Arrow Sign

Arrow Signs are a method of directing the player in several Mario games. They first appeared in Super Mario World as a sign with an arrow on it and a patch of grass below. In Super Mario Maker, Arrow Signs are now just arrows rather than an actual signpost. The Arrow Sign at the beginning of a level still keeps the sign.

Super Mario World
Arrow Signs made their debut in Super Mario World. The first use of the Arrow Sign was in Yoshi's Island 1 near the Giant Gate.

Super Mario 64
Arrow Signs make their debut in a 3D Mario game in Super Mario 64, first appearing in Bob-omb Battlefield. Near the giant Chain Chomp is the Arrow Sign directing the character to bypass the Chain Chomp moving on to the next area. These Arrow Signs can be broken by either a ground pound or standard attack.

Super Mario Sunshine
In Super Mario Sunshine, the arrow signs are beige-colored and are placed in a few locations.

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
In Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, Arrow Signs only appear in World-e. Their appearance is almost identical to their design in Super Mario World.

New Super Mario Bros. series
Arrow Signs appear in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, New Super Mario Bros. 2, New Super Mario Bros. U and New Super Luigi U, taking an appearance similar to that of Super Mario 64's.

Super Mario 3D Land
In Super Mario 3D Land, the Arrow Sign first appears in World 1-1 in the beginning of the stage. They appear as an orange sign with a white border and red arrow on it.

Super Mario 3D World
Arrow Signs appear in Super Mario 3D World, where some can be broken, as in Super Mario 64.

Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
Two kinds of Arrow Signs appear in Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS. The traditional Arrow Sign seen in previous Mario games always appears at the start of every stage, with the Super Mario World and New Super Mario Bros. U ones retaining their original designs in their respective level styles, and cannot be removed. The second is an unlockable tool in the game, but unlike regular Arrow Signs, it does not have a post or backboard and instead is just a plain red or wooden arrow, depending on the level style. Arrow Signs can be rotated in eight different directions. A maximum of 100 Arrow Signs can be placed in an area. When shaken, it turns into a Checkpoint Flag.

Mario Kart series
Arrow Signs are placed on several tracks throughout the Mario Kart series, telling racers which direction to head in. Some Arrow Signs also change depending on the course, for example, the ones in Waluigi Stadium are digital, have eyes, and bounce.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
An Arrow Sign appears in the Golden Plains stage in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. Occasionally, it pops up on-screen indicating that the stage starts to scroll in the direction it is pointing.

Wario World
Several arrow signs appear in the Special Areas of Wario World. Their purpose is obvious, but the sign can be interacted with by punching it, causing the sign to violently spin in every direction.

Mario Sports Superstars
Arrow signs appear in Mario Sports Superstars in a few Horse Racing courses.