Snowball

Snowballs are objects that appear in the Mario games as both items and obstacles. In many games, rolling a snowball on snow-covered ground makes it increase in size as it gains more snow.

History

Yoshi series

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

Snowballs can be found in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and its remake, Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3, in two levels. Yoshi can push a snowball down a path in the same manner as pushing a Chomp Rock; as it is rolled on the snow, it grows larger in size until it eventually stops growing. The snowball destroys all items and enemies in its path. Yoshi is able to hop and sit on a snowball as on a platform, which is advantageous for reaching high grounds.

Yoshi's New Island

Snowballs in Yoshi's New Island have the same functionality as they do in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. One appears in Ski Lift Leap where a Yoshi can roll it downhill to defeat enemies as well as accessing a higher Warp Pipe. Data indicates that they are retextured Chomp Rocks.

Yoshi's Woolly World

In Yoshi's Woolly World, snowballs appear in the World 5 level, Fluffy Snow, Here We Go!. They appear to be made of cotton wool, in step with the game's textile aesthetic. They can be used as in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, meaning they are able to crush enemies and solid blocks while increasing in size as they roll.

Donkey Kong series

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! / Donkey Kong Land III

Bleak, a boss in both Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! and Donkey Kong Land III, can shoot snowballs out of his hat cannon. They can damage the Kongs and can only be avoided.

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat

At one point in the Donkey Kong Jungle Beat level Silver Snow Peak, Donkey Kong and Hoofer follow an enormous rolling snowball up a hill, which slows down as it goes. Donkey Kong has to clap and create shockwaves to shrink and eventually destory the large snowball in order to get past it. Upon destruction, the snowball releases a number of beats.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

The Kongs, weaving between several snowballs tossed in the air

The Kongs are sieged by two snowballs shot from cannons.

Snowballs appear as hazards in the level Blurry Flurry of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. Most of the time, they are fired from orange bombards fixed on the walls or on the ground; other times, they are tossed in the air as a result of larger snowballs plummeting on the platforms they lie on. If a snowball hits the Kongs, they lose one heart from their health meter.

Before the end of the stage, the Kongs are propelled into a giant snowball which then starts rolling through rows of enemies and Snowmad structures, destroying them. The player can make the snowball jump to avoid falling into pits.

Mario Kart series

Snowballs act as obstacles in DK Pass, a racetrack in Mario Kart DS, Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart Tour. They fall and roll on the mountainous road, knocking away any racer standing in their path. They appear in the area around the second set of Item Boxes where they go against the racers, and on the snowy incline afterwards, where they roll in their direction.

Super Mario series

New Super Mario Bros.

A Snow Spike prepares to toss a snowball.

In New Super Mario Bros., snowballs are regurgitated and thrown by Snow Spikes. Once on the ground, snowballs start rolling in a set direction, growing rapidly larger in the process. They damage Mario or Luigi if they touch them.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Snowballs appear in Super Mario Galaxy 2. They usually appear when Fire Mario destroys a snow sculpture. They will build in size when rolled along snow, and they can create temporary snow paths over lava before melting. If a Li'l Cinder touches a snowball, it gets defeated.

Super Mario 3D World

Snowballs appear in the Snowball Park level of Super Mario 3D World. Some of them can be found on the ground, while others are created from the segments of defeated Snow Pokeys. Snowballs can be grabbed and thrown at enemies to defeat them, and can also be passed from one player to another when playing in multiplayer.

Super Mario Maker 2

In version 2.0 of Super Mario Maker 2, snowballs are thrown by Spikes in the snow theme in a similar manner to Snow Spikes. Unlike Spike Balls, snowballs cannot hurt the player, instead only knocking them back if hit from the side or below. After being thrown, the player can jump on them to stop them, then pick them up and throw them at objects or enemies (except in the Super Mario Bros. style, where they can only be kicked). Large snowballs can only be kicked and rolled along the ground. Additionally, a snowball can be produced after defeating a Snow Pokey. Snowballs can also be placed as a separate object.

When used against Bowser (or Meowser), a normal-sized Snowball deals 2 HP damage (with 10 Snowball hits defeating him). The damage dealt gets doubled to 4 HP if the Snowball is giant-sized.

In version 3.0, the Super Mario Bros. style-exclusive SMB2 form lets players pluck snowballs from ground tiles in snow-themed levels.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star

Snowball Sticker

With Snow Spikes returning in Paper Mario: Sticker Star and retaining their previous behavior, snowballs can also be encountered in the game. They are usually rolled on slanted footpaths. If a snowball clashes with Mario, it catches him into a loop, forcing him to go back a distance until the snowball breaks into a ledge. Additionally, Snow Spike may drop a Snowball Sticker upon defeat, which can be used in battles to summon a large snowball that rolls over and damages ground-dwelling enemies.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Chinese	雪球 Xuěqiú	SnowBall
Dutch	Sneeuwbal[?]	Snowball
German	Schneeball[?]	Snowball
Italian	Palla di neve[?]	Snow ball