Cape Mario

Cape Mario, originally known as Caped Mario, is a form of Mario and Luigi which first appeared in Super Mario World.

Super Mario World
In Super Mario World, the cape form's abilities are much like Raccoon Mario before it, which in fact was originally going to be in the game. It can be obtained by getting a Cape Feather. The cape it gives allows Mario to fly indefinitely through levels and attack enemies by spinning it around (using or ).

If the player holds down either or  while falling with Cape Mario, the player can float down slowly. Also, if Mario runs at maximum speed and then presses and holds to spin jump, Mario will jump very high, as if he was flying.

Flight is done by running until Mario spreads out his arms, then jumping while holding ; the initial height depends on how long was held. Pressing forward on the mid-flight makes Mario descend and speed up, while pressing backward makes him ascend; greater descents generally lead to higher ascents. Mario can also bounce off of stompable enemies mid-flight. If the player rams the ground during flight, it will cause a quake that instantly defeats all on-screen enemies on the ground. If Cape Mario touches an enemy while flying, he will automatically Spin Jump in midair and fall, instead of taking damage. By releasing and holding, Mario can stop flying and glide down slowly. After the cape has attached to Mario's shoes and inflated, Mario can turn around by spinning mid-flight by pressing if  is being used to fly, or vice versa.

In the GBA version, Mario cannot turn around mid-flight at all, because there is only one run button. Also, Luigi flies higher and slower than Mario.

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
In Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, Cape Mario appears as an added form to the game, working as it did in Super Mario World. The form is used primarily in the World-e levels Sea to Sky and Caped Escape. It can also be used anywhere with the appropriate e-Reader card. However, unlike Raccoon or Tanooki Mario's tail whip attacks, Cape Mario's spin attack cannot break Brick Blocks.

Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
Cape Mario returns in Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS. It appears only in the Super Mario World style, where it functions as it did in that game. However, Mario can no longer turn around while flying. Also, knocking on a Warp Door in the Super Mario World theme may cause Weird Mario to appear in this form, in one of two possible poses.

Super Mario World (TV series)
Cape Mario appears in the Super Mario World animated series. He appears in several episodes of the series, such as The Wheel Thing, Send in the Clown, The Night Before Cave Christmas, and Rock TV. Mario seems to be the only character in Super Mario World to transform into into his cape form in the series.

Super Mario Adventures
In the Super Mario Adventures comic, when Princess Peach is kidnapped and taken to the Koopaling's Castle, she escapes and finds a cape in Wendy O. Koopa's bedroom. Peach falls out the window, still holding the cape, and accidentally uses it. She flies across the moat when Mario flies right past her on a Bullet Bill, which makes Peach lose control and crash in the forest. Toad later uses the cape to fly through the pipe they originally came from and assemble a rescue team.

Super Mario-Kun
"Cape Bowser" appears briefly in volume 4 of Super Mario-Kun. Bowser steals and uses Mario's Cape Feather from the Item Storage, transforming him into Mantle Koopa (マソトクッパ). Bowser attempts to fly and attack Mario, but he fails and crushes him.

Trivia

 * According to an interview with Koichi Hayashida, Cape Mario was considered for Super Mario 3D Land, but Tanooki Mario was eventually chosen.
 * Superstar Mario, Baby Mario's transformation from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, looks very similar to Cape Mario.