He doesn't actually throw them. Not usually. If you grew up playing Super Mario Bros. on the NES, your brain probably remembers Mario throwing a brick or smashing one with his fist. It’s one of those collective gaming memories that isn't quite right. Most of the time, Mario is using his head—literally—or his fist to break blocks, but the idea of mario throwing a brick has become this weird, persistent Mandela Effect in the gaming community.
The reality is way more interesting.
When you look at the actual mechanics of the Super Mario franchise, the "throwing" mechanic is usually reserved for shells, Bob-ombs, or those weird frozen blocks in Super Mario Bros. 3. Bricks are meant to be broken. They are obstacles. They are containers for coins. But the physical act of Mario picking up a standard brown masonry unit and chucking it at a Goomba? That's actually a rare sight in the mainline series, yet the search volume for it persists because our brains want Mario to be more of a demolition expert than he actually is.
The Physics of the Smash
Mario's interaction with bricks changed everything for platformers. Before 1985, games were mostly about dodging. Mario made it about destruction. When you jump and hit a brick from below, the game engine calculates a specific "bounce" or "break" state. In the original Super Mario Bros., if you're Small Mario, the brick just jolts upward. If you’re Super Mario, it shatters into four distinct particles that fly off-screen.
It feels like a throw. The trajectory of those shards follows a parabolic arc, mimicking the gravity of the game world.
Think about Super Mario World on the SNES. This is where the physics got weird. The "Rotating Blocks" (those yellow ones) don't break; they spin. If Mario hits one from below, it becomes non-solid. But in this game, Mario actually can pick up certain items and throw them upwards or sideways. This was a massive shift in gameplay. However, even then, the standard brick remained a stationary target.
Why We Think Mario Throws Bricks
There's a good reason for the confusion. Super Mario Bros. 2—the American version that was originally Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic—is entirely built on the mechanic of picking things up and throwing them. In that game, you’re pulling vegetables out of the ground. You’re grabbing Mushroom Blocks. These look enough like bricks that the mental association stuck.
Then came Super Mario Bros. 3.
This game introduced the "Blue Brick" or the "P-Wing Block." For the first time in the "real" Mario series, you could walk up to a block, hold the B button, and carry it around. This changed the meta. You could use a brick as a projectile. You could use it as a shield. Honestly, it was a revelation for 1990s kids who were used to just jumping on things.
The logic of mario throwing a brick finally became a core part of the player’s toolkit, even if the "brick" in question was a specific, interactable blue variety rather than the standard decorative brown ones that make up the Mushroom Kingdom's infrastructure.
The "Grabbing" Evolution
- Super Mario Bros. (1985): No grabbing. Just smashing.
- Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988): Everything is throwable.
- Super Mario Bros. 3 (1990): The debut of the throwable Blue Block.
- Super Mario World (1991): Introduction of the "Grab and Throw Upward" mechanic.
- Mario Maker Series: Full creative control over block behavior.
The Technical Reality of Nintendo's Code
From a programming perspective, a brick in a Mario game is usually a "tile" until it's interacted with. Once Mario hits it, the game replaces that static tile with a "sprite" or a collection of particles.
Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka designed these interactions to feel tactile. When Mario "throws" an object, the velocity is often tied to Mario's own movement speed. If you’re running full tilt in Super Mario World and release a block, it carries that momentum. It’s basic Newtonian physics applied to a plumber in a fantasy land.
But here is the kicker. In the 3D era—think Super Mario 64 or Super Mario Odyssey—the brick-throwing mechanic mostly disappeared in favor of the "Long Throw" or "Cappy." In Odyssey, Mario throws a hat. In 64, he could pick up "Crazy Boxes" that hopped around, but the classic brick remained largely something to be ground-pounded or punched.
Misconceptions About the Mushroom Kingdom
People often cite the instruction manual for the original NES game, which famously claimed that the bricks were actually the transformed citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom. It’s dark. It’s weird. It basically means every time you see mario throwing a brick or smashing one, he’s potentially murdering a Toad.
Nintendo has never really walked this back, though they don't exactly advertise it in the Mario Movie marketing.
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If we accept this lore, the act of throwing a brick isn't just a gameplay mechanic. It’s a grim use of a civilian's remains as a weapon. Kinda changes the vibe of the game, doesn't it? Most modern players prefer to ignore this and just focus on the satisfying "crunch" sound effect that happens when a block shatters.
How to Master the Throw in Modern Mario
If you're playing Super Mario Maker 2 or the newer Super Mario Bros. Wonder, throwing objects is an art form. You aren't just chucking things randomly.
To get the most out of the "throw" mechanic:
- Understand Momentum: Always throw while moving in the direction of your target to increase projectile speed.
- The Upward Toss: In games like Super Mario World, holding "Up" while releasing the throw button allows you to hit enemies directly above you, which is crucial for clearing vertical levels.
- Shell Jumping: This is the elite tier. Players throw a shell against a wall and jump off it mid-air. It requires frame-perfect timing.
The Impact on Speedrunning
Speedrunners have turned the act of mario throwing a brick (or any object) into a science. In Super Mario Bros. 3, the Blue Block throw is often used to "clip" through certain elements or to kill bosses like Boom Boom instantly. The "damage values" of a thrown block are usually higher than a standard jump.
It’s about efficiency. Why jump on an enemy twice when you can just hurl a piece of the environment at them?
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What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that Mario's "break" animation is a headbutt. Even though it looks like he's hitting the brick with his hat, the sprite art clearly shows his fist extended upward. He’s punching the brick. He’s an athlete.
When you see a "throw," you're seeing a transition from a static environment to a dynamic object. It’s one of the most fundamental "state changes" in gaming history. If the bricks didn't break or move, the world would feel dead. By allowing Mario to interact with the masonry—whether by smashing it or throwing it—Nintendo created a world that felt reactive.
Practical Steps for Retro Gamers
If you want to experience the peak of Mario's throwing mechanics, don't just stick to the original 1985 classic. Go back to the source of the most complex physics.
- Load up Super Mario World: Practice the "Shell Kick" vs. the "Shell Throw." There is a difference in the arc.
- Try Super Mario Bros. 3 (GBA Version): The physics are slightly more polished than the NES original, making the Blue Block throws feel more responsive.
- Experiment in Mario Maker 2: Build a level specifically around the "Grab" mechanic. It will teach you more about the game's engine than thirty years of casual play.
The humble brick is the most important object in gaming. It’s a platform, a shield, a container, and occasionally, a weapon. Understanding how Mario interacts with it—and when he actually throws it versus when he's just breaking it—is the first step to truly mastering the Mushroom Kingdom.
Stop just jumping. Start looking at how the objects in the world respond to Mario's touch. The depth is there if you look for it. Use the environment. Smash the blocks. Throw the shells. Just maybe try not to think too hard about those Toads trapped in the masonry.