POW Block

(Redirected from Pow Block)
"POW" redirects here. For the Super Mario RPG stat often shortened as "POW", see Power.
POW Block
Pow Block from SMBW
A POW Block from Super Mario Bros. Wonder
First appearance Mario Bros. (1983)
Latest appearance Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch) (2024)
Effect Super Mario series: Creates an earthquake when hit or thrown
Mario Kart Wii: Appears above the user's kart and causes all racers on the ground ahead of the user to spin out and drop any items they are holding
Variants
“What do POW Blocks do again? Don't they make things flip over when you bop 'em?”
Olivia, Paper Mario: The Origami King

A POW Block, occasionally POW[1][2][3] and standing for power block[1] (also spelled Power Block),[4] is a block that can be thrown to the ground or hit in the air to create a large earthquake, causing all enemies onscreen to get hurt. POW Blocks can be carried and thrown in most games, and some are required for a 100% game completion. Most POW Blocks are a metallic blue, but some POW Blocks are red or sometimes green.

HistoryEdit

Mario Bros.Edit

The POW Block is an object in Mario Bros. It introduces the usual function of flipping over enemies when jumped at, flattening further with each of the three hits before disappearing. The Game Boy Advance remake features two POW Blocks in a phase that can be picked up, though it disappears after being thrown instantly.

Super Mario seriesEdit

Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic / Super Mario Bros. 2 / Super Mario AdvanceEdit

The POW in Super Mario Bros. 2 is activated instantly by picking it up and throwing it on the ground. The remake has the Giant POW Block,[5] Big POW,[6] or Super POW.[7] bouncing on the ground four times before disappearing. Unlike in Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic and other games, the word "POW" is animated.

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3Edit

There is one POW Block in the World-e level Koopaling Confusion in Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, using the sprite from the Mario Bros. remake but working like in Super Mario Bros. 2.

New Super Mario Bros. WiiEdit

The POW Block returns in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, working the same as in Super Mario Bros. 2 but also causing coins, and sometimes Star Coins, to drop from above.

New Super Mario Bros. 2Edit

Main article: Red POW Block

Only the Red POW Block[8] variation appears in New Super Mario Bros. 2, with an entirely different function of breaking blocks, sometimes with a chain effect.

New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U DeluxeEdit

 
Modified POW Block

Blue POW Blocks reappear in New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U, and their their port. They look the same as in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, though the Mainland China release of New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe modifies the three letters to look like three zeroes,[9] likely to comply with regulations requiring English text to be translated;[citation needed] however, the 1.0.1 update changes the design back to its original one.[10]

Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's FuryEdit

A giant POW Block known as the Super POW Block[11] appears in Super Mario 3D World and its port at the end of The Great Tower of Bowser Land, needing four hits to defeat Meowser. Standard POW Blocks are only seen in Luigi Bros., a variation of Mario Bros.

Super Mario Maker subseriesEdit

Blue POW Blocks in Super Mario Maker and its port, and Super Mario Maker 2 work the same as in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Blue POW Blocks in Super Mario Maker 2 flash in the Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and New Super Mario Bros. U styles, illuminating dark areas; they are also in the added Super Mario 3D World style and can become the red variety. A POW Block defeats Bowser instantly in the original four styles while doing ten units of damage to Meowser in the Super Mario 3D World style.

Super Mario Bros. 35Edit

The POW Block sprite was reused from the Family Computer/NES release of Mario Bros. for Super Mario Bros. 35, but the item was from a roulette and defeated all enemies onscreen.

Super Mario Bros. WonderEdit

There is one blue POW Block in the third 10-flower coin room in Condarts Away! of Super Mario Bros. Wonder. It works like in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, but a Condart can activate it specifically to reveal the third 10-flower coin of the stage. Red POW Blocks are more common and appear in some more stages.

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!Edit

“Look! There's a Power Block!”
Mario, "The Pied Koopa"
 
A Power Block in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode "The Pied Koopa"

The Power Block is only featured in "The Pied Koopa" of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, where Mario spots one underwater and breaks open a wall with it, helping them escape from Koopa and his minions, although Mario and the gang are drawn into a dungeon instead.

Super Mario-kunEdit

A POW Block is used to defeat Cobrats volume 8 of Super Mario-kun.

