Hammer (move)

Hammer
Mario and Luigi performing a hammer attack
First appearance	Paper Mario (2000)
Latest appearance	Mario & Luigi: Brothership (2024)
Effect	Break obstacles, attack enemies, activate switches
Variants D-Down Pound Fire Drive Hammer Throw Head Rattle Ice Smash Mega Smash Piercing Blow Power Smash Quake Hammer Super Hammer Trio Hammer

The Hammer is a move in the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi series, where it is used to break obstacles and attack enemies. Some enemies cannot be damaged by Jump attacks, usually due to having a spiky top, requiring the Mario Bros. to use their Hammers instead.

History

Paper Mario series

Paper Mario

The Hammer first appears as a move in Paper Mario. It is unlocked after obtaining Goompa's Hammer. The Hammer can be used outside of battle to knock items out of trees, hit switches and ? Blocks, and break Brick Blocks and Yellow Blocks.

In battle, the Hammer can be used to deal two points of damage to one enemy. Unlike, the Jump, the Hammer can be used on spiked and fiery enemies, but it cannot reach airborne or ceiling-bound targets. The move's Action Command consists of tilting as three dots light up, and letting go of as a star lights up, dealing one additional point of damage.

Obtaining the Super Hammer and Ultra Hammer grants the ability to break Stone Blocks and Metal Blocks respectively, and each new Hammer increases the move's attack power by two.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

The Hammer reappears in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, where it is referred to as the Normal Hammer in battle. It can no longer be used to break Stone Blocks or Metal Blocks. The former now require the Ultra Hammer move, while the latter cannot be broken.

Super Paper Mario

In Super Paper Mario, every character can hammer while on the ground with the help of Cudge. Similarly, Dark Mario can also hammer to attack the player.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star

The Hammer returns as a sticker in Paper Mario: Sticker Star. It also comes in Worn-Out, Shiny, Flashy, Big Shiny and Megaflash variants.

Paper Mario: Color Splash

The Hammer returns as a Battle Card in Paper Mario: Color Splash. Hammer cards come in Worn-Out, Worn-Out x3, Worn-Out x5, x2, x3, Big, Big x2 and Huge variations.

Paper Mario: The Origami King

In Paper Mario: The Origami King, the default hammer is a permanent attack that Mario always has access to, unlike in the previous two games, and hits groups of enemies within a square, four-panel range. Meanwhile, numerous variants of it can be found or purchased and used as alternatives, which break after enough uses. Such variants include the returning Shiny and Flashy ones, as well as normal Hurlhammers and Shiny Hurlhammers, which behave the way they did previously. New ones include the Gold Hammer, which is not only stronger, but also grants Mario extra coins with each hit; the Fire and Ice Hammers, which replace the Burnhammers and Chillhammers from Sticker Star; and the Legendary Hammer, which is even more powerful than the Flashy one, but a lot rarer to compensate.

Mario & Luigi series

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga / Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions

In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, the hammer is used to smash tan-colored rocks (heavily-cracked grey rocks in the remake) in Mario and Luigi's path, though the upgraded hammers can destroy grey- and black-colored rocks (slightly-cracked grey rocks and light brown rocks in the remake) respectively. They are also used to activate special buttons and switches. If the player hits an enemy with a First Strike using the hammer in the overworld, its party will be stunned at beginning of the battle (in the remake, doing this may lower their speed instead).

In battle, Mario or Luigi can do more damage by pressing their respective button when the hammer shakes; this attack has a chance of stunning the victim. Hammers are also used to counterattack certain foes' attacks like a Sharpea's attack or the hammers Rookie throws. If they are held for too long, their heads will fall off, unless the Bro. has the Power Grip equipped. This mechanic was removed from the remake. Also, during his last two boss fights, Popple can steal a brother's hammer and use it against them; this also prevents them from using any attacks involving hammers (with the exception of Fire Bros. and Advanced Thunder Bros.) for a few turns or when they take it back from Popple in the remake. The Boos in Bowser's Castle can also disable Solo Hammer Actions as well with their attacks.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time

