Start Space

A Start Space is a kind of space that appears in a number of games in the Super Mario franchise.

Super Mario series
Start Spaces first appear in Super Mario Bros. 3, in which they are named Start Panels. Here, they are white squares with the word "START" on them. They appear at the beginning of each world. Mario and Luigi start on them, and they get thrown back to the start place when they lose a life in the first level of the game or get a Game Over. Sometimes, minigame markers appear on the Start Space, as it is possible of all other spaces on Super Mario Bros. 3 maps. In Super Mario World, Yoshi's House could be considered a Start Space of sorts, as Mario begins here.

Start Spaces return in New Super Mario Bros., in which they serve as the start of each world as well, but they are now black circles with red arrows. In New Super Mario Bros. Wii and New Super Mario Bros. 2, however, they are white rather than black.

Mario Party series
On boards in the Mario Party series, Start Spaces are where the players start at the beginning of a game. Here, the players determine their starting order by hitting Dice Blocks and start to play. When players pass the Start Space in Mario Party, Koopa Troopa gives them 10 coins. Several events during the game are hosted on the Start Space, such as the Last Five Turns Event in Mario Party 2, Mario Party 3, and Mario Party 4 and Bowser Time in Mario Party 7. Several events also throw players back to the Start Space. However, the Start Space does not behave as a regular space on Mario Party boards, as they cannot be reached after the players have left them, unless they are thrown back by an item or an event.