POW Block: Difference between revisions

{{redirect|POW|the [[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]] [[Genre#Role-playing games|RPG]] stat often shortened as "POW"|[[Power]]}}

{{item infobox

|first_appearance=''[[Mario Bros. (game)|Mario Bros.]]'' ([[List of games by date#1983|1983]])

}}

{{quote|What do POW Blocks do again? Don't they make things flip over when you bop 'em?|Olivia|Paper Mario: The Origami King}}

==History==

===''Mario Bros.''===

[[File:MB Arcade POW Block.gif|frame]]

===''Super Mario'' series===

====''New Super Mario Bros. Wii''====

[[File:NSMBW POW Block Sprite.png|frame|right|100px]]

The POW Block returns in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]''. As in ''Super Mario Bros. 2'', it can be picked up and carried, and once thrown, it eliminates all the enemies onscreen and also drops all floating coins. The POW Block is also essential in order to collect Star Coins found hidden in some levels.

====''New Super Mario Bros. 2''====

====''New Super Mario Bros. U'' / ''New Super Luigi U'' / ''New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe''====

Blue POW Blocks reappear in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]'', ''[[New Super Luigi U]]'', and their [[New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe|Nintendo Switch port]], looking and behaving just as they do in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]''.

====''Super Mario 3D World'' / ''Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury'' ====

====''Super Mario Maker'' / ''Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS''====

====''Super Mario Maker 2''====

In the ''Super Mario Bros.'', ''Super Mario Bros. 3'', ''Super Mario World'', and ''New Super Mario Bros. U'' game styles, POW Blocks can still defeat Bowser in one hit. In the ''Super Mario 3D World'' game style, however, they deal 10 HP damage to [[Meowser]], and make him flinch.

In ''[[Super Mario Bros. 35]]'', the POW Block appeared as a roulette item which, when obtained, defeated all enemies on-screen. It used the same sprite as its ''Mario Bros.'' appearance from the NES version.

[[File:POWBlock SMW2.png|frame|left]]

====''Yoshi's New Island''====

In ''[[Yoshi's New Island]]'', POW Blocks appear in the minigame, [[Enemy Eat-Off]]. Here, they are white with green spots (similar to an [[Egg Block]]) and a [[Yoshi Egg]] replacing the "O" letter. When hit, it turns every enemy on the stage into Yoshi Eggs.

===''Paper Mario'' series===

{{PM item infobox

In ''[[Super Paper Mario]]'' they are used as a portable item. When active, it damages all the enemies currently on screen. In this game, the POW Block may also be used as a recipe ingredient; however, it can only be cooked on its own into a [[Megaton Dinner]]. One of the [[Sammer Guys]] fought is called [[Block of Pow]].

In ''[[Paper Mario: Color Splash]]'', POW Blocks appear as Battle Cards, with the same behavior as they had in ''Paper Mario: Sticker Star''. POW Blocks also appear outside of battle in [[Kiwano Temple]], where one is used to flip some spikes, and [[Violet Passage]], where they can be hit with a [[cannonball]] in order to collect [[coin]]s.

POW Blocks return as items that can be used in battle in ''[[Paper Mario: The Origami King]]''; they serve the same purpose, although Mario can only carry three at a time. In a side room in the [[Water Vellumental Shrine]], a POW Block is used to stop a blue [[Sidestepper]] that is carrying the [[Groovy Panel]]. It is positioned high up, so Mario has to hammer the wall to cause it to drop down to jumping height. Another POW Block appears on [[? Island]], where it can be used to activate all of the [[? Block]]s at once. POW Blocks carried as items are now hit once when used in battle rather than twice, and they can stun all enemies on the ground for one turn. They can be bought exclusively in Toad Town for 160 coins. Despite not being flying enemies, [[Boo]]s and [[Blooper]]s are also immune to POW Blocks, since they float slightly above the ground.

===''Mario Kart'' series===

Although the POW Block itself does not make an appearance in ''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]'', the letters, "POW", is the license plate of numerous cars in [[GCN Mushroom Bridge|Mushroom Bridge]] and [[Mushroom City]].

====''Mario Kart Wii''====

[[File:POW Block - Mario Kart Wii.png|thumb|left|The POW Block, as it appears in ''Mario Kart Wii'']]

[[File:MKW POW Block Hit.png|thumb|Peach getting hit by the POW Block.]]

