Checkpoint

This article is about checkpoints in general. For the checkpoint from Yoshi's Woolly World, see Checkpoint (Yoshi's Woolly World). For the checkpoint from Yoshi Topsy-Turvy, see Checkpoint (Yoshi Topsy-Turvy).

A checkpoint in Super Mario Galaxy 2

Checkpoints are objects within a level that mark the point where the player can continue from after losing a life.

In Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Land, and Super Mario Galaxy, checkpoints are unmarked, with the player simply resuming from a place in the level they had passed. In Super Mario Bros. 2, every Warp Door serves as a checkpoint, as do the rockets from Worlds 4-1, 4-2, and 7-1. Super Mario Bros. 3 has no checkpoints due to having shorter levels, while Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine typically lack them due to most levels having a sandbox structure; however, warping to a few exceptional areas in the former, the player will return directly to that point upon reentering the level, such as in the volcano of Lethal Lava Land, and similarly for "secret" areas in the latter, an unmarked checkpoint is used instead of returning the player to Delfino Plaza, as would normally happen upon death.

The first Super Mario game to feature an object that acted solely as a checkpoint is Super Mario World with its Midway Gate. Subsequently, other variations were used, including the Bell of Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins and the Middle Ring of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. Since the release of New Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS, however, Super Mario games have largely standardized on the usage of Checkpoint Flags.

Gallery

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  Warp Doors from Super Mario Bros. 2

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  Unactivated (left) and activated (right) Midway Gates from Super Mario World

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  A bell from Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

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  A Checkpoint Flag from New Super Mario Bros.

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  An unactivated Checkpoint Flag from New Super Mario Bros. Wii

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  An activated Checkpoint Flag from Super Mario 3D Land

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  An unactivated Continue Point in Donkey Kong Land

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  An activated Continue Point in Donkey Kong Land

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  A Star Barrel from Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

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  A figurine of a Professor Chops checkpoint from Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

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  Unactivated (left) and activated (right) skulls from Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3

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  A checkpoint block from Wario Land: Shake It!

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  A Middle Ring from Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3

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  A checkpoint from Yoshi Topsy-Turvy

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  A Checkpoint Flag from the Metro Kingdom in Super Mario Odyssey