Yoshi's Island seriesEdit

POW Blocks are among the environmental-altering objects in certain games of the Yoshi's Island series, beginning with Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, then its port, and Yoshi's New Island. They turn all nearby enemies into stars,[12] and disappear after three hits to destroy.[13]

Only two POW Blocks appear in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and its port, which also feature a Special Item titled Anywhere POW, which activates the effects of the POW Block from anywhere in the level. Yoshi's New Island has unique POW Blocks, specifically in the minigame Enemy Eat-Off, where they are depicted white with green spots and turn all nearby enemies into Yoshi Eggs.

Super Smash Bros. seriesEdit

SmashWiki article: POW Block

POW Blocks are a stage feature of Mushroom Kingdom in Super Smash Bros. If a fighter hits the POW Block, all other fighters touching the ground are damaged and get launched vertically. The POW Block appears throughout the Mushroom Kingdom stage randomly in set locations, and it appears elsewhere on the stage after being hit. A POW Block also appears as a stage element in Super Smash Bros. Brawl's Mario Bros. stage, where it can paralyze all enemies onscreen, allowing them to be picked up and thrown at others. Similarly as in Super Smash Bros., the POW Block disappears after being hit a few times, although it always regenerates in the same location. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, POW Blocks appear in both the returning Mushroom Kingdom and Mario Bros. stages.

POW Blocks are introduced as usable items in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U and return as such in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. When thrown, a POW Block causes shock waves upon landing that can cause damage to anyone who is on the ground.

Paper Mario seriesEdit

POW Block
         
Paper Mario description Flips shell enemies and inflicts 2 damage points on all enemies.
The Thousand-Year Door description Attacks all enemies and does 2 damage, flipping shelled enemies. (Switch)

The POW Block is a usable item throughout the Paper Mario series that typically inflict two units of damage to an enemy, regardless of defense, including flying and ceiling-bound enemies in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Super Paper Mario makes the POW Block more damaging by shaking the controller at each corresponding prompt.

Super Paper Mario also includes the POW Block as a recipe ingredient, and one of the Sammer Guys is named Block of Pow.

POW Blocks appear in the form of stickers in Paper Mario: Sticker Star, using their design introduced in Mario Bros. It is used twice to inflict damage to enemies, sometimes also causing the Crumpled status, though only enemies on the ground are affected by it. The POW Block can be bought in Decalburg and is No. 73 in the Sticker Museum. There is the more damaging Shiny POW Block and Flashy POW Block varieties.

POW Blocks are represented as Battle Cards in Paper Mario: Color Splash and function the same as in the previous game. Kiwano Temple has a POW Block used to flip some spikes, and Violet Passage has some that a cannonball can hit to collect coins.

POW Blocks are battle items in Paper Mario: The Origami King. They can be bought for 160 coins at Toad Town. Mario can have only up to three POW Blocks at a time, hitting one only once incapacitate every ground enemy for one turn. A POW Block is used in the Water Vellumental Shrine to stop a blue Sidestepper with the Groovy Panel, and another at ? Island, though to activate every ? Block.

RecipesEdit

Super Paper MarioEdit
Recipe Result
  POW Block   Megaton Dinner
  POW Block +   Block Meal
  POW Block +   Bone-In Cut
  POW Block +   Choco Pasta Dish
  POW Block +   Fresh Pasta Bunch
  POW Block +   Fried Egg
  POW Block +   Fried Shroom Plate
  POW Block +   Fruity Hamburger
  POW Block +   Golden Meal
  POW Block +   Gorgeous Steak
  POW Block +   Hamburger
  POW Block +   Hot Dog
  POW Block +   Ink Pasta Dish
  POW Block +   Inky Soup
  POW Block +   Koopa Pilaf
  POW Block +   Koopasta Dish
  POW Block +   Life Shroom
  POW Block +   Long-Last Shake
  POW Block +   Love Noodle Dish
  POW Block +   Meat Pasta Dish
  POW Block +   Miracle Dinner
  POW Block +   Omelette Plate
  POW Block +   Power Steak
  POW Block +   Primordial Dinner
  POW Block +   Roast Horsetail
  POW Block +   Roast Shroom Dish
  POW Block +   Roast Whacka Bump
  POW Block +   Shroom Delicacy
  POW Block +   Shroom Shake
  POW Block +   Shroom Steak
  POW Block +   Slimy Shroom
  POW Block +   Spaghetti Plate
  POW Block +   Spicy Dinner
  POW Block +   Spicy Pasta Dish
  POW Block +   Spicy Soup
  POW Block +   Spit Roast
  POW Block +   Super Shroom Shake
  POW Block +   Ultra Shroom Shake
  POW Block +   Veggie Set
  POW Block +   Volcano Shroom
  POW Block +   Volt Shroom
  POW Block +   Ghost Shroom   Dangerous Delight
  POW Block +   Poison Shroom
  POW Block +   Big Egg   Egg Bomb
  POW Block +   Megaton Dinner   Heavy Meal
  POW Block +   Mistake   Mistake
  POW Block +   Sleepy Sheep

Mario Kart seriesEdit

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!Edit

The POW Block is only referenced in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! from "POW" being depicted on license plates throughout Mushroom Bridge and Mushroom City.

