Metal Box

Metal Box
Artwork of the Metal Box from Super Mario 64.
Universe	Mario
Appears in	Melee Brawl SSB4 Ultimate
Item class	Transforming
Article on Super Mario Wiki	Metal Box

The Metal Box (緑ブロック, Green Block) is an item from the Mario series that appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. 4, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. When broken with a physical attack, the Metal Box encases a character's body in metal for a short period of time, which affects the character in various ways.

Origin

A Metal Box, as it originally appeared in Super Mario 64.

The Metal Box originates from Super Mario 64 as a green ! Block that materializes after Mario activates its corresponding green Cap Switch at the Cavern of the Metal Cap. Upon being destroyed, it releases a Metal Cap that, after grabbing it, encases him in metal. He becomes more powerful, immune to all damage (but not fall damage), and can walk underwater, but at the same time, becomes much heavier, sluggish, and unable to swim. These effects are similar to the Metal Box's effects in the Super Smash Bros. series, except that Mario's voice is not suppressed unless he is submerged underwater.

All green, red, and blue ! Blocks are replaced by red ? Blocks in the Nintendo DS remake of the game, Super Mario 64 DS. After activating them with the red ? Switch at the Rainbow Tower, they can be broken to release the Power Flower, which has different effects on each of the game's four playable characters. This power-up exhibits the same effects as the Metal Cap when picked up by Wario.

Overview

The Metal Box encases the character's body in metal when broken with a physical attack. When broken by Rosalina in Smash 4 and Ultimate, her Luma is also metalized. However, when broken by Olimar, his Pikmin are not affected. In addition, only one Ice Climber can hit the box first, so only one can be metalized per box. Finally, Giga Bowser, Wario-Man, Mega Lucario, and Giga Mac are not affected by breaking Metal Boxes.

In all of its appearances, breaking the Metal Box has the following effects:

• The effects last 12 seconds, but the time limit decreases as the user takes damage, especially from fire attacks like Bowser's Fire Breath.
• The fighter becomes 4.5× (3× in Melee) heavier than normal. However, weight independent attacks can ignore the weight boost; this includes any attack that has the bury, paralyze, or stun effects.
• Slightly increases jump force, although usually not by enough to compensate for the gravity and fall speed increase. However, it does not affect gliding, floating, or Yoshi's double jump.
• Doubles a character's falling speed, making recoveries harder, and more vulnerable to certain chain grabs. Certain characters with multiple double jumps will not gain any net vertical distance while under the effects of a Metal Box, as they will fall below where they had began the jump before being able to jump again.
• Increases a character's gravity slightly.
• Reduces walking and dashing speed slightly.
• Increases a fighter's knockback resistance by subtracting the amount of knockback taken from attacks by 30 units. Weak projectiles such as Link's Arrows, and most jabs, will merely deal damage without causing flinching if they don't deal more than 0 units of knockback. However, some attacks can ignore the knockback resistance, which includes any attack that has the bury effect.
• Mutes the character's voices (although, as sound effects are still retained, Duck Hunt, Samus, Mr. Game & Watch, Villager, Mii Fighters (in SSB4), Mega Man, wireframe Little Mac, Pac-Man, Isabelle, Dark Samus, Piranha Plant and Steve are unaffected by this). However, getting knocked beyond the blast line of any stage will make the character scream as usual, except for in SSB4.
• Characters make metal sound effects when hitting a surface upon taking a step. However, the sound more closely resembles that of a thin sheet of metal, suggesting that the character isn't turned into metal, just covered with it.

Metal characters fought in Classic Mode remain metal for the entirety of the battle. In Melee, their stock icon has a distinctly darker, metallic look.

In Super Smash Bros.

The Metal Box does not appear in SSB, but Metal Mario appears as a foe the player must battle in 1P Game. Metal Mario here can take well over 300% damage before being sent flying off-screen.

In Super Smash Bros. Melee

The Metal Box in Melee.

The Metal Box makes its Super Smash Bros. debut in Melee. If it is hit by a projectile, it will disappear. Disjointed attacks like Pikachu's forward smash or any attack from a sword-wielding character will still grant the attacker the metal status. Interestingly, Ness' dash attack is the only disjointed attack that doesn't turn him metal.

Metal characters make different metallic sounds while walking, running, and landing, depending on their weight for the most part. All lightweights except Zelda, Mr. Game & Watch, Mewtwo and the Ice Climbers make a faint "tinging" sound, all middleweights make a standard "clanking" sound, and all heavyweights except Samus, Yoshi, Ganondorf, and Link make a much more noticeable "crunching" sound. Most of the aforementioned exceptional characters make the standard middleweight sound in spite of their weight. Mewtwo doesn't make any sounds, even when landing, and Mr. Game & Watch's footsteps and landing sounds are always beeps.

Characters can fight Metal Mario and/or Metal Luigi in Adventure Mode. In addition, they also fight a random metal character in Classic Mode. The Metal Box also appears as a collectible trophy.

Trophy

The Metal Box trophy in Melee.

Metal Box

First spotted in Super Mario 64, the Metal Box holds the power to turn your character briefly into heavy metal. Your mass is exponentially greater while metallic, making it difficult for others to throw you. Be careful, though: not only will you move a bit slower, but you'll also fall much more quickly than you ordinarily would.

