Most avid Mario fans should be able to recognize Fire Flowers, magical blooms that give the user the ability to shoot fireballs. But how exactly, do they work? And why do they exhibit different characteristics or appearances based on the game?
The most common version of the Fire Flower can be found in most of Mario's classic side-scrollers, such as Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3. The Fire Flowers are shaped like multi-colored ovals on stems, or they can look like bright red, jagged edged hemispheres. When Mario or Luigi takes one, he becomes "firey" and can shoot small fireballs. Fire Flowers are actually living creatures, as shown in Super Mario World by their eyes, however. So, when Mario touches a Fire Flower, he wakes it from hibernation. Fire Flowers are kamikazes, in a sense. They bestow all their power upon Mario, and dissolve into nothingness mere seconds later. The burst of power allows Mario to transform into a stronger form of himself, A.K.A. Firey Mario. The Fire Flower has the ability to spit fireballs, as exhibited in Paper Mario, so when Mario absorbs the firey qualities of the flower, he can "spit" fireballs as well.
Now, Fire Flowers look differently in Super Mario World and Paper Mario because the original Fire Flowers were affected by Bowser's dark magic. When the King of Koopas turned the Mushroom People into bricks and plants, his magic also had an effect on the flowers, mutating them into the light-sensitive oval-like plants we all know. Because of their light-sensitivity, they were forced to grow inside of ? Blocks. The spells that the Koopa Kids cast upon the kings of the Mushroom World also affected the Fire Flowers in the same manner.
Finally, most of us may have noticed that Mario can shoot fireballs without the use of Fire Flowers in both Super Mario RPG and Super Smash Bros. This is because Mario has used so many Fire Flowers that his genetics have intertwined with the ones he's already used. He's adapted their ability to shoot fireballs from the process, and no longer needs their power. Now, when Mario uses a Fire Flower, he can either plant it in the ground and allow it to do his dirty work, or he can blow through the flower and produce a "flame-thrower" effect. Perhaps if Mario continues to absorb the Fire Flower energy, he may actually become immune to fire. That would be a prominent asset when battling the fire-breathing Bowser. Of course, that could also back-fire and turn Mario into a giant Fire Flower. Only time may tell.
Thank all you readers for your time. If you have any comments or corrections, e-mail me at yodarock@yahoo.com