Mario (Nintendo)

Mario  is a Nintendo video game character and icon who stars in the Mario series. He and his younger brother Luigi are Nintendo's most renowned characters; his games have sold over 262 million units worldwide. This and other key factors has led him to become the defining video game character and Nintendo's mascot. He was originally created by Shigeru Miyamoto for the arcade video game Donkey Kong.

Originally known as Mr. Video and then Jumpman during the early 1980s, Nintendo felt that in order for him to become successful, his name would have to be changed to something more approachable and memorable.

His appearance in Donkey Kong alone granted him instant recognition, and his appearance in the Nintendo Entertainment System game Super Mario Bros. fueled what was to become the most successful video game series of all time. Mario's games not only ensure an insurmountable level of quality, but they also guarantee to press the various genres his games are a part of forward, whether it be platformers, role-playing games or even racing games.

Donkey Kong gave way to the platforming genre, a plot and multiple levels, while Super Mario Bros. introduced over 40 million gamers to scrolling stages, various environments, and an incomparable physics engine. Super Mario World for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System gave Mario a steed to ride upon named Yoshi, graphical advancements that used the various powers of the console, and almost 100 level exits.

Super Mario 64 is perhaps one of the biggest advancements in the series since the original game. Often called the most innovative title of all time, Super Mario 64 is one of the pioneering three dimensional video games and was the first with a camera that the player could control.

Super Mario Sunshine for the GameCube combined Mario's famous jumping abilities with the use of a powerful water gun mounted on Mario's back known as the F.L.U.D.D. Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii sent Mario soaring through space and incorporated a fantastic gravitational system. These examples are but a few reasons why Mario is so important to the industry. Mario isn't devoted exclusively to video games. He's appeared in a variety of television shows and merchandise, comic books and even a feature film. Despite these additional products, the franchise shines best when left to the realm of video games.

Mario's attire consists of his signature red and blue clothes. His overalls are blue, while his undershirt and hat are red. On Mario's hat is a big red 'M'. His hat was originally added to his attire so that the developers wouldn't have to animate flowing hair on the NES, as doing so with such small sprites was not reasonable at the time.

His overalls were included in order to show Mario's movements more fluidly, while his famed mustache is there because the developers at the time didn't want to draw something as small as a mouth. Ever since Mario's FUNdamentals, Mario is currently voiced by Charles Martinet, who also does the voices of various other Mario characters such as Mario's younger brother Luigi, nemesis Wario, Waluigi, and others.

Appearance
Mario is a human. He wears his trademark red hat with the letter M on the front, white gloves, red shirt, blue overalls with two gold buttons and brown shoes. His skin is clear and (from most games since Mario Party 10 and Mario Party Star Rush) slighly tanned and his head is round and a bit disproportionate compared to his body, with a round nose, light blue eyes, short brown hair, and thick black mustache. He is robust, chubby and short-statured, and his neck, while present, is extremely short, to the point that his chin and his large head make it very rarely visible, both in artworks and in gameplay. Despide his thick mustache make him seem like a middle-aged man, he is between 24 and 26 years of age, making him a young adult still on his prime.

Beginnings
Mario was introduced in the arcade classic Donkey Kong. He was at first known simply as "Jumpman", though Nintendo changed his name to Mario after Nintendo of America's landlord in 1981, Mario Segale. Initially he was just known as Mario in America, though the name would soon go into effect in Japan. In Donkey Kong, the player would traverse a series of construction site girders in order to save his girlfriend Pauline from Donkey Kong.

The game was the first title with a developing plot and cutscenes. It introduced characters background and was the pioneering platforming game and was the first title with a "damsel in distress". The game saved Nintendo from an almost inevitable death that would've resulted had this game been a failure as their previous efforts had been. Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the game and its characters, had only just begun.

Naturally, Donkey Kong ' s success led to a sequel, titled Donkey Kong Jr. In this game, Mario became the villain and Donkey Kong was the ape in distress. Players took control of Donkey Kong's child Donkey Kong Jr. who was on a mission to save his father, which could be accomplished by finding various keys scattered across the level. This game showed that both Mario and Donkey Kong could both be considered protagonists and antagonists, and both can be considered good guys and bad guys.

While Donkey Kong's villainous acts in the original game may seem to suggest that he's the true enemy, Miyamoto revealed that it was due to mistreatment by Mario that he acted in such a way. The game was expected successful, though not as much as its predecessor. One thing worth noting is that when all levels are completed, Mario is shown falling from a large height and landing on the steel girders that make up a majority of the levels. The significance of this is that after Mario's fall, he is shown laying on the ground with a halo above his head, the means of depicting death in the first Donkey Kong game. Whether this makes the game non-canon or not is debatable.

In 1983, Mario joined his brother, Luigi, as the newly christened Mario Bros. for arcades. Luigi was nearly identical to Mario initially save for a few alterations in clothes, though they even shared similar tastes in that department as well. In the game, which was multiplayer enabled, the players would take control of Mario and rid the sewers of pesky enemies by going directly under the platform they're stationed on and jumping underneath it, which will cause them to tumble over (depending on the enemy, you may need to perform more acts), afterwards, your goal is to go over to the enemy and kick it away.

While the game's biggest introduction was undeniably Luigi, it also featured turtles for the first time, whose involvement in the Mario universe would be more expanded as more games were released. Oddly, Nintendo left Mario out of Donkey Kong 3, which became the least successful game in the series. This perhaps proved to Nintendo that, despite Donkey Kong being in the title, Mario was the true hero of the series. Despite all three of the games Mario ' s starred in being incredibly successful, his career was about to make a big bang with the onslaught of the Famicom.

Enter the Famicom
Atari, the industry's biggest name, was not only financially stable but was raking in millions of dollars annually with their home consoles, first party titles and strong third party support. They even managed to get licenses to release Nintendo's popular arcade games on their consoles. Then an event occurred that none foresaw. They failed. The infamous video game crash of 1983 had started. Multiple key events brought this on,the most significant one being the rise of home computers, but they all ultimately led to the downfall of not only Atari, but the entire industry as a whole. What possessed Nintendo to release a console after this crash had occurred is anyone's guess, but they did.

It was called the Famicom, and a game starring the carpenter turned plumber from Nintendo's past arcade titles would not only become one of the most successful games of all time, but would be credited for saving video games. Nintendo releasing the Famicom in Japan wasn't too much of a shock, as entering the business didn't really ensure a failure in that country. But what shocked everyone is when Nintendo announced it for America under the name of the Nintendo Entertainment System, or NES for short.

Nintendo would release the NES two years after the Famicom, but in order to get people's attention, they would need the help of an industry saver. Surprisingly, that hero wasn't Mario, but rather a robot named R.O.B., which caused retailers to think that this wasn't a video game, but rather a toy. They were convinced, but upon being released it wasn't R.O.B. that brought in droves of people, but rather a game called Super Mario Bros.

In Super Mario Bros., an evil character named Bowser, the leader of the Koopa, used his black magic to transform all of the citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom into inanimate objects. He kidnapped Princess Peach and took her to his most heavily guarded castle. Mario and Luigi heard of the news and set off to save her and everyone else. They eventually managed to save the princess after defeating Bowser and sending him into a pit where he was submerged in lava. The game ended with Princess Peach thanking either Mario or Luigi, telling them that a second quest is available.

The story of Super Mario Bros. isn't what captivated people, though. Rather, it was the engaging gameplay, the expansive levels, and the sense of wonderment at every turn. Players didn't know what to expect, and would constantly find new abilities that Mario could perform, whether it be growing larger by gobbling a Super Mushroom, being able to launch fireballs with a Fire Flower, or becoming invincible with a Starman. The physics were also impressive. Mario would jump farther when running, could get under tight spaces by ducking and running at the same time, and could even be maneuvered when in mid air. In total Super Mario Bros. sold over 40 million copies worldwide, accounting for nearly one fourth of all the Mario games.

