Just playing Super Mario on the Virtual Console, and was perplexed by this.
Sometimes, when hitting a ? block or secret block that has a mushroom or a 1-up, it is very hard to tell which way the 'shroom will go once it pops up. Sometimes, it has a tendency to move to the right, and sometimes, it will move to the left.
A bigger offender is the 1-up mushroom blocks, that when you expect them to move towards you, they tend to move off the opposite direction, usually into a pit or a death trap.
I'd like to be able to accurately and scientifically figure out the patterns of mushrooms, but I'll need some help.
How can I tell which way powerups and mushrooms will go?
Best Answer
There are two things that determine mushroom motion.
Since the original Super Mario Bros, a Red Mushroom will always move towards the player after it has fully emerged from a block, while a Green Mushroom will always move away from the player after fully emerging.
Most power-up mushrooms will act similarly to a Red Mushroom, including New Super Mario Bros. Mini Mushrooms, as well as Poison Mushrooms from the Lost Levels (even though they decidedly do not power you up!).
Mega Mushrooms, also from New Super Mario Bros, will always take short hops to the right regardless of your position. As will the Helicopter Hat Mushrooms from New Super Mario Bros Wii.
Also, although this question is primarily concerned with mushrooms, Starmen emerging from a block bounce away from a player, similar in behavior to the Green Mushroom.