Icicle

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Icicle
a skinny boi icicle
A render of an icicle from New Super Mario Bros. Wii
First appearance Mario Bros. (1983)
Latest appearance Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch) (2024)
Variants
Comparable

Icicles appear in ice-themed stages of the Super Mario franchise, mostly as falling obstacles that can harm players on contact.

History

Mario Bros. series

Mario Bros.

Sprite of an Icicle from the arcade version of Mario Bros.Sprite of an Icicle in Mario Bros. for the Apple II (Unreleased)Icicle sprite from Kaettekita Mario Bros.An Icicle

Icicles in Mario Bros. are obstacles that drop from under the top platforms and pipes, where they would constantly regenerate. They are first encountered in Phase 17, or Phase 16 in Western releases, and kill the player on contact. However, icicles can also be deadly if touched while they are still attached to the ceiling. Touching an icicle while it is still a liquid droplet or using the POW Block will prevent it from being formed, though this will not award any points. However, the POW Block will also cause fully formed icicles to drop prematurely.

Most ports do not include icicles. The few that do are the PC-8001 port, Kaettekita Mario Bros., the unreleased Apple II port, the Atari 8-bit port, and the Europe-only "Classic Series" port for the NES. They also appear for the Game Boy Advance minigame remake found in the Super Mario Advance series and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.

Mario Clash

Icicles, known as Ices,[1], in Mario Clash are similar in function to their appearance in the original Mario Bros. game but the upper platforms too high for Mario to touch their droplets. Icicles can be destroyed from a Turtle Shell.

Super Mario series

Super Mario Bros. Special

Tsurara

Icicles in Super Mario Bros. Special can be defeated by fireballs and do not regenerate.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Icicles in New Super Mario Bros. Wii are obstacles appearing in long and short varieties. They fall when approached, not unlike a Thwomp, and regenerate after a few seconds. Both the player and enemies take damage from touching icicles. There are also some stationary ones that also hurt the player. Icicles can be destroyed from an invincible character or by hitting a block under one as it falls. Icicles are located in World 3-3 and World 3-Castle.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii is the first game of the Super Mario franchise to have Huge Icicles, which can be used as platforms after falling, not unlike the icicles of Wario Land: Shake It!

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

Freezing-Rain Tower
A Huge Icicle and some Icicles in New Super Mario Bros. U

Icicles in New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U, and the Nintendo Switch port are obstacles, like in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Icicles in New Super Mario Bros. U appear in Freezing-Rain Tower and Icicle Caverns, and icicles in New Super Luigi U appear in Icicle Tower and Ice-Slide Expressway. World Coin-7 also has icicles. Icicles in all three games can be generated from Wendy's magic to cause them to fall on players. Icicles in Boost Mode can be tapped to make them break and never reform, although tapping a falling one will break it but will still eventually reform; furthermore, destroying one of Wendy's icicles with Boost Mode will destroy it, only for it to immediately reform afterward.

Super Mario Odyssey

An icicle falling in Icicle Cavern
An Icicle in Super Mario Odyssey

Icicles in Super Mario Odyssey are located in both the Deepest Underground in the Sand Kingdom, and the Icicle Cavern of the Snow Kingdom. Icicles of the Sand Kingdom are faceted in shape, and some of them can be destroyed to release hearts. These icicles are used by Knucklotec in an attack where he slams his fist into the ground, making several of them fall and embed themselves into the ground. Knucklotec smashing his fist into a buried icicle causes him to writhe in pain and gives an opening for Mario to capture the fist and attack Knucklotec with it. Icicles of the Snow Kingdom function similarly to the Huge Icicles, where they fall, with a shadow indicating exactly where they will fall, and can be used as platforms by Mario.

Super Mario Maker 2

An Icicle in the Super Mario Bros. style from Super Mario Maker 2An Icicle in Super Mario Maker 2A falling Icicle in the Super Mario World theme of Super Mario Maker 2An icicle in Super Mario Maker 2An icicle in Super Mario Maker 2
Icicles in all five of Super Mario Maker 2's game styles

Icicles in Super Mario Maker 2 function identically as in other Super Mario Bros. games, but can be used in all five game styles. Icicles in the editor can be placed on ceilings and set to either remain stationary or to drop down when approached by the player, damaging them upon contacts. Icicles in their stationary form are a darker blue. Icicles can be destroyed if they fall on a player wearing a Spiny Shell on their head or if the player is sliding. Icicles are also usable platforms, though falling Icicles fall when stood on.

Donkey Kong (Game Boy) / Mario vs. Donkey Kong

Icicles in the Game Boy version of Donkey Kong audibly shake and then slowly fall down when approached, getting stuck on the floor after they fall. Mario can use its flat end as a platform. After a few seconds, it will shake again and then disappear, soon regenerating in its original location. They are located in various Iceberg levels.

In Mario vs. Donkey Kong, falling spikes take the role of icicles, acting very similarly except they are faster. In the remake, proper icicles also appear in the new ice-themed world, Slippery Summit.

