Warp Pipe

"Hm? Ah, a pipe. Definitely a pipe. And that means we're going in, right?"

- Kersti

The Warp Pipe (also known as simply Pipe) is one of the main modes of transportation in the series. Generally speaking, a Warp Pipe is a pipe that doesn't always appear to be connected to a second pipe physically, although traveling through it will transport the traveler to the other end. In many cases, Warp Pipes can be used to cross great distances (and even worlds) instantly, while some pipes can't even transport anything. The size of Warp Pipes can vary greatly. While some are too narrow for a human to enter, others are large enough for a kart or Bowser's airship to travel through. They are traditionally green, but have appeared in many colors in lesser numbers over the years. Red pipes usually lead to secret zones.

Mario Bros.
Warp Pipes first appear in the arcade game Mario Bros.. Enemies emerge from these pipes and attack Mario and Luigi.

Super Mario series
Warp Pipes have appeared in nearly every Mario game since, and some of them can be entered by pressing down on the ; some Warp Pipes are found protruding from walls, and can be entered simply by having Mario walk into them. However, in Super Mario Bros. 2, they are temporarily replaced with Vases. These pipes are first used for transportation in Super Mario Bros. Some even lead to underground levels and bonus rooms. Piranha Plants can also be found in many pipes and are potentially hazardous.

In Super Mario World, some Warp Pipes act as mini-cannons, shooting Mario or Luigi high into the air. This feature is retained in New Super Mario Bros. Also, if Mario or Luigi uses the Mega Mushroom, they can kick a pipe, breaking it off if it is vertical (or pushing it in if it is horizontal), or Ground Pound it to make a vertical pipe lower to ground level. However, if Mega Mario or Luigi destroys a pipe, they cannot go down it anymore, though it fills up the meter at the top of the screen by a significant amount, resulting in some 1-Up Mushrooms. Tiny variants, called Mini Warp Pipes, are introduced in Super Mario Bros. 3: they are tiny Warp Pipes half the size of a regular Warp Pipe. They couldn't be entered until New Super Mario Bros., though, as they require Mario or Luigi to use a Mini Mushroom to get tiny so they can enter. Inside these Mini Warp Pipes, Star Coins can usually be found. Warp Pipes often come in many different colors, namely green, red, yellow, and blue.

Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS
Warp Pipes appear in Super Mario 64 and its remake, though their role is considerably reduced in comparison to the earlier 2D platformers. Mario (and, in Super Mario 64 DS, Luigi and Wario) arrive(s) at Princess Peach's Castle via Warp Pipe at the beginning of the game. Warp Pipes are also used to transport the player to the arena where Bowser is fought in Bowser in the Dark World and Bowser in the Sky, with Bowser in the Fire Sea instead using a funnel-looking warp with the same effect. Identical looking objects called Shrinker Pipes appear in Tiny-Huge Island.

Super Mario Sunshine
Warp Pipes later appear more abundantly in Super Mario Sunshine. They are found in two colors: green and red. The green Warp Pipes are typically longer, and more common, while the red ones are typically shorter and rarer. Green Warp Pipes are typically found in Delfino Plaza, where they lead to many secret areas, including the Red Coin Field and the Super Slide. One green Warp Pipe is found on a small island, and is covered with a Forcefield, which, after Yoshi sprays it, will take the player to the Lily Pad Ride. Another green Warp Pipe is found in Episode 4 of Sirena Beach behind a flipping tile wall. One pipe is covered with a Forcefield which the player must use Yoshi to remove.

Red Warp Pipes are found solely in Delfino Plaza, and are only used to transport Mario to Sirena Beach and Pianta Village, in place of the "M" shaped Graffiti entrances for Bianco Hills, Ricco Harbor, and Gelato Beach. The Warp Pipe for Sirena Beach is located on the rooftop of a building directly behind the Grand Pianta Statue, and is originally blocked by a large Pineapple, which Yoshi must eat for the player to continue. The Warp Pipe for Pianta Village is located on top of the Shine Gate; it can be accessed via the Rocket Nozzle.

Green Warp Pipes have black interiors while red Warp Pipes have multicolored interiors.

Super Mario Galaxy
Warp Pipes appear in almost every galaxy in Super Mario Galaxy, where they are often used to transport the player between a planet's outside and inside, as well as to hidden or otherwise inaccessible areas. They only appear in two colors: orange and green. Some Warp Pipes remain stationary both before and after use, while others appear only when Mario is actually coming out of them before disappearing.

Some Warp Pipes in the game are covered, and they require that either a Key be collected or every enemy on a planet be defeated in order to gain access to them.

