POW Block
- "POW" redirects here. For the Super Mario RPG stat often shortened as "POW", see Power.
| POW Block | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 A POW Block from Super Mario Bros. Wonder | |||
| First appearance | Mario Bros. (1983) | ||
| Latest appearance | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) | ||
| Effect | Super Mario series: Creates an earthquake when hit or thrown Mario Kart Wii: Appears above the user's kart and causes all racers on the ground ahead of the user to spin out and drop any items they are holding | ||
| |||
- “What do POW Blocks do again? Don't they make things flip over when you bop 'em?”
- —Olivia, Paper Mario: The Origami King
A POW Block, occasionally POW[1][2][3] and standing for power block[1] (also spelled Power Block),[4] is a block that can be thrown to the ground or hit in the air to create a large earthquake, causing all enemies onscreen to get hurt. POW Blocks can be carried and thrown in most games, and some are required for a 100% game completion. Most POW Blocks are a metallic blue, but some POW Blocks are red or sometimes green.
History[edit]
Mario Bros.[edit]
The POW Block (initially known as the POW switch[5] or simply POW)[6] is an object in Mario Bros. When hit, it damages all enemies in the screen that are currently standing on the ground. It can be hit three times before it disappears. Each time it gets hit, flattening more with each hit. In the Game Boy Advance remake, there are two POW Blocks per phase set, and they can be picked up. However, throwing the picked up POW Block results in it completely disappearing, regardless of how many times it was hit before.
Super Mario series[edit]
Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic / Super Mario Bros. 2 / Super Mario Advance[edit]
The POW Block returns in Super Mario Bros. 2, now activated instantly by picking it up and throwing it on the ground. Super Mario Advance introduces a large version of the POW Block known as the Giant POW Block,[7] Big POW,[8] or Super POW.[9] It bounces on the floor when thrown, causing four tremors before it disappears. Unlike in Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic and other games, the word "POW" is animated.
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
In Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, a single POW Block is found in the World-e level Koopaling Confusion. It resembles its appearance in Mario Bros. for the Game Boy Advance, but it is thrown like the ones in Super Mario Bros. 2. Unlike those games, it also works with airborne enemies like Bullet Bills.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]
The POW Block returns in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. As in Super Mario Bros. 2, it can be picked up and carried, and once thrown, it eliminates all the enemies onscreen and also drops all floating Coins and Star Coins. The POW Block is essential in order to collect certain Star Coins found hidden in some levels.
New Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]
- Main article: Red POW Block
A new variation of the POW Block called the Red POW Block debuts in New Super Mario Bros. 2. Unlike the blue type, they cannot be picked up and only affect a small radius around them. Instead, they hit and break blocks and start chain reactions with other Red POW Blocks.
New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe[edit]
Blue POW Blocks reappear in New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U, and their port. They look and behave the same as in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, though the Mainland China release of New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe modifies the three letters to look like three zeroes,[10][11] likely to comply with regulations requiring English text to be translated; however, the 1.0.1 update changes the design back to its original one.[12]
Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[edit]
A giant POW Block known as the Super POW Block[13] appears in Super Mario 3D World and its port at the end of The Great Tower of Bowser Land. It requires four hits in order to defeat Meowser. The classic blue POW Block also appears in the modified port of Mario Bros., Luigi Bros., included with both games.
Super Mario Maker subseries[edit]
Blue POW Blocks in Super Mario Maker, Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, and Super Mario Maker 2 work the same as in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Blue POW Blocks in Super Mario Maker 2 flash in the Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and New Super Mario Bros. U styles, illuminating dark areas. Blue POW Blocks also appear in the Super Mario 3D World style, but they can be changed into the red variant. A POW Block defeats Bowser instantly in the original four styles while doing ten units of damage to Meowser in the Super Mario 3D World style.
Super Mario Bros. 35[edit]
In Super Mario Bros. 35, the POW Block appeared as a roulette item which, when obtained, defeated all enemies on-screen. It used the same sprite as its Mario Bros. appearance from the NES version.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder[edit]
While Red POW Blocks can be found in a few stages in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, a single blue POW Block appears in the third 10-flower coin room in Condarts Away!, once again keeping the same properties as in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. It can be activated by a Condart to reveal the stage's third 10-flower coin, which falls from offscreen.
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show![edit]
- “Look! There's a Power Block!”
- —Mario, "The Pied Koopa"
In The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, the Power Block makes its first and only appearance in one episode: "The Pied Koopa." While Mario and the gang are trying to escape from Koopa's minions by diving underwater in the moat, Mario spots a Power Block at the bottom and throws it at the wall, causing it to explode. The result causes them to get sucked into a dungeon with all the water.
Super Mario-kun[edit]
A POW Block is used to defeat Cobrats in the eight volume of Super Mario-kun.
