Costume Marteau : le power-up qui terrasse Bowser

Hammer Suit: the power-up that takes down Bowser

1226 mots | Temps de lecture : 6 minute(s)

In the abundant arsenal of Super Mario Bros. 3, one power-up eclipses almost all others: the Hammer Suit. Rare, spectacular, and formidably effective, it adorns the plumber with the black gear of the Hammer Bros., turning him into a veritable war machine.

Capable of defeating almost all enemies with a single throw, including Bowser, this suit remains one of the most powerful abilities of the NES era. Here’s everything you need to know.

Summary

A suit born in Super Mario Bros. 3

The Hammer Suit made its grand debut in Super Mario Bros. 3, released in Japan on October 23, 1988, on the NES (then early 1990 in North America and August 29, 1991, in Europe). It joins the long list of power-ups that contribute to the richness of this legendary installment.

Once collected, the item dresses Mario (or Luigi) in the black gear of the Hammer Bros.: dark helmet and shell, black overalls, and white shirt. The plumber thus adopts the appearance of the helmeted enemies he faced a few levels earlier, a delightful reversal of roles. He is then referred to as Hammer Mario.

A small historical note: the game's manuals from that era do not explicitly name this item. The terms "Costume Marteau" and "Tenue Marteau" (Hammer Suit and Hammer Outfit) were later adopted as the standard French designations.

Hammer Throw: a rain that sweeps everything away

The signature of the suit is, of course, the hammer throw. With a simple press, Mario launches hammers describing an upward arc, a "bell-shaped" trajectory that can be slightly lengthened or shortened with the directional pad.

While the Fire Flower sends fireballs rolling on the ground, the hammers strike both high and low, making them formidable against flying or perched enemies. Most importantly, they defeat almost all enemies in the game with a single projectile, including adversaries that fire cannot reach.

In the Super Mario Advance 4 remake (2003, Game Boy Advance), the suit even gains a new utility: its hammers can break stone blocks, opening otherwise inaccessible passages.

The crouching shell: a fireproof shield

The Hammer Suit is not just an offensive weapon. When crouching, Mario curls up in his black shell and becomes immune to enemy fireballs, just like a Buzzy Beetle, which is also immune to flames.

However, this protection comes with a notable drawback: crouching in his shell, Mario can no longer slide down slopes to take out enemies, a classic maneuver in the game. A subtle detail for meticulous players: if you collect the suit while already in a slide, you can still complete that movement.

Defeating Bowser head-on

This is what elevates the Hammer Suit to the rank of the most powerful item in the game: it allows you to defeat Bowser directly. Usually, you only defeat the King of the Koopas by dodging him until he smashes the floor of his castle under his own weight.

With the hammers, no more trickery is needed: a few well-placed throws are enough to defeat Bowser head-on, which very few items in the game allow. This rare ability makes the suit a kind of "express victory" button against the final boss, provided you have managed to keep it until then.

A rare treasure and its reappearances

The Hammer Suit is so coveted precisely because it is very rare. In Super Mario Bros. 3, it is only found in Worlds 6 and 7 (Ice Land and Pipe Land), near the very end of the adventure. Savvy players sometimes bring it back to earlier worlds using the flutes that allow travel between worlds. And like any power-up, a single hit is enough to lose it.

The suit then appeared in subsequent re-releases: Super Mario All-Stars (1993, Super NES), the All-Stars + Super Mario World compilation (1994), Super Mario Advance 4 (2003), and then Super Mario All-Stars – Limited Edition (2010, Wii).

In the Super Mario Maker series, however, it is neither a playable power-up nor a classic unlockable costume: it survives as a hidden Easter egg. By hitting a warp door in the Super Mario Bros. 3 theme, you can make the mischievous Weird Mario appear, dressed in this hammer outfit.

🔨 A cult power-up that embodies the golden age of the NES, that era when every item reinvented the way to play Mario.

Hammer Suit in brief

French Name Costume Marteau (or Tenue Marteau)
English Name Hammer Suit
Japanese Name ハンマースーツ (Hanmā Sūtsu)
First Appearance Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988, Japan)
Type Power-up / transformation
Offensive Effect Arcing hammer throw
Defensive Bonus Anti-fire shell when crouching
Other Games All-Stars, Advance 4, Mario Maker (Easter egg)

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FAQ

  • In which game does the Hammer Suit appear?
    The Hammer Suit debuted in Super Mario Bros. 3, released in Japan in 1988 (1991 in Europe). It then reappeared in the re-releases Super Mario All-Stars, Super Mario Advance 4, and as an Easter egg in Super Mario Maker.
  • What does the Hammer Suit allow you to do?
    It transforms Mario or Luigi into Hammer Mario and allows him to throw hammers in an arc, just like the Hammer Bros. These hammers can defeat almost all enemies with a single throw, including those that fire cannot reach.
  • Does the Hammer Suit protect against fire?
    Yes. When crouching, Mario protects himself in his shell and becomes immune to enemy fireballs, similar to a Buzzy Beetle. In return, he can no longer slide down slopes.
  • Can you really defeat Bowser with the Hammer Suit?
    Yes, and that's its great strength. While Bowser is normally defeated by letting him smash the floor of his castle, a few well-placed hammers are enough to defeat him head-on, which very few items allow.
  • Is the Hammer Suit playable in Super Mario Maker?
    No, it's neither a playable power-up nor an unlockable costume. It only appears as an Easter egg: hitting a warp door in the Super Mario Bros. 3 theme can make Weird Mario appear dressed in this outfit.
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