Beach Ball
- Not to be confused with Magical ball.
Beach Balls,[1] or simply Balls,[2] appear in gameplay-related capacities in the Super Mario franchise.
History[edit]
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins[edit]
Beach Balls first appear in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, where they are found in only one course—the Gumball Course of the Mario Zone. In this course, Bears roll them under their feet, moving with them slowly from side to side. The Beach Ball continues to bounce and roll at the same speed even after the Bear on it is defeated, changing orientation when bumping into a wall. The ball can carry Mario like a moving platform. It can be so used to pass wide spiky surfaces.
Wario Land: Shake It![edit]
Balls in Wario Land: Shake It! can be picked up by Wario, and if he throws one at any wall, ceiling, enemy, or object, it will bounce for a short while. In Its-all Mine only, there is a mission that prompts Wario to use a ball to defeat three enemies in a single throw.
Mario Party: Island Tour[edit]
Beach balls in Mario Party: Island Tour are controlled and used by player characters in the minigame Pool Buoy. The characters control them from inside to move around on the water's surface and bump into other players. The balls are translucent to allow players to see their characters. On the system's touchscreen is another beach ball which the player can drag their stylus or finger on, dictating the direction of the character in the minigame.
Mario Kart series[edit]
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe / Mario Kart Tour[edit]
A gigantic Beach Ball[3] appears in the Squeaky Clean Sprint course of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Mario Kart Tour, floating in the water-filled bathtub along with a Toy Duck and a Hoop. It primarily serves a decorative purpose, though in Mario Kart Tour it also gives bonus points if hit[4] with a Banana, a Giant Banana, or a Bob-omb.
Mario Kart World[edit]
In Mario Kart World, a few beach balls lie on the sandy portions of Koopa Troopa Beach among umbrellas and deckchairs. Like other ambient objects in the game, such as traffic cones, they are knocked away if driven into.
Donkey Kong Bananza[edit]
Several beach balls are scattered on the shores of DK Island in Donkey Kong Bananza. When touched, they shoot upward, then slowly descend. Donkey Kong can continue kicking a beach ball as long as it is airborne; however, it pops if it touches any surface.
Gallery[edit]
Sprite from Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (with Bear)
Screenshot from Wario Land: Shake It!
Screenshot from Mario Party: Island Tour
Screenshot from Mario Kart Tour showing the Beach Ball at Squeaky Clean Sprint
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | タマ[5] / 玉[6] Tama |
Ball | |
| ボール[7] Bōru | |||
| タマノリ[8] Tamanori |
Balance Ball | ||
| ビーチボール[3] Bīchi Bōru |
Beach Ball | ||
| Chinese (simplified) | 沙滩球[3] Shātān Qiú |
Beach Ball | |
| Chinese (traditional) | 沙灘球[3] Shātān Qiú |
Beach Ball | |
| French | Ballon de plage[3] | Beach ball | |
| German | Ball[?] | - | |
| Wasserball[3] | Beach Ball | ||
| Italian | Pallone da spiaggia[9] | Beach ball | |
| Palla[10] | Ball | ||
| Palla da spiaggia[3] | Beach ball | ||
| Korean | 비치볼[3] Bichibol |
Beach Ball | |
| Portuguese | Bola de praia[3] | Beach ball | |
| Spanish | Pelota de playa[3] | Beach ball |
References[edit]
- ^ August 1993. Nintendo Magazine System (AU) Issue #5. Catalyst Publishing (Australian English). Page 56.
- ^ "Knock the Bear off its Ball and ride over the spikes." – December 1992. Nintendo Power Volume 43. Nintendo of America (English). Page 48.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Displayed as an action in Mario Kart Tour
- ^ Koopa con Carne (June 26, 2025). Hitting (background) objects around Squeaky Clean Sprint (0:06). YouTube. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
- ^ Sawada, Yukio (June 28, 1993). Super Mario-kun Volume 7. Shogakukan (Japanese). Page 116.
- ^ Sakai, Kazuya (Ambit) et al. (October 19, 2015). Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins section. Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 978-4-09-106569-8. Page 75.
- ^ 1994. 「パーフェクト版 マリオキャラクター大事典」 (Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten). Shogakukan (Japanese). Page 105. Retrieved from Imgur.
- ^ スーパーマリオランド２ ６つの金貨／敵キャラクター. Nintendo (Japanese). Retrieved June 27, 2024.
- ^ 1993. Club Nintendo (Italy) Numero 1. Page 22.
- ^ November 15, 2018. Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN 978-88-9367-436-2. Page 75.
