The Top Ten Mario Powerups of All Time

Turns You Into: Propeller Mario
First Appearance: New Super Mario Bros. Wii
System: Wii
Date: 2009
Frequency: Common

Mario and co-op multiplayer were a wonderful mix. New Super Mario Bros. Wii allowed four players to play on the same screen at the same time, increasing the mayhem while quadrupling the fun. New Super Mario Bros. Wii also welcomed back the seven Koopa Kids - Bowser Jr. always felt like a poor substitute for Wendy, Morton, Lemmy, and the rest of the gang. The Propeller Mushroom was the most powerful powerup - with a shake of the Wiimote, a player could fly to the nooks and crannies of the screen. It was damn near essential to conquer Bowser- a player needed all the help he could get during the final lava chase scene, where every misstep could burn Mario to a crisp.

Turns You Into: Bull Wario
First Appearance: Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land
System: Game Boy
Date: 1994
Frequency: Common

In Wario Land, the eponymous anti-hero starred in his very own game. Wario was on a mission to collect as much gold as possible. It wasn't enough to beat the levels - if the player finished the game stinking rich, Wario got a huge castle. If the player finished as a pauper, however, Wario got a birdhouse - try living in that! Wario Land had wonderful powerups to go along with its selfish premise, and the best amongst these was the Garlic Pot, which transformed Wario into Bull Wario. Unlike Dragon Wario or Jet Wario, which each had one superpower, Bull Wario had three superpowers. He could super-charge, he could cause small earthquakes, and he could stick to the ceilings with his horns - it made the player near indestructible. Greed is good.

Turns You Into: Mega 8-Bit Mario
First Appearance: Super Paper Mario
System: Wii
Date: 2007
Frequency: Rare

In New Super Mario Bros., released on the DS in 2006, the Mega Mushroom hit it big (pun intended). It turned Mario into a comically large giant, able to knock over enemies, bricks, and pipes with aplomb. The Mega Mushroom was funny and fun, but Super Paper Mario perfected it by debuting the Mega Star. Released in 2007, Super Paper Mario was a unique cross between an RPG and a platformer, with a sincere love story, tons of quirky, offbeat jokes, and inside humor for the die-hard fan. The Mega Star was an example of masterful fan service, and when Mario touched it, it turned him into a giant, 8-Bit sprite - a clever, cute bit of nostalgia that showed off Nintendo's past glories.

Turns You Into: Bunny Mario
First Appearance: Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins
System: Game Boy
Date: 1992
Frequency: Common

In Six Golden Coins, Nintendo squeezed an incredible amount of game into an 8-bit handheld. It introduced Mario's evil doppelganger, Wario, into the mix, and it had one of the best bosses in the entire Mario series - the Three Little Pigs, who each had a different bouncing pattern that had to be mastered. Fortunately, Bunny Mario was there to even the playing field. Holding down the A-Button made Bunny Mario bounce repeatedly, and tapping A flapped the ears, allowing Bunny Mario to hover above spikes and enemies alike. Silly looking, but surprisingly effective - at least, until Wario got his own Bunny ears in the climactic battle.

Turns You Into: Tanooki Mario
First Appearance: Super Mario Bros. 3
System: Nintendo Entertainment System
Date: 1988
Frequency: Uncommon

Racoon Mario was incredible, but Tanooki Mario was even better. The Tanooki Suit gave Mario all the abilities of the Raccoon Leaf - a killer tail, a floating descent, the ability to fly - and added a transformation into Statue Mario (hold B and Down at the same time) As a statue, Mario was invulnerable, and a well-placed transformation could destroy just about anything - even the Rocket Engine flames on the airships. The only negative about the Tanooki Suit was losing it and having to find it again - it was hard to lose such a powerful, uncommon item due to carelessness, and it was even harder to find it again, unless you got lucky at Toad's House.

