Mario
بواسطة ari webb-bryantThis article is about Mario, the main character of the namesake franchise. For the overall franchise, see Mario (franchise). For his infant counterpart, see Baby Mario. For his other counterparts and subjects titled "Mario", see Mario (disambiguation).
"Jumpman" redirects here. For information about the badge of the same name, see Jumpman (badge). For the Donkey Kong minigame from Mario Party 7, see Jump, Man.
Mario
MarioAlternateJamboreeRender
Artwork from Mario vs. Donkey Kong for the Nintendo Switch and Super Mario Party Jamboree
Chronological information
First appearance
Donkey Kong (1981)
Latest appearance
Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park (2026)
Personal information
Full name
Mario Mario[1]
Gender
Male
Status
Alive
Homeland
Mushroom Kingdom (birth)
Brooklyn, New York City (later)[4][5]
Occupations
Carpenter
Plumber
Doctor
Chef (Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up)
Attorney (Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up)
Race Car Driver (Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up)
Scientist (Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up)
Astronomer (Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up)
Sound Engineer (Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up)
Firefighter (Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up)
American football player (Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up)
Computer Programmer (Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up)
Armed Forces Pilot (Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up)
Forest Ranger (Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up)
Farmer (Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up)
Marine Biologist (Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up)
Demolition worker (Wrecking Crew)
Archaeologist (Mario's Picross)
Baker (Yoshi's Cookie)
Factory worker (Mario's Cement Factory)
Referee (Mike Tyson's Punch Out)
Species
Human[3]
Race
Italian
Age
24-25[2]
Alterego(s)
Dr. Mario
Metal Mario
Paper Mario
Gold Mario
Connections*
Family
Luigi (younger twin brother)
Stanley the Bugman (cousin)[citation needed]
Papa Mario and Mama Mario (parents)
Grandmama (grandmother)
Grandpapa (grandfather)
Mama Mia (mother)
Papa Pio (father)
Uncle Arthur (uncle, movie only)
Uncle Tony (uncle, movie only)
Aunt Marie (aunt, movie only)
Unnamed niece (movie only)
Marianne and Luigeena (cousins, cartoons only)
Mario Joe and Luigi Bob (cousins, cartoons only)
Marilyn (niece, cartoons only)
Marilyn's mother (possible sister or sister-in-law, cartoons only)
Marilyn's father (possible brother or brother-in-law, cartoons only)
Troy (possible brother or brother-in-law, cartoons only)
Unnamed Brother/Sister (movie only)
Friends
Admiral Bobbery
Baby Mario (past self)
Baby Luigi (ally)
Baby Luma (ally)
Birdo
Blue Mario
Blue Toad
Bob-omb Buddy
Bombette
Bowser (on rare occasions)
Bowser Jr. (on rare occasions)
Cappy
Connie (close friend)
Cozette
Diddy Kong
Dixie Kong
Donkey Kong
Funky Kong
Geno
Goomba
Goombario
Goombella
Kamek
Koopa Troopa
Koopa the Quick
Kooper
Koops
Lady Bow
Lakilester
Lakitu
Link
Lubba
Luigi (younger twin brother)
Lumas
Madame Flurrie
Mallow
Ms. Mowz
Nabbit
Paper Mario (paper self)
Parakarry
Pauline (friend, ex-girlfriend)
Prince Dreambert (ally)
Prince Peasley
Princess Peach (good friend/love interest)
Princess Daisy
Rosalina
Snoutlet (ally)
Starlow (ally)
Stuffwell (ally)
Luma (ally)
Tippi
Tiny Kong
Toad (best friend)
Toads
Toadbert
Toadette
Toadsworth
Toadsworth the Younger
Vivian
Wario (sometimes)
Waluigi (sometimes)
Watt
Yellow Mario
Yellow Toad
Yoshi (best friend)
Yoshis
Yoshi kid
Enemies
Baby Bowser
Bowser (arch-nemesis)
Bowser's Brother
Bowser Jr. (second arch-nemesis)
Birdo (formerly)
Birdos
Cranky Kong (formerly known as "Donkey Kong")
Wario (sometimes)
Waluigi (one-sided rival)
Donkey Kong (former pet/Donkey Kong and Mario vs Donkey Kong series)
Donkey Kong Jr.
Fawful
Reclusa
Sir Grodus
Midbus
Sushi
Popple
Koopalings
Paper Bowser
Paper Bowser Jr.
Rivals
Bowser (main rival, nemesis)
Bowser Jr. (archrival)
Donkey Kong (friendly rival)
Foreman Spike (original rival)
Wario (archrival)
Waluigi (occasionally)
Character traits
Alignment
Lawful/Chaotic Good
Emblem
A red "M"
Goals
Rescue Pauline (Donkey Kong and Mario vs. Donkey Kong, succeeded)
Hold Donkey Kong hostage and kill Donkey Kong Jr. (Donkey Kong Jr., both failed)
Rescue Princess Peach from Bowser (Super Mario, always succeeded; ongoing)
Rescue Princess Daisy (Super Mario Land and Super Mario Run, succeeded)
Rescue the Sprixie Princesses from Bowser (Super Mario 3D World, succeeded).
Calm Bowser down from his fury destroying Lake Lapcat with the help of Bowser Jr. (Bowser's Fury, succeeded).
Free Rosalina from Cursa's control and wrath of the galaxy. (Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, succeeded).
Behind the scenes
Flag of USA Current English voice actor
Charles Martinet (1991–2022, 2024)
Kevin Afghani (2023-present)
"It's-a me, Mario!"
Mario is the main character and titular protagonist of the long-running and highly successful video game franchise of the same name. He was created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto and serves as the main mascot of Nintendo. Mario was first introduced in the Donkey Kong franchise as the protagonist of the arcade game Donkey Kong, released in 1981 (in which he took the alias "Jumpman"). Mario would receive his own franchise in 1983 with the release of the Game & Watch title Mario Bros.
Since Super Mario Bros., his trademark abilities have been his jumping and stomping powers, with which he defeats most of his enemies, and his ability to gain even more powers with a plethora of items, such as the Super Mushroom, the Fire Flower, and the Super Star. Games have usually portrayed Mario as a silent, straightforward character. According to Nintendo's philosophy, this allows Mario to fit in many different genres and roles. In most games, he is the hero that goes on an adventure to save Princess Peach from his arch-nemesis, Bowser, but he has been shown doing many other activities besides adventuring, such as racing and sporting with his younger twin brother, Luigi; his friends such as Yoshi and Toad; and others.
Mario's distinctive look is due to technology restrictions in the mid-1980s, particularly Nintendo's inability to depict Popeye. 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. Mario has a big nose to have his face read better in the limited pixel space. Mario was made stocky so he covers best in the space he was allocated in. Finally, they used a cap to bypass the problem of animating and drawing hair. Mario's gloves were a later addition by the artist Zavier Leslie Cabarga for the North American poster for Donkey Kong.
Mario has undergone major changes since his initial appearance in Donkey Kong up until Super Mario Bros. In Donkey Kong, Mario initially 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. It is not until Super Mario Bros. where he resembles as he is today, with the familiar blue eyes, full hair, a red cap with an insignia, a distinct mustache, large hands, and other features.
Though Mario was originally imagined as middle-aged, his age has been approximated to be about 26 years old,[6] while Shigeru Miyamoto later placed it at either 24 or 25.[7] The pamphlet for Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen! estimates his age at around 25. The comic Mario vs. Wario also implies Mario (and Wario) is roughly in his late 20s or early 30s, as he recalls his childhood 20 years ago.
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.[8] The pamphlet for Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen! gives his height as 150 cm and weight as 70 kg (154 lbs.) 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,[9] while Shigeru Miyamoto referred to the humans of New Donk City as "normal people."[10] 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 Mario's and Luigi's "cute" appearances, and he considered redesigning the Mario Bros. to "become a bit more grown-up" in the GameCube era—for instance, by removing their trademark V sign.[11]
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. 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 proportion changes to his general appearance and added detail in his shoes, eyes, and cap emblem in most game artworks since Super Mario 3D World.
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 Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, 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. 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.
According to the Insiders' Calendar included in the second issue of Nintendo Power, Mario's birthday is October 11.[12][13]
Clothing
Mario wearing his trademark outfit consisting of a red shirt, a red cap, blue overalls with yellow buttons, white gloves, and brown shoes
Mario wearing his trademark outfit consisting of a red shirt, a red cap, blue overalls with yellow buttons, white gloves, and brown shoes
Mario is typically shown wearing his trademark outfit wherever he goes. He has a long-sleeved red shirt, 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, musician, in swim attire, or even as Princess Peach in her wedding gown. 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.
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 several alternate colors to use, with two costumes in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, most referencing existing characters throughout the Mario series.
