Fire (phenomenon)
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Fire plays a significant role in the Super Mario franchise, serving as the basis for many objects and enemies. It is highly recurrent in the form of fireballs, which exist either as projectiles used by various characters or as stand-alone obstacles. Some creatures, such as Fire Snakes, Fryguy, leaping flames, or the fireballs in Donkey Kong, are made entirely or almost entirely out of fire. Platform games in the franchise often feature Fire Bars and Burners, non-sentient obstacles that have fire as a foundation. In role-playing games, including the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi series, fire is used in elemental attacks.
Less frequently, fire also appears in the Super Mario franchise in a basic, amorphous form, closer to its real life counterpart. This article focuses on such instances of fire in the franchise that fulfill a gameplay role.
History
Mario Kart series
In Grumble Volcano, a race course in Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart 8, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the debris launched from the surrounding volcanos cause fire to appear sporadically on the part of the track following the tunnel. Drivers who run into the fire spin out.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
In World 8-
Airship of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the fireballs that Bowser Jr. spits at the player characters ultimately reach the floor, causing patches of it to burn. The resulting fire can damage the player characters on contact. After burning for a while, the fire goes out on its own. However, it is unaffected by the floor wiggling as the characters perform a Ground Pound. Ice Mario's ice balls can put out the flames.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
In Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (and its port), the stage Scorch 'n' Torch takes place amidst a wildfire. Fire is not only an aesthetic feature, but also a key gameplay element in this stage, appearing in various contexts. While harmful to touch, this fire can typically be extinguished by throwing a Water Sack at it.
Fire engulfs patches of tall grass throughout the stage. Extinguishing it allows the Kongs to roll into the grass to clear it, revealing bananas and other items. One burning patch found between the first two checkpoints covers a Spinning Platform. The platform can be spun only after putting out the fire on it, leading the Kongs into a bonus room. Many swinging vines feature small burning segments that prevent the Kongs from safely hanging onto the vines, but can likewise be put out. Much of the stage also consists of fireballs that fall from tree canopies, as well as Fire Floor, a type of ground that combusts shortly after stepping on it. The stage's pits are entirely covered in fire, which cannot be extinguished; this serves as a contextual reason for certain charred trees to rapidly lower into these pits, carrying platform-like branches which the Kongs must use to cross.
Gallery
Flaming vines and Fire Floor in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
