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Note: Credit to the Mario Wiki.
Creation
Following the failure of Radar Scope in North America, Nintendo's then-president, Hiroshi Yamauchi, requested Miyamoto's aid in converting unsold Radar Scope units into something that would sell well. Miyamoto conceived the concept of a love triangle and decided to make a game based on Popeye. This was abandoned due to technical reasons, so he decided to come up with a new idea using his own characters.
For use in his arcade game Donkey Kong, he created a player character originally known during development as Ossan (the Japanese term for "middle-aged man"), then Jumpman and Mr. Video Game or Mr. Video. Coincidentally, "Ossan" would be the name given to a Mario look-alike in the game Golf. This character was given red overalls and a blue shirt in order to make the arms more visible as well as a cap and moustache, as hair and a mouth were impossible to animate on the arcade system. The character was originally known as Jumpman, but Nintendo of Japan asked Nintendo of America if they wanted to rename him during the Western localization; president Minoru Arakawa and employee Don James thought it would be funny to call the character Mario after the suspenders-wearing Italian American landlord of storage and company housing, Mario Segale.
History
Background
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island depicts Mario's beginnings by delivery of a stork at nearly the same time as Luigi, suggesting a twin birth. Mario, however, receives help from Yoshis shortly after Luigi has been kidnapped by Kamek, pointing them to Luigi's location. While Mario can still use a power-up, Superstar Mario, the Yoshis must otherwise protect and guide him to Bowser's Castle. Once Mario and Luigi are rescued, the stork delivers them to their parents. Yoshi's New Island, however, states they are the wrong parents. After Luigi is kidnapped a few more times, Mario and Luigi reunite with their true parents in Yoshi's New Island and Yoshi's Island DS.
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is usually considered as one of the first media chronologically in Mario's history, but a few other sources, usually older than Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, depict different beginnings. In Super Mario Momotarō, for instance, two elderly Hammer Brothers have found and raised Mario, who emerged out of a peach that has fallen from the sky. Mario here resembles his older self, although smaller and without a cap. The story in Super Mario Momotarō, however, is a retelling of a popular Japanese fairy tale and may have no actual bearing on Mario's history. The Nintendo Comics System comic entitled "Family Album "The Early Years" is another early medium that depicts Mario's childhood. According to it, Mario has taken an early interest in plumbing, although frequently misbehaving, such as making his father's pipe emit bubbles instead of smoke. Mario is also adept at sports, scoring home runs in his neighborhood softball team. Mario at birth is shown to have full hair on the head and facial stubble that quickly became a mustache. The comic also implies that Luigi was born several years after Mario, whereas he is depicted as Mario's younger twin in the video games.
In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Mario's infant self and adult self unite to defeat the Shroobs and save Princess Peach, although the game takes place from Mario's adult self's setting by labeling his time period as the present and his baby self's time period as the past.
Donkey Kong series
Donkey Kong
In Donkey Kong, Mario is a carpenter who needs to rescue his girlfriend, Lady (later renamed Pauline), from Donkey Kong at a construction site. Mario can jump over obstacles such as the barrels Donkey Kong throws, or Mario can use hammers to destroy the barrels and defeat other enemies. After defeating Donkey Kong in the final level, Mario is reunited with Lady.
In the Game & Watch version of Donkey Kong, the objective is the same as in the arcade version, but Mario must trigger a lever, which causes a hook to appear. If Mario grabs the hook, a peg is removed and he is transported to the starting point. If Mario misses, he falls and loses a life. If Mario removes all the pegs, he defeats Donkey Kong.
Donkey Kong Jr.
In Donkey Kong Jr., Mario appears as the antagonist, having captured Donkey Kong and holding him in a cage, with the protagonist of the game being Donkey Kong's son, Donkey Kong Jr. As Donkey Kong Jr. moves through the levels, Mario sends out enemies like Snapjaws and other obstacles to stop him. After Donkey Kong Jr. rescues Donkey Kong in the final level, Mario falls and is defeated. In the arcade version, Mario regains consciousness and attempts to pursue the pair, only to be sent running away by a kick by the elder Donkey Kong.
During the intro to the arcade version of the game, there are two Marios that are seen carrying Donkey Kong away.
Donkey Kong II
Since Donkey Kong II serves as a semi-sequel to the Game & Watch Donkey Kong Jr., Mario reprises his role as the antagonist.
Donkey Kong Circus
Mario appears as the antagonist in Donkey Kong Circus. Mario is an audience member who laughs at Donkey Kong whenever he drops a pineapple or grabs a fireball by mistake. The Circus seems to be at the construction site where the first game begins, based on the girder-like platform Mario stands on.
Donkey Kong Hockey
Mario appears in the game Donkey Kong Hockey as the protagonist. His hockey shot is less powerful than Donkey Kong's, but it has more range.
Donkey Kong (Game Boy)
Mario makes a later appearance in the Donkey Kong series with a new appearance in Donkey Kong for the Game Boy. Along with the original four Donkey Kong levels, Mario has to travel through an additional nine worlds to rescue Pauline. Mario can also perform additional acrobatic maneuvers that can assist him in navigating through levels.
Mario can perform a handstand move, which protects him from any objects falling on him from above. From the handstand position, Mario can also perform the Handstand Jump. The game also features the backflip as well as wires on which Mario can wire-spin and jump to catapult himself high in the air. Another essential part of Mario's moveset, taken from Super Mario Bros. 2, is his ability to pick up enemies and objects and lift them over his head to throw them. This is also one of the few Mario games in which Mario takes damage and can lose a life from a high fall.
In most stages, Mario has to find the key and take it to the locked door in order to proceed to the next level. As long as Mario holds the key, he has an additional hit point, although he loses the key when he takes damage. He uses hammers as seen in the original Donkey Kong and constructs temporary ladders and roads in order to pass through the levels. Other levels are boss fights against Donkey Kong Jr. and Donkey Kong. In the final level, Mario must navigate through the level while chasing Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. to the top of the tower, where he eventually traps Donkey Kong Jr. in a cage, defeats a giant Donkey Kong, and rescues Pauline. In the game's credits, however, Mario seems to have reconciled with Donkey Kong since they are shown together with Donkey Kong Jr. and Pauline in a photo in Rocky-Valley.
The ending of the game shows Mario holding Donkey Kong above his head (with Donkey Kong yelling, "HELP!") as Donkey Kong Jr. is standing to the left of him. To the right is what appears to be the start of World 1-1 from Super Mario Bros. This foreshadows the events of both Donkey Kong Jr. and Super Mario Bros.
Many of Mario's moves and objectives are carried over to the semi-sequel, Mario vs. Donkey Kong.
Donkey Kong (coloring/activity books)
In a series of coloring/activity books from 1982–1983, little Mario the carpenter appears as a hapless, balding, middle-aged employee at Video Land Amusement Park. He is in love with the much younger Pauline but is unable to express it. He sets off to rescue her after Donkey Kong breaks free from his cage and kidnaps her.
Game & Watch series
Mario has appeared in several Game & Watch games, including Mario Bros., Mario's Cement Factory, Mario's Bombs Away, Super Mario Bros., and Mario the Juggler. He also appeared in four installments of remakes marketed as the Game & Watch Gallery series, and he later appeared in Game & Watch Collection.
In Mario Bros. (which is unrelated to the arcade game of the same name), Mario and the newly introduced Luigi must cooperate and put pallets of bottles on a delivery truck. They have to use conveyor belts to send the package to each other. If they drop a pallet, their boss yells at them. If they drop three pallets, the game is over. In Game & Watch Gallery 3]] and in Game & Watch Gallery 4, Wario is the boss and Bowser periodically reverses the conveyor belt directions. Cakes replace pallets in the game.
In Mario's Cement Factory, Mario must move cement from hoppers into cement trucks by putting them on conveyor belts. The hoppers can hold only three loads of cement. If a hopper overflows, some cement can land on a worker, making Mario lose a life. Mario can move by using an elevator, but if he moves when the elevator is not there, he falls and loses a life. If Mario stays in the elevator for too long, he can be crushed or can touch the very bottom, losing a life either way; there are safe zones to circumvent this. In the remake in Game & Watch Gallery 4, Yoshi and Toad appear as background characters. A Boo can appear and interfere with the work. Mario can fall from the elevator, but when he touches the bottom ground, he gets a miss.
Mario must safely deliver bombs in Mario's Bombs Away, avoiding oil spills and torches.
Super Mario Bros. for the Game & Watch plays similarly to the original game for the NES. This version, however, is simpler and shorter.
Mario is featured in Mario the Juggler, a Game & Watch game based on the very first one, Ball.
In the Modern games of Game & Watch Gallery remakes, Mario also takes some roles previously taken by other characters. Other times, he is a non-playable character. In Fire, for instance, he and Luigi rescue Toads, Yoshis, and Donkey Kong Jrs. from a fire. In another example, in Chef, Peach must cooperate with Mario and Luigi to feed Yoshi. Mario and Luigi throw the food, and Peach can catch it in her pan.
Mario Bros.
After Donkey Kong Jr., Mario's next arcade appearance is Mario Bros. in 1983. Only Mario's physical appearance is taken from earlier titles; Mario is now a plumber in the sewers of New York (his house according to Atari) and fights an endless number of creatures, such as Shellcreepers and Sidesteppers. Unlike in later games, Mario cannot jump on enemies. Instead, he must jump against the ceiling of a platform from below to stun all enemies walking on top of it. When Mario approaches the stunned enemies, he kicks them out of the screen, rendering them defeated. In the two-player mode, the second player plays as Luigi, here portrayed as a green palette swap of Mario.
Saturday Supercade
Mario appears in several episodes in Saturday Supercade, which was his first television show. His personality on the show was of a heroic person whose goal was to capture Donkey Kong.
"The Great Ape Escape"
In "The Great Ape Escape," Donkey Kong escapes by riding a motorcycle, after which Mario and Pauline drive their circus van to chase him. Mario attempts to catch Donkey Kong by disguising himself as a banana and catapulting himself. He tries using sleeping gas on Donkey Kong, but Donkey Kong deflects it and escapes into a nearby prison. In the prison, the criminals join with Donkey Kong and exploit his gullibility by having him perform crimes, including theft. Meanwhile, riding on a hot air balloon, Mario and Pauline attempt to lure Donkey Kong with a rope ladder made of bananas. Donkey Kong, however, pops the balloon, so the two then disguise themselves as chefs, but this also fails. During the prison football game, Mario again tries and fails to capture Donkey Kong while disguising himself as a referee. When Donkey Kong and the criminals are finally cornered at the top of the building, Mario, in a police outfit, and Pauline tell Donkey Kong that the criminals are tricking him. Donkey Kong then tosses the criminals in the cage and escapes in a hot air football, leading Mario and Pauline to continue chasing him.
"Greenhouse Gorilla"
In "Greenhouse Gorilla," Donkey Kong is tricked by Mr. X to steal Stanley's metal-eating plant, Herman. While chasing Donkey Kong, Stanley meets Mario and Pauline, where they team up to find Donkey Kong and Mr. X. They find Donkey Kong and Mr. X with the plant in the grocery store, but when Mario tries to capture Donkey Kong with his vacuum trap, the plant consumes it and the three escape. Mr. X then leads Donkey Kong to a banquet, where Mario, Pauline, and Stanley are found disguised as hired help. Pauline convinces Donkey Kong to distrust Mr. X, so Mr. X's plan fails and Donkey Kong then escapes, once again leading the three to chase him.
Golf
The first time Mario appeared in any sports game was in Golf where his proportions are more realistic. In Japanese versions of Golf, Captain Rainbow would later identify the character as a more generic Ossan (although this was one of Mario's initial names during development of Donkey Kong). The gameplay is fairly simplistic, but there are obstacles that can impede the ball from landing into the hole.
Family BASIC
The Family BASIC is an accessory to the Family Computer that lets users program their own games. Mario is one of the available sprites. In Family BASIC V3, he appears in two mini-games, one of which he is a controllable character.
Wrecking Crew series
VS. Wrecking Crew / Wrecking Crew
In VS. Wrecking Crew, an arcade game for the VS. System, Mario and Luigi are workers on a demolition site. Mario must break all the walls for demolition before enemies can stop him. In this game, Mario wears a helmet, shoes, and dark red overalls. Unlike the NES version, this game has a simultaneous two-player mode, where Mario and Luigi can compete or cooperate. In single player mode, Luigi is an opponent that attacks Mario, but Mario can hit him with his hammer and cause him to fall. They use hammers similar to those previously seen in Donkey Kong against Gotchawrenches or each other. If Mario stays too long, a fireball appears to hinder his progress.
In the NES game Wrecking Crew, Mario faces off against Foreman Spike instead of Luigi. Mario can now defeat enemies by trapping them in dead-end drums. Mario call also wield the Golden Hammer which can smash any wall with a single swing.
Unlike their Japan-only sequel, Wrecking Crew '98, these games have no specific plot.
Wrecking Crew '98
In Wrecking Crew '98, Mario finds the Mushroom Kingdom covered with Bowser's new high-rises. Foreman Spike also makes a reappearance, along with several other enemies from Wrecking Crew, this time helping Bowser. These buildings negatively impact the Mushroom Kingdom's environment, so Mario must demolish these structures.
Unlike in the earlier games, Mario can hinder his opponent's progress by raining panels on them. To clear the stage, Mario must demolish blocks or arrange three consecutive panels vertically or horizontally. If four or more panels are aligned, Mario can rain panels onto his opponent. If he clears the field, he receives a Mushroom, boosting his offensive combos toward his enemy.
Super Mario series
Super Mario Bros.
Since Super Mario Bros., Mario is portrayed living in the Mushroom Kingdom. In the game, Mario's objective is to rescue Princess Toadstool (later known as Peach) from Bowser, the King of the Koopas. The game is the first in the series in which regular enemies such as Goombas can be defeated and Koopa Troopas can be stunned by stomping on them from above. Mario can also gain power-ups and coins from jumping against ? Blocks and Brick Blocks. Mario begins the game as Small Mario, who loses a life from any enemy attack. By using Super Mushrooms, Mario grows into Super Mario, who has an additional hit point (reverting to Small Mario after being hit). Super Mario has access to the Fire Flower, which lets him throw fireballs that can knock out enemies such as Koopa Troopas or fake Bowsers. Mario can also become invincible for a short amount of time with the Starman.
Mario's role and powers remain mostly the same in all entries to the series except for Super Mario Bros. 2. While new power-ups and moves are introduced, there is no deviation from the basic formula; Mario's basic appearance is unchanged and his personality remains unwritten. Despite this, Mario in the later games has adapted this depiction. Mario's eye color, mustache shape, hairstyle, cap shape, and face shape are all derived from Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, the sequel of Super Mario Bros., features Mario and Luigi's having to rescue Princess Toadstool from Bowser by traveling in new various different lands of the Mushroom Kingdom. The setting, however, is noted as a parallel world of the original Mushroom Kingdom, according to the Japanese manual. A notable harmful element to Mario introduced in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels is the Poison Mushroom, which can power down or even defeat Mario. Mario's traction and jumping height remain the same, while those of Luigi are changed to differentiate him more from Mario. Luigi jumps higher than Mario but has less traction. This would be a distinguishing feature used in future games.
Super Mario Bros. 2 / Super Mario Advance
In the story of Super Mario Bros. 2, based on the Japanese game Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, Mario has experienced a dream one night. The fairylike beings from the land of Subcon inform him that Wart has taken over the land of Subcon and that they need Mario's help to defeat Wart. After awakening from his dream, however, Mario dismisses the dream and returns to sleep. The next day, Mario, along with his friends Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Toad, decides to go on a picnic. However, while searching for a proper place, Mario and his friends notice a cave and decide to explore within it. After entering the cave, the four friends are transported to Subcon. Mario remembers his dream, and he and his three friends decide to save Subcon from Wart and the 8 bits. Throughout their adventure, Mario and his friends defeat many of Wart's members, including Birdo and Mouser. Eventually, Mario and his three friends confront Wart himself in a battle. After defeating Wart, Mario and his friends save the Subcon fairies and Subcon.
In contrast to the other characters, Mario is a well-balanced character with no special abilities in Super Mario Bros. 2 and its sequel, which has the same gameplay mechanics. The gameplay of the two games is vastly different from other Mario titles: Enemies can no longer be defeated by stomping them, and Mario gains the power to pick up enemies, lift them over his head, and throw them. This feature is later reused in the Game Boy version of Donkey Kong and the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series of games.
BS Super Mario USA
Mario reappears in the spiritual sequel of Super Mario Bros. 2, BS Super Mario USA, retaining his characteristics of being well balanced. While the four heroes celebrate their victory after the events Super Mario Bros. 2, Mario is seen to be awakening during the end of the game, implying the message that the whole adventure is simply a part of Mario's dream. BS Super Mario USA explains that Subcon is a dream world, and, while Mario and the others initially thought it is all a dream, they learn the truth about the realm when they are called back into the world to save it from Wart again. They must collect Gold Mario Statues in each level, defeat the boss, and find Wart.
