User:Sorbetti/Balloon
| Balloon | |
|---|---|
 Screenshot from Super Mario Galaxy 2 | |
| First appearance | Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010) |
| Latest appearance | Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2025) |
Balloons appear as recurring objects in the Super Mario franchise. Their role varies between games, being used as transportation by playable characters or enemies, containing various items or rewards inside, or needing to be popped to complete certain objectives or missions.
History
Super Mario series
Super Mario Sunshine
Large pink balloons[1] resembling Bowser Jr. appear in Super Mario Sunshine. Only twenty of them appear in the "Roller Coaster Balloons" mission at Pinna Park, during which Mario must burst them all with water rockets to be awarded a Shine Sprite by the ride operator.
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Balloons[2] appear in Super Mario Galaxy 2 as uncommon objects. They are multicolored party balloons with strings, and they are always suspended in midair. They come in five different colors: red, blue, yellow, green, and purple. Mario (or Luigi) can pop them simply by touching them. When popped, the balloons make a small popping noise, release five or six Star Bits, and then disappear. The Star Bits that are released from balloons home in on Mario if they are popped this way, so the player does not need to use the Star Pointer to collect them. Balloons can also be popped by shooting a Star Bit at them. If the player pops a balloon this way, the Star Bits that are released do not home in on Mario but instead fall downwards.
Balloons are found in Wild Glide Galaxy, the Fleet Glide Galaxy, Tall Trunk Galaxy, and Honeyhop Galaxy. In the former two galaxies, both of which Mario must glide through with Fluzzard, the player must steer Mario and Fluzzard towards the balloons scattered throughout the galaxies to pop them and get the Star Bits inside them. In Tall Trunk Galaxy, balloons appear only in the galaxy's second mission, "Tall Trunk's Big Slide." In this mission, they float above the slide at various intervals, and Mario must jump up at precisely the right time while sliding in order to pop them and collect the Star Bits inside. In Honeyhop Galaxy, three balloons are found hovering in the air over the gap between the Starting Planet and the Queen Bee Planet. While the player crosses the gap by using Floaty Fluff, they can optionally pop the three balloons and get some extra Star Bits along the way.
New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
Balloons tied to Goombas appear in New Super Mario Bros. U and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. They only appear in one course-the Sparkling Waters course Skyward Stalk, where they make the Goombas behave like the Parachute Galoombas of Super Mario World, except they float from the opposite direction. When the balloon is popped, the Goomba becomes regular.
Naming
Internal names
| Game | File | Name | Meaning
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Galaxy 2 | ObjectData/GliderBalloon.arc | GliderBalloon | Glider Balloon |
| SystemData/ObjNameTable.arc/ObjNameTable.tbl | グライダー用風船 (Guraidā-yō Fūsen) | Glider-use Balloon |
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 風船[3] Fūsen |
Balloon |
- ^ "If you can hit all of the balloons with water rockets before the Roller Coaster makes three loops, you win!" – Director of Pinna Park during "Roller Coaster Balloon" (19 Jul. 2002). Super Mario Sunshine by Nintendo EAD (North American Localization). Nintendo of America.
- ^ Browne, Catherine (May 23, 2010). Super Mario Galaxy 2: PRIMA Official Game Guide. Roseville: Random House Inc. ISBN 978-0-30746-907-6. Page 97, 131, 169.
- ^ October 19, 2015. Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook, Super Mario Galaxy 2 section. Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 978-4-09-106569-8. Page 171.
