Cap Block
- "Green Block" redirects here. For information about green-colored ! Blocks, see ! Block.
- Not to be confused with metal block.
| Cap Block | |
|---|---|
 Metal Box artwork from Super Smash Bros. Brawl | |
| First appearance | Super Mario 64 (1996) |
| Latest appearance | Super Mario 3D All-Stars (2020) |
- “There are special Caps in the red, green and blue blocks. Step on the switches in the hidden courses to activate the Cap Blocks.”
- —Sign, Super Mario 64
A Cap Block is a type of block that first appears in Super Mario 64. In the original game, Cap Blocks come in three colors, each one containing a different power-up.
HistoryEdit
Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DSEdit
In Super Mario 64, all Cap Blocks are intangible at the start of the game, reminiscent of the four ! Blocks from Super Mario World. When one of the three Cap Switches is activated, all Cap Blocks of that color solidify and drop a cap power-up upon being broken open.
- Red blocks (or Red Blocks)[1] contain the Wing Cap. The red Wing Cap Switch is on the Tower of the Wing Cap, which is accessed by standing on the sun panel in the Mushroom Castle's lobby and looking at the ceiling after Mario obtains at least 10 Power Stars.
- Green blocks (or Green Blocks)[2] contain the Metal Cap. The green Metal Cap Switch is in the Cavern of the Metal Cap, a secret area inside the Hazy Maze Cave accessed through a portal near Dorrie's pond.
- Blue blocks (or Blue Blocks)[3] contain the Vanish Cap. The blue Vanish Cap Switch is in Vanish Cap Under the Moat, which becomes accessible after Mario drains the moat in front of the Mushroom Castle.
In Super Mario 64 DS, the three colored ! Blocks are reduced to one red ? Block, which is simply referred to as such. Red blocks contain either Power Flowers, which give different abilities depending on which character obtains them, or Wings in certain levels for Mario. If anyone other than Yoshi hits a red block without his cap, however, a Bob-omb will come out instead.
A different set of Cap Blocks exists unused in Super Mario 64 DS, and they provide the player with Mario's cap, Luigi's cap, or Wario's cap.
Super Smash Bros. seriesEdit
The green block appears as an item under the name Metal Box in every installment of the Super Smash Bros. series starting with Super Smash Bros. Melee. Much like in Super Mario 64, this item causes characters to become coated in metal for a short period of time. Unlike in Super Mario 64, they have to simply grab or directly hit the box to become metal, as opposed to jumping under it and causing the Metal Cap to emerge from it. They become heavier and fall faster, making it harder to directly KO them by blasting them away, but making it harder for them get back on the stage. Getting hit causes the duration of the power-up to shorten. The Final Smash forms Giga Bowser, Wario-Man, Mega Lucario, and Giga Mac are completely unaffected by Metal Boxes. Also, when a character becomes metal, their voice is removed, unlike in Super Mario 64, where Metal Mario kept his voice.
Every game in the Super Smash Bros. series that features trophies has one of the Metal Boxes. In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the trophy erroneously states the Metal Box appears in Super Mario 64 DS, which replaced the colored caps with multiple characters, their Power Flowers all being found in red blocks.
MinecraftEdit
In the Super Mario Mash-up in Minecraft, the red, green, and blue Cap Blocks appear as paintings, along with a yellow block from Super Mario 64.
Trophy informationEdit
Super Smash Bros. MeleeEdit
| Name | Image | Game | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal Box | 
|
Super Mario 64 09/96 |
First spotted in Super Mario 64, the Metal Box holds the power to turn your character briefly into heavy metal. Your mass is exponentially greater while metallic, making it difficult for others to throw you. Be careful though: not only will you move a bit slower, but you'll also fall much more quickly than you ordinarily would. |
Super Smash Bros. BrawlEdit
| Name | Image | Game | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal Box | 
|
N64 Super Mario 64 | A green box that transforms whoever attacks it into metal. In metal form, you're a lot heavier than normal, so middling and even strong attacks don't move you too much, and standard attacks won't even make you flinch. The time you spend in metal form decreases with the damage you take. In Super Mario 64, the weight of the metal form allowed you to walk underwater. |
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii UEdit
In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the Metal Box trophy lists Super Mario 64 DS as its other game appearance, even though it (as well as the original game's red and blue ! Blocks) was replaced by ? Blocks in the remake.