Name
Arcade flyer with Mario's and Luigi's full names
Arcade flyer with Mario's and Luigi's full names
Mario's family name is given as "Mario" in the live-action segments "Dance" and "Treasure of the Sierra Brooklyn" of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! and made popular in the live-action movie Super Mario Bros. 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,[14] and the Prima guide for Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga similarly shows Mario's full name as Mario Mario in the list of major characters.[15] 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) on MIRT what his last name was at San Diego Comic-Con 2012, he 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!"[16] However, Nintendo of America earlier claimed that "there are no last names."[17] This was later stated by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata.[18] Additionally, Shigeru Miyamoto previously stated that Mario and Luigi do not have last names, contrary to their depiction in the movie, although he 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."[1]
Personality
"One of the things that's interesting about Mario is that there's very little character to him. You know very little about him. So despite the fact that he's incredibly well-known, incredibly visible and recognized, we know very little about his backstory, his history, or his motivations, so he's not much of a character in the traditional film or TV sense."
—James Newman, senior lecturer of cultural studies of Bath Spa University
Mario rescues Luigi after a badly ending sibling rivalry, until he is distracted.
Mario rescues Luigi after a badly ending sibling rivalry, until he is distracted.
Mario is known for being kind, cheerful, playful, encouraging, 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.[20] In most media and some games, though, Mario is depicted as a heroic Italian plumber from Brooklyn.
Mario loves food, especially Italian food, which 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?"
Mario's love for food is also shown in the games. 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 before low-key suggesting that he ate the cookies, "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 too 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. In Luigi's Mansion 3, where Mario is drawn to a food display in the Grand Lobby.
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 intercourse behind Mario's back, and kills the former character with a gun.
The Super Smash Bros. series makes Mario a much more serious character in comparison to his typical playful depiction, whilst Luigi is made into somewhat of a "comical and childish, yet depressive" character. This is evident in Mario's actions, since all of his attacks are "straightforward and serious," while his brother looks unwilling, hesitant, or too drowsy to be on the offense. Mario also keeps a straight face or firm expression when battling, unlike Luigi. Mario's other facial expressions are not wild or gloomy like his brother's, since he will appropriately smile during his side taunt and victory poses; appear surprised or shocked when grabbed, pummeled, or launched; or appear angry when hanging on to ledges or attacking. However, Mario's personality does not change drastically, since he is still a person who values fairness. This is evident in his losing animation, where he claps for his opponent with a smile. In Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary, Mario assumes a leadership role, since he makes it his job to unite the playable roster of Brawl to combat the evil Tabuu and the Subspace Army. Mario is friendly, since he is able to bond with most characters, including Kirby and Pit, and is very happy to cooperate with them. Mario, however, depending on how the game's story is followed, can witness witness Link and Yoshi defeating the False Peach (thinking she is the real Peach), causing him to try fighting them. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Mario is more whimsical and lighthearted during battle. One of his new taunts has him flash a thumbs-up.
Mario, although competitive, shows generally good sportsmanship, even complimenting his opponents, as shown in instances like Mario Kart 8 (there is a chance he says "Good play!" when he is in 2nd to 6th place) and Fortune Street, as well as smiling if he loses in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He still shows disappointment when he loses, such as in Mario Kart 64, if he does not place on the podium, he is shown wiping a tear. He is occasionally visibly frustrated but restrained, such as when he throws a small fit when he gets a Double Bogey in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, exhales to contain his anger in Mario Strikers Charged, and stomps his foot in frustration before sitting in resignation in all console entries for Mario Party starting with Mario Party 10.
Mario has occasionally shown assertive tendencies throughout his appearances, albeit in a lighthearted and comic-relief manner. In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Mallow had to physically restrain Mario from charging in, such as before the battle with Bowyer, so that the heroes can figure out what is happening to their surroundings.
There is also several one-off miscellaneous information. The 1993 Nintendo Character Manual, for instance, has stated that Mario loves animals, especially the most unusual ones,[21] and he also enjoys music, particularly opera or new-wave Europop,[21] 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.[22][23][24] Mario is also said to be an avid All Night Nippon listener.[25]
Speech
Like many other protagonists of Nintendo games, Mario rarely fully speaks in the mainline video games, making him a mostly semi-silent protagonist. In early games, however, Mario fully speaks for long periods of time, such as in Mario's Game Gallery and Mario Teaches Typing 2. Mario, whose voice is provided by Charles Martinet, speaks sometimes broken English with a heavy Italian accent and in a soft, high-pitched voice, often referring to himself in the third person. There are some games where Mario has also been given complete dialogue bubbles, such as Itadaki Street DS and Fortune Street. Mario has also spoken in full sentences in various promotional events, such as the 2006 interview for New Super Mario Bros.,[26] a press conference released for Mario Sports Mix, the Nintendo 3DS system demonstration,[27] and Play Nintendo's 2017 series of Mario reading letters to promote Super Mario Odyssey.[28] In promotional venues with MIRT, people can communicate with Mario by asking various questions; there, too, Mario speaks for long periods of time.[16][29][30] In The Cat Mario Show, Mario can speak fully, but he has an entirely different voice. In later games starting with Super Mario Odyssey, Mario's voice has become noticeably deeper due to Charles Martinet aging.
Most non-game media, such as the comics, manga, anime films, and the cartoons, also show Mario speaking. In the cartoons, Mario has a gruff voice usually associated with a Brooklyn accent. Mario speaks in the various anime films and shorts such as in Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!, though it is not a gruff voice as in the cartoons. In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Mario also has a Brooklyn accent, though without a gruff voice.
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 his usual voice in the latter games. Mario is also silent during dialogue scenes in the Mario Baseball, Mario Tennis Aces, Mario Golf, and Mario & Sonic series, although he can technically talk. In these games, other characters speak for him, mainly Lakitu and Toad. In the Mario & Luigi titles, Mario and Luigi speak in unintelligible Italian-sounding gibberish that the other characters can understand.
Powers and abilities
Mario, usually in the spinoffs, such as Super Smash Bros., is associated with fire.
Mario, usually in the spinoffs, such as Super Smash Bros., is associated with fire.
Mario's primary ability is his jump, which he relies on to defeat enemies, avoid obstacles, and activate helpful items, such as ? Blocks and P Switches. Although Luigi jumps higher, Mario is more well-known. Mario is also agile, capable of several acrobatic maneuvers, including the Long Jump, Backward Somersault, Spin Jump, and Wall Jump, with the Wall Jump being one of his most recurring abilities. Several of these abilities are later shared with other Mario characters. Some games depict Mario as immune to fall damage, such as in Super Mario Galaxy and in Super Mario Odyssey, though landing still impacts him, though other games such as Super Mario 64 has him taking damage; Mario can be instantly defeated by falling great heights in the Donkey Kong games. While Mario usually jumps for his attack, he can punch and kick in a few other games such as Super Mario 64, the Mario Party series, and the Super Smash Bros. series.
Mario's main weapon is the hammer in Donkey Kong, although Mario often uses the hammer as a weapon in Mario RPGs. Mario is usually associated with fire in the spinoffs, based on his Fire Mario form from Super Mario Bros. Mario can, in some games, such as Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, control fire without a Fire Flower power-up, although the first game where he actually starts using this power regularly is Super Smash Bros. Melee.
Despite his small size, in Super Mario 64, Mario can pick up large enemies including Bowser.
Despite his small size, in Super Mario 64, Mario can pick up large enemies including Bowser.
Mario can carry objects much larger than himself in some games. In Super Mario 64, he can carry and throw the Big Bob-omb, although with some difficulty. During the battles with Bowser, Mario can grab him by the tail, spin him, and throw him. His strength is also shown in Super Mario Galaxy, where he can easily stun a Grand Goomba with a Star Spin despite its great size and can knock Bowser around during battles with him. In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, although he is visibly straining, he is able to lift and throw a swollen Luigi when using the Snack Basket move. In the spinoffs, Mario, although usually balanced, boasts generally slightly above-average power, and in golf, he has one of the strongest drives.
Mario has been designed to be a versatile character. As a result, his abilities reflect a balanced playstyle, allowing him to participate and perform well in many situations. Indeed, his bios have frequently and consistently described him as a "jack of all trades." Another result of his versatility is the number of occupations he holds, including his most notable and iconic identity of being a plumber.
Mario can also take advantage of several power-ups and transformations.
Mario has fourteen power-ups that allow him to fly: the Wing, the Super Leaf, the Tanooki Suit, the P-Wing, the Cape Feather, the Power Balloon, the Wing Cap, the Power Flower, the Bee Mushroom, the Boo Mushroom, the Red Star, the Propeller Mushroom, the Invincibility Leaf, and the Super Acorn. On The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, Mario can fly even after powering up with a Fire Flower.
In Super Mario Bros. 3, Mario can transform into a Hammer Brother with the ability to throw hammers at his enemies or a frog with the ability to swim faster and jump higher.
Mario has three other caps he can wear: the Metal Cap, Wing Cap, and Vanish Cap. These turn him into Metal Mario, make him fly, and make him invisible and intangible, respectively.
In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Mario becomes more paper-like and can become Flat Mario, Paper Tube Mario, Paper Airplane Mario, and Paper Boat Mario as a result of the "curses" cast upon him by the Black Chest Demons.
