Emma Wilson
The Super Mushroom is a power-up item in the Super Mario franchise. The red mushroom with white spots is one of the most iconic symbols of the video game series. In the game, the Super Mushroom allows Mario to grow larger, break Brick Blocks, and gain racing speed in the Mario Kart games. The concept of the Super Mushroom was inspired by the idea of mushrooms being associated with magical worlds, as well as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, where Alice eats a mushroom to grow larger. While there has been speculation that the Super Mushroom references hallucinogenic drugs, this has been largely dismissed as coincidental.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Game | Super Mario Bros. |
| Character | Mario |
| Type of Mushroom | Super Mushroom |
| Power-up | Yes |
| Purpose | Turns Mario or another character into their Super form |
| Points | 1,000 |
| Appearance | Red cap with white spots |
| Inspiration | Magic Mushrooms, Alice in Wonderland |
| Function | Makes the user larger, grants the ability to break Brick Blocks, boosts racing speed in the Mario Kart video games |
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What You'll Learn
Super Mario's mushrooms and hallucinogenic drugs
The idea that the mushrooms in Super Mario games were inspired by hallucinogenic drugs is a popular theory. The original Super Mario Bros. game featured a mushroom with a yellow cap and red spots, which later became a red cap with white spots—the same colour scheme as the Amanita muscaria mushroom, also known as the fly agaric or fly amanita mushroom, which is psychoactive.
The English-language instruction manual for the original Super Mario Bros. game referred to the mushroom power-up as a Magic Mushroom, a term that had been publicly coined in 1957 by mycologist R. Gordon Wasson in a Life magazine article. The term “magic mushroom” became popular to describe the emerging culture of psilocybin mushrooms, a type of hallucinogenic drug. The Japanese version of the game, however, simply referred to the item as a "mushroom".
Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Super Mario Bros., has stated that the Super Mushroom was created by chance. In a 2005 interview, he explained that the first sketches of Mario were too big, so they were forced to shrink them. The development team then thought it would be interesting to have Mario grow and shrink by eating a magic mushroom, inspired by the mushrooms seen in various fantasy stories, including Alice in Wonderland. In a 2009 interview, Miyamoto suggested that his Alice in Wonderland quote may have been misinterpreted. He clarified that he was using it as another example of mushrooms being connected to fantasy.
While the Super Mario mushroom may have been inspired by the mushrooms in Alice in Wonderland, the idea that Alice in Wonderland is about drugs was already established by the time Super Mario Bros. was released in 1985. The Super Mario team was likely aware of the association between mushrooms and hallucinogens, and it is possible that they intentionally inserted a reference to drugs in the game’s instruction manual. However, it is unlikely that the game was designed to make people believe that Mario was doing drugs.
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Magic Mushrooms and their street name
The term "magic mushroom" has been used to refer to hallucinogenic mushrooms for several decades. Psilocybin mushrooms, also known as "magic mushrooms" or "shrooms", contain the hallucinogenic chemicals psilocybin and psilocin. These mushrooms typically have long, slender stems topped by caps that are dark on the underside. They are often available dried or fresh.
The use of psilocybin mushrooms has become more widespread in recent years due to increased media attention and research on their potential benefits. For example, research has indicated that psilocybin may be beneficial in decreasing anxiety, depression, and addiction. However, abusing these mushrooms can have serious adverse effects, such as bad trips characterised by anxiety, paranoia, and delusions. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), psychosis or psychotic-like episodes may occur if someone ingests a high dose of psilocybin.
The street names for psilocybin mushrooms include "magic mushrooms", "shrooms", and "mushrooms". These names are casually used and dismissed as innocent slang, which can overshadow the potential risks of consuming these mushrooms. Other street names for hallucinogenic substances include "acid" and "angel dust".
The term "magic mushroom" has also been associated with the Super Mario franchise. In the original Super Mario Bros. game, the power-up mushrooms were referred to as "Magic Mushrooms" in the English-language instruction manual. This term has been speculated to be a reference to hallucinogenic mushrooms, particularly due to the mushrooms' similarity in appearance to the Amanita muscaria mushroom, also known as the fly agaric or fly amanita mushroom. However, the creators of the game have suggested that the idea for the mushrooms came from Alice in Wonderland, where Alice eats a mushroom that makes her larger.
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Super Mushrooms as a power-up item
Super Mushrooms are a type of power-up item in the Super Mario franchise. They are red mushrooms with white spots, inspired by the Amanita muscaria mushroom (also known as the fly agaric or fly amanita mushroom). Super Mushrooms allow Mario to increase in size, granting him the ability to break Brick Blocks and Spin Blocks. They can be found in various locations within the game, such as Brick Blocks, ? Blocks, or bushes, and can also be obtained by defeating enemies or collecting them from slots at the end of levels.
The Super Mushroom is considered the most basic power-up in the game and is one of the most popular and commonly seen items. In the original Super Mario Bros., the Super Mushroom was referred to as the Magic Mushroom in the English-language instruction manual, alluding to hallucinogenic mushrooms. However, in subsequent games, the name was changed to simply “Mushroom” or "Super Mushroom" to distance itself from drug-related connotations.
