Fire Flower

"Screaming pulsars! What in the universe is that thing?! It looks like a flower with a face! Wow... It's a Fire Flower? Hrm... Well, I gotta say there, you collect some of the most interesting stuff I've ever seen!"

- Lubba

Fire Flowers (alternatively written as Fireflowers ), also known as Flame Flowers, are power-ups that can be obtainable in most games in the Mario franchise, particularly the 2D platformers in the main series. Originating from Super Mario Bros., they are usually found inside ? Blocks and enable the player to throw fireballs which can be used to defeat enemies, melt Ice Blocks, and illuminate dark places. Unlike the Super Mushroom, the Fire Flower is stationary after spawning. In many depictions, the Fire Flower is simply grabbed and wielded as opposed to being consumed like the Mushrooms, which is most noticeable in the Mario & Luigi, Paper Mario, and Super Smash Bros. series as well as in other media such as Super Mario Bros.: Trapped in the Perilous Pit, though some media, such as Club Nintendo and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (which also uses Fire Flowers as ingredients for recipes), do suggest characters eat Fire Flowers. While Mario in Club Nintendo remarks that the Fire Flower tastes "disgusting", the bio for Fire Flower's constellation in Mario Party 9 describes it as a spicy and "surprisingly tasty snack".

Fire Flowers have commonly been portrayed as more potent than a Super Mushroom. For instance, in Mario Kart and Mario Tennis, the Flower Cup is usually after the Mushroom Cup in terms of difficulty progression; in Super Mario 64 DSs Picture Poker minigame, the Fire Flower is a tier higher than the Mushroom; in Mario Party Advances Match 'Em minigame, matching three Fire Flowers is worth slightly more than three Super Mushrooms.

The Fire Flower, being a common and recognizable item, has seen a number of variants. Its ice counterpart known as the Ice Flower, which is a common powerup after New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and a golden counterpart known as the Gold Flower. The Fire Flower is used as a basis for flower points (a Mario stand-in for magic points in other RPGs) in Super Mario RPG, and in the subsequent two Paper Mario games.

Super Mario Bros.
In Super Mario Bros., if Mario collects a Fire Flower, he obtains the ability to shoot fireballs by pressing. The fireballs are strong and handy projectiles to use because they can defeat most enemies or even Bowser with just seven hits. Only two fireballs can be thrown at once. If Mario gets hit while he is in his Fire Mario form, he reverts back to Small Mario. If Small Mario gets a Fire Flower, he only transforms into Super Mario.

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Fire Flowers return in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, granting Mario the same ability and retaining the same appearance as Super Mario Bros.

Super Mario Bros. 3
In Super Mario Bros. 3, they are the third most common power-up, the first being a Super Mushroom and the second being a Super Leaf. Like before, the power-up grants Mario the ability to shoot fireballs. Not much has changed since Super Mario Bros. regarding their function. They can still defeat Bowser, although he can now withstand a total of 35 fireball hits. The game also introduces the mechanic of melting Ice Blocks with fireballs.

The American version of this game introduced the idea that Fire Mario reverted to Super Mario upon being hit, rather than Small Mario, as in other games. This was retained in all subsequent releases of this game.

In the original NES version, due to alternative values occasionally being assigned to the typical "green" palette, Fire Flower stems sometimes appear other colors, being cyan in fortress levels, light blue in tank levels, and white in sky-ice levels.

Super Mario World
In Super Mario World, Fire Flowers received a change in appearance. They appear as happy orange tulip-like plants, though early test cartridges used a circular appearance like in the other games. Other than this change, nothing has been changed in function. Due to the introduction of the Cape Feather, Fire Flowers are somewhat rarer than in previous games.

This game introduces the idea of storing power-ups, having the previous one released when Mario is hit by an enemy when in a super powered form. Because of this, Fire Mario reverts back to Small Mario in the SNES version, as he can get the Super Mushroom (or better) that he had before. Additionally, because of the added feature of spin-jumping when Mario does so by pressing, he shoots out fireballs left and right while in the air.

