Character power-ups are a staple in many different games. Sonic can transform into Super Sonic thanks to the Chaos Emeralds and Link can turn into Fierce Deity Link by putting on the mask of the same name, as a couple of examples. The most iconic video game series featuring power-ups (which also popularized the concept) is, of course, Super Mario. In 1985, Super Mario Bros. introduced the Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, and Starman. From there forward, the power-ups would cover almost everything - from raccoons to penguins. There have been many power-ups in the Mario series tꦅhroughout the years, and there will certainly be new ones as the games conti꧙nue.

There are few moments of happiness as great as when picking up an item that gives the character a special ability. Who doesn't enjoy shooting down enemies with fireballs or turning giant and stomping everything in the way? How about being able to soar through the air or turn everything into coins? While most power-ups are definitely excellent, a few of them leave a little to be desired. Some power-ups might be good, but rendered obsolete thanks to superior ones. And then some could even harm the character! (If you see a mushroom with a skull on it, don't pick it up.) One never knows what he/she will find when they hit that Question Block f🐓or the first time or put on a cap. For this list, we'll be taking a look ✅at the 10 best and 10 most useless power-ups in Super Mario.

20 ꩲ ൲ Best: Mega Mushroom

Power-ups are a staple in the Mario franchise, and it all started with one: the Super Mushroom. In 1985, Super Mario Bros. changed the video game landscape. World 1-1 is arguably the most icꦏonic video game stage of all time. The opening scene features Mario stomping on a Goomba. The really interesting part is when he hits the Question Block containing the Super Mushroom. Grabbing it will turn Mario bigger, instantly putting a smile on the player's face. How does one beat this great feeling? Going even bigger of course🍸.

The Mega Mushroom first appeared by name in Mario Party 4, but its most notable appearance originated in New Super Mario Bros. This DS classic was the first Super Mario side-scroller in years. World 1-1 here not only had the Super Mushroom, like the original 1-1, it also had the gigantic Mega Mushroom. Grabbing this mushroom makes Mario huge. (He's even bigger than Bowser in this form.) "M▨ega Mario" can plow through enemies, making this one of the most powerful and just fun power-ups in the series.

19 Useless: Mini Mushroom 🅺

New Super Mario Bros. introduced a few new items for the heroes to utilize. Of course, we all know the Mega Mushroom, but there was another new Mushroom the game debuted. It's literally the opposite of the Mega Mushroom, appropriately titled the Mini Mushroo𒁏m. This power-up turns Mario into a miniature version of himself.

The primary purpose for the Mini Mushroom is to access secret areas that for some reason only mini Mario could enter. Beyond that, the Mini Mushroom has few to no practical uses. Sure, Mario can jump higher and run on water, but he loses by one touch of an enemy. Worse is that he can't simply stomp 🌞on enemies anymore; he has to ground pound them. There are only a few other mushrooms worse than the Mini Mushroom, which will be addressed soon.

18 💧 Best: Vanish Cap

Super Mario 64 revolutionized the Mario series with its leap into the 3D landscape. Like the 2D classics, 64 had power-ups. However, they were in the form of Caps. The most famous one is the Wing Cap (after all, it appears on the game's box art) followed by the Metal Cap. ꦜThe other cap is not quite as famous as those two, but it is as equally good: the Vanish Cap.

An interesting thing about the Vanish Cap is that it's possible to go through the game without acquiring it. The Cap is found in a secret course outside the Castle called Vanish Cap Under the Moat. This Cap is extremely handy, as it will cause Mario to become intangible. Supposedly he turns invisible, but for some reason the enemies still attack when he's near. It doesn't matter, however, because the attacks go right through Mario in this form anyway. The other fantastic aspect of this power-up is that Mario can walk right through metal fences. If that wasn't enough, the player can combine the Vanish Cap with the Metal Cap. This is used primarily in the Dire, Dire Docks course, "Collect the Caps..."

17 Useless: Spring Mushroom 🃏

Super Mario Galaxy is considered by many to be, not just one of the greatest Mario games, but also one of the greatest games of all time. Its intricate level design and grand storyline cement this installment as a modern classic. Unlike Super Mario Sunshine, Galaxy featured an assortment of brand new power-ups. Who doesn't have fond memor🌟ies of soaring around the Comet Observatory as Flying Mario and saving Luigi as Boo Mario? Not every power-up is great like those, however, and chief among them is the absolutely horrible Spring Mushroom.

The Spring Mushroom is known for its infamous controls🐷. It can be easy to fall off the platform in this bouncy form, making for a very aggravating challenge. There are too many power-ups in the series giving Mario the ability to fly (or glide, like with the Super Acorn) to say anything good about the Spring Mushroom.

16 ൲ ꩵBest: Tanooki Suit

Super Mario Bros. 3 is one of the finest games ever created; some still call it Mario's greatest adventure. Its "Athletic Theme" is one of the most iconic themes from the Mario soundtrack library, and who could forget Giant Land? Super Mario Bros. 3 was the first game to introduce animal-themed power-ups, such as the Super Leaf. One of the best is also one of the most unique in the franchise, the Tanooki Sui🎃t.