Mario Kart Arcade GP seriesEdit

POW Blocks are one of Waluigi's special items in Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, stunning a random racer for about seven seconds, and have the same function in Mario Kart Arcade GP DX.

Mario Kart WiiEdit

 
Artwork from Mario Kart Wii

The POW Block is an item in Mario Kart Wii. It is one of the rarest items, with 7th place being the likeliest to obtain it, at 7.5%. Only players ranked 5th to 9th place as well as 10th for CPU players can get the POW Block. It is not possible to obtain one during the first twenty seconds of a race,[citation needed] and a POW Block has a cooldown timer of said number of seconds (similar to the Blooper and Lightning). Using a POW Block makes one appear above each racer ahead, causing them to spin out and drop items (coins in Coin Runners) upon the third strike. A POW Block symbol is also above the player, but it does not affect them. Player who either shake the controller or start a wheelie do not spin out as much. Players are unaffected entirely if they are either in midair, launched out of a cannon, or are using either Stars, Mega Mushrooms, or Bullet Bills. Only one POW Block can be in play (like the Thunder Cloud, Spiny Shell, Bullet Bill, Blooper, and Lightning).

The letters "POW" can be seen as a license plate on all of the cars in Moonview Highway.

Mario Tennis seriesEdit

Mario Power TennisEdit

POW Blocks are objects at Mario Classic Court in Mario Power Tennis, including the mini-game Coin Collectors. They travel back and forth across the net, and hitting POW Blocks stuns all enemies briefly. If a POW Block is hit enough it disappears but returns shortly after.

Mario Tennis OpenEdit

The POW Block is represented as Mii gear in Mario Tennis Open, increasing serve and stroke powers as well as speed.

Yoshi Touch & GoEdit

Yoshi Touch & Go includes green POW Blocks in Challenge mode. They are similar to the Yoshi's Island series but now cause enemies to drop coins upon defeat. POW Blocks always arrive on balloons, and using an egg is necessary to knock them down

Mario Super SluggersEdit

POW Blocks are error items titled POW Balls in Mario Super Sluggers, unlocked by opening a certain Treasure Chest in Mario Stadium. The tremor produced from a POW Ball incapacitates fielding players for about four seconds, though Boo and Paragoomba are unaffected by the shockwaves, as well as players who jump before the POW Ball goes off.

Mario ClockEdit

POW Blocks are red in Mario Clock, making them look like Red POW Blocks, though they cause the clock to fall and every coin to be collected.

Mario & Sonic seriesEdit

In the Mario & Sonic series, POW Blocks most commonly appear as items. In the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, POW Blocks appear as an item in Dream Ice Hockey, where they will knock over all of the characters on the opposing team after a short amount of time, as well as in Dream Snowball Fight, where they briefly stun everyone on the opposing team. In the Nintendo 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, POW Blocks are items in the Plus Event, Boxing Plus, where they stun the opponent and prevent them from moving, performing punches, and guarding. The game also features POW Blocks in Football Plus, where three will fall, one after the other, by the player who received the item, and knock over any nearby characters, including goalkeepers. In Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, POW Blocks are items in the Dream Event, Dream Karate.

In Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, POW Blocks appear as obstacles on the Coin Street rink of Snow Day Street Hockey, where hitting them knocks down every opponent, briefly stunning them. After being used, the POW Blocks respawn in their positions after a short amount of time.

Mario Party 9Edit

While POW Blocks do not appear in Mario Party 9, there is a type of space in the High Rollers mode called the POW Space, and if a player rolls over it, the values of all spaces around it decrease by 10.

Captain Toad: Treasure TrackerEdit

POW Blocks reappear in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and its ports, now having to be activated from either a turnip or by touching them on the GamePad.[14]

Mario & Luigi: Paper JamEdit

POW Blocks are sheets of paper in the Trio Shuriken minigame in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, where hitting one with a shuriken destroys other sheets of paper, earning the player points.

