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Sms red coin

A red coin in the game Super Mario Sunshine.

Red Coins (sometimes formatted as red coins[1]) are types of Coins that appear at times, along with Yellow Coins in the Mario series. The differences between a Yellow Coin and a Red Coin differ by game, but usually, Red Coins serve as important items to collect to get a reward. They are replaced by Purple Coins in the Super Mario Galaxy games, which must be collected to acquire Power Stars.

History[]

Yoshi series[]

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island/Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3[]

Red Coins are first seen in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, and are disguised as regular Gold Coins. In the original SNES version, red coins have a slightly red tint to them, making them slightly easier to spot among Gold Coins; however, some Gold Coins are also tinted red (especially those collected from defeating certain enemies). In the Game Boy Advance version, Red Coins are often identical to Gold Coins until grabbed. The Magnifying Glass can be used in both games to display which coins are Red coins. Though visually the same size as Gold Coins, Red Coins have a slightly larger hitbox.

There are 20 Red Coins in each level, and grabbing them adds one point for each Coin to Yoshi's score tally at the end of the level. In addition, a pink variant of Bandit called the Coin Bandit appears occasionally and holds a Red Coin; they tend to run away from Yoshi, but if Yoshi grabs the Red Coin without touching the Coin Bandit, they will instead act the same as a normal Bandit.

Yoshi's Island DS[]

In the sequel to Yoshi's Island, Yoshi's Island DS, Red Coins work the same way as they did in their first appearance; however, the Magnifying Lens is absent in this game.

Yoshi's New Island[]

In Yoshi's New Island, Red Coins serve the same purpose as in the previous two Yoshi's Island games, though they now look exactly like regular Coins.

Yoshi's Crafted World[]

After having been replaced by Stamp Patches in its predecessor, Yoshi's Woolly World, Red Coins return in Yoshi's Crafted World. This time, they are distinguishable from regular Coins in that they spin counterclockwise, whereas regular Coins spin clockwise.

Super Mario series[]

Super Mario 64/Super Mario 64 DS[]

Red Coins made their first main-series appearance in Super Mario 64, and returned in its remake. Each Red Coin is worth two Yellow Coins. Collecting all eight Red Coins in one level makes a Power Star appear over a Star Marker. In Super Mario 64 DS, some Bob-omb Buddies have the ability to detect Red Coins when the player talks to them.

Red Coin Missions[]

Levels Missions
Bob-omb Battlefield Find the 8 Red Coins
Whomp's Fortress Red Coins on the Floating Isle
Jolly Roger Bay Red Coins on the Ship Afloat
Cool, Cool Mountain Frosty Slide for 8 Red Coins
Big Boo's Haunt Seek the 8 Red Coins
Hazy Maze Cave Elevate for 8 Red Coins
Lethal Lava Land 8-Coin Puzzle with 15 Pieces
Shifting Sand Land Free Flying for 8 Red Coins
Dire, Dire Docks Pole-Jumping for Red Coins
Snowman's Land Shell Shreddin' for Red Coins/Red Coins in the House
Wet-Dry World Go to Town for "the" Red Coins
Tall, Tall Mountain Scary 'Shrooms, Red Coins
Tiny-Huge Island Wiggler's Red Coins
Tick Tock Clock Stop Time for Red Coins
Rainbow Ride Coins Amassed in a Maze
Cap Switch Courses Tower of the Wing Cap/? Switch
Cavern of the Metal Cap/Behind the Waterfall
Vanish Cap Under the Moat/The Secret Under the Moat
Bowser Courses Bowser in the Dark World
Bowser in the Fire Sea
Bowser in the Sky
The Secret Aquarium
Wing Mario Over the Rainbow/Over the Rainbows

Super Mario Bros. Deluxe[]

Red Coins are once again seen in Super Mario Bros. Deluxe. In the game's Challenge Mode, they (along with Yoshi Eggs) can be collected to obtain medals. Each stage contains 5 Red Coins, and collecting them all will earn the player that stage's Red Coin Medal if they successfully reach the end. Despite the game's sprites being based primarily off those of the original Super Mario Bros., Red Coins have a vastly different appearance from the normal Coins.

