Red Flying Question Blocks (also called Red Flying ? Blocks or simply Flying Blocks) are a type of Question Block (Flying Question Block rather) found in New Super Mario Bros., they are seen roaming around the Maps of the game's eight worlds moving from level to level whenever Mario/Luigi exits or completes a level. The Flying Blocks will move to a nearby level either to the left or the right of the level they were currently on taking any path to those levels and appearing in the level whenever Mario/Luigi enters it for a Power-Up boost. Red Flying Question Blocks mainly take paths that are revealed from the start (whether the path is unlocked or not) but if a path is hidden (only to be revealed via a Secret Exit), the Red Flying Question Blocks don't take these paths until they're unlocked, Red Flying Question Blocks can use the hidden paths as detours to other levels. however they can still bypass Star Coin Signs before they're removed. Red Flying Question Blocks can stop at any level in a World except for Toad Houses, Warp Cannons, or Castles. On the World Maps, the first four worlds have two Red Flying Question Blocks on the Map while the last four worlds have one Red Flying Question Block and one Hammer Bro. The level they're on is indicated on the touchscreen minimap as a yellow circle that flashes.
Use
Whenever Mario (or Luigi) enters a level with a Red Flying Question Block, the Block will appear in the level flying around (either from the level's start or checkpoint depending on where the Plumbers start from). In the levels, the Red Flying Question Blocks can either continue flying to the left until they fly off the screen, they can fly back and forth, or they can fly up and down in place. When struck, a Red Flying Question Block will provide Mario/Luigi with a random Power-Up regardless of their size, the Power-Up can either be a Super Mushroom, a Fire Flower, a Blue Shell, a Mini Mushroom, a 1-Up Mushroom, or a Mega Mushroom (Note: Not all Red Flying Blocks can spawn a Mega Mushroom and none can spawn a Starman) so as a result, a Red Flying Question Block can be useful for passing tough levels or for obtaining Star Coins which require certain Power-Ups. Mega Mario can also destroy a Red Flying ? Block. Once a Red Flying Question Block is used, if Mario/Luigi either dies in the level or completes the level, the Red Flying Question Block will either disappear from the map for a a level or two or it will return to it's starting location.
Starting Levels
Below are the levels the Red Flying Question Blocks are first seen in when the Plumbers first enter a World.
World 1
World 2
World 3
World 4
World 5
- World 5-Fortress
- World 5-4 (Hammer Bro.)
World 6
- World 6-Fortress 2
- World 6-5 (Hammer Bro.)
World 7
World 8
Notes
- A Red Flying Question Blocks may only have a chance of spawning a Super Mushroom while the player is either Mini Mario or Small Mario. In Mario (or Luigi) is in any other form, the Super Mushroom won't ever appear.
- Only certain Red Flying Question Blocks can spawn a Mega Mushroom (typically those in very open areas), there are some of these blocks (such as those found in smaller less open areas (typically Fortresses)) that never spawn a Mega Mushroom.
- A Red Flying Question Block can only spawn a 1-Up Mushroom, when the player has less than 99 lives (the maximum amount of earnable lives). If Mario (or Luigi) already has 99 lives, a 1-Up Mushroom will be out of the equation.
Trivia
- Of all the main levels in a World, Red Flying Question Blocks never stop on Castles, this even applies to World 8-Castle which they skip over when traveling to the second half of World 8. This also applies to the Hammer Bros.
- The Starman is the only Power-Up that is never spawned by a Red Flying Question Block.
