Save Block

A Save Block (or save block) is a block that appears in the Mario RPG titles. When activated, it allows the player to save their game progress.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Save Blocks first appear in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, being golden-colored blocks with a rainbow "S" label and a star on top of them. When Mario jumps on one, the block takes him to the save screen, allowing the player to save their game. Additionally, Save Blocks can always be found inside inns. The Save Block's letter S's appear in serif format in the official artwork, but they use the sans-serif format in the Save Block's in-game sprite.

Paper Mario series
Save Blocks are seen again in the Paper Mario series. This time, instead of jumping on top, they need to be hit from underneath like regular blocks. They also have a vastly different appearance, being rainbow-colored blocks labeled with a white "S" with a star inside rather than the Super Mario Bros.-style blocks with a star on top seen in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. In Paper Mario: Color Splash, the "S" label scrolls sideways like how ? Blocks in Super Mario Bros. 3 do. Save Blocks are also commonly found near Recovery Blocks. In Paper Mario: The Origami King, Save Blocks resemble their appearance from Paper Mario: Color Splash, as they are rainbow-colored with a scrolling "S" label, though rather than shiny rotating squares forming their pattern like in the previous two games, rotating diamonds now form their pattern.

In the Spanish translations of Paper Mario: Color Splash and Paper Mario: The Origami King, the letter on the Save Blocks is changed to "G" for guardar ("to save").

Mario & Luigi series
In the first two installments of the Mario & Luigi series, Save Blocks are replaced by Save Albums; however, Save Blocks are present in most of the locations of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team and Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, as well as in the form of yellow Emoglobins in Bowser's Inside Story and its remake. In all three games, Mario and Luigi have to hit the blocks from below similar to how it is done in the Paper Mario games, while in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, Bowser has to hit the blocks by punching them. In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, Save Blocks are dark blue blocks that have rainbow-colored linings and "S" labels, though in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, they are blue-colored blocks with golden linings and a white-colored "S" label. Save Blocks and Save Albums are completely absent in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam; as such, the player must save from the menu.

Trivia

 * In Paper Mario, after Mario defeats Bowser, the Save Block near the Toad Town Post Office disappears, making it impossible for the player to save the game in its "completed" state.