Rain
- “Two straight weeks of rain! Ah, the Mushroom Kingdom is gonna float away if this doesn't stop soon!”
- —Princess Toadstool, The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
Rain appears primarily as a hazard throughout the Super Mario franchise, especially affecting the gameplay in the Mario Golf series. Rain in racing games including Famicom Grand Prix: F1 Race and the Mario Kart series reduce traction, and courses featuring rain usually have puddles as slipping hazards.
Outside of the video games, rain, also usually as a hazard, can be a catalyst for a plot or serve to advance the plot.
History[edit]
Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen![edit]
During an adventure in Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!, Mario, Luigi, and Kibidango, after escaping Piranha Plants, encounter a Lakitu that can control its cloud through a lever. Angered at them for disturbing its "flowers," it throws Spiny Eggs at them and then triggers rain that grows them to Big Spinies.
Super Mario-kun 2[edit]
In one of the short comics for Super Mario-kun 2, a Lakitu is revealed triggering rain that follows Mario and Princess Peach. The rain causes a beanstalk to grow, allowing Mario to reach the Lakitu and knock it off the cloud.
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show![edit]
The episode "Mighty McMario and the Pot of Gold" from The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! features Murphy, a leprechaun who influences luck. Without his Pot of Gold Coins, however, he triggers bad luck around his surroundings. His bad luck eventually entails in causing a rainstorm that threatens to flood Shamrock Kingdom
Famicom Grand Prix: F1 Race[edit]
Famicom Grand Prix: F1 Race features wet courses with slippery traction. While rain is not rendered, it is instead represented by a small icon and a darker palette on the course itself, suggesting the course is raining or has been rained on. Green cars have stats that are designed to handle better in the wet conditions. Courses that have wet conditions include Circuit-8 from Level.3-4, Circuit-8 from Level .4-2, and Circuit-10 from Level .4-4.
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
The episode "Oh, Brother!" from The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 features rain as an overarching plot-point. Due to the storm outside, Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Toad are stuck inside. Two indoor activities Mario and Luigi engage in, with Mario's dancing to loud music while Luigi's trying to read, clash, however, eventually erupting into a fight. It leads to Luigi leaving, with Mario shortly following (in spite of Toadstool's suggestion to wear the Frog Suit to deal with the rain). Later in the episode, King Koopa reveals that his and Kooky von Koopa's Power Shower is causing the continuous rain. The rain is a means of flushing the Mushroom Kingdom's coins down the drain and having them gather at King Koopa's dungeon.
Super Mario Bros. (Valiant Comics)[edit]
In "Cloud Nine," Wart persuades King Toadstool to sleep on the Cloud Nine Mattress. After King Toadstool falls asleep, the mattress takes off and moves over a town in the Mushroom Kingdom. While sleeping, King Toadstool causes a rainstorm that ruins a picnic and drenches Princess Toadstool and a servant. This triggers a complaint by the Mushroom People, and Mario and Luigi set out to rescue King Toadstool and stop the bad weather.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars[edit]
In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars and its remake, Mallow, originally from Nimbus Land, harnesses power to control the weather. Rainstorms can occur when he is crying. One of his special moves is HP Rain, which summons a rain cloud that heals one of his allies with rain.
Game & Watch Gallery series[edit]
The classic variation of Rain Shower first appears in the Museum in Game & Watch Gallery 2. Rain Shower is featured as a playable minigame in Game & Watch Gallery 4. In Rain Shower, a boy must move the clothesline to avoid rain droplets from hitting clothes. If rain hits the clothes, they become wet and the boy wrings them dry, causing a miss for the player.
Mario Party series[edit]
Rain in minigames first appears in Mario Party. In Piranha's Pursuit, the team must ground-pound a cloud to cause it to rain to speed up and grow the Piranha Plant (Petey Piranha in later iterations in future games), making it easier to grab the solo player. Storm Chasers from Mario Party 3 features a moving cloud that drops isolated rain, and players try to run under it to water their pots containing Piranha Plants. Gimme a Brake from Mario Party 7 has an raining iteration where there is less traction, but not as little as in the snowing variant, that requires players to brake earlier than if there is no rain.
Mario Golf series[edit]
Prevalent throughout the Mario Golf series, starting with Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64, most holes have a chance of rain (Cheep Cheep Lagoon, however, is entirely underwater and instead simulates the effects of constant rain). Some courses have higher chances of rain compared to others, such as Shy Guy Desert's seeing no rain while Wildweather Woods is known for its volatile weather. Under these conditions, rain reduces the stroke power and provides friction that causes the ball to roll less. Putting is noticeably more difficult as the rainy conditions require the player to make a stroke stronger than indicated on the interface, roughly around 20% more.
Wario Land 3[edit]
In Wario Land 3, the The Pool of Rain and A Town in Chaos levels are unlocked after Wario finds the Jar from the Red Chest in Out of the Woods. The Jar releases a rain cloud, which creates a downpour and floods the western portion of the music box world.
Mario Artist: Polygon Studio[edit]
In Mario Artist: Polygon Studio, rain is one of the effects that can be applied to a scene.
Mario Kart series[edit]
Rain in the Mario Kart series first appears in Mario Kart: Super Circuit, in Luigi Circuit and in subsequent iterations of it in future games. Puddles are found in the course, and if driven over, they cause racers to spin out. Rain reappears in Mario Kart 7 in Neo Bowser City with similar effects, including decreased traction. The highest zone in the Luigi's Mansion battle course in Mario Kart 8 has rain and reduced traction.
