Super Mario World/Items

There are many items in Super Mario World. Most of these items can benefit you in some way.

Coins
There are several types of coins in Super Mario World. Coins can help you gain extra lives, so collect coins whenever possible.

Coins
Coins are the most common. Unlike previous Mario games, you normally do not gain points for collecting them unless you get them from special blocks. If you turn an enemy into coins by fireballs or by reaching the goal, you can gain points from the coins. Also, if you get coins by jumping on a yellow Koopa, you also get points. You can gain an extra life per every 100 regular coins.

Dragon Coins
Most levels have exactly five dragon coins. On any particular level, you will gain 1,000 points for the first dragon coin, 2000 points for the second, 4000 points for the third, and points 8,000 for the fourth. Any additional dragon coin you collect will result in an extra life. Once you collect five dragon coins from a level, you cannot collect them again unless you reset the game. Dragon coins also count as regular coins. If you have 99 regular coins in your counter, and you take the fifth dragon coin, you will gain two extra lives.

Silver Coins
Grey P-Switches will temporarily turn certain enemies into Silver Coins. For every coin you collect before the time expires, you gain an increasing number of points per coin, until you reach 8000. The next coins will earn you an extra life, two extra lives, and finally, three extra lives for every coin you collect.

Power-ups
There are four power-ups in Super Mario World: Super Mushrooms, Fire Flowers, Cape Feathers and Super Stars. Power-ups can be found in some Rotating Blocks, ? Blocks, Hidden Blocks and Note Blocks. Roulette Blocks always contain a power-up, but the one you get depends on when you hit it, as they continuously cycle between a Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, Cape Feather, and Super Star.

Yellow ! Blocks contain a Super Mushroom, while green ones contain a Cape Feather. The other two ! Blocks (the red and blue ones) contain nothing. And they are only used as platforms and/or walls.

Power-ups can also be found on their own (not in blocks) in certain levels, and enemies and items Mario carries across the goal post may transform into power-ups.

Super Mushroom
Turns Mario into Super Mario, which makes him bigger, allows him to use Fire Flowers and Cape Feathers, and also lets him break Rotating Blocks using a spin jump. As Super Mario you can take more than one hit from an enemy, instead of dying when you're hit, you will instead revert back to regular Mario.

Fire Flower
Turns Mario in Fire Mario, giving him the ability to throw fireballs, which he can use to defeat enemies.

Cape Feather
Turns Mario into Caped Mario, equipping him with a yellow cape and the ability to fly once he builds up speed.

Super Star
Makes Mario invincible to enemy hits for a short period of time (he may still die by falling, time running out or being squished). During this period, most enemies Mario touches will die instantly. The first enemy Mario kills with a star will give him 200 points, the second 400, the third 800, then 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000. Every enemy killed afterwards (after the seventh) will be a 1-Up or a 2-Up. This is one of the quickest ways in the game to get additional lives.

1-Up Mushroom
Getting one of these green mushrooms grants Mario one extra life.

3-Up Moon
This is similar to the 1-Up Mushroom. However this item grants Mario three extra lives instead of one. They are quite rare, so try to grab them whenever you can. (This item is a yellow/golden crescent moon with eyes and a smile.)

There is normally only one in each world, and they are hidden in locations you wouldn't think to look (see ../Yoshi's Island 1/). Once it's been picked up, it won't appear again in the level it was found in until you reset the game.

Yoshi Eggs
Yoshi eggs can be found throughout Super Mario World. Typically an adult Yoshi will hatch out of these eggs, which Mario can then ride, however if the egg is found on its own (not in a block), a baby Yoshi will hatch out of it. If you already have a Yoshi, you will get a 1-Up Mushroom instead.

Koopa Shells
Yoshi has the ability to hold a Koopa Shell in his mouth, which can give him different abilities depending on the color of the shell.

When holding a shell in his mouth,  Yoshi has only 25 seconds before he is forced to swallow it. He'll start to gag, and you'll see a lump in his throat like he's about to swallow, and once the time is up he'll eat it. However, there are two ways around this if you're holding any shell other than a Red Shell (Red Shells always turns into fireballs when you spit them out) or a Red Yoshi (Red Yoshis make all shells act like Red Shells when spit out):
 * 1) If you spit it out where you know it will ricochet back at you, you can just pick it up again and reset the 25 second timer.
 * 2) Press and hold , and then press (or release if you've been holding it) . This will cause Yoshi to drop the shell in front of you, and it will sit on the ground without moving! (You can then pick it up again for another 25 seconds.) You can also use this same trick while you're not on Yoshi, but carrying a shell or block!

If you pick up a red shell or a shiny shell, when you spit it the shell will be transformed into fire balls - knowing this, you'll need to use the shell effectively or else it will be wasted. There's a trick with these shells if you somehow don't hold or  after putting them in your mouth (pressing the button again will obviously spit it out) - simply press, then hold the button you need for running, and then press  again.

Red Shell
If Yoshi eats a Red Koopa Shell and then spits it out, three fireballs will fire from his mouth.

Blue Shell
If Yoshi holds a Blue Koopa Shell, he will sprout wings and be given the ability of limitless flight until he either swallows or spits out the shell. To fly you can either tap or hold. Spitting the shell out has no special properties, it will simply slide forward like a Green or Red Shell.

This is a great opportunity to use the "drop and pick up again" trick. Simply fly -- not too high! -- for a little while. Then land, hold down the, and press to drop the shell (Yoshi will lose his wings), before picking it up again (Yoshi will re-gain his wings)!

Green Shell
No properties are gained; Yoshi will spit this out as normal.

Yellow Shell
The stomp is gained - this ability adds an area of effect attack whenever Yoshi jumps and hits the ground (you'll know it's working because a loud thump sounds as well). Two small clouds will appear to either side of him, protecting him from danger and knocking his enemies over. This is the same effect as when Mario dives using the cape. Yoshi will spit out yellow shells as normal.

Shiny (Tornado) Shell
This is a special type of shell that only occurs when a shell-less Koopa hops into a Yellow Shell, causing it to spin and move around rapidly.

Defeat it by spin jumping onto it or eating it with Yoshi. With the shell in his mouth, Yoshi will sprout wings, gain the stomp effect, and fireballs when spit out (thus, it can only be used temporarily). In the Green Switch Palace, you can use him to take down Koopas and get a 1-Up (or simply use the switches appropriately).