Looking up
| Looking up | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Super Mario looking up, as depicted in Super Mario World | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario World (1990) | ||
| Latest appearance | Super Mario Bros. Wonder (2023) | ||
| Used by | Mario, Luigi, Yoshis, Wario, Toadette, Princess Peach, Daisy, Yellow Toad and Blue Toad, Nabbit | ||
| Effect | Makes the player character look upwards and aim certain attacks upward | ||
| Input method | Left control stick / | ||
| Performed before | Shell Toss (upwards) | ||
| |||
Looking up[1] is a move that is sparingly used throughout the Super Mario series, appearing in various 2D platform games. The move involves the player pressing the up button on the or pushing the left control stick away from them to make the player character look upwards vertically, with the horizontal direction depending on that of the character.
History
Super Mario series
Super Mario World
The move first appears in Super Mario World, in which it can be performed if Mario or Luigi stands still without riding Yoshi. The move's main purpose in this game is to toss a Koopa Shell, an upside-down Galoomba, or a Mechakoopa upwards by looking up with and releasing
,[2] which can trigger blocks and defeat enemies above. Using this action in this context comes into play during the game's final boss, when the player must throw Mechakoopas onto Bowser's head to damage him. In addition, Mario or Luigi will look upwards when ascending in a Lakitu's Cloud. Looking up cannot be done if the player is standing in front of a Yellow Door, a beanstalk, or a fence, due to pressing up on the
being mapped to using those objects.
Super Mario Maker series
In Super Mario Maker, the move is exclusive to the Super Mario World game style, and serves the same purpose as it originally did in said game. Mario is also able to look up in the game's Nintendo 3DS port, Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, and its Nintendo Switch sequel Super Mario Maker 2. In the latter game, Luigi, Toad, and Toadette can also look up.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Looking up returns in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, in which it serves the same function as in Super Mario World. Several alterations are made to the move in this game, such as the added ability to look up whilst moving or holding an object. In addition, if Elephant Mario throws an object upwards and juggles it by swinging his trunk whilst looking up enough times, the object will explode into coins.
Yoshi series
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Looking up appears in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. As Yoshis are the playable characters, they look up instead of Mario. Looking up moves the camera upwards to see upper areas that are located above Yoshi. Similarly to how items can be thrown upward in the Super Mario series, looking up allows Yoshis to eat objects and enemies above them or to spit those things out at an upwards angle.
Yoshi's New Island
The move returns in Yoshi's New Island. It serves the same purpose as in its predecessor, albeit with the option to use the instead of the
.[1]
Yoshi's Woolly World / Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World
In Yoshi's Woolly World and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World, looking up does not scroll the camera but still allows for spitting objects, enemies, and yarn balls upward. New functionality for looking up is introduced here: if Yoshi readies a yarn ball whilst looking up, the aiming cursor for throwing the yarn ball is set to be straight up and does not move. If Yoshi stops looking up while having a yarn ball readied, then the cursor will start moving as normal. Since straight upwards is the largest angle Yoshi can throw a yarn ball in, then if directional input stops, the cursor always starts moving downward.
In relation to looking up, if Yoshi has readied a yarn ball and the aiming cursor is moving downward, then pressing causes the cursor to start moving upward instead. If
is held when the cursor is pointing straight up, then it will stop moving in the same way the cursor does not move if the player continues to look up while readying a yarn ball.
If tilt controls for throw style are active, then has no effect on the aiming cursor.
Wario Land series
Looking up can be done in some games in the Wario Land series, which allows Wario to jump higher. Unlike Mario and Yoshi, Wario's head continues facing forward, though his pupils look upward. He also takes a slightly different stance while doing this.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italian | Guardare su[3] | Looking up |
Notes
- Mario looks up in the opening of Super Mario Bros. 3 after being hit in the head with several items; however, the move cannot be performed in standard gameplay, and in fact the sprites for it are stored in a different graphics bank than gameplay sprites are.
References
- ^ a b Yoshi's New Island. Nintendo (English). Page 25.
- ^ Super Mario World. Japan: Nintendo (English). Page 12.
- ^ Nintendo. Yoshi's New Island e-manual (Italian). Page 10.