In Super Paper Mario, Mario can temporarily flip between dimensions though this ability can become permanent by finding Mario’s Catch Card.
In Super Mario World, Mario has the ability to run up walls and pipes.
In Super Mario Odyssey, Mario can throw Cappy to "capture" sentient creatures and objects such as Goombas, Chain Chomps, Hammer Bros., and Bullet Bills, allowing him to control them.
Occupations
Mario in a one-off occupation as a rapper, as seen in the Japanese and French commercials for
Mario in a one-off occupation as a rapper, as seen in the Japanese and French commercials for Mario Pinball Land
Mario is typically known as a plumber since Mario Bros., although he started as a carpenter in Donkey Kong. Although he is best known for being a plumber, the games rarely portray Mario being directly involved in plumbing. Other media, such as The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, however, put a much bigger emphasis on Mario's job. According to the live-action segments in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, Mario works a menial job at Mario Brothers Plumbing in Brooklyn, just barely able to make enough money, and sometimes complains about a dull life. Despite this, he and Luigi seem to excel at their jobs, as it is stated that they have one of the best plumbing in New York City. Also according to the show, Mario has received his plumber training from the Brooklyn Plumbers Academy, founded by Salvador Drainotto, whom Mario holds to great respect. Mario is also skilled with various plumbing tools throughout the show's episodes, such as the All Purpose Portable Plumber's Helper and Plumber's Putty, which he uses to assist him and his friends in some hazardous situations. In 2016, a bio on the Kids section of the Nintendo Co., Ltd. site indicates that plumbing was Mario's former occupation; the bio on Mario Portal reconfirmed this.[31] However, as of March 2018, the Japanese profile was updated to state that Mario is still a plumber.[32]
In addition to plumbing, Mario has dabbled in various other occupations. One of his most notable recurring alternate careers is in medicine, as his alter-ego Dr. Mario, who stars in an entire spin-off series and is even a separate character in the Super Smash Bros. games. Mario is also known for his participation in a wide variety of spin-off sports games, including but not limited to golf, tennis, basketball, hockey, soccer, and both kart and motocross racing. He also participates in a wide array of Olympic events and has even made a cameo as a referee in Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! Another subseries-specific recurring role Mario takes is as the president of the Mario Toy Company in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong games.
In addition to these, he has also had numerous one-off jobs, again including but not limited to a demolition worker in Wrecking Crew, an archaeologist in Mario's Picross, a baker in Yoshi's Cookie, a factory worker in Mario's Cement Factory and Mario Bros. for the Game & Watch, a soldier who delivers bombs in Mario's Bombs Away, a grocery worker in Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!, a psychotherapist in Super Mario Adventures (albeit as a gag), and potentially a sensei in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Finally, Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up depicts Mario in various occupations, intending to educate children on several careers they can explore.
Relationships
Family
Main article: Mario and Luigi's family
sticker of Mario and Luigi giving each other a high five
LINE sticker of Mario and Luigi giving each other a high five
Luigi is Mario's younger twin brother. Luigi often joins Mario on his adventures, and the two of them are normally paired together in sports titles and spin-offs. They have a strong brotherly bond ever since they were babies, and they stop at nothing to save each other when one is in trouble, as seen in games such as Luigi's Mansion. In the Mario & Luigi series, if Luigi faints in battle, Mario yells in concern and carries him on his shoulders while defending himself or when running away (this also happens with Luigi if Mario is the one who gets KO'd) and the brothers often hug each other when they reunite after being separated in the story. Mario also is shown to be proud of his little brother when he faces his fears for him, such as when he faces King Boo to rescue him, and when he is saved in Luigi's Mansion 3, he is very happy that Luigi came to free him, and congratulates him before jumping in his arms and hugging him. It is stated in the 1993 official Nintendo Character Manual that Mario, when he retires, plans to give his plumbing business to Luigi (while also implying a distinct age contrast, which conflicts with the idea that they are twins).[21]
While they love each other, in Paper Mario, Luigi admits that he also feels jealousy towards his brother at times and has also expressed that he is "tired of being Player 2," for despite being a hero in his own right, he is often overshadowed by Mario. While Mario states that Luigi's quote of being Player 2 is taken out of context, adding that "Luigi loves being [his] sidekick" in the Mario Sports Mix press conference, in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, he is quick to give Luigi proper credit for defeating the Shroobs in the previous game. At times, Mario does exhibit a competitive sibling attitude toward Luigi, such as when he intentionally steps and squirms on Luigi's foot when Luigi receives a trophy in Mario Power Tennis, which makes him uneasy and embarrassed. Overall, however, he acts as a good brother and role model for Luigi, notably shown in the Mario & Luigi series.
Mario and Luigi's supposed parents
Mario and Luigi's supposed parents
The rest of Mario's family has not been extensively explored, especially outside the games. Mario and Luigi's supposed parents make a cameo at the end of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, although their faces are not seen and their names are not given, same as in their appearances in "Family Album "The Early Years"" and Super Mario Issun-bōshi. Furthermore, Yoshi's New Island has stated that these two are not Mario and Luigi's parents. The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, on the other hand, mentioned or featured Mama Mario in a number of episodes, depicting her as a strict woman who loves her boys very much. Their father did not appear in the show, and very little is known about him. The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! and the comics also make references or depict various other relatives of Mario, including aunts, uncles, and cousins, although none have appeared in any games.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie depicts Mario and Luigi as living with their parents and several other extended family members including two paternal uncles, an aunt, a grandfather, and a niece, in a small apartment in Brooklyn.[33]
Friends and love interests
One of Mario's earliest friends is Yoshi, who, along with other Yoshis, saved him and Luigi from the Koopas when they were still babies. In Yoshi's New Island, Mario has also reciprocated by traveling to the past to help Baby Mario and Yoshi save Baby Luigi. In the present day, Yoshi continues to help Mario against Bowser, usually serving as his steed. Overall, Mario and Yoshi get along well, and they always support each other through tough times.
Another of Mario's closest friends is Toad, who occasionally goes on adventures with him, as in Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario 3D World, Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix, Mario Tennis Aces, various Mario cartoons, and the Nintendo Comics System. Toad trusts that Mario always saves the day and, even when not fighting alongside him, is quick to offer advice and encouragement.
Peach rewards Mario with a kiss after he wins a trophy in Mario Power Tennis.
Peach rewards Mario with a kiss after he wins a trophy in Mario Power Tennis.
Mario and Princess Peach have been friends since childhood. As adults, Mario often saves Princess Peach, and she usually rewards him with a kiss on the cheek or nose, a cake, or even both. The German Club Nintendo comic "Warios Weihnachtsmärchen" even reveals that they spent their graduation ball in school together, and in the official guide of Yoshi's Island DS, the description for the level Baby Mario and Baby Peach: Dynamic Duo states they have teamed up as babies to stop evil before the "romantic entanglements" of their adult lives. Contrariwise, in a video published on the Play Nintendo channel on YouTube, Mario and Peach are described simply as friends.[34] In Super Paper Mario, while both Mario and Luigi deny a relationship when Luvbi asks if Peach was Mario's "lady friend," Luvbi also comments that the princess "looms large in his regard" and then wonders if Mario had a "one-sided crush." Many other sources, however, do portray Mario and Peach as having an ongoing romantic relationship as well as a friendship, such as the official European Mario website listing Peach as Mario's girlfriend and Mario Party 5 calling Peach and Mario's team "Cutest Couple." In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Peach calls Mario her "knight in shining armor," and in the first Paper Mario, one of the Toads tells Mario to take Peach on a date to Shooting Star Summit. In Super Princess Peach, after Peach rescues Mario, she enthusiastically calls and runs towards him, and they happily dance together in celebration. Rosalina refers to Peach as Mario's "special one" in Super Mario Galaxy, with the two seen holding hands toward the ending of the game. Mario Power Tennis even goes as far as showing Mario himself telling Peach of his love for her in Peach's victory scene, which she responds to with a smile and a blown kiss. Also, in Mario's victory scene in Mario Power Tennis, Peach gives him a small kiss on his cheek. In Super Mario Odyssey, after kidnapping her, Bowser declares his intention to make Peach marry him, and Mario's main motivation is to stop Bowser from taking Peach's hand in a forced marriage, separating her from him.
Peach has not been Mario's only romantic interest, however. In the original Donkey Kong, Pauline was Mario's first girlfriend and damsel-in-distress, but while he still has to occasionally rescue her in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series, the two are considered just friends now. In addition, when Mario saved Princess Daisy in her debut appearance in Super Mario Land, a heart appeared overhead, implying a romantic connection. This was never explored further, however, and while Mario Party 4 gave them the team name "Nice Couple," most games link Daisy with Luigi instead, with her and Mario simply being friends, not even sharing any player chemistry in the Mario Baseball series.
In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Mario has also shown to be a caring parental figure over Baby Mario, but he also steps in if any of his teammates misbehave. Mario appears to enjoy the babies' company. Before Baby Mario returns to his own time period, he gives Mario his hammer as a parting gift, showing his pleasure to be with his adult self.