Super Mario Bros. 3 / Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
In Super Mario Bros. 3 and the Game Boy Advance remake Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, after Bowser has invaded again, Mario and Luigi travel through eight kingdoms, in which the kings have been transformed into different creatures by the seven Koopalings. During Mario's quest, he is repeatedly sent letters by Princess Toadstool, who encloses power-ups for him. Eventually, Toadstool is kidnapped, but the Mario Bros. save her from Bowser in the Dark Land. Super Mario Bros. 3 introduces a plethora of new power-ups aside from the Fire Flower, including Super Leaves, Tanooki Suits, Frog Suits, and Goomba's Shoes. Mario also encounters new enemies, such as Thwomps, Dry Bones, and Boos.
Super Mario Land
In Super Mario Land, Mario travels to Sarasaland to rescue the land's princess, Daisy, from the alien Tatanga. Mario's powers in the game are limited to Superball Mario, in which he can shoot balls that ricochet off walls, as well as the Marine Pop (a submarine) and the Sky Pop (an airplane), each in a special auto-scrolling stage. When he rescues Princess Daisy, the two fly off in a spaceship.
Super Mario World / Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2
Mario appears in Super Mario World and its reissue Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2, which introduce Yoshi as a sidekick character to Mario. Mario can ride Yoshis and so gain varying new powers. Mario meets Yoshi on a holiday in Dinosaur Land, where Bowser kidnaps Toadstool again, forcing Mario and Luigi to rescue her once again. Super Mario World is the first Mario game to have a second jump button for a different jump—the Spin Jump—with which Super Mario can destroy Rotating Blocks from above or jump off Yoshi's back; he can also use it to avoid certain obstacles or defeat foes. Mario can use Cape Feathers to turn into Caped Mario, allowing him to take off from the ground and stay in the air for quite a while. Mario can also use Grab Blocks and throw them at enemies or obstacles.
Mario and Luigi defeat the Koopalings in their castles, rescue the captured eggs, and defeat Bowser in the Valley of Bowser, rescuing Toadstool and taking her home to Yoshi's Island to continue their vacation.
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins introduces a new antagonist to Mario named Wario. Wario usurps Mario's castle while Mario rescues Princess Daisy in Sarasaland (the events of Super Mario Land). The player's objective here is to regain control of Mario's castle. Mario gains more power-ups this time, including the Fire Flower and the Carrot. The Fire form has a slightly different appearance; Mario wears a small feather on his cap. The Carrot transforms Mario into Bunny Mario, which allows him to slow his descent or hover. Mario encounters several enemies and bosses by traveling through zones rather than worlds. When he finally reaches Wario, Wario attempts to use power-ups transforming him into Fire Wario and Bunny Wario, but Mario eventually prevails and takes his castle back.
Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS
In Super Mario 64, Mario is invited to have a cake with Princess Peach at the Mushroom Castle]], but he finds the castle taken over and Peach kidnapped by Bowser when he arrives there. In order to save Peach, Mario has to collect the castle's Power Stars to advance further and defeat Bowser. When facing off against Bowser, Mario grabs his tail and spins him around to throw him off the fighting platform. After being rescued, Peach kisses Mario and bakes him the cake.
Brought into a three-dimensional environment, Mario gains a larger variety of moves. He can jump in multiple ways—besides the basic jump, jumping from a standstill while crouching results in a Backward Somersault, crouching from a run and then jumping gives a Long Jump, jumping consecutively while running allows Mario to jump higher (the Triple Jump), quickly changing direction while jumping results in a Side Somersault, and jumping off a wall allows Mario to gain height (the Wall Jump). More offensive options are also available: He can punch, kick, slide-attack, and ground-pound, while he can also crawl under low barriers.
Power-ups are gained by collecting caps from ! Blocks: Red blocks give Wing Caps, green blocks Metal Caps, and blue blocks Vanish Caps. These are temporary, however, and do not fulfill the traditional role of power-ups in giving Mario additional hit points—instead, a health meter is introduced for the first time since Super Mario Bros. 2. Mario takes damage not only from enemy hits but also from falling from great heights and from time spent underwater. The meter is primarily refilled by collecting coins, but catching air bubbles underwater or swimming on the water's surface also replenishes it. Finally, Mario can lose his normal cap, whereupon he takes greater amounts of damage until he retrieves it.
In the game's remake, Super Mario 64 DS, Mario is an unlockable character. He is invited to the Mushroom Castle for cake, along with[Wario and Luigi. However, some time after they enter, Bowser overtakes the castle. The trio is thrown behind locked doors, with Mario being sealed away by Goomboss, who keeps the key to his door. Yoshi, who has avoided capture by sleeping on the castle's roof, is able to find a painting of Mario in Peach's room and finds Goomboss. After defeating him, Yoshi unlocks Mario's door with the key he receives.
From then on, Mario is available as a playable character. He is required to rescue Luigi (while Luigi is needed to rescue Wario). Mario is also required to open the Big Star Doors and enter the final level to rescue Princess Peach. Mario has good stats, with decent power and swimming, the best speed, and by extension the best jump height and distance (excluding Luigi's backflip). His special ability is the balloon-floating power gained by the Power Flower. Mario can also use the feather, the remake equivalent of the Wing Cap, which gives him more special abilities than the other characters. Mario is also the only character that can wall-jump. Other characters can transform into Mario, gaining his appearance but not his voice, by putting on Mario's cap. Mario can transform into Luigi and Wario this way but not into Yoshi.
Super Mario Sunshine
In Super Mario Sunshine, Mario, Peach, and Toadsworth travel to the tropical island of Isle Delfino to have a vacation. However, upon arriving on the Delfino Airstrip, they notice some type of goop is covering half the area. Mario, responding to Toadsworth's request for help, discovers F.L.U.D.D. and, with his help, destroys the Gatekeeper, cleaning the airstrip. Soon after, however, the police arrests Mario and takes him to a jail on the main island.
Mario is then placed on trial against the citizens of Isle Delfino. During the trial, the prosecutor explains that Isle Delfino is covered in goop by an unknown entity, though descriptions from various anonymous eyewitnesses have suggested that Mario has vandalized Isle Delfino. Peach and Toadsworth try objecting against the prosecution, but the judge overrules the objection quickly, sentencing Mario to clean the island of the goop as community service before leaving, while returning the island's power by collecting Shine Sprites, the island's source of sunlight.
Shadow Mario soon captures Peach, taking her to Pinna Island. From there, Mario uses a cannon in Delfino Plaza to come after her and, after chasing Shadow Mario through the island's theme park, arrives at a lake where Shadow Mario unveils Mecha-Bowser, a huge Bowser-like robot. However, Mario defeats the robot by using water rockets. It is here that Shadow Mario reveals himself to be Bowser Jr., Bowser's child. Bowser Jr. then reveals that he had taken Peach because Bowser has told him that Peach is his mother (though Bowser later admits this was a lie meant to get Bowser Jr. to kidnap Peach) and that she is "kidnapped by a bad man named Mario..." Mario, Peach, and F.L.U.D.D. also learn that Bowser Jr. has planted the graffiti so Mario can be sent to prison, but it fails. Bowser Jr. then escapes, and he and Peach fly to Corona Mountain.
Mario later arrives at the top of the mountain, where Peach, Bowser, and Bowser Jr. are sitting in a hot tub. The interruption enrages Bowser, leading him to fight Mario—but despite having help from Bowser Jr., who is firing Bullet Bills from his raft, Mario still manages to ground-pound all five sections of the hot tub, causing it to flip, sending Mario, Peach, Bowser, and Bowser Jr. falling to the ground. Mario and Peach land on an islet west of Delfino Plaza, where Mario also finds F.L.U.D.D. lying on the ground, highly damaged from the fall and stress of the battle. F.L.U.D.D. then asks if he had truly assisted Mario before shutting off. The two then watch as the final Shine Sprite falls to the Shine Gate, restoring light to the island.
Mario and Peach are then seen at Sirena Beach, Mario still sad about his loss of F.L.U.D.D. Both then turn around to see the Toads that came with them to the island, one holding F.L.U.D.D., who is now fixed and says, "The vacation starts now!"
The game removes most jumping, punching, and kicking abilities of the previous game and replaces them with F.L.U.D.D.'s powers. Mario can spray water at enemies and clear goop; the Expansion Nozzles for F.L.U.D.D. can make Mario hover in the air for a short while, make him run at a turbo speed, or rocket him high in the air, although Mario can hold only one Expansion Nozzle at a time. Water for F.L.U.D.D. can be refilled at any body of water in the game or with Water Bottles. Mario can also ride Yoshis. In the secret levels of the game, Shadow Mario takes F.L.U.D.D. away from Mario, leaving him with only his basic jumping abilities and the Ground Pound to beat the stage. When Mario loses his cap in Super Mario Sunshine, he takes damage from the sun.
New Super Mario Bros.
New Super Mario Bros. depicts Mario in a similar plotline and game design to Super Mario Bros. The beginning of the game shows Mario and Princess Peach taking a walk outside Peach's Castle, when both see lightning hit the castle, startling them. Mario quickly runs off to check it, while Peach stays behind and is thus kidnapped by Bowser Jr. The lightning bolt at the castle was a distraction for Mario. Throughout the game, Mario chases Bowser Jr. in order to save Princess Peach, battling him in his fortress towers.
The traditional Super Mushroom and Fire Flower return, but power-ups also include further size-changing effects induced by the Mega Mushroom and the Mini Mushroom. The Mega Mushroom lets Mario grow to a giant size, allowing him to crush all enemies and obstacles such as pipes, while the Mini Mushroom has Mario shrink to a tiny size, which gives him access to small pipes.
Throughout the game, Mario has the option to travel through eight worlds or bypass a few. Mario first faces Bowser at the first of the eight castles, where Mario presses a switch, causing Bowser to fall into the lava. However, Bowser survives as a skeletal version of himself, known as Dry Bowser. Dry Bowser is fought again in the eighth castle, although he is defeated.
Mario eventually arrives at Bowser's Castle, where Peach is taken after Mario defeats Dry Bowser. Here, Bowser Jr. throws Bowser's bones inside a bubbling pot, reviving him as a somewhat larger version of Bowser. However, despite his larger size and extra strength, Bowser is still beaten when Mario presses the switch, causing Bowser and his son to fall into a pit, thus freeing Princess Peach.
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy starts with Mario's invitation to the Star Festival by Peach, who has something to give. The event is interrupted by Bowser, however, when he abducts the princess. Mario, after hearing Bowser's plot to create an empire at the center of the universe with Peach, gets blasted by Kamek and fails to stop Bowser. When later recovering in the Gateway Galaxy, Mario is asked by Rosalina to rescue the Power Stars and Grand Stars to power her Comet Observatory, which can help take them to Bowser and Peach. Mario is given the Baby Luma, who accompanies him and allows him to star-spin. Throughout the game, Mario also receives letters from Peach, who sends him 1-Up Mushrooms.
After several encounters with Bowser, Mario defeats him in Bowser's Galaxy Reactor. When Mario rides on the final Grand Star, Bowser's star explodes and creates a black hole. Baby Luma shocks Mario by throwing himself into the black hole to prevent Bowser's black hole from consuming everything around it, including Mario, Princess Peach, and the castle. After a big explosion, Mario reappears in an unknown location in front of a large floating Rosalina. Rosalina reassures him that this explosion is just the mark of a new universe. Mario then awakens in a restored world, near Peach's Castle. He also sees Bowser and Princess Peach awaken intact. He takes time adjusting to this new world around him before happily embracing it. During a special cutscene after Mario has collected 120 Stars, Rosalina thanks him before leaving in her Comet Observatory.
Most of the jumping mechanics present in Super Mario 64, such as Long Jumps, somersaults, and Triple Jumps, return. New powers include the Star Spin (which replaces Mario's punch/kick/slide offensive moves in Super Mario 64) and the Wii pointer, which can be controlled independently from Mario. The Wii pointer can shoot enemies or grab Star Bits without controlling Mario. Additionally, Mario can get assistance by another player in Co-Star Mode, who can help gather Star Bits, shoot Star Bits, stun enemies, and assist in his jumping. Finally, Mario can find new sets of temporary power-ups that aid him in completing levels, such as the Bee Mushroom, Ice Flower, Red Star, Rainbow Star, and Fire Flower.
A similar looking character named Cosmic Mario appears. He has the same body structure as Mario, but lacks eyes and his coloration is dark blue with stars, resembling the night sky.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Mario's role and basic abilities in New Super Mario Bros. Wii remain the same as in its predecessor, although there are a few added power-ups, such as the Propeller Mushroom and the Penguin Suit. The story, while still basic, is slightly different—in the cutscene at the beginning of the game, Mario, Luigi, and many Toads, including Blue Toad and Yellow Toad, are celebrating Princess Peach's birthday when a cake suddenly walks into the castle. When Peach moves closer to the cake, Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings jump out of the cake and throw it onto Peach. Mario, Luigi, and the Toads then give chase, and Mario once again fights his way through eight worlds in his attempt to rescue Peach. After Mario rescues Princess Peach, the princess tells Mario about secret World 9, extending his adventure.
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario Galaxy 2 has Mario involved in a more minimalist story compared to its predecessor, Super Mario Galaxy. Before arriving at the castle, Mario finds Baby Luma lying on the ground. He then flies into Mario's cap again, giving him his old spinning ability. However, when Mario arrives at Peach's Castle, a giant Bowser kidnaps Peach. Mario gives chase by using a Launch Star.
After finding a Star in the first galaxy, Mario finds a small planetoid that a group of Lumas, led by Lubb], is using to travel around. Lubba then explains that earlier, Bowser found them, took their Star power, and left the ship in disrepair. The crew of Lumas then uses its power to transform the ship, giving it the appearance of Mario's head, and it is named Starship Mario. Being named the captain, Mario flies off to collect Power Stars in order to reach Bowser and Princess Peach.
Aside from additional power-ups and the addition of Yoshi, the gameplay is identical to the first Super Mario Galaxy game. Mario defeats Bowser and saves Peach in the end. Rosalina and her Comet Observatory appear before Mario and Peach. Rosalina thanks Mario for watching over the Luma that he has found, and the Baby Luma returns to the Comet Observatory, along with Mario's cap. Mario and his companions return to the Mushroom Kingdom.
In this game, Cosmic Mario is replaced by Cosmic Clones. Like Cosmic Mario, they strongly resemble Mario, but are colored black with a brown outline and have wide, yellow eyes. They follow Mario around and copy his every move, to the point where they even copy Mario's death animation after being defeated.
Super Mario 3D Land
Mario appears in Super Mario 3D Land for the Nintendo 3DS. He uses several classic power-ups, notably the Tanooki Suit from Super Mario Bros. 3. He once again saves Princess Peach from Bowser's clutches.
After a storm, all the Tanooki Leaves are blown from the Tail Tree outside Peach's Castle. The next day, Mario and three Toads investigate the scene when they notice a floating letter. They open it to discover that Bowser kidnapped Peach while she was checking the damage to the tree. Mario and the Toads then run to rescue her. During the adventure, Mario battles several enemies old and new, including Boom Boom and Pom Pom. While running through the worlds, Mario receives letters from Peach to learn about her situation. Mario also encounters Bowser Impostors throughout the adventure.
Mario fights Bowser at Bowser's Castle, activating the switch on the other side of the bridge and sending Bowser into the lava. The area beside the castle contains only a cage lying on its side, however. Mario enters a door and finds Peach, but, upon running over to her, he finds out that it is only a wooden cutout. Bowser then emerges, carrying the real princess, and flees to his second castle.
After heading through another level, Mario reaches Bowser's second castle and the princess, who is this time tied to the flagpole. Bowser then appears and the two begin their battle. This time, Mario has to navigate an obstacle course to get to the bridge and eventually the switch at the end. He pushes this, sending Bowser into the lava below. Bowser quickly emerges from the lava, however, and Mario has to reach another switch in order to actually defeat him. Pushing the switch once again sends Bowser falling into the lava below. Mario then reappears back at the flagpole and frees the princess. Mario, along with three Toads, then uses a Super Leaf to get himself and the princess back home.
Some time after that, Mario receives a letter from Luigi, depicting Luigi in captivity. Mario runs through Special 1 and frees Luigi from Dry Bowse. Then, yet again, Peach is captured by Bowser. Mario goes back to his castle and defeats him once more. Once Mario gets five stars in his profile, the level Special 8-Crown is unlocked. There, he goes through an obstacle course where Boom Boom and Pom Pom are fought for the last time. This time, Boom Boom has a track of flames. When they are defeated, a giant "THANK YOU" appears while Toads surround the final Goal Pole of the game.
If Mario loses five lives, he can use an Invincibility Leaf, which will transform him into White Tanooki Mario, a white version of Tanooki Mario with permanent invincibility. If he loses ten lives, he can also use a P-Wing, which allows him to fly all the way to the Goal Pole.
New Super Mario Bros. 2
Mario once again appears as the main protagonist of New Super Mario Bros. 2. In this game, Mario can once again become Raccoon Mario, first seen in Super Mario Bros. 3. Gold Mario (as well as the Gold Flower) is introduced as Mario's newest form. In this form, he can throw fireballs that transform solid objects (blocks) into coins for him to collect. It is also the introduction of White Raccoon Mario, a form obtainable from Invincibility Leaves gotten from Assist Blocks. The form gives Mario the power of invincibility and all of the abilities of Raccoon Mario.