Mario + Rabbids seriesEdit

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom BattleEdit

“Given what these POW Blocks are capable of, I'm actually pretty glad it's broken.”
Beep-0, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

In Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, giant POW Blocks appear in the background of Sherbet Desert. Beep-0 states these POW Blocks are broken and do not have any effect. Two Rabbids climb up and down the "P" in one of them, where Beep-0 expresses relief that the POW Block is broken.

Luigi's Mansion 3Edit

The POW Block is featured only in the ScreamPark minigame Desperate Measures in Luigi's Mansion 3, causing sand to appear out of both teams' weight scale.

The Super Mario Bros. MovieEdit

In the teaser posterMedia:The Super Mario Bros Movie teaser poster.jpg 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.

Other appearancesEdit

 
The POW Block, at the bottom left corner.

In Art Style: PiCTOBiTS, POW Blocks are used to erase all the bits on the lowest rows of the screen, and make all bits fall down. Once used, it consumes one slot in the bit palette. POW Blocks cannot be used if there is only one slot in the bit palette remaining.

In Monopoly Gamer, a POW Block face appears on the "Power-Up Die". Rolling the POW Block normally forces all other players to drop one Coin on their current space, which can be picked up by the next player who passes over or lands on that space. Some Characters have a "Power-Up Boost" that enhances or modifies this power.

In the NES Remix series, POW Blocks appear in some of the Mario Bros.-based challenges, and in NES Remix 2, they appear in various Super Mario Bros. 2 remix challenges.

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

ProfilesEdit

Super Mario seriesEdit

Super Mario Bros. 2Edit

  • Wii Virtual Console manual description:
    • English:
      This item causes earthquakes.

New Super Mario Bros. WiiEdit

  • Trading card:
    • Description: Here's a blast from the past! Hit a POW Block and all coins will fall to the ground for easy pick up. Use this time wisely to collect all the coins you can. Remember that extra coins mean extra lives, so POW Blocks are money in the bank! They can also be really handy in shaking out hidden Star Coins.
    • Card number: 51 (Normal)

New Super Mario Bros. 2Edit

  • Instruction booklet description:

New Super Mario Bros. UEdit

  • Instruction booklet description:
    • English:
      Hit or throw this to create shock waves that defeat all grounded enemies on the screen.[page number needed]

Mario Kart WiiEdit

 
Trading card
  • Instruction booklet description:
    • English:
      POW Blocks shake the ground, causing opponents to spin out and drop their items.[page number needed]
  • Trading card:
    • Description: "The POW Block isn't a new concept within the Mushroom Kingdom (think Mario Bros.), but it is a brand new item for the Mario Kart series. If you're lucky enough to get this item, activate it and the POW Block appears over the heads of all other racers. When it disappears after about 5 seconds...POW! Everyone (but you) spins out and stops, allowing you to gain some ground."
    • Game Tip!: "The POWerful effects of this dangerous item can be avoided. The secret is that you have to be off the ground when the POW Block unleashes its power."

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii UEdit

Trophy
POW Block
3DS:
 
Wii U:
 
Category: Item
( ) Appears in:
Arcade Mario Bros. (1983)
Wii New Super Mario Bros. Wii (11/2009)
( ) Trophy Box: 6: Mario Bros.
How to unlock:
Random
This special block first appeared way back in Mario Bros. Hitting it will send enemies flying into the air. You can avoid the shock waves by shielding at the right time or jumping into the air. After being triggered three times, a POW Block will vanish into thin air—don't waste it! (American English)
These blocks first appeared in Mario Bros. Hit one to make the whole area shake and knock opponents off their feet if they're on the ground. If someone looks like they're about to hit a POW Block, try to jump or put your shield up to avoid the shock wave. They can be hit three times before disappearing entirely. (British English)

Captain Toad: Treasure TrackerEdit

  • Instruction booklet description:
    • English:
      Hit one to defeat all nearby enemies and break all nearby blocks.[page number needed]

Paper Mario: The Origami KingEdit

  • Collectible Treasure No. 39: "A power-up that shakes everything on the field. Flips some enemies and disorients others."

GalleryEdit

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:POW Block.

