Editing Small Mario

|latest_appearance=''[[WarioWare: Move It!]]'' ([[List of games by date#2023|2023]])

|applies_to=[[Mario]], [[Luigi]], [[Princess Peach|Peach]], [[Princess Daisy|Daisy]], [[Toad]], [[Yellow Toad (character)|Yellow Toad]], [[Blue Toad (character)|Blue Toad]], [[Captain Toad]], [[Hint Toad]], [[Banktoad]], [[Yellow Toad (Toad Brigade)]], [[Toadette]], [[Rosalina]], [[Yoshi]], [[Yoshi (species)|Red Yoshi]], [[Yoshi (species)|Blue Yoshi]], [[Yoshi (species)|Yellow Yoshi]], [[Yoshi (species)|Purple Yoshi]], [[Mii]]

'''Small Mario''' (also referred to as '''Little Mario''',<ref>Tatsumi Yamashita, ''The Official Nintendo Player's Guide'', Tokuma Shoten, 1987, ISBN 999832369X. Page 29.</ref> '''Regular Mario''',<ref>''[[Super Mario Bros. Deluxe]]'' [[Prima Games]] guide, page 8.</ref> '''Mini Mario''',<ref>''[[Mario Mania]]'', pg 47.</ref> or simply '''Mario'''<ref>''Super Mario Bros.'' English instruction manual, page 8.</ref>) is the base form of the player character in the 2D ''[[Super Mario (series)|Super Mario]]'' games, along with ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]'', ''[[Super Mario 3D World]]'', and ''[[Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker]]''. This form does not have any special abilities, and it also does not take any [[List of Power-Ups|power-ups]] to assume this form, unlike other forms. Small Mario, however, cannot break [[Brick Block]]s unlike Super Mario and any forms taking Super Mario's size. [[Super Mario (form)|Super Mario]] turns into Small Mario when he is hit by an enemy or obstacle. Mario loses a life if he takes damage while in Small form. The player almost always starts the game off in this form; ''[[Super Mario Bros. 2]]'', ''Super Mario 3D Land'', ''Super Mario 3D World'', and ''Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker'' are notable exceptions, as in these games, the player starts each life in Super form regardless of what form they took prior to losing a life.

Small Mario first appears in ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' Unlike more modern appearances, starting with ''[[Super Mario World]]'', Mario will not be turned into the form granted by a higher-tiered power-up (like a [[Fire Flower]]), but rather will only become [[Super Mario (form)|Super Mario]]. This behavior is the same in ''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels]]'' and the original and ''[[Super Mario All-Stars]]'' versions of ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' (this only applies to the Fire Flower and [[Super Leaf]] in ''Super Mario Bros. 3'', though).

 

Also, in this game, as well as ''Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels'' (where Mario can also be hurt by touching a [[Poison Mushroom]]), the Japanese Family Computer version of ''Super Mario Bros. 3'', and the original version of ''Super Mario World'', taking damage as [[Fire Mario]] (or any other higher-tiered form in the latter two games) immediately shrinks Mario down to his Small form.

In ''[[Super Mario Bros. 2]]'', Mario, Luigi, [[Toad]] and [[Princess Peach|Princess Toadstool]] start out each life in Super form (at the start of each level, they only have two hit points; they start with the current maximum hit points full after defeat), regardless of what their form was upon defeat or exiting the previous level. They become Small if they only have one hit point left. By finding the two [[Mushroom]]s hidden in [[Subspace]], the characters can extend their maximum hit points to four; also, upon the Mushroom's collection, the character always regains full health.

In ''[[Super Mario Advance]]'', the Small form persists between levels (unless the player finished the previous level in their Super form, in which case it transfers to that level for that life only, even if the player switches characters), the characters start the game and each life in their Small forms with only one hit point remaining (of the current maximum), rather than their Super forms, and the maximum hit points per level is five, due to an added Mushroom per level.