Super Mario 64 9/96

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

The Metal Box appears again in Brawl with the nearly same properties it had in Melee, although it will not break when hit by projectiles. It also has an effect on the new ability to swim; while characters will not sink as Metal Mario did in Super Mario 64, they will submerge deeper after falling into the water. This technique is used to reach a secret area in the Glacial Peak level of the Subspace Emissary mode. In Classic Mode, the player might also fight a random metal character. The walking sound effect no longer changes depending on the characters' weights, so everyone has the same sound when walking.

A "Metal" option exists in Special Brawl, which gives every player a permanent Metal Box effect. Lastly, the Metal Box appears again as a collectible trophy.

Trophy

The Metal Box trophy in Brawl.

Metal Box

A green box that transforms whoever attacks it into metal. In metal form, you're a lot heavier than normal, so middling and even strong attacks don't move you too much, and standard attacks won't even make you flinch. The time you spend in metal form decreases with the damage you take. In Super Mario 64, the weight of the metal form allowed you to walk underwater.

: Super Mario 64

In Super Smash Bros. 4

The Metal Box returns as an item. Its properties mostly remain the same as in previous Super Smash Bros. games. However, its duration can no longer be extended by picking up additional Metal Boxes. In the 3DS version, the metal coating is translucent rather than opaque, but in the Wii U version, the metal texture is both opaque and reflective, with the current stage being reflected on the character's body.

In Classic Mode, the player must also fight a random metal character. The Metal Box is also available as a red item in Smash Tour, giving players the ability to start a battle in metal form. The "Metal" option reappears in Special Smash in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Lastly, the Metal Box appears again as a collectible trophy.

Trophy

The Metal Box trophy in for 3DS.

The Metal Box trophy in for Wii U.

Metal Box

This green box will make you the ultimate defensive character, turning you into solid metal for a short time. You won't flinch from enemy attacks, even in midair, and it is much harder to launch you. On the other hand, you fall like a brick. Getting hit will reduce the duration of this item.

Whack this box to turn into a metal you! You won't flinch when attacked - even in mid-air - and you'll be harder to launch. Now, the downsides: you'll move slower, fall faster, and recovering when you fall off a stage will be a nightmare. Also, it's only temporary, or lasts until you've taken a certain amount of damage.

: Super Mario 64 (09/1996)

: Super Mario 64 DS (11/2004)

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

The Metal Box reappears once again in Ultimate as an item. The effects are identical to Smash 4, though the metal effect appears to slowly take over the character rather than immediately applying as it did in previous titles, similar to Inkling's ink.

The Hero's Metal Slash ability will instantly KO any metal characters that it hits, and his Kaclang ability is able to turn him metal, being the only special move to do so.

Spirits

While the Metal Box itself does not have a spirit, the ability it grants appears as an ability for the primary spirits Sahelanthropus, Metal Face, and Octobot King, along with the support spirits Slippy Toad and Fiora.

Primary spirits

No.	Image	Name	Type	Class	Slots	Base	Max	Base	Max	Base	Max	Ability	Series
773		Sahelanthropus		★★★	1	3145	9438	1402	4208	1219	3657	Metal and Giant	Metal Gear Solid Series
960		Metal Face		★★★★	1	4996	12493	2353	5882	1811	4529	Metal and Giant	Xenoblade Chronicles Series
1,044		Octobot King		★★★	3	3277	9835	1381	4144	1654	4963	Made of Metal	Splatoon Series

Support spirits

No.	Image	Name	Class	Cost	Ability	Series
385		Slippy Toad	★★★	1	Made of Metal	Star Fox Series
952		Fiora	★★★	1	Made of Metal	Xenoblade Chronicles Series

Gallery

• 

  Metal Box artwork from Brawl.

• 

  Mario under the effects of the Metal Box in Melee.

• 

  In Brawl.

• 

  In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

• 

  In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

• 

  In Ultimate.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	緑ブロック	Green Block
English	Metal Box	—
French (PAL)	Caisse de métal	Metal Box
French (NTSC)	Boîte de métal	Metal Box
German	Grüne !-Box	Green ! Box
Italian	Scatola !	! Box
Spanish	Bloque verde	Metal Block
Chinese (Simplified)	绿色砖块	Green Brick
Chinese (Traditional)	綠色磚塊	Green Brick
Korean	초록블록	Green Block
Dutch	Groene !-kist	Green ! Box
Russian	Металлический блок	Metal Block

Trivia

• In Melee and Brawl, the metal effect ignores transparency, meaning that parts that should be transparent become opaque while the effect is active. This is most visible with Olimar in Brawl; his entire helmet becomes encased with metal. Other examples include Donkey Kong's fur and Ivysaur's leaves. In SSB4 onwards, transparency is taken into account; Olimar's face becomes metal while his helmet remains untouched.
• In SSB4, Luma turns metal, while in Ultimate, it does not.
• In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, while the metal texture reflects the actual stage, it does not reflect it in real-time, instead reflecting a pre-rendered screenshot of the stage. For example, the metal texture will only show a reflection of the Boxing Ring's Smash Bros. variant, as opposed to the default Punch-Out!! theme.
• Despite being replaced by red ? Blocks in Super Mario 64 DS, the Super Smash Bros. for Wii U trophy lists the game as one of the Metal Box's appearances.
• In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, metal characters retain their textures, while every other game ignores textures and only displays the bump maps of the character models. This is most noticeable with Kirby, whose eyes disappear when he becomes metal in every game other than for 3DS, or Mario, whose hat insignia and eyes also disappear.