Roll

This article is about Mario's forward somersault from Super Mario 3D Land. For Mario's backflip used by crouch jumping and his side somersault in this and other 3D games, see Backward Somersault and Side Somersault. For the move referred to as a "Roll" in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, see Roll Attack.

Mario rolling in Super Mario 3D Land

Rolling appears in the Super Mario franchise as a move that involves the player character curling into a ball-like shape and moving. It is used in different ways depending on the series and game with the ability.

History

Donkey Kong (Game Boy)

Rolling as an action in the Super Mario franchise first appears in the Game Boy version of Donkey Kong. When Mario lands from a great height, he briefly rolls as he lands on the ground. Longer falls can stun Mario or make him lose a life.

Super Smash Bros. series

SmashWiki article: Roll

Rolling appears in the Super Smash Bros. series as an evasive maneuver. It is performed by moving the fighter left or right while shielding. The user becomes temporarily invincible while moving a short distance in the chosen direction. Rolling in the Super Smash Bros. series does not necessarily involve the character curling into a ball; many characters have different animations for rolling. The exact length of a roll and the duration of its invincibility depend on the character rolling. These variables in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate are also affected by how many rolls are used during a short period of time.

Super Mario series

Super Mario 3D Land

Rolling in Super Mario 3D Land is a move used by Mario and Luigi, causing either brother to burst forward from a crouch. After a short period of time, the character stops rolling and resumes crouching. To perform it, the player has to press or while crouching; thus, it replaces the Sweep Kick and Slide Kick from Super Mario 64 and its remake. When rolling, Mario and Luigi move faster than walking and can break open crates; however, the roll cannot defeat enemies, as opposed to the Roll Attack from the Donkey Kong Country series. Since the roll is performed while crouching, rolling can be used while in spaces too small to stand in. Jumping during the move makes the roll become a Rolling Leap, a longer and faster version of the Long Jump.

If Mario is in his Tanooki form or Luigi is in his Kitsune form, this move becomes the Tail Spin. When this move is used, the character crouches and continuously spins his tail until or is not pressed anymore. By combining this move with the Rolling Leap, the character can move while spinning his tail, defeating every enemy in his way.

In the pre-release version of Super Mario 3D Land, the roll was performed by pressing the or button while moving. If the player attempts to do this in the final version, Mario slides while crouching instead, as in the 2D games of the Super Mario series.

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

Rolling in Super Mario 3D World and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury works in the same way as it does in Super Mario 3D Land, but the additional player characters—Peach, Toad, and Rosalina—can roll as well. While a character is in Cat form, the roll becomes a sliding tackle. In the remake, players can also roll in midair, similarly to the Super Mario Odyssey version of the Dive, as well as roll right upon landing from a Ground Pound.

Super Mario Run

Mario performing a Landing Roll and a Rolling Jump in Super Mario Run

Rolling in Super Mario Run appears as an action called the Landing Roll, which is performed when characters land from a great height, like in Donkey Kong, but its properties are different. Characters are also capable of rolling if the player taps the screen when they are on a Pause Block pointing to the right. Unlike in Donkey Kong, the roll defeats enemies that it comes into contact with. Tapping the screen while rolling performs a Rolling Jump, a variation of the jump that can defeat enemies from below.

Super Mario Odyssey

Mario rolling in Super Mario Odyssey

Rolling in Super Mario Odyssey works similarly to its appearances in Super Mario 3D Land and Super Mario 3D World, but rolling also reacts to slopes such that Mario can roll faster while going down inclines but can struggle to roll up slopes without gathering speed beforehand. In this game, Mario can perform a continuous roll when the player holds and presses or shakes to keep rolling instead of performing just one roll at a time. (The latter method is faster than the former.) He can also initiate a roll when the player holds as he lands from a Long Jump, Ground Pound, or Dive. Additionally, Mario has the ability to turn while rolling. In a bonus area in the Cap Kingdom, Mario automatically rolls upon touching the first slope. After this, Mario cannot stop rolling until he reaches the end of the area.

Super Mario Maker 2

Rolling in Super Mario Maker 2 can be used in the Super Mario 3D World style only. It can be performed by pressing any of the shoulder buttons (, , , or ) while crouching. As Toadette is a playable character in Super Mario Maker 2, she can also roll.

Profiles

Super Mario 3D Land

• Website description:
  • English (American):
    This explosive move propels Mario forward with a quick roll.
  • English (British):
    Press the Y Button (or the X Button) while crouching to roll. A powered-up Mario can smash blocks and other objects by rolling.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	転がる[?] Korogaru	Roll
Dutch	Rollen[?]	To roll
French	Rouler[?]	To roll
German	Rolle vorwärts[?]	Roll forward
Italian	Capriola	Somersault
	Rotolamento	Rolling
Korean	구르기[?] Gureugi	Roll
Portuguese	Cambalhota[?]	Somersault
	Cambalhota para a Frente[?]	Forward Somersault
	Derrapada[?]	Skid
Russian	Катиться[?] Katit'sya	To roll
	Кувырок[?] Kuvyrok	Roll
Spanish	Rodar[?]	To roll