In the game, Mario and Luigi are visiting Princess Peach and leave her castle in Tanooki form, with the princess waving them off, to collect coins in the sky. As soon as they land, the Koopalings appear in the Koopa Clown Car and slam into the ground, causing the brothers to lose their raccoon powers. The Koopalings reveal that they have taken Princess Peach once again, and the brothers give chase. As they travel through the six worlds, the brothers must find secret worlds, battle Reznors, who make a return, and the Koopalings, and search for coins. At the very end, they confront Bowser, who is powered up by the Koopalings after his first defeat. However, in classic Mario style, the Mario Bros. use a switch to drop Bowser into a pit. Peach is rescued and the brothers return home.
There is another mode in the game, Coin Rush, in which Mario must collect as many coins as possible in three random courses within the time limit and without dying once. There are + Clocks scattered throughout the courses, while Mario also gets more time by hitting Checkpoint Flags. Reaching the top of the flagpole doubles Mario's coin count, and defeating enemies as Gold Mario or after a Gold Ring is triggered awards additional coins.
New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
Mario appears again as the protagonist in New Super Mario Bros. U. Once again, he must save the Mushroom Kingdom from Bowser and his minions as he travels with his allies Luigi, Blue Toad, Yellow Toad, and his new allies, Miis. After Bowser kidnaps Peach, Mario and his allies are thrown into a tree, releasing Super Acorns. He gets a new form, Flying Squirrel Mario, when he collects them. In this form, Mario can glide and cling to walls. The upgraded P-Acorn allows him to fly indefinitely. His old power-ups, including but not limited to the Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, and Ice Flower, return. The Penguin Suit and Propeller Suit from New Super Mario Bros. Wii also return, but they are found only in certain Toad Houses and in Challenge Mode.
In this game, Mario discovers Baby Yoshis that aid him on his adventure by providing light, emitting bubbles, or floating. During his adventure, he encounters new enemies, including but not limited to Waddlewings, Nabbit, and Goombrats. To save Princess Peach, Mario must travel to a Koopaling's airship and defeat that Koopaling to proceed. Meanwhile, Bowser modifies Peach's Castle according to his tastes. When Mario finally arrives at Peach's Castle, it is conquered, and he must enter the modified castle to defeat Bowser and rescue Peach.
Unlike in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, when Mario collects 99 lives, he keeps his cap.
In the downloadable content New Super Luigi U, due to Luigi replacing Mario as the main protagonist, Mario himself does not appear, marking his only absence in the entire Super Mario series. Despite this, he is referenced in three ways: in the opening sequence, his cap appears on the table; at the beginning of the Frosted Glacier level Broozers and Barrels, a snowman with Mario's face and a cap with his "M" on it can be seen; and an object known as the Luigi Block has Mario's emblem on it (despite being named after Luigi).
Mario reappears as a playable character in New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. Mario remains a non-playable character in New Super Luigi U. When a Super Guide Block appears in New Super Luigi U, however, a computer-controlled Mario now appears to complete a level for the player.
Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
Mario returns in Super Mario 3D World and its Nintendo Switch port, alongside Luigi, Princess Peach, and Toad, as an all-round character, in a similar way to Super Mario Bros. 2, lacking the special abilities of the other three characters. After Bowser has kidnapped the Sprixie Princesses, Peach falls into the pipe that leads to the Sprixie Kingdom, and Mario, Toad, and Luigi follow. There, they cooperate on their adventure to reach Bowser. During the adventure, Mario encounters new items, most notably the Super Bell, which transforms him into Cat Mario. He also encounters new enemies, such as Cat Goombas, and old enemies, including Chargin' Chucks. Boom Boom]and Pom Pom]] also reappear to hinder Mario's progress, while new bosses, such as Hisstocrat, are additional impediments. Once Mario and his teammates reach the end of World Castle, the seventh world, Bowser retreats into another world, the amusement park of World Bowser. Once Mario and his friends finally reach Bowser, Bowser transforms himself into Meowser and climbs a huge tower. Mario and his friends then hit the large POW Block at the peak of the tower, defeating Bowser, transforming him into a large firework. They then proceed to rescue the Sprixie Princesses before using a clear pipe to return to the Mushroom Kingdom.
In the game's port's standalone story Bowser's Fury, Mario is the only character from Super Mario 3D World to be playable. In the beginning, he is seen taking a stroll near Peach's Castle before noticing some small black puddles on the ground. He sees a black "M" on the ground (which is a reference to Shadow Mario's graffiti) which becomes a portal to Lake Lapcat that he falls into. He then confronts Bowser, except that he is now much bigger than normal and is entirely black. Mario then collects a Cat Shine, which drives Bowser away and causes the black goop to disappear and reveal Scamper Shores. After Bowser Jr. explains everything to Mario, they team up to defeat Bowser and restore him back to normal, which they do by collecting more Cat Shines that awaken a new power-up called the Giga Bell, one of the enhanced versions of the Super Bell that transforms Mario into Giga Cat Mario, which will allow him to grow to an enormous size to battle Fury Bowser. After defeating him for the third time, Bowser is finally purified from his Fury form but is still in a giant state. He seals away the three Giga Bells to prevent Mario from matching his power with Bowser's, forcing Mario to ride on Plessie to break the force field trapping the power-ups. Bowser is then knocked away, and Mario and Plessie collect all three Giga Bells simultaneously, sending Bowser flying again. Bowser falls back on Giga Cat Plessie's back and attempts to attack Mario one last time, although Bowser Jr. pushes him away. Afterwards, Mario strikes a pose with three kittens and Plessie.
If the player resumes the game after these events, Mario will meet Bowser Jr. again who tells him that he was relaxing with his father before he became Fury Bowser again and will grant him the ability to teleport to other islands to thank him for his help. If he collects all 100 Cat Shines, his Cat form changes to match his Giga Cat form, Bowser Jr. and his Junior Clown Car become Cat variants of themselves, and Fury Bowser's spikes and hair change from orange to white, although all of these changes are simply aesthetic.
Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
Mario appears as the sole playable character in the Wii U level-creation game Super Mario Maker. However, Mario can make use of Mystery Mushrooms to take on the appearances of a variety of other characters (including non-Mario characters). Also, a number of unlockable Mystery Mushroom costumes alter Mario's sprite to a different iteration of himself, listed below. In the Nintendo 3DS version of the game, Mario cannot do this due to the removal of the Mystery Mushroom.
Super Mario Run
Mario reappears in Super Mario Run as a playable character along with Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad, Toadette, the colored Yoshis, and Princess Daisy. Mario is the only playable character at the start of the game, but the others are unlocked as the player progresses through the game. Along with Luigi, Mario has a small form, allowing him to be hit twice before dying. Statues of Mario can also be bought at the shop and built in Kingdom Builder. A golden Mario statue is also available for purchase via My Nintendo.
Super Mario Odyssey
Mario once again appears as the protagonist and the sole playable character (aside from Cappy in co-op mode) in Super Mario Odyssey. When Bowser kidnaps Peach again, Mario fights him on Bowser's airship. However, he is defeated by Bowser and crash-lands in the Cap Kingdom. He is later found by a Bonneter named Cappy, whose sister Tiara was also kidnapped by Bowser, and the two team up to save their respective loved ones. Cappy replaces the Mario Cap (which was torn apart during the fight), allowing Mario to throw him in one of his moves as well as use him to capture various characters, enemies, and objects.
After chasing Bowser across the globe, Mario and Cappy confront him on the moon, where he intends to forcibly marry Peach. The two manage to defeat Bowser and, by capturing him, save Peach and Tiara, bringing them out of a cave-in. Mario attempts to woo Peach along with Bowser, but Peach asks both of them to stop and leaves with Cappy and Tiara. Mario and Bowser are very upset about this, but after a while, she calls them back on the Odyssey, which is about to take off, and Mario jumps on Bowser to return on the Odyssey, which is directed toward the Mushroom Kingdom. Upon returning, Mario and Cappy decide to continue exploring all of the kingdoms they had visited during their journey.
Appearance-wise, Mario seems to have a similar design to that he possessed in Super Mario 3D World, albeit with more detailed textures, and he appears to be much smaller in height than other humans, as seen in New Donk City.
Super Mario Maker 2
Mario reappears in Super Mario Maker 2 as the main playable character. Although he is no longer the only playable character, he is the only one playable in Story Mode. Mario has access to the Super Bell power-up, due to the addition of a Super Mario 3D World style. In addition, he can use the Super Hammer power-up in said style to turn into Builder Mario, as well as the Superball Flower in the Super Mario Bros. style, which previously appeared 30 years prior in Super Mario Land and turns Mario into Superball Mario. In the version 3.0.0 update, he also has access to the SMB2 Mushroom, which turns him into SMB2 Mario, giving him his appearance and characteristics from Super Mario Bros. 2.
Super Mario Bros. 35
Mario appears as a playable character in Super Mario Bros. 35, identical to his appearance from Super Mario Bros. He is also featured in multiple player icons.
Family Computer Golf: Japan Course / Family Computer Golf: U.S. Course
Mario appears in Family Computer Golf: Japan Course where he is depicted in his normal overalls with his appearance akin to his normal design. In Family Computer Golf: U.S. Course, the companion of Family Computer Golf: Japan Course, Mario has a blue shirt and red-and-white striped overalls.
Famicom Grand Prix series
Famicom Grand Prix: F-1 Race
Mario makes a playable appearance in the Japan-exclusive racing game, Famicom Grand Prix: F-1 Race. Mario drives a Formula One car and can race alone or with a competition. Whenever Mario crashes into a wall or car or drives off-road, his car's fuel and health decrease. He can visit pit stops to repair and refuel his car, although this takes time. When Mario wins the Grand Prix, he earns money, which can be used to buy unlockable cars.
Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally
Mario and Luigi are drivers in Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally. The two drive one of the three vehicles: Kattobi, Yonque, or Monster. They must rally through the course, driving through checkpoints before the timer runs out. If they hit other cars, they severely slow down and can be knocked to the side if other cars bump them from there. In higher levels, their car may crash if they hit another car, which can make it more difficult to reach the checkpoint.
Alleyway
In Alleyway, similar to Breakout, Mario controls a paddle that deflects a ball to break a particular formation of bricks. During bonus rounds, various brick formations resembling sprites from Super Mario Bros., including Mario's sprite, are shown.
NES Open Tournament Golf
In NES Open Tournament Golf, taking place on Earth, Mario retains his blue shirt and red-and-white striped overalls. Princess Peach is depicted as Mario's caddy, who helps carry Mario's golf equipment.
Mario and the Incredible Rescue
The children's book Mario and the Incredible Rescue has Mario teaming up with Luigi, Toad, and eventually Yoshi to rescue Princess Peach. In the events of the book, Bowser has amassed an army of ghosts (Boos) by stealing (and using) The Book of Spells from a sorceress named Cybele. Upon speaking with Cybele, Mario, Luigi, and Toad learn that to defeat Bowser and his army of ghosts, he has to collect six magic mushrooms that contain special powers. Eventually, Mario and his friends collect all six mushrooms, fight Bowser, and successfully rescue the princess.
Super Mario World: Mario to Yoshi no Bōken Land
Mario is one of the main characters in the interactive OVA Super Mario World: Mario to Yoshi no Bōken Land. The video follows the story of Super Mario World rather closely, though it is quite condensed. Mario leads a group on a quest to save Princess Peach from King Koopa. He is shown to be the bravest of the group, with Luigi and Yoshi less so. He often calls the viewer to ask questions.
Dr. Mario series
Mario takes in a different alias in the first game of the puzzle subseries, Dr. Mario. Mario works alongside Nurse Toadstool (Princess Peach) at Mushroom Kingdom Hospital to combat three types of viruses: Fever, Chill, and Weird. Here, he must drop[Megavitamins to destroy these viruses.
Dr. Mario 64 features a story behind the gameplay. During a flu outbreak, Dr. Mario attempts to use his Megavitamins to heal the citizens. Wario, however, steals the Megavitamins and wishes to profit from them. Mad Scienstein intervenes and takes the Megavitamins, so after Dr. Mario beats Wario, the two follow Mad Scienstein, defeating enemies from Wario Land 3. Mad Scienstein then reveals himself to be a worker for [udy, who is afflicted with the cold. Dr. Mario proceeds to cure Rudy after beating him, though. If Dr. Mario has not lost any matches, however, Wario takes the Megavitamins and transforms to Vampire Wario. Or, if the player is using Wario, Dr. Mario becomes Metal Mario after ingesting the pills.
Dr. Mario Online Rx has similar gameplay to the original Dr. Mario, although there is an additional Virus Buster minigame. Dr. Mario Express is similar to Dr. Mario Online Rx but features no Virus Buster minigame.
In Dr. Mario World, Dr. Mario hunts down viruses to save infected Koopa Troopas, Toad], and Shy Guys after a virus outbreak happens in the Mushroom Kingdom. Other Mario characters join him as playable characters.
Super Mario-kun
Mario has played a starring role on a long-running manga series, Super Mario-kun. As the title implies ("kun" is a Japanese honorific for little boys), Mario is depicted as playful, brave, and devoted to his friends, although immature, rash, and sometimes mischievous. As the manga series is based on the games, Mario often plays the same role as he did in the games. The manga volumes typically depict Mario along with Yoshi or Luigi, although he sometimes befriends other partners to aid him. There are some major alterations in some portrayals, however, such as the Donkey Kong Country arc, where Mario does make an appearance, or in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, where Mario's and Luigi's adult selves aid Yoshi and Baby Mario to save Baby Luigi.
Yoshi series
Yoshi
Mario is featured in the first game of the Yoshi franchise, entitled simply Yoshi (or Mario & Yoshi). The gameplay is similar to that of Tetris: Mario holds several enemies and must align them vertically to eliminate them and score points. Mario can also match egg halves vertically (even with enemies in between) to create a Yoshi's Egg that hatches a Baby Yoshi, giving Mario 50 points. The Yoshi that Mario can hatch is dependent on the enemies between the egg halves.
Yoshi's Cookie
Mario is portrayed as a baker in another puzzle game of the Yoshi franchise, Yoshi's Cookie, along with its remake in Nintendo Puzzle Collection. The title screen of the NES and Game Boy versions shows a small narrative: Mario fails to open a cookie jar, but when he gets an idea and leaves, Yoshi enters and eats the jar. Mario then chases Yoshi with a hammer. When Mario returns with the cookie jar, however, the jar is empty. In the game, Mario must clear rows and columns of cookies by matching them. There are six types of cookies he must match. Mario can also face against Princess Peach, Yoshi, or Bowser in the VS mode of the game, where he must maintain a higher lit fuse than his opponent by clearing rows of cookies. Matching five Yoshi Cookies gives a special move that can disrupt the opponent's playing field.
Super Mario Adventures
Super Mario Adventures features Mario and Luigi attempting to rescue Princess Toadstool, and it features characters and other elements from Super Mario World. In the beginning, Mario and Luigi arrive at Toadstool's palace to work. A party is scheduled, but Mario and Luigi find a tangle of pipes, so the two set to work. Mario notices an unfamiliar green pipe. It and several other green pipes spawn enemies, and Mario and Luigi flee outside, where they find many green pipes. Bowser, with the Koopalings, then appears and blackmails Princess Toadstool. If she does not marry him, he turns her kingdom into stone. He demonstrates by transforming several Toads to stone. Later, when the Toads try to reach Mario and Luigi, it is revealed that Mario has been turned to stone. Princess Toadstool, defiant, pursues Bowser for a negotiation. The Toad attendants call the Minister of Massage to restore Mario to normal, which he accomplishes after one week. After Toads tell him what has happened, Mario and Luigi decide to chase Bowser, so they enter the large green pipe. Below, however, is the sky, and Mario and Luigi plummet.
After Mario pulls Luigi from the ground, Mario sees Luigi holding on to an egg. They try to cook it, but it hatches into a Yoshi. Mario and Luigi, who are unfamiliar with Yoshi, try to flee, believing that the Yoshi will eat them. Mario hides in a bush and beckons Luigi to follow. Luigi tries to, but he panics after sitting on a Wiggler. Mario stomps on its head, enraging it and giving it chase to the brothers. They then spot Yoshi still following them, and they brace themselves. The Yoshi and the Wiggler fight, and Mario and Luigi try to sneak away. They then see the Yoshi eat the Wiggler, and they hear it talk and beckon Mario and Luigi to give it a ride. The two decide that it is friendly, so they ride it. Yoshi takes them to a Yoshi village. Still uncertain, they wonder if the Yoshis are going to prepare them as part of a meal. They find Friendly Floyd, a traveling salesman. He informs them that they are in a Yoshi village and thanks them for rescuing Yoshi. They ask why Yoshi was sealed in an egg, and he explains that it was Bowser's curse inflicted on him while he was setting out to rescue Yoshis from Bowser. Floyd offers to sell them a Yoshi interpreter book, though Mario and Luigi convince him to lower the price. After buying the book, however, they discover that it is useless. They then find one of Toadstool's guards, from Toadstool's expedition to Bowser's Castle, who tells them that Princess Toadstool is captured.