In the Game Boy Advance version, Mario retains the new behavior added on by Super Mario Bros. 3 in which Fire Mario immediately becomes Super Mario upon being hit.

In previous games, if Small Mario grabbed a Fire Flower, he would become only Super Mario. This is the official first game in which he can bypass the Super form and become Fire Mario right away. (The NES and Super Mario All-Stars versions of Super Mario Bros. 3 allow Small Mario to morph straight to Fire Mario, but only through a glitch.)

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Being replaced with Superball Flowers in Super Mario Land, Fire Flowers reappear in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins with the same design as in Super Mario World. While the Fire Flower acts in the same way as any other title, Mario's fire form in this game has a feather on top of his hat instead of changing the color of his clothes; this is most likely due to the lack of colors on a Game Boy. Wario also uses a Fire Flower to become during the third portion of the final boss battle. Unlike most other games, a Fire Flower appears regardless of Mario's current form, meaning one can appear even if Mario is Small Mario.

Super Mario 64 DS
In Super Mario 64 DS, Fire Flowers are seen in Luigi's minigames. In those which use cards, Fire Flowers are one of the images used. In Mushroom Roulette, it is one of the symbols on the roulette wheel. In Mario Slot and Super Mario Slot, matching three Fire Flowers multiplies the player's gambled coins by fifteen. In Wario's minigame Psyche Out!, Fire Flowers also appear on cards. They also make a cameo appearance in Slots Shot.

New Super Mario Bros.
In New Super Mario Bros., Fire Flowers are a very common item, and they act like they do in previous games, using their design from Super Mario All-Stars. Blocks containing Super Mushrooms or Fire Flowers are much more common than in previous games. Mario can still only shoot two fireballs at once. If Mario is Shell Mario, Fire Flowers do not transform him into Fire Mario and instead be put in the Item Storage. The Fire Flower playing cards return in some of the Table minigames that originally appear in Super Mario 64 DS.

Super Mario Galaxy
In Super Mario Galaxy, if Mario or Luigi obtains this item, they go into their respective Fire forms, allowing them to throw fireballs (by shaking the Wii Remote; this move replaces the Spin) to defeat enemies, destroy snow-based obstacles, and light torches. Unlike in prior games, the power-up only lasts for 20 seconds. If Mario takes damage in this form, the Fire Flower does not wear off. Also, unlike the other games, Mario can throw more than two fireballs at once, but he cannot use them underwater. These flowers first appear in the Freezeflame Galaxy along with its ice counterpart, the Ice Flower. They also appear in the Dusty Dune Galaxy, Deep Dark Galaxy and Snow Cap Galaxy.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Fire Flowers appear in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, having the same effect as in New Super Mario Bros. Unlike in New Super Mario Bros., however, most bosses, while still weak to fireballs, require several fireballs before a "hit" (normally from a jump) is counted. If a fireball is thrown at a character in a bubble, the character's bubble pops. Fireballs thrown by the player can get eaten by Yoshi and spat out as projectiles. This game introduces the mechanic of lighting up dark places with fireballs while also bringing back the mechanic of melting Ice Blocks with fireballs. The power-up is usually found in underground, underwater and snow levels.

Unlike in Super Mario Galaxy, Ice Mario looks completely different, and instead acts similarly to Fire Mario, except the ice balls freeze enemies instead of defeating them (although Lava Bubbles, enemy fireballs, and magic blasts are considered exceptions), are slower, and break after bouncing once.

Super Mario Galaxy 2
The Fire Flower reappears in Super Mario Galaxy 2, retaining its properties from Super Mario Galaxy. It makes its first appearance in a new minigame called Crate Burning, which appears in only two missions in the entire game: "The Great Crate Incinerator" in the Rightside Down Galaxy and "Burning Upside Dizzy" in the Upside Dizzy Galaxy. In this minigame, the player is presented with numerous breakable crates, all of which need to be burned within a short time limit via the use of a Fire Flower in order to earn the Power Star for the missions. Fire Flowers also appear while fighting Squizzard in the Slipsand Galaxy's first and third missions, and are necessary to defeat him.