Super Mario Galaxy 2
Warp Pipes in Super Mario Galaxy 2 serve basically the same purpose as they did in the predecessor. Some Warp Pipes tend to appear far more frequently on the ceiling of the inside sections of many planets and galaxies, mainly in the Rightside Down Galaxy and the Upside Dizzy Galaxy.

Warp Pipes also appear in World 3 and World 5 on the Grand World Map. When Starship Mario enters one, it gets transported to another part of the World Map that is otherwise inaccessible.

In the Supermassive Galaxy, several large Warp Pipes appear near the beginning of the level. Though they cannot be entered and therefore do not transport Mario to any special areas, they do serve a purpose. One of the first two Warp Pipes that are encountered is home to a Big Piranha Plant, which Mario must be careful to avoid. The third continually rises up and down, and acts as an elevator to the next area of the level. Later in the level, the player will fly through a large Warp Pipe tunnel leading to the next area. Two more large Warp Pipes near the end of the level house two more Big Piranha Plants.

In the Battle Belt Galaxy, Warp Pipes play a major role in progressing through the level, as they transport the player to the inside of several planets, where they must defeat every enemy to continue. The Warp Pipes in this galaxy are all covered, and the player must defeat all enemies on the surface of each planet before the planet's Warp Pipe can be accessed.

A Warp Pipe in the left ear of Starship Mario leads to a secret area where the player encounters two Lumalees who sell Chance Cubes for Coins and Star Bits. Additionally, on Starship Mario, if Mario manages to get on top of the chimney near the helm, he goes down it as if it were a Warp Pipe. The chimney leads to the engine room of Starship Mario. Mario also comes out of a Warp Pipe on the way to Princess Peach's Castle at the very beginning of the game. At this point in the game, several other Warp Pipes are encountered which do not warp the player to anywhere at all, and so act merely as platforms.

Super Mario 3D Land
Warp Pipes appear in the Nintendo 3DS game Super Mario 3D Land. When Mario (or Luigi) finds one, the player must press or  to make Mario (or Luigi) go down it; one sticking out of a wall may simply be walked into to enter. After the player has unlocked Special 1-8, Warp Pipes appear at the beginning of each world and provide access between the normal worlds and the special worlds. When is unlocked, it replaces the Warp Pipe connecting World 8 and Special 8, which cannot be used after this point. Orange Warp Pipes appear in two hidden warp zones in Worlds 1-2 and 4-2. These allow the player to warp to the next world and skip the following levels in the world they are in.

New Super Mario Bros. 2
Warp Pipes appear in the Nintendo 3DS game New Super Mario Bros. 2. Some of them house Piranha Plants, while others allow Mario (or Luigi) to warp. If the player destroys a Piranha Plant in a Warp Pipe with a Koopa Shell affected by a Gold Ring, numerous Coins come out. Mario (or Luigi) can go down pipes by pressing or sliding /.

New Super Mario Bros. U
In the Wii U game New Super Mario Bros. U, Warp Pipes appear and work the same way as in other games, and Mini Mario can enter mini Warp Pipes like in previous games. The player can go down or up pipes with or.

Super Mario 3D World
In the Wii U game Super Mario 3D World, Clear Pipes appear. Coins or Fuzzies may travel through these and it is possible to see objects, including the players inside. Warp Pipes return as well, but are less common. The orange world-warping pipes from Super Mario 3D Land also return, and as in that game, they only appear in World 1-2 (Koopa Troopa Cave) and World 4-2 (Piranha Creeper Creek). Gold Pipes that take the player to mass coin-collection gold rooms also appear. Also, certain pipes spawn an 8-bit Luigi when the Time Limit is 105; these pipes appear in Koopa Troopa Cave and Really Rolling Hills.

Mario cartoons
Warp Pipes appear in all three of the Mario TV shows (The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, and Super Mario World), where they function the same way as in the games the shows were based on. Warp Pipes are also present in the real world, and can be used to travel between it and the Mushroom Kingdom. For unknown reasons, in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 episode "Reign Storm", Princess Toadstool asks "Where's the nearest drain pipe?" instead of "Warp Pipe."

Nintendo Comics System
The Nintendo Comics System story "A Mouser in the Houser" reveals that humanoid mice constructed the Transport Tube system before their king, Mouser, was corrupted by the Koopa King. They still have extensive maps of it.