Mario and Luigi soon arrive at the castle and see it covered in a moat. Mario attempts to swim through it but is attacked by Urchins, Fish Bones, and Porcupuffers. Mario and Luigi see Friendly Floyd but try to ignore him. Luigi sits on a Bill Blaster, but Mario panics and tries to knock him off. The blaster fires a Bullet Bill, which catches Mario. He zooms past Princess Toadstool flying with her cape, who has escaped in the meantime. Mario crash-lands in the castle and is promptly captured. While he is sitting in his cell, Luigi is given blackmail to give the princess or watch Mario suffer. Luigi, with help from Friendly Floyd, disguises himself as Princess Toadstool, and he successfully tricks Bowser. Luigi visits Mario in his cell, causing Mario to snicker. Wendy finds Luigi and tells them both that she is going to feed Mario to the piranhas. Luigi hastily changes the subject and tells the Koopalings that he orders pizza. The pizza arrives, and it turns out to be Princess Toadstool in Luigi's clothes, who, with several bombs, threatens the Koopalings to blow up the castle. Luigi then reveals himself. Wendy believes it is a bluff, though the Koopalings charge. Luigi steals the keys from Roy. He jumps too high, however, and he drops the keys. The Toad catches the keys and rides on Yoshi. He quietly passes the keys to Luigi while the Koopalings are chasing him and Yoshi. Luigi goes to Mario's cell and struggles to open both the cell lock and the prison chain lock. While Yoshi, Toad, and Toadstool are cornered, Mario is free and takes out the enemies. Wendy opens a trapdoor and sends Mario, Luigi, Toad, Toadstool, and Yoshi into a pit. The fires from the Reznors in the pit set off Toadstool's bomb, and there is a massive explosion.
After they all land safely, Luigi and Toadstool swap their clothes to normal, and Mario, Luigi, Toadstool, and Toad feel their adventure is done. They, however, quickly realize that they must re-enter the pipe from the sky, the pipe they fell from. Toad gets an idea and borrows Princess Toadstool's cape to fly and send rescue units. He leaves, and after a while, Mario spots units and a ladder coming from the pipe. They attempt to climb the ladder. The leading Toad, however, kicks Mario below, and he slices off the ladder below him. The rescue unit is revealed to be Bowser and his troops, disguised, and the real Toad has been captured. Bowser sends Paratroops after them. Yoshi eats a Blue Shell and starts flying, but he loses Bowser and his troops. Yoshi spits out his shell, and Mario and Luigi crash into a dark forest.
Mario hesitates to enter the Ghost House (it is actually a trap set by Bowser), but Luigi is hit with hunger pangs. While Mario argues with him, they smell cheese coming from the house, and Luigi runs in. Mario and Yoshi chase him, but Yoshi is hit by the door and throws Mario inside. Bowser activates the door to be shut, leaving Yoshi outside. While getting attacked by Boos, Mario searches for Luigi. He finds Luigi in a room with a big chunk of cheese. He alerts Luigi to Boos, and Luigi flees with Mario. Mario tells Luigi to stick to the walls. Without realizing it, however, they slip in front of a hallway with Big Boo inside, and they are exposed from behind. Luigi falls backward, sees the Big Boo, and yells. Mario turns around, and the Boos they were facing attack them. This leads to a stand-off that lasts for a while. Mario gets tired but has a plan, so he leads Luigi into an empty room. When the Boos enter, they are greeted by Mario, dressed as a psychologist, with Luigi as a nurse. Mario tells the Boo that it is scared of humans and asks it to talk about its past. He successfully cheers up the Boo by telling it about the massive universe they are in. He then tells it to go outside. The Boo thanks him, and it answers Mario's question as to where Bowser's Castle is. Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi then head there.
Looking at the beginning of the wedding ceremony, Mario notes the tight security. He, Luigi, and Yoshi try entering a pipe they believe will take them inside. In the tunnel, they reach a lava chamber. They encounter Thwomps and Blarggs that attack them. While Luigi and Yoshi are on a rock island, Mario reaches a pipe. Exiting the pipe, which leads outside the wedding cake, Mario tries to crash the wedding ceremony. He seems surprised to see Toadstool (not realizing she is hypnotized) calling Bowser her "darling," but he grabs her and tries to escape. He promptly gets beaten and tied up. Meanwhile, however, Luigi and Yoshi find an alternate route. Mario then sees escaped Yoshis (which Luigi and Yoshi have freed from their eggs) stampeding. They trample the Magikoopa hypnotist, breaking the spell. Princess Toadstool unties Mario, and he uses the rope to snag Bowser, who tries to flee. Bowser hides in the cake, but the Yoshis start eating it. Mario finds him, but Bowser tries charging into him. Realizing that the cake will collapse, Mario gets off the cake, and the cake collapses, defeating Bowser. Princess Toadstool kisses Mario, and the Yoshis are freed. Mario, Luigi, and Toadstool return to the Mushroom Kingdom for rest and celebration until their next adventure.
Mario Paint
Mario played a minor role in Mario Paint]'. He appears in the interactive title screen, although he also makes appearances for a few icons. In the game, players can paint, create sprites, create music, and animate. Mario's icon during music mode indicates a piano-like instrument.
Mario Kart series
In the series of Mario Kart games, starting with Super Mario Kart, Mario has always been a playable character. In games where characters are divided into weight groups, Mario always has middling weight with balanced statistics. Numerous race courses throughout the series have been called Mario Circuit, or something with the name "Mario" in it.
Super Mario Kart
Mario appears in the Mario Kart series in the first installment: Super Mario Kart. Mario is average in all categories. When Mario is a CPU, he sometimes uses Star power, which gives him invincibility.
Mario Kart 64
Mario is used again for Mario Kart 64, where he is featured as a middleweight average-stats character.
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
In Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Mario is once again used as middleweight characters with average speed and weight.
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, he is grouped with Luigi by default, and their special item is the Fireball. His kart is the Red Fire, which is an all-around average kart. His baby version, Baby Mario, also makes his debut.
Mario Kart DS
Mario once again returns as a character in Mario Kart DS. His karts are the B Dasher, the Standard MR, and the Shooting Star. After beating the game, Mario can race in any of the karts. He also fights two bosses in Mission Mode: Eyerok in Level 2 and Wiggler in Level 7.
Mario Kart Wii
Mario later returns as a character for Mario Kart Wii. Unlike the previous installment, in Mario Kart Wii, Mario can ride on any of the medium karts and bikes. Mario also provides a boost to handling, weight, and acceleration on any vehicle he drives.
Mario Kart 7
Mario returns as a playable character in '[Mario Kart 7. Like in the previous titles, he is a medium class racer, and most of his stat boosts are around average levels. Mario's metallic rival, Metal Mario, also makes his debut in the Mario Kart series.
Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart Deluxe
In Mario Kart 8, Mario is yet again a middleweight, sharing this distinction with not just Luigi but also Ludwig and Iggy. His stats, however, are not perfectly balanced. His top speed and traction are his strongest stats, while his acceleration is his weakest stat. If Mario drives certain vehicles, they are colored red to match Mario's dominant color. The exceptions are the GLA]] and City Tripper, which use the gray variation and the white variation respectively. Unlike in Mario Kart Wii, Mario can ride on any vehicle in the game. As with every character playable in Mario Kart 8, Mario is playable again in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
Mario Kart Arcade GP series
In Mario Kart Arcade GP, he is an all-around type and shares his special character items with Luigi. His special items are a Star, which gives Mario invincibility; a fireball, which can be shot forward or backward to damage a kart; the hammer, which can hit a rival, giving them damage; and the Chain Chomp, which provides damage to any kart it hits. Mario then appeared in Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, the sequel to the original. Mario, like Luigi, Pac-Man, and Waluigi, is an all-around racer. Mario reappears in Mario Kart Arcade GP DX as yet again a balanced middleweight character. His personal kart is the Lightning Champ. He also received a Fire Mario alternate palette swap.
Mario Kart Tour
Mario reappears in Mario Kart Tour as a Super driver. His special skill is the Fire Flower. Mario also has a self-titled cup]] in the game, as well as a self-named tour and two Team Rally tours: one against his brother Luigi and one against Peach.
The game has introduced a number of High-End variants of Mario, with most of them being based on his outfits from Super Mario Odyssey. A variant in his musician outfit from Super Mario Odyssey, dubbed in-game as Mario (Musician), has the Double Bob-ombs as his special skill and is available as of the New York Tour; Mario (Musician) has different trick animations and a few distinct quotes as well. Mario in his hakama outfit from Super Mario Odyssey, Mario (Hakama), has the Coin Box special skill, which allows him to continually release coins onto the track, and is available as of the Tokyo Tour. Mario in a Santa Claus costume, referred to as Mario (Santa), was added in the 2019 Winter Tour, with the Fire Flower being his special skill (like his normal counterpart). Mario in his happi outfit from Super Mario Odyssey, Mario (Happi), has the Bob-omb Cannon special skill and was introduced in the New Year's Tour. Mario in his classic outfit, referred to as Mario (Classic), has the Triple Mushrooms special skill and is available as of the Mario Bros. Tour. The Cooking Tour introduced a variant of Mario based on his Chef outfit from Super Mario Odyssey, Mario (Chef), with the Lucky Seven as his special skill. The Marine Tour introduced a variant of Mario based on his Swimwear outfit from Super Mario Odyssey, Mario (Swimwear), with the Dash Ring as his special skill. A variant based on Mario's sprites from Super Mario Kart, Mario (SNES), appears as of the Super Mario Kart Tour with the Triple Mushrooms as his special skill. Mario in his outfit from Super Mario Sunshine, Mario (Sunshine), appears as of the 2020 Los Angeles Tour, with the Giant Banana as his special skill. Mario in his pumpkin costume, named Mario (Halloween), was added in the 2020 Halloween Tour, with the Lucky Seven for his special skill. In the Mario Tour, another variant of Mario in his Racing outfit from Super Mario Odyssey, named Mario (Racing), was added, with the Triple Mushrooms as his special skill. The Wedding Tour introduced a variant of Mario in his wedding outfit from Super Mario Odyssey, Mario (Tuxedo), with the Coin Box as his special skill. The 2021 Los Angeles Tour introduced a variant of Mario in his baseball outfit from Super Mario Odyssey, named Mario (Baseball), with the Mushroom Cannon as his special skill. The Space Tou] introduced a variant of Mario in his Satellaview outfit also from Super Mario Odyssey, named Mario (Satellaview), with the Lucky Seven as his special skill.
In total, Mario has 14 different playable variants (not including Metal Mario, Ice Mario, and Builder Mario), making him the driver in Mario Kart Tour with the most playable variants. He also has multiple victory animations depending on which variant the player uses. His Builder variant holds up his hammer, then nods his head, his musician variant waves his hat in the air, his Sunshine variant dances in his seat, his Halloween variant looks around, then playfully giggles, and his Satellaview variant performs an astronaut's wave
Yoshi's Safari
In Yoshi's Safari, Mario and Yoshi are sent by Princess Peach to rescue Jewelry Land from Bowser's occupation. In this game, Mario uses a gun called the Super Scope (controlled by the player with said accessory for the Super Nintendo) to shoot enemies while riding on Yoshi's back. Mario fights the Koopalings and Bowser to free King Fret and Prince Pine of Jewelry Land.
Mario & Wario
In Mario & Wario, Mario is a passive character. Wario drops buckets or barrels or similar objects on his head, blinding him. The fairy Wanda has to guide Mario safely to Luigi through hazards and traps in each level. When arriving at the end of the level, Luigi frees Mario from the sight-blocking object. Mario is only one of the characters that have to be guided through levels by Wanda like this in the game. The other characters are Princess Peach and Yoshi. Mario walks at a medium speed, while Peach is slow and Yoshi is fast.
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
Although '[Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3Template:'s title has Mario's name in it, Wario is the protagonist of this game. Mario is mentioned as one of Wario's motivations to go on a treasure hunt in the game's manual. Mario himself makes a small appearance at the end of the game, where he steals a Princess Peach statue from Wario.
Mario's Picross series
Mario is featured as an archaeologist in Mario's Picross. Mario's Picross is a puzzle game where Mario must scrape squares according to the numbered indicators on each column and row. Completing the puzzle correctly usually shows an image, sometimes referring to earlier games in the Mario series. During the gameplay, Mario is also given hints such as an entire row being scraped correctly or a roulette that determines which lines are revealed. Mario reappears in the sequel, Picross 2, where now, he must match boxes and link them to form specific images. Mario again appears in Mario's Super Picross on the Super Famicom. As in Picross 2, Wario also appears in it. Mario is given a set of rules, where he works under a time limit and gets penalized if he makes a mistake. Wario, on the other hand, has no time limit, but mistakes are not apparent and no hints are given.
Yoshi's Island series
The Yoshi's Island series takes place while Mario and Luigi are babies, who are referred to as Baby Mario and Baby Luigi, respectively. In entries of those series, the stork delivers Baby Mario and Baby Luigi to their parents but is intercepted by Kamek. He succeeds in capturing only Baby Luigi and the stork, while Baby Mario is rescued by Yoshi. The goal of the series is for Yoshi to rescue Baby Luigi so the stork can safely reunite the two brothers to their parents.
Adult Mario appears as a high score icon in '[Yoshi Touch & Go.
In Yoshi's New Island, adult Mario is disguised as a live Warp Pipe named Mr. Pipe, and he helps them by giving them needed items. He reveals himself in the end credits, where he eventually vanishes, presumably going back to his own time period.
Donkey Kong Country series
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Mario makes a cameo appearance in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. He appears at the end of the game as one of Cranky's Video Game Heroes, along with Diddy Kong, Link, and Yoshi. With 39 DK Coins in the original and 67 in the Game Boy Advance version, Mario is the top video game hero.
Donkey Kong 64
In Donkey Kong 64, specifically in a port of the original Donkey Kong game, playable via an arcade set up in Frantic Factory, Mario re-enacts his initial role. Mario has to go through the same construction site as in the original game, while the old Donkey Kong creates mischief down Mario's path. However, a slight modification has been brought to this port, which is related to the game's objective. In the first run, Mario has to rescue Pauline from Donkey Kong; however, after she is rescued and the player restarts, Mario can instead collect a special Nintendo Coin at the end.
Excitebike: Bun Bun Mario Battle Stadium
Mario is a playable character in a Mario-styled remake of Excitebike in Excitebike: Bun Bun Mario Battle Stadium. He competes with other racers to try to place third or higher. He appears to have no differences from the other racers.
Mario's FUNdamentals
Mario has also appeared in Mario's FUNdamentals, where he plays several games with younger players, such as "Go Fish," "Checkers," "Backgammon," "Dominoes," and "Yahtzee." This is the first video game where Charles Martinet, the current voice actor for Mario, was credited for providing his voice.
Mario Tennis series
Mario is a playable character in all games of the Mario Tennis series. In all direct games in the series—Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64, Mario Power Tennis for the Nintendo GameCube and Wii, Mario Tennis: Power Tour for the Game Boy Advance, Mario Tennis Open for the Nintendo 3DS, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash for the Wii U, and Mario Tennis Aces for the Nintendo Switch—he is an all-around character. In Mario Tennis for the Game Boy Color, Mario is an unlockable character, unlocked by completing the Singles Mario Tour.
Mario Tennis
In the intro for the game Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64, Mario is one of the participants of the tournament. Here, he defeats Donkey Kong to gain access to the semifinals. In the semifinals, he defeats Yosh] and moves on to the finals against Luigi. While the two brothers are looking for the missing tennis ball prior to the match, Wario and his partner, Waluigi, appear and cause mischief. After this, Bowser and a Boo appear. Everyone stands back in fear, thinking that the two came to cause trouble as well. But Bowser and Boo reveal that they simply want to play a nice game of tennis, to which Mario exclaims, "Let's all play!" and all of them agree and cheer. Initially unknown to the cast, however, a Bob-omb walks onto the court and explodes. In this game, Mario is the referee who wears different outfits depending on the tournament. If he is playing, a clone of him sits on the referee's chair and wears a blue version of Mario's cap. He reads "0" as "oh" during tiebreakers.
Mario Power Tennis
In Mario Power Tennis, Mario and Luigi are the only all-around characters. Unlike in other games, Mario and Luigi have subtle differences within each other. While they have nearly identical movement speed, Mario has more power, while Luigi has slightly more reach and more control. Mario, when compared to other characters, has a slightly below-average reach and lunge because of his short stature. Mario is stronger than most non-power characters. All his other stats are average. Mario's Offensive Power Sho] has his racket transform into a giant mallet, which enables him to hit the ball with high speed and force; opponents that return the ball may get blasted to the back of the court. Mario's Defensive Power Shot is a simple spin that allows him to reach lobs and faraway balls quickly, but it is one of the few Defensive Power Shots that fail when the ball is too far away. Mario's taunt is him waving and saying, "Come on!"
Mario has appeared occasionally in several trophy-earning cutscenes in Mario Power Tennis. While Mario has appeared more than most characters in these cutscenes, Luigi appears in most trophy-earning cutscenes.
Mario Tennis Open
In Mario Tennis Open, Mario shares nearly identical stats from Mario Power Tennis. Mario's metal form, Metal Mario, also appears as a Power character. Miis in the game can wear tennis clothing based on Mario, and if they win the singles Final Cup, they can wear his costume as well.
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash
In Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash, Mario's tennis racket color is slightly different in this game; rather than being a solid blue, Mario's racket is predominantly red and blue with some white.
