Lava Lift

A Lava Lift, or Skull Raft, is a raft of skulls that debuted in Super Mario World. It is the precursor to the segmented platform.

Super Mario World
In Super Mario World, Skull Rafts are used to help Mario or Luigi cross the lava river. They are seen only in Vanilla Dome 3 and Vanilla Dome 4, where there are large areas filled with lava rivers. However, sometimes, Blarggs jump out and try to attack Mario or Luigi, so he must jump to avoid them, then land back on the Skull Raft.

Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
Skull Rafts, now known as Lava Lifts, reappear in Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS. This appearance is different than in Super Mario World. They are able to move in the air on top of moving in lava. They can be used in all four styles, featuring new sprites for Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3, and a 2.5D model for New Super Mario Bros. U. A faster blue variant also exists, and it does not fall off the screen after a couple seconds. The rafts are generally used to follow tracks.

Super Mario Maker 2
Lava Lifts return in Super Mario Maker 2, where the blue ones are now referred to as Fast Lava Lifts.

Super Mario World television series


In the Super Mario World television series, a Skull Raft appears in the episode "Mama Luigi." Here, it shows that the Skull Raft is made of both wood and skulls, not just skulls like in the video game. In Luigi's story, he gets attacked by a Fire Sumo and falls into the Lava Pits. However, he lands on a Skull Raft, which saves his life. However, the raft approaches a lava waterfall, and the two fall down. At the bottom, the Skull Raft floats away from the ground that Luigi lands on.