Message Block

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Message Block
Message Block
Artwork from Yoshi's Crafted World
First appearance Super Mario World (1990)
Latest appearance Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch) (2024)
Relatives
“Roses are red, violets are blue, never forget, what I say to you. Timing is vital, aim must be true, measure the angle and win, do!”
Message Block, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

Message Blocks are blocks that provide tips and hints to the player when struck. Traditionally, the text and images of the advice is displayed as a pop-up, which further pauses the game until it is dismissed. Message Blocks appear in various platforming titles of the Super Mario franchise, but are most common in the Yoshi series. They first appear in Super Mario World but their design in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, a white block with eyes, prominent cheeks, and a smile, is the most recurring.

History

Super Mario World / Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2

See also: Tourist Tips
Message Block from Super Mario World

Message Blocks[1] appear in Super Mario World and return in its reissue. They are blue blocks with an orange speaker. Message Blocks usually appear at the start of certain levels, and their advice describes them. Message Blocks also explain certain game mechanics. Some of the text that appears is labelled as a Point of Advice. Yoshi's House has a Message Block, which displays different text depending on if the player is riding Yoshi or not. If they are not riding Yoshi, a letter from Yoshi about how he is not at home is displayed. If they are riding Yoshi, advice explaining that the yellow Dotted Line Blocks can be turned into Yellow Block is displayed. It further directs the player to the Yellow Switch Palace where this can be done.

Message Blocks reappear in the reissue Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2, with additional blocks being added to Yoshi's Island 1, Donut Ghost House, Donut Secret House, and Butter Bridge 1. Some existing hints are moved to other blocks. The game also renames Points of Advice, calling them Tourist Tips instead.

Mario's Time Machine

The NES version of Mario's Time Machine has similar hint-providing blocks known as information boxes[2] (or info boxes[2]).

Yoshi series

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island / Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3

See also: List of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Message Block hints
Sprite of a Message Block from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and its Game Boy Advance version, Message Blocks (also named Messages[3] and Information Blocks[4]) are redesigned to be white with a smiling face, a continually moving mouth (only pausing when hit from below and while providing a message), and yellow cheeks. The block's design is the basis for their further appearances in the franchise. Message Blocks teach the player controls and give tips, but generally do not provide information outright. Their text boxes are sometimes accompanied by chalk outlines of Yoshi and other entities in the game depicting the move the text is about.

Yoshi's Story

Hint block from Yoshi's Story. Ripped by me!

In Yoshi's Story, Message Blocks (or Message Boxes[5]) have the exact same role as in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. Much like other blocks in the game, they were made bigger.

Yoshi's Island DS

Message Block in the game Yoshi's Island DS.

In Yoshi's Island DS, Message Blocks[6] (also named Hint Blocks[7]) appear and behave as they do in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island.

Yoshi's New Island

See also: List of Yoshi's New Island Message Block hints
Screenshot of Yoshi's New Island.
A Message Block in Yoshi's New Island

Message Blocks return in Yoshi's New Island. Their instructions change depending on the control type used, whether it is traditional button-style egg-throwing or gyro tilt to aim. Some Message Block hints appear when an event first occurs instead of always being based off hitting a block, such as one for dropping Baby Mario. Unlike the prior games, Message Blocks also explain new level features. One example is telling the player to ground-pound a Tatami Block. Also unlike the prior games, Message Blocks will still continue moving their mouths even when hit and providing a message.

Yoshi's Woolly World / Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World

Message block in Yoshi's Woolly World

In Yoshi's Woolly World and its reissue Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World, there are only five Message Blocks. The first course, Yarn Yoshi Takes Shape!, has three Message Blocks. The third course, Sponge Cave Spelunking, has two. Message Blocks retain their appearance from Yoshi's Island DS; however, their cheeks are pink instead of yellow, and their mouths do not move as continually as in previous entries, pausing for a second after moving their mouth once and then quickly twice. The hints sometimes include full color art instead of the chalk outlines from prior games. There are no Message Blocks for specific level features in this game.

Yoshi's Crafted World

Message Blocks return in Yoshi's Crafted World, appearing and behaving as they do in Yoshi's Woolly World; although they move their mouths even less continually, moving them once before pausing, and then twice before pausing again.

Super Smash Bros. series

In Super Smash Bros., two Message Blocks float in the background of the stage Yoshi's Island. They are also referred to as face blocks.[8] Yoshi's Island returns in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, being renamed Super Happy Tree in the latter game, and the Message Blocks are retained.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong

Help Block MVDK Original
A Help Box from Mario vs. Donkey Kong, if a language other than English is selected.
A Help Box in the remake

In Mario vs. Donkey Kong, there are similar blocks named Help Boxes.[9]They are black boxes with the word "HELP" and a question mark written in white. They appear in several levels, and show how to perform Mario's moves. They can be hit from any side to reveal the hint. In European releases of the game, if the language is set to anything other than English, Help Boxes appear as black boxes with only a white question mark.