It should be noted, however, that this was due to the game being packed in with every NES for some time. It should also be noted that as of 2009, Wii Sports has surpassed Super Mario Bros. in sales, attaining the title of best selling video game title. Super Mario Bros. was certainly not the last Mario game on the NES. The next entry wouldn't actually be released in America or Europe until the release of Super Mario All-Stars years later in 1993. This game, titled in Japan as Super Mario Bros. 2, was almost identical to the original, though was much harder. Its difficulty was the reason why Nintendo never released it to Western audiences, who would instead be offered the Western version of Super Mario Bros. 2, which was in actuality a remake of Doki Doki Panic, a Japanese Famicom video game.

The characters and some of the themes were replaced with those from the Mario universe. The game took place in Mario's dream, and in it he imagines that he opens a door to a world called Subcon. He later finds that this kingdom has been brought into battle with an overweight frog named Wart. When he wakes up, he tells Princess Peach, Toad, and Luigi of what had just happened while out on a picnic, and finds a cave strikingly similar to the one from his dream. He then enters the cave and finds that the world is real, and Mario and his friends vow to save the world and take down Wart. They do so, and the game ends. This game was later released in Japan as Super Mario USA, referring to the fact that it is the American version of Super Mario Bros. 2. The game in Japan clearly states that it is a remake of Doki Doki Panic

After the success of both titles, a movie named The Wizard was released by Universal Studios, who had previously sued Nintendo due to copyright infringement based on the similarities between King Kong and Donkey Kong, but ultimately lost. The movie is best described as an hour and a half advertisement of Nintendo and Universal Studios' theme parks. But, it was also the debut of Mario's next hit video game, Super Mario Bros. 3, the last of the series for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The movie wasn't successful critically or financially, though the game it revealed was. In fact, it is among the most successful standalone titles of all time (or rather a game not packaged with a console or an accessory).

Many argue the game to be the best that the series has to offer, though fans are split on the decision. The game took the basic concept of the original Super Mario Bros., and expanded upon it in marvelous ways. The game, for the first time in the series, featured a power-up that would give Mario the ability to fly. The power-up, which made Mario resemble a raccoon, would let him access areas and would cause the screen to scroll diagonally, which wasn't present in games before it.

There were a variety of other power-ups as well such as the Hammer Suit, the Tanooki Suit, the Frog Suit, and some from the original Super Mario Bros. In the game, Bowser was back to his old tricks and turned eight kings around the world into animals and sent his seven children to take their place. Mario had to go through each kingdom, thwart the Koopa Kid, and eventually take on Bowser himself when he would send him down yet another pit, this time one that was supposedly bottomless. Inevitably, however, Bowser would be back, though next time it would be in a different era of consoles.

The SNES and the Game Boy
Sega, a new competitor, had released a console and proclaimed to the American audience that "[they] do what Nintendon't". A powerful marketing campaign advertising an equally powerful console that out shined the NES in every way imaginable. It was time to leave the NES behind and release a new console, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, or SNES for short. In Japan it was appropriately titled the Super Famicom. Released a year before the SNES was the Game Boy, a handheld console and the first one with interchangeable cartridges. Among the launch games were Super Mario Land (a Mario platformer), and the more important Tetris.

In Super Mario Land, Mario would have to save Princess Daisy from the evil Tatanga. Super Mario Land wasn't actually headed by Shigeru Miyamoto, but rather his late mentor Gunpei Yokoi, who created the Game Boy and various other products and software before passing away in 1997. While the Game Boy and Super Mario Land were very successful, Nintendo had to focus on releasing the Super Famicom a year later in Japan, and in order to make a splash they'd have to release a new Mario game alongside it.

So, in order to do this, they brought back the all-star team that made the previous console Mario games while Gunpei Yokoi and his team focused on the handheld titles. Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, the creators of the NES Mario games, headed the new Mario title with Tezuka at the helm. They were going to abandon the Bros. name and introduce Mario and crew to the world of the SNES, which offered new powers unavailable previously. The end result was none other than Super Mario Bros. 4 or commonly known as Super Mario World.

Super Mario World, like Super Mario Bros., was packaged with the Super Famicom/SNES. It included the basic concepts from the previous games, and expanded on some such as the map from Super Mario Bros. 3. It brought back the Koopa Kids, featured exciting, vibrant graphics, an overhauled game engine and of course the introduction of a particular dinosaur.Yoshi, Mario's new steed in the game, was planned to be used in an NES title though the console couldn't handle the requirements it took in order to make it possible.

So, they waited for the new console to be released in order to include him. Mario would find Yoshis in eggs, and upon hatching he could ride on top of them. Yoshi will use his elongated tongue to gobble up enemies and items, and has his own set of power-ups such as the ability to fly, blow fire, and stomp on the ground with tremendous force. There were four colors of Yoshi in the game (green, blue, red, yellow), each with their own abilities. Super Mario World is also known for introducing Ghost Houses.

While Nintendo was releasing Super Mario World, Sega had a game of their own that would compete heavily with the title. That game was Sonic the Hedgehog, a game that starred Sonic, a blue hedgehog who was capable of running at speeds well over that of any other game character. Sonic would become Sega's mascot, and the two companies would compete for over ten years. A bitter relationship would eventually come to an end, however, when Sega quit the console business and teamed up with the three companies they once competed with. Sonic and Mario eventually would star in many games together such as the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series and Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

The success of Super Mario World drove Nintendo to create various spin-off titles. They had done so similarly on the NES with games such as Dr. Mario, though the SNES brought on even more classics such as Super Mario Kart and Mario Paint. Super Mario Kart starred eight classic Mario characters including Mario himself. It introduced the world to the "kart" genre, and would eventually be followed by many sequels. Today the Mario Kart series is more lucrative than the Super Mario series on consoles.

Meanwhile back on the Game Boy, the developers who made the original Super Mario Land were hard at work on a sequel. The game, titled Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, was significant for introducing the last of the major Mario characters. His name was Wario and he was initially considered the evil counterpart to Mario, a sort of doppelganger who in the game took ahold of Mario's Castle and made it his own. Astonishingly he became so popular in that game that subsequent titles on the Game Boy dropped Mario altogether and starred Wario. He earned his own series that was completely separate to that of Mario's, and went on to become less of a villain and more of a greedy character with a need for cash, and would do anything to come in possession of it, whether it be doing something evil or doing something heroic.

In 1995 Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka were tasked with creating yet another Mario game, though their choice in characters that would star in the game and when it would take place might have surprised many when it was first announced. The game, titled Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, revealed the origins of Mario and his brother Luigi. In the game, a stork was carrying Baby Mario and Baby Luigi to their parents when Baby Bowser's mentor Kamek foresaw the future and found that the two brothers would cause nothing but trouble for his master. So, he scurried off and attacked the stork, kidnapped Luigi, and let Mario fall down to the ocean. His expectations that Mario would submerged in water were false, as he fell directly above an island named Yoshi's Island. A Yoshi who was taking a walk saw Mario coming down and rescued him just in time.

Sensing that Mario was searching from someone, he used the map that the stork was using that fell down with Mario in order to reunite the two brothers with the help of the various Yoshies on the island. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island was initially planned to be a 3D game in a similar vein to Donkey Kong Country. Shigeru Miyamoto, however, wasn't too fond of that title and deliberately went the exact opposite way from what Nintendo wanted him to do and had the game's art style altered completely to resemble a drawing made with crayons and pastels. The game was successful, though didn't reach the amount of sales that Nintendo had hoped. Nevertheless, it made enough money to warrant various sequels such as Yoshi's Story on the Nintendo 64, Yoshi's Touch & Go, and Yoshi's Island DS (both latter games for the Nintendo DS), among others. In Yoshi's Island DS Yoshi would carry around various different Mario characters such as Baby Donkey Kong, Baby Peach, Baby Wario, and others.

In 1996, Nintendo and Final Fantasy developer Square created the first ever Mario RPG titled Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars for the SNES. The game was significant not only because it was the first Mario RPG, but also because it was the last Square developed game for Nintendo until 2003. The game featured a pseudo three dimensional Mario and crew, and featured various new characters like Geno and Mallow who, despite being beloved by fans, never made anymore prominent appearances in games.

