Cape Feather
Artwork of a Cape Feather from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
Artwork from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
First appearance Super Mario World (1990)
Latest appearance The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
Effect Turns Mario into Cape Mario (Super Mario World, Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario Maker series)
Lets a kart spin-jump (Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Mario Kart Tour)

The Cape Feather,[1] or simply the Feather,[2][3][4] is a power-up that transforms Mario and Luigi into their cape forms. It first appeared in Super Mario World.

History

Super Mario series

Super Mario World / Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2

 
Artwork from Super Mario World, showing its original depiction

Cape Feathers are items in Super Mario World. They first appear in Donut Plains 1. Super Koopas with flashing capes can also drop Cape Feathers if stomped. The Cape Feather allows the player character to glide through the air, similarly to what the Super Leaf allows for in Super Mario Bros. 3. If the player runs at full speed before jumping to take off, they can control the flight with  . Pressing backward slows Mario's speed and makes him ascend, and tapping it repeatedly allows Mario to continue flying, possibly to the end of the level; pressing forwards speeds up Mario and has him descend rapidly, ending in a POW-like attack if allowed to touch down. The player can also attack enemies by spinning the cape by pressing  .

In the game's story described in the manual, Yoshi gives Mario the cape, telling him that it has magical powers.[5]

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3

Cape Feathers are items in Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3. However, they can be accessed only by scanning the appropriate card on the e-Reader, which adds a Cape Feather into the inventory. Cape Feather grants the same effects to Caped Mario as in Super Mario World, with the addition of being able to defeat enemies such as Dry Bones. Cape Feathers are also found on the ground in the World-e levels Sea to Sky and Caped Escape and are required to finish the level in both cases.

Super Mario 64 DS

 
Mario Slot

The Cape Feather, along with other power-ups from Super Mario World, can be seen in the minigames Mario Slot and Super Mario Slot in Super Mario 64 DS. If the player lines up three Cape Feathers in a row, they will receive five times the number of coins they bet.

In the main game, the feather that transforms Mario into the similarly controlled Wing Mario resembles the Cape Feather.

Super Mario Maker subseries

Cape Feathers are items in Super Mario Maker, its port, and Super Mario Maker 2. They are used only in the Super Mario World style and function identically as in the original game. Additionally, Super Mario Maker 2 gives Toad and Toadette access to the Cape Feather, becoming Cape Toad and Cape Toadette, respectively, and Cape Feathers in the nighttime ground theme swing further while falling.

Super Mario World television series

 
A Cape Feather, as seen in the Super Mario World animated series

The Cape Feather also appears in the Super Mario World television show, where it is used in episodes such as "King Scoopa Koopa" and "The Night Before Cave Christmas." Mario is the only character to be seen using the cape in the series.

Mario Kart series

Super Mario Kart

Feathers are items in Super Mario Kart. A driver can sometimes obtain one from ? Panels throughout each racecourse (except the courses Mario Circuit and Donut Plains). The Feather grants the user the ability to perform a Spin Jump roughly twice as high as a regular driver can. This can be useful for jumping over barriers, as a quick and easy shortcut, and for jumping over enemy projectiles.

Additionally, while it did not appear in the final game, in a pre-release version of Mario Kart 64, the Feather appeared to be one of the items.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

 
Mario holding a Feather

Feathers are items in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. They are usable only in Battle Mode. Working like a normal trick, a Feather can be used to jump over obstacles, exit gliding, and/or get more height from tricks, though the player character does not gain more height if the item is used while airborne.[6] If the user of the Feather collides with an opponent while using it or upon landing, then they can steal a balloon, three coins, or the Shine Sprite (depending on the mode) from that opponent. It is also the emblem of the Feather Cup in the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass as part of Wave 5.

Mario Kart Tour

Feathers are items in Mario Kart Tour. They were added starting from the Battle Tour beginning on October 5, 2022, accompanying the addition of Battle Mode to this game.[7] Like in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, it is exclusive to Battle Mode, and functions mostly the same as in that game, except jumping over an opponent will only cause their balloon to pop, without the player stealing it.

