Metal Cap
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The Metal Cap can be obtained by breaking a green [!] block. These blocks will only be activated after the Metal Cap Switch in the Cavern of the Metal Cap is pressed.
The Metal Cap makes Mario invulnerable for 20 seconds. Most enemies that come in contact with Mario, will just die.
Mario also becomes 'heavy'. The effect this has makes him sink to the bottom of any water, sink quicker in quicksand and his jumps lower.
In places it is possible, Dire, Dire Docks for example, the Metal Cap will combine with the effect of other Cap. However, since the Metal Cap and Wing Cap are never in the same course, the only combination ever seen by a normal casual player will be the combination of the Metal and Vanish Cap.[1] There is however a unused texture in the game, of a metallic Wing Mario.[2] Using hacking, Mario can be seen with both the Metal and the Wing Cap effect. The GameShark code for this is: 8133B176 003C [3]
Glitches
The Metal Cap can be used to perform the Hat in Hand glitch.
Invulnerable
Even though the Metal Cap should make Mario Invulnerable in theory, Pannen found ways to die after putting on the Metal Cap.
The first is the simplest, because the Metal Cap does not remove fall damage. This is however probably not a glitch and actually intended game design.
The more difficult way to die after activating the Metal Cap involves water. Water affects Mario's health, but with the Metal Cap on it shouldn't. However, when jumping into water it takes a couple of frames before the Metal Cap can take effect. This means that the normal effect of water on Mario's health will apply shortly. (Losing health under water, gaining health on the surface.)
On terminal velocity for going down, you recover +26 HP, and lose -19 HP. This means that it is not possible to lose health for casual players this way. As you first recover health by being at the surface, and then start losing it after. Even using hyperspeed to enter the water will not work. (The game puts you at the surface of the water after you entered it.) The way to lose health is to stop the game from placing you at the surface, by making sure there is no surface.
Another way to lose health is by getting knockback under water (note that the knockback itself does not inflict damage).
Metal Mario is also vulnerable to the effect of water when riding on the water shell. To get there, you have to first clone the metal cap.
Metal Mario is also not invulnerable against Bubba the Fish. Bubba the Fish will still eat Mario. This is unprovable in the normal game, as there is no Metal Cap in Tiny-Huge Island.[4]
Courses
The Metal Cap can used in the following courses:
- Whomp's Fortress (1x)
- Jolly Roger Bay (3x)
- Hazy Maze Cave (5x)
- Dire, Dire Docks (1x)
- Wet-Dry World (1x)
- Cavern of the Metal Cap (2x + Switch)
- Bowser in the Dark World (1x)
Interactions
Most enemies die upon touching Metal Mario.
Attacks that hit Mario will also not have any effect.
Fall damage will still hurt Mario.
Enemies that don't die
Not all enemies that come in contact with Metal Mario will die. An enemy that doesn't die, will knock Mario back, but will not damage him
The following list is (probably) incomplete.
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- Mr. I[4]
Other interactions
- Piranha Plant: The plant will die, but Mario does also receive knockback.
- Getting Shocked: Mario can still get shocked, but this doesn't lower his health.
- Getting Squished: Mario will get squished, but this doesn't kill the Thwomp not does Mario get damaged.
- Fire: Mario will not interact with Fire, it will go straight through him. However, collecting the Metal Cap after bursting into fire will not stop the fire damage. Mario will still die from the initial burns.
- Lave: Using hacks you can show that lava doesn't hurt Mario. (The Metal Cap cannot be obtained in any stage where there is lava.) The lava will however make Mario do the lave boost.
- Bubba the Fish: Bubba does not care whether Mario is Metal or not, Mario can still be eaten.