The creation of the Super Mushroom as a power-up item is attributed to chance. According to Shigeru Miyamoto, the original sketches of Mario were too big, so they were shrunk down. The development team then introduced the Super Mushroom as a way for Mario to dynamically change size, similar to the concept in “Alice in Wonderland” where Alice eats a mushroom to grow larger after being shrunk by poison.
The Super Mushroom has evolved in its design and functionality over the course of the Super Mario series. In Super Mario Bros. 2, the mushroom took on a more cartoonish shape with a spherical cap and stubby stalk, and it gained eyes similar to other power-ups. The colour scheme of the Super Mushroom was standardised in Super Mario Bros. 3, featuring a red cap with white spots.
In addition to increasing Mario's size, the Super Mushroom also provides other benefits. In the Mario Kart games, it boosts the player's racing speed. In Super Mario 3D World, collecting a Super Mushroom grants the player 1,000 points, and it can be stored for later use if Mario already has a power-up. In certain situations, Super Mushrooms can also be used by enemies, allowing them to grow in size as well.
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Mushrooms as a healing item
Mushrooms are a recurring item in the Mario franchise. The most common type of mushroom in the games is the Super Mushroom, which is a power-up that turns Mario or another character into their Super form. Super Mushrooms are red with white spots and have two eyes on their stalks. They can be found in various locations throughout the games, such as Brick Blocks or bushes, and can also be obtained by performing certain actions, like spinning with Cape Mario or kicking during the battle with Goomboss.
In addition to Super Mushrooms, there are also other types of mushrooms in the Mario games, such as the 1-Up Mushroom and the Poison Mushroom. The 1-Up Mushroom is a type of healing item that grants the player an extra life, while the Poison Mushroom harms the player character. The Super Mushroom itself has also been known to function as a healing item in certain appearances, restoring health to the player character.
The design of the Super Mushroom is based on the Amanita muscaria mushroom, also known as the fly agaric or fly amanita mushroom. This type of mushroom is poisonous and has been associated with magical worlds and folklore. The red and white colouring of the Super Mushroom is now one of the most iconic symbols of the Mario franchise.
The inclusion of mushrooms in the Mario games has led to speculation about their possible association with hallucinogenic drugs. The original English-language instruction manual for Super Mario Bros. referred to the Super Mushroom as a Magic Mushroom, which is also the street name for a type of hallucinogenic mushroom. However, this term was dropped in later versions of the game, and the Japanese version of the manual referred to it simply as a "mushroom". The creators of the game have stated that the Super Mushroom was created by chance and was inspired by the magical worlds of folklore and stories like Alice in Wonderland, where eating a mushroom causes Alice to grow larger.
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Super Mushrooms in Super Mario World
The Super Mushroom is a power-up item in the Super Mario franchise. It is traditionally small, with a white stalk and a red cap with white spots. The Super Mushroom is the most basic power-up in the game and is also one of the most popular and recognisable items. In the game, it can be found in Brick Blocks or Stakes in Bob-omb Battlefield, Whomp's Fortress, Hazy Maze Cave, Tall, Tall Mountain, and Tiny-Huge Island.
In the Super Mario World game, the Super Mushroom retains its main function, but with some differences. For example, a Super Mushroom may launch out of certain bushes when Mario passes by or performs a Body Press as Cape Mario. Additionally, if Mario collects a Super Mushroom in his Super, Fire, or Cape form, it goes to the Item Stock.
The Super Mushroom usually has the effect of changing Mario from Small to Super. This gives Mario the ability to break Brick Blocks and take one hit from enemies or obstacles, reverting back to Small Mario. The Super Mushroom has also functioned as a healing item in certain appearances. The opposite of the Super Mushroom is the Poison Mushroom, which harms the player character.
The Super Mushroom was inspired by the concept of mushrooms being associated with magical worlds, like the wonderland of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. However, there is also a popular association between Mario’s mushrooms and drugs. The classic “red cap with white spots” mushroom in the Super Mario Bros. games is based on the Amanita muscaria mushroom, which is also known as the fly agaric or fly amanita mushroom. This type of mushroom is hallucinogenic and has been associated with drug use.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Mario is not a mushroom. He is a fictional character in the Super Mario video game franchise. However, mushrooms are a recurring item in the Mario franchise.
The most common type of mushroom in the Super Mario franchise is the Super Mushroom, a power-up item that turns Mario or another character into their Super form.
Super Mushrooms have a red cap with white spots, resembling the Amanita muscaria mushroom, also known as the fly agaric or fly amanita mushroom.
Super Mushrooms make Mario or other characters grow larger and gain abilities such as breaking Brick Blocks and increasing racing speed in Mario Kart games.
While there is speculation that the Super Mushrooms in Super Mario are a reference to hallucinogenic drugs, this has not been confirmed by the creators. The similarity may be coincidental or inspired by the association of mushrooms with magical worlds in folklore and fiction.