Artwork of Baby Mario using the hammer

In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Baby Mario and Baby Luigi can use their hammers in battle to attack enemies. The Action Command for the hammer is the same; the player should press the button when the hammer shakes. If the babies are carried by the Mario Bros. during battle, the player can press the adult bro's button to lift up the baby, then press the respective baby button, dealing more damage. Like in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, the hammer will break if the player guards for too long. In the overworld, Baby Mario can use the hammer to press switches, destroy crates, and potentially stun enemies for a First Strike.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story / Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey

In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, the hammer attack functions differently compared to previous games. Mario or Luigi must press their button at the very last moment before the hammerhead falls. In doing so, an "Excellent" notice is shown on-screen. The hammerhead falls if the player guards for too long in the original game; in the remake, the hammer can be used to guard for an infinite amount of time.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

In Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, the hammer is again used in the overworld to smash rocks and perform First Strikes. In battle in the real world, the hammer attack is similar to how it works in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, although Mario and Luigi can hold their hammers indefinitely when counter-attacking with no penalty. In the Dream World, Dreamy Luigi makes Mario's hammer attack more powerful. Mario hammers the ground with his hammer, causing a group of Luiginoids to appear and smash the ground in unison with their own hammers. This sends out a shockwave that damages the enemies at the front the most, and the ones at the back the least; if the hammer's head falls off, foes in back will take no damage unless the enemies are close enough on the X axis.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

In Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, Mario and Luigi use their hammers in battle the same way they did in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and the real world of Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. Paper Mario, however, attacks multiple enemies, depending on how many copies he has of himself. Each copy raises its hammer one at a time in rapid succession, and the player must press right as the last clone's hammer is raised for an "Excellent".

Mario & Luigi: Brothership

In Mario & Luigi: Brothership, whenever a Bro. attacks with his hammer, the Bro. whose turn did not come yet can help out, charging up his own hammer and smacking the hammer of the attacking brother to help him deal more damage to the targeted enemy. If the player gets an OK! rating, or the target is flying, the attacking Bro. will throw his hammer at the enemy, missing in the latter event. The Hammer Defense is also identical to Mario & Luigi: Dream Team and Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.

Profiles and statistics

Mario & Luigi series

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time

• Instruction manual: Once he gets a HAMMER, Baby Mario can swing it with the X Button to break things and activate wall switches. If you strike an enemy with a HAMMER in battle, the enemy may become dizzy.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

• Instruction manual (overworld): When you get the hammer, swing it to break things in front of you, hit switches, and perform similar actions.
• Instruction manual (battle): When you raise your hammer and build up power, if you time your attack correctly, you can inflict heavier damage.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

• Instruction manual (overworld): Use the hammer to break things or hit switches in front of you.
• Instruction manual (battle): Press the action button when the hammer shines to deal big damage.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

• Mario - "Press the A Button when the hammer flashes! Time it well for an Excellent."
• Luigi - "Press the B Button when the hammer flashes! Time it well for an Excellent."
• Instruction manual (overworld): Swing your hammer to destroy rocks and blocks or hit switches and enemies.
• Instruction manual (battle): If you press the action button just as the character readies his hammer, the attack will become more powerful.
• Instruction manual (Paper Mario): Your copies will ready their hammers one after another. If you press once they're all ready to attack, they'll deal more damage.
  • This will attack multiple enemies at the same time!

Gallery

• 

  Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

• 

  The hammer used when hammering in Super Paper Mario

• 

  Paper Mario: Sticker Star

• 

  Paper Mario: Color Splash

• 

  Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions

• 

  Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions

• 

  Paper Mario: The Origami King

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	ハンマー[?] Hanmā	Hammer
Chinese (simplified)	锤子[?] Chuízi	Hammer
Chinese (traditional)	鎚子[?] Chuízi	Hammer
Dutch	Hamer[?]	Hammer
French	Marteau[?]	Hammer
German	Hammer[?]	Hammer
Italian	Martello[?]	Hammer
Korean	해머[?] Haemeo	Hammer
Spanish	Martillo[?]	Hammer