Coin Block

Not to be confused with Coin Box.

A Coin Block from Super Paper Mario.

“When you hit this block... You'll bash out a specific number of coins!”

—MC Ballyhoo, Mario Party 8

A Coin Block (also called a 10 Coin Block) is a block that the player can hit multiple times, giving out one Coin per hit. Coin Blocks can resemble either Brick Blocks or ? Blocks.

History

Super Mario series

Mario wearing a Gold Block from New Super Mario Bros. 2.

Coin Blocks have appeared in nearly every Super Mario game, debuting in Super Mario Bros., with ? Block-styled Coin Blocks debuting in Super Mario World. In most games, there is a time limit for how long it will continue to give the player coins instead of actually having a set number of coins. If the player strikes a Coin Block fast enough, they can get about 10 coins, which is usually the most coins a player can get from a Coin Block, though quite a few games make it possible to obtain more. However, if a Coin Block is left alone after the first hit, it will only give two coins.

In certain games, Coin Blocks will give extra prizes if they are hit at least 10 times fast enough:

• In Super Mario Bros. Deluxe's Challenge Mode, some Coin Blocks release Red Coins.
• In New Super Mario Bros., Coin Blocks produce Super Mushrooms.
• In New Super Mario Bros. Wii and New Super Mario Bros. U, five additional Coins will fly out before the Coin Block turns into a Block.
• In New Super Mario Bros. 2, the block turns into a Gold Block that Mario can wear, producing up to a maximum of 100 coins, unless Mario gets damaged or finishes the level before collecting the maximum amount.

Only ? Block-styled Coin Blocks appear in Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2.

A rectangular ? Block from Super Mario 3D Land.

Both ? Block and Brick Block-styled Coin Blocks appear in Super Mario 3D Land and Super Mario 3D World. On rare occasions, Mario may find a rectangular Coin Block, which allow Mario to get three times more coins then an average Coin Block would give him. Flying Coin Blocks, Flying Question Blocks that give multiple coins without losing their wings, appear as well. These games also have Coin Blocks that shoot coins onto the ground.

Super Mario 3D Land and Super Mario 3D World also feature Coin Blocks that Mario can wear over his body, called Coin Boxes. In Super Mario 3D Land, these boxes let Mario collect infinite coins when moving while wearing it, but in Super Mario 3D World, they act just like Gold Blocks. Like the Propeller Box, the blocks are lost once the player finishes the level or is injured, but they give extra lives if brought to the Goal Pole.

Paper Mario series

Coin Blocks appear in Paper Mario series, working as they do in the Super Mario games.

Super Paper Mario reveals Coin Blocks to have images of flashing coins on their sides, as seen when Mario flips into 3-D. Their Tattle reads: "That's a coin block. Every time you hit it, a coin will come out..."

By using Bowser's fire breath, it is possible to collect as many as 42 coins from a Coin Block; however, very few blocks within the game are situated properly to be in range of this attack.

Mario & Luigi series

The Mario & Luigi series also features these blocks, and introduces several variations, like Bros. Blocks, Random Blocks, and Rally Blocks.

Mario & Wario

Both coin blocks from Mario & Wario. The left side contains coins while the right side contains nothing.

Coin Blocks were redesigned as one of the square panel-type objects found in Mario & Wario. If Wanda uses her wand on it, the player will get a certain amount of coins. Wanda can keep using the wand on the Coin Block until there are no coins remaining.

Mario Party series

In the Mario Party series, Hidden Coin Blocks may appear if a Space holding one is landed on. They also appear in various minigames, like Coin Cache and Coin Block Bash.

In Mario Party DS, players must manually hit the block to gain coins in five or ten seconds. Also, Block Sensors make a Hidden Block appear on the space the user lands on.

Super Mario Maker

Coin Blocks reappear in Super Mario Maker, having the same functionality as in other games. They can be created by placing a coin inside a ? Block or Brick Block in editing mode. However, the Coin Blocks in the New Super Mario Bros. U style work the same way as they do in the classic Super Mario games (and the corresponding styles).

Other appearances

In the 2006 version of Nintendo Monopoly, Coin Block spaces and cards replace the traditional Community Chest ones. In the 2010 version, Brick Blocks are used instead.

On the Wii Shop Channel, the loading screen for downloading any title is Mario or Luigi hitting Coin Blocks and collecting coins, sometimes in their Fire forms.