Mario Tennis Aces
In Mario Tennis Aces, Mario by default wears a new tennis outfit. However, his standard outfit could be unlocked by either participating in the online tournament demo or accumulating 500 participation points in the January 2019 online tournament. Also, Mario was among the characters that could be played as in the online tournament demo. During the game's adventure mode, Mario is, for most of the missions, the playable character as the player must collect the five Power Stones to stop Lucien. As of the game's version 2.0.0 update, the player can unlock a costume for Mario that has him wielding a Lucien replica while wearing his tennis outfit by completing Last Trial Boss Challenge.
Mario Clash
Mario shoots at Koopas and various other enemies in Mario Clash, a game for the Virtual Boy. Mario has to knock enemies away with Koopa Shells at the side. The game's gameplay is similar to the style of Mario Bros., but Luigi is absent.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Mario appears as the main protagonist in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Mario first arrives to confront Bowser, who has again captured Princess Toadstool (which by now is a recurring event). Mario battles Bowser atop a Kinklink and rescues Toadstool. Then a huge sword,[Exor, strikes the castle from atop and knocks them all to various spots in Mario's world. Mario falls through the pipe on top of his house and lands on his bed.
Mario discovers that the Star Pieces of the wish-granting Star Road are being sought by a group called the Smithy Gang, run by Smithy, who are causing havoc throughout the world. On this adventure, Mario recruits Mallow, Geno, Princess Toadstool, and even Bowser. They travel through much of the world, finding Star Pieces, which are protected by the Smithy Gang's strongest members. After all Star Pieces are collected, Mario fights Smithy. Mario reaches it through Bowser's Keep, which is inaccessible because Exor destroyed the bridge. With the help of Mallow's parents, King and Queen Nimbus, Mario has passage through a special cloud bus. When they finally arrive, Mario defeats Exor and goes to Smithy's dimension via Exor's mouth.
Mario's journey is not over since Smithy has even more minions at his disposal. After many battles, Mario faces and defeats Smithy, saving the Star Road.
Mario Party series
Mario is one of the playable characters in the Mario Party series, appearing in all games thus far along with Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi. He is always represented by his trademark red color. Mario can compete in minigames to win coins (or Mini Stars, in Mario Party 9 and in Star-Crossed Skyway in Mario Party: Island Tour), which ultimately can help him earn Stars. In the first three Mario Party games, Mario aims to become the superstar, the character with the most Stars, coins being the tiebreaker. Though Mario has no distinguishable traits from the other Mario Party characters, the most notable difference is Mario's ability to use the Fireball Orb in Mario Party 7. Additionally, Mario's default Duel Mode partner is Koopa Troopa in Mario Party 3, and the booklet says that his favorite item is the Golden Mushroom, which increases the likelihood of his purchasing one if he is CPU-controlled. In Mario Party 3, he also challenges the player for the Courage Star Stamp if he is not used. Mario reappears in Super Mario Party as a playable character. Mario's Dice Block has one 1, three 3's, one 5, and one 6, making it very balanced.
Mario Golf series
Mario Golf (Nintendo 64)
In Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64, Mario appears with Luigi at the 18th hole of Mario's Star. His drive is 270 yards, the second strongest in the game, with only Bowser and Metal Mario surpassing him, and his shot is Draw. He must be unlocked in single-player mode, but he is default in multiplayer mode.
Mario Golf (Game Boy Color)
Mario also appears in the Game Boy Color version under the same name, even though this version is drastically different from the Nintendo 64 version that it can interact with. The game also features a story mode where Mario and other Mario characters are not playable.
Mobile Golf
Mario appears in the Japan-only Mobile Golf, but he is unlockable only through the connection of a mobile phone network.
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
Mario has appeared in the opening in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour. Mario unintentionally interferes with Bowser's chasing of Wario and Waluigi by hitting Wario's and Waluigi's eyes and Bowser's hand with a golf ball. Bowser drops a Bob-omb on Wario and Waluigi, creating an explosion that confuses Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Daisy. At the end, Bowser, Wario, and Waluigi growl at a confused Mario.
In Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Mario is a default character in all modes. His shot is 212 yards and 280 yards with a star, giving him the fifth strongest drive in the game with a high, straight trajectory. Although he can hit farther than many other characters, his shots are more influenced by the wind due to the his high trajectory, but it can send farther with a favorable wind direction. He has a decently strong impact and the second best spin, only behind Bowser, but his control is very poor, tied with Diddy Kong for the second worst in the game and only better than Bowser. When he hits a Nice Shot, the ball is encased in flames.
Mario Golf: Advance Tour
As with Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64, Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour features a different handheld variant entitled Mario Golf: Advance Tour, which continues the story from the Game Boy Color version of Mario Golf. As with its predecessors, Mario and other Mario characters are not playable in the story mode.
Mario Golf: World Tour
Mario returns in Mario Golf: World Tour as a default character. His combination of having the fifth highest drive and straight trajectory makes him a versatile character suited to perform well in many golfing maneuvers, but his control is poor. Mario also has a gold variant that featuring identical stats and the inability to use items but awards Mario with a coin per yard depending on how far the ball travels, similar to a permanent Gold Flower.
Mario Golf: Super Rush
Mario reappears as a playable character in Mario Golf: Super Rush, sporting a golfing outfit. He is a Speed character with average stats. His Special Shot is known as the Super Star Strike and his Special Dash is known as the Moonsault Dash.
Paper Mario series
Paper Mario
Mario once again is invited to a party in Peach's Castle in Paper Mario. Bowser interrupts, uprooting the castle and lifting it into the air. He and Kammy Koopa use the power of the Star Rod and defeat Mario. Bowser then tosses Mario out of the castle. Mario lands in a small forest located on the outskirts of Goomba Village. Mario befriends Goombario, his first partner, and heads to Toad Town via Goomba Road.
Mario hears a Star Spirit called Eldstar asking for his help. The Star Spirit requests that he speak to him on Shooting Star Summit, in which he has more strength to speak better. Once there, Mario meets many other Star Spirits asking for his help. He learns that Bowser has imprisoned them in special cards and has given them to his strongest minions. Mario then sets out on a quest in search of the Star Spirits. Mario makes many new friends and partners, eventually collecting all seven Star Spirits. Mario returns to Shooting Star Summit, where he gains access to Star Way. Mario acquires a new ability called Star Beam and is transported to Bowser's Castle from Star Haven. While Mario and his team are at Bowser's Castle, they save the many captives and fight Bowser at the top of the castle.
Bowser breaks the bridge Mario came from, ensuring that Mario cannot escape, and uses his Star Rod to fight. Mario, knowing the Star Rod's counter this time, uses Star Beam to weaken his power. The reluctant Bowser is unaffected by it and shakes the beam's power off. Watching the team's losing, Peach and[Twink fight Kammy, who is responsible for creating the Power Platform that strengthens Bowser's Star Rod. They defeat Kammy and teach the Peach Beam while fully restoring Mario's party. Mario and company use the Peach Beam at Bowser to penetrate the Star Rod's shield, leaving him open to attack. Mario and his friends eventually defeat Bowser and once again save the Mushroom Kingdom. The castle returns to the ground from where it came, and another party is held there later while the power of wishes is restored. After a parade led by Luigi, Mario takes Peach to his house, where they watch the fireworks.
During the events of this game, Toad Town News traces Mario as he tries to save the Star Spirits and posts news about his progress.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Peach invites Mario to Rogueport in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door to share a treasure map leading to powerful artifacts called Crystal Stars. By the time Mario arrives, the X-Nauts have kidnapped her. The X-Nauts need to use her as a vessel for the Shadow Queen so the leader of the X-Nauts, Sir Grodus, can use her power to aid him in world domination.
Mario meets Professor Frankly, who tells him the history of Rogueport and reveals the secret of the Thousand-Year Door. The Shadow Queen has once controlled Rogueport and trapped many of its citizens after Crystal Stars granted her power. The Four Legendary Heroes have used the power of the Crystal Stars against her and imprisoned her in the Thousand-Year Door for a millennium. After learning this story, Mario sets out to collect all seven Crystal Stars. Gaining many new partners and finding all Crystal Stars, Mario enters the Thousand-Year Door. There he finds Sir Grodus standing before the Shadow Queen's room. Mario defeats Sir Grodus but is then ambushed by Bowser and Kammy Koopa. This gives Grodus time to escape with Peach to the Shadow Queen's room. When Mario arrives, Grodus has awakened the Shadow Queen herself, taking control of Peach's body. Mario has to fight her possessed form, and using the help of the Rogueport citizens' wishes, Mario prevails.
In the Glitz Pit, Mario and his partner's team is named "The Great Gonzales" (also known as the title The Merciless Executioner) by Grubba. Additionally in the Glitz Pit, when Mario optionally returns to the Glitz Pit to fight Rawk Hawk a second time, someone in the crowd yells, "Jumpman! Wait. Who?" referencing Mario's alternate name in Donkey Kong arcade materials.
Super Paper Mario
Mario and Luigi are once again called into action in Super Paper Mario. Mario and Luigi sit in their house one day when they hear the news that Princess Peach has been kidnapped. The Mario Bros. rush to Bowser's Castle, thinking he has the princess, an assumption to be proven wrong. Later, a new antagonist named Count Bleck shows up and kidnaps Luigi and Bowser. It is also revealed that Count Bleck has Princess Peach, too.
Mario is transported to Flipside, a town between dimensions. Mario later finds Bowser and Princess Peach, who decide to join Mario in his quest to stop Count Bleck. Mario must go through eight chapters to get eight Pure Hearts, which can counter the Chaos Heart. Mario also encounters new enemies, such as O'Chunks, Dimentio, Mimi, Nastasia, and even his brother, Luigi, now called Mr. L because Nastasia, an assistant of Count Bleck, has brainwashed him (however, he joins Mario once he is freed by Dimentio and sent to the Underwhere).
After collecting the eight Pure Hearts, Mario, Princess Peach, Bowser, Luigi, and some Pixls face Count Bleck. After Bleck is defeated, Dimentio, a former minion of Bleck, betrays Bleck and teleports him to Dimension D to deal with him later. Then Dimentio, the Chaos Heart, and Luigi merge together to form Super Dimentio as the final boss. After Mario has defeated Super Dimentio, Count Bleck and Tippi get married to stop the Void. Mario is mentioned to be the first of the Heroes of Light.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star
In the fourth installment of the Paper Mario series, Paper Mario: Sticker Star, Mario, along with Princess Peach and many Toads, is celebrating Sticker Fest, a holiday where six Royal Stickers ride in on a comet that allows wishes to come true. Bowser, however, takes the comet for himself, releasing its Royal Stickers to him and his minions. Mario attempts to jump on him, but his efforts fail and Mario is knocked out. Shortly after waking up, he meets a sticker guardian named Kersti, and with her help, he saves some Toads hidden around the town and takes back the Royal Stickers. Mario then pursues Bowser by traveling through various worlds. Along the way, Mario must collect various stickers to aid him in defeating enemies and progress through levels.
After getting five of the six Royal Stickers, Mario is allowed to enter Bowser's Sky Castle. Bowser is defeated by Mario, and he gets the last Royal Sticker, but Kersti is destroyed in the process. He releases Peach, who thanks Mario for his efforts and allows him to make a wish on the Sticker Star. He wishes for the return of Kersti, and the Sticker Fest is saved.
Paper Mario: Color Splash
Paper Mario: Color Splash, the fifth installment of the Paper Mario series, sends Mario, Peach, and Toad to Prism Island, which got drained by its color. Here, Mario meets a paint can guardian named Huey, and with his help, Mario saves the Big Paint Stars and restores color to the island by collecting them in each level while defeating enemies with his Paint Hammer and Battle Cards.
After getting all six Big Paint Stars, Mario is ready to face Bowser by entering Black Bowser's Castle, but he cannot walk up the rainbow road path. Luigi comes in with his kart, and the duo drives off to face Bowser. Mario and Huey defeat Bowser and paints Peach back, and she thanks Mario for his efforts. They leave the castle, but Huey decides to stay behind to drain the castle and sends the black paint far away. That night, a celebration is held for the return of all of the colors in Prism Island. Peach thanks Mario for everything and realizes that Huey will be all right after everything they have done.
Paper Mario: The Origami King
In Paper Mario: The Origami King, Mario (called Big M by Bob-omb) and Luigi are invited into Toad Town by Peach to celebrate the Origami Festival. Mario quickly notices Peach's change of appearance and demeanor, the result of her being attacked by King Olly, and is nearly turned into Origami himself before barely escaping the castle. It now falls on him to restore the Mushroom Kingdom with the help of numerous allies, including several of Bowser's minions and even Bowser himself.
Luigi's Mansion series
Luigi's Mansion
Mario plays his third role as a captive during the events of Luigi's Mansion. Mario visits a mansion that Luigi has mysteriously won. There, King Boo overpowers Mario with his many Boos and imprisons him within a portrait. King Boo is apparently mad at Mario for harassing his kind during his past adventures. Luigi comes later to discover why his brother did not come back. Luigi overcomes his cowardice and captures all Boos by using his Poltergust 3000. After defeating King Boo, Luigi takes Mario's portrait and reverts him to his original form by using Professor Elvin Gadd's Ghost Portrificationizer in reverse. Mario is left dizzy in the picture frame while Luigi laughs at him.
Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon
While Mario reappears in Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, he plays a relatively minor role in the game. Prior to the final boss battle, Mario is found trapped as a sketch in a painting again. Mario is not directly referenced or seen until in Haunted Towers, where Luigi sees the Boos holding an upside-down portrait of his being trapped. There, only his feet are showing. Later, King Boo reveals that he trapped him and engages Luigi in battle. After King Boo is defeated, Luigi frees Mario with his Dark-Light Device, after which he, Mario, E. Gadd, several ghosts, and several Toads pose for a picture. Before the picture is taken, Mario is shown to be proud of Luigi for facing his fears to rescue him, congratulating him and putting his hand on his brother's shoulder.
Luigi's Mansion 3
Mario reappears in Luigi's Mansion 3, where he is invited to a hotel alongside Luigi, Princess Peach, and three Toads, but is later trapped in a painting with everyone else (barring Luigi, who manages to escape from King Boo). Luigi manages to free Mario after he defeats Hellen Gravely. Mario is very happy that Luigi saved him, and jumps in his arms to hug him, then he immediately leads Luigi to Princess Peach for her to be freed too. However, King Boo traps everyone besides Luigi (who was shoved out of the way by Polterpup) in a single painting. After Luigi defeats King Boo, Mario and everyone else are freed again, and they all work together to rebuild the hotel, which collapsed after the battle. Afterwards, Mario and the others leave to return home.
WarioWare series
Mario has made only minor, albeit occasional, appearances in the WarioWare series, being small cameos in some microgames. In WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!, Mario is the "judge" in the microgame Ultra Machine. He and Bowser are also parodied in Classic Clash I, Classic Clash II, and Classic Clash III. Mario also appears in the microgames Rock Paper Scissors, in which the player must beat him in a game of the same name; Grow Wario Grow, where Wario must grab the mushroom and not let it go to Mario; and Wario Bros. starting at Level 2, where Wario must grab the coin before Mario does. In WarioWare: Twisted!, Wario must greet him in the microgame Burying the Hatchet. In WarioWare: Touched!, he appears as a blackboard drawing in Jimmy T's microgame Chalk Full. Mario also appears in Wario-Man's microgame You Scratch Mine, alongside Wario and even Toad. In Where's Wario, he appears alongside Luigi. Mario also makes an appearance outside the microgames in Retro Action, as a small figure, with Luigi, on 9-Volt]]'s DJ set, who reacts accordingly to winning or losing a microgame. Mario frequently appears in 9-Volt's classic microgames, like Super Mario Brothers and Super Mario Sunshine. In Game & Wario, one of the microgames in the Gamer minigame, Sole Man, involves Mario, in the third level of difficulty. Here, the player's character, dressed as a Goomba, must purposely be stomped by his foot, which is different from other difficulties where the player must avoid being stomped.
Mario & Luigi series
Mario appears as one of the titular characters in the Mario & Luigi]] series, alongside his brother, Luigi. Throughout the series, the brothers embark on various adventures across the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond, often tasked with defeating threats not native to the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario is shown to be headstrong when given a task, eager to help those who asked for it, and usually drags Luigi along with him, be it by accident or by force. In terms of battle statistics, Mario is almost always portrayed as a powerful character with high power and speed stats, but he trails behind in his defense and HP when compared to Luigi.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga / Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions
In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga Cackletta has arrived in Mushroom Kingdom in disguise and has stolen Princess Peach's voice so she can take over BeanBean Kingdom. Mario and Luigi (who goes on the adventure against his will), with Bowser's help, arrive in BeanBean Kingdom, but Fawful, Cackletta, causes them to crash land in Stardust Fields, beginning their adventure. Along the way, Mario and Luigi learn to help each other traverse the varied land through learning jumping techniques, acquiring hammers, and Mario's learning to shoot fire while Luigi's learning to shoot electricity. Some notable characters Mario and Luigi meet include but are not limited to Popple and a brainwashed Bowser who calls himself Rookie, Prince Peasley, Queen Bean, the Hammerhead Bros., the Starshade Bros., Blablanadon, and Professor E. Gadd.
