Mini Mushroom

"HA! He got the Blue Mushroom!"

- Donkey Kong

The Mini Mushroom is a type of mushroom found in the Mushroom Kingdom. Whoever uses it shrinks greatly in size and is capable of entering smaller areas. Its polar opposite is the Mega Mushroom, which makes the player grow to a massive size.

Mario Party 4
The Mini Mushrooms debut in Mario Party 4 as pink-capped mushrooms with white dots and a pink pacifier below its eyes. It reduces the Dice Block from 1-10 to 1-5 and allows a person under its effects to enter Gates and play Mini Mini-Games. It costs 5 Coins at the Item Shop and it can also be obtained for free at a Mushroom Space. Additionally, it has an alternate form, which has a similar effect, called Super Mini Mushroom, colored entirely translucent pink. It has the same effect, but allows the player to use two Dice Blocks, both ranging from one to five.

Mario Pinball Land
Mini Mushrooms make a reappearance in Mario Pinball Land, where they can let Mario go into small passages and get extra Power Stars. They usually cost ten coins and take on their appearance from Mario Party 4.

New Super Mario Bros.
The Mini Mushroom reappears in New Super Mario Bros., where it is now smaller, blue, and lacks its pacifier, a design change that stays for all future appearances. It shrinks Mario and Luigi, and again gives them the ability to enter small pipes. Mario and Luigi also gain the abilities to perform Floaty Jumps, run across water, and stand on Donut Blocks without triggering them, due to their light weight. However, one hit causes the Mario brother to lose a life, and ground pounds are required to damage/defeat enemies and bosses. If Mario or Luigi defeats Mummipokey this way, then they will gain access to World 4; doing the same to Petey Piranha lets them go to World 7. It can be found in four levels: 1-4, 2-Castle, 3-A, and 7-A. It can also appear in Roulette Blocks.

Mini Mushrooms also appear as power-ups in the two-player Mario vs. Luigi mode, potentially appearing if a brother collects eight coins. They retain the same abilities as in the single-player game, but if Mini Mario or Luigi are hit by an opponent's fireball, they lose a life.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii
They appear again in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. They are just like the Mini Mushrooms from the original New Super Mario Bros. However, they are not used as often and are rarely seen in levels, but they can be found commonly in Red Toad Houses. Worlds 2-2, 4-3, and 9-8 are the only levels in the game to include a Mini Mushroom in-level. Like in the last game, Mini Mushrooms are required to find several Star Coins and secret areas.

New Super Mario Bros. 2
The Mini Mushroom reappears in a few levels in the game New Super Mario Bros. 2, where it works just as it did in past games. They are also given in some Red Toad Houses.

New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
The Mini Mushroom reappears in New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U, and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. It behaves like in previous 2D Mario games, with the added ability to run up walls similar to the effect of a Triangular Block.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
A Mini Mushroom appears again in the DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. They are found in Polastraits, Icepeak, and Blizland. They allow Mario to become mini so he can cross thin ice without weighing too much to break it. It also allows him to cross narrow surfaces. Mario can use the Mini Mushroom, while Sonic can't. The effect of this mushroom can only wear off if Mario were to grab a normal Mushroom.

Mini Mushrooms also make a brief appearance on small platforms on the ice in Curling Bowling, where players must hit a stone across the field to knock down Goombas. Here, they will make the stone much smaller if hit by it. This will make the stone easier to sweep around, but will also make it harder to knock out all the Goombas.

Mario Sports Mix
In Mario Sports Mix, players can use this item to shrink their opponents. While tiny, players can't hold a basketball, dodgeball, or hockey puck, and are unable to do spikes in volleyball. The tiny players are also unable to perform defensive maneuvers in dodgeball, making them major targets for attacks.

Mario Kart Arcade GP DX
Mini Mushrooms appear as items in Mario Kart Arcade GP DX. They can be thrown behind like Bananas, using a crosshair, where when they hit an opponent they shrink.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie
In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, a Mini Mushroom appears when Mario punches a ? Block in the Great Ring of Kong during his battle with Donkey Kong. Additionally, after Mario and Luigi defeat Bowser at the end of the film, Princess Peach feeds Bowser a Mini Mushroom, transforming him into his Mini form. He is then placed in a glass jar, and is shown being held prisoner in a cage in Peach's Castle during a scene after the stylized credits.

Similar Mushrooms in other games
Although Mini Mushrooms did not exist in Donkey Kong for the Game Boy and Luigi's Mansion, Poison Mushrooms appear in these games and have the same effect as the Mini Mushroom. The Poison Mushroom also has the same effect on characters in the Super Smash Bros. series if they come into contact with one. While small, characters are harder to hit, but easier to launch due to their light weight. Poison Mushrooms also appear in Super Mario Kart, where they can only be used by CPU Toad and CPU Princess, and not by the player. If the player runs over a Poison Mushroom, they will shrink temporarily. The player may, however, become normal-sized again by running over another Poison Mushroom while still small. Poison Mushrooms returned to Mario Kart in both Mario Kart Arcade GP and its sequel Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 as one of Toad's special character items. They function exactly as they did in Super Mario Kart, except that now they can be used by the player as well.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

 * Trading Card description: "Mushroom powers have their ups and downs. Red Super Mushrooms will bulk up your size, allowing you to stomp enemies and smash through pipes and bricks. On the other hand, if you find yourself in a tight spot, blue Mini Mushrooms will shrink you down to fit through tight passageways. Both are very useful!"

New Super Mario Bros. 2

 * North American Website bio: "Turn into Mini Mario, and you'll be able to squeeze into tight places, take long floaty jumps, and run along the water. Careful, though—one hit and you're a goner."
 * European Website bio: "A Mini Mushroom will make you into Mini Mario – awww! As well as being cute as a button mushroom, his stunted stature makes it easy to fit into teeny tiny gaps, jump up high, and even run on water."

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe

 * North American website bio: "This mushroom lets you squeeze into tiny Warp Pipes and run across water. You can even dash straight up walls!"
 * European website bio: "Grab a Mini Mushroom to become truly tiny! On top of becoming small enough to fit through itty bitty gaps, your hero can walk on water, as well as zipping around even faster and jumping higher than before."