Super Mario 3D Land
The Fire Flower reappears once more in Super Mario 3D Land, where it has the same functionality as in the 2D Mario games; unlike in the Super Mario Galaxy games, there is no time limit on Fire Mario. The fireballs thrown now bounce off walls and disappear after two seconds. Like Super Mario Galaxy, the Fire Flower can be used to light up torches. They can also be used to destroy thistles. They are rarer than usual due to the return of the Super Leaf and the introduction of the Boomerang Flower.

New Super Mario Bros. 2
The Fire Flower reappears in New Super Mario Bros. 2 where it has the same behavior as in the previous 2D Mario games. They are also used to shoot fireballs into ! Pipes that release coins and items such as a Mega Mushroom, three 1-Up Mushrooms, or a Super Star. The Gold Flower is a golden variant of it that turns Mario into Gold Mario, who throws golden fireballs that create coins when they defeat enemies and turn Brick Blocks into coins.

New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
The Fire Flower reappears in New Super Mario Bros. U, its Nintendo Switch port and New Super Luigi U, where it behaves like in the previous 2D Mario games. Like in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, it can be used to light up dark places. It can also melt the ice platforms found in the levels Piranha Plants on Ice and Slippery Rope Ladders. Like its predecessor, the Fire Flower is commonly found in underground, underwater and snow levels.

Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
The Fire Flower reappears in Super Mario 3D World and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, and has the same mechanics as in Super Mario 3D Land. The fireballs thrown by Fire Mario can be used to reveal the invisible platforms found in Footlight Lane and Trickity Tower. The fireballs can also be used to destroy Mines. Like Super Mario 3D Land, the Fire Flower is much rarer due to the introduction of new power-ups such as the Super Bell. Fire Flowers also appear on the Slot Blocks found in Lucky Houses.

Super Mario Maker series
Fire Flowers reappear as power-ups in Super Mario Maker, Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, and Super Mario Maker 2. They look the same as in previous games, except in the Super Mario Bros. 3 game style, as they have changed colors to look like their modern counterparts. In the Course Maker, they can be placed anywhere, as well as dragged onto Mario to turn him into Fire Mario immediately. They can become status-dependent progressive items if the player drags a Super Mushroom onto one.

In Super Mario Maker 2, Fire Flowers move away from the player in the nighttime ground theme.

Super Mario Odyssey
In Super Mario Odyssey, the Fire Flower makes a cameo appearance on Princess Peach's kimono in the Bowser's Kingdom.

Super Mario Bros. 35
Fire Flowers appeared in Super Mario Bros. 35. Collecting one would transform Mario into Fire Mario regardless of his previous state. If Fire Mario took damage, he would revert to Super Mario rather than Small Mario. Collecting the flower as Fire Mario would add 15 seconds to the timer instead. The Item Roulette had a chance of granting the player a Fire Flower.

Mario is Missing!
The Fire Flower is absent from the NES and SNES versions of Mario is Missing!. However, it does appear in the PC version. They appear after Luigi has returned all artifacts in each city. He can then use the Fire Flower to burn the Koopaling and make it to the next floor of Bowser's Castle.

Mario's FUNdamentals
In Mario's FUNdamentals, Fire Flowers appear in the Dominoes game. They are pictured on dominoes that represent the number 4. They use their appearance from Super Mario World.

DIC cartoons
Fire Flowers also appeared in the cartoon television series The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, and Super Mario World. Most episodes have their outfit either be not changed at all (often due to animation errors) or turn white and red/green (in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! and Super Mario World) or orange and red (in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3).

In The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, when a character touches a Fire Flower, they sometimes first gain a temporary increase in size, then gain their fire powers as well as flight and/or extra speed and strength sometimes; they are called their Super forms in this show. The following shows use the same powers and form name as in the respective games. The Fire Flower first appears in the episode The Bird! The Bird!, where Mario uses it to melt the snow trapping him.

