Checkpoint

Checkpoints are objects within a level which mark the point where the player can continue from after losing a life.

In Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Land, and Super Mario Galaxy, checkpoints are unmarked, with the player simply resuming from a place in the level they had passed; while in Super Mario Bros. 2, every Warp Door serves as a checkpoint, as do the rockets from Worlds 4-2 and 7-1; Super Mario Bros. 3 has no checkpoints due to having shorter levels, while Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine typically lack them due to most levels having a sandbox structure; however, when warping to a "secret" area in the latter, an unmarked checkpoint is used instead of returning the player to Delfino Plaza, as would normally happen upon death.

The first Super Mario game to feature an object that acted solely as a checkpoint is Super Mario World with its Midway Gate. Subsequently, other variations were used, including the Bell of Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins and the Middle Ring of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. Since the release of New Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS, however, Super Mario games have largely standardized on the usage of Checkpoint Flags.