Names in other languagesEdit

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese パワーフロア[16]
Pawā Furoa
Power Floor
POWパウ[15]
Pau
POW; short for パワーブロック[15] (Pawā Burokku, "Power Block")
パワーゆか[17]
Pawā Yuka
Power Floor
パウブロック[18]
Pau Burokku
POW Block
POWブロック[?]
Pau Burokku
Chinese (simplified) 力量块[?]
Lìliàng Kuài
Power Block
POW砖块[?]
POW Zhuānkuài
POW Brick Super Mario Maker 2
Chinese (traditional) POW磚塊[19]
POW Zhuānkuài
POW Brick
Dutch POW-blok[?] POW Block
French Bloc POW[?] POW Block
POW[?] - Super Mario All-Stars
German POW-Block[?] POW Block
Power Block[20] - The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
Italian POW[21][22] -
Pow[23]
Blocco POW[?] POW block
Scatola Magica[24] Magic Box The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
Korean POW블록[?]
POW Beullok
POW Block
Portuguese Bloco POW[?] POW Block
Bateria de força[25] Power battery The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
Russian Блок «POW»[?]
Blok «POW»
POW block
Spanish Bloque POW[?] POW Block
POW[?] -
Bloque de Poder[26] Power Block The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
Swedish POW-block[?] POW block
Stort Batteri[27] Great Tremor The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!

NotesEdit

ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ a b 1988. Super Mario Bros. 2 instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 19.
  2. ^ 1990. Super Mario Bros. 3 instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 28.
  3. ^ 1993. Super Mario All-Stars Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 88.
  4. ^ May/June 1989. Nintendo Power Volume 6. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 81.
  5. ^ Stratton, Bryan (June 7, 2001). Super Mario Advance Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Prima Games (American English). ISBN 0-7615-3633-7. Page 11.
  6. ^ Arnold, J. Douglas, James Yamada, and Mark Elies (June 4, 2001). Super Mario Advance Official Perfect Guide. Versus Books. ISBN 0-9706468-4-4. Page 48 and 66.
  7. ^ Farkas, Bart G. (June 13, 2001). Super Mario Advance Official Pocket Guide. BradyGames (American English). ISBN 0-7440-0077-7. Page 57, 62, 75, 78, 100, 108, 110.
  8. ^ New Super Mario Bros. 2 European English manual[page number needed]
  9. ^ Chinese Nintendo (March 15, 2020). POW blocks are retextured as "]0[" blocks in the Chinese version of NSMBUDX.. X (English). Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  10. ^ Chinese Nintendo (May 20, 2021). The official update log shows the update was released in April 28, 2021, which "fixed some image display issues".. X (American English). Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  11. ^ Musa, Alexander, and Geson Hatchett (November 22, 2013). Super Mario 3D World PRIMA Official Game Guide. Prima Games (American English). ISBN 978-0-804-16249-4. Page 19.
  12. ^ VideoGamePhenom (October 10, 2019). Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island - 4-2: The Cave of the Lakitus (0:35). YouTube.
  13. ^ VideoGamePhenom (October 23, 2019). Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 - 4-2: The Cave of the Lakitus (0:44-0:55). YouTube.
  14. ^ June 11, 2014. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker - Mine Cart Summit. YouTube (English). Archived June 11, 2014, 21:48:22 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  15. ^ a b 1987. Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic instruction booklet. Nintendo. Page 25.
  16. ^ Mario Bros. Japanese flyer
  17. ^ 1988. スーパーマリオブラザーズ3 (Sūpā Mario Burazāzu Surī) instruction booklet. Nintendo (Japanese). Page 27.
  18. ^ 2003. Mario & Luigi RPG instruction booklet. Nintendo (Japanese). Page 38.
  19. ^ 新 超級瑪利歐兄弟 Wii - 香港任天堂網站. Nintendo HK (Traditional Chinese). Archived June 18, 2010, 14:44:56 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  20. ^ The Super Mario Bros Super Show! Folge 24 Super Pflanze / Der gefleckte Koopa
  21. ^ Super Mario Bros. 2 European instruction booklet. Page 19.
  22. ^ Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS - Virtual Console) Italian e-manual. Page 10.
  23. ^ Super Mario All-Stars Italian manual. Page 20.
  24. ^ Super Mario (1ª serie animata ITA) - A Pastaland
  25. ^ Super Mario Bros. Super Show! - O Sequestro das Crianças / Super Planeta (Dublado)
  26. ^ El Pied Koopa | Dibujos Para Niños
  27. ^ Super Mario Bros Super Show - Episode 20 - Swedish

External linksEdit

StrategyWikiEdit

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