The Rain Cloud from Mario Kart Arcade GP subseries subseries, after hitting a target, drops rain and causes the controls to be slippery for the target.
In Mario Kart World, storms may occur, either randomly or in some missions. Lightning may be present during storms, and storms may drop certain items.
WarioWare series[edit]
Rain is typically a hazard in the microgames in the WarioWare series.
- Kitty Cover from WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! requires players to use an umbrella to shield a cat from the rain. This microgame is found in the Wario Ware, Inc. stage in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and later games, and rain gives small damage to players. If players avoid rain successfully, they win the microgame.
- Undercover Agent from WarioWare: Smooth Moves requires players to open an umbrella to shield a person from the elements. In the first iteration, the element is rain.
- Stumblebot, particularly the version from WarioWare Gold, features rain that can be used as a visual aid to perceive gravity.
- Rainy Day from WarioWare: Move It! requires players to use an umbrella to shield a girl from the rain.
- Candle Bear from WarioWare: Move It! has ants attempting to extinguish a candle. One of the moves the ants can perform is summoning a rain cloud.
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time[edit]
Coconutters and Red Coconutters from Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time have a move that summons rain and replenishes 30 HP for every enemy on the field, including themselves. Before they can trigger this move, however, they spend one turn pointing their spear up, protecting them from Jump attacks.
Super Mario series[edit]
Overarching rain throughout the mainline Super Mario series is typically a part of the environmental design of the level. When rain affects gameplay, rain is shown as an isolated shower from a rain cloud.
Super Mario Galaxy[edit]
The mission "When It Rains, It Pours" from Super Mario Galaxy features several clouds. Some release a curtain of rain that, along contact with other forms of water, negates Bee Mario and reverts him to normal, hindering Mario's progression.
Super Mario Odyssey[edit]
While rain in most instances in Super Mario Odyssey serves to simply set the ambiance, the rain during Mollusque-Lanceur's rematch provides a Gushen, which Mario can capture, a constant supply of water.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[edit]
While having no direct effect on the gameplay, rain, particularly in the Bowser's Fury side mode of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, serves as a visual indicator for the Fury Bowser timer, alongside the music change.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder[edit]
Isolated rainshowers from Downpour Clouds are featured in Downpour Uproar from Super Mario Bros. Wonder. The rain produced from the clouds acts as moving bodies of water, allowing the players to reach higher points in the level. In a later level, Search Party An Empty Park?, Downpour Clouds serve a similar function.
Gallery[edit]
Famicom Grand Prix: F1 Race
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
WarioWare Gold
Mario Kart Tour
Super Mario RPG (Nintendo Switch)
| Mario Golf (Nintendo 64) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Characters | Default | Plum • Charlie • Peach • Baby Mario |
| Default in multiplayer modes | Luigi • Yoshi • Sonny • Wario • Harry • Mario | |
| Unlockable | Maple • Donkey Kong • Bowser • Metal Mario | |
| Transfer | Kid • Joe • Sherry • Azalea | |
| Non-playable | Toad | |
| Courses | Main | Toad Highlands • Koopa Park • Shy Guy Desert • Yoshi's Island • Boo Valley • Mario's Star |
| Mini-Golf | Luigi's Garden • Peach's Castle | |
| Training | Driving Range | |
| Miscellaneous | Ask Dan • Birdie Badge • Gallery • Golfing Terms • Power Shot • Rain • Speed Golf • Staff • Mario Golf (Shockwave game) • Mario Golf (blaster) | |
| Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour | ||
|---|---|---|
| Characters | Default | Mario • Luigi • Princess Peach • Princess Daisy • Yoshi • Koopa Troopa • Donkey Kong • Diddy Kong • Wario • Waluigi • Birdo • Bowser |
| Unlockable | Bowser Jr. • Boo • Shadow Mario • Petey Piranha | |
| Transfer | Neil • Ella | |
| Courses | Lakitu Valley • Cheep Cheep Falls • Shifting Sands • Blooper Bay • Peach's Castle Grounds • Bowser Badlands • Congo Canopy | |
| Miscellaneous | Best Badge • Gallery • List of golfing terms • Power Shot • Rain • Staff | |
| Mario Golf: Advance Tour | ||
|---|---|---|
| Characters | Default | Mario • Princess Peach • Yoshi • Donkey Kong • Neil • Ella |
| Unlockable | Joe • Putts • Sherry • Grace • Azalea • Tiny • Kid • Gene | |
| Transfer | Luigi • Bowser • Waluigi • Wario | |
| Non-playable | Buzz • Bud • Elf • Helen • Grampie • Grammie • Piranha Plant • Pro • Boo • Pokey • Toad • Toadsworth • Koopa Troopa • Klepto • Blooper • Monty Mole | |
| Courses | Marion Course • Palms Course • Dunes Course • Links Course • Mushroom Course • Star Courses One-club Challenge • Next Gen Epoch Golf Mini-Park • Coo-Coo Course • Elf's Short Course | |
| Places | Custom Club Shop • Golf Clinic | |
| Items | Custom Club • Custom Ticket | |
| Miscellaneous | Best Badge • Gallery • Glossary • Power Shot • Quick Poll • Rain • Staff | |