Super Mario Sunshine[]

Red Coins make another appearance in Super Mario Sunshine. Similar to Super Mario 64, collecting all the eight in a level would make a Shine Sprite appear. However, Red Coins do not affect the player's total amount of Yellow Coins and are treated as a completely different currency altogether. Like Blue Coins, Red Coins replenish 2 health points on Mario's Life Meter.

Red Coin Episodes[]
Level Episode Time Limit
Bianco Hills Red Coins of Windmill Village No limit
The Red Coins of the Lake No limit
Ricco Harbor Red Coins on the Water 2:00
Gelato Beach The Sand Bird is Born No limit
Red Coins in the Coral Reef No limit
Pinna Park Red Coins of the Pirate Ships No limit
Sirena Beach Red Coins in the Hotel 5:00
Noki Bay Red Coins in a Bottle No limit
The Red Coin Fish No limit
Pianta Village Fluff Festival Coin Hunt No limit
Red Coin Secret Levels[]

In addition, Red Switches are located at the starting platform of Secret Levels, and when the player ground-pounds the Red Switches, eight Red Coins appear and the timer is activated. Mario must then collect all the 8 Red Coins before time runs out or he loses a life and must restart the level.

Levels Episodes Time Limits
Bianco Hills The Hillside Cave Secret 1:00
The Secret of the Dirty Lake 1:30
Ricco Harbor The Secret of Ricco Tower 1:30
Gelato Beach Dune Bud Sand Castle Secret 1:00
Pinna Park The Beach Cannon's Secret 1:00
The Yoshi-Go-Round's Secret 2:00
Noki Bay The Shell's Secret 1:30
Sirena Beach The Hotel Lobby's Secret 1:30
The Secret of Casino Delfino 1:00
Pianta Village Secret of the Village Underside 1:30
Other Red Coin Missions[]

Lastly, some of the Shine Sprites in Delfino Plaza and Delfino Airstrip involve collecting Red Coins as well.

Levels Episodes Time Limits
Delfino Airstrip Red Coins of the Airstrip 2:00
Delfino Plaza Pachinko Game No limit
Lily Pad Ride No limit
Red Coin Field No limit

New Super Mario Bros.[]

In New Super Mario Bros., there are Red Rings in several levels, and if Mario or Luigi goes through one, eight Red Coins appear. If he collects them all in the time limit, he is rewarded with a power-up. If Mario or Luigi are in a greater form than Super Mario (i.e. Fire Mario), he gets a 1-Up Mushroom instead of a power-up. Each Red Coin also increases the player's coin count by one, unlike Super Mario 64 in which each Red Coin is worth two regular Coins.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii[]

Red Coins and Red Rings also make a return in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. They serve the exact same function as in the preceding game and they will still give the player a power-up if all the Coins are collected. However, Small Mario collecting the coins would make a Fire Flower (or other power-ups of similar power) appear instead of a Super Mushroom. Like before, if the player is currently using a Fire Flower or similar power-up, they will get a 1-Up Mushroom after collecting all the Red Coins.

Super Mario 3D Land[]

Red Coins later appear along with Red Rings in Super Mario 3D Land, working like they do in the New Super Mario Bros. games. Unlike those games, however, only five Red Coins appear per ring, rather than eight.

New Super Mario Bros. 2[]

Red Coins appear once again in New Super Mario Bros. 2. Like in the previous New Super Mario Bros. games, Mario/Luigi must collect eight of them to earn a power-up, a 1-Up Mushroom, or a Golden Mushroom (only in Coin Rush mode), depending on his current form. When Mario/Luigi touches a Red Ring, Red Coins could appear in predetermined locations, sometimes falling in parachutes.

New Super Mario Bros. U[]

Red Coins, along with Red Rings, reappear in the Wii U game New Super Mario Bros. U. Once again, all eight Red Coins must be collected for an item to appear. The similar Green Coins and Green Rings make their debut appearance, which are used in a similar way but five (technically fifteen) must be collected instead of eight. Green Coins also disappear quicker.