Mario appears to be friendly rivals with Sonic the Hedgehog, extremely competitive in sports and events. Though rivals, they have a good friendship and partnership as the two have teamed up several times to stop their respective archenemies, Bowser and Dr. Eggman. According to an informal conversation with Mario, Mario stated in response that he likes Sonic and views him as a friendly archrival than an enemy. This is further supported in recent installments of the Mario & Sonic series, where they often share a high-five.
Throughout his adventure, Mario has also befriended numerous characters, notably his partners in the Paper Mario series. His partners are loyal to him, and some, such as Vivian, even have developed somewhat of a crush on him, whereas Ms. Mowz often flirts with him. Several other characters, especially in the Mario RPGs, including Toadette, are also wooed by Mario's heroic antics, although Mario himself has shown little interest. Mario has also made friends with characters outside the Mario series. For instance, he teamed up with Kirby, Link, and even Mega Man in the German Club Nintendo comics. Pit in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U even happily recalls his past adventure with Mario back in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and shows admiration for him and wants his autograph. Mario is also shown to be protective of his newfound friends; in Paper Mario: The Origami King, he is horrified when Bob-omb prepares to self-destruct to smash a boulder and is saddened by his resulting death, although not as bad as Olivia, who is unable to go on until he cheers her up and reminds her to not make his sacrifice in vain. Also, in the ending of Super Mario Sunshine, Mario is visibly upset by the loss of FLUDD when it shuts down, as he trembles and wipes away a tear.
Foes and rivals
Mario with his many friends and foes
Mario with his many friends and foes
Bowser is Mario's arch-nemesis. Bowser constantly tries to take over the Mushroom Kingdom and/or kidnap Peach while Mario usually defeats him. While Bowser resents Mario, Mario is often more than happy to forgive Bowser, such as in Mario Party DS, where they enjoy playing Triangle Twisters together. Even so, the resentment appears mutual, given their victory animations in Mario & Sonic at Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games and Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Bowser often calls Mario a variety of disparaging nicknames, especially in the cartoons. Mario sometimes returns the insults, but such retorts are usually restricted to the cartoons and other non-game media. When Mario does lose to Bowser, generally in spinoffs, he acknowledges it in good nature, such as in Fortune Street, although he expects himself to be a competent adversary for Bowser. Occasionally the two team up to defeat greater evils, such as in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Super Paper Mario, and Paper Mario: the Origami King.
Mario's first enemy, however, was Donkey Kong (later known as Cranky Kong) who kidnapped Mario's girlfriend and Mario had to defeat. The current Donkey Kong and Mario are on much better terms and often participate in sports and spin-offs together. Although they do maintain a friendly and somewhat competitive rivalry, Mario must defeat Donkey Kong a couple times in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series because Donkey Kong went into mischief, stemming from his passion and frustration for Mini Marios and Pauline. Even after his victory, after noticing Donkey Kong upset, Mario reconciles by offering his toys.
Mario's archrival is Wario, with various comics depicting their antagonistic relationship starting in childhood, and it is a major theme in the Super Mario-kun manga. In Wario's first appearance, in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, he stole Mario's castle, and in Mario Super Sluggers, he tried to destroy Mario, although for the most part, their rivalry is far more mild in nature, and the two even team up to defeat Bowser in Super Mario 64 DS. Finally, according to Wario in Wario's Warehouse, both Wario and Waluigi hang out with him, although Mario frequently peeks at Wario's Warehouse. Wario has shown mostly contempt for Mario, but he does not have the same level of dislike as Bowser, whereas Mario, although he has been initially bitter and even called Wario an "evil creep,"[35] maintains his cheerful and positive attitude as he does with most of his enemies.
Background
The Yoshi's Island games show Mario and Luigi's twin births through a stork delivery, .
The Yoshi's Island games show Mario and Luigi's twin births through a stork delivery, a reference to European folklore.
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. 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 depicts Luigi as several years younger than Mario, whereas he is depicted as Mario's younger twin in the video games.
Early legacy appearances
Before Super Mario Bros. and the wider Super Mario series at large, Mario's most notable roles were in Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., and Mario Bros., the latter releasing months after the Mario franchise's inaugural Game & Watch title of the same title.
Donkey Kong series
For information on other titles within the Donkey Kong series, see Mario/Other appearances#Donkey Kong series.
Donkey Kong
DK Arcade Mario Idle Sprite
DKA2600MarioSprite
DKIMarioSprite
DKZXSMarioSprite
DKA7800MarioSprite
Mario as he appears in various different versions of Donkey Kong
In Donkey Kong, Mario, at the time known as Jumpman is a carpenter who needs to rescue his girlfriend, Lady, from Donkey Kong at a construction site. Jumpman can jump over obstacles such as the barrels Donkey Kong throws, or Jumpman can use hammers to destroy the barrels and defeat other enemies. After defeating Donkey Kong in the final level, Jumpman is reunited with Lady.
Donkey Kong Jr.
DKJArcadeMarioSprite
DKJCVMarioSprite
DKJA2600MarioSprite
DKJIMarioSprite
A8DKJMarioSprite
Mario as he appears in various different versions of Donkey Kong Jr.
In Donkey Kong Jr., Jumpman appears as the antagonist, having captured Donkey Kong and holding him in a cage, to send him back yo the wild to ensure Donkey Kong can never kidnap anyone like Pauline again, with the protagonist of the game being Donkey Kong's son, Donkey Kong Jr. As Donkey Kong Jr. moves through the levels, Jumpman sends out enemies like Snapjaws and other obstacles to stop him. After Donkey Kong Jr. rescues Donkey Kong in the final level, Jumpman falls and is defeated. In the arcade version, Jumpman 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 Jumpmen that are seen carrying Donkey Kong away.
Mario Bros.
For information on the Mario Bros. series at large, see Mario/Spinoff appearances#Mario Bros. series.
Mario with his brother, Luigi, in Mario Bros.
Mario with his brother, Luigi, in Mario Bros.
MB Arcade Mario sprite
MB Mario NES
MarioMBGBASprite
MBA2600MarioSprite
MBC64O1987MarioSprite
Mario as he appears in various different versions of 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[36][37] (his house according to Atari[38]) 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.
Main appearances
Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. is the first game to standardize Mario's general appearance, such as the look of his hair, his eyes, and his hat.
Super Mario Bros. is the first game to standardize Mario's general appearance, such as the look of his hair, his eyes, and his hat.
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 Little 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 Magic 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
Mario holding a in artwork for Super Mario Bros
Mario holding a vegetable in artwork for Super Mario Bros. 2
Mario in World 1-1 of Super Mario Bros. 2.
Mario in World 1-1 of Super Mario Bros. 2.
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
"BS Sūpā Mario USA! Pāwā Charenji!"
—Mario
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
Artwork of from Super Mario Bros
Artwork of Frog Mario from 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 Kuribo's Shoes. Mario also encounters new enemies, such as Thwomps, Dry Bones, and Boos.
Super Mario Land
Mario in the Sky Pop
Mario in the Sky Pop
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
and in Super Mario World
Caped Mario and Yoshi in Super Mario World
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 Yoshi 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
"Hello!"
—Mario
Mario on the
Mario on the Bob-omb Battlefield
Artwork of Mario for Super Mario 64 (left) and his updated appearance in Super Mario 64 DS (right)
Artwork of Mario for Super Mario 64 (left) and his updated appearance in Super Mario 64 DS (right)
Artwork of Mario for Super Mario 64 (left) and his updated appearance in Super Mario 64 DS (right)
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.
Mario in in Super Mario 64 DS
Mario in Wet-Dry World in Super Mario 64 DS
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
See also: Shadow Mario
"Super Mario Sunshine! Wahoo!"
—Mario
Mario with FLUDD on his back
Mario with FLUDD on his back
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 FLUDD and, with his help, destroys the Polluted Piranha Plant, cleaning the airstrip. Soon after, however, the police arrests Mario and takes him to a jail on the main island.
Mario on trial
Mario on trial
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.
Mario's gooey doppelgänger,
Mario's gooey doppelgänger, Shadow Mario
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 FLUDD 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 FLUDD lying on the ground, highly damaged from the fall and stress of the battle. FLUDD 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 Princess Peach watching the sunset at .
Mario and Princess Peach watching the sunset at Sirena Beach.
Mario and Peach are then seen at Sirena Beach, Mario still sad about his loss of FLUDD. Both then turn around to see the Toads that came with them to the island, one holding FLUDD, 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 FLUDD's powers. Mario can spray water at enemies and clear goop; the Expansion Nozzles for FLUDD 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 FLUDD 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 FLUDD 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.
"That's-a so nice!"
—Mario
Artwork of Mario from New Super Mario Bros.
Artwork of Mario from 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 by being dropped down another shaft.
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
See also: Cosmic Mario
"Welcome! Welcome, new galaxy!"
