- "Iron ball" redirects here. For the recurring spiked ball also referred to as an iron ball, see Spike Ball. For the projectile from King K. Rool's Blunderbuss (referred to as an iron ball in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate), see Kannonball.
| Metal ball | |
|---|---|
 A pinball texture from Mario Kart 7 | |
| First appearance | Super Mario World (1990) |
| Latest appearance | Mario Kart Tour (Bowser Tour) (2023) |
| Effect | A metal ball attempts to roll into the player, resulting in that player losing health. |
Metal balls, also referred to as iron balls, bowling balls, and pinballs,[1][2] are large obstacles that roll around certain areas, not unlike rolling boulders. They debut in Super Mario World as Big Steelies.[3]
History
Super Mario series
Super Mario World / Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2
Big Steelies, also referred to as Bowling Balls[4] (also uncapitalized as bowling balls),[5] giant steel balls,[6] and big rollers,[7] first appear in the second phase of the final battle with Bowser in Super Mario World and its reissue. Bowser drops Big Steelies from his Koopa Clown Car, and Mario or Luigi can jump over them to avoid getting hit. Mario or Luigi can also spin-jump on them without getting hurt. A Big Steely can be destroyed if Mario or Luigi uses his sliding cape attack against it using a Cape Feather; however, a glitched sprite is displayed if this happens.
Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS
In Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS, iron balls[8][9] are also referred to as rolling balls,[10] cannonballs,[11] or simply balls.[12] They appear on the Bob-omb Battlefield; Tall, Tall Mountain; and Tiny-Huge Island as an uphill hazard. Several more also appear in the DS version's Battle Fort. In the remake, Wario has the ability to destroy iron balls by punching or kicking them, and players equipped with a mushroom can destroy them simply by walking into them.
Super Mario World television series
In the Super Mario World episode "Send in the Clown," King Koopa attempts to defeat Mario in one scene by dropping a Big Steely on him, but Mario dodges it.
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Metal balls are mentioned in Super Smash Bros. Melee in the Koopa Clown Car trophy, where they are described as "bowling balls."
Mario & Luigi series
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga / Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions
In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, an iron ball (erroneously called a "rock") appears during the Jellyfish Sisters' tutorial on Dashing, where it must be pushed with the ability. Later, some appear around Gwarhar Lagoon's exterior in timed courses involving the Dash.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story / Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey
In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, iron balls appear in multiple locations. In Cavi Cape, Bowser must punch a falling one in order to knock it into a button; in the game's remake, these are replaced with barrels. Later, Midbus crushes Bowser with a massive iron ball (which Midbus dubs the "Super Ultra Wonder Ultimate Ruthless Great Iron Ball"), prompting Mario and Luigi to visit the Arm Center one last time. At Blubble Lake, Bowser can punch some iron balls found on spinning mechanisms to push himself into the lake.
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team / Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
There are Hammers called the Iron Ball Hammer and Iron Ball Hammer DX in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team and Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, which sometimes cause an iron ball to fall onto a random enemy after an "Excellent" rating is achieved. In the former game, they have a studded appearance, though they are smooth in the latter. The latter game also has them appear in the mission Hammer, Bros!, where they are referred to in localizations as cannonballs.
Mario Kart series
Metal balls, referred to as pinballs in Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart 7, appear as obstacles in Waluigi Pinball in Mario Kart DS, Mario Kart 7, Mario Kart Tour, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. They roll around all throughout the course, and they flip over any player that drives into them. On the pinball table section of the track, metal balls are bounced around by bumpers and flippers. In Mario Kart DS, they are 2D sprites that always face the camera, while in Mario Kart 7, Mario Kart Tour, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, they are 3D models. In Mario Kart Tour, the reflection is of the pinball table section of the track, regardless of where the metal balls are. They are black in Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart 7; however, they are gray in Mario Kart Tour and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
In Mario Kart Tour, metal balls also appear in GBA Bowser's Castle 4. In this iteration of the course, they are spawned by flying dispensers from the top of a slope, bouncing down the slope in a straight path. Racers have to drive up the slope and avoid the metal balls to reach the midway point finish line and enter the final section of the course. The metal balls in GBA Bowser's Castle 4 are much larger than their counterparts in DS Waluigi Pinball, and their reflection more appropriately matches the one part of the environment they appear on.