Super Mario Adventures
In Super Mario Adventures, they appeared as the mode of transport between the Mushroom Kingdom and the lands surrounding Yoshi's Village. On their first trip through the Warp Pipe Bowser had traveled through, Princess Peach and her followers ended up at a different location from where Mario and Luigi emerged. The narration stated that Mario and Luigi "hooked up with the wrong connection somewhere," implying that not all Warp Pipes lead solely to one other location.

Yoshi franchise
Warp Pipes have also appeared in the Yoshi series. They play a similar role, but they can also spawn Shy Guys, Boo Guys, and similar enemies, usually as a source for Yoshi Eggs. A Warp Pipe character has appeared in Yoshi's New Island named Mr. Pipe. He helps Yoshi by giving him helpful items if Yoshi repeatedly fails a level.

Warp Pipes appear in Yoshi's Woolly World—however, to fit with the theme of the game, they are made of yarn. Some Warp Pipes are just outlines, and can only be used after a yarn ball is thrown at them as it creates them. When a Yoshi goes down a Warp Pipe the other Yoshi is teleported immediately to the Warp Pipe.

Mario Kart series
In the Mario Kart series, Warp Pipes (usually referred to as simply Pipes) appear as simple obstacles on the courses, especially on the Mario Circuits. On some occasions, mostly in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, the player can enter a pipe and get warped to another area, which is mainly for the purpose of collecting Item Boxes. This also happens in Mario Kart DS, but only in Pipe Plaza, since it's a battle course that originated from the previous game.

Mario Party series
Warp Pipes are also items that appear throughout the Mario Party series.

Mario Party 3
Warp Pipes make their Mario Party debut on the Pipesqueak duel board in Mario Party 3. Here, hopping into one of the four pipes on the board will cause the player to come out of one of the other three pipes. The four colors of the Warp Pipe are orange, yellow, blue and pink.

Mario Party 4
Starting with Mario Party 4, the Warp Pipe becomes an item that's used for transportation on boards. Whoever uses it switches places with another player on a board via roulette. This makes it the successor of the Warp Block. It costs ten to fifteen coins to purchase from the item shop.

Mario Party 5
In Mario Party 5, the Warp Pipe exists as the Warp Pipe Capsule. A player possessing a Warp Pipe Capsule can either throw it onto a space on the board or use it on themselves for ten Coins. Its effect is the same as in Mario Party 4.

Mario Party 6
The Warp Pipe Orb reappears in Mario Party 6. It costs ten Coins at the Orb Shop, and the player may use it on themselves. When used, a roulette activates that allows the player to switch spaces with the player the roulette stops on.

Mario Party 7
In Mario Party 7, the Warp Pipe Orb once again returns. However, it is given a different effect; opponents who pass by the space containing the orb are caught by a Warp Pipe and sent back to the space they began their turn on. They also appear in the Duel Minigame Warp Pipe Dreams.

Mario Party DS
In Mario Party DS, Warp Pipes appear when a player reaches a shop space and decides to go in. A Warp Pipe is also used as an item, but the item is named a Star Pipe and allows the owner of the item to travel to the Star. This pipe also differentiates from a normal Warp Pipe in that it has a star pattern on the front of it.

Mario Party 9
Warp Pipes generally appear next to Lucky and Unlucky Spaces in Mario Party 9. The pipes next to a Lucky Space take the player to a six-space route with Mini Star Spaces, and Unlucky Space pipes take the player to a path with only Mini Ztar Spaces. Warp Pipes near a Lucky Space are colored blue, and the ones next to Unlucky Spaces are red, which match the colors of their respective spaces. Players willingly go down the Lucky Space pipe, while a Piranha Plant eats the player and takes them to the unlucky route.

Mario Party 10
In Mario Party 10, Warp Pipes appear in amiibo Party, where they will warp players that land on a Warp Pipe Space to another Warp Pipe Space on the board. They also appear as one of the main gimmicks of the Peach Board, though it is currently unknown what they do.

Mario Golf series
Warp Pipes make an appearance in Peach's Castle Grounds in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour. When the player hits the ball into one, it will be transported to another of the same color, allowing them to skip part of the hole. Warp Pipes also appear in Mario Golf: World Tour. In holes 1, 5, and 8 of Peach Gardens, the pipes are fully seen when the entire hole is viewed, but are submerged when the hole is actually being played. When the ball enters a pipe, the pipe comes out of the ground and shoots the ball onto the green or near it. In the Royal Gardens, Warp Pipes take the Mii to Mario World courses.