—Mario
Mario star-spinning in Super Mario Galaxy
Mario star-spinning in Super Mario Galaxy
, who strongly resembles Mario
Cosmic Mario, who strongly resembles Mario
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 summons a UFO to abduct the princess. Mario, after hearing Bowser's plot to create an empire at the center of the universe with Peach, races to the Castle to stop him, he manages to reach the Castle in time as Bowser’s UFO pulls it from the ground but before Mario can reach Peach, he 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 that debuted 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
"New Super Mario Brothers... Wii-hee!"
—Mario
Mario in New Super Mario Bros
Mario in New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Mario and the rest riding Yoshis
Mario and the rest riding Yoshis
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
See also: Cosmic Clone
"Thank you so much for playing my game!"
—Mario
Mario riding Yoshi in Super Mario Galaxy 2
Mario riding Yoshi in Super Mario Galaxy 2
The , which also bears a similar appearance to Mario
The Cosmic Clone, which also bears a similar appearance to Mario
Super Mario Galaxy 2 has Mario involved in a more minimalist story compared to its predecessor, Super Mario Galaxy. Just as before, Mario is invited to the Castle by Peach but 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 beating Peewee Piranha in the Sky Station Galaxy and finding a Power Star, Mario finds a small planetoid that a group of Lumas, led by Lubba, 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. Mario, however manages to get a new Cap.
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
SM3Dart
Mario as he appears in Super Mario 3D Land
TanookiMario SM3DS
Mario in his Tanooki form
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 and an
Mario and an Invincibility Leaf
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 Bowser. 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. These assistance power-ups, however, do not appear in Special Levels, nor do they appear in levels that Mario has already cleared.
New Super Mario Bros. 2
"Let's-a go!"
—Mario
Raccoon Mario artwork in New Super Mario Bros
Raccoon Mario artwork in 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
"Oh yeah, Mario time!"
—Mario
Mario jumping together with , , and in
Mario jumping together with Luigi, Yellow Toad, and Blue Toad in New Super Mario Bros. U
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.
Mario's as seen in the intro
Mario's cap as seen in the intro
In 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. In the beta trailers for the game, Mario was originally going to be playable in the New Super Luigi U side before this was changed.
Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
"Super Mario... 3D World!! Meow!"
—Mario
Main Crew Artwork - SM3DW
From left to right: Toad, Peach, Mario, and Luigi
CatCrew
Cat Mario, Cat Luigi, Cat Peach and Cat Toad
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.
SM3DWBF Mario Jr. Art
Mario and Bowser Jr.
SM3DWBF Giga Cat Mario Art
Giga Cat Mario
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
"Hey! Let's get making!"
—Mario
gluing a wing to a
Builder Mario gluing a wing to a ? Block
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.
ModernMarioSMM Mario (Super Mario Bros.): A recolor of Mario's original Super Mario Bros. sprite that uses his modern colors. Upon Mario grabbing the Mystery Mushroom, the sound effect after exiting a pipe in Tiny-Huge Island and in the opening of Super Mario 64 can be heard. The "Course Clear" tune is replaced by the one heard after obtaining a Power Star in that game. Mario's jumping sound effects are also replaced by Super Mario World's. The death tune is the "Game Over" tune from Super Mario 64, and the invincibility tune is replaced with the Wing Mario tune from that same game.[39] This costume is also used for Big Mario's modern appearance, but it does not use any of the costume's unique sound effects and is able to wear Buzzy Shells and Spiny Shells. This costume is unlocked either at random upon completion of the 100-Mario Challenge or by scanning a compatible Mario amiibo.
SMM Silver Mario Silver Mario (Super Mario Maker): A silver palette swap of Mario's modernized Super Mario Bros. sprite. The Gold Mario power-up sound effect from New Super Mario Bros. 2 can be heard when transforming into Silver Mario, and sparkling sound effects are heard while the transformation is active. The Super Star music is also changed to Metal Mario's theme from Super Mario 64.[39] The costume is unlocked either at random upon completion of the 100-Mario Challenge or by scanning a Mario - Silver Edition amiibo.
SMM Gold Mario Gold Mario (Super Mario Maker): A golden palette swap of Mario's modernized Super Mario Bros. sprite. The Gold Mario power-up sound effect from New Super Mario Bros. 2 can be heard when transforming into Gold Mario, and sparkling sound effects are heard while the transformation is active. The Super Star theme is also changed to Metal Mario's theme from Super Mario 64. The costume is unlocked either at random upon completion of the 100-Mario Challenge or by scanning a Mario - Gold Edition amiibo.
SMM Builder Mario sprite Builder Mario (Super Mario Maker): An 8-bit rendition of the attire Mario wears on the box art and promotional art. Upon transformation, the "Super Mario Maker!" shout from the title screen is heard. In addition, the normal Super Mario Bros. power-up sound is retained, the "Course Clear" tune is the start-up jingle from Super Mario Maker, and the "lose a life" sound is changed to the "Game Over" sound from Gnat Attack. Pressing +Control Pad up on the Wii U makes Builder Mario take out a hammer. The costume is unlocked by completing the normal difficulty of Gnat Attack for the first time.
JumpmanSMM Mario Bros. Mario (Mario Bros.): Mario's sprite from the NES version of the Mario Bros. arcade game. Upon Mario touching the Mystery Mushroom, the "respawn" sound effect from the NES version plays. When Mario clears a stage, the "Game Over" theme from Mario Bros. plays. He makes the losing pose when pressing +Control Pad up. The costume is unlocked at random upon completion of the 100-Mario Challenge.
SMM Small Dr Mario sprite Dr. Mario (Dr. Mario): Mario's modernized Super Mario Bros. sprite modified to look like Dr. Mario. Sound effects from the NES version of Dr. Mario play. When +Control Pad up is pressed, Dr. Mario pulls out a capsule. The costume is unlocked either at random upon completion of the 100-Mario Challenge or by scanning a compatible Dr. Mario amiibo.
SMM Mario Kart Kart Mario (Super Mario Kart): Mario's original Super Mario Bros. sprite, modified to match his current colors, driving a Standard Kart from Mario Kart 8. Upon Mario touching a Mystery Mushroom, the jingle that plays prior to the start of a race in Super Mario Kart can be heard. The "Course Clear" jingle is the race-finishing jingle also from Super Mario Kart. A Super Glider also appears when jumping. The Super Star music changes to the version from Super Mario Kart when using this suit. This costume is unlocked at random upon completion of the 100-Mario Challenge.
Mario (Super Mario-Kun) - SMM SUPER MARIO KUN (Coro Coro Comic): Mario's design from the Super Mario-kun manga, originally exclusive to Japan. This costume uses the same sound effects as regular Mario and is unlocked by completing Yukio Sawada's level, SUPER MARIO KUN 25th Anniversary, which was made available as an Event Course during November 2015.
CatMario-SMM Cat Mario (Super Mario 3D World): An 8-bit rendition of Cat Mario based on Mario's Super Mario Bros. sprite. This costume can be unlocked by completing the "Cat Mario's Course" event course, which was made available to play during November 2015. The transformation sound is the Super Bell transformation from Super Mario 3D World, and the death tune and "Course Clear" themes are the corresponding ones from the same game. His running animation has him running on all four legs, and his jumping sound is Mario's jumping voice clip from Super Mario 3D World. Pressing +Control Pad up causes Mario to pose with his paw in the air, making the "claw swipe" sound from Super Mario 3D World.
FrogMario-SMM Frog Mario (Super Mario Bros. 3): Frog Mario's sprite from Super Mario Bros. 3. When pressing +Control Pad up, Mario stands upright, resembling his normal sprite from Super Mario Bros. 3. Mario's jump sound, death tune, and "Course Clear" theme are all taken from Super Mario Bros. 3. The costume is unlocked upon completion of the NES REMIX Event Course.
Costume Mario (Paper Jam Bros.) - SMM Mario Trio (Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam): Mario, Luigi, and Paper Mario are shown as one sprite. It is unlocked when the player clears the Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Event Course. When the player presses +Control Pad up, Mario says, "Wahoo!" and shows a sprite of Papercraft Mario and mini Toads around it. The jump sound is a combination of Mario, Luigi, and Paper Mario's jumping, and the defeat sound effect is Mario exclaiming, "Mama mia."
Mario (GLA) - SMM GLA (Mercedes-Benz/Mario Kart 8): Mario drives a GLA SUV. The costume is unlocked once the player clears the Mercedes-Benz Jump'n'Drive Event Course. When the player presses +Control Pad up, Mario emerges from the open door in the car, and the car honks and a door closes. If Mario loses a life, the original jingle plays, but the car honks and the "Course Clear" music are rearranged.
SMM Statue Mario Statue Mario (Super Mario Bros. 3): This costume is unique from the rest. Instead of simply just a Statue Mario sprite from its respective game, the Super Mario Bros. Mario is actually hiding behind it and carries it with him when he moves. When running, he carries Statue Mario on his back. When pressing +Control Pad up, he peeks out from Statue Mario. When pressing +Control Pad down, he lies flat on the ground.
While Builder Mario appears in the game's artwork, it is not regarded as a power-up until Super Mario Maker 2.
