Lift

Lifts (also known as Elevators or Moving Platforms ) are obstacles which appear throughout the Mario franchise. They are simply platforms which go up or down, in order to transport a game character or object to different heights. Some move by themselves, while others are controlled by the player.

Donkey Kong
In Donkey Kong, two sets of lifts appear in 75m: one set going up, the other set going down. Lifts appear to work via a chain-like mechanism. When an elevator reaches the end of its path, it disappears, and a new one appears at the beginning of the path, as opposed to a single elevator going up and down.

Donkey Kong (Game Boy)
Lifts also appeared in the Game Boy version of Donkey Kong.

Donkey Kong Country
In Donkey Kong Country, many steel lifts are present in the level Elevator Antics. They can go either up or down.

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
In Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, lifts are wooden planks. Some are activated when Dixie Kong or Kiddy Kong ride them, and some are activated automatically.

Super Mario Bros.
Lifts are common in some levels of Super Mario Bros., first appearing in World 1-2, where they continuously move upwards or downwards with new ones being dispensed from the bottom or top. Some lifts move horizontally, while some, known as Flimsy Lifts, are stationary, moving downwards if Mario or Luigi stands on them. The lifts are solid, meaning Mario and Luigi cannot land on the top by going through the bottom.

Super Mario Bros. 3
In Super Mario Bros. 3, lifts first appeared in World 1-6. The lifts in this game are wooden, much like the Hard Blocks in the game, and fall as soon as Mario or Luigi lands on one. The game also introduced moving Flimsy Lifts in World 1-4.

Super Mario World
Lifts reappeared in Super Mario World, this time with a gray color.

Super Mario 64
There are self-moving lifts in the Hazy Maze Cave and Wet-Dry World courses. A special lift is used in the Elevate For 8 Red Coins mission in Hazy Maze Cave. Mario can control it stepping on arrow pads.

Super Mario Galaxy 2
In Super Mario Galaxy 2, lifts appear as yellow platforms that raise Mario up, then flash blue and disappear. They cannot be controlled by the player. They appear in Sky Station Galaxy and giant versions in Supermassive Galaxy.

Super Mario 3D Land
Lifts appear in the Nintendo 3DS game, Super Mario 3D Land, having the same design and function as that of Super Mario Galaxy 2. However, they never disappear, unlike the previous game.

Super Mario 3D World
Lifts return in Super Mario 3D World, having the same effects as they did in Super Mario 3D Land.

Super Paper Mario
A few lifts are found in The Bitlands in Super Paper Mario. This time, they are pixelated and resemble the yellow ones found in Super Mario Bros.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Lifts similar to the ones from Donkey Kong re-appears in Mario vs. Donkey Kong. Some of the directions that the elevator moves can be changed by jumping on a switch.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
Lifts can be used by Mini Marios in Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis. They are first introduced in Mushroom Mayhem, Room 1-5, and then begin to appear in later levels in the game.

The object has an attached platform connected onto the level pole. In addition, it also features a button that has two red arrows facing away vertically.

To use them, the toy has to get onto an lift first by guiding with the player's stylus to get onto it. Then, the player must use the button by using the stylus to tap on one of the two arrows if the lift would elevate or rise down. Once tapped, the lift cannot be interrupted by tapping on the button again until it reaches to a certain level to stop on. In addition to using them, the lift can hold up to two Mini Marios.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, lifts from Donkey Kong appear in the stage 75m, which also reappeared in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. They act same as they do in the original Donkey Kong due to the stage being an exact remake of the original level.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, lifts from Super Mario 3D Land appear as platforms in the auto-scrolling 3D Land stage. The match begins on three stationary lifts. During the second portion, players fight on four multi-colored lifts as they transition them to the third portion of the stage; on the way there, some platforms may collide into protruding rocks, altering their angle.

Super Mario Maker
Lift reappear in Super Mario Maker as tools. The direction in which they initially move can be pre-set, and they can move in a set path when placed on a track. When shaken, they turn into Flimsy Lifts, which are colored blue this time.