the appearance from the previous title in Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge. Mini Bowser Jr.'s Spike Guard ability allows the toy to hover above spikes and cross them safely.

Paper Mario series[edit]

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Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[edit]

A Spike Trap appears in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door in Hooktail Castle. When Mario takes the Black Key out of the chest, spikes pop out of the ground to form a maze and the ceiling starts to lower down with spikes. Mario must run out of the spike maze in 50 seconds or he will receive a Game Over.

Spikes also serve as obstacles in some platforming sections, and falling into them will cause Mario to lose 1 HP, go flying off the top of the screen, and land at the start of the section.

Paper Mario: Color Splash[edit]

Spike Traps appear in Paper Mario: Color Splash. Spike pits appear in levels such as Mustard Café, The Golden Coliseum, and Fortune Island. 8-bit spikes appear in Green Energy Plant. In Kiwano Temple, there are many spikes that resemble Spiny Shells. Some must be crossed by rolling platforms, and others must be flipped over with a POW Block.

Super Princess Peach[edit]

Two types of spikes appear in Super Princess Peach. The first type are round, block-sized objects often found in midair or on ceilings. They are usually found on top of areas with blue Donut Blocks to prevent the player from jumping, requiring the use of the Gloom vibe to cross those blocks. They also have a rotation animation, but are otherwise stationary. The other type of spike is a floored variety that also comes in a large size. These ones are thematically decorated to fit each world of the game. When Princess Peach runs into one, she takes half a heart of damage; while invincible, she can move through the airborne type.

Nintendo Land[edit]

“You can use levers to deal with annoying spikes. Hit a lever to trigger or withdraw spikes.”
Monita, Nintendo Land
Spike Nintendo Land
Spikes in Nintendo Land

Spikes are hazards in the Yoshi's Fruit Cart minigame in Nintendo Land. If the Yoshi Cart touches a spike, the player loses a life. Spikes can be retracted by using a lever. When retracted, the Yoshi Cart can safely walk on them. They first appear in Gate 23.

Prize description[edit]

“This trap can be levered in and out of the ground. The cart may not be able to feel pain, but stepping on one of these will certainly damage it.”
Monita

Luigi's Mansion 3[edit]

Spike Traps appear in Luigi's Mansion 3, primarily in Castle MacFrights. They will harm Luigi; however, Gooigi can walk through them without getting hurt.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie[edit]

Many Spike Traps are seen in The Super Mario Bros. Movie scattered around the Training Course and attached to Brick Blocks and Empty Blocks.

Gallery[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning
Japanese トゲ[6]
Toge
トゲ玉[7]
Togedama
トゲブロック[8]
Toge Burokku
トゲ床[9]
Toge Yuka
[10]
Hari
針の床[10]
Hari no Yuka
トゲ地形 (Super Mario Maker 2)
Toge Chikei

Spike

Spike Ball

Spike Block

Spike Floor

Needle

Needled Floor

Spike Terrain

Chinese 尖刺地形
Jiāncì Dìxíng
Sharp point terrain

Dutch Stekels
Prickles
French Boule à pointes
Spiked ball
German Stacheln
Spikes
Italian Spuntoni
Fiori dalle spine avvelenate[11]
Pavimento con punte[12]
Spikes
Flowers with poisoned spikes/thorns
Floor with spikes
Korean 가시지형
Gasi Jihyeong
Spike Terrain

Portuguese Armadilha Espinhosa
Spiked Trap
Russian Колючка-западня
Kolyuchka-zapadnya
Trap Spike

Spanish Trampa Espinosa
Bola de picos
Spiky Trap

References[edit]

  1. ^ Super Mario Bros. Deluxe instruction booklet, page 19.
  2. ^ Hodgson, David S J, Bryan Stratton, and Stephen Stratton. Super Mario Sunshine Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Pages 15, 170 and 171.
  3. ^ Hodgson, David S J, Bryan Stratton, and Stephen Stratton. Super Mario Sunshine Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Page 171.
  4. ^ von Esmarch, Nick, and Cory van Grier. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze PRIMA Official Game Guide. Page 26.
  5. ^ GameXplain. April 4, 2016. Train Whistle SECRET in Super Mario Maker. YouTube. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  6. ^ Shogakukan. 2015. Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook, pages 41, 61, 78, 105, 119, 150, 200.
  7. ^ Shogakukan. 2015. Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins section, page 78.
  8. ^ Mario & Wario instruction booklet, page 9.
  9. ^ Shogakukan. 2015. Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook, pages 170, 186, 233.
  10. ^ a b Mario vs. Donkey Kong Shogakukan book
  11. ^ Super Mario Land Italian manual, pag. 12
  12. ^ Super Mario Land (3DS - Virtual Console) Italian e-manual, pag. 13