In Super Mario RPG, Mario would team up with a variety of characters, including Bowser himself, and would take down the evil Smithy who threatened to take over the Mushroom Kingdom. The game can be considered the first Mario game to contain an epic storyline, which comes to no surprise considering that it was developed by the people who made Final Fantasy.

A pioneer of 3D graphics in games
The same year Yoshi's Island was released, Nintendo had to come with terms that a new rival was on the rise in the form of a previous alliance. Sony had plans to release the PlayStation on their own when initially they had planned to do so with Nintendo. Things didn't go the way they were originally supposed to, however, and the two separated and planned to release their own consoles without the assistance of one another.

A year after the PlayStation was released, Nintendo went along and released the Nintendo 64. Featuring the first ever modern day joystick and the ability to render 3D graphics, Nintendo would inevitably take advantage of these two features when creating their next Mario game. And so they did. Nintendo announced Super Mario 64 and revealed astonishing 3D graphics that showed a newly rendered Mario jumping around in environments that were never thought possible previously.

The game featured the first camera that the player had full control over, and featured unique star collecting system where players could gain access to new areas by finding stars scattered across the various stages. In the game Bowser once again took Princess Peach and locked her up at the top of her castle. Mario gradually gained access to new areas and eventually conquered Bowser, thus saving Princess Peach. To date, Super Mario 64 is among the highest rated games of all time. It was also the first mainstream Mario game to feature Charles Martinet as the voice. He had previously done Mario in Mario's FUNdamentals for the personal computer, though he managed to get the job for the game's first 3D outing and all subsequent games.

Various other Mario games were released on the Nintendo 64 that pushed the boundaries of what the console could do. Mario Kart 64 was the sequel to Super Mario Kart and featured new characters such as Donkey Kong and Wario. Hudson Soft created the Mario Party series in 1999 while Nintendo started to experiment with Mario sports titles with games like Mario Tennis and Mario Golf by Camelot. Intelligent Systems took what Square did with Super Mario RPG and pushed it farther with the release of Paper Mario, a role-playing game that featured an engaging and humorous story, unusual for a Mario game but nonetheless very welcome. HAL Laboratory even got involved and released Super Smash Bros. which featured twelve different Nintendo characters including Mario himself fighting with each other.

The GameCube and the Game Boy Advance
Following the Nintendo 64, which was less successful than expected, Nintendo had plans to release the console's successor titled the GameCube. It featured enhanced graphics and more power in addition to a much improved controller. Along with the announcement came the debut of what was thought to be the next Mario game.Titled Mario 128, it was in actuality just a tech demo directed by Yoshiaki Koizumi (who would later direct Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy). In it, 128 Marios would fall from the sky on a platform that could be altered and morphed in ways that couldn't be done on the Nintendo 64 before it. Upon the GameCube's release, however, there wasn't a Mario game in sight. Instead, Nintendo opted to release Luigi's Mansion instead.

In it, Luigi would become the hero and save Mario from a haunted mansion. Despite giving Luigi his first big solo adventure, Nintendo still had plans to release a new Mario game, it being titled Super Mario Sunshine. In Super Mario Sunshine, Mario, Princess Peach, and Peach's steward Toadsworth are going on a vacation to Isle Delfino. Upon arrival Mario is framed by an unknown culprit and is forced to clean up the goop that he supposedly spread across the island.

He does so with the help of F.L.U.D.D., a unique water spraying device made by Professor E. Gadd, who had also provided a device known as the Poltergeist 3000 which Luigi used to fight his way to save Mario in Luigi's Mansion. On the adventure Mario eventually manages to reveal who truly is behind all the mess, and it happens to be none other than Bowser and his son Bowser Jr. The game wasn't as revolutionary as Super Mario 64, and Mario's relying on F.L.U.D.D. too much coupled with not much level diversity caused some fans to question if Mario had lost his magic. Still, despite these shortcomings, the game was still among the highest rated platforming titles of that generation.

A little while before the GameCube was released Nintendo actually sent out the Game Boy Advance to retail. Other than a remake of Super Mario Bros. 2 titled Super Mario Advance and a new Mario Kart game called Mario Kart: Super Circuit, the handheld didn't deliver too many Mario titles in the launch window. As time progressed, however, so did the availability of Mario games on the console. Camelot would release new entries in their sports series, Fuse Games would make Mario Pinball Land, Nintendo Software Technology would develop Mario vs. Donkey Kong, and perhaps most importantly of all, AlphaDream would create Mario &amp; Luigi: Superstar Saga. A new Mario RPG, this was also the first one where Luigi was a playable character alongside Mario. It started a new franchise and would spawn various successful sequels. Remakes of Super Mario Bros. (in the form of NES Classics), Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island were all also released, among other titles.

Intelligent Systems released a sequel to Paper Mario for the GameCube called Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. The game, was more successful than the original game, in part because it had not been released as close to the end of the console's lifespan as the latter had been, and featured a more interesting story involving a mystery behind a door that would open after one thousand years of being shut. There were a variety of other Mario games released on the GameCube as well such as Mario Kart: Double Dash‼, Mario Power Tennis, Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, four Mario Party games, and others too.

Bridging the gap
The GameCube had done even more poorly than the Nintendo 64, and as the lifespan of the former was nearing its end, Nintendo realized they needed to rethink their strategy. Despite the fact that the Game Boy Advance had done phenomenally, they still had to think of a new plan in order to bring back fans and new people. They had to bridge the gap between those who play games and those who don't, this thinking resulted in the development of the Nintendo DS, which was perhaps Nintendo's most risky invention ever.

It was a handheld that featured two screens, the bottom one a touch screen. It was unclear exactly how Nintendo planned to find the potential of this, though they, among hundreds of other developers, managed to do just that when the DS was released. Super Mario 64 DS was the console's primary launch title, and was, as the name suggests, a remake of Super Mario 64 that featured new playable characters such as Yoshi, Luigi and Wario.

The game did fantastic, but there was another game that was set to take the market by storm. That game was New Super Mario Bros., which was a new entry in the Super Mario Bros. series. Released in 2006, it has managed to outsell Super Mario Bros. 3 and is considered one of the most successful games of all time. The game went back to the series' roots and featured traditional and easy to adapt to gameplay with a few new features such as 2.5D graphics and new power-ups including the Mega Mushroom, the Mini Mushroom, and the Blue Shell. Not only did the game do well in the market, it also faired extremely well with critics and fans.

The handheld market wasn't what Nintendo was too worried about, however. It was the consoles where they were failing, and was there where they really needed to take risks in hopes of reaching to new customers. So, at the Tokyo Game Show in 2005, Nintendo revealed the controller for their upcoming console (then known as the Revolution). It resembled a television remote and could be held with one hand. It featured an extension that could connect to the bottom of the remote via a cord that could be held in the other hand, though it could be detached if the game you were playing didn't require it.

In April of 2006 Nintendo announced the name of their new console, which caused an outcry among Nintendo fans. The name was Wii, and the name change, while initially bashed, could very well be a defining reason as to why the console became so successful. Upon having a name change, not only did video game blogs and websites report on it, though national news stations on television did so. Millions of people were revealed the name because of a name change. Coupled with the unique and strange controller, the Wii was the console that everyone had their eye on, and on almost everyone's mind was how the new Mario game would take advantage of the Wii's abilities.

Like the GameCube before it, a Mario game wasn't released at launch. In fact, no game featuring a Mario character was. The next year Intelligent Systems released Super Paper Mario, a sidescrolling role-playing game that gave the player the ability to switch between a 2D and a 3D perspective. It featured countless villains such as Count Bleck and had the player controlling characters Mario, Princess Peach, Bowser, and Luigi. The game was successful, but it wasn't the new Mario platformer that everyone eagerly awaited. They would have to wait half a year after Super Paper Mario in order to play it. Super Mario Galaxy was revealed at E3 in 2006, and wouldn't be released until a year and a half later in November of 2007, around the first year anniversary of the Wii. The game was developed by an unusual source. Instead of being developed within Nintendo's Kyoto headquarters, Nintendo EAD Tokyo, hundreds of miles away, took on the task. They had only previously worked on Donkey Kong Jungle Beat as a team, so it was surprising that they would be given the rights to such an important franchise.