In the game's remake for the Nintendo Switch, the box has a lavender outline and a question mark in the modern Super Mario typeface. There are no regional variations for Help Boxes in this game. Help Boxes are removed from the level if it is played in Time Attack mode.

Super Princess Peach

A Perry Block from Super Princess Peach.

In Super Princess Peach, there are yellow and blue blocks resembling Perry that act similar to Message Blocks in that they give hints when hit from any side. They are referred to as "kassarbrock" in their internal file names, which is Japanese for "Perry Block". In every boss level, before Peach enters the pipe, they appear warning the player about the boss and providing tips on how to defeat it.

Minecraft

In Minecraft, the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack reskins the Command Blocks to have the same appearance as Message Blocks from Super Mario World.

Unused appearances

Super Mario Odyssey

The Message Block as seen in Super Mario World appears in concept art for the Jaxi in Super Mario Odyssey, where it is part of the bus stop.

Profiles

Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2

  • Instruction booklet description:
    • English:
      Receive helpful Tourist Tips from these conveniently located blocks.

Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3

  • Instruction booklet description:
    • English:
      Hit them from below to get helpful hints.
  • Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console manual description:
    • English:
      Hit them from underneath to get helpful hints.

Gallery

Naming

Internal names

Game File Name Meaning

Super Princess Peach data/stageCommon/kassarbrock_D06_ncg.bin
data/stageCommon/kassarbrock_D06_cl.bin
kassarbrock_D06_ncg
kassarbrock_D06_cl
Perry Block

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese メッセージブロック[10][11][12]
Messēji Burokku
Message Block
Chinese 提示座[?]
Tíshì zuò
Board
French Bloc de message[?] Message block
Boite à message[13] Message Box
Italian Blocco Messaggio[14] Message Block Super Mario World
Blocco[15] Block Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Dado del Messaggio[16] Message dice/cube Yoshi's Story
Mattone messaggio[17] Message brick Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2
Blocco messaggio[?] Message block From Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 onward
Portuguese Bloco de Massagem[?] Massage[sic] Block Super Mario World manual
Russian Блок-справка[?]
Blok-spravka
Reference Block
Spanish (NOA) Bloque de mensaje[?] Message block
Bloque mensajero[18] Messenger block
Help Box
Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese ヘルプボックス[19]
Herupu Bokkusu
Help Box
Italian Blocco informativo[20] Informative block

References

  1. ^ 1991. Super Mario World instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 22.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b 1994. Mario's Time Machine NES instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 9.
  3. ^ Upchurch, David, et al. (January 1996). Nintendo Magazine System (UK) issue 40. EMAP (British English). Page 21.
  4. ^ September 1995. Nintendo Magazine System (AU) Issue #30. Catalyst Publishing (Australian English). Page 15.
  5. ^ Prima Bath (April 7, 1999). Nintendo 64 Game Secrets, 1999 Edition Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Prima Games (American English). ISBN 0-7615-2103-8. Page 112.
  6. ^ 2006. Yoshi's Island DS instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 17.
  7. ^ Williams, Drew (2006). Yoshi's Island DS Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (American English). ISBN 1-59812-016-6. Page 6 and 11.
  8. ^ 1999. Super Smash Bros. Official Strategy Guide. BradyGames. ISBN 1-56686-900-5. Page 114.
  9. ^ Mario vs. Donkey Kong American English Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console digital manual, tab 13: "Items and Features".
  10. ^ Super Mario World Japanese instruction booklet (fold-out)
  11. ^ 1995. Super Mario: Yossy Island instruction booklet. Nintendo (Japanese). Page 16.
  12. ^ 1998. 「ヨッシー全百科」 (Yoshi Hyakka). Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 4-09-281158-6. Page 46. (Archived via archive.today.)
  13. ^ Yoshi Story instruction booklet, French segment (PDF). French. Page 59.
  14. ^ Super Mario World Italian manual. Page 22.
  15. ^ Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island GIG's Italian manual. Page 8.
  16. ^ 1998. Yoshi's Story European manual. Nintendo of Europe (Italian). Page 123.
  17. ^ 2002. Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 European manual. Nintendo of Europe (Italian). Page 109.
  18. ^ Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 Spanish instruction booklet[page number needed]
  19. ^ 2004. マリオvs.ブイエスドンキーコング (Mario buiesu Donkī Kongu) instruction booklet (PDF). Nintendo (Japanese). Page 13.
  20. ^ Mario vs. Donkey Kong Italian e-manual. Page 13.