Cat Mario

Cat Mario makes his iconic gameplay debut in Super Mario 3D World on the Wii U, introduced in the game's initial level, Super Bell Hill. Upon collecting the Super Bell item, Mario transforms into Cat Mario, immediately enabling players to scale sheer walls, scramble up the Goal Pole, and execute rapid scratch attacks against surrounding enemies. Beyond his platforming origins, Cat Mario features prominently in a key action sequence in the 2023 animated feature The Super Mario Bros. Movie. During a high-stakes one-on-one battle in the Jungle Kingdom Colosseum against Donkey Kong, Mario finds himself severely outmatched. In desperation, Mario hits a Super Bell block and transforms into Cat Mario. While Toad calls the new look adorable and Peach giggles in approval, Donkey Kong openly mocks Mario's feline attire. However, Cat Mario quickly turns the tide of battle, using his newfound agility, wall-climbing mobility, and claw strikes to outmaneuver Donkey Kong. Mario ultimately secures victory by executing a aerial diving pounce that sends Donkey Kong crashing through heavy stone blocks. In Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (2021), the form reaches its largest scale when Mario harnesses the Giga Bell to become Giga Cat Mario, a massive glowing titan needed to battle Fury Bowser.

The introduction of Cat Mario marked a major evolution in Super Mario platforming mechanics, prioritizing vertical movement and continuous flow. By allowing players to climb walls for a limited time, sprint on all fours, and perform diagonal pounces, the power-up dramatically altered level design possibilities across 3D platformers. Its popular reception led Nintendo to integrate the Cat Mario suit into major constructible course styles in Super Mario Maker 2, giving creators tools to build around feline wall-climbing and scratching mechanics.

Over the years, Cat Mario transformed from a single-game power-up into a primary brand mascot for modern Mario media. The form spawned numerous power-up variants—including the golden coin-spawning Lucky Cat Mario, the invincible White Cat Mario, and the gigantic Giga Cat Mario. Outside of mainline platformers, Cat Mario has achieved widespread crossover integration, appearing in mobile games like Mario Kart Tour, puzzle RPGs such as Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition, Minecraft character skins, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate spirits. His feature film role in 2023 further cemented Cat Mario as an enduring pop-culture fixture, accompanied by dedicated Amiibo figures, plush lines, and theme park appearances at Super Nintendo World.

When Mario collects a Super Bell, he dons a full-body plush yellow cat suit. Unlike Cat Luigi or Cat Peach, whose suit colors directly match their traditional green and pink character palettes, Cat Mario features bright yellow fur paired with a cream-colored belly, cream paw tips, faint orange stripes along his back, pink inner ears, and pink paw pads. The hood includes pointy cat ears, and the suit is finished with a yellow cat tail featuring a cream tip. In Japanese culture, the yellow suit color choice is associated with cheerfulness and courage, contrasting with traditional red.

Visually and movement-wise, Cat Mario shifts Mario into a quadrupedal stance when sprinting on all fours. This lowered, shorter posture permits Cat Mario to sprint through tight spaces that would normally require crouching. In combat, Cat Mario performs close-range claw scratch attacks that mirror the mechanics of Tanooki Mario's tail whip. In the air, Cat Mario can execute an angled downward pounce attack. When powered by a Lucky Bell, the suit adds a red collar and transforms Mario into a solid gold Beckoning Cat (Maneki-neko) statue upon ground-pouncing, while the Invincibility Bell alters the suit into a glowing white-and-gold variant.