Yoshiaki Koizumi, the director of Super Mario Sunshine, took on the role of director once again for this title. In it, Mario would soar through space, jump from planet to planet, and save Princess Peach once again by going millions of miles away from home. The game incorporated a unique gravitational system that would let Mario go underneath planets and would even let him orbit smaller ones when he executed a long jump.

Unless there was a black hole beneath the planets, Mario could go everywhere he wanted, and both players and critics alike loved it. Upon being released, Mario was deemed the highest rated game of all time by GameRankings.com, who collects various reviews from top critics and decides on an average grade. It eventually was lowered to number 2, though in a world with tens of thousands of video games available, this feat is nothing short of astounding.

At E3 in 2009, Cammie Dunaway of Nintendo announced two Mario platformers for the Wii including New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Super Mario Galaxy 2. This would make the Wii the first console since the Nintendo Entertainment System to have three main Mario games, and the first console since the SNES to have a direct sequel of a game released on the same console (that game being Super Mario Galaxy 2). New Super Mario Bros. Wii is both a single and multiplayer experience. In the multiplayer game, players take control of Mario, Luigi, a blue Toad and a yellow Toad. The game is both a cooperative and competitive experience and includes various new power-ups and the return of Yoshi as a sidekick. In Super Mario Galaxy 2, the first sequel to a 3D Mario game, the hero soars through space once again and is joined by Yoshi (like in New Super Mario Bros. Wii).

The Wii U and the 3DS
With the end of the Wii era, Nintendo announced at E3 2010 the product on which they were working on since the release of the DS, the 3DS a handeld system capable to render 3D without the need of 3D glasses. Later the first Mario game of the system would be revealed in the form of a new game in the Mario Kart series: Mario Kart 7 alongside it, the 4th entry in the Paper Mario series would be revealed, Paper Mario: Sticker Star. After the system's release a new Mario game was announced at the GDC 2011, this game would be a main installment in the Mario series and would follow a "Super Mario Bros." level design but in a 3D environment, the game known as Super Mario 3D Land would be shown in depth during E3 2011 along with Nintendo's new home console the Wii U.

The Console would take a dual screen approach to the traditional home console formula and would be Nintendo's first HD console and the platform on which the first HD Mario game would be released. More details about Super Mario 3D Land were also shown as promised. In october 2011 a fourth installment in the Super Smash Bros. series was confirmed by Nintendo and along with it representations from the Mario series.

On April 21, 2012 during a Nintendo Direct, Nintendo revealed the 13th game in the Super Mario Bros. series would be revealed, this game, considered a sequel to New Super Mario Bros. would be named New Super Mario Bros. 2. Compared to the other Super Mario Bros. games, this game would put an emphasis on the coins found in the other games of the series, Mario would also gain a new power up, Gold Mario, which allows him to turn most of his obstacles. Later this year, the 14th entry in the Super Mario Bros. series would be revealed during E3 2012 and be named New Super Mario Bros. U since it would be released on Nintendo's new home console, the Wii U. Between July and September, New Super Mario Bros. 2 would release in every region except Korea Meanwhile New Super Mario Bros. U would be set to release along the Wii U as a launch title for the system

Mario himself would also be represented in one of Nintendo's new party game which features many games based on various Nintendo properties. The Mario inspired game feature a Mii playing the role of Mario that must escape Toads that wants to catch him.

Nintendo would later declare 2013 as the The Year of Luigi, even if Mario's brother got the spotlight during the year and got many games, Mario still featured in some of those game, he was once again captured by King Boo in Luigi's Mansion sequel: Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon and must be rescued by his brother once again. He however played a larger role in another game of the Year of Luigi: Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, the 4th entry in the Mario &amp; Luigi and even if Luigi is still the star of the game Mario is one of the two playable character of the game.

During E3 2013, Nintendo would shows the next 3D mario platformer, this game would take a multiplayer approach to the Super Mario 3D Land and would be titled Super Mario 3D World. This game was the first time that a mainstream 3D Mario game featured the option to play with more than one player. The game featured new Power ups and notably the cat bells that allow him to become Cat Mario, a character that would later be featured in the Cat Mario show, a webshow made by Nintendo in order to inform the younger audience about the upcoming games on Nintendo systems. The E3 was also an opportunity to show the next installment in the Super Smash Bros. series called Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U due to the fact that it was the first Smash Bros. also avaliable on a handeld console, the 3DS, and obviously, Mario was one of the first character announced for the game.

Later on the same year, a Year of luigi version of New Super Mario Bros. U was released, the game know as New Super Luigi U act as both a DLC of the first game and its own game, the particularity of this game is that it's the only game in the Mario Bros where Mario is not a playable character nor a character at all, the main character being his brother, Luigi. Later this year Super Mario 3D World would release.

In 2014 two major release impacted the series, the first one is the 8th entry in the Mario Kart series, the fittingly named Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, the game saw the return of one of Mario alternate versions, Dr. Mario, as well as newcomers like Rosalina or Bowser Jr. the same year, a new installment in the Mario Golf series that has not seen a release in 10 years, the new game, Mario Golf: World Tour. During E3 2014, Mario Maker, a new game for the Wii U that allowed players to create their own level in four different style all inspired for past games in the Super Mario Bros. series, the styles avaliable are: A Super Mario Bros. style, the Super Mario Bros. 3 style, the Super Mario World style and the New Super Mario Bros. U style. Later Mario Maker would be renamed Super Mario Maker by Nintendo. Alongside Mario Maker, the 10th game in the Mario Party series would also be revealed, the game named Mario Party 10 feature a new Bowser mode that gives a more prominent role to Mario's nemesis.

2014 is also the occasion for Nintendo to release a new brand of product, the Amiibo, those character figurines uses NFC to send and receive data from compatible games, obviously many of those figures would be inspired by the characters of the Mario franchise and Mario himself.

2015 was a year without major announcement for the Mario series but instead, the year would be used as a celebration for the 30th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. a new 8-bit Mario Amiibo would be released alongside Super Mario Maker which would be affiliated to the celebration due to its gameplay that in itself was already a tribute to the Super Mario Bros. series. Many Mario games that were already announced in the past years would also release during 2015, notably the previously mentioned Mario Party 10 but also less "important" games like Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars, Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition which was released since 2013 in Japan and a new Dr. Mario game, Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure as well as a new Mario Tennis game, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash additionally, a new Amiibo series based on the appearance of the Mario characters in their own series was announced, the series featured 3 variations of the newly announced Mario Amiibo, the regular version, the Gold Mario version and the Silver Mario version.

However even if 2015 was not a year full of new games announcements, rumors concerning Nintendo's new system the then codenamed NX started to spread, the codename was confirmed by Nintendo itself and the end of the Wii U and 3DS era was drawing near and the Mario franchise would soon have to move to the new platform.

During a Nintendo Direct broadcasted on March 3, 2016 was announced the last huge scale Mario game on the Wii U, this game would be the 5th entry in the Paper Mario series and be know as Paper Mario: Color Splash, this game would improve on Paper Mario: Sticker Star gameplay mechanics and add a "color" mechanic that allows Paper Mario to interact in new ways with the world inside and outside of battles, the game would be released worldwide by the end of October, 2016. This years would also see the release of other minor Mario games such as Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge, Mario Party: Star Rush and a port of Super Mario Maker to the 3DS as well as the 5th installement in the Mario and Luigi series, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam which act as a crossover between the Paper Mario series and the Mario and Luigi series while keeping the gameplay mechanics of the Mario and Luigi series.

On October 20, 2016 Nintendo revealed their new system now named the Nintendo Switch via a preview trailer released on their official Youtube chanel, the console would be a new genre of console, an hybrid between a home console and a handeld. During the preview, a new 3D Mario game was revealed but without a proper name alongside it an unamed Mario Kart game was also shown, even if it looked like Mario Kart 8, the possibility to hold two items at the same time and the presence of King Boo, a character that wasn't in Mario Kart 8 suggested that the game was different from a simple port of the Wii U game.

