GV

GeezerVison

The World Wide Web, restored to 800 pixels of glory.

Home|About|Gaming cabinet|Archives|How it works|Starter sites

On this site

  • Article
  • Discussion
  • Talk
  • Contributions
  • Create account
  • Games
  • Characters
  • Locations
  • Items
  • Allies
  • Enemies
  • Species
  • Moves
  • Main page

This view

  • Original page
  • New address

GeezerVison is showing www.mariowiki.com — Pit

Pit

From the Super Mario Wiki, the Mario encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to search
This article is about the obstacle found in many Super Mario games. For other uses, see Pit (disambiguation).
"Gap" redirects here. For the clothing brand, see Gap (clothing brand).
Mario falling into a pit.
Mario falling into a pit in Super Mario World
“Remember the sound of the wind. It blows from a bottomless pit.”
—Message Block in Neuron Jungle, Yoshi's Story

A pit, also called an abyss, a bottomless pit, or the void in 3D platformers, is a common obstacle in platform games where no solid ground is programmed. In 2D platformers, pits appear in almost every level. If a character falls or jumps into a pit, they will be affected negatively, usually by immediately losing a life. Aesthetically, pits can take many forms, and many of these pits appear to have no bottom; after falling a varying distance down (usually simply below the camera or screen), the player loses a life, even if an invincibility-granting item is in effect. Various techniques can serve to help a player escape from a pit before they fall far enough to register as having fallen in, such as the Wall Jump or the Double Jump.

In 3D platformers, many levels consist of landmasses or platforms floating in a large void. Examples of this are Whomp's Fortress, Pianta Village, the Metro Kingdom, and many levels of the Super Mario Galaxy games and Super Mario 3D Land. These voids are essentially considered to be massive pits.

While most pits cause instant death, some instead warp the player backward or to a particular location (sometimes in addition to losing a life). The pits in Wario World lead to Unithorn's Lair, a subterranean cavern, and because players can resume progress once a specific goal has been reached, these cannot be considered bottomless pits.

History

Donkey Kong series

In Donkey Kong, there are no bottomless pits. Mario will lose a life if he falls from a height greater than his own. In 75 m, touching the bottom floor subtracts a life as if it were a pit. In the Game Boy version, this floor is covered with spikes.

In Donkey Kong Jr., falling from a vine or chain costs a life. The Vine Scene contains a watery pit, while the first true bottomless pits are in the Jump Board Scene and Mario's Hideout.

Super Mario series

Mario running across pits
Mario running across many narrow pits

Pits are a common obstacle in the 2D games of the Super Mario series. Allowing the player's character to sink through quicksand is the same as falling into a pit. Certain pits may be only one block wide; in such cases, the player can often run straight across the pits without falling down as long as they have enough speed. Walking across these narrow pits usually does not work.

Lava and poison in many games serve as enhanced versions of pits, filling the space between platforms and defeating the player instantly. The increased danger is caused by the fact lava and poison are closer to the platforms than the points at which a pit activates, meaning that if the player is falling into any of these three things, it is harder to get to safety in the case of lava and poison than for pits. In two-dimensional games, lava and poison generally take up the bottom of the screen, while a pit activates below the screen. In three-dimensional games, lava and poison usually surround the play area, with pits activating farther away from it.

Although Mario can swim in some levels of Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, if he falls into water in a non-swimming level, he loses a life just as if it were a pit. In Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, some backwards Warp Zones have a small pit Mario can fall into to avoid warping backwards.

In Super Mario Land 2 - 6 Golden Coins, falling into a pit will play Mario's death animation upon touching the bottom of screen, similar to falling into lava.

In Super Mario 64, in the mansion of Big Boo's Haunt, if Mario falls into a pit, he ends up in the mansion's basement rather than losing a life. Also, in Super Mario 64 DS, if Mario falls into a pit in Big Boo Battle, he is teleported back to the starting area, and if any characters other than Mario enters Tower of the Wing Cap, they will flip as they normally do when they enter a course but drop back down, which transports them back to Peach's Castle.

In Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2, pits often take the form of black holes, appearing in island-like galaxies such as Beach Bowl Galaxy and Matter Splatter Galaxy, although Mario or Luigi can still lose a life by falling into voids otherwise.

