Poison Mushroom

A Poison Mushroom (or Poison Shroom) is a Mushroom that kills Mario or Luigi if they touch it. Poison Mushrooms appear in Super Mario: The Lost Levels. The design changes each game from a purple top with the skull to a plain all-green Mushroom. Poison Mushrooms are used by Princess Peach and Toad as weapons in Super Mario Kart. When touching it, the player will shrink for a few seconds, similar to the effect of a Thunderbolt.

In Mario Party 3, the Poison Mushroom is an item that the players can use on either themselves or one of their opponents. A player who is cursed by a Poison Mushroom can only roll the numbers 1-3 on their next turn. It is possible to elimate the curse by using another Mushroom or a Magic Lamp. It is Waluigi's favorite item.

In Luigi's Mansion there are Poison Mushrooms that bosses throw when Luigi tries to suck them up. They make Luigi small and lose pearls and coins, also making them escape as Luigi is too tiny to suck up anything bigger than a lost pearl. Also, if Luigi calls for Mario by pressing the A button, his voice can barely be heard.

Darker red Poison Mushrooms were later seen in Super Smash Bros. Melee, in which it temporarily shrinks characters down to one-fourth their original size. They reappear with the same function in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

The mushroom was seen once again in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Poison Mushrooms could be created by Zess T. by mixing a Slow Shroom and Inky Sauce or Trial Stew and a Dried Bouquet. If Mario or his partner eat this mushroom, the user will lose half his HP and be poisoned. However, in battle, if a character has the Feeling Fine (P) badge equipped when using a Poison Mushroom, there's a chance the user's HP will go to max. They're one of the pictures that the player can earn when in battle. If three in a row appear Mario's HP, FP and SP will all be cut in half and all of the audience members will leave.

In Super Paper Mario, Poison Mushrooms are a much more common occurance than in its prequel, occasionally being dropped by Zombie Shrooms and their relatives. They are used slightly more in recipes; for example, a single Poison Shroom can produce a Dangerous Delight.

Although not technically Poison Mushrooms, items called Cursed Mushrooms appear throughout the Mario Party series and are clearly based on Poison Mushroom.

Trophy Information from Super Smash Bros. Melee
''Poison Mushrooms made their debut in Super Mario All-Stars, where they'd cost characters a life if picked up. These nasty fungi are dark and foul-tasting, and in Super Smash Bros. Melee, they make you shrink on contact. With your diminished stature comes a loss of power and mass, making you a prime target to get smashed offscreen with even a light attack.''

Trophy Information from Super Smash Bros. Brawl
''A penalty item that shrinks whoever grabs it. It's hard to distinguish from a Super Mushroom, so you may find yourself getting small when you wanted to get big. When you're in miniature form, your attack power drops, and even the lightest attack can send you off the stage. That being said, a small target's hard to hit. Your best plan when you're tiny may be to run.''

Trivia
A different kind of mushroom similar to the shrinking kind of Poison Mushrooms is called the Mini Mushroom.