 

In the original NES version, when characters are in their Small forms, only their lower halves shrink while their upper halves remain intact. In the ''All-Stars'' remaster and ''Super Mario Advance'', this was changed so that their entire bodies shrink. As a result, Peach is also affected, as her hair becomes shorter as she shrinks into her Small form, rather than remaining intact like in the original NES version.

In international versions of ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', Mario now reverts to his Super form instead of his Small form if he takes damage in a second-tier form (e.g. Fire, [[Raccoon Mario|Raccoon]]). This also applies to almost all 2D ''Super Mario'' games after ''Super Mario World'' (including its remake, ''[[Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2]]''). However, in the Japanese version of the game, Mario still reverts back to his Small form regardless of what power-up he was using. This also applies when Mario has a [[Goomba's Shoe]].

In ''[[Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', the original Japanese version's damage system is one of the effects that the [[Teki Power Up! Tokuten x2!!|red switch card]] has on the game.

As of ''[[Super Mario World]]'' and ''Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2'', grabbing any higher-tiered power-up as Small Mario will bypass the Super form (e.g. grabbing a Fire Flower turns Small Mario right to [[Fire Mario]]). This property was also included in the GBA version of ''Super Mario Bros. 3'', ''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3'' (though it was formerly [[List of Super Mario Bros. 3 glitches#Small to Fiery|a glitch]] in the original and ''Super Mario All-Stars'' versions of that game).

 

Small Mario can transform into Super Mario in this game by cutting the tape of a [[Midway Gate]]. This functionality was retained for [[Checkpoint Flag]]s in many later games, beginning with ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]''.

When developing ''Super Mario Bros.'', players were originally supposed to start as Super Mario. However, because of the way the camera was zoomed in during development, it made seeing around Mario difficult. After pulling the camera away, Mario appeared smaller, at which point [[Toshihiko Nakago]] suggested they make Mario smaller instead of pulling the camera away. The team then decided that Super Mario would shrink into Small Mario if he touches an enemy, but if Small Mario touches an enemy, he'll be defeated instead.

When asked if [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] considered letting the players start as Super Mario rather than Small Mario, he responded with "Starting with the small Mario would make players happier when Mario got big later, and it would also give a better impression to players."<ref>https://www.nintendo.com/nes-classic/super-mario-bros-and-super-mario-bros-3-developer-interview</ref>

|Jap=ちびマリオ<br>''{{wp|Chibi (slang)|Chibi}} Mario''<br>ノーマルマリオ<ref>「任天堂公式ガイドブック　スーパーマリオコレクション」 (''Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook – Super Mario Collection''), page 8.</ref><br>''Nōmaru Mario''<br>マリオ<ref>[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/software/smb1/material/pdf/smb_manual.pdf ''Super Mario Bros.'' Japanese instruction manual]</ref><br>''Mario''

|JapM=Small Mario<br><br>Normal Mario<br><br>Mario

|Spa=Peque Mario

|SpaM=Pun on the word ''pequeño'' (small)

|Fre=Petit Mario<br>Mini Mario <ref>''Super Mario All Stars'' french instruction manual</ref>  

|FreM=Small Mario<br>Mini Mario

|Ita=Mario<ref>''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' Italian manual, pag. 8</ref><ref>''[[Super Mario All-Stars]]'' Italian manual, pag. 9</ref>/Mario normale<ref>''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' Italian manual, pag. 9</ref><br>Mario piccolo (earlier games)<br>Piccolo Mario<ref>''[[Super Mario All-Stars]]'' Italian manual, pag. 11</ref> (recent games)

|ItaM=Mario/Normal Mario<br>Small Mario<br>Small Mario

|Kor=꼬마리오<ref>''New Super Mario Bros.'' Instruction manual, Nintendo Korea</ref>

|KorM=Portmanteau of 꼬마 ''kkoma'' (kid) and 마리오 (Mario)

|ChiS=迷你马力欧<ref>https://www.ique.com/3ds/arej/about/about2.html</ref> <small>(''Super Mario 3D Land'')</small><br>''Mínǐ Mǎlì'ōu''<br>小马力欧 <small>(''Super Mario Maker 2'')</small><br>''Xiǎo Mǎlì'ōu''