Paddle Platform

A Paddle Platform (formerly known as a paddle wheel) is a round platform made up of four smaller platforms that typically moves on tracks (similar to Flatbed Ferries), appearing in numerous 2D platformers in the Yoshi and Mario franchises. Some Paddle Platforms, particularly those of the New Super Mario Bros. games, strictly move left and right, while others travel along paths or have a stationary pivot point. Either way, the player must walk on the platforms to make them start spinning.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island / Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
Paddle wheels make their debut in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and its reissue; while big ones first appear in the level Hop! Hop! Donut Lifts and then appear occasionally afterwards, small ones appear in Prince Froggy's Fort, More Monkey Madness, and Danger - Icy Conditions Ahead. While big paddle wheels are green in color, small ones are magenta in color.

In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the in the Yoshi's Island race course plays the sound effect as the paddle wheels in this game.

Yoshi's Island DS
Paddle wheels reappear in Yoshi's Island DS, behaving the same as in their debut game. While the large ones first appear in Castle of the Big Burt Bros. and appear occasionally throughout, small ones are slightly less common now, first appearing in Castle of Priscilla the Peckish. While large paddle wheels on tracks are still green in color, the large stationary paddle wheels are now yellow in color. Additionally, a new variety of paddle wheel with a pivot point resembling the spokes of a pedal-powered vehicle is showcased in Six-Face Sal's Fort and also occasionally appears in At Last, Bowser's Castle!; when turned, they cause certain mechanisms to move.

Yoshi's New Island
Paddle Platforms return in Yoshi's New Island. This time, they are slightly less common; while ones of numerous colors and consisting of five or three platforms appear in the level Slime Drop Drama, one appears near the end of Don't Fear the Spear, one appears in a secret area of Lose the Lunge Fish, and one with shorter platforms appears after the halfway point of Leapin' Lava Meltdown. They behave the same as in previous installments.

Yoshi's Woolly World / Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World
Paddle Platforms reappear in Yoshi's Woolly World and its port, behaving the same as in previous installments. They are about as common as they were in Yoshi's New Island; three appear in the first half of Rollin' Down the River, one appears near the end of Frozen Solid and Chilled, and two each appear near the beginning and near the end of Kamek's Last-Ditch Flyby. The ones in the latter two levels move horizontally despite not having any visible tracks, and the later one in the game is a long version.

Yoshi's Crafted World
Paddle Platforms return in Yoshi's Crafted World, where they only appear in Spinwheel Shuffle. They move along horizontal and vertical tracks.

New Super Mario Bros.
Paddle wheels make their debut in the Mario franchise in New Super Mario Bros., appearing in World 4-A and World 7-7. They behave the same as they do in the Yoshi franchise, although some move on poison rather than tracks, and one can be shown falling off a track without an end point. A large, automatic counterclockwise-spinning version appears in.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii
A single paddle wheel appears in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, specifically in World 5-1 during the segment with the level's Red Ring. It rolls along a horizontal track.

New Super Mario Bros. 2
Paddle wheels return in New Super Mario Bros. 2, with multiple appearing throughout World 5-6 and, as well as one appearing throughout the second section of the first level of the Impossible Pack. They behave the same as in past installments.

New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
Paddle Platforms return in New Super Mario Bros. U and its remake. Only two appear in the entire game, both in Fuzzy Clifftop: the first one appears just after the level's Checkpoint Flag, and the second one appears just before the level's Goal Pole. They move along tracks.

Mario Party 9
Paddle wheels appear along horizontal tracks in Mario Party 9, in the minigame Pedal to the Paddle. The paddle wheels consist of five platforms instead of the usual four, which would later be implemented in Yoshi's New Island. Its pivot point resembles a Turning Floor from of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which would later be the basis for the platforms in Yoshi's Crafted World.

Mario Party 10
Paddle Platforms appear along tracked floors in Mario Party 10, in the minigame Revolving Relay.