Recorder
- "Flute" redirects here. For information about the item in Mario's Time Machine, see Flute (Mario's Time Machine).
| Recorder | |
|---|---|
 Artwork of a Magic Whistle from Super Mario Bros. Mushroom World | |
| First appearance | The Legend of Zelda (1986) Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) |
| Latest appearance | Paper Mario: Color Splash (2016) |
- “One toot on this whistle will send you to a far away land!”
- —Toad, Super Mario Bros. 3
A Recorder, also known as a Magic Whistle,[1][2][3] a Warp Whistle,[4][5][6][7] or simply a Whistle,[7] is a rare item. It is originally from The Legend of Zelda; the six notes played upon use are identical, as is the whirlwind it summons that whisks the player to another location.
History
Super Mario Bros. 3
In Super Mario Bros. 3, using a Magic Whistle summons a whirlwind that takes Mario or Luigi to World 9, the Warp Zone, where the player can skip ahead to the start of a later world. Using the Whistle in World 1 will allow Mario or Luigi to warp to World 2, World 3, or World 4; using it in World 2 through World 6 will allow him to warp to World 5, World 6, or World 7; and using it in World 7, World 8, or World 9 will allow him to warp to World 8.
There is a total of three Magic Whistles that can be collected from treasure boxes: two in World 1, and one in World 2. However, in the original Japanese version, a glitch in World 5-1 allows the player to obtain a fourth Whistle. However, only two are needed to warp directly to World 8.
| Image | Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
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World 1-3 | The first Magic Whistle is obtained by holding the down button on  while standing on the white block at the end of the level, so that Mario drops behind the background, and then quickly getting behind the black curtain at the end of the level before the white block's effect wears off. Behind the curtain is a secret Toad House, whose single box contains the Whistle.
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World 1- Fortress
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The second Magic Whistle is obtained by flying above the ceiling at the end of the first room, where there is a door hidden above the top of the screen. The door leads to a small secret room where a treasure box contains the Whistle. Clearing World 1-Fortress in this way will not open its lock on the map.
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World 2-
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To obtain the third Magic Whistle, the player must defeat the Boomerang Brother on the map, who gives out a Hammer. The Hammer must be used to break the rock at the top right of the map screen, opening a secret passage behind a palm tree. The passage contains a Toad House (with a Frog Suit) as well as a pair of Fire Brothers. Defeating both Fire Brothers will award the player the Whistle. According to Princess Toadstool's letter upon the player completing Giant Land, the Whistle had been stolen and taken to the sand dunes on the east side of Desert Land. |
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World 5-1 (Family Computer only) |
In the Family Computer release, a glitch in World 5-1 can cause the treasure box to appear at the end of the level instead of in its usual location. The glitch is performed by reaching the end of the level, then turning around and flying above the wall of blocks until the player hears the sound of a treasure box appearing. After this, if the player returns to the goal, they will notice glitched graphics (as it is not supposed to be possible to activate a treasure box and the goal simultaneously). If the player then hits the goal from the far left corner, the treasure box will teleport to the goal, and picking it up will earn the player either five extra lives or a Whistle.
The level was shortened by replacing the Warp Pipe to this area (as well as a Buster Beetle) with the goal in international NES releases, as well as Super Mario All-Stars and Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, thus removing the glitch and no longer allowing the player to obtain this Whistle. |
Paper Mario: Color Splash
In Paper Mario: Color Splash, this item (now known as the Recorder, its original name from The Legend of Zelda) makes a reappearance after 28 years of absence and in time for its 30th anniversary debut. It is hidden in the Green Energy Plant, in a course specially dedicated to Super Mario Bros. 3. Mario must flip into 3D and go beyond the Goal Pole at one of the ends of the area. At first, it looks identical to its appearance in Super Mario Bros. 3, but after Mario tosses it into the air, it becomes a photo-realistic recorder. The Recorder can also be purchased from the Wringer for 300 coins and sold as a card for one coin. A replica version of the Recorder can be collected from the Battle Spin. It is also given developers' notes in the game's digital manual.
When the Recorder Card is used in battle, the scenery changes to a field and the Recorder plays the original melody. Three more Recorders appear and play the Super Mario Bros. 3 Coin Heaven/Sky Land/Warp Zone theme, which causes a tornado to appear. The tornado lifts any enemies into the air and causes them to plummet back down. The effect of the attack is increased if the player presses the buttons on the Wii U GamePad when the Recorder is playing the initial melody.
References in other media
- In The Legend of Zelda series, the Recorder reappears in the teleivsion series and comic under the name "Magic Whistle"; in addition, its melody has been remixed throughout the series, most notably as the title theme of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
- During the climax of The Wizard, Haley tells Jimmy to seek out the Magic Whistle (which she refers to as the "Magic Flute") in the World 1 Fortress, which he succeeds in doing. However, Super Mario Bros. 3 was a game that the characters had never played before, making it unknown as to how Haley even knew of its existence.
- In the Nintendo Adventure Book Leaping Lizards, a Magic Silver Whistle is the prize of the International Mushroom Games, which are held in a neutral area of the Mushroom Kingdom every six years. Iggy Koopa is the whistle's current holder, and the heroes compete against him in order to reverse the spell placed on the Mushroom King, who was transformed into a rabbit.
- In the 2006 version of Nintendo Monopoly, the Warp Whistle is referenced by the Coin Block "Advance to Go" card.
- Mystical Whistle, the name of a Sammer Guy in Super Paper Mario, is a reference to the Magic Whistle.
Profiles
Super Mario Bros. 3
- Wii Virtual Console manual: "Not much is known about the Magic Whistle. See if you can find it!"
- 3DS Virtual Console manual: "Warps Mario to a different world."
Paper Mario: Color Splash
- Item description: "The pleasant, nostalgic melody makes you feel like you're being whirled up into the sky."
Gallery
Paper Mario: Color Splash
Paper Mario: Color Splash
Paper Mario: Color Splash
Paper Mario: Color Splash
Media
 Whistle (Super Mario Bros. 3) - Plays when the Whistle is used | File info 0:30 |
| Whistle (Super Mario All-Stars) - Plays when the Whistle is used | File info 0:30 |
| Whistle (Super Mario Advance 4) - Plays when the Whistle is used | File info 0:30 |
| Thing: Recorder - Plays while using the Recorder Thing | File info 0:20 |
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | フエ[8] / ふえ Fue まほうのふえ (Super Mario Bros. 3) Mahō no Fue タテブエ (Paper Mario: Color Splash) Tatebue |
Flute / Whistle / Recorder Magical Recorder (Princess' last letter) Recorder |
| German | Zauberflöte |
Magic Flute |
| Italian | Fischietto Fischietto Magico Flauto (Paper Mario: Color Splash) |
Whistle Magic Whistle Flute |
| Portuguese | Flauta |
Flute |
| Spanish | Flauta Mágica |
Magic Flute |
Trivia
- An arrangement of the tune for the Recorder can be heard if the player wins three times in a row in the minigame Loves Me...? from Super Mario 64 DS.
External links
References
- ^ Super Mario Bros. 3 English instruction booklet, page 24.
- ^ Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 instruction booklet, page 28.
- ^ Peterson, Erik. Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 Player's Guide back cover.
- ^ Nintendo Power Volume 13 back cover
- ^ M. Arakawa. Super Mario All-Stars Player's Guide. Page 111.
- ^ Hodgson, David S J. Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 Prima's Official Strategy Guide back cover.
- ^ a b M. Arakawa. NES Game Atlas. Page 31.
- ^ Super Mario Bros. 3 Japanese instruction booklet, page 23.