In The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, due to their sprite's appearing blue in the coinciding game, Super Mario Bros. 3, Fire Flowers are depicted as blue and white flowers. During "Reign Storm", the Robot Princess orders all Fire Flowers to be extinguished, as if they were actual fires.

In Super Mario World, Fire Flowers look like realistic orange tulips with no eyes that are always connected to a ? Block. They sometimes spit out fireballs themselves. Only Mario uses Fire Flowers in this show. The power-up first appears in The Wheel Thing, where he uses it to burn some holes into some wheels.

Club Nintendo
The Club Nintendo comic "Super Mario: Verloren in der Zeit" reveals that Fire Flowers have existed since the Stone Age. In this story, Mario uses a Fire Flower to throw Fireballs at a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Although most games make Fire Flowers simply disappear upon contact with Mario, this comic depicts Mario's eating Fire Flowers to use their powers. Mario claims that Fire Flowers "taste disgusting, but if I eat them, I can shoot Fireballs".

Mario Kart series
Within all the Mario Kart games, the Fire Flower most commonly appears as the emblem of the Flower Cup. Starting from Mario Kart 7 onward, the Fire Flower became a usable item in races.

Mario Kart Wii
A poster with a Fire Flower appears in Moonview Highway in Mario Kart Wii. When racing using a Mii, the face of the Fire Flower changes to that of a random Mii that has been created by the player. Also, a store in Coconut Mall (called "Delfino Dream") sells Mario items. One of these items is a Fire Flower.

Mario Kart 7
In Mario Kart 7, the Fire Flower makes its first appearance in the Mario Kart series as a usable item that can be obtained from an Item Box. It can be obtained if the player is anywhere from 2nd to 5th place, with CPUs not being able to obtain it in 5th place. Using it, a racer can throw several fireballs forward or backward to make racers spin out and drop coins when hit. The Fire Flower lasts until ten seconds after it is first used or when the player uses ten fireballs. Fireballs can be thrown with this item by pressing the button. Only three fireballs can be fired at a time; if a fourth is thrown while there are still three fireballs, the first one thrown disappears.

Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
The Fire Flower item returns in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and it works the same as it did in Mario Kart 7. A meter is added to indicate players how much time is left until the Fire Flower's effects disappear. Additionally, the statue of Princess Peach in Toad Harbor can be seen holding a Fire Flower in its lowered right hand.

Mario Kart Tour
The Fire Flower returns in Mario Kart Tour as the special item of Mario, Luigi, Red Koopa (Freerunning), Fire Bro, Metal Mario, Mario (Santa), Wario (Cowboy), Daisy (Yukata), Peach (Halloween), Fire Rosalina, and Pauline (Rose). When deployed, fireballs orbit the player's kart and can fire a spread of three fireballs instead of throwing several fireballs, very much like the Fireball from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. When Fire Flower+ is active, a fourth fireball is added, allowing the player to use four fireballs as opposed to just three.

Mario Party series
Fire Flowers throughout the Mario Party series usually appear as simple background decoration and elements in various puzzle minigames rather than an item that powers up characters.

Mario Party
Fire Flowers make their first appearance in the Mario Party series in the minigame Memory Match, where they can be seen on some of the panels. They also appear on the slots in the minigame Slot Machine. If the player lines up 3 Fire Flowers, they will get 8 coins.

Mario Party 5
In Mario Party 5, the Fire Flower appears as an item on the roulette of the minigame Panic Pinball. It also appears as one of the flooring types in the minigame Squared Away.

Mario Party 6
In Mario Party 6, Fire Flowers reappear as items on the slots in the minigame Slot Trot. Fire Flowers also appear as one of the pictures in Pixel Perfect and a target in the introductory cutscene of Hyper Sniper.

Mario Party Advance
In Mario Party Advance, Fire Flowers reappear in the minigames Match 'Em and Pair 'Em, where they can be seen on the slots and the cards, respectively. If the player matches three Fire Flowers on the slots in Match 'Em, they earn 150 coins.

