Button (Mario & Luigi series)

Buttons are objects found in every game of the Mario & Luigi series. Whenever struck, usually via a hammer, a minor or immediate event occurs in the nearby area. Although their exact functions vary throughout the series, the gimmick follows. Aside from this, buttons display other uses in the series, such as triggering an event required for progression or removing an obstacle for the same intention.

Buttons first appear in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, throughout various locations in the Beanbean Kingdom. They function as switches with numerous purposes, each one revealed when the button is hit. This usually results in opening nearby gates, doors, or other barriers, though occasionally nearby elements in the environment are affected, such as having a barrel appear.

Buttons return in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, functioning in the same manner. They can now be struck and activated with anyone's hammer, and are usually meant to help the player progress when activated.

Notably, in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, peculiar buttons known as Nubbins appear commonly throughout Bowser's body, and function in the same way as regular buttons, typically triggering some sort of event or unlocking a nearby area.