Yoshi franchise

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island / Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3

BLIZZARD!!!
Icicles in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

Icicles in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and its remake are obstacles that can have an egg thrown at them to make them fall down from the ceiling. They appear in BLIZZARD!!! and The Very Loooooong Cave.

Yoshi's Crafted World

Slip-Slide Isle, the second level of Chilly-Hot Isles in Yoshi's Crafted World.
Yoshi standing on a huge icicle in Yoshi's Crafted World

Icicles in Yoshi's Crafted World function identically as in Super Mario Odyssey, in that any icicle that falls can be used by Yoshi as a platform to walk on. They appear in the level Slip-Slide Isle.

Wario Land series

Wario Land 4

Icicles in Wario Land 4 form on the ceiling and fall down, breaking upon contact with the ground. Touching an icicle usually hurts Wario, unless he is rolling or frozen. Icicles cannot be broken, but if Wario rolls or skates through an icicle, it will produce the sound heard when an obstacle is destroyed. Icicles appear in 40 Below Fridge and the latter part of Fiery Cavern.

Wario Land: Shake It!

Large icicles in Wario Land: Shake It! can fall down and fix into the ground if Wario performs an Earthshake Punch, crushing any enemy underneath, and can also harm Wario as they fall. When wedged in the ground, their top sides can be used as platforms, helping Wario reach high areas. However, they break after a short while, or if Wario pounds or dashes into one, albeit new icicles soon grow back on the piece of ceiling the old ones fell off of. While on the ceiling, an icicle can be destroyed if Wario jumps and hits the tip with his head from underneath, but only while carrying an enemy; jumping into the tip empty-handed does not affect the icicle. Large icicles appear in the levels Slipshod Slopes and Freezing Fields.

Super Princess Peach

Sprite of an icicle in Super Princess Peach

Icicles in Super Princess Peach are interacted in the same way as in Mario Bros. They appear in many levels of the Gleam Glacier world.

Diddy Kong Racing DS

Large icicles in Diddy Kong Racing DS fall into the player character's path, and can be tapped to shatter them. Such icicles appear in the touch challenge race against Bluey the Walrus,

Super Smash Bros. series

Icicles in the Super Smash Bros. series appear in a few stages. Icicles in Super Smash Bros. Brawl appear in the Summit stage, where they interacted with like the icicles in Mario Bros., except these ones are indestructible and cannot be melted. Huge Icicles in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U are superficially similar to their appearance from New Super Mario Bros. U, and are harmful stage hazards that occasionally fall from the top of the screen in all four variations of the Mushroom Kingdom U stage. Icicles in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate return in both stages, serving an identical role as before.

Mario Kart series

An icicle in Mario Kart Tour
An Icicle in Mario Kart Tour

Upward-pointing icicles similar to stalagmites appear as track obstacles in the Mario Kart 7, Mario Kart Tour, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe course Rosalina's Ice World. They are scattered throughout the cavern segment of the course. Icicles break upon direct contact with a driver, but will also slow them down. They can otherwise be broken by hitting them with an offensive item such as a shell or a Bob-omb. Icicles are also used to block the player from accessing certain areas in some bonus challenges.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Icicles falling on DK
Donkey Kong, about to get crushed by a falling icicle. Note the array of icicles on the top right.

Icicles in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze are remarkably sharp and long, slightly varying in size, and hang from ceilings, from which they drop when the Kongs approach. Moments before falling, they signal the player with a slight shake. The Kongs lose one heart from their health meter if they get hit by an icicle; similarly, enemies that are hit by icicles are defeated. After coming down and breaking, icicles yield a single banana. Icicles appear in the level Icicle Arsenal.

Gallery

Additional names

Internal names

Game File Name Meaning

Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch) Model/Icicle.bfres.zs Icicle -

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese ツララ[?]
Tsurara
Icicle
Chinese (simplified) 冰锥[?]
Bīngzhuī
Icicle
Chinese (traditional) 冰柱[2] (New Super Mario Bros. Wii)
Bīngzhù
Icicle
冰錐 (Super Mario Maker 2 and Mario Kart Tour)[?]
Bīngzhuī
Dutch IJspegel[?] Icicle
French Stalactite[?] Stalactite
German Eiszapfen[?] Icicle
Italian Stalattite (ceiling varianta)
Stalagmite (floor variant)
[?]
Stalactite
Stalagmite
Korean 고드름[?]
Godeureum
Icicle
Portuguese Pingente de gelo[3] Icicle
Russian Сосулька[?]
Sosul'ka
Icicle
Spanish (NOA) Témpano[?] Iceberg
Spanish (NOE) Carámbano[?] Icicle

Notes

a - Except in Mario Kart Tour, where the icicles found in 3DS Rosalina's Ice World, which rise from the ground, are inaccurately referred to as such.

References

  1. ^ Nintendo of America (1995). Mario Clash instruction booklet. Page 18 and 22.
  2. ^ Official Hong Kong website for New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  3. ^ Nintendo Portugal (May 15, 2019). Super Mario Maker 2 Direct - 15/05/2019. YouTube. Retrieved January 10, 2021.