Nintendo is responsible for dozens of beloved gaming mascots, but few can compare with the legacy that’s been left behind by Super Mario. For more than 35 years, the Super Mario series represents innovation and creativity in the platforming genre. While other series struggle to update their formula and incorporate modern gaming mechanics, Mario routinely thrives and finds ways to excite audiences and rise to the occasion.
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Mario's famous jump is one of his most useful attacks, but he also resorts to the help of weapons to overcome more intimidating obstacles. There are some memorable Mario weapons that prove just how much damage he can do in the Mushroom Kingdom when he has the right equipment.
One of Mario’s first weapons is also his one of the most iconic. His trusted hammer has been with him as early as the original Donkey Kong and continues to be a symbol of power for the plumber.
There have been variations on the hammer over time, whether it’s the Hammer Suit from Super Mario Bros. 3 that mirrors the Hammer Bros., the sturdier Super Hammer, or even Super Smash Bros.’s dangerous take on the tool. No matter how extravagant Mario's weapons get, it's hard to beat the classics.
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9 The Fire Flower’s Fireball Projectiles Help Mario Burn Up The Competition
Mario has grown accustomed to some hefty weapons over the years, but one of his earliest projectile attacks is the intense fireball that he can create after he’s exposed to a Fire Flower. It’s not uncommon for platformers to have some variety of projectile attacks, and for a long time it seemed as if the Fire Flower represented the height of Mario’s power and the easiest way for him to wear down a boss’ life.
Mario’s enemies and adventures have only grown more grandiose, but he still turns to fireballs every now and then for some scorching, nostalgic action. The fresh new look he gets upon picking up this power-up is just the icing on top.
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8 Mario’s Boomerang Gives Him A Versatile Advantage Over His Enemies
Mario had to avoid perilous boomerang attacks from enemies for decades before he finally gets to give Bowser’s minions a taste of their own medicine in the Nintendo 3DS’ Super Mario 3D Land. The Boomerang Flower might look a little silly, but the weapon that Mario gains from it is no laughing matter.
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Mario’s Boomerang has a vastly superior range than the Fire Flower or other projectile alternatives. The fashionable shell and headgear that Mario also gains through the transformation are a good look for the plumber, but also air on the side of safety.
7 The Ice Ball Functions As Both A Hearty Weapon And Platforming Aid
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Mario's Fire Flower is one of the character's most reliable weapons, so it's a bit of a shock that it took Nintendo so long to circle around to a contrasting Ice Flower. Curiously, the Ice Flower turns Mario into a smooth, skating Ice Mario in Super Mario Galaxy, but the item undergoes a transformation for the New Super Mario Bros. series.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii rewards Mario with ice ball projectiles when he acquires the Ice Flower. This weapon is just as effective as its fiery alternative, except its ability to create blocks that can aid in platforming makes it even more advantageous.
6 The Blue Spiny Shell Is An Icon Of Destruction
Anyone who’s ever been in a match of Mario Kart knows the true terrors that are experienced when a high-pitched whirring begins to grow closer and suddenly takes out first place in a massive blue explosion. The Blue Spiny Shell is easily the most notorious item in the entire Mario Kart series.
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While it hasn't shown up in any non-Mario Kart games, the Spiny Blue Shell is still very obviously associated with Mario. What makes the Blue Spiny Shell such a woeful weapon is that it locks onto whoever is in first place and it’s almost impossible to avoid its wrath.
5 Paper Mario’s 1000-Fold Arms Turns The 2D Fighter Into A Juggernaut
The Paper Mario series has gone on an impressive journey across many of Nintendo's home consoles and handheld devices. The newest entry in the papercraft series, Paper Mario: The Origami King, is a promising return to form.
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Creative boss battles and inventive weapons are some of the most rewarding elements of The Origami King. In terms of extravagance, it's hard to top the 1000-Fold Arms. This elaborate attachment is manipulated through motion controls and it gives Paper Mario many advantages in both the overworld and in boss battles.
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4 Super Mario 3D World Introduces The Cannon Box And Its Deadly Bullets
Some of the smartest updates to Super Mario involve preexisting ideas and powers that are suddenly explored in different ways. Mario learns just how frustrating cannonballs can be to avoid during Super Mario Bros. 3’s constant airship encounters. The Wii U’s multiplayer pleaser, Super Mario 3D World, adds many new features that incentivize four-player chaos, including a playable version of those very same cannons.
The Cannon Box is a new item that Mario, or any other player, can pick up and ostensibly turn into a moving turret. It’s extremely satisfying to wipe out enemies, or daydreaming allies, with a barrage of cannonball fire.
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3 Mario’s Spider Igniter Blaster Helps Him Eradicate The Rabbid Menace
The mainline Super Mario games find endlessly creative ways to reinvent the platforming genre, but Nintendo’s most celebrated mascot has also experimented with plenty of other styles of games. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle exposes the Mushroom Kingdom to a Rabbid invasion that turns Mario into a turn-based tactical hero.
Powerful Blasters become Mario’s primary means of combat in Kingdom Battle and these unique tools are among his deadliest weapons. The Spider Igniter is a special Blaster variation that delivers damage, but also temporarily traps its target.
2 The POW Block Levels The Playing Field
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The POW Block has been around as early as the original Mario Bros. experience. This weapon may not be the flashiest of tools, but it’s hard to argue with its ability to clear out a room of enemies.
The reality-breaking principles of the POW Block remain a mystery, but whenever Mario wields this weapon there are seismic reverberations through the world that affect every enemy that’s on the land. Mario may prefer to bring his weapons up close and personal to his targets, but the POW Block can handle multiple enemies at once and offers very little risk.
1 Link’s Master Sword Is Also Mario's Greatest Strength
Admittedly, the Master Sword is more commonly found around Hyrule Kingdom than the Mushroom Kingdom. But recent Nintendo titles have increasingly blurred the lines between their worlds. If Link can end up in Mario Kart, then it’s only fitting that his signature blade makes an appearance in the strategy-construction-platformer game, Super Mario Maker 2.
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The sequel to the wildly successful Super Mario Maker adds several new weapons and power-ups to Mario’s already robust arsenal. The Master Sword gives Mario a Hylian makeover and lets him wield Link’s shield, bombs, and bow and arrows in addition to the notorious blessed blade.
NEXT: 10 Best Items In Mario Kart Deluxe 8, Ranked By Usefulness
