Editing Letter

{{about|the letters characters receive in various [[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]] media|other uses of the term "Letter"|[[Letter (disambiguation)]]}}
[[File:Reading the Letter.png|thumb|[[Mario]] reads [[Bowser]]'s letter in ''[[Hotel Mario]]''.]]
{{quote|Thank [[Mario|you]] so much. Here is a letter from [[Princess Peach|the princess]].|[[Kings]]|[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]}}
'''Letters''' as in-game items have made various appearances in the [[Super Mario (franchise)|''Super Mario'' franchise]].

==History==
===''Super Mario'' series===
====''Super Mario Bros. 3''====
[[File:Letter from Peach 25th Anniversary.png|thumb|Peach's 25th Anniversary Letter]]
Letters first appeared in ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]''. Every time Mario clears a world, he will receive a letter from [[Princess Peach|Princess Toadstool]], which usually contains a helpful item and an adventure tip. However, the last one is not from Toadstool but from [[Bowser]], saying he kidnapped the princess. That one was the only one in the NES version to have any musical cue, which had bars from the Boss theme music of the game accompanied by a red flash. In the remakes, however, a calming musical cue can be heard with the letters from Toadstool. In the [[Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3|GBA remake]], an extra letter was added into the game for the intro in which it is from Toad, being sent to the princess, where it is addressed to her as "Princess Peach" rather than the older "Toadstool" moniker. However, the princess's letters still retain the Toadstool moniker as opposed to using the original Japanese and the current universal "Peach" name. In the 25th Anniversary version of ''Super Mario All Stars'', her sending letters was referenced with a letter sent by Nintendo with Peach as the in-universe author of the letter.

====''Super Mario 64'' / ''Super Mario 64 DS''====
A letter appears in ''[[Super Mario 64]]'' and ''[[Super Mario 64 DS]]''. Mario receives one from [[Princess Peach]] at the very beginning of the game, telling him to come to the castle to meet her, but as soon as he arrives, he finds that Bowser has stolen the [[Power Star]]s and kidnapped Peach.

====''Super Mario Galaxy''====
At the beginning of ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'', [[Princess Peach]] sends [[Mario]] a invitation to the [[Star Festival]]. Later in the game, letters are sent to [[Mailtoad]], who then notifies [[Mario]] or [[Luigi]] when they arrive. In ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'', letters are primarily sent from Luigi when he has become stuck in a certain [[galaxy]] and cannot get back without the player's help. The player will occasionally receive letters sent from Princess Peach, which express her concern at being kidnapped (though she is sure that Mario or Luigi will rescue her), and also contain 5 or 20 [[1-Up Mushroom]]s.

====''Super Mario Galaxy 2''====
''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]'' also starts with [[Princess Peach]] sending Mario a letter to watch the [[Star Bit]]s fall while they eat [[cake]] together. Later, letters are sent from a much wider range of characters than the first game, such as [[Gearmo]]s and [[Jibberjay]]s. They are used to accomplish a number of objectives, including notifying the player of any of [[The Chimp]]'s challenges, giving the player tips on how to perform certain moves more expertly, advising the player of a special [[Power Star]] opportunity in a particular galaxy, offering the player advice and encouragement, challenging the player to a race, or making the player aware of any other special events or occurrences that may arise periodically as the game progresses. If the player receives a letter from Peach while playing as Luigi, Mailtoad notes the letter is addressed to Mario and assures Luigi it must have been a typo.

====''Super Mario 3D Land''====
The beginning of ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]'' has Bowser sending a letter stating that the latter had kidnapped Princess Peach, thus serving as the main reason for the game. Between worlds, Peach sends letters of her own, which reveal that she made efforts to escape from Bowser and his forces, although by the penultimate level, Bowser had her recaptured, and sent a letter taunting Mario about how he has her (also placing her cage near his throne to ensure she cannot escape his grasp). After the ending, a letter is shown of Mario sitting with Peach on the Tail Tree. In addition, another letter is sent by Luigi requesting that Mario rescue him. If the player beats the game as Luigi, the letter shown will be the same as before, only Luigi replaces Mario as who Peach is sitting with. After completing the game fully, a letter is shown depicting Peach accidentally getting a Tanooki dress.

