Letter Block
| Letter Block | |||
|---|---|---|---|
   Screenshots from Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch) | |||
| First appearance | Mario vs. Donkey Kong (2004) | ||
| Latest appearance | Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch) (2024) | ||
| Effect | Collecting all three opens the toy box. Can only be collected by Mini-Marios | ||
| |||
Letter Blocks, originally known as letters,[1] are collectibles that appear in Mario vs. Donkey Kong and its remake. They are a set of three tiles that each display a letter of "TOY". In the original version, they are green with striped red letters, but in the remake they are white-and-blue with orange letters written in the modern Super Mario typeface,
Letter Blocks only appear in Mini-Mario levels, replacing the presents from normal levels. In the introduction to each Mini-Mario level, when the two Toad throw the toy box into the level, the three Letter Blocks spill out of the toy box and land elsewhere while the toy box locks shut. The player must collect all three Letter Blocks to make the toy box open up for the Mini-Marios to enter, essential to completing the level as Mini-Mario levels are cleared only when Mario picks up the toy box while at least one Mini-Mario is inside. However, Letter Blocks can only be collected by Mini-Marios; Mario passes directly through them. The Letter Blocks that the player has and does not have are noted in a user interface element that is perpetually at the center of the top of the screen in Mini-Mario levels.
The Plus worlds do not have Mini-Mario levels, and none of the Expert Levels are Mini-Mario levels. Therefore, Letter Blocks do not appear in any of these scenarios.
In the original game, each letter is worth 500 points. In the remake, the point system as a whole is removed so Letter Blocks no longer grant points.
Gallery[edit]
Sprites of the three Letter Blocks in Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Screenshot of Level 2-mm in Mario vs. Donkey Kong, with all three Letter Blocks onscreen
The Mini-Marios collecting a "T" Letter Block in Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch)
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | Ｔ・Ｏ・Ｙ[2] T O Y |
T O Y | |
| Ｔ・Ｏ・Ｙパネル[3] T O Y Paneru |
T O Y Panels | ||
| French | Lettres[4] | Letters | |
| German | Buchstaben[5] | Letters | |
| Italian | Blocco lettera[?] | Letter block | |
| Lettere[6] | Letters | ||
| Spanish | Letras[7] | Letters |
References[edit]
- ^ 2004. Mario vs. Donkey Kong North American instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 27.
- ^ 2004. マリオ
vs. ドンキーコング (Mario buiesu Donkī Kongu) instruction booklet (PDF). Nintendo (Japanese). Page 10. - ^ Mario vs. Donkey Kong Shogakukan book
- ^ 2004. Mario vs. Donkey Kong European instruction booklet (PDF). Nintendo of Europe (French). Page 59.
- ^ 2004. Mario vs. Donkey Kong European instruction booklet (PDF). Nintendo of Europe (German). Page 39.
- ^ 2004. Mario vs. Donkey Kong European instruction booklet (PDF). Nintendo of Europe (Italian). Page 119.
- ^ 2004. Mario vs. Donkey Kong European instruction booklet (PDF). Nintendo of Europe (European Spanish). Page 99.