Yoshi franchise[edit]
Yoshi series[edit]
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island / Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3[edit]
In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and its Game Boy Advance version, if Yoshi hits a POW Block, all nearby enemies turn into stars. It only appears in The Cave Of The Lakitus, but appears twice in that one level. It can be hit thrice before it disappears. Special Items based on POW Blocks are most commonly won in Bonus Challenges, where they could be used almost anywhere afterward, being called Anywhere POWs.
Yoshi's New Island[edit]
In Yoshi's New Island, POW Blocks appear in certain stages, serving the same purpose as in Yoshi's Island. Special POW Blocks also appear in the minigame Enemy Eat-Off. Here, they are white with green spots (similar to an Egg Block) and a Yoshi Egg replacing the "O" letter. When hit, it turns every enemy on the stage into Yoshi Eggs.
Yoshi Touch & Go[edit]
Green-colored POW Blocks appear in the Challenge mode of Yoshi Touch & Go. They spawn while being carried on a balloon, and can drop if hit by an egg thrown by Yoshi. A POW Block defeats all enemies on screen when activated, causing the enemies to leave coins behind depending on their point value.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
- SmashWiki article: POW Block
POW Blocks are a stage feature of Mushroom Kingdom in Super Smash Bros. If a fighter hits the POW Block, all other fighters touching the ground are damaged and get launched vertically. The POW Block appears throughout the Mushroom Kingdom stage randomly in set locations, and it appears elsewhere on the stage after being hit. A POW Block also appears as a stage element in Super Smash Bros. Brawl's Mario Bros. stage, where it can paralyze all enemies onscreen, allowing them to be picked up and thrown at others. Similarly as in Super Smash Bros., the POW Block disappears after being hit a few times, although it always regenerates in the same location. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, POW Blocks appear in both the returning Mushroom Kingdom and Mario Bros. stages.
POW Blocks are introduced as usable items in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U and return as such in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. When thrown, a POW Block causes shock waves upon landing that can cause damage to anyone who is on the ground.
Paper Mario series[edit]
| POW Block | |
|---|---|
    
| |
| Paper Mario description | Flips shell enemies and inflicts 2 damage points on all enemies. |
| The Thousand-Year Door description | Attacks all enemies and does 2 damage, flipping shelled enemies. (Switch) |
Paper Mario[edit]
POW Blocks appear Paper Mario, where it is a portable item that does two damage to all enemies, including flying enemies and enemies on the ceiling such as Swoopers. It penetrates defense and makes enemies with shells (such as Koopa Troopas) flip over. If used against Koopa Paratroopas, they lose their wings but do not get flipped over. Instead of its usual design, the POW Block is red, with each of its letters being green, blue and yellow, respectively.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[edit]
POW Blocks return in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and its Nintendo Switch remake with the same effects as in the prequel. The description for the item in the English version of the GameCube version mistakenly states that it only damages ground-bound enemies.
Super Paper Mario[edit]
In Super Paper Mario they are used as a portable item. When active, it damages all the enemies currently on screen, dealing extra damage if the controller is shaken with each corresponding prompt. In this game, the POW Block may also be used as a recipe ingredient; however, it can only be cooked on its own into a Megaton Dinner. One of the Sammer Guys fought is called Block of Pow.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star[edit]
In Paper Mario: Sticker Star, POW Blocks appear as stickers, returning to their regular blue design. When used, a POW Block appears, which Mario hits twice to inflict damage to enemies and occasionally inflict the Crumpled status. Unlike the previous iterations, however, the POW block affects only foes on the ground. The sticker also has Shiny and Flashy variants, which deal more damage. It can be purchased in Decalburg, and it is set in the Sticker Museum as No. 73.
Paper Mario: Color Splash[edit]
In Paper Mario: Color Splash, POW Blocks appear as Battle Cards, with the same behavior as they had in Paper Mario: Sticker Star. POW Blocks also appear outside of battle in Kiwano Temple, where one is used to flip some spikes, and Violet Passage, where they can be hit with a cannonball in order to collect coins.
Paper Mario: The Origami King[edit]
POW Blocks return as items that can be used in battle in Paper Mario: The Origami King; they serve the same purpose, although Mario can only carry three at a time. In a side room in the Water Vellumental Shrine, a POW Block is used to stop a blue Sidestepper that is carrying the Groovy Panel. It is positioned high up, so Mario has to hammer the wall to cause it to drop down to jumping height. Another POW Block appears on ? Island, where it can be used to activate all of the ? Blocks at once. POW Blocks carried as items are now hit once when used in battle rather than twice, and they can stun all enemies on the ground for one turn. They can be bought exclusively in Toad Town for 160 coins. Despite not being flying enemies, Boos and Bloopers are also immune to POW Blocks, since they float slightly above the ground.
