Editing Fourth wall

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{{quote|What? What's a Wii Remote? ...Don't worry. As long as the player gets it, we're fine.|Garson|Super Paper Mario}}

Sometimes, characters from the ''[[Mario (franchise)|Mario]]'' franchise will state something that implies that they are aware of being fictional characters in a video game; this is known as breaking the '''fourth wall'''. The reason it is called a "fourth wall" is that the term originated from plays in theaters, when actors would look at the audience, talk to them, or do anything else that involved the audience. Because the stage would generally have a wall at the back and both sides, this concept involves the actors becoming involved with the audience who are at the front, which can be considered an invisible wall, making it the fourth one.

'''''Note:''' Video games frequently break the fourth wall in order to address the player with directions (i.e., "Press A to jump"). These instances are not to be recorded here, unless the characters are aware they are in a video game due to the remark.''

 

==Games==

===''Super Mario'' series===

====''[[Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels]]''====

[[File:THANK YOU SMBTLL.png|thumb|right|250px|アリガトウ！, the message found in 9-4.]]

In the final level of [[World 9 (Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels)|World 9]], a group of tile blocks can be found spelling out "アリガトウ！" (''Arigato!'', meaning "Thank You" in Japanese). Also, the opening of World 9-1 features a message saying "WE PRESENT FANTASY WORLD. LET'S TRY '9' WORLD WITH ONE GAME.", and the [[Game Over]] screen for World 9 has a message saying "YOU'RE A SUPER PLAYER! WE HOPE WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN. MARIO & STAFF."

[[File:YOU ARE A SUPER PLAYER SMW.png|thumb|left|240px|Part of the Coin message in ''[[Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2]]''.]]

After the [[Yoshi Egg]]s hatch during the ending sequence, the words "THANK YOU" appear as Mario gives the V for victory sign to the player while Princess Toadstool (or Peach in the GBA remake) waves to the player. At the end of the remake, ''[[Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2]]'', there is no text, though the princess still waves at the player and Mario and [[Luigi]] will still flash the peace sign. In the last level of the [[Special World]], [[Funky (Super Mario World)|Funky]], a group of coins spell out the phrase, "YOU ARE A SUPER PLAYER!!" near the end of the level (in the Japanese version, the coins spelled "YOU ARE SUPER PLAYER!!").

====''[[Super Mario 64]]'' / ''[[Super Mario 64 DS|DS]]''====

At the game's title's screen, Mario will speak to the player with lines such as '''''"It's-a-me, Mario! Hello!"''''' and '''''"Press Start to play!"'''''. At the ending sequence, Mario (or Yoshi in the remake) points his face to the player.

In the two versions, after Bowser is defeated in [[Bowser in the Sky]], he will exclaim, '''''"C'mon, troops! Let's watch the ending together! Gwa ha ha!"''''' Additionally, if Mario retrieves all 120 Power Stars and then defeats Bowser, the Koopa King will say, '''''"Just you wait until next time. Until then, keep that Control Stick smokin'! Bwaa ha ha!"''''' In the case of ''Super Mario 64 DS'', Bowser says the same thing after all 150 stars are collected, however he mentions the Touch Screen instead of the Control Stick, as the Nintendo DS does not feature a Control Stick.

After the end credits in both versions, Mario is heard saying, '''''"Thank you so much-a for-to playing my game!"''''' He uses the same phrase in ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'' and its successor, ''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]''.

In the N64 version, after Mario collects all 120 stars, shoots to the top of the castle and talks to Yoshi, he gives Mario the following message: '''''"Thanks for playing Super Mario 64! This is the end of the game, but not the end of the fun. We want you to keep on playing, so we have a little something for you. We hope you like it! Enjoy! --The Super Mario 64 Team"'''''

In the case of ''Super Mario 64 DS'', upon closing the [[Nintendo DS]] while playing , Mario says "'''''Buh-bye!'''''" to the player, after which the system goes into standby. When the system is opened, he says '''''"It's-a-me, Mario!"''''' This also happens in ''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]''.

When the player defeats [[King Bob-omb]] in [[Bob-omb Battlefield]], King Bob-omb will say ''"Just select this star from the menu. For now, farewell."''

After Mario defeats Bowser and Bowser Jr., a certain yellow [[Pianta]] in [[Delfino Plaza]] will ponder whether the game is over and express his hopes of something else happening when Mario talks to him.

In the intro, when Mario is hit by the green shell, the words "Super Mario Bros." fall from the sky. A few seconds later, [[Small Mario]] runs near it, notices it isn't straight, and jumps to hit the words and straighten them, also causing "New" to appear next to "Super". This only happens after waiting a few seconds on the title screen.

Similar to ''Super Mario 64 DS'', Mario will also say "Buh-bye!" to the player when closing the [[Nintendo DS]]. He also says "It's-a me! Mario!" when the player opens the DS and resumes the game, similar to the opening title screen in ''[[Super Mario 64]]'' and similar to that in [[Super Mario 64 DS|its remake]].

The enemies and power-ups do a small dance when there is a little "bah bah" vocal in the music, such as a Goombas jumping up in the air and Koopa Troopas will turn to the screen for a split second and rock their fists. This actually affects gameplay, as a Goomba jumping at the wrong moment could result in the player hitting a Goomba in the face rather than its head, or the player could fall short of a Koopa Troopa due to it stopping for a moment.

Much like the ending to ''Super Mario 64'', after the credits roll, Mario or Luigi will say "''Thank you so much for playing my game''" (Luigi, however, removes the "so much" part of the sentence). When 120 Power Stars are collected, after Mario or Luigi thanked the player, Rosalina will also thank the player and says  "''I will watch over you from beyond the stars.''"

When [[Airship|Bowser's Airship]] takes off without [[Bowser Jr.]] aboard, he faces the player with a surprised look. He will also look surprised at the player if all the characters bubble or one of them bubbles and the other three take a [[Warp Pipe]].