In Super Mario Maker, the game may play an Easter egg sound effect upon the player falling into a bottomless pit, with a landing noise suggesting that the pit apparently has a bottom. In these sound effects, Mario is heard to be doing something offscreen. On some occasions, the sound effect is accompanied by other objects such as a car and several other Marios.

In Super Mario Odyssey, If Mario falls into a void and dies, the coins he drops when he dies usually fall in the pit too. This means those coins vanish, instead of staying to be recollected later. If the player falls into the void in Assist Mode, a bubble brings them back out and they lose one Health Point. There are situations where the bubble does not appear.

The third 10-flower coin in Cruising with Linking Lifts in Super Mario Bros. Wonder
A dangerous pit in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, as indicated by the darkness emanating from the bottom of the screen

In Super Mario Bros. Wonder, for the first time in a sidescrolling Super Mario game, lethal pits are visually indicated as such, featuring a darkened gradient texture across the bottom. The Safety Bounce Badge mitigates the danger of falling into pits, bouncing the player back up. The course Countdown to Drop Down does not feature this visual indicator, likely as a result of its Wonder Effect.

Mario Kart series

Penguin being picked up by Lakitu as they fall off a cliff
Lakitu picking up a player after they fall off a cliff

Pits and cliffsides also appear in the Mario Kart series, being found around the edges of various courses, and occasionally forming gaps in the track itself. Pits that intersect the track often have ramps which assist in allowing drivers to cross them. Certain courses, such as Rainbow Roads, are set entirely in the air or in space, effectively being above a single giant pit. In games starting with Mario Kart 7, Glide Ramps may also appear before large pits, allowing drivers to glide over them. Some returning courses, such as Wii Maple Treeway and N64 Choco Mountain, have been adjusted to allow for this. Depending on the setting of the course, pits may take the form of bodies of water or lava, but largely serve the same purpose.

Falling into a pit causes the driver to be picked up by Lakitu, essentially acting as a time penalty, with its length varying by game. In Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, and all games starting with Mario Kart 7, Lakitu also deducts up to two or three coins from the player's current count, if they have any.

Due to the increased complexity in course design in 3D Mario Kart games starting with Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, various areas around courses can be deemed "out-of-bounds" and trigger Lakitu's pick up, making them effectively act like pits.

Yoshi's Island series

Pits are featured throughout the Yoshi's Island series, working similarly to how they do in Super Mario games. Yoshi's Woolly World features the Power Badge "Fall into a pit? No problem!" that, when equipped, makes Yoshi safely bounce out of pits.

Mario Party series

Pits appear in some of the minigames in the Mario Party series. Falling into a pit usually causes the player to be eliminated, although in a few minigames, such as Tile and Error, falling into one causes the player to be carried back to the playfield. In a few other minigames, such as Skyjinks, players can fall into a pit a certain number of times before being eliminated. There is also a minigame in Mario Party 7 titled Weight for It that ends with the loser falling into a pit.

Paper Mario series

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Boggly Woods screenshot from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Pits in the Boggly Woods

Pits are rare obstacles in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Mario encounters them in only a few 2D background sections, specifically in Rogueport Underground, the Boggly Woods, and the X-Naut Fortress. Falling into one takes away one HP before Mario is transported back to solid ground. Bowser's intermissions also feature pits; falling into one forces the player to restart the level.

Super Paper Mario

In Super Paper Mario, if Mario, Princess Peach, Bowser, or Luigi falls into a bottomless pit, they will flip back onto solid ground and lose one HP. A few pits in Super Paper Mario (on the outskirts of Flipside and Flopside) do not hurt the player, instead sending them to a secret room with a spring and one or more valuable items. Also in Super Paper Mario, some Shaydes are tasked with cleaning bottomless pits as punishment in The Underwhere.

Paper Mario: The Origami King

Main article: Not-Bottomless Hole

In Paper Mario: The Origami King, pits appear in the form of Not-Bottomless Holes and function similarly to pits in previous games in the series in that, if Mario falls into one, he takes damage and is transported back onto solid ground. These pits can be filled in using Confetti and are sometimes required to be fixed in order to progress.

