Athens

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Athens
Tour Athens Dash in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Athens in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
First appearance Mario is Missing! (1993)
Latest appearance Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Booster Course Pass, Wave 5) (2023)
Greater location Greece
Ruler Mayor Kotzenberg

Athens (Greek: Αθήνα, Athína) is the capital city of Greece. It makes appearances as a playable location in several Super Mario games, namely in the Mario Discovery and Mario Kart series.

History[edit]

Mario is Missing![edit]

Athens in Mario is Missing! (DOS)
Athens in the DOS release of Mario is Missing!

Athens appears in the DOS and SNES versions of Mario is Missing!. In both versions, it is part of the second set of five levels. During the events of the game, Athens is invaded by many Koopa Troopas, who steal a Caryatid from the Erechtheion Temple, a Brass Plaque from Hadrian's Arch, a column from the Parthenon, and (solely in the DOS and Deluxe releases) a Foustanella from the Presidential Palace. Luigi is required to find the stolen objects and return them to their respective landmarks.

In the DOS version, Athens' mayor is shown to be Mayor Kotzenberg.

Mario's Time Machine[edit]

In Mario's Time Machine, Mario travels back in time to ancient Athens circa 369 BC after Bowser travels back to Athens himself to steal a copy of the Republic from Plato. At the time, Plato was actively teaching at the Academy that he founded, and his student, Aristotle, was also branching out into his own form of philosophy. As Mario did not know that the book in his possession belonged to Plato, he talked to the other inhabitants of Athens, including Aristotle, a councilman, a writer, and an enslaved woman, about the area. Most of them end up talking about Plato and his philosophy, though. Eventually, Mario can go to the Academy and return the Republic to Plato before leaving Athens.

Mario Kart series[edit]

Artwork for Athens for Mario Kart Tour
Two Yoshis and Toad in Athens in a postcard for Mario Kart Tour

A course set in Athens, known as Athens Dash, debuted in Mario Kart Tour in the Spring Tour. The course visits various landmarks atop the Acropolis in the city.

Athens Dash returns in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in the fifth wave of the Booster Course Pass. In that game, it is the first course of the Feather Cup.

Information from Mario is Missing![edit]

Person Quote
PC version
Boy "It's extremely easy. This nation is the southernmost country in Europe."
"Would you know if I slipped and joked that this place is 'Greece-y'?"
Tourist "Let's get loose and party with Zeus. He may be home on Olympus, I guess it's hit or myth."
Reporter "Can I convince you, sirrah, it's the southernmost tip of the Balkan Peninsula?"
"Just as it happens, I'm an expert on Athens. If you have any questions, keep asking."
Scientist "Athens became the capital of Greece in 1834. But it was founded three thousand years before."
"Beware of Greeks bearing gifts, is what they used to say. I don't believe it applies today."
Police officer "Welcome to Athens, Greece, that is. Zorba was here but left for the Acropolis."
SNES version
Boy "It's extremely easy. This nation is the southernmost country in Europe."
"Would you know if I slipped and joked that this place is 'Greece-y'?"
Tourist "Let's get loose and party with Zeus. He may be home on Olympus, I guess it's hit or myth."
"I got the drachmas. Bring on those famous Greek dramas."
Reporter "Can I convince you, sirrah, it's the southernmost tip of the Balkan Peninsula?"
"Just as it happens, I'm an expert on Athens. If you have any questions, keep asking."
Scientist "Athens became the capital of Greece in 1834. But it was founded three thousand years before."
"Beware of Greeks bearing gifts, is what they used to say. I don't believe it applies today."
Police officer "Welcome to Athens, Greece, that is. Zorba was here but left for the Acropolis."

Newspaper[edit]

Mario Still Missing!
Luigi continues his search for his brother, Mario. Our sources tell us he's been following Bowser's Koopa Critters in hopes of picking up the trail, but so far he's had no luck. Along the way, he's thwarted thefts in several famous cities, including Rome, Moscow an San Francisco.
Landmarks Lifted!
Several notable landmarks were relieved of their ancient artifacts by -- believe it or not -- turtles! Witnesses at one crime scene reported seeing "your basic turtle, small and slow, hugging a bag of obviously stolen goodies." No other details were released, but preliminary sketches were published by the police.
Lightfingers on the Loose
Balloon Koopa Troopa in Mario is Missing!
  • Scene of crime: the Parthenon
  • Artifact: the Parthenon Column
  • Reward: $1500
  • Bonus: $3000
Propeller Koopa Troopa in Mario is Missing!
  • Scene of crime: The Erechtheion Temple
  • Artifact: the Caryatid
  • Reward: $1650
  • Bonus: $0
Skateboard Koopa Troopa in Mario is Missing!
  • Scene of crime: the Presidential Palace
  • Artifact: the Foustanella
  • Reward: $2250
  • Bonus: $0
Bag pulling Koopa Troopa in Mario is Missing!
  • Scene of crime: Hadrian's Arch
  • Artifact: the Brass Plaque
  • Reward: $1350
  • Bonus: $0

Gallery[edit]

Media[edit]

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Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
German Athen[1] -

Trivia[edit]

  • The police officer's comment in Mario is Missing! references the 1946 novel that was adapted into a 1964 film, Zorba the Greek.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Mario wir vermisst. Software Toolworks (German). Retrieved September 23, 2024.