 

The enemies still do a dance to the "bah bah" vocals in the music, along with the items and flowers bouncing and blooming to the beat. Also, when underwater, the [[Cheep Cheep]]s do a spin whenever there's a windchime in the music.

If the player's [[Wii#Wii Remote|Wii Remote]] batteries are low, and they talk to [[Lubba]], he will warn the player about the batteries running out in a dangerous place. He will frequently make these kinds of references, such as suggesting that the player go to bed when it is late, or to turn off the game after a certain playing time, especially after getting a [[Game Over]], or tell the player to take a break before playing again. Additionally, if the player plays the game at an early time, [[Lubba]] will say he is sleepy and that it is rather late to be adventuring.

Sometimes, when the player gets [[Extra life|extra lives]] while there are either two or three save files in the game, [[Mailtoad]] says ''"So this person you share a special bond... Could it be someone from another save file?"''.

 

If the player has 70 to 120 [[Power Star]]s, then at the end of the credits, Mario says ''"Thank you so much for playing my game"'', much like in the previous game and ''Super Mario 64'' and ''Super Mario 64 DS''. When playing as Luigi, he will say the same thing as its predecessor.

 

If the player gets a [[Game Over]] or goes to a [[world]] for the first time, [[Lubba]] will speak to the player.

When Mario/Luigi completes a level, they will face the player.

 

When Mario finds Peach at [[World 8-Bowser's Castle 2|Bowser's Castle]], Bowser falls from the ceiling and punches the ground, cracking it. When the ground is about to break, Bowser faces the screen with a worried expression on his face.

 

If the player continuously keeps on losing lives or plays for a long time, a notification tells the player to take a break.

In [[Special 8-Crown]], a group of [[Snake Panel]]s near the end will be activated to spell out the phrase "THANK YOU!!" similar to other thanking messages in ''Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels'' and ''Super Mario World''.

[[File:Roy on a D.png|thumb|130px|Roy's tail on the "D"]]

Near the end of the game intro, [[Ludwig von Koopa]] uses his [[Magic Wand|magic wand]] to make the title and multiple [[coin]]s fall from the sky. This only happens when watching the intro after a few seconds on the title screen.  

In the credits, [[Roy Koopa]] hangs off the D of EAD with his tail.  

The enemies still do a dance at the "bah bah" vocals.

====''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]'' and ''[[New Super Luigi U]]''====

[[File:Squirrel Trees MarioWiiU.png|thumb|250px|Early screenshot showing Mario staring at the screen.]]

On the title screen, the characters ground pound to make the title and two [[Super Acorn]]s appear.

If the characters are idle, they stare at the screen. [[Baby Yoshi]]s have an added choir to all the music that they mouth to.

In the credits, the characters not being played dance to the music, and when a character being played runs near the credit letters, they spin around.

The enemies still do a dance to the vocals.

====''[[Super Mario 3D World]]''====

When the player starts up the game, [[Mario]] [[Luigi|and]] [[Princess Peach|his]] [[Toad|friends]] yell out "Super Mario 3D World!"

The flowers and bushes move along to the music.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1XoHPJSAbQ]</ref>

The [[Sprixie Princesses|Green Sprixie Princess]] waves to the screen near the end of the credits scene.

Upon completion of [[Bowser's Lava Lake Keep]] for the first time, once the transition occurs, shortly after, Bowser's laugh can be heard as he pulls back the transition to reveal that he has captured the Sprixies once more.

In the E3 demo for ''Super Mario Odyssey'', a NPC says, "We'll have to wait for the full game to go any further."<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA6wrwwbggc</ref>

The Mario 64 Cap and Outfit could possibly also be considered a fourth wall break as well, as it is a reference to the polygonal textures used in ''Super Mario 64'', which the outfit originated from.

Throughout the franchise, from ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'' onward, whenever the player visits [[Cranky Kong]] he constantly remarks about how the games of yesteryear are superior to modern games, and often whines about how the game that he's in is too easy for someone like him to complete. The instruction booklets also contain even more remarks of this nature.

====''[[Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!]]''====

If the [[Kong]]s manage to find [[Krematoa]] without speaking with [[Blunder]], he will say "''I can't believe you found the Lost World on your own! I bet you cheeky so and so's used [[Nintendo Power]]'s guide! I know I did!''"

====''[[Donkey Kong Barrel Blast]]''====

If the player hovers over the "Back" button on the main menu, [[Diddy Kong]] will arrive and wave goodbye to the player.

===[[Yoshi (franchise)|''Yoshi'' franchise]]===

====''[[Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island]]''====

In a secret area in [[Jungle Rhythm...]], there is a [[Message Block]] that gives the message ''"We, the Mario team poured our hearts and souls into creating this game for your entertainment. It is full of secrets. Enjoy!"''. In the [[Game Boy Advance]] [[remake]], the message is changed to ''"'How do you like this game? Goodies are hidden in every level, you know. You should look all over if you want to get 100 points! Investigate anything that looks suspicious."''.

====''[[Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3]]''====

If the player gets a perfect score in every stage, a message comes up saying ''"Congratulations! What an amazing job! You are the _____st Yoshi to adventure on Yoshi's Island."'' The number to be shown here is the number of lives spent before the game's completion plus one (for example, if the player has lost 300 lives before completing the game, the message says that they are the 301st Yoshi).

====''[[Yoshi's Story]]''====

Each time the player eats a [[Heart Fruit]] after playing a level's minigame, a row of Coins forming a letter will appear. If the player puts all the letters from each level in order, it reveals the message ''"YOU ARE YOSHIS GREAT PARTNER!"''

====''[[Yoshi's New Island]]''====

[[File:YNI 4th Wall.png|thumb|right|130px|Yellow Yoshi breaking the fourth wall.]]

Also, after the credits, [[Bowser]], who is behind the credits screen, smashes the screen if the game is completed if the [[Flutter Wings]] were used in at least one level. He then tells the player that they will be able to fight him after completing every level without using the Flutter Wings.