The Nintendo Switch and the end of the 3DS
On January 12, 2017 Nintendo's new console was shown in detail during a presentation hosted by Tatsumi Kimishima, Nintendo's 5th president, and Yoshiaki Koizumi, the General Producer of the Nintendo Switch and the Producer of the new 3D Mario game that would be named Super Mario Odyssey during the presentation. Along with Super Mario Odyssey an enhanced port of Mario Kart 8 for the Nintendo Switch named Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was also announced, the game would release worldwide on April 28, 2017.

During E3 2017, Ubisoft showed during their presentation a project that was developed with the help and accord of Nintendo, the project is a crossover between the Mario series and the Raving Rabbids series, the game is a Turn based tactical game and feature Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi and Rabbid version of them, each character has its own set of abilities and weapon to use in battle, the game would be named Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. Nintendo showed more of Super Mario Odyssey during their own presentation and the new gameplay elements introduced in this new 3D Mario game, it was shown that now Mario is able, thanks to his new ally, Cappy, to "possess" enemies, friendly characters and even some inanimate object. During the Nintendo Treehouse livestream, a 3DS remake of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga was announced, the remake named Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions feature a new story mode centered around Bowser's army and their research of their king after his disappearance during a mission to the Beanbean Kingdom.

On September 13, 2017 Mario Party: The Top 100 is announced during a Nintendo Direct, the game combine the top 100 minigames from across the main Mario Party series with 10 minigames for each numbered Mario Party games. On October 27, 2017 Super Mario Odyssey released and broke new sales record for the franchise as it sold 2 million units in 3 days and 1,1 million units in five days for North America alone.

On January 11, 2018 a new game in the Mario Tennis was announced in a Mini Nintendo Direct posted on Nintendo's official website, this game is the first console installement of the series to feature a new story mode and new tennis outfits designed specifically for the playable characters. In the same direct, a new update was announced for Super Mario Odyssey, this free update add a new mode in which the player must either hide a balloon or search for one hidden by another player, this also mark Luigi's debut in the game. This direct also showcased the new story DLC for Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle in which Donkey Kong becomes a playable character and join the party for a new adventure.

Spin-offs
Mario and crew have starred in various spin-off titles ever since their initial appearance. Spin-off games include the likes of Mario Kart titles, sports game, the Mario Party series, and tons of other games too.


 * Dr. Mario series: Starting with the NES and Game Boy releases of Dr. Mario, Nintendo started to release various puzzle games that had Mario destroying viruses with pills of the same color as the virus. The games were so popular that they created a multitude of sequels such as Dr. Mario 64, Dr. Mario Online Rx and Dr. Mario Express, among many others.
 * Mario Paint: Released on the SNES, this game had the player using the SNES Mouse to create pieces of art in a similar fashion to how they would draw in Microsoft Paint. The game featured many Mario related themes and even had a music composer and a mini-game where you could squash bugs with a fly swatter.
 * Mario Artist series: These games were released exclusively in Japan for the Nintendo 64DD and were the successors to Mario Paint. The games released through the Mario Artist series include Mario Artist: Paint Studio, Mario Artist: Communication Kit, Mario Artist: Talent Studio, and Mario Artist: Polygon Studio. More were planned but ended up being canceled.
 * Mario Kart series: Of course, Mario has appeared as the main character in every Mario Kart game hence the name. The first in the series, Super Mario Kart, is considered the first game in the Kart genre. Then he went on to play a major role in Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Mario Kart: Double Dash‼, Mario Kart DS, Mario Kart Arcade GP, Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, and Mario Kart Wii. His exclusive kart in Mario Kart: Double Dash was the Red Fire, while his exclusive karts in Mario Kart DS were the B Dasher, the Standard MR, and the Shooting Star. His weight is always medium.
 * Mario RPG series: So far various games have been released that are role-playing games. Square started the series with Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars on the SNES, though subsequently Intelligent Systems made the Paper Mario series and AlphaDream the Mario & Luigi series. The games are discussed in greater detail in the history section above.
 * Mario Party series: Released in 1999 for the Nintendo 64, Mario Party became so successful that Hudson Soft and Nintendo released tons of sequels for all of Nintendo's consoles and handhelds after the Nintendo 64. So far there have been eight console iterations, three handheld games (including Mario Party-e), and even an arcade title too. The games started the popular party genre. Mario is a playable character in the game, though his statistics are similar to everyone's in the game.
 * Mario sports: Mario sports games have been around mainly since the Nintendo 64's release of Mario Tennis. The game was so popular that Nintendo decided to publish many more Mario sports games such as Mario Golf, Super Mario Strikers, Mario Superstar Baseball, Mario Hoops: 3-on-3, Mario Strikers Charged, and others. It should also be noted that Mario, along with Luigi and Princess Peach, was a playable character in EA created titles SSX on Tour and NBA Street V3. It was thought that EA would include the three characters in SSX Blur, though once the game was released, the rumor was put down.
 * Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: Mario and Sonic were brutal rivals in the 90s, when SEGA was still making consoles. When the Dreamcast failed, a doorway between them opened up. Fans of the two have long since wished to see the two compete in the same game. The two finally have with the release of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games for the Wii and Nintendo DS. Mario and Sonic also appeared side by side in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
 * Others: There have been many more Mario games as well beyond the ones listed above. Konami teamed up with Nintendo to release Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix on the GameCube. Nintendo Software Technology made Mario vs. Donkey Kong and its sequels, Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis and Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem on the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS, respectively. Fuse Games created Mario Pinball Land for the Game Boy Advance, which had Mario rolled up in a ball.



Outside appearances and cameos
Mario has been featured in various non-Mario games, most of which are games published by Nintendo, though some third party titles as well. He has appeared as a playable character in all five Super Smash Bros. games.

Super Smash Bros. series


Mario is a regular in all of the Super Smash Bros. video games. He has appeared in every game since the original on the Nintendo 64. He is a balanced character who is naturally great for beginners. His brother Luigi is considered a "clone" of Mario, having similar attacks. The newer Super Smash Bros. games, however, are gradually ridding of the similarities. Dr. Mario from Super Smash Bros. Melee was an outright clone with different clothes and attacks that were slightly more or less potent.

Mario's special moves consists of Fireballs that can be launched with the B button. The fireballs will bounce on the ground and rise in the air shortly before going back down in a similar fashion to how they performed in Super Mario Bros. His up B move, Super Jump Punch, is Mario's recovery move that'll send him punching upwards.

In Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee, Mario's down B move is Mario Tornado, which will cause the character to quickly spin, though this move was omitted as a special move in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and was replaced by F.L.U.D.D. (Mario Tornado was however made into a down A arial move). In Brawl, Mario's Final Smash is Mario Finale, which will cause him to launch two huge fireballs from his hand that span almost the entire stage.

Cameos
Mario has probably appeared in more games as a cameo than any other video game character in history. Below are some of his more notable appearances.


 * 1080° Avalanche: There is an ice sculpture that towers over the players in one of the stages. 8-bit Mario references can be found throughout the game.
 * Animal Crossing series: There have been various references to Mario games in the many Animal Crossing titles. Mario trophies, classic NES games, 8-bit Mario items and Mario themed clothing are but a few of the things featured in the game that reference the character.
 * Captain Rainbow: There is a portrait of Mario right next to a portrait of Link above Tracy's throne. The artwork used is actually from Mario Party DS.
 * Drill Dozer: One of Jill's alternate costumes is Mario's overalls.
 * F-Zero series: The character Mr. EAD is a reference to Mario and there are plenty of other nods to the series in the character too.
 * Kirby Super Star: Mario is in the audience of the Megaton Punch Contest. One of the objects that Kirby might turn into when he uses his stone ability is a Mario statue.
 * Kirby Super Star Ultra: Mario is in the audience of the Spring Breeze sub-game in level 4 along with Luigi, Wario, Princess Peach, and Toads . One of the objects that Kirby might turn into when he uses his stone ability is a Mario statue (very rare).


 * Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes: A Mario doll can be found in Octacon's lab in the game, as can one of Yoshi. Super Mario Sunshine is referenced when you fight Psycho Mantis if the game is recorded in the player's GameCube memory card.
 * Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream and Tennis: Mario is present as the game's referee.
 * Nintendogs: Mario's hat is one of the obtainable items in the game, as is an RC Mario Kart toy.
 * Pikmin 2: There are a few treasures that are based on Mario, like on says Mario Paint on it.
 * Pinball: Mario holds up the girder in the bonus stage, and is even present on the game's boxart.
 * Pilotwings 64: If you shoot George Washington's face on Mount Rushmore in the game, it will be replaced by Mario's head. If you shoot it again, Mario's face will crumble and be replaced by Warios. Cheeky, but wicked.
 * The Legend of Zelda series: Mario has made more cameos in the Zelda series than any other franchise. In A Link to the Past a portrait of Mario could be found in one of the game's houses. In Ocarina of Time, the character Talon is based on Mario and a picture of the character appears in Zelda's courtyard. A mask that had Mario's face on it could be seen on the back of the Happy Mask Salesman in Majora's Mask.
 * Wii Fit: Various Mario sprites can be found on jogging roads.

In Other Media
Mario has also appeared in a lot of TV shows and movies such as The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! and it's two followups, The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and the Super Mario World TV show as well as the 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros. movie played by the late Bob Hoskins.

Legacy
Mario has been featured on various merchandising products. The list of things he's been on is nearly endless, and includes the likes of clothes, hats, watches, wristbands, cereal boxes, ice cream bars, PEZ dispensers, pop cans, candy bars, mints, books, key-chains, game cases, lunchboxes, phone straps, plush toys, chairs, curtains, bed spreads, cookie cutters, ceiling fans, wallets, mugs, figurines, stationary, toys, back packs, pillows, calculators, ties, cookie jars, sponges, band-aids and even Happy Meal and Burger King toys. This is just a fraction of the large amount of products that Mario and gang have been featured on.

In 2003, the Hollywood Wax Museum announced that Mario would soon be featured at the museum. That year, Nintendo and the museum had a party to introduce the new wax model. They noted that Mario was the first ever video game character to be featured at the museum, and replaced Matrix actors Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss in the museum's lobby. When they revealed the figure, Charles Martinet, the voice of Mario, said "They say you can't hold a candle to me, but now you really can't" (since the wax would melt).

They placed Mario to the right of the large King Kong. The model itself is five feet tall. Since then, one other video game character was introduced at the museum, that being Lara Croft. During the party, they had a contest to see who was the best Mario look-a-like, the winner got many Nintendo (mostly Mario) related prizes.

Recently, the museum put Nicolas Cage riding on a motorcycle right next to Mario.

Mario, along with Link and Sonic, were among the first characters to receive a place in the Walk of Game in 2005, video gaming's equivalent to movie's walk of fame. Oddly, the Walk of Game is owned solely by Sony, yet they have not presented an award to one of their video game characters/people/or games, but have rather been giving out awards to competing companies such as Nintendo (Mario, Link, Shigeru Miyamoto) and Microsoft (Halo: Combat Evolved). They have, however gave awards to many third party companies such as SEGA (Sonic the Hedgehog) and Square-Enix (Final Fantasy), among others.

In Nintendo Power V250, Mario was ranked the 'Greatest Video Game Protagonist of All Time', and was also listed as having one of the best mustaches. Mario is currently the world's number one video game character for 2011.

Official Descriptions
"Although best known as the mustachioed plumber who battles the Turtle Tribe with his distinct jumping action, this internationally famous hero has also acted as a referee, a driver, and even a doctor! He's been linked to Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom for years, but to this day their true relationship remains a mystery."
 * Super Smash Bros.

"Known worldwide as Mr. Nintendo, Mario uses his incredible jumping ability to thwart the evil Bowser time after time. While he's best known as a hero, Mario has played many roles, including racer, doctor, golfer, and villain. His tastes have changed over 20 years of gaming; he long ago swapped the colors of his shirt and overalls. (Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros.) (Donkey Kong, Arcade 1981)"
 * Super Smash Bros. Melee - Trophy (Mario)

"Mario is a character without any glaring weaknesses and plenty of strong attacks: he's even equipped with a Meteor Smash. He's a straightforward character who'll reflect the actual skills of the player. Mario's Cape will turn other characters in the opposite direction and can also reflect missile weapons. (B: Fireball, Smash B: Cape)"
 * Super Smash Bros. Melee - Trophy (Mario [Smash])

"Mass determines how easily a character can be sent flying, as well as a character's physical strength: Mario's mass is the standard upon which other Smash fighters are measured. His Super Jump Punch sends foes skyward in a shower of coins, while the Mario Tornado pulls in nearby foes, spins them silly, and scatters them every which way. (Up & B: Super Jump Punch, Down & B: Mario Tornado)"
 * Super Smash Bros. Melee - Trophy (Mario [Smash])

"In Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Leafs caused Mario to grow raccoon ears and a tail. By sprinting and rapidly wagging the tail, Mario gained the ability to fly for short periods. Like the Cape in Super Mario World, the tail also reduced the speed at which he fell, making midair moves easier. Needless to say, real raccoons were jealous. (Super Mario Bros. 3, 2/90)"
 * Super Smash Bros. Melee - Trophy (Raccoon Mario)

"Mario was in for a surprise the first time he hit a Metal Box in Super Mario 64. The metal cap that popped out transformed Mario into living metal, giving him great stamina, a heavy tread, and the ability to walk underwater. In Super Smash Bros., Metal Mario showed up as an incredibly stubborn midlevel boss. (Super Mario 64, 9/96)"
 * Super Smash Bros. Melee - Trophy (Metal Mario)

"The Star Rod: Bowser stole it, and Mario wants it back. Bowser vs. Mario is familiar for Mario afficionados, but Paper Mario is novel. What this game brings to the 3D polygon-filled gaming world is its art style: everything is wafer thin! What the visuals lack in realism, they more than make up for in unique artistry. (Paper Mario, 2/01)"
 * Super Smash Bros. Melee - Trophy (Paper Mario)

"Yoshi was first introduced in Super Mario World, and the sight of Mario riding the helpful character soon became an enduring image. Despite his Cape, Mario can't fly while astride Yoshi. The pair can make huge jumps and drift slowly back to earth, though. As a last resort, Mario could leap off Yoshi's back to safety. (Super Mario World, 8/91)"
 * Super Smash Bros. Melee - Trophy (Mario and Yoshi)

"A familiar overall-clad figure who is Nintendo's flagship character. His courage and jumping ability have seen him through countless adventures. He's a multitalented plumber with the knowledge of a physician, a top-notch golfer, and a veteran tennis umpire. Is his jumping prowess a boon from his girder-climbing days? (Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario Bros.)"
 * Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Trophy (Mario)

"Mario with a Smash Ball, unleashing his ultimate attack. The twin dragons of flame he releases wallop all characters in range. The flames spread up and down, so it's best to release them from the edge of the screen at an appropriate height. His flaming eyes are proof of his excitement for this explosive attack. (Super Smash Bros. Brawl)"
 * Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Trophy (Mario Finale)

"A team captain in Super Mario Strikers, which features combat- style soccer that allows fighting and items. Mario proves to be a great all-around player, well balanced on offense and defense, and he wields a critical shot--the Mega Strike--that can chalk up a maximum of six goals! Mario is easily identified by the "M" marks on his spikes. (Super Mario Strikers)"
 * Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Trophy (Striker Mario)

"A legendary hero whose adventure unfolds when he sets out to rescue Princess Peach from the nefarious clutches of Count Bleck. He has the ability to flip the world from 2-D to 3-D and back again. If he grabs a Mega Star, he'll transform into a pixelated giant Mario. In this state, he's invulnerable and capable of stomping through enemies and obstacles with ease. (Super Paper Mario)"
 * Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Trophy (Paper Mario)


 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U - Trophy (Mario)
 * North America: "As iconic as iconic gets, this gaming celebrity is known for saving the world from Bowser. He's got amazing jumping skills and makes use of a wide range of transformations. In his free time, he plays too many sports to count. In Smash Bros., he's a well-rounded fighter you can rely on. Say it with me: "It's-a me, Mario!"
 * EU: "It's-a him! Maaario! Whether he's wearing one of his special outfits or just his normal blue dungarees, this running, jumping, Bowser-bashing, princess-saving hero is an all-round superstar. And in this game, he's got enough tricks up his sleeve to deal with anything. If you don't know which fighter to pick, Mario's a solid choice."