Unlike most instances of letters in the ''Mario'' franchise, there is no actual text given for the letters, just a photograph and various sound effects that imply the contents of the letter.

====''Super Mario Run''====
At the beginning of ''[[Super Mario Run]]'', [[Princess Peach]] sends [[Mario]] a letter inviting him to a party with cake, similar to ''Super Mario 64''.

===''Hotel Mario''===
In ''[[Hotel Mario]]'', the intro has [[Mario]] and [[Luigi]] finding a letter left for them by [[Bowser]], stating that he and the [[Koopalings]] have taken over the [[Mushroom Kingdom]] and kidnapped [[Princess Peach|Princess Toadstool]]. The letter is read aloud by Mario as follows:
<blockquote><i>
Dear pesky plumbers,

The Koopalings and I have taken over the Mushroom Kingdom! The Princess is now a permanent guest at one of my seven Koopa hotels! I dare you to find her if you can!
</i></blockquote>

===''Paper Mario'' series===
====''Paper Mario''====
{{main|List of letters in Paper Mario}}
{{PM item infobox
|image=[[File:PM Letter Sprite.png]]
|pm=A letter to [individual] in [location].
}}

[[File:Letter Luigi PM.png|left|frame]]

At the start of ''[[Paper Mario]]'', Princess Peach sent a letter inviting Mario and Luigi to her castle for a party, delivered by [[Parakarry]], the Mushroom Kingdom's primary mail carrier.

Later on, Letters appear for the first time as items. Parakarry dropped them all over the [[Mushroom Kingdom]] during delivery. In Chapter 2, he requests that Mario help him find the three letters he has dropped on [[Mt. Rugged]]. After Mario finds them all and gives them to Parakarry, Parakarry joins his party. Mario can find other letters Parakarry has dropped during his adventure. Delivering them to whoever the letter is written to usually rewards Mario with a [[Star Piece (Paper Mario series)|Star Piece]].

A large chain letter sequence appears as a long side quest. A letter at the end of Mt. Rugged starts the whole thing which will last until [[Paper Mario#Chapter 7|Chapter 7]]. At the end, the player will get the [[Lucky Day|Lucky Day Badge]]. The player must have Parakarry out when giving a letter.

Mario and his partners also get letters from people all throughout the game, which can be checked at Mario's house and the [[Toad Town Post Office]]. Mario receives ten from the various characters he meets.

In the ending, Mario and Luigi, alongside the various party members, are given letters inviting them to the celebrations regarding Bowser's defeat and the retrieval of the Star Rod.

====''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door''====
[[File:Mailbox SP TTYD.png|frame|right]]
In this game, Mario no longer receives letters from people he meets. Instead, he receives emails on his [[Mailbox SP]]. He does, however, receive a letter prior to the start of the game from Princess Peach via Parakarry, with Peach requesting that Mario head over to [[Rogueport]] regarding something she discovered.

Before Chapter 5 of ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'', [[Podley]] has [[Old Letter|a letter]] for [[Bobbery|Admiral Bobbery]] written by Bobbery's deceased wife, [[Scarlette]], as she was lying on her deathbed. Delivering the letter to Bobbery strengthens his resolve, and he agrees to accompany Mario to [[Keelhaul Key]].

====''Paper Mario: Sticker Star''====
Although not an actual item in ''[[Paper Mario: Sticker Star]]'', a certain part of [[Shy Guy Jungle]] has several ounces of junk documents present that Mario has to sift through. Some of them were letters, including one from [[Goombella]] titled "Observations on the Ancient Civilization of the Chomp Ruins."

====''Paper Mario: Color Splash''====
In ''[[Paper Mario: Color Splash]]'', letters can be received at [[Prisma Postal Toad]] in [[Port Prisma]]. [[Holo-Peach]]es are holographic messages that [[Princess Peach]] sends to Mario, and they are stored at Prisma Postal Toad.

Mario finds [[Letter from Chest|a letter]] in a [[treasure chest]] on [[Fortune Island]] from the ''[[Snifit or Whiffit]]'' crew informing him that they had taken the [[Battle Card (Paper Mario: Color Splash)#Instant Camera|Instant Camera]] Thing for a prize for their show.