====''[[Yoshi's Woolly World]]'' / ''[[Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World]]''====

In the [[Scrapbook Theater]], if the player presses the A button on the [[Ukiki]], it will scratch its head and look at the player after a few seconds.

If the player is with [[Poochy]], he will dance if the player collects a [[Wonder Wool]] or collects a [[Smiley Flower]] that Poochy brings to them.

In the fifth short in the remake ''[[Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World]]'', "Chaaarge!", Poochy looks and runs towards the viewer(s), Poochy then falls over when he hits the screen. Also in the short "What Goes Up... ?", after Poochy looks up for a bit, he then looks at the viewer(s) and wags his tail.

===[[Wario (franchise)|''Wario'' franchise]]===

====''[[Wario's Woods]]''====

In the SNES version of ''Wario's Woods'', after defeating the player in the VS. COM mode, [[Sven]] will tell Toad that he was "glad that [the player] didn't reset the game when he saw it was hopeless."

====[[WarioWare, Inc.|''WarioWare'' series]]====

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|footer = [[Heads Up]] and [[High-Speed Chase]] quite literally breaking the fourth wall.  

| image1 = HeUp WWMM Lose.png

| alt1 = Heads Up microgame.

=====''[[WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!]]''=====

In the microgame "[[Heads Up]]", if the player fails to catch the ball and it goes out of bounds, a hole will appear in the screen and the catcher will look at it.

At the end of Mona's microgame category, she is looking at the customers while serving ice cream. The camera then closes in a circle at her face, it stops and Mona winks at the player.

=====''[[WarioWare: Twisted!]]''=====

In [[Orbulon]]'s story, the [[Alien Bunny]] wasn't rubbing strong enough. Orbulon then told the player, "You out there, take over."

In the microgame "[[High-Speed Chase]]", if the player fails to run from the chasing object, Wario will be sent towards the screen, breaking it.

=====''[[Game & Wario]]''=====

In the minigame [[Ashley (minigame)|Ashley]], [[Ashley]] will tell the player 'You with the GamePad! You're gonna have to guide me.'

Also, if the player blows on the GamePad, Ashley tries to cover her skirt as it goes up and will give the player an angry look.

====''[[Wario Land 4]]''====

In the minigame [[Wario's Homerun Derby]], if the player hits a home run, the ball will be sent toward the screen, breaking it.

In the manual, Wario complains about his transformations caused by enemies and blames the developers.

====''[[Wario World]]''====

In ''Wario World'', Wario states "So admit it..... Don't I look cool in the game screens? Those long, muscular legs on my sturdy toned frame.... I'm the perfect specimen of a man ..... What!?!? You say I look fat and my quadruple chin looks like a waterfall of flab? Shut up! That's just because you have your television set up on widescreen display!"

Whenever the player pauses the game, Wario will constantly sing, "Na Na Na Na Na, Na Na Na Na Na!" If the player listens for about 58 minutes, Wario will eventually say, "Sorry" and stop singing.

====''[[Wario Land: Shake It!]]''====

If the [[Wii#Wii Remote|Wii Remote]] is left idle, Wario may say, "Come on, pick it up and play."

===Spin-offs===

====[[Mario Golf (series)|''Mario Golf'' series]]====

=====[[Mario Golf (Nintendo 64)|''Mario Golf'' (Nintendo 64)]]=====

At the end of the game's intro, [[Wario]]'s voice is heard quietly saying, ''"It should've been called Wario Golf. ...You're gonna love it!"''

=====''[[Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour]]''=====

[[File:Waluigi_camelot.png|thumb|Waluigi, holding up the Camelot sign in the opening to ''Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour''.]]

Most celebrations have the characters facing the screen at the end of each hole. As an example, whenever [[Waluigi]] gets an [[Eagle]] or better, he will dance and spin all across the green until he points to the player, turning around upon realizing he is pointing the wrong way. Prior to the opening, Wario and Waluigi hold up signs for both [[Nintendo]] and [[Camelot Software Planning|Camelot]] respectively. This also occurs at the start of ''[[Mario Power Tennis]]''.

This is done in the same manner as in the previous game. For example, if [[Bowser]] gets an Eagle or better, then he'll run to the screen and [[Fire Breath|breathe fire]], or punch the screen if he gets a [[Bogey]] or worse. This is also likely due because of a [[Lakitu]] holding a camera, but he is not seen anywhere.

====''[[Mario Power Tennis]]''====

In his singles celebration, after eating Luigi, Yoshi looks at the player and shrugs. Donkey Kong also looks at the player and scratches his head in his singles celebration after grabbing his trophy from Toad, causing him to pass out.

====[[Mario Party (series)|''Mario Party'' series]]====

=====''[[Mario Party 3]]''=====

If the player completes Story Mode with all S's, the [[Millennium Star]] will tell the player, ''"You're spectacular. Truly spectacular. I imagine the development staff of Mario Party 3 is pleased as well. Keep up the good work."''

On the character select screen, each character will say "Good choice!" when chosen (except Yoshi and Donkey Kong). They say this again in ''[[Mario Party 4]]''.

=====''[[Mario Party 5]]''=====

[[File:Head Watier Wario Loses.png|thumb|The fourth wall's effect in the minigame Head Waiter.]]

When the Bowser-shaped bomb explodes in [[Head Waiter]], the person holding it will fly into the screen, tilting it.

=====''[[Mario Party 6]]''=====

[[Peach]] and [[Toad]] will say "Good choice!" when selected. Also [[Wario]] will say "You'll get, Wario!" when selected.

=====''[[Mario Party Advance]]''=====

After a round of Bowser Land, Bowser looks at the player, saying, ''"That was fun! Come again soon!"''.

=====''[[Mario Party 8]]''=====

When starting the game, [[MC Ballyhoo]] flies up into the air toward the camera, telling the player, "Welcome to the Star Carnival!"

After MC Ballyhoo is concerned with Bowser having stolen the [[Star Rod (Mario Party 8)|Star Rod]], he says, "But wait! We have YOU!", referring to the player.