Mario has multiple abilities in this game, which are learned as he and Luigi progress. If he is following Luigi, the brothers can use the Spin Jump to cross large gaps; Mario can also use Firebrand on Luigi to allow the two to move fast and either run past rolling spikes or knock down Nokottasu. If Luigi hits Mario with a hammer, Mario can transform into Mini Mario that lets him enter small openings. Mario can also hold large amounts of water as Pump Mario as use for water projectiles, watering plants (if Luigi uses Thunderhand on him), and putting out fires.
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Mario and his brother, Luigi, travel back in time in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time.
Mario and Luigi are at Peach's Castle, watching Princess Peach go to the past using Professor E. Gadd's time machine powered by the Cobalt Star. Toadsworth, filled with worry, collapses from Shroomshock, and Mario goes to retrieve a Refreshshroom from his quarters to cure him. Afterwards, the time machine returns but without Princess Peach. Instead, a Junior Shrooboid is inside and attacks, but Mario manages to beat it. Afterwards, a time hole appears in the center court of the castle. Luigi looks at it in awe from the rim, when Toadsworth comes and accidentally knocks him into the time hole. Mario enters it to save his brother, and they travel back in time. They land on the starting road to Hollijolli Village, before Stuffwell, a living mechanical suitcase created by E. Gadd, emerges behind them to act as their assistant. They fight more and more enemies. They see the village damaged and ruined by many Shroobs and Shroob saucers. They then get assaulted and nearly defeated by a wave of Shroobs and Shroob saucers. Meanwhile, Baby Mario and Baby Luigi rescue them by defeating the remaining Shroob foes.
Baby Bowser helps them to escape from Baby Peach's incessant crying. They board his Koopa Cruiser and crash-land into Bowser's Castle as a result of the Shroob saucers' aerial attacks. Mario and Luigi look for their younger selves and team up, finding a piece of the Cobalt Star along the way. In Baby Bowser's room, a time hole is located, and the four Mario Bros. head back to Peach's Castle of the present with Baby Peach and the younger Toadsworth following behind them. They meet up with Professor E. Gadd, who advises them to find the other Cobalt Star Shards in the past when Junior Shrooboid has a reaction to it.
Mario and the others go through the new time holes that appear around the castle. They meet Toadiko and Toadbert, the Toads who went with Princess Peach and give them information about the Shroobs and their leader, Princess Shroob. They finally collect five Cobalt Star Shards, break the barrier of the Shroob Castle (previously Peach's Castle), and locate Peach. After Mario and the others down the Shroob Mother Ship and defeat Princess Shroob, Peach refuses to let Mario and Luigi reassemble the Cobalt Star with the centerpiece in her possession. But Baby Bowser takes it and fixes the star, causing the Elder Princess Shroob imprisoned by Peach to be freed. The Mario Bros. prevail and discover that the babies' tears can revert all of the Shroobified people to normal. Thus, E. Gadd rains a similar liquid across the kingdom, ridding the Mushroom Kingdom of the extraterrestrial invaders. The baby Mario Bros., Baby Peach, and young Toadsworth return to the past, bidding farewell to their future counterparts.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story / Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey
Mario and Luigi appear again in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.
A new disease called the blorbs, which make Toads grow to a giant size, has affected the Mushroom Kingdom citizens. Mario and Luigi attend a meeting at Peach's Castle that is disrupted when Bowser barges in. Bowser then fights Mario and is defeated. Thrown to Dimble Wood, Bowser receives a Vacuum Mushroom from Fawful, which makes him inhale everything, including Mario, Luigi, Starlow, the princess, Toadsworth, and several of the Toads.
Mario and Luigi reunite inside Bowser, who is knocked out in Cavi Cape. The brothers and Starlow help Bowser get his castle back from Fawful. Along the way, Bowser meets Broque Monsieur and Broggy and gets the ability of the Vacuum Block, which allows the brothers to aid Bowser in his fights. Mario, Luigi, and Starlow help Bowser in his trips, while they travel to various parts of his body. When Bowser finally reaches his castle and reclaims it, Bowser is grown fat from eating high-calorie foods from the Boos after winning the fight against Midbus, Fawful's minion.
While Bowser is fat, Mario and Luigi find Peach in the Flab Zone, who is attacked and kidnapped in front of them by Kretin. After a long chase, Mario and Luigi trap and defeat Alpha and Beta Kretin, freeing the princess. When Fawful is attempting to extract Peach from Bowser, she tells them that Fawful probably wants the Dark Star, so he can control the Mushroom Kingdom. Peach also explains that she herself is necessary for this process as she is the one who can awaken it. As they get to the end of the Flab Zone, Peach is taken out of Bowser's body by Fawful and is once again kidnapped. Meanwhile, Midbus gives Bowser a treadmill to lose his extra pounds on.
As the rest of the adventure slides, Mario and Luigi travel to find the Star Cures to destroy the blockade in Peach's Castle. At one point during the adventure, however, Mario gets captured by a group of Sockops, forcing Luigi to rescue him alone. After fighting Junker in Peach's Castle Garden, they go back into Bowser and wake him up from his back pain. After going through the castle, they all find the Dark Star awakening and Fawful becoming Dark Fawful, who is sent flying by Bowser. The Dark Star enters Bowser, and it copies his DNA, but is incomplete thanks to the Mario Bros., and combines with Dark Fawful to create Dark Bowser.
After Mario and Luigi defeat Dark Star Core and Bowser defeats Dark Bowser, Fawful explodes, destroying himself and expelling everyone else from Bowser's body, freeing them. Realizing that Mario was inside him all along, an enraged Bowser charges into battle against Mario and Luigi, which ends the story. At the end, it is revealed that Mario and Luigi win yet again and Bowser is back at his ruined castle, recovering from the injuries he sustained in their fight. However, they and Peach send him a cake as thanks for him inadvertently saving the kingdom.
In the 3DS remake, Mario makes a brief appearance in the new Bowser Jr.'s Journey mode, where he and Luigi pass by Bowser Jr., who picks a fight with them while in Bubble Lake. Starlow stops them from fighting, however, reminding them that there is no time for this, even for Bowser Jr. In the story timeline, this event happens while searching for the Star Cures, making it a mishap if they were looking for the third Star Cure because Junior sees his father (who would be trapped in a safe) as a giant later in Bubble Lake.
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
Mario reappears along with Luigi in the fourth installment of the Mario & Luigi series, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, where he, his brother, Princess Peach, Toadsworth, and the Toads are invited to Pi'illo Island by Dr. Snoozemore through a message that was delivered by his Broggy. Mario and Luigi follow Peach and Toadsworth when they end up ejected into the ruins and find them surrounded by a group of Smoldergeist, which flee when the brothers arrive. Here they find a Pi'illo, which later turns out to be Prince Dreambert. This action causes the Smoldergeist to come back and attack the brothers. After beating the group and leaving the ruins, the brothers come to a collection room. Here Luigi takes a nap on the pillow. After everyone gathers in the collection room, a Dream Portal opens a portal to a place called the Dream World. This allows Antasma, unknown by anyone, to pull Princess Peach into the world against her will. After Mario chases after Peach into Dreamy Pi'illo Castle, with the help of Dreamy Broque Monsieur, he meets Dreamy Luigi, Luigi's dream representation, who assists Mario in the Dream World. Later in the game, it is revealed that while Luigi can open a portal to the Dream World, Mario cannot.
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
In the fifth installment of the Mario & Luigi series, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, Luigi accidentally releases the Paper Mario universe into the Mario & Luigi universe. Mario meets Paper Peach and agrees to work with her to find the Paper Toads that have spread across the kingdom. However, Bowser teams up with his paper counterpart, and they kidnap both princesses. In Sunbeam Plains, Mario and Luigi find Paper Mario and learn the kidnappings of the princesses. Bowser sends Petey Piranha to attack the trio, but they defeat Petey. When Kamek blocks the exit of Sunbeam Plains with a Papercraft Goomba, Toadette builds Papercraft Mario to help destroy it. In Doop Doop Dunes, they spot Bowser's Castle in the distance. After defeating two Pokeys, they encounter Kamek and his latest Papercraft. Toadette builds another Papercraft that defeats the Kamek duo. Later in Bowser's Castle, Bowser defeats them, trapping them in a dungeon, where they lose the book containing the Paper Mario world. They escape, however, retrieving their items, and the trio returns to Peach's Castle.
There, Paper Toads report they saw the princesses at Mount Brrr. After traversing Gloomy Woods to reach Mount Brrr, the trio encounters the Kamek duo and defeats them. After reaching Mount Brrr with Flutter's help, the trio encounters King Bob-omb and some of the Koopalings, who set enemies in their path. Despite this, they overcome the enemies and build Papercraft Peach that defeats Papercraft Bowser Jr. However, the Bowser Jrs. escape with the princesses and the book unharmed. They leave a Red Medallion behind, which opens the door to the Twinsy Tropics Dungeon, but the trio must travel through Doop Doop Dunes again. Before leaving the dunes, they have to face the Chargin' Chuck Corps, who arrested them earlier. After this, they battle with two of the Koopalings before reaching Bowser's Castle. At Bowser's Castle, they find the Kamek duo and the new Papercraft King Boo. Toadette arrives with Papercraft Yoshi, who defeats Papercraft King Boo. This time, however, Kamek kidnaps Toadette to prevent more Papercrafts from being built. Kamek then plans to build his own Papercraft Bowser with the help of his paper form. A Fly Guy helps the trio rescue Toadette, and the trio encounters the Bowser Jrs. on guard duty.
The princesses escape and greet the team but are caught by Bowser Jr. Before fighting, however, they realize they forgot to hide the book and then flee. The trio catches them, and they receive a fake book, which fools the trio, allowing the princesses to be recaptured. Despite this, the trio defeats them and rescues the princesses. In retaliation, the Koopa Troop blows up Peach's Castle. The princesses return to the castle, and the trio continues to fight Paper Bowser, knowing the princesses are safe. Toadette realizes they can build a staircase to the top of Mount Brrr, where the newly built Neo Bowser Castle is located. They travel through Gloomy Woods once again but end up on the haunted side. Both Marios are kidnapped by Boos, leaving Luigi alone to find them. Once Luigi has defeated King Boo and rescued them, they meet Toadette and the remaining Paper Toads at Mount Brrr. The Toads build a staircase, and the trio climbs to the castle. Iggy signals the rest of the Koopalings that the team has arrived. They encounter Nabbit and help him collect the coins around the area. Nabbit rewards them with the remaining Bros. Attacks. They find Toadette, who is defending the Papercraft creations, but the Kamek duo unleashes Papercraft Bowser, who burns all the Papercraft. Toadette, however, uses fire ore to build Papercraft Fire Mario. The new Papercraft defeats Papercraft Bowser. The Koopalings try to retaliate and set a timer to blow up any remains of Peach's Castle, but the Mario Bros. stop the timer. The trio faces the Kamek duo and the Koopalings and promptly defeat them. When they finally reach Bowser and his paper counterpart, the Bowsers merge and form Shiny RoboBowser. However, the Mario Bros. defeat the new boss and trap Paper Bowser inside the Paper Mario book, and Bowser falls to the bottom of Mount Brrr.
The team returns to the reassembled Peach's Castle. Princess Peach and her paper counterpart congratulate the team for banishing Paper Bowser, and Toadette leads a Papercraft parade in the credits. Afterwards, Paper Mario and Paper Peach return to the Paper Mario world when Paper Bowser begins wreaking havoc. The game ends with Bowser also retaliating and attacking Peach's Castle.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong series
The Mario vs. Donkey Kong series revisits the old Donkey Kong series, pitting Mario against a misbehaving Donkey Kong. The original Mario vs. Donkey Kong game, released in 2004, gave Mario the same moveset as 1994's Donkey Kong for the Game Boy and introduced the windup toys known as Mini Marios. The Mini Marios replaced Mario as the playable character in the later subsequent games, Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!, Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!, and Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move, although Mario is still present in the storylines, as is Pauline.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong
In Mario vs. Donkey Kong, Mario's objective is to recover the stolen Mini-Marios from Donkey Kong. Mario has access to his moveset from Donkey Kong on the Game Boy, being able to perform handstands and Wire Jumps. This is one of the few games where Mario speaks in full sentences.
In the first area of the main levels, as well as in the Expert Levels, Mario needs to carry a key to a locked door in order to progress, solving puzzles along the way. In the second area of the main levels, Mario needs to rescue a captured Mini-Mario while dodging enemies and obstacles. Once Mario completes six levels in a world, he has to lead the six Mini-Marios into a toy box and then fight Donkey Kong. In the Plus Levels, Mario has to lead a single Mini-Mario with a key attached to it to the locked door.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis starts with Mario and Pauline cutting the premier ribbon of the Super Mini Mario World theme park. After Pauline takes a Mini Mario toy from Mario, Donkey Kong kidnaps her. Mario chases after Donkey Kong to rescue Pauline, but his path is blocked. Instead of Mario, the playable characters in this game and all following installments of the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series are the Mini Marios. They clear the way for Mario to get to Pauline. Mario and Pauline feel sorry for Donkey Kong, and the three celebrate the opening of the theme park.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! begins once again with Mario and Pauline opening an expansion to Super Mini Mario World, with numerous Toads and Donkey Kong waiting to get in. However, as Donkey Kong reaches the ticket counter, he sees that tickets are sold out and, out of rage, kidnaps Pauline. Mario tries to save her, only to end up ripping off part of her dress, allowing DK to escape. Two Mini Marios then approach him, and Mario decides to use them to help save Pauline.
Eventually, Mario reaches the top of the building, where he finds Pauline in a room with one window. As they are about to hug, Donkey Kong flips the light switch off, grabs Pauline, and leaps out the window, with Mario and the minis following him.
After much more toil, Mario once again enters the room, where he finds DK, Pauline, two Toads (one blue and one green), and two Mini Marios. As Mario is confused, Pauline reveals that the entire adventure was to test the Mini Mario product, and the group decides to celebrate.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!
In Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!, Mario and Pauline are once again opening a theme park, but this time, he is giving away Mini Pauline toys to the first 100 guests. Donkey Kong, wanting a Mini Pauline, charges through the line to get to the front but finds out that he is visitor 101. When he learns from Mario that the toys are out of stock, he goes into yet another fit of rage, capturing Pauline. Mario once again must rely on his minis to help get Pauline back.
After much journeying, Mario defeats DK and tries to hug Pauline, but Donkey Kong captures her again, leaving Mario to chase after him again.
Mario once again defeats Donkey Kong after many more challenges. As Donkey Kong is about to capture Pauline again, Mario offers him a Mini Pauline. Donkey Kong accepts this gift, and, happy again, the entire group decides to ride the Ferris wheel.
Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move
The Mini-Marios again play a major role in Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move. Unlike the other Mario vs. Donkey Kong games, this game has little story and Mario makes only a minor appearance.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars
Mario appears once again in Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars. Pauline is once again kidnapped by Donkey Kong, and Mario chases them down with his Mini Mario toys. Mario has to free cursed Mini Mario toys along the way. When Mario catches up to them, he finds out they have thrown him a surprise party. Mario continues on to the bonus worlds afterwards.
Yakuman DS
Mario appears in the Japanese-exclusive game of mahjong in Yakuman DS as a playable character or rival. He is a default character as usual in the Mario spinoffs. As a rival, he has normal difficulty and relies on a balanced playstyle.
NBA Street V3
Mario, along with Luigi and Princess Peach, as a result of the Nintendo and EA partnership, makes a fully playable guest appearance exclusive to the Nintendo GameCube version of NBA Street V3. The three are part of a team entitled "Nintendo All-Stars," alongside other all-star basketball teams. Mario's team additionally has a special basketball court.
Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix
Mario in Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix has to win in dance-offs to help save the Mushroom Kingdom from being controlled by the Music Keys. In the beginning, Waluigi goes to the Truffle Towers to gain Music Keys and grant him the power to "hypnotize the rhythm-less masses." However, after he opens the door, all but one key fly to various locations in the Mushroom Kingdom. One of the Music Keys is found in the sea, another one in Wario's Carnival, and another in Freeze Mountain]]. Toad, who sees this occur, rushes to tell Mario (or Luigi). If all keys are not returned, they can be exploited by anyone.
Mario responds by setting out to find all four Music Keys, along with Toad. Using his SS Brass to navigate, Mario challenges the key owners to dance-offs. Mario then faces Waluigi (and other enemies) to dance-offs and gets all four Music Keys back. After Mario wins the keys, however, Bowser steals them. Bowser then goes to his castle, and Mario follows him with the SS Brass. Mario performs the "Final Dance Off" with him and gets the Music Keys back. Bowser reveals his intentions of stealing the keys: to help cure his tone-deafness. Mario and Toad decide to use the keys to change Bowser's Castle and the surrounding area into a paradise. From this, though, some music has been implemented into their souls, so they cannot stop dancing. These keys then are all returned to the Truffle Towers.
Mario Baseball series
Mario is also playable in Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers. Again, Mario is a balanced character, although his running is only average in the first game. Mario's special ball is the classic Fireball, which dazzles other players with smoky speed. Mario's abilities are very similar to Luigi's. Mario's default team is the Mario Sunshines in Mario Superstar Baseball, which mostly consists of the non-playable characters from Super Mario Sunshine.
Mario's special abilities include Wall Jump, which can help Mario catch fly balls at the edge of the field, and an improved Sliding Catch.
