Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Happy MAR10 Day, everybody! March 10th (MAR10) is the official holiday that we all get together to celebrate one of the greatest and most influential video game franchises of all time. If you love video games, today is the day we honor one of Shigeru Miyamoto's absolute greatest creations: Super Mario (who was, of course, originally known simply as "Jumpman" in the classic Donkey Kong arcade cabinets).
This franchise is so incredibly fantastic, and its worldwide cultural impact easily rivals that of Mickey Mouse in terms of how deeply ingrained it is into our modern society. To celebrate Mario Day this year, I wanted to take a nostalgic look back at the history of the franchise and rank some of my absolute favorite upgrades, hop-ups, and power-ups for Mario throughout the series. Let's dive right into the list and see what My Top 3 BEST Super Mario Power-Ups might be.
š¦ 1. The Tanooki Suit (Super Mario Bros. 3)
One of my all-time favorite power-ups is on screen right now. While I have a ton of nostalgia and love for the standard Raccoon Mario leaf from Super Mario Bros. 3, I love the extremely rare Tanooki Mario suit even more.
The fact that he gets a full-body suit is awesome, but I especially love that it is actually based in real Japanese folklore. The Tanuki (Japanese raccoon dog) is a very respected creature in Japanese mythology, known for its shape-shifting abilities, and Nintendo incorporated that beautifully into the gameplay. From a mechanical perspective, the ability to temporarily transform into an invincible stone statue to avoid taking damageāand then dropping down out of the sky to completely smoosh your enemiesāis top-tier platforming design.
And finally, the pure joy of the voice lines! Whenever I'm playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or the brand-new Mario Kart World with my daughters and he actually yells out, "Tanooki!" when you select him... it just never gets old. It is a fantastic callback, a great way to play, and undoubtedly one of my favorite upgrades of all time.
š 2. Elephant Mario (Super Mario Bros. Wonder)
I want to make it clear: I am not just an old fart that only plays the retro games and constantly complains that things were "so much better back in the day." No, I absolutely love modern Nintendo games, and I especially love their recent 2D outing, Super Mario Bros. Wonder. The vibrant animation in this game is simply incredible, and the Elephant Mario power-up is undeniably good.
I mean, it's Mario as a giant, water-spraying elephant that can bash through solid brick blocks with his trunk. How can you not like this?!
The character animation work on Elephant Mario is fantastic and full of personality. I also have to give a massive shoutout to the new voice actor, Kevin Afghani. The legendary Charles Martinet was the very first voice we had for Mario for decades, and those are incredibly massive shoes to fill. But Kevin Afghani stepped up and does an absolutely amazing job bringing a fresh, energetic, but intimately familiar voice to Elephant Mario and the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom crew.
šŖ¶ 3. The Cape Feather (Super Mario World)
Alright, while I just proved I wasn't going to be an old fart and only look at the new games... I am definitely going to be an old fart right now and look at the absolute best of the old retro games.
This is, of course, 16-bit perfection: Super Mario World for the Super Nintendo. This is hands-down my favorite Mario game of all time, and I love the Cape Feather most of all. (I almost said Yoshi, but let's be realāhe's not really a power-up. He's your buddy. He's the guy that's going to help you survive throughout the toughest levels).
Everything about the Cape is perfect. I love the iconic sound effect when you spin around. I love the hilarious little detail that when you knock the cape off of a flying Koopa Troopa, they are left walking around in their undershorts. And as you can see in the background gameplay footage here, if you master the flight mechanics, you can literally fly through the entirety of the very first level where you get the cape without ever touching the ground. I managed to finish it without hitting a single enemy except for the couple that were flying in the air! Such a great game, and such a perfectly designed power-up that rewards skill and rhythm.
š£ļø What Are Your Favorites?
Now I want to turn it over to you. Let me know down below in the comments: what are YOUR favorite Super Mario power-ups of all time? Do you prefer the classic 2D power-ups like the Fire Flower, or the crazy 3D transformations like the Super Bell? Drop your lists below, and Happy MAR10 Day!
