This article is about the platforms commonly found in the Mario franchise. For the minigame in the Nintendo DSversion of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, see Conveyor Belt (minigame).
A Conveyor Belt in Super Mario Maker 2 in the Super Mario 3D World style
Conveyor Belts (or simply conveyors)[1] are platforms found in many Mario games. They are able to carry the player from one place to another without them having to move at all, and can serve as an obstacle or a means to travel faster, depending on the direction the player is heading.
It has been requested that this section be rewritten. Reason: organization, add more information on how they are used in games and expand and split the New Super Mario Bros. series section
In Super Mario 64, conveyor belts make their first 3D appearance, this time colored yellow with arrows showing the direction they are moving in. They appear only in Tick Tock Clock. Conveyor belts reappear in the remake Super Mario 64 DS, fulfilling the same purpose.
Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS / Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
Conveyor Belts return as course elements in Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, where their speed can be adjusted by shaking them. Their direction and length can also be changed. Pressing a P Switch causes the Conveyors to stop moving. In Super Mario Maker 2, Conveyor Belts can be placed diagonally, acting as Slopes. Additionally, a new type of Conveyor Belt is introduced that is toggled by ON/OFF Switches, switching direction when one is activated.
Finally, in Wario Land: Shake It!, there are three types of conveyors; red, which hold their direction, blue, which can be reversed with Certainty Switches, and green, which can be turned off with their own switches. They appear in a large number of levels.
Conveyor belts[2][1] are frequent mechanisms used by Mario and Mini toys throughout the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series. Their design in these games generally features a row of arrows running along their body, pointing in the direction the belts on the conveyor belts move. They are always horizontal and run either left or right. Conveyor switches[1] often accompany conveyor belts and allow the player to change the direction of all conveyor belts on-screen in order to solve puzzles conveniently. Conveyor belts are shown to be able to carry enemies, even fallen Thwomps, in their assigned direction.
In the first installment of the series, conveyor belts are first found in Level 1-4 of Mario Toy Company. Their color scheme depends on the world they appear in. Their main purpose is carrying Mario through tight passages while he crouches. Conveyor belts can also be used to ferry keys into more accessible areas near the exit. They also significantly impede Mario's walking speed if he runs against them, although he can still successfully walk in their opposite direction. This is the only game in the series where conveyor belts are semi-solid, meaning that they can be jumped on from underneath.
In levels with conveyor belts starting with Level 5-1, Mario often comes across gray buttons that he can jump on and press to change their direction. Each button has two red light bulbs on its sides, alternating whenever the button is pressed to signal the change in direction.
A series of conveyor belts guiding a Mini Mario in Mario vs. Donkey Kong: March of the Minis
Conveyor belts continue to appear in Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, debuting with Room 1-7 of Mushroom Mayhem. From this game onward, they all appear as gray and are completely solid. Mini Marios that enter a conveyor belt are slid by the conveyor belt in direction it moves until reaching its end. Mini Marios turn around when they encounter a conveyor belt running in the opposite direction.
In many levels with conveyor belts, there are also green oblong switches with two arrows pointing away from each other. These are positioned in the walls and the player can tap them with the stylus to change the direction of all conveyor belts in a level simultaneously.
In Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!, conveyor belts are considerably thinner than in the previous two appearances, though they function in the same way nonetheless. They are the main focus of Teatime Twirl, which also marks the debut of Purple Conveyors. Instead of being fixed in place, the latter can be drawn between any two purple rivets using pieces acquired in a level. Conveyor Switches affect the Purple Conveyors the same as generic conveyor belts. After Teatime Twirl, both the fixed and the purple variants continue to appear commonly throughout the game. At page 16 in the game's instruction booklet, normal conveyor belts are called Gray Conveyors to distinguish them from the purple variety. It is also expressly specified in the booklet that Gray Conveyors cannot be moved.[3]
Conveyor Belts appear again in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, where black-colored ones are found in Bowser Path. Bowser can be seen going against a conveyor belt when for part of his conversation to the Shy Guys he released from the cage.
Conveyor Belts also appear in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, where they are exclusively found in certain areas of the Dreampoint in Dreamy Wakeport. If the "fast" setting of Luiginary Speedometer is activated, Mario will be able to effortlessly run against the direction of Conveyor Belts.
Conveyor Belts are present in Yoshi's New Island in the level Hotfoot Hurdle. They are rather short and floating above lava. They run left (as signified by the three green arrows displayed on them) to make it more difficult for Yoshi to advance to the right. Conveyor Belts are usually placed in rows or one above the other.
Yoshi's Woolly World / Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World[edit]
Conveyor Belts in Paper Mario: Color Splash, take the form of green flooring attached to paper rolls. They appear in the Crimson Tower, where enemies such as Goombas and Shy Guys walk on them. Mario can hit one of the Conveyor Belts from below to knock off the Shy Guys running on top of it. Unlike in other games, these Conveyor Belts are not reversible and have a set speed. In Black Bowser's Castle, three large conveyor belts lead into a large mixer of black paint. Paint Guys stand on these, dump their paint in, and then stick to the backside of the conveyor belt. Mario holds Huey above his head and boards the conveyor belt, causing a Snifit to let him pass.
* In version 1.20 or later • ** In version 1.30 or later • *** In version 1.40 or later • † Only in the Wii U version. • ‡ Only in the Nintendo 3DS version