Island
| Island | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Sprite from Super Mario Bros. | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario Bros. (1985) | ||
| Latest appearance | Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition (2024) | ||
| |||
Islands[1] are platforms in the Super Mario series that first appeared in Super Mario Bros. Like Mushroom Platforms, they often appear as the main source of footing in athletic-themed and sky-themed courses. Most of their appearances use their design from Super Mario Bros., which consists of a grassy green top supported by a narrower brown base. However, they have also appeared with different designs, in Super Mario Land and Super Mario Bros. 3.
History[edit]
Super Mario Bros.[edit]
Islands occur in large numbers in World 1-3, World 3-3, World 5-3, and World 6-3, where islands and lifts are the only platforms available to cross a huge pit. There are also three each in World 2-3 and World 7-3: two at the beginning and end of the level, supporting the ends of the bridge, and one in the middle, with the checkpoint location on top of it.
The islands in World 6-3 have a unique color scheme, being completely gray like the rest of the level. However, Super Mario All-Stars removes this distinction, giving these islands the same appearance as the others.
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels[edit]
Islands are also found in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, with their sprite redone to have a more detailed appearance. They appear in many more levels than in Super Mario Bros., sometimes included in sections that use a variety of platforms. For example, in World 2-3, they are mixed with bridges, and in World 5-3, they are mixed with pipes and Hard Blocks.
The Lost Levels includes islands with multiple alternate palettes. In World 3-3 and World 7-2, their tops are white and snowy. In World 7-3 and World C-3, the gray palette from Super Mario Bros. returns. In World 9-2, they have green bases and dark purple tops. Once again, though, Super Mario All-Stars does not have these palette variations.
Islands appear in the following levels:
Super Mario Bros. Special[edit]
Islands appear in Super Mario Bros. Special. Aside from the color limitations of the game, they have the same appearance as in Super Mario Bros.. In this game, bushes and horsehair plants are sometimes planted on islands, though very rarely. This is only seen in World 1-3, World 2-3, and World 5-3. This game also contains a small number of islands that are not above pits, in World 5-2 and World 6-1.
Islands appear in the following levels:
Super Mario Bros. 3 / Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
In Super Mario Bros. 3, islands are made of wood, reflecting the game's stageplay theming. They are supported by one-block-wide pillars, of which there are one for small islands and two for wider ones. Their tops can be one or two blocks tall; the shorter variant of their tops shares its design with other platforms, including lifts, platforms that are held up from above, and ones that simply float.
Islands are rare in Super Mario Bros. 3, and most of their appearances are in small numbers. A platform with the appearance of the taller variant of the tops is seen at the end of World 1-4, but since it is at the bottom of the screen, whether it has pillars or not cannot be seen. Islands proper debut, and are most numerous, in World 1-6, where they are the main type of platform for the first half of the course. World 3-6 has a single island at its beginning, and two at its end.
In Ice Land, another variant of islands is seen, with what appears to be grass on top of it. There is one of these in World 6-3, and three in World 6-7. In addition, World 6-4 has this platform design placed at the bottom of the screen. In the Super Mario All-Stars remake and in Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, the Iced Land portion of the ending shows one more of this type of island.
Also in Super Mario Advance 4, islands appear in three World-e courses. Classic World 1-3 features them heavily, being a remake of World 1-3 from Super Mario Bros., with the islands changed to their wooden design. Wild Ride in the Sky has a single island, which the player starts on. No Time to Dawdle uses islands as its primary type of platform, including several incredibly wide ones, supported by many pillars.
Super Mario Land[edit]
In Super Mario Land, islands appear in World 1-2 exclusively. Here, they have more varied shapes, with some having tops far wider than their bases.
Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS / Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
In Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, islands appear as skins of Semisolid Platforms in the Ground and Underground themes of the Super Mario Bros. style. These versions of the platforms have much less overhang; their bases are almost as wide as their tops. A variant where the base is made up of several narrow pillars is also included, which is exclusive to the Ground theme. In the Underground theme, both the base and top of the platforms are colored blue.
In Super Mario Maker 2, in addition to the returning Ground and Underground versions, both variants of islands appear in the Snow theme. These have a white top and a bluish-gray base. In the Snow theme's night version, they, like other terrain, gain a bright blue color and become slippery like ice.
Gallery[edit]
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (World 9-2)
Super Mario Bros. Special (PC-8801 version)
Super Mario Bros. Special (Sharp X1 version)
Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Bros. 3 (Snow Theme)
Super Mario All-Stars (Super Mario Bros. / Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels)
Super Mario All-Stars (Super Mario Bros. 3)
Super Mario All-Stars (Super Mario Bros. 3)
Super Mario All-Stars (Super Mario Bros. 3, Snow Theme)
Super Mario Maker (Ground Theme)
Super Mario Maker (Ground Theme)
Super Mario Maker (Underground Theme)
Super Mario Maker 2 (Snow Theme)
Super Mario Maker 2 (Snow Theme)
Super Mario Maker 2 (Snow Night Theme)
Super Mario Maker 2 (Snow Night Theme)
Notes[edit]
- In Super Mario All-Stars, areas containing Mushroom Platforms replace the shades of green used by islands with a white palette, but as there are no islands in these areas, this palette is unused. It is possible that this is a remnant of the snowy palette used in 3-3 and 7-2 of The Lost Levels.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ Phillips, Howard, and Lynn Griffes, editors (1987). How to win at Super Mario Bros.. Redmond: Tokuma Shoten and Nintendo of America. ISBN 4-19-720003-XC. Page 6.
- ^ The Cutting Room Floor - Super Mario All-Stars (SNES) § Super Mario Bros. § Unused Palettes
| Super Mario Bros. Special | |
|---|---|
| Protagonists | Mario • Mushroom retainer • Princess Peach |
| Worlds | World 1 • World 2 • World 3 • World 4 • World 5 • World 6 • World 7 • World 8 |
| Items and objects | 1 up Mushroom • Clock • Coin • Fire Flower • Hachisuke • Hummer • Island • Lucky Star • Magic Mushroom • Starman • Wing |
| Enemies | Bloober • Bullet Bill • Buzzy Beetle • Cheep-cheep • Chokichoki • Fire-Bar • Hammer Brother • Koopa Paratroopa • Koopa Troopa • Lakitu • Little Goomba • Nakaji • Piranha Plant • Podoboo • Sigebou • Spiny • Spiny's egg • Tarusar • Tsurara • Turtle Cannon |
| Boss | Bowser |
| Miscellaneous | Ax • Beanstalk • Coin Heaven • Coral • Fireworks • Flagpole • Gallery • Glitches • Horsehair plant • Jumping board • Media • Staff |