=====''[[Mario Party 9]]''=====

On the main menu, [[Yellow Toad]] speaks to the player.

When [[Toad]] or [[Wario]] are chosen on the character selection screen, Wario might say "Good choice!" and Toad might say "Great choice!"

When the players land on a [[Bowser Space]], [[Bowser]] roars, and it breaks the screen. This doesn't happen on [[Bowser Station]].

In some of the Superstar celebrations, the characters will do something that makes them face the screen. An example is at the end of [[Magikoopa]]'s, when he points his [[wand]] to the screen.

=====''[[Mario Party 10]]''=====

When a character releases Bowser with all of the numbers on the [[Dice Block]], Bowser appears by slashing through the screen with his claws (except for [[Chaos Castle]]). This also applies to the end of the Bowser Battle minigames during Bowser Party and amiibo Party as well as the North American commercial showing the gameplay for Bowser Party.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCJF5A2HEuw ''Mario Party 10'' US Commercial: Bowser Party]</ref>

[[File:Bowser's Fence Fury.png|thumb|[[Wario]] and [[Donkey Kong]] hitting the screen in Bowser's Fence Fury.]]

In [[Bowser's Fence Fury]], players who get knocked by Bowser hit and crack the screen.

During the minigame [[Rolls for Moles]], if the player scores a Perfect in the minigame, the last [[Monty Mole]] hit by the ball will bump into the top screen and slide down it.

====[[Mario Kart (series)|''Mario Kart'' series]]====

After the credits, [[Mario]] will say; "Hey, you're very good! See you next time!"

=====''[[Mario Kart 7]]''=====

[[File:MK7 endscreen.png|thumb|right|The ending screen of ''[[Mario Kart 7]]'', with all of the characters.]]

After the credits, Mario shouts "Thanks for playing! Way to go!" or "Thanks for playing! You're the best! Ha ha!" depending on how much the player has progressed during the game, and the default characters or all of the characters wave to the player, including his or her own [[Mii]].

In [[Toad's Turnpike]], trucks with ''Mario Kart 8'' on the back and sides can be seen.

While in [[Mario Kart TV]], the player can tap on the [[Mii]]s to elicit an annoyed response from them.

Additionally, some tracks feature posters of the ''Mario Kart 8'' cover.

=====''[[Paper Mario]]''=====

If [[Goombario]] uses [[Tattle]] on a [[Goomba]], the tattle mentions that they have been around since ''[[Super Mario Bros.]].''

While Mario is fighting [[Bowser???]], the [[Koopa Bros.]] try to lower his confidence by telling him that the phony Bowser is invincible. One of the things they say is ''"The sequel should be called '''Paper Bowser!'''"''

When Mario wins a battle, sometimes he looks at the player and give them a thumbs up. This also happens in future installments, except ''Super Paper Mario''.

At the beginning of the fourth fight against [[Jr. Troopa]], he actually notices his HP bar when it has dropped to half, and comments that he lost his HP due to swimming across the ocean.

At the end of the game, a [[Bumpty]] mentions that [[Herringway]] plans to write about [[Mario]]'s story, coming up with the title "Paper Mario".

=====''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]''=====

[[File:PMTTYD Lord Crump fourth wall.png|thumb|right|[[Lord Crump]] (disguised) referring to the person "in front of the TV"]]

If Mario gets in [[Danger]] while fighting [[Gus]], he'll break the fourth wall by acknowledging that "…it'll be Game Over for you!" and that the player can choose their Tactics menu.

After Mario defeats [[Gus]], he will shout, ''"CRUD! You dumb video-game heroes always do this!"''

A young Toad in the [[Petal Meadows]] village will say: "There's this one game that just absolutely rules. It's called 'Fire Emblem'...". This reference was written shortly before the international release of [[fireemblem: Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken|''Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken'']], the first game in the series to be released outside Japan and seventh installment overall. ''Paper Mario'' and ''Fire Emblem'' are both developed by [[Intelligent Systems]]. In the Japanese version of the game, the Toad kid mentions ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' for the [[NES|Famicom]] instead.<ref>[http://legendsoflocalization.com/legit-translation-or-clever-fire-emblem-advertisement/ Legit Translation… or Clever Fire Emblem Advertisement?]</ref>

After rescuing [[Koopley]] from [[Hooktail]], [[Koops]] says: ''"For ten long years we all thought you'd...you know! We thought your game was over!"''

While describing how the [[Happy Lucky Lottery]] works, [[Lucky]] will explain that the daily number changes every day in real-time and that he uses the [[Nintendo GameCube]]'s clock as a reference. If the player sets the GameCube's date back in an attempt to cheat the system, Lucky will penalize them.

When [[Goombella]] tattles on [[Stewart]] in [[Glitzville]], she will tell Mario that [[Cheep Cheep]]s have been a part of the ''Mario'' franchise for a while. In fact, Goombella even says, ''"Oh, gosh. I just broke through the fourth wall there, didn't I? Sorry. Just forget it."''

The same occurs when she tattles on the gatekeeper of [[Twilight Town]], in which she says that the game would be too easy without him. Rather than directly referring to breaking the fourth wall, she only says,'' "Hee hee... Let's never speak of it again."''

[[Koops]] breaks the fourth wall after the fight with [[Doopliss]] where he says ''"Sort of easy for a boss battle as it were."'' Unlike Goombella though, he doesn't seem to notice that he broke the fourth wall. Doopliss also breaks the fourth wall during the chapter by removing the [[The letter "p"|lowercase p]] from the naming screen.