Gallery

  • Super Mario Bros.
    Super Mario Bros.
  • Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
    Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

Names in other languages

Pit

LanguageNameMeaningNote(s)Ref.
Japanese穴あな
Ana
Hole[1]
DutchKuilPit[2]
FinnishOnkaloPit[3]
FrenchFosse sans finBottomless pit[4]
PuitsShaftSuper Mario Bros.[5]
GermanGrubePit[6]
ItalianPozzoPit[7]
Buco senza fondoBottomless hole[?]
Korean도랑
Dorang
Ditch[8]
SpanishHoyoPit[?]
AgujeroHoleSuper Mario Bros.[9]

Hole

LanguageNameMeaningNote(s)Ref.
Japanese穴あな
Ana
Hole[10]
DutchGatHole[11]
FrenchTrouHole[12]
GermanLochHole[13]
SchluchtAbyssSuper Mario Bros. 3 instruction booklet[14]
AbgrundBottomless pitSuper Mario Advance, Super Mario Bros. 3 e-manual[15]
GreekΤρύπα
Trýpa
Hole[16]
ItalianBucoHole[17]
FossaPitSuper Mario World, Super Mario Advance, Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition[18]
BucaSuper Mario Bros. e-manual[19]
VoragineAbyssSuper Mario Bros. 3 e-manual[20]
Korean구멍
Gumeong
Hole[21]
PortugueseBuracoHole[22]
SpanishAgujeroHole[23]
HuecoSuper Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[24]
VacíoVoidSuper Mario Bros. e-manual[25]