Mario Party 8
In Mario Party 8, a Fire Flower is one of the possible objects that can be projected by the projectors in the minigame Picture Perfect.

Mario Party DS
In Memory Mash in Mario Party DS, the Fire Flower makes a cameo appearance on some of the cards.

Mario Party 9
A Fire Flower appears in Mario Party 9 as one of the puzzles in the minigame Jigsaw Jumble.

Mario Party: Island Tour
In Mario Party: Island Tour, a Fire Flower appears as one of the puzzles in the minigame Tile Savvy, similar to Jigsaw Jumble. They also appear in Xylophone Home.

Mario Party: Star Rush
Fire Flowers are also found in the minigame One-Stop Toad Shop in Mario Party: Star Rush, where they can be requested by some Toads. They can also appear on some pictures in Top It Off.

Mario Party: The Top 100
Fire Flowers reappear in the returning minigame Slot Trot in Mario Party: The Top 100. Squared Away also reappears in the game, but the Fire Flower flooring was removed.

Mario Party Superstars
In Mario Party Superstars, a Fire Flower frame is added to the Mario Party minigame Tipsy Tourney.

Super Smash Bros. series
In the Super Smash Bros. series, the Fire Flower appears as an item in every installment to date. Once picked up, the player, instead of gaining the ability to throw fireballs, can shoot a continuous but short stream of fire from it to damage anyone nearby. It does have a limit to how much fire it can use, and loses its abilities after constant use. The Fire Flower also deals fire damage if it hits an opponent when thrown. In Super Smash Bros., the Fire Flowers are alike to their debut appearance. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, they look like actual flowers with eyes and white petals. From Super Smash Bros. Brawl onwards, the Fire Flower is given its appearance from Super Mario All-Stars.

In addition, a Fire Flower appears as a sticker in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, which can be used on a fighter in The Subspace Emissary to grant them a Fire Flower at the beginning of a stage. A Fire Flower also appears as a Novice-class support spirit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. When used, it similarly equips the fighter with a Fire Flower at the beginning of a battle. This spirit's core can be combined with the cores of Metal Mario and a Super Mushroom to summon the Gold Mario spirit, or with the cores of Charlotte Aulin and a Freezie to summon the Koume & Kotake spirit.

Mario and Luigi use Fireballs as their standard special move. Mario shoots red fireballs, and Luigi shoots green, like in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! This is the first game in which Mario and Luigi use the flower itself to throw fireballs rather than transforming into their Fire forms, a tactic that would later be used in the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi series.

Paper Mario
The Fire Flower is a one-use item in Paper Mario series and can be found in shops, enemy item drops (such as from Piranha Plants), and item blocks. Rather than transforming Mario, Mario plants the Fire Flower, and the Fire Flower emits fire that burns opponents. If used against ice enemies, it deals an extra 2 damage points, whereas it replenishes the health of fire enemies such as the Lava Bubble and Ember. These items can be purchased in many shops, such as in the Shroom Grocery from Toad Town, Koopa's Shop from Koopa Village, and Yoshi's Cabana from Lavalava Island from the Nintendo 64 game Paper Mario.

Tayce T. can also cook her own Fire Flower by mixing a Dried Fruit and a Strange Leaf, two items that resemble the two parts of a Fire Flower.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, they can be purchased in Toad Bros. Bazaar from Rogueport, Niff T.'s shop from Petalburg, and Keelhaul Galleria from Keelhaul Key. If the Fire Flower is used against ice enemies, it deals an extra damage point. Fire Flowers can be also used as ingredients to be made into new items with a help of Tayce T. or Zess T. Recipes can be found below.

Like in the Club Nintendo comic mentioned above, this game seemingly confirms that Mario does indeed eat Fire Flowers: a certain optional scene in the Glitz Pit has Mario informing a Lakitu cameraman that he "shoots fire when he eats a flower".

