The Greatest Mario Power-Ups of All Time

An illustrated guide to our favorite powers for our favorite plumber.

By: Jeremy Parish
October 29, 2011

When Super Mario 3D Land hits in a couple of weeks, it will be bringing with it a bunch of familiar old power-ups for Mario along with some newfangled ones as well. The world’s greatest plumber has seen his share of power-up innovations over the years. Sometimes they’re great, but occasionally they turn out to be pretty lame. Do you remember Metal Mario, who existed entirely to show off the Nintendo 64’s reflection-mapping? Of course you don’t. It sucked. We do have high hopes for Mario 3D’s Boomerang Suit, but it has a lot to prove before it can triumph over the great powers and abilities that have come before it.

We took a quick survey of the 1UP’s staff’s favorite Mario skills over the years and came up with the following list. Do you agree? Disagree? Our website is designed as a two-way conversation, so share your thoughts and proclaim your love for your own favorites in the comments section below. And now, as Casey Kasem used to say, on with the countdown. (You should sing each number for full effect!)