SMM 30th Goomba SMM 30th Green Koopa SMM 30th Red Koopa SMM 30th Blooper SMM-SMB-30th-Baby-Blooper SMM 30th Bob-omb SMM 30th Boo SMM-SMB-Masked-Stretch SMM 30th Green Cheep Cheep SMM 30th Red Cheep Cheep SMM 30th Dry Bones SMM 30th Fish Bone SMM 30th Hammer Bro SMM 30th Sledge Bro SMM-SMB-30th-Lakitu'sCloud SMM 30th Lava Bubble SMM 30th Monty Mole SMM 30th Rocky Wrench SMM 30th Spike Top 1 SMM 30th Spike Top 2 SMM 30th Spiny SMM 30th Thwomp SMM 30th Wiggler SMM-SMB-Mario-Angry-Wiggler SMM-SMB-Moustached-ClownCar SMM-SMB-Goomba'sBrick SMM-SMB-Goomba'sPipe SMM-SMB-Bowser-Kidnapping-Princess-Peach SMM-SMB-Luigikoopa-Riding-Bowser SMM-SMB-Luigi-Riding-Bowser-Jr
Several enemies in Super Mario Maker with traits of Mario
Mario is also given two new forms: the first one is Weird Mario, which is a taller, skinnier and more realistic version of him and has access to the Scuttle, and in addition to be a placable form, will also "answer" Warp Doors if they are tapped five times. The other is Big Mario, which comes in two different versions: one with Mario's original colors and another with his modern colors. The form causes several enemies and items to gain traits of Mario (specifically his cap and his moustache).
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
"Super Mario...Odyssey!"
—Mario
Mario with Cappy in Super Mario Odyssey
Mario with Cappy in 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.[40]
Super Mario Maker 2
Mario and his friends in their
Mario and his friends in their Builder forms
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.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Mario is also one of the starring characters in Super Mario Bros. Wonder and its Nintendo Switch 2 version Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park.
Other appearances
Spinoff game appearances
Artwork of Mario on his B Dasher for Mario Kart DS
Artwork of Mario on his B Dasher for Mario Kart DS
Mario Kart series as a playable character in every game from Super Mario Kart onward.
Mario Tennis series as a playable character in every title.
Paper Mario series as a protagonist in every title.
Mario & Luigi series as a co-star and playable character in every title.
Mario Baseball series as a playable character in Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers.
Mario Strikers series as a playable character in Super Mario Strikers, Mario Strikers Charged, and Mario Strikers: Battle League.
Spinoff media appearances
DiC Entertainment cartoons as the main protagonist of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, and the Super Mario World television series.
Super Mario-kun as the main protagonist.
Illumination films as the main protagonist of The Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
Non-Mario appearances
Partnered franchises
Wario franchise
WarioWare series in certain Mario-themed microgames.
Crossover games
Super Smash Bros. series as a fighter in every installment since Super Smash Bros.
Mario & Sonic series as a playable character in every title.
Statistics
Hat mario For Mario's in-game
statistics, click here.
An example of Mario's balanced characteristics
An example of Mario's balanced characteristics
MK8 Mario emblemMK8 Mario Car Horn Emblem
Mario's emblems from Mario Kart 8
Mario has consistently and frequently appeared in every game as a balanced player designed to be mastered easily. The only notable exceptions are the Mario Golf games, where he has a high drive, higher than most of the cast, including known-power characters such as Wario and Donkey Kong (in Mario Golf: World Tour, for instance, his drive is surpassed only by Bowser, Rosalina, and Donkey Kong). Additionally, in Mario Strikers: Battle League, Mario is classified as a technique character (albeit his bio mentions his balanced stats); Shy Guy, later added in an update, is later classified as an all-around character. Otherwise, since Mario is designed as a versatile character, his stats reflect the "jack of all trades" quality. In games where Mario's stats are not equally balanced, he generally leans slightly toward power and agility. While Mario is fairly nimble in games such as Super Smash Bros., Mario Super Sluggers, the Mario & Luigi series, and the Mario & Sonic series, he is sometimes portrayed with average or even below-average mobility in other games, including Mario Superstar Baseball, Mario Tennis games, and Mario Strikers Charged.
Flavor text
Hat mario For profiles of Mario,
click here.
Most bios have described Mario as a well-known icon in the Mushroom Kingdom, in Nintendo, and in video gaming in general. They may also celebrate his numerous accomplishments or his previous forays.
Mario's most frequent associated color scheme has been red, although his scheme may sport blue or white motifs. His logo is his trademark M cap.
Behind the scenes
Creation
Concept art for Mario
Concept art for Mario
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.[41]
For use in his arcade game Donkey Kong, Miyamoto created a player character originally known during development as Ossan (the Japanese term for "middle-aged man"), then Mr. Video Game or Mr. Video and Jumpman.[42][18] 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 mustache, as hair and a mouth were impossible to animate on the arcade system.[43] When the game was released in Japan, he was simply a nameless "player" (プレイヤー) in the Japanese arcade instructions and flyer. In the American arcade instructions, he was called Jumpman, but Nintendo of Japan asked Nintendo of America if it wanted to rename him during the Western localization. President Minoru Arakawa and warehouse manager Don James thought it would be funny to call the character Mario after the reclusive Italian American landlord of storage and company housing, Mario Segale.[44][45][46][47] It was too late to replace the Jumpman name from the instructions, but the "Mario" name appeared on the flyer that debuted alongside the game. In Japan, he became known as Mario with the release of Donkey Kong Jr. Prior to this, the Japanese instructions for the Game & Watch version of Donkey Kong called him Kyūjo Man (救助マン, lit. "rescue man").
While Mario was initially described as a carpenter, Mario Bros. subsequently changed his occupation to a plumber because "the scenario dictates his role."[37] Miyamoto in a 2009 radio interview stated that he wanted to create a hero resembling an "ordinary odd-job man"; he did not like the idea of a perfect hero, preferring the idea of "ordinary citizens doing something really good for society," and would be "embarrassed" for making a perfect hero. He stated, "I like the idea of a middle-aged ordinary man doing something nice for other people."[19]
Portrayals
Mario has been voiced by the following people:
Harris Shore – Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. commercials
Larry Moran – Donkey Kong cereal commercials
Peter Cullen – Saturday Supercade
Tōru Furuya – Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!, Amada Anime Series: Super Mario Bros., Super Mario World: Mario to Yoshi no Bōken Land, Satellaview games
Lou Albano – The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! (except when singing "Hit the Road Jack")
Walker Boone – The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World television series
John Lenahan – The Super Mario Challenge
Ronald B. Ruben – Mario Teaches Typing
Takeshi Aono – Mario Paint commercial
Lennart Johannessen - Live action segments for the Danish dub of The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
Bob Hoskins – Super Mario Bros. film
Marc Graue – Hotel Mario
Nicholas Glaeser – Mario is Missing! (MS-DOS, CD-ROM Deluxe)
Charles Martinet – Super Mario Bros. pinball machine, Mario's Game Gallery–present
Gorō Inagaki – 2003 "Hot Mario" commercial
Takashi Okamura – 2005–2006 "Hot Mario Bros." commercials
Kazunari Ninomiya – 2011 Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 commercials
Chris Pratt - The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Cultural impact
The wax statue of Mario in 2002
The wax statue of Mario in 2002
Marioandronald Dutch Supa Mehrio in real life
Photographs featuring Mario costumed performers. Left: Mario with Ronald McDonald. Right: Mario at a Meet & Greet Mario event.
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,[48] and he has the only wax statue of a video game character, which stands in the Hollywood Wax Museum.
A Mario statue in Sweden
A Mario statue in Sweden
The Mario franchise 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.[49] Even with subseries excluded, the main Mario series has sold 311.46 million games (as of September 2015).[50] Furthermore, Mario is the flagship series of Nintendo, and Mario is the company's mascot, furthering his publicity even more. According to Guinness World Records 2008: Gamer's Edition, Mario has appeared in a total of 116 separate games, which is more than any other video game character,[51] and more recent sources such as the Game On 2.0 traveling exhibit place the number at over 200.[52]
Quotes
Hat mario To view Mario's
quotes click here.
Games
"Let's-a play!" – Mario Power Tennis/Mario Tennis: Power Tour/New Super Mario Bros. Wii/Super Mario 3D Land/Mario Tennis Open
"It's-a me, Mario!" – Super Mario 64
"Press Start to play." – Super Mario 64
"Let's-a go!" – Various games
"Here we go!" – Various games
"Thank you so much for playing my game!" – Super Mario 64/Super Mario 64 DS/Super Mario Galaxy/Super Mario Galaxy 2/Super Mario Odyssey
Variations of "Mario time!" – Various games
"Here I go!" – New Super Mario Bros.
"That's-a so nice!" – New Super Mario Bros.