Super Paper Mario
In Super Paper Mario, Fire Flowers appear in the skies of Lineland and at Fort Francis, in the room on the left, thus giving them cameos as non-collectible items. Fire Bursts replaced the Fire Flowers from the previous Paper Mario games. The Fire Flower uses the Super Mario World appearance for these games.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star
The Fire Flower returns as a sticker in Paper Mario: Sticker Star, having its appearance from Super Mario All-Stars and onward. Using it in battle turns Mario into Fire Mario, allowing him to throw fireballs at any ground and low-altitude enemies, causing them to disintegrate into ash if their HP is fully depleted. A Fire Flower can be placed in the Sticker Museum as #67, having a two-star attack rating. They are commonly found in World 1, and are available at the Whammino Mountain sticker shop for 20 coins. Shiny and Flashy variants of this sticker also exist, which inflict more damage. Fire Flowers also appear on the Battle Spinner, where lining up three of them has the same effect as a Fire Flower sticker. To open the door to Drybake Desert, Mario must Paperize either a Fire Flower or Ice Flower into a specific spot. A similar puzzle appears on the final floor of Drybake Stadium.

Paper Mario: Color Splash
Fire Flowers return in Paper Mario: Color Splash, taking the form of a card and keeping their appearance from the previous game. They come in normal and Big variations, and are found since the very beginning of the game, first appearing in Ruddy Road. They commonly appear on the Battle Spin. Fire Flower cards use a high amount of red paint to color. At Prisma Cardware, a pre-painted Fire Flower costs 200 coins, while an unpainted one costs 40.

Paper Mario: The Origami King
In Paper Mario: The Origami King, Fire Flowers reappear as items and function the same as in the previous two Paper Mario games, allowing Mario to shoot fireballs at enemies in a line formation. Shiny versions also return. They are strong against Sumo Bros and the Boss Sumo Bro. They can also be used to deal some damage to the Ice Vellumental while it is encased in ice. Fire Flowers can be bought at Toad Town, Picnic Road, and the Souvenir Shop in Shogun Studios for 240 coins. In Whispering Woods, a Faded Fire Flower can be collected. If it is thrown into the forest spring, it transforms into a regular Fire Flower. The Fire Flower Set is a box of three Fire Flowers that is sold at Toad Town. A Collectible Treasure of a Fire Flower can be found in the Fire Vellumental Cave.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Fire Flowers are referred to as Bro Flowers, and uses the design from Super Mario All-Stars. If used, the player attacks all the enemies with a certain amount of fireballs by constantly pressing the button if the big fireball is passed on to Mario or the  button if it is passed on to Luigi. The player can also attack flying enemies by pressing the button (if passed to Mario) or the  button (if passed to Luigi), making their baby counterparts shoot fireballs, which damage airborne enemies. In addition, the attack may burn their foes. Three new flower items appear in the game: the Mix Flower, Ice Flower, and Copy Flower. Ice Flowers damage enemies like Fire Flowers do, though Fire Flowers burn them, while Ice Flowers randomly decrease their stats, such as attack, defense, and speed. Bro Flowers never deal more than one damage to Elasto-Piranhas, Dark Boos, red Wonder Thwacks, or enemies with 999 DEF, such as Gold Koopeleon.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story / Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey
Fire Flowers again appear in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey as a Special Attack obtained by collecting all ten Pump Works Attack Pieces. They are used almost the same as in Partners in Time, but after a certain number of hits, the player can hit both and  buttons to attack simultaneously. The move costs 4 SP (3 with a Budget Charm or Thrift Charm, 2 with a Tight Belt) in the original, and 6 BP (7 on Easy mode) in the remake. Rapidly pressing the button is required to get an Excellent rating on this attack. As of this game, Mario and Luigi now turn into their Fire forms from the Super Mario games for the duration of the move.

In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, after finishing the Fire Flower Bros. Attack, Mario cleans his hands, spin around and tip his hat, while Luigi spins around and does a finger gun motion.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
The Fire Flower returns as Luigi's second available Bros. Attack in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, costing 5 BP (3 if Casual Bros is equipped). Its Attack Pieces are found in Dozing Sands. This attack can hit any enemy on the ground and airborne enemy, and may inflict the Burn status. Damage is inflicted only after the attack ends, and thus it is impossible for enemies to be defeated during the attack.

