Cape Mario

Caped Mario, also known as Cape Mario, is a form of Mario and Luigi which first appeared in Super Mario World. Its 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. It allows Mario to fly indefinitely through levels, and attack spiked enemies by spinning it around.

If the player holds down the either the or  button after jumping with Caped Mario, the player can float down slowly. Also, if Mario runs at maximum speed and then presses and holds to spin jump, Mario will go very high, as if he was flying. If the player also falls to the ground during flight, an earthquake occurs that instantly defeats all on-screen enemies on the ground. Luigi can also get this form, but the powers remain the same as Mario's with a slightly different flight pattern in the GBA version, moving higher and slower than Mario's.

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. It is impossible for Mario to turn at all in the GBA version, however, because there is only one run button.

Baby Mario uses a similar form in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island where he becomes invincible. In addition to being invincible, he can also walk up walls and ceilings. This form reappears in Yoshi's Island DS. In both games, "Superstar Mario" can use the cape as a parachute to float downwards.

Caped Mario appears in some e-Reader levels of Super Mario Advance 4, being used primarily in Henshin Mario de Tsukisusume!!. It can also be used anywhere with the appropriate e-Reader card. Other than that, nothing has changed with Caped Mario since Super Mario World.

Caped Mario appears 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 (TV show) to transform into into his cape form in the series.

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.

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

In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, Mario can use a cape to reflect projectiles or flip enemies. This cape does not enable Mario to fly, however, but it does make enable him to float a very small distance when used in the air. Dr. Mario has a similar attack, the Super Sheet.

Caped Mario will be returning in Super Mario Maker. So far, it currently appears in the Super Mario World style, where it functions identically as it did in said game. Whether it can be used in the other styles is currently unknown.

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Trivia

 * If Caped Mario touches an enemy while flying, he will automatically Spin Jump in midair and fall, instead of taking damage.
 * According to an interview with Koichi Hayashida, Caped Mario was considered for Super Mario 3D Land, but Tanooki Mario was eventually chosen.
 * Despite the rather iconic nature of this form, Caped Mario has had only two major appearance (1 upcoming).