Just before Mario begins [[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door#Chapter 5: The Key to Pirates|Chapter 5]], [[Professor Frankly]] is about to tell them very important and long information concerning the [[Thousand-Year Door]]. He asks if they're ready to hear it, and then says, ''"And you there! In front of the TV! You listen up, too!"''. Mario's current partner out will question Professor Frankly (for example, [[Mini-Yoshi]] says to him, ''"Did someone pile-drive your head, or what? I don't see any TV here, nutjob!"''. [[Vivian]] remarks, ''"What to say... ARE YOU TALKING TO NO ONE?!?''" Goombella even says, ''"Yeesh. First me, then you! Why do we always have to break through the fourth wall?"'') Frankly yells at them, saying to disregard it as he continues. Later during the chapter, [[Lord Crump]] (under his alias, "Four Eyes") tells the player that they'd better not tell Mario who he really is, though it is impossible to even use Mario to attack him until the end of the chapter.

After [[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door#Chapter 6: 3 Days of Excess|Chapter 6]], when Bowser makes it to [[Rawk Hawk]]'s secret training facility, Rawk Hawk appears. As soon as he appears, he points at the camera insultingly asking the player if they forgot him.

A [[Toad (species)|Toad]] in [[Petalburg]] consistently breaks the fourth wall throughout the game. He states that he is a fan of [[Luigi]] and says he wants a game called "Paper Luigi". Later, he mentions that he is actually playing the game ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'' and ends up beating it before the player does. In every chapter, he always talks about a different Nintendo game.

In the [[Palace of Shadow]], if Mario allows the [[Dry Bones]] to force him to the center of the room, Mario's partner will warn him that the floor will swallow them up. If Mario does not move to prevent this, his partner will scream that they are doomed. If [[Mini-Yoshi]] is Mario's partner at the time, he will say, "Awww, game over, man! WHOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAA!"

After completing Chapter 6, a young [[Toad (species)|Toad]] will appear in Cabin 007 of [[Excess Express]]. If [[Mario]] (controlled by the player) talks to him, he will ask Mario a quiz: "What did [[Bowser]] nab in the last ''[[Paper Mario]]''?" The options are "The Star Cookie", "The [[Star Rod (Paper Mario)|Star Rod]]", and "Someone's Lunch".

In [[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door#Chapter 3: Of Glitz and Glory|Chapter 3]], [[Hamma Jamma]] says that [[World 7-1 (Super Mario Bros.)|7-1]] was his grandfather's 'hood'.

=====''[[Super Paper Mario]]''=====

Several characters, the first one being [[Bestovius]], refer to a certain button when explaining how to perform an action. When Mario asks what they mean by pressing that certain button, the [[List of characters|character]] assures them not to worry, and that the great being that watches them (the player) will know what it means. For example, when encountered, [[Thoreau]] says: ''"What's this {{button|wii|1}}, you say? You need not worry. The great being that watches us will know what it is."'' However, during [[Garson]]'s story "Stylish Moves," he states that Mario can perform one by shaking the Wii Remote; when Mario asks what the remote is, Garson replies, ''"What? What's a {{button|wii|Wiimote}}? ...Don't worry. As long as the player gets it, we're fine,"'' outright stating the existence of the player instead of alluding to them.

Before fighting him in [[The Bitlands|Chapter 3-1]], [[Bowser]] shouts to Mario, ''"No more sequels!"'' and that he will finish him off, describing himself as ''"Grade A, 100% prime-cut final boss."'' Later, during [[Fort Francis|Chapter 3-4]], the last option for Princess Peach to choose on the [[Swoon.exe]] will result in her to outburst in anger and demand to know who is picking these answers for her.

The [[Sammer Guy]] [[List of Sammer Guys#Mystical Whistle|Mystical Whistle]] claims that no one can beat him without using hacks, a reference to players who use cheat codes and devices to make games easier. Another Sammer Guy named [[List of Sammer Guys#Invisible Brock|Invisible Brock]] claims that no one could find him without using a game guide.

[[The Underwhere]] itself is a break in the fourth wall, because its inhabitants say that their game had ended. As with the rest of the series, death is referred to as getting a game over.

=====''[[Paper Mario: Sticker Star]]''=====

If the player refuses to hear the [[Battle Spinner]] tutorial four times, [[Kersti]] will say "You know what? Forget you! Here--pick one of these answers so we can move on." The resulting answers will be "yes" and "yeah".

[[Mariachi Guy]]s will play their instruments to the music when [[Mario]] gets close to them. When the player saves [[Traveling Toad]] in [[Drybake Desert]], he admits he wants to leave because there is "this weird music that never stops". This is probably referencing to the background music, and the added instruments from the Mariachi Guy near him. Also, when the player fights [[Gooper Blooper]], his tentacles clap along with the music.  

When [[Mario]] uses a [[Slaphammer]] sticker and manages to do an "Excellent" move, the enemy will be flung in the air, and crash into the screen.

When Mario stays still, the HP bar shows up and if one were to blow in the microphone, it would sway from the left to right.

When the player moves their 3DS, [[Shiny]], [[Flashy]], [[Big Shiny]], and [[Megaflash]] stickers will shimmer.

If Mario runs away from the fight with [[Bowser Jr.]] during [[Bowser Jr.'s Flotilla]], he will proclaim himself final boss.

=====''[[Paper Mario: Color Splash]]''=====

[[File:HueyFourthWallBreak.jpg|thumb|Huey told Mario about the Game Over screen if he falls off.]]

When the Fan Thing Card is used, all of the enemies will fly to the screen before falling.

Before Mario falls off the [[Kiwano Temple]], [[Huey]] saves him and said that he would've seen the [[Game Over]] screen if it wasn't for him.

When Mario fights a [[Slurp Snifit|Blue Slurp Snifit]] in battle, one of the things it will say is ''"This is not a game!"'', due to the game itself having goofy humor.

In ''[[Snifit or Whiffit]]'' at the [[Cobalt Base]], the [[Snifit]] warns Mario that making a mistake in the Bonus Round gives him an instant Game Over and the save file will disappear forever. Shortly after he says this, he says he's just kidding about the disappearing save file, but is serious about the instant Game Over in the Bonus Round.

Underneath the Mustard Café, a yellow Snifit throws Mario in jail and threatens him not to escape before realizing that they can't do anything other than throwing him in jail without changing the age rating of the game.

