Fireball

A Fireball (also written as Fire Ball) is a common projectile in the Mario franchise. Typically, one can only shoot fireballs if he or she acquires a Fire Flower. Some enemies can shoot fireballs without the use of a power-up. (Additionally, Mario and Luigi can shoot fireballs from their hand without using a Fire Flower.) Ice Balls can be seen as a parallel to fireballs.

Super Mario Bros.
Fireballs make their debut in Super Mario Bros., where Mario and Luigi can shoot these fireballs only if they acquired a Fire Flower. They are affected by gravity and can bounce in the ground. Most enemies can be defeated by one fireball and Bowser can be defeated by five. Hitting Bowser and his fakes with five fireballs will defeat them and give 5000 points; the latter seven will also reveal the common enemy that was in disguise.

Super Mario Bros. 2
Fireballs only appear in Super Mario Bros. 2 as enemy projectiles. Pansers shoot two fireballs at a time (gray/green ones shoot them straight up, while the others shoot them toward the player in an arc). Red and Green/Gray Birdos spit fireballs; the former also shoots eggs, but the latter doesn't, forcing the use of Mushroom Blocks to defeat them. Autobombs also shoot fireballs at players if Shy Guys are on them.

Super Mario Bros. 3
Fireballs return in Super Mario Bros. 3, with being used as a projectile again. Though Mario and Luigi aren't the only ones that can shoot fireballs, as Fire Bro's can also shoot fireballs from their mouths which acts like the Mario Bros. fireballs. Due to palette limitations in the NES version of the game, the fireballs Mario and Luigi shoot appear green inside Toad Houses and blue during Koopaling fights.

Super Mario World
Fireballs appear in Super Mario World where they are used as a weapon. Additionally, Yoshi can breathe fireballs if he eats a Red Shell and Red Yoshi can also breathe fireballs if he eats a Koopa Shell. The fireballs that Yoshi spit out look like Lava Bubbles and destroy most enemies.

Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS
In Super Mario 64, Keronpa Balls and Fly Guys spit fireballs at Mario when he is near them. The lava and volcano of Lethal Lava Land also spew fireballs at certain intervals.

Fireballs also appear in Super Mario 64 DS as a stream of Fire Breath with Yoshi's Power Flower ability. They are also found by swallowing Keronpa Balls, Fly Guys and campfires.

Super Mario Galaxy
Fireballs reappear in Super Mario Galaxy as Fire Mario's projectiles; however, the form has a time limit, and though he can shoot more than two fireballs at a time, he can't do so underwater. Kamella and Magikoopas also shoot fireballs from their wands (the former also spawns Green Shells), and King Kaliente and Octopuses spit them and coconuts (the latter of which can be hit back at them).

New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Fireballs appear in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, appearing when Fire Mario shoots them. Fire Bros also throw fireballs, and Fire Piranha Plants spit them out, melting any Ice Block in their way. Yoshi can also spit a giant Fireball (like in Super Mario World) by eating a fireball launched by a character with a Fire Flower power up, or from a Fire Piranha Plant. This giant fireball transforms all enemies encountered into coins.

Super Mario Galaxy 2
Fireballs return in Super Mario Galaxy 2, acting as they did in the prequel, though Magikoopas instead spawn Goombas. Prince Pikante also shoots fireballs and coconuts in his battle.

Super Mario 3D Land
Fire Mario reappears in Super Mario 3D Land, acting as it does in the 2D Mario games. The fireballs thrown also bounce off walls and fizzle out after a while. Fire Piranha Plants also spit fireballs.

New Super Mario Bros. 2
Fireballs return in New Super Mario Bros. 2 and behave as they always have. There is an extra gimmick where Fire Mario can shoot fireballs into certain pipes and coins and other items (like Mega Mushrooms) can come out the other end.

New Super Mario Bros. U
Fireballs come back in New Super Mario Bros. U, acting as they did in New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

Super Mario 3D World
Fireballs reappear in Super Mario 3D World and behave like they did in Super Mario 3D Land; they can also go through Clear Pipes and destroy any spiked balls within them. Fire Bros also throw fireballs, which can go through Clear Pipes and be put out by players' fireballs.

Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
Fireballs return in Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS due to the return of the Fire Flower item and enemies such as Fire Piranha Plants. Yoshi can also swallow fireballs from enemies that shoot them, or get fireballs from fire obstacles such as Fire Bars or Burners. Additionally, the Fire Koopa Clown Car, an object released via a software update on December 22, 2015, has the ability to shoot fireballs from its mouth, and Fire Flowers give it a triple spread-shot. A charge can create larger fireballs, which can destroy blocks.

Super Mario Kart
Fireballs make their debut in the Mario Kart series in Super Mario Kart, where Bowser would drop these items and touching them would make the driver spin out. Unlike other laid down items such as Banana Peels, however, they move around a bit on the course.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Fireballs reappeared in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, where they are the special item of Mario (and Petey Piranha and King Boo, due to their ability to have any special item). Luigi's is a Green Fireball, but it acts the same. When the special item is used, five fireballs will be launched into the racetrack, hitting other drivers and causing their karts to spin-out. These fireballs are capable of ricocheting off walls. However, after a short amount of time, the launched fireballs will fizzle out.

Mario Kart Wii
Fireballs also appeared in Mario Kart Wii, where they could only be seen in the 2nd Competition of March 2009. Here, Dry Bowser would spit out fireballs to attack the player. He would either fire three fireballs backwards or one fireball forward, depending on the player's racing position.

Mario Kart 7
Fireballs appear in Mario Kart 7 where they are used as a special weapon. They can only be used if the Fire Flower item, which allows the racers to shoot fireballs forwards and backwards, is acquired. A racer hit with a fireball loses three coins.

Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Fireballs appear in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, where they have the same use and effect as in Mario Kart 7.

Mario Superstar Baseball
Fireballs also appeared in Mario Superstar Baseball, where they are Mario and Luigi's special pitch. It, unlike most other pitches, goes in a straight line. The ball, as the name says, turns into an extremely hard-to-hit fireball (red for Mario, green for Luigi).

Mario Super Sluggers
Fireballs reappeared in Mario Super Sluggers. Like in Mario Superstar Baseball, it is used as Mario's Star Pitch, though Luigi is given a different Star Pitch. Just like in the predecessor, Mario will throw the baseball at a fast speed, which makes it harder for batters to properly hit it.

Super Smash Bros. series
Fireballs appear as the standard special move used by both Mario and Luigi throughout the Super Smash Bros. series. Mario's Fireballs are red and affected by gravity (meaning they bounce against the ground), while Luigi's Fireballs are green and shoot straight no matter what, unless it ricochets off of something in front of Luigi. Kirby can also use the Fireball move once he has sucked up Mario or Luigi, and the color and performance of the Fireball are according to which Mario Brother he has sucked up. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, Yoshi can spit single fireballs in his Final Smash form.

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, the first custom variant of Mario's Fireball is Fast Fireball, in which the fireball travels directly forward at high speed but doesn't cause knockback and deals less damage. The second is Fire Orb, which fires a larger but slower fireball that moves similarly to the standard Fireball but can hit multiple times. The custom variants for Luigi's Fireball are Bouncing Fireball, which behaves like Mario's standard Fireball, and Ice Ball, which moves more slowly but can freeze opponents.

Club Nintendo comics
In the Club Nintendo comic "Super Mario: Verloren in der Zeit", Fire Mario uses a Fireball to defeat a Tyrannosaurus rex.

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
Fireballs appear in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!. They are used by Fire Mario (known as Super Mario in the show). The episode, "The Fire of Hercufleas" introduces the Great Balls of Fire, very powerful fireballs that can damage a wall.

The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
Fireballs also appear in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3. Once again, they are used by Fire Mario. The episode, "Princess Toadstool for President" includes the song, "Great Balls of Fire," which is a real song. Fireballs are also produced by Fire Chomps and Fire Snakes.

Super Mario World television series
Fireballs reappear in the Super Mario World television series. They can be used by Fire Mario and Gray Bowser Statues.

Names in other languages
Feuerball Palla di fuoco