Paper Mario series
In the Paper Mario series, pipes take Mario to different places and locations. In Paper Mario and its sequel, Blue Pipes exist which can take Mario to locations that have been previously visited. They can be unlocked in the Toad Town Tunnels and Rogueport Sewers respectively by hitting certain switches. A smaller type of Warp Pipe appears in Super Paper Mario similar to those found in New Super Mario Bros.. The player has to use Dottie to shrink Mario so he can enter them. Generally, Warp Pipes have some sort of special appearance to fit in with their locations. For example, the Warp Pipe in the picture at right is pixelated to fit in with its location in the Bitlands. Likewise, the Warp Pipes in Boggly Woods seem to be made of wood, and usually have a hole in the side so that Punies can use them more easily. Additionally, when a Warp Pipe is used in Super Paper Mario, instead of normally going straight down, the player's character splits into several small squares which then go down the pipe and reassemble at the other end, likely as a result of how Princess Peach and Bowser are too big for the Warp Pipes. Warp Pipes also appear in Paper Mario: Sticker Star and Paper Mario: Color Splash.

In Paper Mario: Color Splash, some Warp Pipes have enemies inside of them that must be fought in order to get through, including a Spiny and a Koopa Troopa. Warp Pipes cannot be crossed if they are not fully colored. Also, in Mustard Café, some Warp Pipes spin in the quicksand.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
In Superstar Saga, nine green Warp Pipes allow Mario and Luigi to travel the Beanbean Kingdom faster. In order to warp to one of these pipes, Mario and Luigi have to have entered it before. Yellow Warp Pipes also appear, which can transport Mario and Luigi to underwater or underground areas. Finally, there are also a few small green Warp Pipes, which can warp either Mario or Luigi to a 2D bonus dungeon.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
During the events of Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, special blue Warp Pipes require Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, and Baby Luigi to stand on them in order to activate them. Also, when Mario and Luigi are separated from Baby Mario and Luigi, one of the brothers can jump up and hit a Warp Pipe box, out of which a miniature pipe comes and plants itself in the ground. It then grows to the size of a normal pipe allowing either pair of bros. to jump in and be reunited with the babies. If used while both bros. are near each other, the pipe jumps up and continues being the block.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Bowser inhales several Warp Pipes. In this game, they are used as a link between Bowser's Body and the Mushroom Kingdom. They are the only way to get the Mario brothers out of Bowser's body, and they can be found in the Pipe Yard. Bowser cannot jump into these. A Special Attack called Spin Pipe is used in this game as well.

There are a few pipes that transport the player into another area in the overworld without going into Bowser. There are a few in Bowser's Castle, taking the player into the basement of the castle, or through the shortcut.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
In Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, special, gold colored Warp Pipes appear scattered throughout Pi'illo Island. These special pipes act similar to the ones in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga where they connect to different parts of the island. Standard green Warp Pipes also appear, usually leading to cave areas. Like the previous installments, both Mario and Luigi must stand on the Warp Pipe to enter it.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
In Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, a papercraft Warp Pipe also appears in the game, allowing the Mario Trio to access several locations and Toad Villages in the Mushroom Kingdom, like in the first installment. Standard green pipes retain their functionality in the game, usually leading to other areas like the underground section of Doop Doop Dunes where the Pokey Duo is fought, or as a shortcut to other places like the Warp Pipe leading to the Mount Brrr Toad Village. As the player progresses in the game, the Warp Pipe in the Lakitu Info Center allows the trio to access the Arcade. However, if the trio is in a mission, the pipes are blocked with an iron plate on top.

Super Smash Bros. series
Warp Pipes have served a multitude of purposes in the Super Smash Bros. series.

Super Smash Bros.
In Super Smash Bros., they first appear as Mario's and Luigi's on-screen appearance in reference to Mario's entrance in Super Mario 64 and later on in the stage Mushroom Kingdom, where players can use two Warp Pipes to warp between one side to another; on occasion, they may also transport to the pit in the center, where a one-way Warp Pipe appears. Also, three Warp Pipes appear in Luigi's Board the Platforms stage; they have blinking platforms coming in and out of them, which Luigi must land on in order to finish the stage.