"Mamma mia!" – Various games (usually for losing)
"Yahoo!" – Various games
"Oh/Oh no, I lost!" - Mario Party 3/Mario Party 4/Mario Party 5/Mario Party 6/Mario Party 7/Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games/Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games/Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games
"Hey! Come back here! You big monkey!" - Mario vs. Donkey Kong
"Oh yeah, don't forget to thank Mr. Miyamoto." - Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Timeline
[Edit]Game Role Year Console Notes
Donkey Kong Playable character 1981 Arcade Game debut
Donkey Kong Jr. Main antagonist 1982 Arcade
Mario's Cement Factory Playable character 1983 Game & Watch
Mario's Bombs Away Playable character 1983 Game & Watch
Pinball Playable character 1983 Arcade
Mario Bros. Playable character 1983 Arcade
Punch-Out!! Non-playable character 1983 Arcade Featured as the referee
Mario Bros. Special Playable character 1984 NEC PC-8801
Punch Ball Mario Bros. Playable character 1984 NEC PC-6001
Donkey Kong Circus Non-playable character 1984 Game & Watch
Donkey Kong Hockey Non-playable character 1984 Game & Watch
Tennis Non-playable character 1984 NES Serves as the referee
Pinball Playable character 1984 NES Only playable in the Bonus Stage
Golf Playable character 1984 NES
Wrecking Crew Playable character 1985 NES
Super Mario Bros. Playable character 1985 NES First Super Mario Bros. debut
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels Playable character 1986 NES
I Am a Teacher: Super Mario no Sweater Playable character 1986 Family Computer Disk System
All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros. Playable character 1986 Family Computer Disk System
Famicom Grand Prix: F-1 Race Playable character 1987 Family Computer Disk System
Super Mario Bros. 2 Playable character 1988 NES
Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt Playable character 1988 NES
Super Mario Bros. 3 Playable character 1988 NES
Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally Playable character 1988 NES
Kaettekita Mario Bros. Playable character 1988 NES
Super Mario Land Playable character 1989 GB
Alleyway Playable character 1989 NES
Baseball Playable character 1989 GB
Tetris Playable character 1989 GB Only featured as player one's character in multiplayer.
Tetris Cameo 1989 NES Makes a cameo alongside some other Nintendo characters in the results screen after completing Type B
Qix Non-playable character, cameo 1990 GB Cameos in the different endings; represented as player 1's team in two-player mode.
Dr. Mario Playable character 1990 GB
F-1 Race Cameo 1990 GB
Super Mario World Playable character 1990 SNES
Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt / World Class Track Meet Playable character 1990 NES
NES Open Tournament Golf Playable character 1991 NES
Mario Teaches Typing Playable character 1991 MS-DOS
Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up Non-playable character 1991 MS-DOS
Mario the Juggler Playable character 1991 Game & Watch
Yoshi Playable character 1991 NES
Super Scope 6 Cameo 1992 SNES
Mario Paint Non-playable character 1992 SNES
Super Mario Kart Playable character 1992 SNES
Yoshi's Cookie Playable character 1992 SNES
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins Playable character 1992 GB
Mario is Missing! Non-playable character 1993 SNES
Mario's Time Machine Playable character 1993 SNES
Mario & Wario Non-playable character 1993 SNES
Super Mario All-Stars Playable character 1993 SNES
Mario's Early Years! Fun with Letters Non-playable character 1993 SNES
Mario's Early Years: Fun with Numbers Non-playable character 1993 SNES
Mario's Early Years: Preschool Fun Non-playable character 1993 SNES
Yoshi's Cookie Non-playable character 1993 NES
Yoshi's Safari Playable character 1993 NES
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 Non-playable character 1994 GB
Mario's Time Machine Playable character 1994 NES
Hotel Mario Playable character 1994 Philips CD-i
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest Cameo 1995 SNES One of the characters on the podium at Cranky Kong's Video Game Heroes
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Non-playable character 1995 SNES
Mario's Game Gallery Non-playable character 1995 SNES
Mario's Picross Non-playable character 1995 GB
Mario's Super Picross Non-playable character 1995 SNES
Mario Tennis Non-playable character 1995 VB
Mario Clash Playable character 1995 VB
Mario Teaches Typing 2 Playable character 1996 Windows
Super Mario 64 Playable character 1996 N64
Mario Kart 64 Playable character 1996 N64
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars Playable character 1996 SNES
Mario no Photopi Non-playable character 1996 N64
Game & Watch Gallery Playable character 1997 GB
Excitebike: Bun Bun Mario Battle Stadium Playable character 1997 SNES
Game & Watch Gallery 2 Playable character 1997 GB
Wrecking Crew '98 Playable character 1998 SNES
Mario Party Playable character 1998 SNES
Super Smash Bros. Playable character 1999 N64
Super Mario Bros. Deluxe Playable character 1999 NES
Mario Golf Playable character 1999 N64
Mario Golf Playable character 1999 GBC
Mario Party 2 Playable character 1999 GBC
Mario Artist: Paint Studio Playable character 2000 N64
Mario Artist: Talent Studio Non-playable character 2000 N64
Mario Artist: Communication Kit Non-playable character 2000 N64
Mario Artist: Polygon Studio Non-playable character 2000 N64
Mario's Tennis Playable character 2000 N64
Paper Mario Playable character 2000 N64
Mario Party 3 Playable character 2000 N64
Dr. Mario 64 Playable character 2001 N64
Luigi's Mansion Non-playable character 2001 GCN
Super Smash Bros. Melee Playable character 2001 GCN
Mario Tennis Playable character 2001 GBC
Mario Kart: Super Circuit Non-playable character 2001 GBA
Super Mario Advance Playable character 2001 GBA
Super Mario Advance 2: Super Mario World Playable character 2001 GBA
Super Mario Sunshine Playable character 2002 GCN
Mario Party 4 Playable character 2002 GCN
Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 Playable character 2002 GBA
Game & Watch Gallery 4 Playable character 2002 GBA
Mario Party-e Playable character 2003 GCN
Mario Party 5 Playable character 2003 GCN
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Playable character 2003 GCN
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour Playable character 2003 GCN
Nintendo Puzzle Collection Playable character 2003 GCN
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 Playable character 2003 GBA
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga Playable character 2003 GBA
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Playable character 2004 GBA
Classic NES Series Super Mario Bros. Playable character 2004 GBA
Mario Party 6 Playable character 2004 GBA
Mario Power Tennis Playable character 2004 GCN
Mario vs. Donkey Kong Playable character 2004 GBA
Mario Golf: Advance Tour Playable character 2004 GBA
Mario Pinball Land Playable character 2004 GBA
Super Mario 64 DS Playable character 2004 DS First Nintendo DS appearance.
Yoshi Touch & Go Playable character 2005 DS
Yakuman DS Playable character 2005 DS
NBA Street V3 Playable character 2005 DS Guest appearance
Mario Superstar Baseball Playable character 2005 GCN
Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix Playable character 2005 GCN
SSX on Tour Playable character 2005 GCN
Mario Kart DS Playable character 2005 DS
Mario Party 7 Playable character 2005 GCN
Super Mario Strikers Playable character 2005 GCN
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time Playable character 2005 DS
Mario Party Advance Playable character 2005 GBA
Mario Tennis: Power Tour Playable character 2005 GBA
Mario Kart Arcade GP Playable character 2005 Arcade
Super Princess Peach Non-playable character 2005 DS
New Super Mario Bros. Non-playable character 2006 DS
Mario Hoops 3-on-3 Non-playable character 2006 DS
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis Non-playable character 2006 DS
Yoshi's Island DS Non-playable character 2006 DS Mario appears as Baby Mario.
Tetris DS Non-playable character 2006 DS
Super Paper Mario Playable character 2007 Wii
Mario Party 8 Playable character 2007 Wii
Mario Strikers Charged Playable character 2007 Wii
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Playable character 2007 Wii
Super Mario Galaxy Playable character 2007 Wii
Mario Party DS Playable character 2007 Wii
Itadaki Street DS Playable character 2007 DS
Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 Playable character 2007 Arcade
Super Smash Bros. Brawl Playable character 2008 Wii
Dr. Mario Express Playable character 2008 Wii
Dr. Mario Online Rx Playable character 2008 Wii
Mario Kart Wii Playable character 2008 Wii
Game & Watch Collection Playable character 2008 DS
Mario Super Sluggers Playable character 2008 Wii
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Playable character 2009 Wii, DS
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story Playable character 2009 DS
Super Mario Galaxy 2 Playable character 2010 DS
Game & Watch Collection 2 Playable character 2010 DS
Super Mario All-Stars 25th Anniversary Edition Playable character 2010 Wii
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! Playable character 2010 Wii
Mario Sports Mix Playable character 2010 Wii
Super Mario 3D Land Playable character 2011 3DS First Nintendo 3DS appearance.
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games Playable character 2011 Wii, 3DS
Mario Kart 7 Playable character 2011 Wii, 3DS
Fortune Street Playable character 2011 Wii
Mario Party 9 Playable character 2011 Wii Final Wii appearance.