| Name | 3DS Image | Wii U Image | Appears in | American English description | British English description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metal Box | 
|
|
N64 Super Mario 64 (09/1996) DS Super Mario 64 DS (11/2004) |
This green box will make you the ultimate defensive character, turning you into solid metal for a short time. You won't flinch from enemy attacks, even in midair, and it is much harder to launch you. On the other hand, you fall like a brick. Getting hit will reduce the duration of this item. | Whack this box to turn into a metal you! You won't flinch when attacked - even in mid-air - and you'll be harder to launch. Now, the downsides: you'll move slower, fall faster, and recovering when you fall off a stage will be a nightmare. Also, it's only temporary, or lasts until you've taken a certain amount of damage. |
Blue indicates it is exclusive to the Wii U version.
GalleryEdit
A green block in the Hazy Maze Cave in Super Mario 64
Red block artwork from Super Mario 64
Green block artwork from Super Mario 64
Blue block artwork from Super Mario 64
A Metal Box in Super Smash Bros. Melee
A ? Block in Super Mario 64 DS
Red block painting from Minecraft
Green block painting from Minecraft
Blue block painting from Minecraft
Names in other languagesEdit
Cap BlockEdit
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | アイテムブロック Aitemu Burokku |
Item Block |
Red blockEdit
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | Akai Burokku あかブロック Aka Burokku |
Red Block |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 红色砖块[5] Hóngsè Zhuānkuài |
Red Block |
Green block / Metal BoxEdit
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | Midori no Burokku Midori Burokku |
Green Block |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 绿色砖块 Lǜsè Zhuānkuài |
Green Block |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 綠色磚塊 Lǜsè Zhuānkuài |
Green Block |
| Dutch | Groene !-kist | Green ! Box |
| French | Boîte de Métal | Metal Box |
| German | Grüne !-Box | Green ! Box |
| Italian | Blocco verde[6] (Super Mario 64) Scatola ![7] (Super Smash Bros. series) |
Green Block ! Box |
| Korean | 초록 블록 Chorok Beulok |
Green Block |
| Portuguese | Caixa Metálica | Metalic Box |
| Russian | Металлический блок Metallicheskiy blok |
Metallic block |
| Spanish (NOA) | Bloque de Metal | Metal Block |
| Spanish (NOE) | Bloque Verde | Green Block |
Blue blockEdit
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | Aoi Burokku あおブロック Ao Burokku |
Blue Block |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 蓝色砖块[5] Lánsè Zhuānkuài |
Blue Block |
TriviaEdit
- In some pre-release versions of New Super Mario Bros., a blue block from Super Mario 64 can be seen. Its 3D geometry is more apparent than any other block in the game. Moreover, the yellow block from the same game can also be seen, this one being automatically switched to a green block if hit.[8]
ReferencesEdit
- ^ M. Arakawa. Super Mario 64 Player's Guide. Pages 45, 64, 69, and 73.
- ^ M. Arakawa. Super Mario 64 Player's Guide. Pages 35, 56, and 59.
- ^ M. Arakawa. Super Mario 64 Player's Guide. Pages 54 and 93.
- ^ a b c Super Mario 64 Japanese instruction booklet, page 19.
- ^ a b Official Chinese Super Mario 64 manual, page 19.
- ^ Super Mario 64 Italian instruction booklet, page 38.
- ^ Latel (May 3, 2018). Year of Smash 25 [Super Smash Bros. Brawl]. YouTube. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^ Video showing an early E3 prototype of New Super Mario Bros.