Super Smash Bros. Melee
In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Warp Pipes act as checkpoints in Stage 1: Mushroom Kingdom of the Adventure Mode. Additionally, Warp Pipes appear in the background of the stage Mushroom Kingdom and a single diagonal Warp Pipe, supported by two mini pipes, serves as a slope on the stage Yoshi's Island.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, they reappear as Mario and Luigi's on-screen appearance and as platforms in both World 1-1 and World 1-2 versions of Mushroomy Kingdom (though they can't be entered, unlike in Super Mario Bros.) and the returning Melee Stage Yoshi's Island. One also appears in the background on one of the islands in the Delfino Plaza stage, just as it did in Super Mario Sunshine; the others were removed. More appear in the background of Mario Circuit. The Mario Bros. stage also features the original enemy-spawning pipes, though they only release Shellcreepers and Sidesteppers.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U
In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, they once again serve as Mario's and Luigi's on-screen appearance. In the 3DS version, they also act as solitary platforms in the returning World 1-1 version of Mushroomy Kingdom and the new stages Golden Plains and 3D Land; in the latter stage, some of them may increase and decrease in height, like in Super Mario World, and a big one restarts the stage's loop at the end; this pipe is also seen in the stage's Final Destination form. The Paper Mario stage has a pipe in its Hither Thither Hill form, although it acts a spring instead. In PictoChat 2, Warp Pipes can be drawn onto the stage for a while; these pipes can be used for transport, just like the ones in the original Mushroom Kingdom stage. In the Wii U version, the Warp Pipes of Yoshi's Island (Melee), Delfino Plaza, and Mario Circuit (Brawl) return, working as they did before. The Super Mario Maker stage (available for both versions as DLC) may also feature solitary platform Warp Pipes.

Donkey Kong (Game Boy)
A Warp Pipe at the end of Donkey Kong doesn't serve any gameplay function but rather appears at the end of Stage 9-9 after Mario rescues Pauline.

Wario Land series
Warp Pipes are also present in four games of the Wario Land series, namely Virtual Boy Wario Land, Wario Land 3, Wario Land 4, and Wario Land: Shake It! They work exactly like their counterparts from the Mushroom Kingdom, with the distinction that they don't contain enemies.

The Golf minigame in Wario Land 3 must be accessed through a Warp Pipe. In addition, the slots in the "load file" screen of Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 bear a resemblance to Warp Pipes. In Wario Land 4, the pipes are purple and warp the player to a Puzzle Room. In Wario Land: Shake It!, if Wario goes into a green pipe, the sound effect is similar to that of the Mario series, but slightly altered.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Warp Pipes reappear in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker acting as they have in Super Mario 3D World.

Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
Warp Pipes appear in Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS as objects that can be placed in levels. If an enemy or item is placed inside the Warp Pipe it will start spawning them. They can also be used to expand upon levels; by dragging Mario inside a Warp Pipe, the player is able to create a side area separate from the main level. The Pipe's length and positioning can also be adjusted.

Captain Rainbow
In the game Captain Rainbow, Warp Pipes appear and are used the same way. They can be green, yellow, or pink and produce the original Super Mario Bros. sound effect when used.

Other appearances, cameos and references
Warp Pipes appear in Skylanders: SuperChargers as part of Bowser's moveset; however, due to an agreement between Nintendo and Activision, they are featured exclusively on the Nintendo versions of the game.

Outside of video games, a Warp Pipe appears as a utility in Nintendo Monopoly, taking the place of the Water Works. It costs $150. There is also an "Advance to Go" ? Block card that mentions jumping into a pipe. In the 2010 version of the game, the Brick Block "Advance to Go" card also refers to a pipe.

Warp Pipes containing Piranha Plants in them appear as furniture items in Animal Crossing: New Leaf.

In the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack in Minecraft: Wii U Edition, Cauldrons are replaced by Warp Pipes.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U Trophies
Blue indicates exclusive to the Wii U version.

Trivia

 * All the Koopalings, except Larry, have Warp Pipes in their battles.
 * Warp Pipes are often referenced in other media, whether it's just characters sliding down pipes, or pipes that actively warp them to different areas, such as in The Simpsons Game, where there is a whole level based on other video games: in multiple parts of that level, the player has to jump into a Warp Pipe to advance further into the level.
 * In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, New Super Mario Bros. 2, New Super Mario Bros. U, and New Super Luigi U when Mini Mario enters a small Warp Pipe, he will exit out of a normal-sized one. This is done to prevent glitching in multiplayer modes, since only one player needs to be mini to get all of the players into the pipe, and the game may glitch if normal-sized players exited through a mini pipe.
 * The Warp Pipe's enter/exit sound effect has been Mario/Luigi's damage sound effect for several games, particularly the NES version of the sound. In recent games, such as New Super Mario Bros. Wii however, the damage sound for Mario/Luigi is the Super Mario World variant of the pipe sound, and the Super Mario World pipe sound has been Mario/Luigi's damage sound ever since, and in future Mario games. The last game in which the NES-style Warp Pipe sound effect is also the player damage sound effect is New Super Mario Bros..