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Super Mario Super Smash Bros.

The Metal Box is a type of Cap Block featured within the Mario franchise. It is a cubical green-and-white box with an exclamation point in the center of each face. The Metal Box first appears as an object in Super Mario 64, in which it releases a Metal Cap upon being opened, and went on to appear as an item in every Super Smash Bros. series title since Super Smash Bros. Melee, in which picking up a Metal Box instantly turns a fighter into their metal form.

In Super Mario series[]

Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS[]

MetalBoxSM64

A Metal Box, as it originally appeared in Super Mario 64.

In Super Mario 64, Green Blocks, like the other Cap Blocks, are not usable at first, and only materialize after Mario has activated their corresponding Cap Switch, found in the Cavern of the Metal Cap hidden within Hazy Maze Cave. Upon breaking a Green Block, a Metal Cap is released, and by putting it on, Mario transforms into Metal Mario temporarily, during which he becomes invulnerable to attack and heavier; because of this, Metal Mario sinks down into the water and can withstand strong gusts of wind.

In Super Mario 64 DS, the Cap Blocks, including the Metal Boxes, are all replaced by red ? Blocks that materialize after the red ? Switch at the Tower of the Wing Cap has been activated. Upon breaking a ? Block, it releases a Power Flower, the effect of which differs for Mario and the additional three playable characters: Yoshi, Luigi, and Wario. Mario can no longer take on the properties of the Metal Cap, but if Wario touches a Power Flower, he becomes Metal Wario.

In Super Smash Bros. series[]

Super Smash Bros.[]

In Super Smash Bros., while the Metal Box does not make an appearance, the ninth stage of 1P Game involves a battle against Metal Mario who, in the Super Smash Bros. series, is featured as both a standalone character and an alternate form of Mario; in both cases, Metal Mario permanently has the properties granted by the Metal Box.

Super Smash Bros. Melee[]

Metal Box Melee

Super Smash Bros. Melee screenshot

In Super Smash Bros. Melee, the Metal Box is properly introduced into the Super Smash Bros. series. If it is broken by disjointed attacks like Pikachu's forward smash or any attack from a sword-wielding character, they still become a Metal fighter. Ness's dash attack is the only disjointed attack that doesn't turn him metal. If the Metal Box is hit by a projectile, it disappears. A random metal fighter is fought in Classic Mode, and both Metal Mario and Metal Luigi are fought in Adventure.

Metal fighters make different metallic sounds while walking, running, and landing, which mostly depends on their weight; all lightweight fighters except Princess Zelda, Mr. Game & Watch, Mewtwo, and Ice Climbers make a faint "tinging" sound; all middleweight fighters make a standard "clanking" sound; and all heavyweight fighters except Samus Aran, Yoshi, Ganondorf, and Link make a much more noticeable "crunching" sound. Most of the aforementioned exceptional characters make the standard middleweight sound despite their weight. Mewtwo doesn't make any sounds, even when landing, and Mr. Game & Watch's footsteps and landing sounds are always electronic beep noises. Only one of the Ice Climbers can pick up a Metal Box to assume their metal form.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl[]

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the Metal Box can no be broken when hit by projectiles, and the metallic walking sound effect no longer changes depending on the characters' weights, so everyone makes the same sound while walking. While swimming, instead of instantly sinking underwater, the fighter submerges deeper after falling into the water; this technique is used to reach a secret area in The Glacial Peak in Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary. In Classic Mode, the player must also battle a random metal character.

Characters who take on an alternate form during their Final Smash are not affected by breaking Metal Boxes; this includes Bowser, who becomes Giga Bowser, and Wario, who becomes Wario-Man. Similarly, while Captain Olimar is under the effects of the Metal Box, his Pikmin remain in their usual form.

Starting with this game, there is an option in Special Brawl to have all fighters assume their Metal form throughout each battle.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U[]

Metal Box SSB4 Wii U

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U screenshot

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, the transformation duration can no longer be extended by picking up additional Metal Boxes. In the Nintendo 3DS version, the metal is translucent rather than opaque, but in the Wii U version, the metal texture is both opaque and reflective, with a pre-rendered screenshot of the current stage being reflected on the character's body.

In both games, if Rosalina uses the Metal Box, her Luma also transforms into metal. On the other hand, Olimar's Pikmin are still unaffected by the Metal Box. Alph, being an alternate costume of Olimar, also has his Pikmin unaffected while he is a Metal fighter. Giga Bowser and Wario-Man remain unaffected by the Final Smash, and both Mega Lucario and Giga Mac, an alternate form assumed by Lucario and Little Mac during their respective Final Smash, are also unaffected.

In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the Metal Box appears as a red trophy item in Smash Tour. When used, it allows the player's fighter to start a battle in metal form. The Super Smash Bros. for Wii U trophy incorrect lists Super Mario 64 DS, as one of the Metal Box's game appearances, even though all of the Cap Blocks were replaced with a ? Block.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[]

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the effect of the Metal Box appears to slowly take over the character rather than immediately, similar to Inkling's ink. The Hero's Metal Slash ability can instantly KO any metal characters that it hits. One of Hero's down special moves, Kaclang, can turn him metal, and is the only special move to grant this effect.

In spirit battles, players can battle a puppet fighter made either entirely of metal or has the ability to shift into their metal form. There is no spirit of a Metal Box itself.

Unlike in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, Luma no longer becomes metal while Rosalina is under the effects of a Metal Box.

In Minecraft[]

In the Super Mario Mash-up in Minecraft, a Green Block is featured in the form of a painting, along with the other Cap Blocks.

Navigation[]

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