Super Mario 3D World[]

Red Coins and Red Rings reappear in the Wii U game Super Mario 3D World. They function as they did Super Mario 3D Land, though they award the highest tier power-up (depending on the level) when collected, even when another such power-up is active, and they appear in groups of eight, as they do in the New Super Mario Bros. series.

Super Mario Run[]

Red Coins and Red Rings reappear in Super Mario Run. Mario only needs to collect five Red Coins, similar to in Super Mario 3D Land. Collecting all the five will give Mario a Super Star.

Mario Party series[]

Mario Party-e[]

In Mario Party-e, Red Coins serve as one of the main collectibles in the minigame Waluigi's Reign. They are worth more than Yellow Coins, giving the players five points when obtained.

Mario Party DS[]

In Mario Party DS, Red Coins replace Coin Bags in bonus mini-games unlike the previous versions of the Mario Party games. They are, like Coin Bags, worth five Coins. They are obtained like Coin Bags too; rarer and sometimes harder to acquire.

Mario Party: Star Rush[]

In Mario Party: Star Rush, Red Coins can be obtained in any of the Coin Chaos minigames. They do not appear in Level 1 minigames unless an amiibo is used, but they can occasionally appear in Level 2, and very often in Level 3. With the Coin Bag item, five Red Coins will appear. Each Red Coin collected is worth three normal Coins. With the Double Medal item, each Red Coin collected is worth 6 normal Coins. If a Podoboo item is used, any source of Coins and items currently on-screen; Red Coins included; burn up. However, they can reappear over the course of the game.

Super Mario Party[]

In Super Mario Party, Red Coins appear in Partner Party, giving the character five coins when they pass one. Also, a Red Coin is produced from a ? Block in the minigame Strike It Rich if the player times a jump perfectly. Each Red Coin is worth three regular Coins.

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour[]

Red Coins appear in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour of the Coin Shoot mode. They are worth 10 Coins when the ball is near them.

Mario Hoops 3-on-3[]

Red Coins appear in Mario Hoops 3-on-3 under the name 10 Coins. They can be found in ? Panels, and as evident by their name are worth ten normal Coins. They are only found if the player manages to combo the dribbling of acquiring the Coins without being interrupted.

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon[]

Red Coins appear in the 3DS title, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, with a slightly more octagonal shape. In some missions, there are hidden challenges where Luigi must collect the eight Red Coins within a time limit to reveal a treasure chest. They also appear as upgrade bonuses in the multiplayer mode, ScareScraper. Each time a floor is cleared, four Red Coins appear. Whoever collects the most Red Coins has a better chance of getting an upgrade.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team[]

Red Coins make appearances in the Dream World of Mario & Luigi: Dream Team as a time-based challenge. In locations such as Dreamy Somnom Woods or Dreamy Wakeport, there is a red block with a Red Coin on it which spawns eight Red Coins in a specific area. Mario and Dreamy Luigi must collect all of them to progress.

Super Smash Bros. series[]

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U for the Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, eight Red Coins appear in the Golden Plains stage when a fighter passes through a Red Ring. Each Red Coin is worth five normal Coins.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle[]

Red Coins and Red Rings return in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, where eight of them need to be collected. Collecting all eight reveals a treasure chest containing a new weapon for Mario and co. to use.

Mario Kart Tour[]

In Mario Kart Tour, Red Coins appear in the Gold Rush mode and challenges. They are worth twice the amount of a regular Coin.

Trivia[]

  • Super Mario World was originally going to have flying Red Coins that are worth five regular Coins if collected, but they were unused during the game's development. They can be only accessed by hacking the game.
  • In New Super Mario Bros., it is possible for the Red Coin sound effect to cancel out the sound effect of a Coin. This can occur when picking up a Red Coin surrounded by Coins.

References[]

  1. "Red coin collected!" – message displayed on-screen after one player collects a Red Coin in the ScareScraper mode of Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (British version only)
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