Turns You Into: Shoe Mario
First Appearance: Super Mario Bros. 3
System: Nintendo Entertainment System
Date: 1988
Frequency: Very Rare

World 5-3 was the most fun level in Super Mario Bros. 3 Why? Because for the duration of the level, the player got to feel like God - that is, if God had a huge, green, wind-up shoe that He could bounce around in. The Kuribo's Shoe let Mario bounce on things that would otherwise kill him - Mario could stomp on Spinys, and best of all, walk right over Munchers. Unfortunately, as soon as the level ended, that was the last time the player saw the Kuribo's Shoe - yes, it was probably a bit too powerful to have as a regular item, but still, what a tease. Mario fans would have to wait 24 years for the Shoe's next appearance in Paper Mario: Sticker Star on the 3DS, where it retained its power to stomp on spiky things.

Turns You Into: Cat Mario
First Appearance: Super Mario 3D World
System: Wii U
Date: 2013
Frequency: Common

The dark horse for 2013's Game of the Year, Super Mario 3D World is a testament to Mario's longevity. No matter how many times Nintendo reboots and remakes the series, it's still cute, creative, and fresh - there's no platformer out there that compares to its unique blend of charm and challenge. A deliberate nod to the 4chan hive mind, Cat Mario was the game's main selling point, and it delivered in spades. Mario could claw, climb up walls, and even climb up the flagpole at the end of the levels. Even Bowser got in on the fun, turning himself into a giant Catzilla at the conclusion of the game. Lolcats ain't got nothing on this.

Turns You Into: Hammer Mario
First Appearance: Super Mario Bros. 3
System: Nintendo Entertainment System
Date: 1988
Frequency: Rare

The Hammer Brothers, along with their cousins, the Boomerang Bros., the Fire Bros., and the Sledge Hammer Bros., were the second biggest pain in the ass in Super Mario Bros. 3 (the Chain Chomp was the undisputed winner in that category). And worse, a player had no choice but to face the Hammer Bros. over and over again - hell, a giant hand forced you to fight them in World 8. It was for this reason that the Hammer Suit felt like karmic justice. It turned Mario into an honorary Hammer Brother, and it was as cool as it sounds. Mario could throw Hammers so powerful that he could take down Thwomps, and when he ducked, his shell could block Piranha fireballs. Good luck finding a Hammer Suit though - they weren't exactly lying around.

Turns You Into: Cape Mario
First Appearance: Super Mario World
System: Super Nintendo
Date: 1990
Frequency: Common

Talk about gamebreaking. The Cape in Super Mario World was difficult to master - the controls to fly were the direct opposite of intuitive. Once learned, however, Mario could fly above open world levels and dive bomb out of the sky, causing an earthquake that could destroy enemies and dislodge hidden 1-Ups. Super Mario World was Mario's first 16-bit adventure, and it also introduced the spin jump - a powerful, enemy disintegrating attack. The Cape assisted spin jump was even mightier, allowing Mario to destroy Dry Bones for good. No more reanimation for that Zombie turtle!

Turns You Into: Fire Mario
First Appearance: Super Mario Bros.
System: Nintendo Entertainment System
Date: 1985
Frequency: Common

The Fireflower has endured, game after game, for nearly thirty years, and it started with Super Mario Bros.. As a little kid, it was a rush to see Mario flash, blink, and transform into Fire Mario. Press B, and Mario threw out a cluster of pixels that would destroy any enemy (except for Buzzy Beetle). It looks primitive now, but back then, it was the feeling of invulnerability as Goombas, Koopa Troopas, and Spinys crumbled before you. The Fire Flower helped Mario survive the gauntlet of Hammer Bros. at the end of World 8-3, and it was the only way to take down King Bowser in a fair fight - chopping down the bridge with an axe was never 'fair.' In subsequent games, the Fireflower would gain new powers (dead enemies would turn into coins starting with Super Mario World), but nothing compared to that first rush of dominance in the very first game.