Fleur de Feu : histoire du power-up culte de Mario

Fire Flower: the story of Mario's cult power-up

1457 words | Reading time : 7 minute(s)

ItemFire FlowerPower-up

The first offensive power in Mario's history, and still the most used of all. Introduced back in Super Mario Bros. in 1985, the Fire Flower turns the hero into Fire Mario and lets him throw bouncing fireballs. This guide traces how its design evolved, what the power-up really changes, its variants and cousins, and its presence across the spin-offs.

Introduced back in Super Mario Bros. in 1985, the Fire Flower is arguably the most iconic power-up of the entire saga. Touch this item and Mario turns into Fire Mario and gains the ability to throw fireballs and take down enemies from a distance: a revolution for a plumber who, until then, could only jump on his opponents.

Forty years later, the Fire Flower remains a pillar of the gameplay. From the NES to Super Mario Bros. Wonder, by way of the 3D worlds of Super Mario Galaxy, it has changed in looks while keeping its mission: giving Mario fire. Here is the full story of this classic.

Contents

The origins: Super Mario Bros. (1985)

The Fire Flower makes its debut in Super Mario Bros., released on Family Computer and Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985. It is the third historic bonus item of the series, right after the Super Mushroom and the Power Star, and it quickly becomes the second most recurring power-up in the franchise, behind the mushroom.

In the original game, the flower usually appears inside a Question Block and is only useful to an already-big Mario: it then turns him into Fire Mario, able to hurl fireballs that bounce off the ground and wipe out most enemies. That single addition changed the way you play for good, offering a ranged attack for the very first time.

How the design evolved from game to game

The Fire Flower's look has changed a great deal over the generations:

  • Super Mario Bros. (1985): white petals, an orange centre, a green stem and two leaves.
  • Super Mario Bros. 3: after sitting out Super Mario Bros. 2, it comes back with a reworked colour scheme and eyes visible on the larger sprites.
  • Super Mario World: it takes on the look of an orange tulip with a smiling face and a shorter stem.
  • Super Mario All-Stars and beyond: it settles into today's standard design: a round flower with red and yellow petals, a white face with two eyes and a leafy green stem.

It is this "All-Stars" version that serves as the template for modern games, in 2D as much as in 3D, right up to Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

The Fire Flower in a modern rendering, red petals and white centre
The design has grown rounder over the generations, without ever changing its colour code.

Fire Mario: what the power-up changes

Once the flower is picked up, the character becomes Fire Mario (originally "Fiery Mario"). He throws fireballs that defeat enemies, melt ice blocks and light torches and braziers. In most classic platformers, no more than two fireballs can be on screen at the same time.

How you lose the power varies from era to era. In the very first games, a single hit sends Mario straight back to his tiny form; from the Western release of Super Mario Bros. 3, a hit generally knocks him back down to Super Mario. Ever since Super Mario World, enemies defeated by a fireball often drop a coin.

The Fire Flower's variants and cousins

The Fire Flower's success has inspired several official offshoots:

  • Ice Flower: its frozen counterpart, which became common after New Super Mario Bros. Wii, swapping fire for iceballs that freeze enemies solid.
  • Gold Flower: introduced in New Super Mario Bros. 2, it throws golden fireballs that turn scenery and enemies into coins.
  • Bubble Flower: a newcomer in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, firing bubbles instead of flames.

Worth noting: contrary to a widespread belief, there is no genuine "blue fire variant" of the Fire Flower. Mario's fireballs are red; the cyan or green shades seen in Super Mario Bros. 3 (Toad Houses, Koopaling battles) are nothing more than artefacts of the NES colour palette limits.

The Fire Flower in the 3D games and Wonder

In 3D, the Fire Flower takes on a whole new role. In Super Mario Galaxy, it is no longer lost when Mario takes a hit: this time it runs on a timer, around twenty seconds. Fire Mario can throw more fireballs in a row, smash piles of snow and light torches, but cannot shoot underwater.

In Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the power gets far more flexible: you can now throw fireballs while crouching or riding a Yoshi. The game also extends the fire form to other heroes, with a Fire Peach and, for the first time, a Fire Daisy, while Super Mario 3D World had already opened the power-up to Peach, Toad and Rosalina.

Beyond platforming: Mario Kart and spin-offs

The Fire Flower spills well beyond the platform games. Over in Mario Kart, it is the emblem of the Flower Cup; from Mario Kart 7 onward and in Mario Kart 8, it becomes a full-fledged item that lets you unleash a volley of fireballs to send rivals spinning.

You will also find it in the role-playing and party games: in Paper Mario, it is a single-use item that deals fire damage to every enemy on screen; over in Mario & Luigi, it fuels duo attacks. It even shows up as an item in Super Smash Bros., where it spits a continuous jet of flames. Fun aside: several official sources suggest the characters actually eat the flower, with Mario Party 9 describing it as "a surprisingly tasty snack".

Fire Flowers as they appear on the big screen
The power-up followed Mario all the way to the big screen.

Quick facts

First appearance Super Mario Bros. (1985)
Type Item / transformation power-up
Effect Turns the hero into Fire Mario, who throws fireballs
Resulting form Fire Mario (Fiery Mario)
Fireballs on screen 2 at most in the majority of platform games
Official variants Ice Flower, Gold Flower, Bubble Flower
Fun fact Emblem of the Flower Cup in Mario Kart

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FAQ

  • When did the Fire Flower first appear?
    In Super Mario Bros., released on Family Computer and NES in 1985. It is one of the very first power-ups in the series, the third historic bonus item after the Super Mushroom and the Star.
  • What does the Fire Flower do?
    It turns the character into Fire Mario, who can throw fireballs. They defeat most enemies from a distance, melt ice blocks and light torches and braziers.
  • Is there a blue Fire Flower?
    No. Mario's fireballs are red. The cyan shades seen in Super Mario Bros. 3, during the Koopaling battles or inside the Toad Houses, come purely from the NES colour palette limits, not from a real variant.
  • What is the difference between the Fire Flower and the Ice Flower?
    The Ice Flower is the frozen counterpart of the Fire Flower, and became common after New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Instead of burning, it throws iceballs that freeze enemies in place.
  • Can characters other than Mario use the Fire Flower?
    Yes. Traditionally reserved for Mario and Luigi, the fire form was opened up to Peach, Toad and Rosalina in Super Mario 3D World, then to Daisy in Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
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