- Not to be confused with Wood Block or Gray Block.
A Hard Block is a recurring type of Block in the Mario games, especially the 2D Super Mario series installments. They first appear in Super Mario Bros..
Description[]
Hard Blocks are usually used as platforms, the most iconic being when several of them are arranged in a staircase formation just before the flagpole, which itself usually sits on a Hard Block. The staircase is about the height of the flagpole to give Mario or another character a chance to reach the top of it. Hard Blocks generally cannot be broken, but a Super Thwomp or Mega Mario has the ability to break them. Empty Blocks are similar to Hard Blocks and generally function the same as them, except an Empty Block is the result of hitting either a ? Block once or a Coin Block enough times.
In Super Mario Bros. 3, their equivalent is Wood Blocks, while Super Mario World's equivalent of Hard Blocks are Gray Blocks.
In Super Mario series[]
Super Mario Bros.[]
Fire Mario on some Hard Blocks arranged in the form of stairs
Hard Blocks are generally arranged in the form of a staircase. Sometimes, such as in World 1-2, there are a few Hard Blocks stacked onto one another, and either Mario or Luigi must jump over them. Some Hard Blocks are a series of platforms more widely stretched out than others, such as in World 6-1.
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels[]
Hard Blocks function the same as in Super Mario Bros..
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[]
In a few World-e levels—Classic World 1-1, Classic World 1-2, and Classic World 2-2—Hard Blocks are used instead of Wood Blocks because each level is a recreation of one from Super Mario Bros.. Hard Blocks in particular reuse their sprite from the Super Mario All-Stars version of Super Mario Bros..
New Super Mario Bros.[]
Like with Super Mario Bros., Hard Blocks are often found at the end of a level, arranged in the form of a staircase. Unlike before, the flagpole sits on a fortress-styled base instead of a Hard Block. This game introduces the ability for Mario to break Hard Blocks while in his Mega form, and a Bob-omb can destroy any Hard Block within its range of explosion. In World 8-8, there are Lava Fireballs that can destroy Hard Blocks.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[]
Hard Blocks retain their usual role from before, but have a few specific purposes in some of the levels. In World 8-4, a Star Coin and several Bloopers are found trapped within Hard Blocks, but the player's character can destroy them by pressing a nearby ? Switch. There are also Hard Blocks in World Coin
-2, a remake of World 1-1 in Super Mario Bros..
Super Mario 3D Land[]
Mario jumping from a staircase of Hard Blocks in Super Mario 3D Land's World 2-3
Though Wood Blocks mostly appear instead of Hard Blocks, given the game's Super Mario Bros. 3-inspired theme, Hard Blocks arranged in the form of staircases appear at the end of World 2-3 and Special 1-3, both of which are levels with elements derived from Super Mario Bros..
New Super Mario Bros. 2[]
Wooden Hard Blocks in New Super Mario Bros. 2
Hard Blocks are now featured in a variety of appearances, including wooden, stone, golden, and in a variety of colors in general, none of which affects their functionality.
New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe[]
Here, they are named stone blocks, and act the same as before.
New Super Luigi U[]
Colored stone blocks make an appearance, notably in Piranha Heights, where several of them can be found arranged in the form of an 8-bit Luigi sprite.
Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS[]
Hard Blocks are featured in the Super Mario Bros. and New Super Mario Bros. U styles, acting the same as before, but the Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World styles feature them in the form of Wood Blocks and Gray Blocks respectively.
There are a variety of ways to destroy Hard Blocks as well as Wood Blocks and Gray Blocks. Like in New Super Mario Bros., it is still possible for a Big Thwomp or an exploding Bob-omb to destroy Hard Blocks, and similarly, Mario can also break them while in his Big form, which is essentially the game's equivalent of his Mega form. It is now possible for Hard Blocks to also be destroyed from either a Big Koopa Shell, one of Magikoopa's magic blasts, a Spike Pillar, Bowser, or a fully charged shot from a Fire Koopa Clown Car.
Super Mario Maker 2[]
Hard Blocks retain their role from Super Mario Maker, but the wider variety of course elements expands upon their role. Some more ways Hard Blocks can be destroyed is from Link's bombs, Giant Spiked Balls, a big Zappa Mechakoopa's laser beam, a big Blasta Mechakoopa's missile explosion, and a Ground Pound from certain Koopalings. A pair of wings can now be added to a Hard Block, and during a level, a winged Hard Block flies a few blocks left then right continuously. Hard Blocks also have the ability to stop the screen from scrolling, in which case the Hard Blocks have to be destroyed for the screen to resume scrolling. A difference from before is that Big Mario can no longer break Hard Blocks from the side.
In the Super Mario 3D World style, Hard Blocks are instead replaced by Rock Blocks.
In Mario Clock[]
Hard Blocks appear as the terrain of the bridge stage theme. Like a majority of the other sprites, Hard Blocks are depicted with their Super Mario Bros. sprite.
Crossover appearances[]
Super Mario Bros. series[]
Hard Blocks have made minor appearances throughout the series, referencing their appearance in Super Mario Bros. each time.
Super Smash Bros.[]
Hard Blocks appear in the background of the Mushroom Kingdom stage. It also has pass-through platforms made up of Hard Blocks.
Super Smash Bros. Melee[]
The Mushroom Kingdom stage features the blocks' classic staircase arrangement in the background.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[]
A series of Hard Blocks in the World 1-1 variation of Mushroomy Kingdom in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Hard Blocks appear appear as part of both the World 1-1 and World 1-2, retaining their layout from the respective levels in Super Mario Bros.. Hard Blocks now appear worn, chipped, and cracked, matching the stage's ruined appearance. The flagpole at the end of the World 1-1 variation is no longer there.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS[]
Hard Blocks return in Mushroomy Kingdom, which now only includes the World 1-1 layout. The Hard Blocks now appear worn, chipped, and cracked to match the stage's ruined appearance. Hard Blocks also form the top two layers of the stage's Final Destination form.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[]
Hard Blocks retain their cameo appearance in the returning Super Smash Bros. stage Mushroom Kingdom, although its pass-through platforms are instead made up of Empty Blocks. They also appear in another returning stage, Mushroomy Kingdom, which still only features its World 1-1 layout, but the flagpole at the end now on a Hard Block. In Mushroomy Kingdom's Battlefield form, the platforms are made up of Hard Blocks.
Nintendo Badge Arcade[]
Hard Blocks are badges part of the Super Mario Bros. set.
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Gallery[]
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