Metal ball

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"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 Metal ball as seen in Mario Kart 7
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, pinballs,[1][2] and Big Steelies,[3] are obstacles introduced in Super Mario World. They are large objects that roll around certain areas, not unlike rolling boulders.

History[edit]

Super Mario series[edit]

Super Mario World / Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2[edit]

Big Steelies, also referred to as Bowling Balls[4] (also uncapitalized as bowling balls),[5] giant steel balls,[6] and big rollers,[7] are obstacles in Super Mario World. They appear only 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. In the reissue, the game timer stops counting down when a Big Steely appears and resumes when it rolls off the screen.

Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS[edit]

Iron balls,[8][9] also referred to as rolling balls,[10] cannonballs,[11] and balls,[12] are obstacles in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS. They are encountered on the Bob-omb Battlefield; Tall, Tall Mountain; and Tiny-Huge Island as an uphill hazard. In the remake, several more iron balls appear in Battle Fort; Wario is given the ability to destroy iron balls by punching or kicking them; and players equipped with a mushroom can destroy iron balls on contact.

Super Mario World television series[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga / Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions[edit]

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[edit]

Iron balls are obstacles in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. They 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[edit]

The Iron-Ball Hammer, Iron-Ball Boots and their improved versions the Iron-Ball Hammer DX and the Iron-Ball Boots DX are gear in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. When using them, if enemies are hit with an attack that uses that type of gear, an iron ball may fall on the enemies. This chance is not universal for all enemies, in that if all enemies take damage it is possible for only some of them to be hit by iron balls. The iron balls are studded in this game.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam[edit]

Both the Iron-Ball Hammer and the Iron Ball Hammer DX return in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Iron balls in this game have a smooth appearance. Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam also has iron balls appear in the mission Hammer, Bros! and during one of Roy's attacks, where they are referred to in localizations as cannonballs.

Mario Kart series[edit]

Metal balls, referred to as pinballs in Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart 7, are 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 on which they appear.

Mario Sports Mix[edit]

Pinballs are obstacles in Mario Sports Mix. They appear on the Waluigi Pinball court, where 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[edit]

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 and Koopa Troopas among others.

Gallery[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

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[?] Metal ball Mario Kart Tour
German Stahlkugel[15] Steel Ball Super Mario World
Eisenkugel[?] Iron Ball Mario Kart Tour
Metallkugel[?] Metal Ball Mario Kart Tour
Italian Palla di ferro[16] Iron ball Super Mario 64
Biglia di ferro[?] Iron marble Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and its remake
Ferrosfera[?] Iron-sphere Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and its remake
palla[sic] di ferro[?] iron ball Mario Kart Tour
Korean 철퇴[?]
Cheol toe
Iron mace
Portuguese Bola de metal[?] Metal ball Mario Kart Tour
Russian Стальной шар[?]
Stalnoi shar
Steel Ball
Spanish Bola de metal[?] Metal ball Mario Kart Tour

References[edit]

  1. ^ "If you attack a rolling pinball, you can divert it away from you." – In-game description for the Waluigi Pinball Court (2010). Mario Sports Mix. Nintendo (English).
  2. ^ "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.
  3. ^ August 1991. Nintendo Mario Mania Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 52.
  4. ^ "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.
  5. ^ "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.
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ Pelland, Scott, and Dan Owsen (1996). Super Mario 64 Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 106-107, 109-110.
  9. ^ Super Mario 64 DS internal object name (IRONBALL)
  10. ^ Pelland, Scott, and Dan Owsen (1996). Super Mario 64 Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 101.
  11. ^ January 1997. Nintendo Magazine System (AU) Issue #52. Catalyst Publishing (Australian English). Page 45-46.
  12. ^ Pelland, Scott, and Dan Owsen (1996). Super Mario 64 Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 19.
  13. ^ December 10, 1992. 「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). Tokyo: Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 4-09-104117-5. Page 124.
  14. ^ Sakai, Kazuya (Ambit), et al. (October 19, 2015). 『スーパーマリオブラザーズ百科: 任天堂公式ガイドブック』 (Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook), スーパーマリオ64六十四(ろくじゅうよん) (Sūpā Mario Rokujūyon) section. Tokyo: Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 978-4-09-106569-8. Page 101.
  15. ^ Menold, Marcus, Claude M. Moyse, and Andreas G. Kämmerer, editors (1993). Der offizielle Nintendo Spieleberater "Super Mario World". Großostheim: Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German). Page 20.
  16. ^ November 15, 2018. Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN 889367436X. Page 92.