When used, Mario and Luigi begin charging and hurling fireballs at the enemies erratically. The player must press or  for Mario and Luigi, respectively, to launch fireballs randomly at the enemies, with orange fireballs (fully charged fireballs that flash to signal this) doing the most damage. If red fireballs (not charged) are fired, they do considerably less damage and none at all if the fireballs are charged too long. If all fireballs are thrown appropriately, Mario and Luigi eventually start charging fireballs rapidly, the player having to press and  rapidly in order to throw as many as possible at the enemies.

The greater the amount of fireballs thrown, the better the ranking the player receives in the aftermath of the attack, ranging from "OK!" to "Excellent!" ratings. The damage dealt from this attack is given a Fire attribute, and thus deals critical damage to Caccacs and Beehoss.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
The Fire Flower returns in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Like in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, it is one of Luigi's Bros. Attack moves. However, the attack is available from the start of the game, obtained at Peach's Castle along with the 3D Red Shell, and now acts like it did in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. This move also deals critical damage to paper enemies.

Mario Power Tennis
The Flower Cup is one of the eight cups in Mario Power Tennis. The Fire Flower can also be found on one of the trophies.

Mario Tennis Open
The Fire Flower is the emblem of the Flower Cup in Mario Tennis Open. A tennis racket, uniform, wrist bands, and shoes are designed based on this item and are available for Miis to use. In Super Mario Tennis, collecting a Fire Flower makes the ball shoot two fireballs in different directions every time the ball hits the screen, which can defeat enemies and collect coins.

Mario Tennis Aces
The Fire Flower appears as an emblem on the the second cup in the COM Tournament mode of Mario Tennis Aces, the Flower Cup.

Yoshi Touch & Go
In Yoshi Touch & Go, the Fire Flower and an 8-bit sprite version of it appear as two of the ranking icons to pick from when a high score is achieved.

Mario Superstar Baseball
In Mario Superstar Baseball, the Fire Flower appears as the emblem of the Flower Cup.

Super Mario Strikers
The Flower Cup returns as one of the cups in Super Mario Strikers.

Mario Hoops 3-on-3
In Mario Hoops 3-on-3, the Flower Cup as one of the tourneys in the game. The tourney includes DK Cruiser, Luigi's Mansion, Daisy Garden, and Malboro Garden.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
In the Nintendo DS game Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, when a Mini Mario touches a Fire Flower, he becomes a Fire Mini Mario and begins throwing fireballs within a limited time to knock out enemies or defeat them. These items can be obtained from a ? Block during those levels.

Mario Sports Mix
The Flower Cup appears as one of the playable tournaments in Mario Sports Mix.

Mario Golf: World Tour
In Mario Golf: World Tour, Fire Flowers appear as usable item shots. In addition to increasing shot distance, they also allow the ball to burn through obstructions such as trees. It is the signature item for Princess Daisy. A clothing set, golf ball and set of golf clubs are designed based on this item and are available for use by Miis.

Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition
In Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition, Fire Flowers are used in the place of the Fire Element tiles. Fire Flowers are also used as transformation items to turn various teammates into their stronger forms, allowing them to use stronger versions of their Skills, such as transforming Bullet Bill into Banzai Bill.

Mario Sports Superstars
The Fire Flower has several cameo appearances on Mario's gear in Mario Sports Superstars. The Flower Cup also reappears in the game.

Appearances in other games
The Fire Flower is available as a furniture item in all five main Animal Crossing games. In most games the Fire Flower resembles its original Super Mario Bros. incarnation, with later games using 8-bit stylized graphics, though in Animal Crossing: New Leaf and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the Fire Flower, along with all other Mario-based items, are given their current appearances.

Fire Flowers also appear in the Wii U version of .

In , there is an item called the "Flower of Fire". The item is a wand which most resembles the Super Mario World Fire Flower in appearance. Using it shoots a fireball that bounces across the ground.

