Axe
- This article is about the item in the Mario franchise. For the treasure in Wario Land 3, see Out of the Woods § Gray Chest: Axe. For Simon and Richter Belmont's special move in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, see Simon Belmont § Axe and Richter Belmont § Axe.
Axe | |
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An axe as it appears in the New Super Mario Bros. U style of Super Mario Maker | |
First appearance | Super Mario Bros. (1985) |
Latest appearance | Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition (2024) |
Effect | Destroys the support of a castle's bridge |
An axe[1] (or ax)[2] appears in the Super Mario franchise as an object often appearing at the end of a castle level.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Bros. / Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels[edit]
Axes first appear in Super Mario Bros., where they are found in the castle levels. The player can defeat Bowser or his duplicates by touching the axe, which cuts the support of the bridge Bowser is standing on and sends him falling into the lava below. If the player does not have a Fire Flower, using the axe is the only way that the player can defeat Bowser. If Mario already defeated either Bowser or his fakes with fireballs, then the animation of the bridge being destroyed will not be played. Axes return and work in the same way in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. If Mario was to touch both Bowser and the axe at the same time, then it could potentially result in a glitch involving Mario becoming Fire Mario while he is still small. In the All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros. version of the game, owing to the game being filled with cameos from the eponymous radio program, the ax was replaced with the logo for Nippon Broadcasting System, Inc., the home radio station for the program.
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
An axe appears in Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, found only in the World-e level Classic World 1-4, where it serves the same function as it did in Super Mario Bros.
New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe[edit]
In many of the New Super Mario Bros. games, a ! Switch or a skull switch is used in place of the axe at the end of castles featuring Bowser, and serves the same function. New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U and the Nintendo Switch port New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe all use an axe, which is activated with a ! Switch.
Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS / Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
The axe appears in Super Mario Maker and its its 3DS port, as well as the Nintendo Switch sequel, Super Mario Maker 2. It acts as the goal for courses with the castle theme. When used, it again breaks the bridge. However, all enemies on screen stop, fall and sink into the lava. This occurs even for enemies that fly, can swim, or are not on the bridge. Its appearance varies with the game style, though its appearance in the Super Mario Bros. style has been changed to make it taller and wider (to match up with its New Super Mario Bros. U appearance). The Super Mario 3D World style in Super Mario Maker 2 is the only style to not use the axe as the goal for the castle theme, instead using a slightly modified boss version of the Goal Pole from the original game.
Super Mario Run[edit]
The axe reappears in Super Mario Run, retaining its look and function from the New Super Mario Bros. U style in Super Mario Maker. The courses Bowser's Castle Hangout, Fire Bar Castle! Youch!, Rings of Fire!, Make the Cut!, and VS Bowser all conclude with an axe. The last of these allows the player to defeat Bowser or Fake Bowser using invincibility, but the axe still cuts the bridge.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga / Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions[edit]
The axe makes a cameo in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and its remake, where it is found at the end of a Super Mario Bros.-like section of Bowser's Castle alongside a cardboard duplicate of Bowser. The section can only be accessed by Mini-Mario, and touching the axe does the same thing as in previous appearances, "defeating" the cardboard duplicate and opening a path for Mario and Luigi to progress.
Mario Hoops 3-on-3[edit]
In Mario Hoops 3-on-3, the Bowser's Castle court uses a giant axe for the basketball hoop's pole.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
Although the axe does not appear in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, it being key to defeating Bowser in previous games is referenced in one of Simon Belmont's promotional screenshots on the game's official website, where he is shown about to use his Axe special attack on Bowser.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie[edit]
In the teaser poster for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, a voxelated axe resembling its original sprite can be seen for sale at the antiques store for eight coins. In the movie proper, the Toad guards wield axes, one of which Princess Peach takes with her to confront Bowser when he arrives at the Mushroom Kingdom.
Gallery[edit]
- For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Axe.
Names in other languages[edit]
Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Japanese | オノ[?] Ono |
Axe | |
Chinese (simplified) | 斧头[?] Fǔtóu |
Axe | |
French | Hache[?] | Axe | |
Italian | Ascia[?] | Axe | |
Portuguese | Machado[?] | Axe |
References[edit]
- ^ Cain, Christine (1999). Super Mario Bros. Deluxe Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Prima Games (American English). ISBN 0-7615-2190-9. Page 19.
- ^ Tochikubo, Hiroo (1987). How to win at Super Mario Bros.. Tokuma Shoten. ISBN 4-19-720003-XC. Page 16.
Super Mario Bros. Special | |
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Protagonists | Mario • Mushroom retainer • Princess Peach |
Worlds | World 1 • World 2 • World 3 • World 4 • World 5 • World 6 • World 7 • World 8 |
Items | 1 up Mushroom • Clock • Coin • Fire Flower • Hachisuke • Hummer • Lucky Star • Magic Mushroom • Starman • Wing |
Enemies | Bloober • Bullet Bill • Buzzy Beetle • Cheep-cheep • Chokichoki • Fire-Bar • Hammer Brother • Koopa Paratroopa • Koopa Troopa • Lakitu • Little Goomba • Nakaji • Piranha Plant • Podoboo • Sigebou • Spiny • Spiny's egg • Tarusar • Tsurara • Turtle Cannon |
Boss | Bowser |
Miscellaneous | Ax • Beanstalk • Coin Heaven • Coral • Fireworks • Flagpole • Horsehair plant • Jumping board |
- Goals
- Mario Hoops 3-on-3
- Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga objects
- New Super Mario Bros. U objects
- Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 objects
- Super Mario Bros. objects
- Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
- Super Mario Bros. Special
- Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels objects
- Super Mario Maker objects
- Super Mario Run objects