When Mario repaints a green [[Toad (species)|Toad]] at the beginning of [[Mossrock Theater]], the Toad will say that the forest is creepy. He will then say, "I mean, just listen to this music!", referring to the music in the level.

After the green [[Big Paint Star]] is collected and the final memory is seen, Huey says that the game's events would not have happened if a no mixing colors sign was put next to the Prisma Fountain.

When the player beats the game, the Toad with the newspaper in [[Port Prisma]] says "Prisma Fountain Restored! Game Beaten! Not sure what "game beaten" means, but would you like to watch the Prisma Splash parade again?"

====[[Mario & Luigi (series)|''Mario & Luigi'' series]]====

=====''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]''=====

When [[Bowser's Castle]] plunges into the ocean, [[Bowser]] hits the screen, cracking it.

In Mushroom Plaza, when [[Mario]] talks to the [[Toad (species)|Toad]] by the fountain he'll ask [[Mario]] if he wants to hear about Action Commands. If [[Mario]] says no every time, the [[Toad (species)|Toad]] will say ''"Action Commands are... Well go read the instruction booklet!"''

In an area of the [[Woohoo Hooniversity]] that contains no [[List of enemies|enemies]], but several objects to be studied, there is one room with four blocks in it: One from ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'', one from ''[[Super Mario World]]'', one from ''[[Super Mario 64]]'', and one from ''[[Paper Mario]]''. If Mario or Luigi strikes the block, they will read a description of the block, which says what game it's from. (i.e. Block used in ''[[Super Mario Bros]].'')

=====''[[Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time]]''=====

Mario breaks the fourth wall in [[Shroob Castle]] by noting to Luigi that the adult brothers and the baby brothers must stay on the bottom screen.

After beating the game and after the cake picture, [[Chakron]] will directly compliment the player.

The last one of [[Bowser]]'s ranks is '''Final Boss''', referencing that Bowser is the final boss in most ''Mario'' games.

If the player talks to Toadbert after beating Junker, he'll mention a dream where he hears the "A Button B Button X Button Y Button L Button R Button Y Button X Button B Button A Button" buttons being pressed. Inputting this code will speed up the scene in the Lumbar Nook.

=====''[[Mario & Luigi: Dream Team]]''=====

After freeing [[Brickle]] in Mushrise Park by increasing the water pressure on the fountain that he is stuck in, the top part of the fountain will launch into the air, break a hole in the screen and get stuck in it before shattering the screen completely and falling onto [[Grobot]], which results in him malfunctioning.

[[Pi'illoper]] also breaks the fourth wall in-universe in his chronicles of the [[Pi'illo]]s, by directly talking to Mario and Luigi.

One of the signs in [[Mushrise Park]] tells the player to look at the touch screen if they get lost. It appears to have been written by the Mushrise Park staff (more specifically, [[Brickle]] himself due to the heavy Bronx accent seen on such a sign)

If Mario and Luigi drink from the fountain on [[Mount Pajamaja]], they will go into a dream, and "Game Over" will appear on the screen during the dream. Shortly after, [[Prince Dreambert]] wakes them up.

Getting hit by one of [[Mount Pajamaja (boss)|Mount Pajamaja's]] attacks will knock Mario into the 3D screen, rendering Bros. Attacks unusable in the process.

=====''[[Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam]]''=====

After [[Nabbit]] has stolen [[Bros. Attack]]s, [[Toad]] laments that, if Bros. Attacks were lost, it is over for not only for Toad himself, but also for Mario and Luigi, for [[Mushroom Kingdom]], and the game itself. He then says that it's going to be [[Game Over]] for "for all of us".

Before the [[Paper Petey Piranha]] boss fight, the [[Toad]] that Petey grabbed will tell the player "I'm as anxious as you are to move on, but please don't press R to fast forward!" The Toad then launches into a very long explanation of why [[Petey Piranha]] is here when they already defeated him while an onscreen prompt appears saying "Press {{button|3ds|R}} to fast forward".

At one point, [[Starlow]] breaks the fourth wall by looking at the player and saying "Now, back to the adventure!" (referencing [[Stuffwell]]'s catchphrase from ''Partners in Time'').

While the trio climbs the [[Paper Toad]] staircase to [[Neo Bowser Castle (Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam)|Neo Bowser Castle]], along with compliments like, "You can do it!"' or tips like "Eat a healthy breakfast!" (which is a minor fourth wall break), another Paper Toad says "Make sure you save your game frequently".

Just like in the previous installment, the game tells the player to take a break if he/she goes to the menu after playing for a long period of time.

When Paper Mario gets an "Excellent!" on a Jump attack, he'll give a thumbs up to the player.

=====''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions]]''=====

[[File:FourthWallSuperstarSagaBowsersMinionsScreenBreak.jpg|thumb|Bowser hitting the screen after being sent flying from the castle's explosion.]]

When [[Bowser's Castle]] explodes at the end of the main story, [[Bowser]] hits the screen, cracking it, just like in the original. The same thing happens at the end of [[Believe in Bowser]] in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions#Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser|Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser]]'', but with [[Captain Goomba (Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser)|Captain Goomba]], [[Captain Koopa Troopa]], [[Captain Boo]], and [[Captain Shy Guy (Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser)|Captain Shy Guy]].

=====''[[Mario vs. Donkey Kong]]''=====

At the end of Credits 1 and Credits 2, Mario will say ''"Thanks very much for-to playing my game!"'', a line similar to the one at the end of ''[[#Super Mario 64/DS|Super Mario 64]]''. Also, Mario makes several remarks at the credits in Credits 2 as they pop up (such as ''"Oh, the engineering! Mamamia!"'' and ''"Ooh, don't forget to thank [[Shigeru Miyamoto|Mr. Miyamoto]]."''). Also, Mario breaks the fourth wall in every level (bar the [[Mini Mario (toy)|Mini-Mario]] and boss levels) by smashing the [[Crystal Ball]] against the screen to break it.

