Mega Mushroom

The Mega Mushroom is a rare variety of mushroom found in the Mushroom Kingdom. It temporarily enlarges the user, allowing them to walk over and destroy everything in their path, including the largest and most powerful enemies. Mega Mushrooms made their debut in Mario Party 4, where they were depicted as normally proportioned mushrooms with green caps; in New Super Mario Bros., they received a more distinctive design, being much bigger with bulbous, red-spotted orange-yellow caps. Mega Mushrooms hop along the ground and, in their initial appearance, would actively flee from Mario. Its opposite counterpart is the Mini Mushroom, which shrinks the character.

Mario Party 4
Mega Mushrooms first appear in Mario Party 4, with a turquoise cap somewhat resembling a 1-Up Mushroom. It can be obtained by landing on a Mushroom Space, purchasing it from an item shop, getting it from an Item Bag, or winning a mini-game on the board. Mega Mushrooms let the character roll two Dice Blocks (and move 2-20 spaces), and enlarge them to a gigantic size that lets them flatten other characters and steal ten coins from them as they stomp across the board. However, board events will be bypassed (except for events involving Bowser at Bowser's Gnarly Party). If the character rolls the same number on both Dice Blocks, they get 10 coins (30 coins for two "7's"). Additionally, a Super Mega Mushroom is available, colored entirely translucent blue. It does the same thing, but with three Dice Blocks instead of two.

Mario Party 10
Mega Mushrooms would finally make a second appearance in the series in Mario Party 10, using their modern design from the New Super Mario Bros. game. Mega Mushrooms only appear in the amiibo Party mode, and act similar to how they did in Mario Party 4, where the user will become giant and take coins from opponents upon passing them.

Mario Party: Star Rush
In Mario Party: Star Rush, Mega Mushrooms appear in the Boss Battle minigame Bowser's Space Race, where grabbing it causes the character to become giant and earn three points from throwing their bomb at Bowser.

Mario Party: The Top 100
In Mario Party: The Top 100, Mega Mushrooms appear in the updated minigame from Mario Party 3, Mush Pit, replacing the Mushrooms from the original game.

New Super Mario Bros.
Mega Mushrooms reappear in New Super Mario Bros., where they would be given their current design, and cause Mario to grow to Mega Mario. In this colossal form, Mario can stomp across the level and crush near anything in his path - enemies, blocks, Warp Pipes, and even the flagpole at the end of the level. Additionally, Ground Pounding in Mega form causes a group of Goombas or coins (or both) to fall from the sky. Destroying items and objects fills the Mega Meter at the top with yellow. Each segment turns green as it is fully filled; when Mario shrinks back to Big Mario, a 1-Up Mushroom appears for each green segment filled, up to a maximum of five 1-Ups.

These mushrooms are rarely found, and almost always come from Orange Toad Houses or Red Flying ? Blocks. Besides the Toad Houses, they only appear in four levels: Worlds 1-1, 1-2, 4-4 and 7-5. If Mario or Luigi ground pounds a block containing a Mega Mushroom, it still appears from above. They are not completely invincible in this form, however; landing on bricks that cover a large enough gap risks Mega Mario smashing through and falling, while lava and poison still instantly cost them a life on contact.

In the E3 2005 trailer build and at least one of the 2005 demo builds of New Super Mario Bros., the Mega Mushroom had the same colors as the Super Mushroom, but it was changed to orange and red in the final version. This was possibly meant to resemble the original colors of a Super Mushroom from Super Mario Bros..

New Super Mario Bros. 2
After being absent from New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the Mega Mushroom returns in New Super Mario Bros. 2. They retain the same function as in the first New Super Mario Bros. Like in New Super Mario Bros., they are very rare, only appearing by launching some fireballs in an ! Pipe from World 1-2, World 5-6, and, though two in a ? Block do appear each in the third level of the Gold Rush Pack and the first level of the Coin Challenge Pack C. In addition, though Mario cannot gain 1-Ups for the destruction he causes, he can get three 1-Up Mushrooms by destroying the Goal Pole; this can only be done in World 5-6. Unlike in New Super Mario Bros., Mega Mushrooms are not found in Toad Houses and cannot be put in reserve.

Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury


The Mega Mushroom makes a return in Super Mario 3D World and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (in the Super Mario 3D World mode only), making it the item's first appearance in a 3D Mario title. It works as it did in New Super Mario Bros. 2. However, if someone ground pounds, they now create a small shockwave that hits all nearby blocks and enemies. As in the other games, Mega characters can destroy Warp Pipes. Also, the characters' voices now become slightly lower-pitched while the power-up is active, similar to Mario Kart Wii, and the Super Mushroom in the Super Smash Bros. games.

Just as the Mega Mushroom is about to wear off, unlike in New Super Mario Bros. or New Super Mario Bros. 2, where the character would emit a green light, the music instead speeds up, similar to the Super Star in the same game and Super Mario 3D Land, and the Rainbow Star in the Super Mario Galaxy games.

Mega Mushrooms can be found in seven levels: Super Bell Hill, The Bullet Bill Express, Tricky Trapeze Theater, Rainbow Run, Super Block Land, Gargantuan Grotto and Gigantic Seasick Wreck.

Although this power-up is absent from the Bowser's Fury mode of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, there is an unused power-up in its coding called the KinokoGiga, which translates to "Giga Mushroom". It is almost identical in appearance to the Mega Mushroom, but is larger and has its colors inverted (it has a red cap with yellow spots). It transforms Mario into a state that is identical to when he takes damage as Giga Cat Mario.

Super Mario Run
In Super Mario Run, a Mega Mushroom makes a cameo appearance as a statue in Kingdom Builder. It can be won from the Bonus Game in Remix 10 mode as a 4★ item.

Mario Kart Arcade GP
In Mario Kart Arcade GP, the Mega Mushroom appears under the name Giant Mushroom. It is an item obtainable from the Item Box. When players use this item, their player character and kart temporarily grow bigger.

Mario Kart Arcade GP 2
In Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, the Giant Mushroom has the same role as it does in Mario Kart Arcade GP.

Mario Kart Wii
In Mario Kart Wii, the Mega Mushroom returns as an item obtainable from the Item Box. Racers can obtain it if they are anywhere from 4th to 8th place, with them also being able to obtain it in 9th place in VS races. In addition to growing bigger, this item causes the player character's voice to get much deeper. Furthermore, it now offers the ability to squash other characters for a certain amount of time, reducing their speed and making them lose their items. While this item is active, controlled characters receive a speed boost and cannot slow down when going off-road, and they are invincible to all dangerous things, except for the Star, Bullet Bill, and Blooper, giving them the power to destroy any items or any course obstacles, except those that are big and metallic (such as Chain Chomps). If racers get hit by Lightning while they are big, they shrink back to normal size rather than becoming tiny. The effect also ends prematurely if they fall off the course. The Mega Mushroom's theme music from New Super Mario Bros. is played for the duration of the item's effect.

Players with a Star can knock Mega Mushroom players aside without adverse effects themselves. A player under the effects of both a Mega Mushroom and a Star can knock most other players aside (normal-sized Star users included).

Mario Kart Arcade GP DX
In Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, the Giant Mushroom has the same role as it does in Mario Kart Arcade GP and Mario Kart Arcade GP 2.

Mario Kart Tour
The Mega Mushroom reappears in Mario Kart Tour and works the same way as in Mario Kart Wii. It is the only item introduced in said game to return in Mario Kart Tour. However, Mega characters are vulnerable to rival racers' items, reverting to normal size if hit, and they do not gain speed nor off-road advantages. Also, the music does not change while the item is in effect.

The following gliders increase the chance of getting Mega Mushrooms and points for hitting racers while under the effects of one.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
The Mega Mushroom appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as a sticker. In The Subspace Emissary, it can be used by any fighter to raise the amount of damage healed by food by 2 percent.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story / Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey
In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, during his Vacuum command tutorial, Broque Monsieur sometimes attacks by using a Mega Mushroom to make himself giant. Bowser needs to punch his body to avoid being rammed. This will knock Broque Monsieur's (still giant) head off, so Bowser can punch it to earn extra coins until his body picks it up again. In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, along with Broque Monsieur using the Mega Mushroom, Bowser Memory M uses the Mega Mushroom as a part of one of its attacks (replacing the Super Mushroom from the original game).

