POW Block

The POW Block is a common block in the Mario series. In all games they appeared in, the effects they do when thrown to the ground or hit in the air will cause a large tremor on the ground, causing all enemies on screen to get hurt. Pow Blocks can be carried and thrown in most games, and some are required for a 100% game completion. Most POW blocks are a metallic blue, but some POW blocks are red.

Mario Bros.
The POW Block is an item that appears in Mario Bros. (the arcade version and its ports; not the Game & Watch one). When hit, it damages all enemies in the screen, but only those that were on the ground. It can be hit a certain number of times before it disappears. Each time it gets hit, it will flatten up. In some ports of the game, the POW Block can be picked up. However throwing the picked up POW block will result in it completly disappearing regardless of how many times it was hit before.

Super Mario Bros. 2
The POW Block has the same function in Super Mario Bros. 2 as it had in Mario Bros., but it can only be used once as the player has to throw it onto the ground to activate it.

A giant version of the POW Block shows up in Super Mario Advance. A Giant POW Block can bounce around the floor, causing multiple tremors, before it disappears.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii
The POW Block returns in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Like in Super Mario Bros. 2, it can be picked up and carried, and once thrown, it eliminates all the enemies onscreen and also drops all floating coins. The POW Block is also essential in order to collect Star Coins found hidden in some levels.

''Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, if Yoshi hits a POW Block, all nearby enemies turn into stars. It only appears in The Cave of the Lakitus, but appears twice in that one level. They can be hit thrice before it disappears. POW Blocks were most commonly won in Bonus Challenges, where they could be used anywhere afterward, being called Anywhere POWs.

Paper Mario series
In the Paper Mario series, the POW Block is an item that does two damage to all enemies (but much more in Super Paper Mario if the remote had been shaken with each corresponding prompt). It penetrates defense and makes enemies with shells (such as Koopa Troopas) flip over. In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, the POW Block affects all enemies on the screen, including flying enemies.

''Mario Power Tennis
POW Blocks made a small appearance in Mario Power Tennis, on the Mario Classic Court. A POW Block would move back and forth across the net. If a player hits the ball through it, all enemies on that player's side of the court become stunned, allowing the player to defeat them by running into them (This counts as one of two hits needed to stun Sidesteppers; Freezies are defeated instantly). POW Blocks cannot hit Fighter Flies when they are airborne though, but they could be defeated if the player hits the POW block at the correct time. After a certain number of hits, it will disappear. After a while, it will reappear in the course. Stunned enemies who got hit by the POW block will resume walking.

''Mario Kart Arcade GP 2
In Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, the POW Block is one of Waluigi's special items. When used, a random racer is stunned for about 7 seconds.

''Mario Kart Wii
The POW Block is a new item in Mario Kart Wii. When dispatched by a player, all racers ahead of the user will find POW Blocks above their karts. They must jump three times with good timing to destroy the POW Block or they will spin out in a similar way to that caused by a Banana Peel. Racers won't be affected by the POW Block if the third strike goes off while they are in mid-air. The player can also avoid it by starting a wheelie, or shaking their controller (like doing a jump trick) right when the third strike goes off. By doing this, they will still spin out and lose items, but retain their momentum. It is also possible to avoid it by doing a hop right at the third strike but it is extremely difficult since it requires perfect timing. When the player has a Star, Mega Mushroom, or Bullet Bill activated, he/she won't get affected by the POW block at all.

''Super Smash Bros.
POW Blocks appeared as part of the hidden stage Mushroom Kingdom in Super Smash Bros. If a fighter hit the POW Block, all other fighters touching the ground would be damaged and fly to the sky. The POW block is a powerful stage hazard, and it appears throughout the stage randomly. After being hit, the POW block will reappear somewhere else on the stage.

''Super Smash Bros. Brawl
The POW Block makes an appearance on the Super Smash Bros. Brawl stage Mario Bros. where it can be used to paralyze all enemies on the screen, allowing them to be picked up and thrown at other players. After it disappears as a result of being hit a couple of times, it will reappear again in the same spot in the stage.

''Mario Super Sluggers
POW Blocks also appear in Mario Super Sluggers as an item. They are referred to in this game as POW-Balls. The item is an unlockable item that will stun fielding players for about four seconds. They are unlocked when a certain Treasure Chest is opened in Mario Stadium. If the POW-ball itself hit the outfielder, then only the outfielder gets knocked out and the POW-ball will disappear, with no tremor effect on the ground.

''Art Style: PiCTOBiTS
In this game, POW Blocks are used to erase all the bits in the bottom part, once it is used, it will consume one restore space.

Gallery
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Trivia

 * In Mario Kart Wii, "POW" can be seen as a license plate of all of the cars in Moonview Highway, the license plates of the trucks is 1up.
 * "POW" also is the license plate of numerous cars in Mushroom Bridge and Mushroom City from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!.