In Mario Super Sluggers, Mario's team is called the Mario Fireballs, which consists of the Mario Bros., the baby Mario Bros., Piantas, Nokis, a Monty Mole, and a Blooper. Mario also had his batting and running skills improved, while his pitching and fielding remain the same. Mario's ability is Enlarge, which enables him to knock away third base and home base players and possibly the baseball if he succeeds a close play.
SSX on Tour
Mario, Luigi, and Peach, as with NBA Street V3, make another playable guest appearance in the Nintendo GameCube version of SSX on Tour, stemming from the same partnership with Nintendo and EA. In SSX on Tour, Mario snowboards in a mountain and performs various stunts to earn points.
Super Princess Peach
Mario once again ends up needing rescue during the events of Super Princess Peach. Bowser sends an army of Hammer Bros. (led by Army Hammer Bro) and Goombas to invade Peach's Castle. Mario, Luigi, and the Toads, busy defending the castle, are subdued by the power of the Vibe Scepter and captured by a group of Hammer Bros. Princess Peach is not in the castle at the time and so escapes the attack. Mario and the others are sent to Vibe Island, the source of the enemies' power. There they have no power to escape, so Princess Peach, along with a magical umbrella named Perry given to her by Toadsworth, goes there to rescue them. After defeating many of Bowser's minions and rescuing Luigi and a number of Toads, Princess Peach defeats Bowser by using emotional powers called Vibes, and Mario escapes himself. Princess Peach kisses him, and he gives her a bunch of flowers.
Mario Hoops 3-on-3
In Mario Hoops 3-on-3, Mario is a default character. His Special Shot is the Fire Shot, which involves Mario dribbling the ball around him in the shape of an M and then either alley-ooping or dunking a flaming red basketball into the hoop. To execute this move, the player must tap the touchscreen in the shape of the letter M. Mario is classified as a balanced character.
Mario Strikers series
In the Mario Strikers (or Mario Football in the PAL regions) series, Mario takes on yet another sport, soccer (also known as football). His stats are all-around in both games, Super Mario Strikers and Mario Strikers Charged. His Super Strike in Super Mario Strikers is the Fire Strike. His Super Ability in Mario Strikers Charged is Super Mario Unlike previous sports games, where Mario stayed in his usual traditional outfit, in the Mario Strikers series, he is seen wearing different gear, including different clothes and cleats. In either game, Mario's team number is 1 and his captain type is Balanced.
Itadaki Street series
Itadaki Street DS
Mario appears as a default Rank A playable character in Itadaki Street DS.
Fortune Street
Mario is a default character in Fortune Street, although he is playable only in the multiplayer mode, as all Mario and Dragon Quest characters in the game. As an opponent, he is Rank A, sharing with Bowser and Bowser Jr., making him the second-most difficult opponent to face. Also, as an opponent, he is able to speak in full sentences, a rare trait in the video game.
Mario & Sonic series
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
Mario first appears as a playable character in both the Wii version and Nintendo DS version Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, where he is an All-Around type character, giving him balanced statistics in all categories. He appears in the opening of the Wii version at the start with all of the other athletes, as well as in the 100m.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
Mario returns as a playable character in both versions of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. In the Wii version, Mario appears in the opening with all of the other athletes at the start and end, as well as competing in Snowboard Cross. The game also features an outfit based on Mario for Miis to wear, as well as ones based on Bee Mario and Fire Mario. In the Nintendo DS version, Mario can also be used as one of the playable characters to explore Winter Island and Dream Island in Adventure Tours mode, as well as being one of the first two to be selectable in events, along with Sonic.
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games
Mario returns as an All-Around type character in the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, appearing in the opening with the other athletes at the beginning, competing in Trampoline, Dream Hurdles and Dream Uneven Bars, and with Sonic on top of Big Ben. The Mii outfits return from the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, as well as the addition of two based on Propeller Mario and Penguin Mario.
In the Nintendo 3DS version of the game, Mario is included in the Heroes group, which allows him to only compete in certain Events. In the Story Mode, Mario first appears in Stadium Blues, where he and Luigi defeat a pair of Fog Imposters, and later find and destroy a Fog machine, clearing up the Main Stadium. Mario and Luigi head to Hyde Park with Toad to check that Peach and the others staying there are alright, before moving on to the British Museum, where they meet up with Sonic and Tails to clear the fog from there. After finding out some information about the source of the fog, the group splits up, and Mario and Toad find Wario challenging Dr. Eggman, who they later follow to see destroying another fog machine. They make their way back to the Main Stadium to meet up with the others, and Mario helps save Cream from the Fog Imposters when the Phantasmal Fog returns, before heading to Stonehenge to try to find the lid of the Fog urn. The group return to London after finding out that Bowser and Dr. Eggman are hiding inside Big Ben, and after defeating more Fog Imposters, Mario, Luigi, Sonic and Tails head there to confront them. When they arrive, they find that Bowser and Dr. Eggman have been powered up by the Phantasmal Fog, but Mario and Sonic defeat them and seal the fog back into the urn. The group then all head back to the Main Stadium for the opening ceremony of the Olympic games. A badge of Mario can also be obtained from the badge machine.
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games
Mario reappears in Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, once again as a playable All-Around type character. All of the Mii costumes based on Mario from the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games return as well.
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
Mario reappears in the Wii U version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games once again as an All-Around type character. The Mario outfits return from the previous two instalments, but now must be collected in separate head and body parts which each have their own set of bonus statistics. In the Nintendo 3DS version, he, Sonic and the Mii are the only characters that can be used for all events. In the Road to Rio mode, Mario's disappearance causes a disagreement between his and Sonic's gyms, though it is later revealed that Mario was missing due to investigating the theft of his and Sonic's Olympic medals from a museum. Mario is playable as an All-Around character in all events in Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Arcade Edition, but has recommended events of Long Jump.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
Mario reappears in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 once again as an All-Around type playable character. In the story mode, he, Sonic, Bowser, Dr. Eggman, and Toad get sucked into a game system featuring 8-bit graphics and are transported back in time to the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games. While in the game system, Mario uses his 8-bit appearance first used in Super Mario Bros. To return to the real world, the five characters need to win gold medals in Olympic events. Mario is also an All-Around type playable character in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - Arcade Edition.
Mario Sports Mix
Mario and Luigi in Mario Sports Mix
Mario appears in Mario Sports Mix. He is an All-Rounder type character, and all of his stats are average. His stadium in the game is Mario Stadium. Most of his attacks involve spinning. In Basketball, he spins into his opponent if he is blocking his opponent for too long. In Hockey, his hits involve a two-hit combo followed by a spin. In Dodgeball, he rolls forward to avoid any incoming hit. In Volleyball, he spins when he spikes. In all sports, his special move is a fire blast that is so powerful that opponents have to resist the force while sliding backwards if they do not want Mario to score.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
In Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Mario makes a brief cameo at the fiftieth and final room of Mummy-Me Maze Forever on a poster. Tapping the poster gives a single coin. In the Wii U version of the game, he also appears in the post-credits cutscene, which is the same as the cutscene shown at the beginning of Super Mario 3D World.
Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition
The story in Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition is similar to ones in the more traditional Mario platformers. Princess Peach invites Mario to her castle to show him some bright Orbs that have appeared. When Mario arrives, however, Bowser abducts Peach and Kamek steals the power of these Orbs, causing more Orbs to scatter in the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario and Red Toad set out to rescue Peach by using these Orbs to attack enemies along the way. In the meantime, Mario can recruit enemies from Baddie Blocks and allies Yoshis, that have been captured by Bowser. At Bowser's Castle, Mario defeats Bowser Jr. and Kamek several times. When Mario reaches and defeats Bowser, Bowser uses the Koopalings and Bowser Jr. together to attempt to beat Mario but fails. Mario eventually rescues Peach.
Mario is among the first usable team members in Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition, and either he, Luigi, or the duo's power-up forms (including Small Mario, Super Mario, Ice Mario, Raccoon Mario, Fire Mario, Boo Mario]], Penguin Mario, Flying Squirrel Mario, Bee Mario, Statue Mario, Cat Mario, and White Tanooki Mario) can serve as leaders of the team. All of Mario and his various forms have the fire attribute in common.
The Cat Mario Show
The Cat Mario Show is a video series depicting Mario and Princess Peach (in their Cat power-ups from Super Mario 3D World). The two present general information on upcoming games for the Nintendo 3DS, the Wii U, and the Switch; show tips and tricks on particular games; and quiz viewers.
Mario Sports Superstars
Mario appears in Mario Sports Superstars, where he is a Balance type character in most sports; in tennis, he is classified as the similar All-Around type. As a result, Mario has few weak stats, but by the same token he does not excel in any stat in particular. His special shots involve hitting the ball with a fiery streak. In golf, Mario's default drive is 220 yards and his shots travel straight and high.
Mario + Rabbids series
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
In Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, which is a crossover game between the Mario and Rabbids franchises, Mario is first seen right after the intro, where he along with Luigi, Yoshi, Toad, and Princess Peach, who are all inaugurating a new statue of Princess Peach to which an Toads cheers on. However, a giant, blue vortex comes and sucks Mario and the others inside. Mario saves a machine named Beep-0 from being crushed by the the Time Washing Machine, and later meet Rabbid Luigi and Rabbid Peach, two Rabbids based on Luigi and Peach who help the heroes fight off [Garden Ziggies using weapons attached to a message from an unknown individual named "F.B." (later revealed to be Beep-0 from the future). Mario and the group later witness the vortex become the Megabug.
Afterwards, the group meets a Rabbid with bizarrely shaped blue eyes that comes across a Piranha Plant with a Rabbid on top of it which scares the blue-eyed Rabbid, causing it to accidentally fuse the other Rabbid with the Piranha Plant, thus creating Pirabbid Plant. Mario and the rest of the playable characters defeat Pirabbid Plant and restore them back to normal. He tries to reason with the SupaMerge-fused Rabbid, but Bowser Jr. comes and takes it away with the intention of using it to take over the Mushroom Kingdom and names it "Spawny". Bowser Jr. sends over Rabbid Kong to battle Mario's team. He is defeated and is sent off the platform that the group is standing on by Rabbid Peach despite his warnings not to do so.
The group travels to Sherbet Desert, and receive another message from F.B. telling them that the Megabug is getting more powerful every time they defeat a Rabbid. They also find a Rabbid based on Mario named Rabbid Mario wearing his overalls and cap and having his mustache frozen in ice, and free him from his ice cube. Spawny once again accidentally activates his powers to fuse two other Rabbids with ice and sand due to Bowser Jr.'s interference, forcing the team to yet again fight another boss. However, soon after both Rabbids' defeat, the Icicle Golem appears and freezes everyone, although Princess Peach luckily appears and saves them all.
Mario and his group goes to Spooky Trails, where they are told to search for the two Relics of Goodness and a Boo-shaped balloon by a mysterious third party so that they can wake up "Tom Phan" who has the ability to defeat Bowser Jr. Once they do, the unidentified helper informs them that they need a full moon. They then meet Calavera who is endangering a Yoshi-based Rabbid named Rabbid Yoshi, but is eventually saved by the team and joins them on their journey. They find a clock tower and manipulate it to bring the full moon back. They are invited by the "helper" (later revealed to be Bowser Jr. himself) to cross the Moon Gate, and scares Spawny to make him fuse the Relics of Goodness with another Rabbid to create the Phantom. Phantom sings while battling Mario, but is eventually defeated, allowing the team to advance to the Lava Pit, which has been transformed into a factory by Bowser Jr. He uses his Mecha Jr. to battle the heroes, but malfunctions and is destroyed. As he attempts to escape, Spawny falls to his doom, but is rescued by Yoshi who comes along. The heroes try to escape via a crystal mine, but Spawny is kidnapped by the Megabug, now in a phoenix-like form. They pursue Spawny and Bowser Jr. Who is panicking because Bowser, who was on a vacation, decided to return early. They battle Bwario and Bwaluigi (two Rabbids resembling Wario and Waluigi) and the Lava Queen, who have come to hinder their progress. When Mario and his friends finally reach Bowser's Castle, Bowser Jr. pleads that they save his father, and they witness the Megabpossessing]] him. As MegaDragonBowser, Bowser is the last boss Mario must challenge, and once defeated, Bowser is restored back to normal, and the entire group destroys the Megabug using their weapons. Bowser Jr. thanks everyone for their help and tells them that he will try to be a better person when he has the chance.
Mario is last seen at the end, where he is one of the people to inaugurate the Princess Peach statue (now a Rabbid Peach statue) and takes one last selfie with Rabbid Mario, Rabbid Luigi, Rabbid Peach, Luigi, Yoshi, Princess Peach and Spawny.
Gameplay-wise, Mario is always required to be used in battle. He shares the exact same stats with Yoshi, being a near close-range fighter and having good mobility, and has the highest offense along with Yoshi. His special Jump is the Stomp Jump, where he lands on an enemy to deal 30 points of damage and lands on a nearby cell. His primary weapon is the Lightning Shark, which fires one missile at a time, while his secondary one is the Button Masher, which hits multiple targets at once. These weapons can be powered up by M-Power, which increases Mario's weapon damage along with the damage caused by his allies. His primary technique is Hero Sight, which allows him to immediately damage the first enemy he sees that moves.
In the Donkey Kong Adventure DLC, Mario is no longer playable and is instead seen with Rabbid Luigi and Luigi trying to warn Rabbid Peach who is trying to charge her phone to get away from the Time Washing Machine, but are too late.
Additionally, in the beginning of the game, the Genius Girl is shown to own a Mario figurine.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
Mario reappears in Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. Along with the rest of his team (except Yoshi and Rabbid Yoshi) and a new companion named Rabbid Rosalina, he fights to stop the evil force Cursa from Sparks to save the universe.
Other appearances
Mario has made several small appearances within his own series but outside as well, including other Nintendo series. Mario makes appearances in Tennis and Punch-Out!! for the NES as the referee for matches. In Kirby Super Sta and its remake, Mario makes a cameo as one of the several formations of the Stone ability, and is also seen in the crowd when Kirby is fighting King Dedede or participating in Megaton Punch Contest. He is also seen in the credits of both Revenge of the King and Milky Way Wishes, in the form of a golden statue in the former, and performing a peace sign in front of the Nintendo logo in the latter. Mario returns as a golden statue transformation of the Stone ability in Kirby: Planet Robobot.
Mario, voiced by Charles Martinet, is heard narrating Pac-Man Vs. He is also featured in the built-in Augmented Reality Games as a Character Card, a traceable image, and a stamp. Mario makes a cameo as a stamp for photos in the Game Boy Camera peripheral. It is seen also on the title screen dancing. His nose and his moustache also do make a cameo as a separate stamp. The Super Mario Mash-up in Minecraft, features a playable Mario in the style of the game. It also features Mario's other forms as playable characters, including Dr. Mario, Tanooki Mario, Propeller Mario, Fire Mario, Mario with F.L.U.D.D., Boomerang Mario, and Cat Mario. In the NES version of Tetris, Mario, alongside Luigi and Princess Toadstool, makes a cameo in Game B upon completing one of the heights, specifically height 5. He and Luigi are seen doing the hopak.
Mario has several merchandising lines ranging from a Japanese plush series San-ei to a 2014 series of articulate action figures by Bandai Tamashii Nations SH Figuarts. Mario is also featured in a few food packaging, including Campbell's and gummies. Mario has a neon sign that depicts him. T-shirts, toys, and alike have also been produced, and McDonald's released a chain of toys based on the popular Mario video game Super Mario Bros. 3.
Mario is also featured in a few non-video games that promote Nintendo, including Nintendo Monopoly, where he costs $400, replacing the Boardwalk, the most expensive space in the game. On the ? Block and Coin Block (later Block) cards, he replaced Mr. Monopoly. He is also one of the four base characters in the Standard Edition (five in the Collector's Edition) of Monopoly Gamer. Mario is also featured in Super Mario branded games, including but not limited to Super Mario Chess (the king) and Super Mario Checkers & Tic Tac Toe.
Cultural impact
Mario is often said to be the most famous video game character in history. A Q Score survey made in the early nineties showed Mario was even more popular than Mickey Mouse, and he has the only wax statue of a video game character, which stands in the Hollywood Wax Museum.
The Mario series is the best-selling video game franchise in history; the sales include 528.534 million, whereas the next best-selling franchise, Pokémon, totals 300 million Furthermore, Mario is the flagship series of Nintendo, and Mario is the company's mascot, furthering his publicity even more. According to the Guinness World Records 2008 edition, Mario has appeared in a total of 116 separate games, which is more than any other video game character, and more recent sources such as the Game On 2.0 travelling exhibit place the number at over 200.
General information
Physical description
Mario's distinctive look is due to technology restrictions in the mid-1980s. With a limited number of pixels and colors, the game developers, including Mario's creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, could not animate Mario's movement without making his arms "disappear" if his shirt was a solid color, so they gave Mario overalls. The developers additionally did not have the space to give him a mouth, the result of Mario's mustache. Finally, they used a cap to bypass the problem of animating and drawing hair.
Mario has undergone major changes since his initial appearance in Donkey Kong up until Super Mario Bros. Although he has the general features such as the clothing and the mustache, it is not until Super Mario Bros. where he resembles as he is today. In Donkey Kong, Mario appears lankier with a more realistic-looking red nose and a cleft chin. In some portrayals in Donkey Kong Jr., however, he appears stouter with a round nose, which resembles more closely to Mario's current design, although some promotional art retains Mario's original Donkey Kong design. The stubbier design is retained in Mario Bros., with a few changes.