Mario Sports Mix
Pinballs also appear in Mario Sports Mix on the Waluigi Pinball court, which is based on the Mario Kart course of the same name. Here, they are released onto the court by a giant robotic Waluigi and then continuously roll around the area, hitting bumpers and walls. When they collide with a player, they push them back and stun them for a few moments while also becoming faster. They keep their momentum if they hit a bumper, but they revert to their original speed if they hit a solid wall instead. If a pinball ends up in the hole at the top middle of the court, another one appears shortly afterwards.
Unused appearances
In Super Mario Maker, graphics for iron balls exist unused in the Super Mario Bros. game style's object graphics, designed using the white-yellow-green color palette used in the original Super Mario Bros. for 1-Up Mushrooms graphics among others.
Gallery
A Big Steely being dropped from the Clown Car in the Super Mario World cartoon
Super Mario Maker (Super Mario Bros., unused)
Mario Kart Tour
Mario Kart Tour
Mario Kart Tour
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 鉄球[13][14]/てっきゅう Tekkyū |
Iron ball | |
| Chinese (simplified) | 铁球[?] Tiě Qiú |
Iron Ball | |
| Chinese (traditional) | 鐵球[?] Tiě Qiú |
Iron Ball | |
| French | Boule de métal (Mario Kart Tour)[?] | Metal ball | |
| German | Eisenkugel Metallkugel (Mario Kart Tour)[?] |
Iron ball Metal ball |
|
| Italian | Palla di ferro[15] (Super Mario 64) | Iron ball | |
| Biglia di ferro (Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and its remake)[?] | Iron marble | ||
| Ferrosfera (Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and its remake)[?] | Iron-sphere | ||
| palla[sic] di ferro (Mario Kart Tour)[?] | iron ball | ||
| Korean | 철퇴[?] Cheol toe |
Iron mace | |
| Portuguese | Bola de metal (Mario Kart Tour)[?] | Metal ball | |
| Russian | Стальной шар[?] Stalnoi shar |
Steel Ball | |
| Spanish | Bola de metal (Mario Kart Tour)[?] | Metal ball |
References
- ^ "If you attack a rolling pinball, you can divert it away from you." — Mario Sports Mix, in-game description for the Waluigi Pinball court
- ^ "PINBALLS: These giant pinballs will topple your kart if you let them. Keep your distance!" – von Esmarch, Nick (December 4, 2011). Mario Kart 7 PRIMA Official Game Guide. Prima Games (American English). ISBN 978-0-307-89384-0. Page 130.
- ^ August 1991. Nintendo Mario Mania Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 52.
- ^ "Take it and get ready for Bowser's Bowling Balls." – August 1991. Nintendo Mario Mania Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 148.
- ^ "As he hovers overhead, Bowser throws gigantic bowling balls and handfuls of Mechakoopas." – August 1991. Nintendo Mario Mania Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 52.
- ^ "The giant steel balls that Bowser throws from the Clown Ship are impossible to beat." – August 1991. Nintendo Mario Mania Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 52.
- ^ "He'll toss out two of these big rollers, then a pair of Mecha Koopas." – August 1991. Nintendo Mario Mania Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 148.
- ^ Pelland, Scott, and Dan Owsen (1996). Super Mario 64 Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 106-107, 109-110.
- ^ Super Mario 64 DS internal object name (IRONBALL)
- ^ Pelland, Scott, and Dan Owsen (1996). Super Mario 64 Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 1001.
- ^ January 1997. Nintendo Magazine System (AU) Issue #52. Page 45-46.
- ^ Pelland, Scott, and Dan Owsen (1996). Super Mario 64 Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 19.
- ^ 1990. 「任天堂公式ガイドブック スーパーマリオワールド」 (Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook – Super Mario World). Shogakukan (Japanese). Page 124.
- ^ 2015. Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook, Super Mario 64 section. Shogakukan (Japanese). Page 92.
- ^ Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Page 92.
| Mario Sports Mix | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Further info | Image gallery • Pre-release and unused content • Glitches • Media • Staff | |