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
A Mega Mushroom appears as a part of Luigi's Bros. Attack Mega Thwonk in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, where Luigi eats one to become giant. The effect wears off after the attack is performed.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
In the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, the Mega Mushroom appears in Balloon Blast, where they can be obtained from an Item Box and makes the character twice their original size. They also appear as items in Dream Ice Hockey, where they increase the size of the character along with their defense and speed, and Dream Curling, where they increase the size of the stone. Mega Mushrooms also appears as an item in Dream Snowball Fight, where they increase the size of the character and cause all of their snowballs to do double damage, while halving the amount of damage the character takes. In the Nintendo DS version, they appear as panels in Curling Bowling which cause the stone to increase in size when it slides over, giving it more power but making it harder to curl.

Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash
Mega Mushrooms appear once again in Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash, where they make characters big, allowing them to hit the ball more easily. Instead of the original music from New Super Mario Bros., a rock cover of the original tune plays when using the Mega Mushroom. The effect lasts for 30 seconds, but can end prematurely if the character endures a Body Shot. As in Mario Kart Wii and Super Mario 3D World, the characters' voices will become slightly lower-pitched and echoing while the power-up is active. Three seconds before the item wears off, the character flashes white before shrinking back to normal size.

Other appearances and references
While the Mega Mushroom does not make an appearance in Super Mario 64 DS, the mushroom has the same effect as the Mega Mushrooms of later games, as it temporarily makes the characters giant, greatly reduces their jumping abilities, and allows them to destroy nearly anything in their path. The character will earn an extra life for every object destroyed from the eighth onwards.

The Mega Mushroom was originally going to return in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, but was removed from the final game due to causing a problem with multiplayer: the character would be able to destroy everything while taking up space on the screen.

The Mega Mushroom also was going to return in Mario Kart 7, along with the Fake Item Box.

The Mega Mushroom makes a cameo appearance in the Wii U version of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 as part of its exclusive content.

Although the Mega Mushroom itself does not appear in the Super Smash Bros. series (excluding the aforementioned sticker), the Super Mushroom has a similar effect to it.

In Paper Mario: Color Splash, a small Toad in the Sacred Forest asks Mario if he has eaten a Mega Mushroom.

In Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, artwork of a Mega Mushroom can be found on a poster in the laboratory in the introductory cutscene.

New Super Mario Bros. 2

 * North American website bio: "This rare mushroom lets you cause maximum destruction—busting down pipes, unbreakable blocks, and any foes in your path. The whole level becomes your stomping ground!"
 * European website bio: "Mario becomes whopping great Mega Mario if he scoffs a Mega Mushroom – you'd best stomp everything in your path while you're jumbo size!"

Super Mario 3D World

 * Digital instruction manual bio: "Transforms Mario into Mega Mario."
 * North American website bio: "Take one of these to become (you guessed it) mega-sized Mario."

Super Mario Run

 * Mega Mushroom Statue description: "A statue of the Mega Mushroom, which makes Mario really, really grow!"

Mario Kart Wii

 * Trading card bio: "The Mega Mushroom is a new item this time around in the Mario Kart series. When activated, you and your vehicle will become super-sized for about 10 seconds and will be immune to all attacks from other racers...except those wielding Star power, Bullet Bill or Lightning. While under the influence of Mega Mushroom power you can run over your rivals and flatten them like a pancake!"
 * "Game Tip!: If you have a Mega Mushroom & you think another racer is going to uncork Lightning, use the Mega Mushroom and you'll only shrink to normal size."

Mario Kart Tour

 * Tips & Tricks: "Increases your kart's size, allowing you to crash any opponents you hit. You'll return to regular size after some time or when you're hit by an item."
 * Mario Kart Tour Twitter: "Mega Mushroom increases your kart's size for a set amount of time and gives you a small speed boost. Plus, you can bump into your opponents to make them crash! Be careful—if you're attacked while giant, you'll return to normal size."

Trivia

 * Fire Yellow Toad's cap in New Super Mario Bros. Wii and New Super Mario Bros. U has a coloration very similar to the Mega Mushroom as it turns yellow and his spots become red. Fire Toad uses the same coloration in Super Mario 3D World.