In the Super Mario Mash-up in Minecraft, Flint and Steel is replaced by a Fire Flower.

Appearance
The Fire Flower's appearance has changed over the past games. In Super Mario Bros., it has white petals and is orange in the middle, a green stem and two green leaves. In Super Mario World, its design was changed to resemble an orange tulip with a happy face. The second design has a shorter stem and smaller leaves. This design was used until Super Mario All-Stars, which introduced the current design, which has red and yellow petals, a white face with eyes and a green stem with two leaves, though there is artwork for the Fire Flower for Super Mario Bros. which looks similar to the current design. The Fire Flower also has some other appearances. In Super Smash Bros., the Fire Flower has taller leaves and a round flower while in Super Smash Bros. Melee, the Fire Flower has pink petals, a yellow face with eyes, and thinner leaves. Paper Mario and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door uses the design from Super Mario World, albeit with a yellow face with open eyes in the middle.

Super Mario Bros.

 * Wii Virtual Console manual: Turns Mario into Fire Mario.

Super Mario Bros. 3

 * Wii Virtual Console manual: Changes Mario into Fire Mario.
 * 3DS Virtual Console manual: Changes Mario into Fire Mario.

Super Mario World

 * Wii U Virtual Console manual: Collect to turn into Fire Mario.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

 * North American website bio: The classic power-up gets a massive upgrade out in the galactic wilderness! Fire Mario can take out enemies, snow sculptures, and much more with these powerful fireballs.

Super Mario 3D Land

 * North American website bio: Grab a red hot Fire Flower to have an endless supply of flaming fireballs at your disposal. These red hot projectiles bounce off walls until they burn out, letting you attack from unexpected angles.
 * European website bio: Grab one of these to turn Mario into Fire Mario!

New Super Mario Bros. 2

 * North American website bio: This exotic flower is common throughout the Mushroom Kingdom. Grab it, and you can toss scorching hot fireballs at your foes.
 * European website bio: Collect a Fire Flower to become Fire Mario, and throw fireballs to blaze a trail through your enemies! Heck, these things are so hot you can even use them underwater!

Super Mario 3D World

 * Instruction manual: Transforms Mario into Fire Mario.
 * North American website bio: Shoot fireballs at baddies using this handy flower.

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe

 * North American website bio: These red-hot flowers grant you the ability to throw fireballs.
 * European website bio: Enemies are sure to feel hot under the collar (if they even have collars) when your heroes start flinging Fireballs their way!

Super Mario 3D All-Stars

 * North American website bio: Change into the classic Fire Mario and hurl fireballs.

Mario Kart 7

 * Electronic manual: While activated, allows you to throw fireballs using or  for a short time. Karts hit by a fireball will spin out of control.
 * North American Website bio: Hurl bouncy fireballs in any direction you like with the powers granted to you by this potent plant.

Mario Party 9

 * Constellation: Fire Flower: A constellation resembling a lovely flower. Though it makes a surprisingly tasty snack, it's spicy enough to cause any who eat it to breathe fire.

Mario Kart 8

 * Electronic manual: Lets you throw fireballs for a short time by pressing . Any vehicle you hit will spin out of control.

Mario Kart Tour

 * Tips & Tricks: Three fireballs will revolve around your kart. Tap the screen to throw them all at once, spinning out any kart they hit. You're really burning up the track now!
 * Driver info: Lets you throw three fireballs. Spin out your opponents while you burn up the track!
 * Driver info (Fire Flower+): Adds another fireball, allowing you to throw four total.

Paper Mario: The Origami King

 * Collectible Treasure No. 71: Use this to become Fire Mario! He flings those fireballs without suffering a single singe upon his shiny 'stache. Such skill!
 * Item description: Use this to throw fireballs at enemies in a straight line.

Trivia

 * A Fire Flower makes a cameo in an ' sketch, where then-Nintendo CEO Reggie Fils-Aimé uses it to set an indignant fan asking for ' on fire.