Although not a true letter, Peach does hand him an envelope that had been sent to her by [[Black Bowser|someone]] that had been made out of the drained remains of a hapless Toad, which resulted in her and Mario heading over to [[Prism Island]] to investigate due to the postage stamp indicating where it was sent from in the beginning of the game.

===''Luigi's Mansion''===
{{main|Mario's Letter}}
A letter also appears in ''[[Luigi's Mansion]]'', which is one of Mario's missing items. It reads, "L-o-o-k--o-u-t--f-o-r--B-o-o-s,--L-u-i-g-i-!".

===''Nintendo Puzzle Collection''===
In the ''[[Nintendo Puzzle Collection]]'' version of ''[[Yoshi's Cookie]]'', the story mode intro depicts Mario receiving a letter from Bowser that reads, 「ガハハ〜! ねぼすけマリオカたちよ! うまそうなクッキーはいただいたぞ! かえしてほしければ とりもどしに きてみろ! ガハハ〜!」, which roughly translates to, "GAHAHAAA! Hey, sleepyhead Mario! I got some delicious-looking cookies! If you want them back, come get them! GAHAHAAA!"

===''Super Princess Peach''===
In ''[[Super Princess Peach]]'', a letter in the intro reads, "Gwahahaha! You bratty mushroom losers! This time I've captured Mario!!! Who will save you now? If you want him, come get him! GWAHAHAHA! - Bowser".

==Gallery==
===''Super Mario Bros. 3''===
====NES version====
<gallery>
World 1 Letter SMB3 NES.png|[[Princess Peach|Toadstool]]'s letter upon completing [[Grass Land]]
World 2 Letter SMB3 NES.png|Toadstool's letter upon completing [[Desert Land]]
World 3 Letter SMB3 NES.png|Toadstool's letter upon completing [[Water Land]]
World 4 Letter SMB3 NES.png|Toadstool's letter upon completing [[Giant Land]]
World 5 Letter SMB3 NES.png|Toadstool's letter upon completing [[Sky Land]]
World 6 Letter SMB3 NES.png|Toadstool's letter upon completing [[Ice Land]]
World 7 Letter SMB3 NES.png|Bowser's letter upon completing [[Pipe Land]]
</gallery>

====''Super Mario All-Stars'' version====
<gallery>
World 1 Letter SMB3 SMAS.png|Toadstool's letter upon completing Grass Land
SMAS SMB3 World 2 Letter.png|Toadstool's letter upon completing Desert Land
SMAS SMB3 World 3 Letter.png|Toadstool's letter upon completing Water Land
SMAS SMB3 World 4 Letter.png|Toadstool's letter upon completing Giant Land
SMAS SMB3 World 5 Letter.png|Toadstool's letter upon completing Sky Land
SMAS SMB3 World 6 Letter.png|Toadstool's letter upon completing Ice Land
SMAS SMB3 World 7 Letter.png|Bowser's letter upon completing Pipe Land
</gallery>

====''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3''====
<gallery>
File:SMA4 Intro 3.png|Toad's letter to Peach during the intro
SMA4 World 1 Letter.png|Toadstool's letter upon completing Grass Land
SMA4 World 2 Letter.png|Toadstool's letter upon completing Desert Land
SMA4 World 3 Letter.png|Toadstool's letter upon completing Water Land
SMA4 World 4 Letter.png|Toadstool's letter upon completing Giant Land
SMA4 World 5 Letter.png|Toadstool's letter upon completing Sky Land
SMA4 World 6 Letter.png|Toadstool's letter upon completing Ice Land
SMA4 Bowser Message World 8.png|Bowser's letter upon completing Pipe Land
</gallery>

===''Paper Mario''===
<gallery>
PM Peach's Letter.png|A letter from [[Princess Peach|Peach]]
</gallery>

===''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door''===
<gallery>
PMTTYD Peach Letter.png|A letter from [[Princess Peach|Peach]]
</gallery>

===''Super Mario Galaxy''===
<gallery>
SMG Peach's letter to Mario.png|A letter from [[Princess Peach|Peach]].
SMG Letter Peach.png|Another letter from Princess Peach.
SMG Luigi Good Egg Letter.png|A letter from [[Luigi]] to go to [[Good Egg Galaxy]].
SMG Luigi Battlerock Letter.png|A letter from [[Luigi]] to go to [[Battlerock Galaxy]].
SMG Luigi Honeyhive Letter.png|A letter from [[Luigi]] to go to [[Honeyhive Galaxy]].
</gallery>