References

  1. ^ 1985. 『Super Mario Bros. 取扱説明書』 (PDF). Kyoto: Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Japanese). Page 10.
  2. ^ Super Mario Bros. — NL
  3. ^ Super Mario Bros manuaali
  4. ^ Nintendo official French magazine N1. Page 92.
  5. ^ https://notipix.fr/nintendo/nes/super-mario-bros/
  6. ^ 1990. Super Mario Bros. Spielanleitung. Großostheim: Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German). Page 10.
  7. ^ 1987. Super Mario Bros. Libretto di Istruzioni. Oleggio Castello: Nintendo (Italian). Page 10. (Archived 29 Apr. 2019 via Mario's Castle by Alessandro "Stormkyleis" Imbesi.)
  8. ^ 「슈퍼 마리오 브라더즈&덕 헌트」 한국판 사용설명서
  9. ^ 1987. Super Mario Bros. Manual de Instrucciones. Madrid: Nintendo (European Spanish). Page 10.
  10. ^ 1993. 『Super Mario USA 取扱説明書』 (PDF). Kyoto: Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Japanese). Page 10.
  11. ^ Super Mario Bros 2 — NL
  12. ^ https://notipix.fr/nintendo/nes/super-mario-bros-2/
  13. ^ 1990. Super Mario Bros. 2 Spielanleitung. Großostheim: Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German). Page 11.
  14. ^ 1991. Super Mario Bros. 3 Spielanleitung. Großostheim: Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German). Page 20.
  15. ^ 2001. Super Mario Advance Instruction Booklet (PDF). Großostheim: Nintendo of Europe GmbH (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian). Page 28.
  16. ^ Greek instruction booklet of Super Mario LandMedia:SML manual GRE.png
  17. ^ 1989. Super Mario Bros. 2 Libretto di Istruzioni. Oleggio Castello: Nintendo (Italian). Page 10. (Archived 27 Jan. 2024 via Mario's Castle by Alessandro "Stormkyleis" Imbesi.)
  18. ^ 1992. Super Mario World Libretto di Istruzioni. Großostheim: Nintendo of Europe GmbH (Italian). Page 7. (Archived 29 Apr. 2019 via Mario's Castle by Alessandro "Stormkyleis" Imbesi.)
  19. ^ 2016. Super Mario Bros. (Electronic Manual). Nintendo of Europe GmbH (Italian). Page 4.
  20. ^ 2016. Super Mario Bros. 3 (Electronic Manual). Nintendo of Europe GmbH (Italian). Page 6.
  21. ^ 「슈퍼 마리오 브라더즈 3」 한국판 사용설명서
  22. ^ 1991. Super Mario World Manual de Instruções. Cotia: Nintendo (Brazilian Portuguese). Page 7.
  23. ^ 2001. Super Mario Advance Instruction Booklet (PDF). Großostheim: Nintendo of Europe GmbH (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian). Page 88.
  24. ^ 2003. Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 Instruction Booklet (PDF). Großostheim: Nintendo of Europe GmbH (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian). Page 91.
  25. ^ 2016. Super Mario Bros. (Electronic Manual). Nintendo of Europe GmbH (European Spanish). Page 4.
[Edit]
Super Mario Bros. / Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels / Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
Playable characters Mario • Luigi
Forms Regular Mario • Super Mario • Fiery Mario • Invincible Mario
Non-playable characters Princess Toadstool • Mushroom retainers • Mushroom King • Miyukib • Takaakib • Noritakeb • KYON²b • Takeshib • Matchanb • Hidechanb • Worlds A-C humanb • Booc • Yoshic
Enemies Bloober • Bullet Bill • Buzzy Beetle • Cheep-cheep • Enemy cloned • Hammer Brother • Koopa Paratroopa • Koopa Troopa • Lakitu • Little Goomba • OkaPb • Pakkun OkaPb • Piranha plant • Podoboo • Spiny • Spiny's egg
Obstacles Current • Fire-Bar • Koopa's fire • Lava • Pit • Spike Trapc • Turtle Cannon • Winda
Bosses Fake Bowser • Bowser • Fake Bowser (Blue)a
Items and power-ups 1 up mushroom • Buzzy shell • Coin • Fire Flower • Fireball • Koopa shell • Hiranyab • Magic Mushroom • Medalc • Poisonous Mushrooma • Red Coinc • Starman • Yoshi Eggc
Objects ? block • 3-2-1 Blockc • Ax • Beanstalk • Brick • Coral • Doora • Dotted-Line Blockc • Face Blockc • Flagpole • Fireworks • Horsehair plant • Island • Jumping board (Super Springa) • Lift (Balance Lift · Flimsy Lift · Cloud Lift) • Mentama Markb • Pipe • POW Blockd • Small cloud • Stairblock • Super Mushroom • Water
Locations Worlds in Super Mario Bros. World 1 • World 2 • World 3 • World 4 • World 5 • World 6 • World 7 • World 8
Worlds in The Lost Levels World 1 • World 2 • World 3 • World 4 • World 5 • World 6 • World 7 • World 8 • World 9 • World A • World B • World C • World D
Other Mushroom Kingdom • Castle (Bowser's Castle) • Fortress
Moves Climb • Crouch • Dash • Jump • Kick • Stomp • Swim
Gameplay elements Coin Heaven • Extra life • Game Over • Hard Mode • Minus World • Point • Sub-area • Time Limit • Warp Zone
Music and sound effects "1-Up" • "Castle BGM" • "Course Clear" ("Power-Up") • "Ending" • "Fireball" • "Game Over" • "Ground BGM" • "Gyōmu-yō Mario Namae-ire"e • "Invincibility BGM" • "Pause" • "Pipe Travel / Power-Down" • "Player Down" • "Small Mario Jump" • "Timer Warning" • "Underground BGM" • "Underwater BGM" • "World Clear"
Re-releases and remakes 25th Anniversary SUPER MARIO BROS. • All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros. • BS Super Mario Collection • Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. • Super Mario All-Stars (+ Super Mario World · Limited Edition) • Super Mario Bros. 35 • Super Mario Bros. Special • VS. Super Mario Bros.