 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U - Trophy (Mario Alt)
 * North America (3DS): "Super Jump Punch is an up-special move that lets you leap high into the air, carrying any fighters you strike along with you. You'll be invincible for a moment after you launch this attack. The default side-special move, Cape, will flip a fighter around. Keep a foe from returning with this move!"
 * North America (Wii U): "Super Jump Punch is an up-special move that lets you leap high into the air, carrying any fighters you strike along with you. You'll be invincible for a moment after you launch this attack. The default side-special move, Cape, will flip a fighter around, making it easy to send a foe who's trying to grab the edge of the stage to their doom!"
 * EU: "Mario's Super Jump Punch takes you high into the air, and if you catch an opponent with it, they'll go up with you. Try to hit them at the very start of the move to do the most damage. His default side special, Cape, can flip fighters around. If you're really crafty, you can even use it to keep someone from getting back on the stage!"


 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U - Trophy (Tanooki Mario & Kitsune Luigi)
 * North America: "If you find a Super Leaf, Mario transforms into Tanooki Mario! His newfound tail works as a weapon and as a propeller to slow his fall. His brother, Luigi, won't turn into a Tanooki, though—he becomes Kitsune Luigi. Wouldn't want to have trouble telling the two apart, would we?"
 * EU: "When Mario uses a Super Leaf, he grows a tail and turns into Tanooki Mario, a very handy form indeed. Likewise, Luigi turns into Kitsune Luigi. Both of them can swing their tails to attack enemies, or wag their tails to slowly float down after a jump, almost like they're walking on air."


 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U - Trophy (Statue Mario)
 * North America: "Statue Mario is invincible and will be ignored by his enemies. If he transforms in midair, he'll do a nice Thwomp impression but he can't move! Well, unless a moving platform carries him into unlucky enemies. Give it a try in Super Mario 3D Land!"
 * EU: "Statue Mario's not just invincible - he's invisible to enemies. If Mario turns into Statue Mario in mid-air, he'll slam down and be stuck to the spot. Moving platforms will still carry him, though, and he'll knock down anyone in his way. Try it next time you play Super Mario 3D Land!"


 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U - Trophy (Boomerang Mario)
 * North America: " If you know how the Boomerang Bros. like to fight, they really aren't that tough. But if Mario BECOMES a Boomerang Bro—Boomerang Mario—what then? Will his opponents be stunned by his new moves? At the least, throwing a boomerang makes things more fun!"
 * EU: ""Before you judge someone, walk a mile in their shoes." Mario's taken that to the next level with the Boomerang Bros. - he's put on the whole outfit! As Boomerang Mario, he'll not just have more attack power - he'll have a big dollop of fun flinging that boomerang around. Great times!"


 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U - Trophy (Mario (With Propeller Box))
 * North America: "Mario with his head in a Propeller Box. He looks like something you'd see in a parade. But wait! That propeller isn't just for show—Mario can use it in the middle of a jump to go even higher. And it'll slow his fall back to the ground too!"
 * EU: "It's Mario, but with a Propeller Box on his head. It looks like some kind of weird parade costume... Unlike a parade costume, though, the propeller isn't just for show - Mario can use it mid-jump to send himself soaring into the air, and then float gently back down to the ground afterwards!"


 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U - Trophy (Mario + Standard Kart)
 * North America: "Customizing your ride is part of the fun of Mario Kart 7. Choose the best frame, tires, and glider to make your own dream machine! You can come up with some outlandish combinations, but I think Mario looks best when you keep things simple."
 * EU: "Customising your kart in Mario Kart 7 is a lot of fun. Pick your favourite frame, tyres and glider, and make your mark out on the track! Maybe your favourites are the basic ones. Nothing wrong with that! Flashy is all well and good, but there's something to be said for "simple-but-effective."


 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U - Trophy (Mario (Gold Block))
 * North America: "Oh no! Has the karma for smashing all those blocks finally caught up with Mario, and now he's doomed to wear a block on his head forever? Not at all! This Gold Block gives Mario coins whenever he runs and jumps. Cha-ching! Everyone loves getting more coins!"
 * EU: "Uh-oh! is this payback for all the blocks Mario's smashed over the years?! Oh, wait. It's actually an awesome bonus! With the Gold Block on his head, running and jumping make that familiar sound: Da-ding! Da-ding! Da-di-di-di-di-ding! That's right - you get coins! Coins galore!"


 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U - Trophy (Paper Mario)
 * North America: "The paper-thin Mario from the Paper Mario series recently quested for the wish-granting Royal Stickers. These magic stickers are for more than just collecting, though. Mario can use them to change his paper world, and nothing helps him in battle more than a sticker!"
 * Eu: "A paper-thin version of Mario from the Paper Mario series.. Most recently, he set off on a sticker-packed adventure to find the wish-granting Royal Stickers. Stickers aren't just for collecting, though - they're for making bridges, opening ancient doors, and even for taking on foes in battle!"


 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U - Trophy (Mario Golf: World Tour)
 * North America: "Looks like Mario is really on his game today! Or he just sent his ball off the course and into the trees—it's hard to tell. Getting a ball out of the rough is part of golf! It adds a bit of adventure to the game, though the undersea course in this world tour probably adds more."
 * EU: "Mario looks like he's having a good game here! Or maybe he's just whacked his ball out of sight and into the trees. It's anyone's guess, really. Well getting a ball out of the rough can still be fun. Things like that give the game a touch of adventure, which is something world tour is just full of - especially the underwater course!"


 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U - Trophy (Mario Finale)
 * North America: "Break the Smash Ball and unleash Mario's Final Smash. Mario will fire a devastating blast of fire in the direction he's facing. The attack covers a wide range and travels far, so it's best to fire this from one side of the stage to the other. The damage is impressive, and it can actually carry foes right off the screen!"
 * EU: "When Mario gets his hands on a Smash Ball, he can activate this Final Smash. Flames spiral outwards in two intertwining stream, catching opponents in the wide blast with ease. It deals plenty of damage, and can also push foes off the screen entirely. Fire it from an elevated position to take full advantage of its vertical range!"


 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U - Trophy (Bee Mario)
 * North America: "Do you hear that buzzing? Whatever could it...bee? Bee Mario! Finding a Bee Mushroom allows Mario to buzz around in the air, land on flowers, and stick to walls covered in honey. Oh, this is the bee's knees! However, Bee Mario can't sting his foes. But that's fine--you don't really want to be that kind of bee, do you?"
 * EU: "If you don't want to be Mario any more, be Bee Mario instead! Just find a Bee Mushroom, and you can buzz around in the air, land on flowers and stick to walls covered in honey. See? It'll be the bee's knees! The only bee thing you won't be doing is stinging. But that's not the kind of bee you want to be anyway, now is it?"


 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U - Trophy (Boo Mario)
 * North America: "Are you afraid of ghosts? Maybe it will help to see the world as they do. Become Boo Mario with a Boo Mushroom, and then explore their world! Shake your Wii Remote to make Boo Mario go through walls. Boo Mario blends in OK, but even as a ghost he keeps his trademark hat. The other Boos don't seem to mind, thankfully."
 * EU: "Boos are always tricky to deal with, so if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! All you need to do is grab a Boo Mushroom, and you'll become a Boo, letting you turn invisible, slip straight through walls and even speak Booish! You'd think Boos wouldn't fall for it, what with that trademark cap still firmly on top of your head...but luckily, they do."