=====''[[Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis]]''=====

When the player closes/opens the [[Nintendo DS]], [[Mario]] can be heard talking, sometimes to the player such as "What's up?". Also, in the final cutscene, [[Mario]], [[Donkey Kong]], [[Pauline]] and the [[Toad (species)|Toad]]s are seen waving at the player.

=====''[[Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!]]''=====

When closing the DSi, Mario will either say "''I love this game!''" or "''Hey! You get back here!''" Opening it again will result in him saying things such as "''Let's play again!''"

=====''[[Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!]]''=====

When closing the DS, Mario will say the same things he did in the previous game, along with some new ones, including "''Ow, my head!''" and "''Whatta' you doing?''"

===[[Super Smash Bros. (series)|''Super Smash Bros.'' series]]===

[[File:Mario & Little Mac K.O.!.jpg|thumb|right|[[Mario]] and [[Little Mac]], having been screen KO'd.]]

When a character is KO'd by being sent off the top blast line, they may occasionally hit the screen before falling and losing one of their stocks. This is called a screen KO.

====''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''====

When [[Mr. Resetti]] is released from an Assist Trophy, he may tell the players to stop resetting, as he considers it to be a form of cheating in the ''Animal Crossing'' games. Additionally, if the game is being played late at night, he may tell the player to "get some shut-eye".

When using [[Solid Snake]]'s codec on [[Sonic the Hedgehog]] on [[Shadow Moses Island]], [[Otacon]] says that people are excited that he is in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''. In the codec on Mario, [[Colonel]] says that Mario made his first appearance in [[List of games by date#1981|1981]], and in [[Jigglypuff]]'s codec, he says that it takes all kinds of energy in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''; Colonel also mentions the ''[[WarioWare (series)|WarioWare]]'' games in Wario's codec. In [[Pit (character)|Pit]]'s codec, Colonel says that Pit has gone through "''countless trials over the years''", to which Snake replies, "''And by 'trials', you mean '[[Game Over]]s'?''" Finally, when Snake uses his codec on [[Mr. Game & Watch]], Otacon will talk about his first appearance, 1980, and his console, [[Game & Watch]]. There are other Codec Conversations that break the fourth wall as well.

There is a scene in the [[Subspace Emissary]] mode where Snake reveals himself after being hidden in his cardboard box for a long time. While facing towards the screen, he says "''Kept you waiting, huh?''" There are no other characters in his vicinity during the scene, so he must have been talking to the player - in reference to the fact that a brief scene of him hidden in the cardboard box was shown much earlier in the Subspace Emissary storyline. This is the only time the characters say a full sentence, excluding [[Pokémon]].

In a similar manner, before facing [[Wolf O'Donnell]] in the Subspace Emissary, Wolf will appear to look at the screen, and strikes a pose at the challenger. Since Wolf doesn't interact with anyone directly, this is likely a sign of breaking the fourth wall.

During gameplay, super heavy characters, such as [[Bowser]], will shake the screen when they hit the ground after jumping, due to their high weight.

====''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U]]''====

[[Bowser Jr.]]'s [[Final Smash]], [[Shadow Mario Paint]], involves painting a giant "X" across the screen itself.

In [[Duck Hunt (character)|Duck Hunt]]'s reveal trailer, the dog and the duck actually dodge their introduction statement.

In the [[List of Palutena's Guidance conversations|Palutena's Guidance conversation]] for [[Link]], [[Pit (character)|Pit]] mentions how both of them were "born around the same time". [[Palutena]] also mentions [[Pac-Man]]'s creation date during his conversation.

Similarly to the previous game, [[Bowser]]'s footsteps cause the screen to shake.

====''[[Luigi's Mansion]]''====

[[File:Luigi Fourth Wall.jpg|thumb|right|Luigi breaking the Fourth Wall.]]

[[Melody Pianissima]] plays songs from the earlier ''Mario'' games and asks Luigi what game it appeared in. (''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', ''[[Super Mario World]]'', etc.). She will also play the ''Luigi's Mansion'' theme while Luigi is in the hallway next to the vase with the picture above it. Luigi occasionally hums and whistles the theme as well.

Whenever Luigi gets a key/valuable item, he shows it to the player.

An [[List of Luigi's Mansion pre-release and unused content|earlier version]] of the game shows Luigi looking at the player in the Foyer.

====''[[Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon]]''====

Luigi hums the background music to the various mansions when the player doesn't touch the controls for five seconds.

===''[[Super Princess Peach]]''===

During the intro sequence, [[Bowser]] will tell the player to shut the door, using the [[Nintendo DS]] stylus, so that he and his minions could continue discussing their plan.

During the ending sequence, the player is asked, ''"So, how did YOU feel about this last adventure?"'' The player is also told that the [[Vibe Scepter]] might be in their house somewhere.

===''[[Mario Strikers Charged]]''===

Sometimes, the team captains will look at the screen, making it seem that they're looking at the player. One example is during one of [[Waluigi]]'s losing animations where he looks at the screen and then prepares to punch it.

During Wario's home entrance, he will hum to his own theme.

===''[[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]''===

After Mario and [[Mallow]] join [[Geno]] while he's fighting [[Bowyer]], Bowyer will retort that a three-on-one fight isn't fair. To compensate for this, the Y, X, and A buttons of the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]] controller will appear in front of him. Bowyer will then fire an [[Aero]] at one of the buttons, which will effectively lock the ability to use that button's commands (magic, items, or attacks). Only one button can ever be locked at once, although Bowyer will continually fire Aeroes at the buttons every few turns until he is defeated.

Upon defeating [[Culex]], he mentions that "Perhaps in another time, another game, [he and Mario] may have been mortal enemies...", which also references how Culex parodies bosses from the ''Final Fantasy'' franchise.

During the ending sequence, there is a scene where Mario, Princess Toadstool, Yoshi, Toad, and the [[Chancellor]] wave at the player, with the words "''THANK YOU''" displayed at the top of the screen. The scene ends as the camera irises out on Mario, who then winks at the player.

