Spike Trap

Spikes are harmful objects that can lead to losing health (while in Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2, causes Mario or Luigi to run uncontrollably) or even lives. These traps appeared in nearly all Mario games. Spikes tend to be stationary, retractable, or attached to a moving object. They are first introduced in Super Mario Bros. 2 though Icicles in Mario Bros. are functionally the same until they fall. In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 and Yoshi's Island DS, spikes are found mostly in castles. A more common rough object, a thorn, also appears in the two Yoshi's Island games. In Yoshi's Story, spikes actually move and jump around in the Bone Dragon Pit and Magma Castle.

In Super Mario World, Yoshi can safely walk on spikes. This game also introduces the Falling Spike.