Recorder

"One toot on this whistle will send you to a far away land!"

- Toad

A Recorder, also known as a Magic Whistle,  a Warp Whistle,   or simply a Whistle, is a rare item that appears in Super Mario Bros. 3. It is originally from The Legend of Zelda; the six notes played upon use are identical, as is the whirlwind it summons that whisks the player to another location.

Super Mario Bros. 3
In Super Mario Bros. 3, using a Magic Whistle summons a whirlwind that takes Mario or Luigi to World 9, the Warp Zone, where the player can skip ahead to the start of a later world. Using the Whistle in World 1 allows Mario or Luigi to warp to World 2, World 3, or World 4; using it in World 2 through World 6 allows him to warp to World 5, World 6, or World 7; and using it in World 7, World 8, or World 9 allows him to warp to World 8.

There is a total of three Magic Whistles that can be collected from treasure boxes: two in World 1, and one in World 2. However, in the original Japanese version, a glitch in World 5-1 allows the player to obtain a fourth Whistle. However, only two are needed to warp directly to World 8.

Paper Mario: Color Splash
In Paper Mario: Color Splash, this item (now known as the Recorder, its original name from The Legend of Zelda) makes a reappearance after 28 years of absence and in time for its 30th anniversary debut. It is hidden in the Green Energy Plant, in a course specially dedicated to Super Mario Bros. 3. Mario must flip into 3D and go beyond the Goal Pole at one of the ends of the area. At first, it looks identical to its appearance in Super Mario Bros. 3, but after Mario tosses it into the air, it becomes a photo-realistic recorder. The Recorder can also be purchased from the Wringer for 300 coins and sold as a card for one coin. A replica version of the Recorder can be collected from the Battle Spin. It is also given developers' notes in the game's digital manual.

When the Recorder Card is used in battle, the scenery changes to a field and the Recorder plays the original melody. Three more Recorders appear and play the Super Mario Bros. 3 Coin Heaven/Sky Land/Warp Zone theme, which causes a tornado to appear. The tornado lifts any enemies into the air and causes them to plummet back down. The effect of the attack is increased if the player presses the buttons on the Wii U GamePad when the Recorder is playing the initial melody.

References in other media

 * In the series The Legend of Zelda, the Recorder reappears in the television series and comic under the name "Magic Whistle"; in addition, its melody has been remixed throughout the series, most notably as the title theme of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
 * During the climax of The Wizard, Haley tells Jimmy to seek out the Magic Whistle (which she refers to as the "Magic Flute") in the World 1 Fortress, which he succeeds in doing. However, it is unclear how Haley even knew of its existence, as Super Mario Bros. 3 was a game that the characters had never played before.
 * In Leaping Lizards, a Magic Silver Whistle is the prize of the International Mushroom Games, which are held in a neutral area of the Mushroom Kingdom every six years. Iggy Koopa is the whistle's current holder, and the heroes compete against him in order to reverse the spell placed on the Mushroom King, who was transformed into a rabbit.
 * In the 2006 version of Nintendo Monopoly, the Warp Whistle is referenced by the Coin Block "Advance to Go" card.
 * Mystical Whistle, the name of a Sammer Guy in Super Paper Mario, is a reference to the Magic Whistle.

Super Mario Bros. 3

 * Wii Virtual Console manual: "Not much is known about the Magic Whistle. See if you can find it!"
 * 3DS Virtual Console manual: "Warps Mario to a different world."

Paper Mario: Color Splash

 * Item description: "The pleasant, nostalgic melody makes you feel like you're being whirled up into the sky."

Trivia

 * An arrangement of the tune for the Recorder can be heard if the player wins three times in a row in the minigame Loves Me...? from Super Mario 64 DS.