 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U - Trophy (Spring Mario)
 * North America: "Boingee boingee boingee... It's Spring Mario, bouncing along and having a grand time! Just get a Spring Mushroom, and then press the A Button right when you land for a super-high jump! If you have a fear of heights, though, there's nothing wrong with staying in place and just bouncing a little."
 * EU: "Boing! Sproing! Mario's turned into a spring! One touch of a Spring Mushroom and he becomes Spring Mario. He'll bounce SUPER high if you press the A Button right when he lands. Doesn't it make you feel like just bouncing on the spot? Boing, boing, boing..."


 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U - Trophy (Rainbow Mario)
 * North America: "What would you get if you combined Mario with a bouncing, rainbow-colored star? An amazing, invincible Rainbow Mario, of course! Plus, Mario will glow with twinkling stars and have and an energetic song play for the duration. Doesn't that make you want to run out and grab a Rainbow Star right now?"
 * EU "What would you do if you found a star that glowed in seven colours? "Grab it quick"? Well, that would be the smart thing to do, because it'd probably be a Rainbow Star! It turns everyone's favourite moustachioed man into a...well, a rainbow-coloured mouastachioed man. Not only does he become invincible, but he looks fab!"

"In Mario Kart Wii, bikes were the big, new thing. This Standard Bike M is, as you'd expect, a very standard bike--its speed, weight, acceleration, handling, off-road, drift, and mini-turbo stats are all decidedly middle of the road. This makes it a great choice for Mario Kart beginners or for series veterans trying out bikes for the first time."
 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U - Trophy (Mario + Standard Bike)


 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U - Trophy (Propeller Mario)
 * North America: "You can tell just by the sound that there's something different about the propeller on Mario's head. It must be because it's made of rubber! In any case, Propeller Mushrooms transform Mario into Propeller Mario. Shake the Wii Remote to send Mario zooming up into the air!"
 * EU: "The propeller on Propeller Mario's head makes such an awesome sound. Not like an engine or a motor - it's more like it's powered by an elastic band. Grabbing a Propeller Mushroom turns Mario into this form, letting you send him whirling waaaaay up into the air, making that awesome sound as he goes!"


 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U - Trophy (Penguin Mario)
 * North America: "Ahh, the life of a penguin... So carefree. At last, Mario too can enjoy the feeling of gliding across the ice by donning the Penguin Suit. Not only that, but this suit unlocks other penguin abilities too! Mario can swim gracefully and, just like a penguin, dream of a day when he can fly."
 * EU: "What sort of penguin-y activities do you think Mario can get up to while wearing a Penguin Suit? Sliding around on his belly? Swimming gracefully through water? Tragically looking to the skies, reflecting on unfulfilled dreams of using his penguin wings to fly? Well, the truth is...he can do all of these things, just like a real penguin!"

"Guess what happens when Mario collects a Cloud Flower! Oh, wait. You can already see exactly what happens... That's right, Mario dons a fluffy hat, overalls, and a scarf and gets a whole lot lighter. He can jump farther, stay in the air longer, walk on clouds, and even make cloud platforms. This outfit is all silver lining!"
 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U - Trophy (Cloud Mario)

"If you're a fan of rock and roll, try picking up a Rock Mushroom. When Mario's transformed into Rock Mario, a simple shake of the Wii Remote can turn him into a big, rolling boulder, allowing him to plow through crystals and tough foes. The most amazing thing about Rock Mario, though, is that he can still jump."
 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U - Trophy (Rock Mario)


 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U - Trophy (Flying Squirrel Mario)
 * North America: "When Mario grabs a Super Acorn, he turns into Flying Squirrel Mario! Like a real flying squirrel, he can hold out his arms and glide through the air. That must feel really, really awesome! This power isn't just for fun, though—it has practical uses, too, like helping him grab the coins in midair. Da-ding! Da-ding! Da-ding!"
 * EU: "When Mario grabs a Super Acorn, he turns into Flying Squirrel Mario! Like a real flying squirrel, he can hold out his arms and glide through the air, which probably feels really awesome. This power isn't just for fun, though — it has practical uses, too, like helping him grab coins floating in mid-air. Da-ding! Da-ding! Da-ding! Da-ding!"

Luigi
Mario and Luigi are twin brothers, with Mario being the older brother. Mario and Luigi always had a strong brotherly bond ever since they were children, and remains strong today, with them saving each other several times. Luigi often joins Mario on his adventures and helps him. As much as Luigi adores and looks up to Mario, Luigi sometimes feels jealous towards him because he is ignored and forgotten in favour of him despite his efforts. Despite his envy, however, he cares a lot for his older sibling, is still very loyal to him and he loves him very much. Mario also shows in several occasions that he genuinely loves his younger twin brother, such as in the Mario & Luigi series, in which if Luigi falls in battle, Mario screams in concern and carries him on his shoulders while dodging, countering or running away, and he often hugs him when they reunite after being separated, as well as other interations in the series. He is also shown to be proud of Luigi when he fights his worst fears (like his phasmophobia) just to save him, like in the Luigi's Mansion series. He is also shown to be very protective of Luigi, especially since he has no other relatives alive or that are with him, and since Luigi was mostly a minor character and was rarely into adventures  until the 2000's, it's possible that Mario was initially rather overprotective of him, although he had his reasons: if Luigi joins him on an adventure but gets severely injured or even dies, Mario will never forgive himself for it, as his brother's death will break his heart to the point that he will never be the same.

Princess Peach
Mario saves Peach most times and his reward is a kiss and a cake. Mario cares about Peach and they are usually paired up in Sports Games. Peach is Mario's romantic interest.

Princess Daisy
Mario saves Daisy from Tatanga in Super Mario Land and became friends afterwards but she's more interested in Luigi.

Yoshi
Yoshi always joins Mario on his adventures serving as his steed. They have a good bond and Yoshi describes Mario as his trusted sidekick as well as a parental figure towards Baby Mario.

Toad
Toad also trusts Mario although he rarely joins the adventure. He is loyal to Mario and friends and likes to give out encouragement.

Wario
Wario is Mario's rival. They tend to hate and destroy each other, although Wario teamed up to stop Bowser in Super Mario 64 DS. The rivalry still continues today, and things get even more serious when Wario has his sneaky partner Waluigi by his side.

Waluigi
Mario and Waluigi have also never really got on. Waluigi usually teams up with Wario to destroy Mario. Although Waluigi's main target is Luigi, he and Mario can't stand each other.

Bowser
Bowser is Mario's arch-enemy. He spends most of his time kidnapping the Princess although he teamed up with Mario multiple times to get rid of common threats, such as Fawful. Bowser always attempts to kill the Mario Bros. However, a fact is, Mario tries to get along with Bowser and doesn't show much hatred to him.

Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong is Mario's friend and rival. Mario fought Cranky Kong in the first game, but is on good terms with the current Donkey Kong. Donkey Kong also helped Mario and his friends in the Mario Party series, as he gave them coins and stars. However in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series, the two had a rivalry, because Donkey Kong got angry and kidnapped Pauline. But in the end, the two would become friends again.

Trivia

 * According to the calendar that came with Nintendo Power V2, Mario's birthday is October 11th.
 * Mario had five voice actors: Peter Cullen, Toru Furuya, WWE Hall of Fame wrestler-turned-manager "Captain" Lou Albano (both live-action and animation), Walker Boone and Charles Martinet
 * British actor Bob Hoskins played Mario in the live-action movie Super Mario Bros.
 * Contrary to popular belief, Mario's full name is not Mario Mario (as stated in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show and the Super Mario Bros. movie). This was assumption made based on the series' name being Mario Bros. However, Miyamoto has noted in several occasions that this is not true and the brothers don't have last names.
 * Mario has always had the same outfit for every game he's appeared in.
 * Ever since the introduction of the character, Mario has influenced other video game franchises.

Gallery

 * Mario/gallery