Since Super Mario Bros., however, Mario is depicted as a stocky young man who wears a trademark cap, a long-sleeved red shirt, blue overalls with two yellow buttons, brown shoes, and white gloves, with a large round face, a big round nose, clear and slightly tanned skin, chocolate brown hair (although the DiC cartoons sometimes depict it as black like his mustache) with three locks on the front, just above his forehead, four back locks that cover the back of his neck and a small sprout-like tuft on the top of his head, and a black mustache (sometimes brown like his hair). His neck is very short, to the point that both in artwork and in gameplay outside the Super Smash Bros. series, it is very rarely visible due to Mario's large head and the position of his chin. Though he was originally imagined as middle-aged, his age has been approximated to be about 26 years old, while Shigeru Miyamoto later placed it at either 24 or 25. The Mario vs. Wario comic also implies Mario (and Wario) is roughly in his late 20s or early 30s, as he recalls his childhood 20 years ago. Paper Mario: Color Splash also states that Mario has been fighting Bowser for 30 years, which he's first battled him as an infant.
While Mario is consistently portrayed as a short character, his precise height and proportions vary across media. An Amazon listing for a figure of Mario that is marketed as "life-size" lists its height as 150 cm (4 ft 11 in.) tall. Crossover artwork featuring Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog (who stands at 1 m / 3 ft 3 in.) shows Mario at around the same height as him, if not two or three inches shorter due to Sonic's quills. Mario's height relationship with other humans has been varied. Some media, such as Super Mario Odyssey and Mario's Time Machine, show Mario as much shorter than a realistic human, while others, including Mario Golf and the DIC cartoons, show Mario's height closer relative to other humans. The director of Super Mario Odyssey, Kenta Motokura, stated in an interview that New Donk City was realistic to showcase the extent of Mario's abilities in a realistic environment for a scale that is easy to understand, while Shigeru Miyamoto referred to the humans of New Donk City as "normal people". As far as in-game information or other official materials are concerned, Mario does not have a specified height.
Merchandise for the original Donkey Kong showed Mario as balding, although most media depict Mario with a full set of hair. The most notable change Mario has received over the years since Super Mario Bros. (omitting stylistic variations such as depictions in Paper Mario) is his change in stature; Mario is shown to be much stubbier in his earlier appearances compared to his more recent appearances, starting with Super Mario 64. Mario's legs and arms have grown longer over the years, giving him a slimmer look. This may have been the result of Shigeru Miyamoto's response to their "cute" appearances, who considered redesigning them to "become a bit more grown-up" in the GameCube era—for instance, by removing their trademark V-sign.
Mario from his Super Mario 64 appearance is depicted with darker blue overalls and bigger eyes than in his current appearance based on the one in Luigi's Mansion. He has a slightly darker skin, and his ears are also rounder. His overall straps are longer, and his cap is less round. Mario is overall less defined in the game artworks of the time due to the older software used to design him, especially noticeable in his hair, which appears reddish instead of chocolate brown and with a similar shape of his hat. The differences in Mario's 3D art over time, as a result, is more pronounced than the differences in Mario's 2D art since Super Mario Bros. Ever since Luigi's Mansion, however, Mario has received only minor changes to his general appearance, such as longer limbs, an increased height, a clearer and slightly tanned skin tone, brighter colors, and added detail in his shoes, eyes, and cap emblem in most game artworks since Super Mario 3D World, though in the Wii U and Switch generations, Mario's irises have been slightly thicker.
Mario has a few stylistic variations across some games, sometimes within series. One variation is Mario's overall appearance in the Paper Mario games: it is generally the same, with black dots for eyes and no eyebrows, although he has a shorter stature. Since Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, however, Mario's body is more simplistic, with legless feet, a rounder face, and a full outline around the arms. In addition, starting with Paper Mario: Sticker Star, all of Mario's paper appearances have depicted him with a white outline around his entire body. Another variation is Mario's depiction in the Mario & Luigi games, although it is more subtle, where Mario is given black eyes rather than blue.
The Super Smash Bros. series also has Mario's appearance change between games. In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 64, Mario's appearance is derived from Super Mario 64 but with minor alterations, such as a slimmer appearance. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Mario's design incorporates elements from Mario Kart 64 and Super Mario World, as well as official artwork from the Nintendo 64 era, which is evidenced by his tanned complexion. Mario's hair and clothing have more detail in them, with his overalls particularly sporting back pockets and having denim textures, similar to his sprite in Super Mario World. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario's back pockets return, but his overall design is updated to resemble his appearances in Super Mario Sunshine and later games. However, Mario's color scheme is darker than before, while his hair and clothing have more-realistic detailing. In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, Mario's design is slimmer and more vibrant, matching his appearances in games like Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, Super Mario 3D World, and Mario Kart 8. As an accompaniment, Mario's hair and clothing have much less detailing. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Mario's design is mostly the same, aside from a more subdued color scheme and simple detailing in his hair and clothing, but not to the same extent as Melee and Brawl.
Clothing
Mario is typically shown wearing his trademark outfit wherever he goes. He has a long-sleeved red shirt (short-sleeved in Super Mario Sunshine), which is tucked under a pair of white gloves and has a noticeable collar at the neck. Layered over the shirt is a pair of blue overalls with yellow buttons. On his feet is a pair of light brown work shoes. In the Paper Mario series, these are known as boots and it is shown to have a rim on the top, although Mario's shoes in most media do not have this rim.
Originally, Mario wore red overalls on top of a blue shirt—nearly the opposite colors of what he wears now. The Famicom version of Mario Bros. is the first game to depict Mario with blue overalls and a red undershirt (although on the box art, he is depicted entirely in blue), but Super Mario Bros. 2 standardized Mario's current colors.
Mario's trademark is his red cap with his red "M" insignia. Mario's cap is sometimes an important and even mandatory accessory in some games, such as Super Mario 64, where he takes more damage without his cap. In Super Mario Sunshine, if Mario loses his cap, he acquires damage over time from the heat of the sun. In most media, however, Mario's cap is treated as a mere accessory, and Mario can go capless in some games without any additional effect, such as in New Super Mario Bros. Wii after obtaining 99 lives. In some games, such as Super Mario 3D Land, if Mario is in small form, he is seen without his cap, although it is no different from the other incarnations of the small form. In Super Mario Odyssey, Mario's default cap is replaced with Cappy, which can be replaced with other hats in the Crazy Cap stores as well. Additionally, Mario has over 40 outfits available to wear, which can range from recolors to resemble Luigi, Wario, or Waluigi to unique outfits that see Mario dressed as a pirate, astronaut, knight, or musician, or even naked with only his hat and a pair of polka dot boxers. In Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, Mario wears different outfits depending on the sport or activity being played.
Mario has seen some variations to his outfit in the games. In Super Mario Sunshine, for instance, Mario has shorter sleeves. In addition, Mario can wear a tropical shirt over his normal shirt, along with sunglasses that darken the screen, if he talks to the Sunglasses vendor. Mario also usually gains alternate outfits when using power-ups, from simple recolors to covering his whole body, such as Fire Mario, Tanooki Mario, Propeller Mario]], Flying Squirrel Mario, and Cat Mario. Finally, Mario can resemble different characters, even outside the Mario series, by using a Mystery Mushroom to change into one of the various forms of Costume Mario in Super Mario Maker. He even has a pumpkin Halloween costume that has him in his normal outfit, but with a pumpkin head he can put his head into, along with a purple cape.
Although mostly seen with his default plumber attire, Mario has also worn several alternate outfits in the spin-off games, including but not limited to Dr. Mario, NES Open Tournament Golf, Mario's Picross the Mario Strikers games, and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Within the Super Smash Bros. series, Mario has a total of eight different costumes to choose from in battle (five in the original Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee, six in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and eight in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS / Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate). Mario's first alternate costume consists of red overalls and a blue cap and undershirt, being a reversal of his current color scheme, which was previously used in the DIC Entertainment Mario cartoons. Mario's second alternate costume consists of tiger-orange overalls and a green cap and undershirt, resembling his appearance on the Japanese box art for Wrecking Crew, as well as Luigi's in-game appearance from the arcade version of Mario Bros. (but with swapped colors). Mario's third alternate costume consists of brown overalls and cap, with a white undershirt, being inspired by Foreman Spike. Mario's fourth alternate costume consists of purple overalls and a yellow undershirt and cap, being derived from Wario's appearance. In Brawl, Mario gains a fifth alternate costume in the form of red overalls and a white cap and undershirt, derived from Fire Mario's current colors. In 3DS / Wii U, Mario's reversed red and blue costume is replaced by one with a pink undershirt and cyan overalls and cap, derived from his appearance on the Japanese box art of Mario Bros.; he also gains a costume with dark indigo overalls and a purple undershirt and cap, based on Waluigi; lastly, Mario gains a seventh alternate costume in the form of red-and-white striped overalls and cap, and a blue undershirt with white stars, based on his appearance in NES Open Tournament Golf. In Ultimate, Mario's Fire Mario and Wario costumes are replaced with his Builder and Wedding outfits from Super Mario Odyssey.
Name
Mario's family name is given as "Mario" in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! live-action segments "Dance" and "Treasure of the Sierra Brooklyn" and made popular in the live-action Super Mario Bros. movie. This occasionally occurs in other media—for instance, the Prima guidebook for Mario Party 2 lists his name as Mario Mario in a note section, and the Prima guide for Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga similarly shows Mario's full name as Mario Mario in the list of major characters. The arcade flyers for Donkey Kong/Donkey Kong Jr./Mario Bros. use the full name as well. Also, when people asked Mario (voiced by Charles Martinet) what his last name was at {San Diego Comic-Con 2012, he had responded with this: "What's my last name? Ah, that's a very good question! ...That's right! It's-a Mario. My name-a Mario Mario. Of course, my brother name, a-Luigi Mario. And of course, my mama's-a Mama Mia Mario; my papa Papa Pio Mario. Of course, my grandmama Grandmama Mia Mario, and my grandpapa Grandpa—et cetera, et cetera. Yeah, first name Mario, last name-a Mario. Yahoo!" However, Nintendo of America earlier claimed that "there are no last names." This was later stated by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. Additionally, Shigeru Miyamoto has previously stated that Mario and Luigi do not have last names "just like Mickey Mouse" contrary to their depiction in the movie, although he has later redacted that stance, confirming at the Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary festival in September 2015 that Mario's and Luigi's last names are indeed "Mario."
Personality
Mario is known for being kind, cheerful, playful, courageous, and headstrong and is also eager and cocky in certain occasions. Officially, however, Nintendo producers have stated that Mario's biography is kept simple in order to make the character versatile and reusable in many different games and situations. In most media and some games, though, Mario is depicted as an Italian plumber from Brooklyn who stands for what is right and has a love for Italian food. Mario has proven himself to be a competent fighter, all-around sports player, and party lover in Mario spin-off titles.
Mario shows generally good sportsmanship, even complimenting his opponents, as shown in instances like Mario Kart 8 and Fortune Street, as well as smiling if he loses in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. However, in other spin-offs, he is usually sad after a loss and sometimes sobs. For example, in Mario Kart 64, if he does not place on the podium, he is shown wiping a tear. In Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, if he attains a Double Bogey, he throws a small fit. It has been said that Mario loves animals, especially the most unusual ones, and he also enjoys music, particularly opera or new-wave Europop, although there is no further comment for these statements. Mario Strikers Charged gives Mario a rock-n'-roll theme for his entrance and scoring animations and an orchestrated theme for his Super Ability. Finally, game art and gameplay depict Mario playing the saxophone, piano, guitar, synthesizer, timpani, xylophone, and trumpet. Mario is also said to be an avid listener. All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros. instruction booklet, pages 6 and 7.
Mario has been shown on various occasions to have an almost overbearing attitude towards his brother, as displayed by certain cutscenes in Mario Power Tennis; this is shown most often in Super Mario-kun. However, this could also just be Mario's outgoing "big brother" personality interacting with Luigi's more introverted nature. Additionally, Mario is much more impulsive and aggressive than his brother, Luigi, and is willing to enter dangerous situations all alone. In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Mallow even had to physically restrain Mario from brawling several times, such as before the battle with Bowyer, so that the heroes could figure out what exactly was happening to their world.
Mario has occasionally shown aggressive or vulgar tendencies throughout his appearances, albeit in a lighthearted and comic-relief manner; a notable exception is in Super Mario Momotarō, when Mario is shown holding a gun and aiming at Bowser, albeit to intimidate him. In Super Mario-kun, Mario is short-tempered and resorts to yelling at his friends for failing or taking uncalled-for actions; Mario himself is not above certain vulgar actions, such as farting to taunt his opponents or urinating on Yoshi, and he also cross-dresses several times, though these actions are not restricted to Mario. The title itself and the art style of the Super Mario-kun manga also depict Mario with a childish personality. "Kun" is a generally masculine Japanese honorific for juniors such as boys or teenagers.
In a virtual magazine for the Japan-exclusive Satellaview, his vulgar and aggressive tendencies are exaggerated for the purpose of adult-oriented humor. Mario is shown smoking a cigarette and abusing his friends and love interest; he abuses Toad in particular often due to the latter's own perverse behavior in the magazine (or else for no reason at all), stomps on both Toad and Peach repeatedly for having oral sex behind Mario's back, and kills the former character with a gun.
Mario seems to have a fixation with food. This is most notably seen in the DiC cartoon trilogy, which may also be the origin of this trait, where Mario is almost constantly hungry and fascinated with Italian food (mostly pizza and pasta), typically wanting to stop Bowser's latest scheme simply so he can eat and going to nearly any length to do so. In fact, in the The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode "Koopenstein," when Princess Peach asked him if he ever thought about anything besides food, Mario, with pure honesty, replied, "What else is there?" As in Super Mario 64 and its remake, the original reason Mario came to the castle is that Peach was baking him a cake, which becomes a recurring trend in future games, such as Super Mario Galaxy 2 and New Super Mario Bros. Wii, although Mario, as well as his friends, has also fallen for false invitations to a big feast, shown in Mario Party DS. Mario also dreams of pasta when he falls asleep in Super Mario 64, in Super Mario Odyssey, and in the Game Over screen of Mario vs. Donkey Kong. In the opening of Super Mario Sunshine, Mario is apparently daydreaming about seafood. In Fortune Street, he offers Yoshi to help by finding Yoshi's cookies but before playfully saying, "Just give me a second to brush these cookie crumbs out of my mustache!" Quite a few characters in other games also advised Mario to refrain from eating much. For instance, when Mario holds on to Hoot for too long, Hoot may complain about Mario's eating habits before getting exhausted and letting him go. Additionally, the Star Temple gate from Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, while praising Mario for his pure heart, has criticized his diet, advising him to limit the Alfredo sauce and carbonara in tandem with more exercising.
Speech
Like many other protagonists of Nintendo games, Mario rarely speaks, his dialogue being primarily limited to numerous grunts and yells, making him a mostly semi-silent protagonist. When he does speak, he speaks English, sometimes broken, with a heavy Italian accent, often referring to himself in the third person. With Charles Martinet as his most recurring voice actor, Mario's voice is soft and high-pitched, but in a few other games and in the cartoons, Mario has a gruff voice usually associated with a Brooklyn accent. In the Mario vs. Donkey Kong titles, Mario speaks fully, shouting sentences such as "Come back here, you big monkey!" He can be clearly heard shouting, "Welcome! Welcome, new galaxy!" in the ending of Super Mario Galaxy, as well as saying, "Thank you so much for playing my game!" after the credits of several games. Mario has also been given full dialogue in Itadaki Street DS and Fortune Street. Despite Nintendo's emphasis on Mario as a silent protagonist, Mario is the most often heard speaking in full sentences, if occurrences outside the games (especially in special events in real life) are counted.
Likewise, in some cases, Mario is a true silent protagonist, or he does not speak in English. In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Mario is completely silent, communicating solely through pantomime. In the Paper Mario titles, he mainly communicates through simple nodding and hand gestures; while he is completely silent in Paper Mario, however, he is given grunts in the latter games. Mario is also silent during dialogue scenes in the Mario Baseball and Mario & Sonic series, although he can technically talk. In the Mario & Luigi titles, he and Luigi speak in unintelligible gibberish that the other characters can understand. In Super Mario Sunshine, Mario is "heard" speaking in the opening scenes, but his dialogue is completely inaudible, although this is present only in the American version of the game, while in the Japanese version, Mario is heard speaking coherently, such as saying, "Looks like Mario's gonna have to find a job!" to Toadsworth after landing on the Delfino Airstrip, although he still speaks more than in most games in the series.
He has full speech capabilities demonstrated in some sports titles and other games (including when being portrayed in real life), and he also speaks regularly in such mediums like the DiC cartoon trilogy, though he speaks perfect English with a Brooklyn accent in the latter. Mario has been shown to be able to speak in full sentences in promotional videos, such as a press conference released for Mario Sports Mix. Also, people can communicate with Mario by asking various questions; there, too, Mario can fully speak, although his Italian accent mostly disappears. In the games, other characters speak for him, mainly Lakitu and Toad.
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