When the POW Block is dispatched by the player who receives it from an Item Box, all racers ahead of the user find POW Blocks above their karts. The POW Block makes the racers ahead of the user spin out in a similar way to that caused by a [[Banana]], except that they lose all of their current items and come to a complete stop if it hits them. Players will not be affected by the POW Block if the third strike goes off while they are in midair. Players can also avoid it by starting a wheelie, or shaking their controller (like doing a jump [[trick]]) right when the third strike goes off. By doing this, they still spin out and lose items but retain their momentum. It is also possible to avoid it by doing a [[Hop (move)|hop]] right at the third strike but requires perfect timing. When players have a [[Super Star|Star]], [[Mega Mushroom]], or [[Bullet Bill]] activated or if they are flying through the air after being shot out of a cannon, they will not get affected by the POW Block. The letters "POW" can be seen as a license plate on all of the cars in [[Moonview Highway]]. The POW Block also received a [[List of Mario Kart Wii trading cards|trading card]], alongside the other items that appear in the game. If the player gets a POW Block and then uses it, the POW Block appears above the user's kart. It flattens above the user, but it will not hit them, as the POW Block hits only all racers ahead of the user. If used in {{classic-link|N64|Mario Raceway}}, it causes the [[Piranha Plant]]s to jump into the air. If used in {{classic-link|N64|Sherbet Land}}, it causes the [[penguin]]s to spin out. Also, if the player is behind the user, the POW Block sound can still be heard, but the screen will not shake. This is so far the only non-arcade ''Mario Kart'' game the POW Block appears as a usable item, making it, the [[Thunder Cloud]], and the [[Fake Item Box]] (though it has also appeared in ''[[Mario Kart 64]]'', ''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]'', and ''[[Mario Kart DS]]'') the only three usable items in ''Mario Kart Wii'' not to reappear in any future non-arcade installments.

===''Mario Super Sluggers''===

POW Blocks also appear in ''[[Mario Super Sluggers]]'' in the form of '''POW Balls''' as an unlockable error item. They are unlocked when a certain Treasure Chest is opened in Mario Stadium. When used, it stuns fielding players for about four seconds. If an outfielder jumps at the right timing, they can avoid the POW Ball shockwaves. If the POW Ball itself hit the outfielder, then only the outfielder gets knocked out and the POW Ball disappears, with no tremor effect on the ground. Levitating and flying characters such as [[Boo]] and [[Paragoomba]] are unaffected by the shockwaves, but can be hit by the actual POW Ball.

===''Mario Clock''===

[[File:MarioClockPowBlock.png|frame|left]]

POW Blocks reappear in ''[[Mario Clock]]'', collecting all coins on the screen and making the clock fall out.

===''Mario Party 9''===

===''Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker''===

===''Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam''===

In ''[[Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam]]'', POW Blocks appear as sheets of paper in the [[Trio Shuriken]] minigame in the arcade. If [[Mario]] or [[Luigi]] throws a shuriken at one, it will destroy every other on-screen sheets of paper and grant the player their respective points amount.

===''Mario + Rabbids'' series===

====''Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope''====

===''The Super Mario Bros. Movie''===

In the {{media link|The Super Mario Bros Movie teaser poster.jpg|teaser poster}} for ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]'', a marking of a POW Block can be seen printed on a barrel hung on the storefront next to the antiques store.

While POW Blocks themselves do not appear in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Dream Team]]'', an identical-functioning block appears in the [[Mole Hunt]] [[minigame]].

==Profiles==

===''Super Mario'' series===

*'''Wii Virtual Console manual:''' "''This item causes earthquakes.''"

====''New Super Mario Bros. 2''====

===''Mario Kart Wii''===

*'''Instruction booklet:''' "''POW Blocks shake the ground, causing opponents to spin out and drop their items.''"

===''Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker''===

{{main-gallery}}

<gallery>

</gallery>

==Names in other languages==

{{foreign names

|Dut=POW-blok

|DutM=POW Block

|Por=Bloco POW

|PorM=POW Block

|ChiT=POW磚塊<ref>https://www.nintendo.com.hk/nsmb/index.htm</ref>

|ChiTR=POW Zhuānkuài

|ChiTM=POW Brick

}}

==References==

{{M&SATOWG}}

{{NSMBW}}

{{NSMBU}}

{{MKAGPDX}}

[[Category:Mario Power Tennis items]]

[[Category:New Super Luigi U objects]]

[[Category:New Super Mario Bros. U objects]]

[[Category:New Super Mario Bros. Wii objects]]