Promotional content Bowl a Ball • Donkey Poll • dot's Demo • Famicom Manga Mini Mini Trump • Family Computer Jigsaw Puzzle Ate • Game Boy Color Konkurranse • Jackpot Fun • Knockdown Gallery • Koopa Shell Pinball • Magnetic Fun • NES Classics • New Super Mario Bros. Podcast • Nintendo Collector Cards • Pop Up Targets • Scribes • Spinning Target • Super Mario Bros. (ball-in-a-maze game) • Super Mario Bros. (Dynatech Play2O) • Super Mario Bros. (handheld pachinko game) • Super Mario Bros. (handheld pinball game) • Super Mario Bros. (Milton Bradley jigsaw puzzle) • Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo Cereal System Mini-Pinball game) • Super Mario Bros. (pachinko machine) • Super Mario Bros. (playing cards) • Super Mario Bros. (pocket puzzle) • Super Mario Bros. (Puzzler) • Super Mario Bros. (Water Teaser) • Super Mario Bros. 2 (playing cards) • Super Mario Bros. 2 (pocket puzzle) • Super Mario Bros. 2: Doki Doki Game • SUPER MARIO BROS. 25th Anniversary Special Sound Track PRESS START Edition • Super Mario Bros. 99 Puzzle • Super Mario Bros. Dart Gun Target Game • Super Mario Bros. Famicom Puzzle (1) • Super Mario Bros. Famicom Puzzle (2) • Super Mario Bros. Famicom Puzzle (3) • Super Mario Bros. Famicom Puzzle (4) • Super Mario Bros. Famicom Puzzle (5) • Super Mario Bros. Famicom Puzzle (6) • Super Mario Bros. Iroha Karuta • Super Mario Bros. Monogatari • Super Mario Bros. Monopoly • Super Mario Bros. Original Soundtrack • Super Mario Bros. Super Maze • Super Mario Bros. Super Pachinko Game • Super Mario Bros.: The Great Ladder Race Game • Super Mario Bros. Welcome to Warp Zone! 1000 Piece Premium Puzzle • Super Mario Bros. World 1-1 Puzzle • Super Mario Bros. World 1-2 Puzzle • Super Mario Collection • Super Mario Embroidery World • Super Mario History 1985-2010 • Super Mario World • The Music Man • Timmy's Tacos
Further information Gallery (The Lost Levels · Deluxe) • Glitches (The Lost Levels) • Happy! Mario 20th • Multimedia (Deluxe) • New Sounds in Brass: Super Mario Bros. • Nintendo Classic Mini: NES developer interview • Nintendo Music (soundtrack) • Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo (theme) • Pre-release and unused content • Staff (Deluxe) • Super Mario All Stars Video • Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary • Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary • Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary • Super Mario Bros. 40th Anniversary • Super Mario Bros.: Mario Syndrome
Adaptations Super Mario Bros. Famicom Manga: Super Mario-kun • Hisshō Technique Kan Peki-ban 1 • How to win at Super Mario Bros. • Super Mario (Super Mario: Donkey Kong 2) • Super Mario 4koma Manga Theater (books: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 10) • Super Mario Bros. (manga) • Super Mario Bros. (Valiant Comics) ("The Legend") • Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen! • Super Mario-kun (CoroCoro Comics) (Volume: 40) • Super Mario-kun (Shōgaku Ninensei) • Super Mario-kun 2 • The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! • Zur Fernseh-Serie Super Mario Bros. - Spiele und Geschichten
The Lost Levels Hisshō Technique Kan Peki-ban 7 • Super Mario Brothers 2 • Super Mario (Super Mario: Donkey Kong 2)
a Introduced in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
b Exclusive to All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros.
c Exclusive to Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
d Exclusive to Super Mario Bros. 35
e Exclusive to VS. Super Mario Bros.
Retrieved from "https://www.mariowiki.com/index.php?title=Pit&oldid=5503171"
Categories:
  • Terms
  • Game mechanics
  • Hazardous objects
  • Donkey Kong (game)
  • Donkey Kong Jr.
  • New Super Luigi U objects
  • New Super Mario Bros. objects
  • New Super Mario Bros. 2 objects
  • New Super Mario Bros. U objects
  • New Super Mario Bros. Wii objects
  • Super Mario 3D Land objects
  • Super Mario 3D World objects
  • Super Mario 64 objects
  • Super Mario Bros. objects
  • Super Mario Bros. 2 objects
  • Super Mario Bros. 3 objects
  • Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
  • Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels objects
  • Super Mario Galaxy objects
  • Super Mario Galaxy 2 objects
  • Super Mario Land 2 - 6 Golden Coins objects
  • Super Mario Land objects
  • Super Mario Maker objects
  • Super Mario Maker 2 objects
  • Super Mario Sunshine objects
  • Super Mario World objects
  • Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island objects
  • Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 objects
  • Yoshi Touch & Go
  • Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
  • Yoshi's Island DS objects
  • Yoshi's New Island objects
Meta categories:
  • Articles with unsourced Italian names
  • Articles with unsourced Spanish names

Navigation menu

Search

You are visitor 01402503 — GeezerVison does not store the pages you look up.
Best viewed with Netscape Navigator 4.7 or Internet Explorer 6 at 800×600. No cookies required.