Cap Block

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"Green Block" redirects here. For information about green-colored ! Blocks, see ! Block.
Not to be confused with metal block.
Cap Block
Artwork of the Metal Box from Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
Metal Box artwork from Super Smash Bros. Brawl
First appearance Super Mario 64 (1996)
Latest appearance Super Mario 3D All-Stars (2020)
“There are special Caps in the red, green and blue blocks. Step on the switches in the hidden courses to activate the Cap Blocks.”
Sign, Super Mario 64

A Cap Block is a type of block that first appears in Super Mario 64. In the original game, Cap Blocks come in three colors, each one containing a different power-up.

History[edit]

Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS[edit]

In Super Mario 64, all Cap Blocks are intangible at the start of the game, reminiscent of the four ! Blocks from Super Mario World. When one of the three Cap Switches is activated, all Cap Blocks of that color solidify and drop a cap power-up upon being broken open.

In Super Mario 64 DS, the three colored ! Blocks are reduced to one red ? Block, which is simply referred to as such. Red blocks contain either Power Flowers, which give different abilities depending on which character obtains them, or Wings in certain levels for Mario. If anyone other than Yoshi hits a red block without his cap, however, a Bob-omb will come out instead.

A different set of Cap Blocks exists unused in Super Mario 64 DS, and they provide the player with Mario's cap, Luigi's cap, or Wario's cap.

Super Smash Bros. series[edit]

A Metal Box in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
A Metal Box in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

The green block appears as an item under the name Metal Box in every installment of the Super Smash Bros. series starting with Super Smash Bros. Melee. Much like in Super Mario 64, this item causes characters to become coated in metal for a short period of time. Unlike in Super Mario 64, they have to simply grab or directly hit the box to become metal, as opposed to jumping under it and causing the Metal Cap to emerge from it. They become heavier and fall faster, making it harder to directly KO them by blasting them away, but making it harder for them get back on the stage. Getting hit causes the duration of the power-up to shorten. The Final Smash forms Giga Bowser, Wario-Man, Mega Lucario, and Giga Mac are completely unaffected by Metal Boxes. Also, when a character becomes metal, their voice is removed, unlike in Super Mario 64, where Metal Mario kept his voice.

Every game in the Super Smash Bros. series that features trophies has one of the Metal Boxes. In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the trophy erroneously states the Metal Box appears in Super Mario 64 DS, which replaced the colored caps with multiple characters, their Power Flowers all being found in red blocks.

Other appearances[edit]

In the Super Mario Mash-up in Minecraft, the red, green, and blue Cap Blocks appear as paintings, along with a yellow block from Super Mario 64.

Profiles[edit]

Super Smash Bros. Melee[edit]

Trophy
Metal Box
Metal Box
Game/move:
Super Mario 64
09/96
How to unlock: Perform a combo with over 10 hits in Training Mode
First spotted in Super Mario 64, the Metal Box holds the power to turn your character briefly into heavy metal. Your mass is exponentially greater while metallic, making it difficult for others to throw you. Be careful though: not only will you move a bit slower, but you'll also fall much more quickly than you ordinarily would.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]

Trophy
Metal Box
BrawlTrophy496.png
Appears in:
N64 Super Mario 64
How to unlock: Random
A green box that transforms whoever attacks it into metal. In metal form, you're a lot heavier than normal, so middling and even strong attacks don't move you too much, and standard attacks won't even make you flinch. The time you spend in metal form decreases with the damage you take. In Super Mario 64, the weight of the metal form allowed you to walk underwater.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U[edit]

Trophy
Metal Box
3DS:
MetalBoxTrophy3DS.png
Wii U:
Metal Box's trophy render from Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Category: Item
(Applies only to the Wii U version) Appears in:
N64 Super Mario 64 (09/1996)
DS Super Mario 64 DS (11/2004)
(Applies only to the Wii U version) Trophy Box: -
How to unlock:
Random
This green box will make you the ultimate defensive character, turning you into solid metal for a short time. You won't flinch from enemy attacks, even in midair, and it is much harder to launch you. On the other hand, you fall like a brick. Getting hit will reduce the duration of this item. (American English)
Whack this box to turn into a metal you! You won't flinch when attacked - even in mid-air - and you'll be harder to launch. Now, the downsides: you'll move slower, fall faster, and recovering when you fall off a stage will be a nightmare. Also, it's only temporary, or lasts until you've taken a certain amount of damage. (British English)

Gallery[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

Cap Block[edit]

Language Name Meaning
Japanese アイテムブロック
Aitemu Burokku
Item Block

Red block[edit]

Language Name Meaning
Japanese あかいブロック[4]
Akai Burokku
あかブロック
Aka Burokku
Red Block

-

Chinese (simplified) 红色砖块[5]
Hóngsè Zhuānkuài
Red Block

Italian Blocco rosso[6]
Blocco Rosso[7]
Red block
Red Block

Green block / Metal Box[edit]

Language Name Meaning
Japanese みどりのブロック[4]
Midori no Burokku
みどりブロック
Midori Burokku
Green Block

-

Chinese (simplified) 绿色砖块
Lǜsè Zhuānkuài
Green Block

Chinese (traditional) 綠色磚塊
Lǜsè Zhuānkuài
Green Block

Dutch Groene !-kist
Green ! Box
French Boîte de Métal
Metal Box
German Grüne !-Box
Green ! Box
Italian Blocco verde[6] (Super Mario 64)
Blocco "!" verde[8]
Scatola ! (Super Smash Bros. series)
Green nlock
Green "!" block
! Box
Korean 초록 블록
Chorok Beulok
Green Block

Portuguese Caixa Metálica
Metalic Box
Russian Металлический блок
Metallicheskiy blok
Metallic block

Spanish (NOA) Bloque de Metal
Metal Block
Spanish (NOE) Bloque Verde
Green Block

Blue block[edit]

Language Name Meaning
Japanese あおいブロック[4]
Aoi Burokku
あおブロック
Ao Burokku
Blue Block

-

Chinese (simplified) 蓝色砖块[5]
Lánsè Zhuānkuài
Blue Block

Italian Blocco blu[6]
Blocco Blu[7]
Blue block
Blue Block

Trivia[edit]

The blue block in an early version of New Super Mario Bros.

References[edit]

  1. ^ M. Arakawa. Super Mario 64 Player's Guide. Pages 45, 64, 69, and 73.
  2. ^ M. Arakawa. Super Mario 64 Player's Guide. Pages 35, 56, and 59.
  3. ^ M. Arakawa. Super Mario 64 Player's Guide. Pages 54 and 93.
  4. ^ a b c Super Mario 64 Japanese instruction booklet. Page 19.
  5. ^ a b Official Chinese Super Mario 64 manual. Page 19.
  6. ^ a b c Super Mario 64 European manual, pag. 38.
  7. ^ a b Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia, pag. 91
  8. ^ Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia, pag. 92
  9. ^ Video showing an early E3 prototype of New Super Mario Bros.