Mario's FUNdamentals

In the Dominoes game in Mario's FUNdamentals, Cape Feathers appear on the highest numeration of dominoes, 6.

Nintendo Puzzle Collection

Cape Feathers appear briefly in the Yoshi no Cookie port in Nintendo Puzzle Collection, appearing on flags held by Blooper audience members at the beginning of a Versus Mode match.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, a voxelated Cape Feather can be seen being sold at the antiques store.

Profiles

Super Mario World

  • Wii U Virtual Console manual description:
    • English:
      Collect to turn into Caped Mario.

Super Mario Kart

  • Wii Virtual Console manual bio: Jump very high over enemies and obstacles.

Gallery

Artwork

Sprites and models

Screenshots

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese マント羽根はね[?]
Manto Hane
Mantle Feather
羽根はね[8]
Hane
Feather (Mario Kart series)
Chinese (simplified) 斗篷羽毛[9] (Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 and Super Mario Maker 2)
Dǒupeng Yǔmáo
Mantle Feather
羽毛[10] (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe)
Yǔmáo
Feather
Dutch Capeveer[?] Cape Feather
French Plume[?] Feather
Plume de cape (Super Mario World, Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS)[?] Cape feather
Plume acrobate (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe)[?] Acrobat Feather
German Feder[?] Feather
Italian Piuma della cappa (power-up)[?] Cape Feather
Piuma (Mario Kart item)[?] Feather
Korean 깃털[?]
Gitteol
Feather
Portuguese (NOA) Pluma[?] Feather
Pena da Capa[11][12] (Super Mario World) Cape Feather
Pluma capa[13] (The Super Mario Bros. Movie guidebook)
Portuguese (NOE) Pluma[?] Feather
Russian Перо[?]
Pero
Feather
Плащ-перо[?]
Plashch-pero
Cape Feather
Spanish Pluma[?] Feather
Pluma de capa (Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS)[?] Cape feather

Trivia

  • In Mario Kart 8, the course Sunshine Airport contains feather pens on desks that have exactly the same design as the Cape Feather. These same feather pens also appear at the ticket booth desks in Super Bell Subway.
  • In Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Wingo has a feather on his turban that is based on the Cape Feather, though the details are red rather than orange.
  • The Feather has had the longest absence of all items in the Mario Kart series, spanning almost 25 years.

References

  1. ^ 2002. Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 19.
  2. ^ August 1991. Nintendo Mario Mania Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 46.
  3. ^ 1992. Super Mario Kart instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 13.
  4. ^ Tilden, Gail, et al. (1992). Nintendo Super NES Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 8.
  5. ^ 1991. Super Mario World American instruction booklet (PDF). Nintendo of America (American English). Page 2.
  6. ^ Mankalor (May 11, 2017). Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Tips - Feather Item Analysis. YouTube. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  7. ^ @kart_tour (September 29, 2022). News: a new item have been added! Thanks to, @Mankalor. X. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  8. ^ 1992. スーパーマリオカート (Sūpā Mario Kāto) instruction booklet (PDF). Nintendo (Japanese). Page 12. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  9. ^ iQue. Super Mario World entry. iQue Ltd. (Simplified Chinese). Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  10. ^ 马力欧卡丁车8 豪华版 | Nintendo Switch | 任天堂 | 腾讯. Tencent (Simplified Chinese). Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  11. ^ Super Mario World Brazilian instruction booklet (PDF). Page 7. Archived July 19, 2021, 09:17:30 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine.
  12. ^ Nintendo Brasil (March 6, 2024). O jogo Super Mario World é cheio de potenciadores malucos e maravilhosos, como o Balão de Força e a Pena da Capa!. X (Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  13. ^ "No jogo Super Mario World para o console Super Nintendo Entertainment System™ (SNES), há um item chamado pluma capa." – Guia do filme do Mario (PDF).