Magical ball
It has been requested that this article be rewritten and expanded to include more information. Reason: Include The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 Information
- This article is about the object Lemmy Koopa uses in various Super Mario games. For the item in Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, see Magical Ball (item).
- Not to be confused with magic ball or Beach Ball.
| Magical ball | |
|---|---|
 Artwork from New Super Mario Bros. Wii | |
| First appearance | Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) |
| Latest appearance | Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition (2024) |
- “Welcome to Lemmy’s Magical Circus, Mario!!! Would you like to have some fun with these magical balls? See if you can balance yourself on top of them like I can. Ha Ha Ha!”
- —Lemmy Koopa, Nintendo Power Volume 13, page 62
Magical balls,[1][2] also referred to as beach balls,[3] circus balls,[4] and rubber balls,[5] are balls with star patterns on them that Lemmy Koopa can shoot from his Magic Wand. They are usually small, but they can come in large varieties as well. Although they are usually found in fights with Lemmy, sometimes they appear as obstacles in his castles.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
Magical balls are first seen in Super Mario Bros. 3, where Lemmy attempts to shoot them at Mario (or Luigi) while balancing on one himself. They bounce on the floor, changing direction when they bump into a wall. If Mario touches one, he takes damage, unlike in future games; however, jumping on one merely bounces him upwards, while causing the ball to flash between colors and drop to the floor. Lemmy spawns a total of three balls (not counting the one he balances on), which do not disappear until the battle ends.
Super Mario World[edit]
Fiery versions of magical balls appear in Super Mario World, where they are instead used by Iggy and Larry. They summon them out from their shells' neckline after ducking their heads inside, then roll them at Mario. Due to being fire, they cannot be jumped on, though they can be destroyed by sliding into them, displaying a glitched sprite.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]
Circus balls return in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, but instead of hurting Mario if they touch him, as in Super Mario Bros. 3, they instead simply bump him, which can push him off the edge. Circus balls also changed colors from green with orange stars to yellow with orange stars. Circus balls appear in World 3-
Tower and World 3-
Castle, where Lemmy himself is fought. Mario is supposed to jump off the balls to reach Lemmy, due to the icy floor. In the Castle fight, Lemmy has Kamek tripling the size of his ball, so he can bounce on it to move around. The balls also appear in the World 3-Castle level itself, bouncing above spikes leading to a Star Coin.
New Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]
Rubber balls reappear in World 
Flower-
Castle in New Super Mario Bros. 2, appearing in the level next to one of the Star Coins, as well as in Lemmy's boss battle.
New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe[edit]
Rubber balls return in New Super Mario Bros. U, but Lemmy only balances on one instead of casting them, instead throwing bouncing bombs at the player.
Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
In Super Mario Maker 2 versions 3.0.0 and later, Lemmy balances on top of a magical ball while shooting more out of his wand. They have the same behavior as in New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition[edit]
In Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition, Lemmy is seen riding a rubber ball in his fights in World 2-Castle and World 2-Airship.
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam[edit]
In Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, Lemmy rides a giant rubber ball in one of his attacks in Neo Bowser Castle, when fighting alongside Morton Koopa Jr. and Iggy Koopa. Lemmy rides his ball to try to crush Mario and Luigi, but he fails if he is hit by the boomerang.
Paper Mario: Color Splash[edit]
In Paper Mario: Color Splash, Lemmy balances on a green-and-red-striped ball, using it to roll around the Emerald Circus. During the boss battle, he ditches it by transforming his Magic Wand into a spiked yellow-and-black ball, referred to as a Wonder Ball. Mario must distract Lemmy by using the Disco Ball Thing Card and then use the Ice Pick Thing Card to pop the Wonder Ball, or Lemmy will use his Wonder Ballistic attack for a total of 163 damage.
Mario Kart Tour[edit]
Lemmy's artwork for New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which depicts him on top of a circus ball, is used in Mario Kart Tour on his driver profile and various course icons.
Dr. Mario World[edit]
In Dr. Mario World, Dr. Lemmy briefly stands on a magical ball when using his stage or versus mode skill.
Gallery[edit]
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Super Mario Maker 2 (Super Mario Bros. style)
Names in other languages[edit]
Magical ball[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ボール[6] Bōru |
Ball | |
| バウンドボール[7] Baundo Bōru |
Bound Ball | ||
| Italian | Palla[8][9] | Ball |
Wonder Ball[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | スペシャルボール[?] Supesharu Bōru |
Special Ball | |
| Italian | Palla magica[?] | Magic ball | |
| Spanish (NOA) | Pelota fantabulosa[?] | Fantabulous Ball |
References[edit]
- ^ June 1990. Nintendo Power Volume 13. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 62.
- ^ Rocha, Garitt, and Nick von Esmarch (November 11, 2016). Playing With Power: Nintendo NES Classics. Prima Games (American English). ISBN 9780744017779. Page 234.
- ^ Hodgson, David S J. (October 21, 2003). Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Prima Games (American English). ISBN 0-7615-4425-9. Page 14.
- ^ Bueno, Fernando (November 15, 2009). New Super Mario Bros. Wii PRIMA Official Game Guide. Prima Games (American English). ISBN 978-0-307-46592-4. Page 65, 70, and 71.
- ^ von Esmarch, Nick (2012). New Super Mario Bros. 2 PRIMA Official Game Guide. Prima Games (American English). ISBN 978-0-307-89552-3. Page 203.
- ^ Sakai, Kazuya (Ambit) et al. (October 19, 2015). Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook, Super Mario Bros. 3 section. Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 978-4-09-106569-8. Page 37.
- ^ Sakai, Kazuya (Ambit) et al. (October 19, 2015). Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook, Super Mario Bros. 3 section. Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 978-4-09-106569-8. Page 146, 196, and 200.
- ^ November 15, 2018. Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN 889367436X. Page 37, 146, 196, and 200.
- ^ "In New Super Mario Bros. U è il boss del Mondo 1, in cima a una palla gigante mentre la sua cresta punk multicolore ondeggia al vento. Non prendere sotto gamba i suoi attacchi con la palla, potresti pentirtene." – Lemmy's trophy. Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U. Nintendo (Italian).
