Dive
Artwork from Super Mario 64
First appearance	Super Mario 64 (1996)
Latest appearance	Mario Tennis Fever (2026)
Used by	Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Toad, Toadette, Rosalina
Performed after	Ground Pound (Super Mario Odyssey)
Performed before	Swim Roll (Super Mario Odyssey) Cap Dive
Variants Claw dive Quick Swim

A dive in the Super Mario franchise is a move used by various characters, though it is mainly used by Mario in 3D titles. Usually, a dive is activated by jumping into the air followed by hitting the attack button. Diving has the character move diagonally downward out of the air as a means of attacking enemies or dodging obstacles.

History

Super Mario series

Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS

Mario performing a dive in Super Mario 64

“Press B while running fast to do a Body Slide attack.”

—Sign in the courtyard, Super Mario 64

In Super Mario 64, Mario can use a Body Slide (also referred to as a Slide Attack) when he runs and is pressed to initiate the Body Slide; holding back on the Control Stick or pressing or ends the move (though only the latter method retains Mario's momentum). This move can also be used during a running jump or Side Somersault. While using the move, Mario slides on his stomach across the ground and damages any enemies in his path. If Mario slides onto a sloped surface (such as a slide), his speed will remain constant (despite the player's inputs) and he will not stop until he is on a sufficiently level surface again. In Super Mario 64 DS, Luigi and Wario can dive as well, this time when the player presses , though the amount of damage done is dependent on the character. Yoshi, however, cannot dive, instead using to stick out his tongue. Like in Super Mario Odyssey, the move causes a small gain in height, before curving downwards. Body-sliding in the remake also negates all fall damage. Unlike in any other game in the series, a Wall Kick can be performed out of a Body Slide when the player plays as Mario, as long as the player is moving into the wall at a very slow speed.

Super Mario Sunshine

In Super Mario Sunshine, Mario no longer has to gain speed to slide. The player can simply jump on the spot and press to perform a Body Slam. While Mario can body-slam into enemies to defeat or damage them, he can do so only with smaller enemies such as Goobles. He can also slide repeatedly if the player keeps pressing . If Mario body-slams into goop or water on the ground, he continues to slide until the player holds back on the Control Stick, or presses to perform a Front Somersault. Unlike in Super Mario 64, Mario can ground-pound out of a Body Slam with .

Super Mario Galaxy / Super Mario Galaxy 2

In Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2, standing near a raised cliff next to water makes Mario look down, where, upon performing a jump or a Backward Somersault, he instead executes a dive into the water.^[1]

Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury

A variant of the dive, known as a claw dive,^[2] is used by every character in Super Mario 3D World (except Captain Toad), though only while in Cat form. Players can hold the attack button in midair to send their characters diving downward at a high speed, attacking any enemies the players come into contact with, and can cancel the dive by letting go of the attack button. The momentum of the dive is kept, though ground-pounding or changing direction stops the character.

In Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, characters besides the Toad Brigade can perform a roll in midair by interrupting a Ground Pound, similarly to the dive in Super Mario Odyssey, though unlike the dive, the player is not locked into the rolling state and can roll multiple times in the same jump. The claw dive's duration is substantially extended; in almost all cases, it lasts until the character hits the ground. In addition to ground-pounding, Mario can also use the claw dive to get coins or power-ups from various glowing spots on the ground in Lake Lapcat.^[3]

Super Mario Odyssey

Mario is able to dive in Super Mario Odyssey. The move is now performed by pressing in the air to start a Ground Pound and pressing after jumping. Dives can also be done during the descent of a Ground Pound.^[4] Unlike in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine, however, Mario jumps in a small arc instead of just falling, and he does not slide upon landing. Instead, Mario either lands in place or does a cosmetic roll if he lands while moving. If is held while landing, Mario starts rolling with the momentum of his dive. The distance traveled with a dive is set as opposed to depending on Mario's momentum. This may be because it makes diving into Cappy to cap-jump from him work more consistently. Diving and then performing a Cap Jump is known as a Cap Dive. Mario cannot dive while holding an item. The same inputs as a dive performed underwater lets Mario perform a Quick Swim, a quick dash forward mimicking the swimming physics of Super Mario 64 up to Super Mario Galaxy 2.

Super Mario Maker 2

The Cat form's claw dive returns in the Super Mario 3D World style of Super Mario Maker 2; it is now performed by pressing , , , or in midair.

Sports titles

In many sports titles, such as the Super Mario Stadium and Mario Tennis series, characters can dive in order to recover the ball. Diving is usually activated when the player tries to recover the ball from a distance, causing the character to dive in order to cover the distance between them and the ball. However, characters can dive only a certain distance and may not be able to reach the ball in time.

Super Smash Bros. series

In the Super Smash Bros. series, Mario and Luigi can perform a dive attack based on that from Super Mario 64 by doing their dash attacks while holding a battering item.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Cat Mario performing a claw dive in the Great Ring of Kong

In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Mario dives twice in his final run of the Training Course: once to slide under the bite of a mechanical Piranha Plant and again to land on a set of Brick Blocks. He recovers from the latter landing with a roll. One of the last attacks in the battle between Cat Mario and Donkey Kong in the Great Ring of Kong is Cat Mario getting up high by leaping off of several Brick Blocks before coming back down onto Donkey Kong with a claw dive. The claw dive sends the both of them crashing through the girder spanning the Great Ring of Kong, and they slam through a few sets of Brick Blocks before coming to rest on a final set. Taking this hit severely exhausts Donkey Kong, leading to his defeat soon afterward.

Profiles

Super Mario Sunshine

• Instruction booklet description (Body Slam): "Press while jumping to fly headfirst into enemies."
• Instruction booklet description (Slide): "Press while running to dive into a headfirst slide. In areas covered in liquid, control the direction of the slide with ."

"NOTE!"

"Slip-sliding away!"

"Here's a technique that lets Mario slide in places other than slopes."

"Press lightly then tilt to spray water straight ahead while running."

"Immediately press to dive and slide across the wet surface! Control the direction of the slide with ."

Names in other languages

Dive

Slide

Front Somersault

Claw dive

Notes

Mario and Tuxie diving together in Super Mario 64

• If the player performs a dive next to Tuxie or the other baby penguin near the Mother Penguin in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS, the baby penguin will dive too.
• In Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS, falling into snow or sand from a high distance while diving results in Mario getting his head stuck inside the snow/sand for a few seconds.

References

• Moves
• Super Mario 3D World moves
• Super Mario 64 moves
• Super Mario 64 DS
• Super Mario Odyssey moves
• Super Mario Sunshine moves

• Articles in need of Super Mario franchise improvement
• Articles with unsourced Korean names
• Articles with unsourced Russian names