Key

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Keys, in order of game described.

There are dozens of different keys for castles and fortresses all across Mushroom World.

History

Super Mario series

Super Mario Bros. 2

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A Key from Super Mario Bros. 2

Super Mario Bros. 2 is the first Mario game with keys and locked Doors. Phantos will always be guarding keys, so until the player drops a key or unlocks a door, a Phanto will be chasing the player. Keys are always in view -- never under a Vegetable.

Super Mario World

In Super Mario World, the Keyholes would turn into a gigantic portal when a key came into contact with it.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

A Key from Yoshi's Island DS.

In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and its sequel the keys unlocked doors, but when a castle boss was defeated a large key would appear and act the same as ones in Super Mario World.

Super Mario 64 DS

In the game Super Mario 64 DS, Rabbits steal keys. The first key Yoshi has to obtain unlocks Princess Peach's Castle; only after he catches that first rabbit can he get inside. There are many other rabbits that can be found in the game, but they only unlock minigames. The next keys Yoshi must collect are held by various bosses, and are used to free Mario, Luigi and Wario. Finally, the first two times Bowser is defeated, he will give Mario and his companions key to different floors of the castle.

Donkey Kong series

Donkey Kong (Game Boy)

Mario throwing a key.

Keys make their first appearance in Donkey Kong for the Game Boy in stage 1-1, after stage 0. In all regular levels of the game except for stage 0 (which has the stages from the original Donkey Kong arcade game), Mario has to find the key and take it to the correct locked door. Mario has take the key by standing on it and picking it up. Often, the key has to be thrown upwards because Mario cannot hold it while climbing a ladder, and it can also be used to take out enemies by throwing it.

Paper Mario series

Paper Mario

There are many key designs in Paper Mario and its sequel, but each only opens doors in the area they are found. There are Castle Keys for every castle and fortress, and various others keys in different locations. In Paper Mario, they were used in Tubba Blubba's Castle, Bowser's flying castle, and Peach's Castle. Tubba Blubba's keys look like three leaf clovers, while Bowser's look like a gold three leaf clover with a blue ball in the middle. There are about three of Tubba's keys and five of Bowser's keys. Peach's Castle Keys are pink versions of Bowser's. Also, a living key called Yakkey locked the Gusty Gulch Windmill.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

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From left to right: Tubba Blubba's, Bowser's, and Hooktail's keys

In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, the Castle Keys that open the doors in Hooktail Castle are shaped like flowers. In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, there are two types of Castle Keys: Castle Key #1 and Castle Key #2. They are listed as Special Items. There is also a Grotto Key, which opens a door in the Pirate's Grotto.

Luigi's Mansion

In Luigi's Mansion, Luigi had to collect many keys before he could advance to other rooms. They were usually found in Treasure Chests, although some could be found right out in the open.

Mario Party series

Bowser owns various keys in the Mario Party series. These so-called Bowser Keys are usually found in Bowser Mini-Games, and are necessary to escape from Bowser. In earlier Mario Party games, Bowser Keys are simply keys shaped like Bowser's head. In later games, they are engraved with Bowser's likeness.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

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Artwork of the Key from Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

In the Subspace Emissary mode of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Emissary Keys are found somewhere near locked gates. If the player finds a key and tries to go through the gate while having it in his or her hand, the gate will become unlocked.

Wario Land series

Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3

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A key and a locked door.

In Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, the player can sometimes find a key inside a Face Block. These keys are hidden throughout many stages of the game and they are required to open the door to a treasure chamber. The keyhole in that the key fits is always found in the same stage as the key and the key can not be taken out of the stage, so it has to be recollected after leaving the level. Inside of the treasure chambers, Wario can find one of the collectible Treasures.

Wario Land 3

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The keys as they appear in the levels of Wario Land 3

While being absent in Wario Land 2, keys reappeared in the game's sequel Wario Land 3. There, four differently coloured keys were hidden throughout the level, namely a grey, a red, a green, and a blue one. Wario can only clear a level if he finds one of the keys and manages to take them to their respective Treasure Chest. By doing so, he earns himself a new treasure that helps the player to proceed and find new levels. Usually, not all keys in a level are available from the start. The player has to obtain new abilities and meet certain requirements to find them all. After a key is taken to a Treasure Chest, the chest gets replaced by a Goal Door.

Notable Keys

• Yakkey
• Skeleton Key