Roulette Block

Roulette Blocks are types of blocks first found in Super Mario World. They are blocks that contain items that scroll in a roulette from four different items: a Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, Cape Feather and Star. However, once Mario or Luigi releases the item out of the block, it bounces around like a Star, and it still changes from power-up to power-up. Mario or Luigi can grab the power-up at the right time to obtain that power-up's effects.

A Roulette Block appeared in the Super Mario World television series in the episode "King Scoopa Koopa". After Princess Toadstool spots the Roulette Block and suggests that Mario should hit it, he hit the block and obtained a Cape Feather.

A Roulette Block also appears in the Super Mario Bros. 3 Game Boy Advance remake, Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3. It only appears in the level "Piped Full of Plants".

Roulette Blocks re-appear in New Super Mario Bros., but with a few differences. They are blue instead of transparent, the items scroll much faster, and they do not continue scrolling once they pop out - Mario must hit the block at the right time to make that item pop out. The possible items found in these Roulette Blocks are Super Mushrooms, Fire Flowers, Stars, Mini Mushrooms or Blue Shells. Also, red Toad Houses contain giant Roulette Blocks (that contain the same items as the ones mentioned, besides the Star) which Mario can use to hold an item in reserve.

The Roulette Blocks from New Super Mario Bros. also appear in the sequel, New Super Mario Bros. Wii. The blocks are yellow this time, and they contain items such as a Super Mushroom, 1-Up Mushroom, Star, Propeller Mushroom, or Penguin Suit.

The next appearance of Roulette Blocks is in Super Mario 3D Land, as transparent glass blocks, like in Super Mario World. A winged Roulette Block can be found in levels after dying 3 times.

These blocks reappear in Mario Party 9 in the Sock It to Lakitu minigame. Here the items are a Bullet Bill, two Bullet Bills, three Bullet Bills and a Spiny Egg. The Bullet Bills damage Lakitu while the Spiny Egg may damage the player.

These blocks return in New Super Mario Bros. 2, with the same design as in Super Mario 3D Land. In addition to the normal ones, yellow numbered Roulette Blocks also appear, which produce coins instead of power-ups. When Mario hits the block, coins will pop out in the amount shown on the block as it was hit, either in single coins or 10 Gold Coins. The numbers that appear are 5, 10, 30 and 50, with 50 appearing only once per interval, but a lot often in the coin Roulette Blocks, including the larger one with a maximum number of 100 coins, instead of 50, in the Rainbow World.