Training Course

The Training Course^[1] is a floating obstacle course located behind Peach's Castle in The Super Mario Bros. Movie . Its numerous components, including various kinds of blocks, platforms, and hazards are arranged in the shape of a giant Question Block when the course is not being used, but when it is used all the components spread out and unfurl to form the obstacle course. Some of the hazards are mechanical versions of real hazards, including some species that serve in Bowser's army. A floating portion of Peach's Castle serves as the starting and ending point of the course, with grabbing the Goal Pole that extends from the portion of Peach's Castle when the course is active marking the conclusion. Prior to the events of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Peach completed the Training Course in her first attempt, at a point in time prior to her becoming the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom.

When Mario insists on joining Peach on her quest to recruit the Kong army from the Jungle Kingdom to help stop Bowser, Peach decides to take him to the Training Course. They leave her castle from a back door located lower down the hill the castle rests upon, reaching a small extension of the castle hidden behind the waterfall that has the floating portion of the castle. After reaching this portion, it floats away and stops over the lake behind the hill. This prompts the Question Block model containing most of the course to rise out of the lake and unfurl, and causes the Goal Pole to extend up from the Peach's Castle portion. Peach tells Mario that if he manages to finish the course, he can join her on her journey. She then demonstrates the course by going through it without making any mistakes.^[1]

Mario questions how he can replicate Peach's maneuvers, leading Peach to introduce him to power-ups. She gives him a Super Mushroom from a Question Block at the starting platform. With the resulting boost to his size, strength, and jumping ability, Mario is capable of attempting the Training Course. His first attempt leads to him failing to land following his first jump and falling into the lake below the course, which hurts him and therefore undoes the effects of the Super Mushroom. A Warp Pipe within the lake sucks up Mario and returns him to the starting platform, where Peach explains how powers from power-ups are lost though getting hurt. She gives him another Super Mushroom and tells him to try again.

Mario attempts the course numerous times, across the rest of the day and through the night, as Peach watches him. He fails in various ways, including being knocked out by a dummy Fire Bar, being blasted by a dummy Bomber Bill, and falling after standing on a Donut Block for too long. Each of these attempts requires Mario to eat a Super Mushroom before starting, which one time causes him to vomit. Sometime after the next day starts, Mario nearly competes the course but gets devoured by a dummy Piranha Plant just before he reach the Goal Pole. After this, Mario and Peach discuss the matter while sitting on some Brick Blocks, where Peach decides to allow Mario to accompany her despite not completing the course because of his persistence.

The Training Course reappears during the credits.

Components[edit ]

• Question Block
• Bill Blaster
• Brick Block
• Cloud Block
• Cloud Lift
• Donut Block
• Dummy Bomber Bill
• Dummy Piranha Plant
• Dummy Fire Bar
• Goal Pole
• Lift
• Rotating Block
• Spike Trap
• Warp Pipe
• Wooden cutout of Bowser

Gallery[edit ]

• A promotional poster featuring Mario on the Training Course

  A promotional poster featuring Mario on the Training Course

• Mario confident that he can beat the Training Course

  Mario confident that he can beat the Training Course

• Mario barely dodging a dummy Fire Bar

  Mario barely dodging a dummy Fire Bar

• Mario blasted by a dummy Bomber Bill

  Mario blasted by a dummy Bomber Bill

• Mario standing on a Donut Block

  Mario standing on a Donut Block

• Peach, before she became the princess, completing the Training Course

  Peach, before she became the princess, completing the Training Course

Notes[edit ]

• In a YouTube video by Nintendo of Europe promoting Nintendo Switch Super Mario games, the footage for Super Mario Maker 2 shows a recreation of the Training Course in the game, including recreations of scenes of Mario attempting the course.^[2]
• A mini pamphlet given at Japanese cinemas showing The Super Mario Bros. Movie states that the Training Course is a reference to Super Mario Maker .^[3]

References[edit ]

• The Super Mario Bros. Movie locations