===''[[Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker]]''===

During the credits, Toadette looks at the screen and says, "''Oh, no!''"

===''[[Mario Sports Superstars]]''===

[[File:FireBreathSportsSuperstars.jpg|thumb|Bowser's Fire Breath on the screen in one of his golf post-hole animations.]]

During golf, characters will perform their post-hole animations on the player just like in ''Mario Golf: World Tour''.

====''[[Hotel Mario]]''====

During the intro of the game, after Mario points out how [[Luigi]] points to the screen and says ''"And you gotta help us!"''. In turn, [[Mario]] says ''"If you need instructions on how to get through the [[Hotel]]s check out the enclosed instruction book."''

Throughout the many other cut scenes of the game, Mario and Luigi will continue to speak with the player. These lines include Luigi saying ''"Looks can be deceiving when Koopas are involved"'' whilst facing the screen, and Mario saying ''"Remind me to check"'', ''"You know what they say, all toasters toast toast"'', and ''"When you pinch [[Wendy]]'s [[Penny (enemy)|Pennies]], they pinch back"'' whilst facing the screen.

Also, at the end of the game, the Mario Bros. and [[Princess Peach|Princess Toadstool]] wave to the player and congratulate them for the completion of the game, and Toadstool even thanks the player individually for helping her.

==[[List of television series and films|Television Series]]==

Before many of the games listed above came out, the Fourth Wall was broken in several of the cartoon episodes.

Throughout the three [[DIC Entertainment]] cartoons, commercial bumpers for the shows were announced to the audience by various characters at the start and end of the commercial breaks (i.e. ''"Be right back, paesanos!"'', ''"And now back to ''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!''"''). These commercial bumpers can be viewed on the DVD sets of ''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'', but were not included on ''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3'' DVD set. Additionally, the first three weeks of episodes for ''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show'' all contained unique bumpers featuring scenes and voice overs related to the episode's live-action segment. All of the later episodes used a few generic bumpers that were announced by Mario, and showcased a still shot from the opening sequence.

When ''[[The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' aired on NBC during its original run, a character from each of the two upcoming episodes, as well as a character from ''[[Captain N: The Game Master]]'', which aired between the two episodes, would all narrate a preview of the upcoming episodes before the show started. This trend continued with ''[[Super Mario World (television series)|Super Mario World]]''. These previews were not included on the DVDs due to the fact that they are considered the property of NBC.

===''[[The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!]]''===

At the start of the opening sequence, Mario shouts out to the audience ''"Hey, paisanos! It's The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!"''. In the live-action segments that aired from Monday through Thursday, Mario, Luigi, and/or the guest star will tell the audience to watch a preview of Friday's ''[[The Legend of Zelda (cartoon)|The Legend of Zelda]]'' episode. At the end of every episode, Mario, Luigi, and sometimes the guest star will say to the audience ''"Til next time, everyone... [[Do the Mario]]!"''

;[[Pirates of Koopa]]

After [[Blackbeard Koopa]] kidnaps Princess Toadstool, he asks ''"Would Blackbeard Koopa lie?"'' and winks to the viewers.

;[[The Unzappables]]

After Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess Toadstool successfully enter the [[Koopa Klub]], [[Mouser]] turn to the audience and says ''"Oy! Some people are really shtupid!"''.

;[[Defective Gadgetry]]

Near the start of the segment, Luigi tells Mario to get the door for no apparent reason. At that moment, the doorbell rings and Mario goes to answer it. After taking a few steps, Mario turns to the viewers and utters ''"How does he always know?"''.

At the end of the segment, [[Howard Stevens]] bids farewell to the audience as if he were hosting a television program. Mario and Luigi then gaze at the camera with startled faces, prompting Luigi to ask Howard whom he was talking to.

;[[The Provolone Ranger]]

At the end of the episode, Mario, upon hearing the mention of dinner, comes running up to [[Pronto]] and an old man at a very high speed. After making his entrance, Mario then says to the viewers ''"And you thought Pronto was fast!"''.

;[[Two Bums from Brooklyn]]

After Luigi correctly guesses that Mario had been speaking to [[Tommy Lasagna]] on the phone, Mario turns to the viewers and gripes ''"But how does he always know?"'', much like he did previously in "Defective Gadgetry".

===''[[The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3]]''===

The term "[[Real World]]" can be considered breaking the fourth wall, as it implies the characters know they are in a make-believe world.

When Mario says to Toad to bring back the [[Pile Driver Micro-Goomba]]s, Toad winks to the audience.

When [[Princess Peach|Princess Toadstool]] was talking to [[Bowser]] about the election to be [[Mushroom Kingdom]]'s ruler, [[Larry Koopa|Cheatsy Koopa]] looks at the watcher and says ''"That's King Dad? (laughs) Are you kidding?"''. After he say this, King Koopa says ''"What are you laughing at?"'' because he doesn't understand that Cheatsy was laughing at the audience.

When Mario and the gang see the large fire pit they must cross, Luigi takes note of the [[Dark Land]] music in the background and nervously shouts ''"Stop the music!"'', to which the music stops. Luigi tells Mario that they can't cross that pit, but [[Toad]] sees some [[? Block]]s that can help them. Mario calls out for the music to start up, and new, more epic background music plays.

Later on in the episode, when Princess Toadstool and Toad are flying with [[P-Wing|P-Wings]], Princess Toadstool says to Toad when he complains about his appearance "It's not like you're on television with millions of people watching you!".

;[[Recycled Koopa]]

At the end of the episode, the [[Statue of Liberty]] comes to life to tell the audience ''"Those Mario Bros. '''are''' super!"''

;[[True Colors]]

At the end of the episode, Luigi asks if people in the [[Earth|Real World]] will ever accept others regardless of their color, to which Mario, while facing the camera, responds ''"Yeah, when [[human]]s get as smart as [[Toad (species)|Mushroom]]s."''