Mario Tennis Open Playable character 2011 3DS
New Super Mario Bros. 2 Playable character 2012 3DS
Paper Mario: Sticker Star Playable character 2012 3DS
New Super Mario Bros. U Playable character 2012 Wii U First Wii U appearance.
Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon Non-playable character 2013 Wii U
Mario Kart Arcade GP DX Non-playable character 2013 Arcade
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Playable character 2013 3DS
Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move Playable character 2013 3DS
Super Mario 3D World Playable character 2013 Wii U
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Playable character 2013 Wii U
Mario Party: Island Tour Playable character 2013 3DS
NES Remix Playable character 2013 Wii U
NES Remix 2 Playable character 2013 Wii U
Mario Golf: World Tour Playable character 2014 3DS
Yoshi's New Island Playable character 2014 3DS Mario appears as Baby Mario.
Mario Kart 8 Playable character 2014 Wii U
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Playable character 2014 3DS
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Playable character 2014 Wii U
Ultimate NES Remix Playable character 2014 Wii U
Mario Party 10 Playable character 2015 Wii U
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars Non-playable character 2015 Wii U
Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition Non-playable character 2015 3DS
Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure Playable character 2015 Wii U
Super Mario Maker Playable character 2015 Wii U
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash Playable character 2015 Wii U
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Playable character 2015 Wii U
Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge Playable character 2016 Wii U, 3DS
Minecraft: Wii U Edition Playable character 2016 Wii U
Paper Mario: Color Splash Playable character 2016 Wii U
Mario Party: Star Rush Playable character 2016 3DS
Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS Playable character 2016 3DS
Super Mario Run Playable character 2016 Mobile
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Playable character 2017 Switch First Nintendo Switch appearance.
Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition Playable character 2017 Mobile
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Playable character 2017 Nintendo Switch
Donkey Kong Adventure Non-playable character 2017 Nintendo Switch
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions Playable character 2017 3DS
Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser Mentioned 2017 3DS
Super Mario Odyssey Playable character 2017 Nintendo Switch
Mario Party: The Top 100 Playable character 2017 3DS
Mario Tennis Aces Playable character 2018 3DS
WarioWare Gold Non-playable character 2018 3DS Mario appeared in several microgames.
Super Mario Party Playable character 2018 Nintendo Switch
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Playable character 2018 Nintendo Switch Mario and Dr. Mario are separate characters.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey Playable character 2019 3DS Final Nintendo 3DS appearance.
Bowser Jr.'s Journey Non-playable character 2019 3DS Final Nintendo 3DS appearance.
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe Playable character 2019 Nintendo Switch
Super Mario Maker 2 Playable character 2019 Nintendo Switch
Dr. Mario World Playable character. 2019 Mobile Mario appears as Dr. Mario.
Mario Kart Tour Playable character 2019 Mobile
Luigi's Mansion 3 Non-playable character 2019 Nintendo Switch
Mario & Sonic at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Playable character 2019 Nintendo Switch
Paper Mario: The Origami King Playable character 2020 Nintendo Switch
Super Mario 3D All-Stars Playable character 2020 Nintendo Switch A playable character in 64, Sunshine and Galaxy.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury Playable character 2021 Nintendo Switch
Bowser's Fury Playable character 2021 Nintendo Switch
Mario Golf: Super Rush Playable character 2021 Nintendo Switch
WarioWare: Get It Together! Microgame cameo 2021 Nintendo Switch
Mario Party Superstars Playable character 2021 Nintendo Switch
Mario Strikers: Battle League Playable character 2022 Nintendo Switch
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope Playable character 2022 Nintendo Switch
The Tower of Doooom Playable character 2022 Nintendo Switch
The Last Spark Hunter Playable character 2022 Nintendo Switch
Super Mario Bros. Wonder Playable character 2023 Nintendo Switch
Super Mario RPG Playable character 2023 Nintendo Switch Same role as Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership Playable character 2024 Nintendo Switch
Mario Kart World Playable character 2025 Nintendo Switch 2
Super Mario Party Jamboree: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV Playable character 2025 Nintendo Switch 2
Jamboree TV Playable character 2025 Nintendo Switch 2
Hello, Mario! Playable character 2025 iOS/Android/Nintendo Switch
Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 Playable character 2025 Nintendo Switch 2
Mario Tennis Fever Playable character 2025 Nintendo Switch 2
Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park Playable character 2025 Nintendo Switch 2
Meetup in Bellabel Park Playable character 2025 Nintendo Switch 2
Trivia
According to a 1993 Nintendo character guide, Mario is classified as "homo nintendonus."[sic][53]
Gallery
Hat mario To view Mario's
image gallery, click here.
References
Brian. Miyamoto says Mario’s full name is “Mario Mario”. Nintendo Everything (September 14, 2015). Retrieved September 14th 2015
Griffin. [1] Independent (September 30, 2016). Retrieved October 12, 2016
"Nintendo Finally Answers: Is Mario Human?" by Vice
Super Mario 64 – 1996 Developer Interviews. (archive) Shmuplations "Q: I noticed that Mario speaks with an Italian accent in this game. Miyamoto: There’s no particularly detailed background or anything, but yeah, it’s a given that Mario is an Italian-American from Brooklyn, New York.
Super Mario 64 Player's Guide Nintendo Power "According to the visitor from Brooklyn, he had been invited to the castle for a piece of cake, which Peach had just baked." Page 4
Super Smash Bros. Melee (set to Japanese). The Mushroom Kingdom. (Retrieved May 29, 2010)
Griffin, A. (September 30, 2016) Mario is only 24 years old, creator Shigeru Miyamoto says in unearthed interview. Independent. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
Amazon page for the life-size figure of Mario
rawmeatcowboy (October 22, 2017). "Super Mario Odyssey director explains why New Donk City takes a realistic approach with its visuals" GoNintendo. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
Sinha, Ravi (June 28, 2017). "Super Mario Odyssey: Miyamoto Was "Worried" About Initial Reaction" GamingBolt. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
IGN (Accessed on 7-6-09)
Nintendo Power (September/October 1988)
Nintendo Power (November/December 1988), page 96. "Check your Insider's Calendar and you'll see that Mario's birthday is October 11."
Barton, Jeff, Mario De Govia, Tri Pham, and Donato Tica. Mario Party 2 Prima Official Strategy Guide. Page 5.
Stratton, Stephen, and Levi Buchanan. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga Prima Official Strategy Guide. Page 21.
Patrick Scott Patterson (July 16, 2012). Mario reveals his last name & other tales - San Diego Comic Con 2012. YouTube. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
Inside Edition News Report With Super Mario Bros.
http://kotaku.com/5935721/super-marios-boss-doesnt-want-to-overdo-it-with-mr-video-game-and-wont-deceive-you-with-dlc
GoNintendoRMC (December 8, 2009). Shigeru Miyamoto discusses all things Mario. YouTube. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
Interview on Shmuplations with Miyamoto for Mario's 20th anniversary, second question explains Mario's versatility
Green, Matthew. (December 30, 2014). Mario, Kirby, And Samus Aran Shine In The Nintendo Character Manual. Press The Buttons. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
File:MarioplaySaxophone.png
File:SM3DW Art.jpg
File:8bitMario Bigband.png
All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros. instruction booklet, pages 6 and 7.
Inkydog (November 8, 2007). Mario Interview - New Super Mario Bros. YouTube. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
mattwu64 (November 3, 2011). Super Mario's Nintendo 3DS Tour. YouTube. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
Play Nintendo (November 20, 2017). Mario Reads Your Letters. YouTube. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
Replay the past (November 7, 2007). mario diss to sony at e3 and also does impressions. YouTube.
Sly Peach (October 13, 2014). Mario In Real Time at New York Comic Con 2013. YouTube. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
Mario Is Officially No Longer A Plumber. Kotaku. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
Schreier, Jason (March 6, 2018). Mario Is Officially A Plumber Again. Kotaku. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
McWhertor, M. (April 8, 2023). "The Super Mario Bros. Movie drew on unused Nintendo designs to build out Mario’s family". Polygon. Accessed April 9, 2023
Play Nintendo (February 11, 2023). DIY Nintendo Cards! 🤭 | Craft with Mario, Peach & Bowser | @PlayNintendo. YouTube. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins instruction booklet. "While I was away crusading against the mystery alien Tatanga in Sarasa Land, an evil creep took over my castle and put the people of Mario Land under his control with a magic spell. The intruder goes by the name of Wario. He has been jealous of my popularity ever since we were boys, and has tried to steal my castle many times. It seems he has succeeded this time. Wario has scattered the 6 Golden Coins from my castle all over Mario Land. These Golden Coins are guarded by those under Wario's spell. Without these coins, we can't get into the castle to deal with Wario. We must collect the six coins, attack Wario in the castle, and save everybody!"
Porges, Seth (October 19, 2009). Exclusive Interview With Nintendo Gaming Mastermind Shigeru Miyamoto. Popular Mechanics. Retrieved November 25, 2009.
Snider, Mike (November 08, 2010). Q&A: 'Mario' creator Shigeru Miyamoto. USA Today. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