#MAR10Day #MarioDay #SuperMario #Nintendo #NintendoSwitch #RetroGaming #SuperMarioWorld #SuperMarioBrosWonder #TanookiMario #ElephantMario #GamingCommunity #RoXolidProductions #MarioKartWorld
Happy MAR10 Day, everybody! March 10th (MAR10) is the official holiday that we all get together to celebrate one of the greatest and most influential video game franchises of all time. If you love video games, today is the day we honor one of Shigeru Miyamoto's absolute greatest creations: Super Mario (who was, of course, originally known simply as "Jumpman" in the classic Donkey Kong arcade cabinets).
This franchise is so incredibly fantastic, and its worldwide cultural impact easily rivals that of Mickey Mouse in terms of how deeply ingrained it is into our modern society. To celebrate Mario Day this year, I wanted to take a nostalgic look back at the history of the franchise and rank some of my absolute favorite upgrades, hop-ups, and power-ups for Mario throughout the series. Let's dive right into the list and see what My Top 3 BEST Super Mario Power-Ups might be.
š¦ 1. The Tanooki Suit (Super Mario Bros. 3)
One of my all-time favorite power-ups is on screen right now. While I have a ton of nostalgia and love for the standard Raccoon Mario leaf from Super Mario Bros. 3, I love the extremely rare Tanooki Mario suit even more.
The fact that he gets a full-body suit is awesome, but I especially love that it is actually based in real Japanese folklore. The Tanuki (Japanese raccoon dog) is a very respected creature in Japanese mythology, known for its shape-shifting abilities, and Nintendo incorporated that beautifully into the gameplay. From a mechanical perspective, the ability to temporarily transform into an invincible stone statue to avoid taking damageāand then dropping down out of the sky to completely smoosh your enemiesāis top-tier platforming design.
And finally, the pure joy of the voice lines! Whenever I'm playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or the brand-new Mario Kart World with my daughters and he actually yells out, "Tanooki!" when you select him... it just never gets old. It is a fantastic callback, a great way to play, and undoubtedly one of my favorite upgrades of all time.
š 2. Elephant Mario (Super Mario Bros. Wonder)
I want to make it clear: I am not just an old fart that only plays the retro games and constantly complains that things were "so much better back in the day." No, I absolutely love modern Nintendo games, and I especially love their recent 2D outing, Super Mario Bros. Wonder. The vibrant animation in this game is simply incredible, and the Elephant Mario power-up is undeniably good.
I mean, it's Mario as a giant, water-spraying elephant that can bash through solid brick blocks with his trunk. How can you not like this?!
The character animation work on Elephant Mario is fantastic and full of personality. I also have to give a massive shoutout to the new voice actor, Kevin Afghani. The legendary Charles Martinet was the very first voice we had for Mario for decades, and those are incredibly massive shoes to fill. But Kevin Afghani stepped up and does an absolutely amazing job bringing a fresh, energetic, but intimately familiar voice to Elephant Mario and the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom crew.
šŖ¶ 3. The Cape Feather (Super Mario World)
Alright, while I just proved I wasn't going to be an old fart and only look at the new games... I am definitely going to be an old fart right now and look at the absolute best of the old retro games.
This is, of course, 16-bit perfection: Super Mario World for the Super Nintendo. This is hands-down my favorite Mario game of all time, and I love the Cape Feather most of all. (I almost said Yoshi, but let's be realāhe's not really a power-up. He's your buddy. He's the guy that's going to help you survive throughout the toughest levels).
Everything about the Cape is perfect. I love the iconic sound effect when you spin around. I love the hilarious little detail that when you knock the cape off of a flying Koopa Troopa, they are left walking around in their undershorts. And as you can see in the background gameplay footage here, if you master the flight mechanics, you can literally fly through the entirety of the very first level where you get the cape without ever touching the ground. I managed to finish it without hitting a single enemy except for the couple that were flying in the air! Such a great game, and such a perfectly designed power-up that rewards skill and rhythm.
š£ļø What Are Your Favorites?
Now I want to turn it over to you. Let me know down below in the comments: what are YOUR favorite Super Mario power-ups of all time? Do you prefer the classic 2D power-ups like the Fire Flower, or the crazy 3D transformations like the Super Bell? Drop your lists below, and Happy MAR10 Day!
#MAR10Day #MarioDay #SuperMario #Nintendo #NintendoSwitch #RetroGaming #SuperMarioWorld #SuperMarioBrosWonder #TanookiMario #ElephantMario #GamingCommunity #RoXolidProductions #MarioKartWorld