===''Super Mario Galaxy 2''===
<gallery>
SMG2 Peach invite.png|[[Princess Peach|Peach]]'s letter from the prologue.
SMG2 Letter Peach.png|A letter from Peach.
SMG2 Letter Gearmo.png|A letter from the [[Gearmo (gold)|gold Gearmo]].
SMG2 Letter Gearmo Space Storm.png|A letter from the [[Gearmo (silver)|silver Gearmo]].
SMG2 Letter Jibberjay Wild Glide.png|A letter from the [[Black Jibberjay]].
SMG2 Letter Jibberjay Fleet Glide.png|A letter from the Black Jibberjay.
SMG2 Letter Chimp Honeyhop.png|A letter from [[The Chimp]].
SMG2 Letter Chimp Slimy Spring.png|A letter from The Chimp.
SMG2 Letter Chimp Fluffy Bluff.png|A letter from The Chimp.
SMG2 Letter Luigi.png|A letter from [[Luigi]].
SMG2 Letter Rosalina 1.png|A letter from [[Rosalina]].
SMG2 Letter Honeybee.png|A letter from a [[Honeybee]].
SMG2 Letter Starbunny.png|A letter from a [[Star Bunny]].
SMG2 Letter Rosalina 2.png|A letter from Rosalina.
SMG2 Letter Rosalina 3.png|A letter from Rosalina.
SMG2 Letter Rosalina 4.png|A letter from Rosalina.
SMG2 Letter Rosalina 5.png|A letter from Rosalina.
SMG2 Letter Rosalina 6.png|A letter from Rosalina.
</gallery>

===''Super Mario 3D Land''===
<gallery>
SM3DL Prolog4.png|[[Bowser]] kidnapping Princess Peach.
SM3DL W2.png|Bowser turning [[Goomba]]s into [[Tail Goomba]]s.
SM3DL W3.png|Bowser taking Peach away in his [[airship]].
SM3DL W4.png|Peach thinking of Mario.
SM3DL W5.png|A [[Goomba Tower]] attacking Peach.
SM3DL W6.png|Peach using [[Peach's Parasol|her parasol]] to hit the Goomba Tower.
SM3DL W7.png|Bowser and [[Bowser's Minions|his minions]] chasing Peach.
SM3DL W8.png|Bowser holding Peach in [[World 8-Bowser: Part 1|his castle]].
Tanooki Tree SM3DL.png|Mario and Peach sitting on the [[Tail Tree]].
Peach and Luigi on the Tanooki Tree.png|Luigi and Peach sitting on the Tail Tree.
Luigi 3DL.png|Luigi trapped by Bowser's minions.
Tanookipeach SM3DL.png|Peach and two Toads in Tanooki forms.
</gallery>

==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names
|Jpn=てがみ<ref>[https://themushroomkingdom.net/pm_j-e.shtml "Paper Mario: From Japanese to English"]. (June 17, 2013). ''The Mushroom Kingdom.'' Retrieved February 4, 2015.</ref>
|JpnR=Tegami
|JpnM=Letter. Sometimes written with kanji as 「手紙」.
|Chi=信<ref>https://www.bilibili.com/video/av75169038 (37:45)</ref>
|ChiR=Xìn
|ChiM=Letter (in [[iQue]]'s localization of ''[[Paper Mario]]'')
|Dut=Brief
|DutM=Letter
|Fre=Lettre
|FreM=Letter
|Ger=Brief
|GerM=Letter
|Rus=Письмо
|RusM=Letter
|Ita=Lettera
|ItaM=Letter
|Por=Carta
|PorM=Letter
|Spa=Carta
|SpaM=Letter
}}

==References==
<references/>

{{PM items}}
[[Category:Paper Mario special items]]
[[Category:Super Mario Bros. 3]]
[[Category:Super Mario Galaxy]]
[[Category:Super Mario Galaxy 2]]
[[Category:Super Mario 3D Land]]
[[de:Brief]]
[[it:Lettera]]