Like the Super Leaf, the Tanooki Suit grants Mario the ability to fly via a raccoon tail. The Tanooki Suit is betteꦗr t🐼han its Super Leaf counterpart because it gives Mario the ability to transform into a statue. This statue form makes Mario invulnerable to enemies, plus they will ignore him. What's perhaps even more interesting is that if Mario turns into a statue in mid-air, he can beat almost enemy instantly. (He can even stomp on some inanimate objects, like the flame that shoots out of the rocket engine.) This power-up may seem random to American players, but it has a history in Japanese folklore.

15 Useless: Goomba Mask 😼

Super Mario 3D World is the most recent Mario platformer. Every Nintendo home console has its big Mario game; 3D World is the Wii U's. The game took a break from the tired concept of Princess Peach getting kidnapped in favor of Bowser capturing new characters. Like the Galaxy before it, 3D World features brand new items and power-ups. One crucial power-up from this game will be discussed ꦰsoon, but first, we'll talk about one of the most useless power-ups/items on this list, the Goomba Mask.

As one🎃 can guess from the title, the Goomba Mask enables Mario (or any of the playable characters in this game) to masquerade as a Goomba. The real question is why anyone would need to do that? There's no practical point in pretending to be a Goomba simply because it is the weakest enemy in the series; Mario can defeat a bunch of them in a matter o🃏f seconds. The Goomba Mask functions much like the Tanooki Suit, but with no usefulness outside of generating some good laughs from the player.

14 🍰 Best: Gold Flower

The Fire Flower is one of the series' original power-ups, alongside the Super Mushroom and Starman. Picking up that Mushroom in Super Mario Bros. for the first time was an exciting feeling — equal to grabbing a Fire Flower, which enables players to shoot down enemies. What can beat that? 27 years later in New Super Mario Bros. 2, a new power-up was introduced: the Gold Flower, a souped-up version of the iconic ༺Fire Flower.

Grabbing a Gold Flower will turn Mario golden and enable him to shoot gold fireballs. These fireballs ♌are bigger and do much more damage than the normal fireball. The most excellent thing is that when a gold fireball hits an enemy or block, it will turn into coins, thus making stages a 1-UP paradise. If that wasn't enough, one gold fireball is enough to take out Bowser!

13 Useless: Flower (Super Mario Land) 🌸

Super Mario Land for the Gameboy was the first Mario platformer on a handheld console. Though it's not as popular as the other main games, Land featured some fantastic concepts that have not been revisited, such as Mario riding in a submarine and on an airplane. This game is also the one where Princess Daisy first appeared, and one of the very few not to feature Bowser at all. (The final boss was an alien named Tatanga.) Like World 1-1 of Super Mario Bros., Land's World 1-1 was an excellent starting point (featuring extremely catchy music) and had a Super Mushroom as the first power-up. Following the original 1-1, Mario soon runs into a Flower. This plant is very similar to the Fire Flower, but 🅺a lot worse.

Yes, it's simply called "Flower." After♏ acquiring it, Mario is transformed into Superball Mario, though his appearance stays😼 the same. So, instead of shooting fireballs, Mario shoots what are called "Superballs." What makes this inferior to the fireballs is the fact that Superballs bounce off the floor and walls, which makes hitting grounded enemies challenging if firing from a distance. Another drawback is that only one Superball can be shot at a time, unlike the fireballs.

12 ♎ Best: Cape Feather

Super Mario World is a fantastic game. Many consider it to be the greatest Mario game ever created. With bright worlds, incredible level design, and plenty of secrets to discover, it's no wonder why Super Mario World is such a beloved entry in the series. ꦍTwo of the most notable things it featured was the introdu🅺ction of Yoshi and a brand new power-up: the Cape Feather.

There's something really cool about seeing Mario wear a cape. Of course, there are some great aspects to this power-up besides the look. Unlike the Super Leaf, Mario can fly indefinitely in this caped form. What's really interesting, however, is that if Mario hits an enemy while flying, he won't take damage, giving him a few frames of invincibility. Perhaps even better is that if Mario dives into the ground, he will take out all enemies on the screen, including the usually invincible Munchers. (You can try this in Super Mario Maker, it's a neat trick.)

11 Usele🧸ss: Power Balloon 🐼

Interestingly, Super Mario World featured barely any new power-ups. In fact, there were only two new ones in this game. (Three, if we count Yoshi's Wings.) The first of these is, of course, the Cape Feather. 🐽The other one is the Power Balloon, enabling Mario to float for a limited time. It is by far the silliest power-up on this list, and perhaps all time. (There's only one other power-up that gives it competition, which we'll see in the next section.)

I'm sure everyone at Nintendo had some good laughs when making the Power Balloon. After grabbing it, Mario will, well, act like a balloon. It's a silly visual, and maybe that w﷽as the intent: to get some𓃲 laughs out of the player as Mario floats in this rather undignified state. There's nothing here that the Cape Feather doesn't do better.