Mario Quiz Cards

The box the cards came in.

The Mario Quiz Cards are a set of informational quiz cards licensed by Nintendo and published by Atlas Editions and Newfield Publications from 1995 to 1997. They follow a specific format that usually features an illustration of a Mario franchise character with a word bubble that asks a multiple choice question. A separate illustration follows that features some of the characters and is related to the question. On the back of each card is the answer to the question, along with a detailed explanation accompanied either by a photograph or an illustration. The cards cover a wide variety of topics, including science, history, astronomy, and geography. Cards were promoted and delivered monthly via mail.

Occasionally, the cards attempt to reveal something about the characters that is not shown in the games of the Mario franchise, or depict them performing activities that Nintendo (particularly Nintendo of America) would never allow them to do in the games, which are marketed primarily to children. Cards that depict these activities include:

• A card asking who Cyrano de Bergerac was shows a more romantic side to Mario's personality than is shown in games.
• Mario shows himself to be capable of playing kendo in a card asking what weapon that martial art uses.
• On a card asking why it is important to know one's blood type, Dr. Mario reveals Princess Peach to be blood type O positive.
• Two religion-related cards, one shows Mario reading the Quran and praying to Allah (God in Arabic), and the other shows Mario reading a Bible.
• A card asking what Greenpeace is shows Mario and Luigi protesting against nuclear weapons.
• Luigi is shown reading a history book in a card that asks when the Nazi German dictator Adolf Hitler rose to power.
• Princess Peach is shown attending an organized rally for the Equal Rights Amendment.
• A card asking when Prohibition was shows Mario chasing a Goomba toting around a bottle of alcohol.
• One of the cards has Mario listening to the Fab 4, a supposed parody of The Beatles, while Mario himself sports a bowl-cut similar to one of the band members of the Fab 4. The card in question asks what important event happened in Candlestick Park on August 29th, 1966, the place and time the Beatles performed their final full public concert.
• A card asking where a person would find both the Grand Ole Opry and Graceland shows Mario wearing the iconic outfit of Elvis Presley.
• A card asking what a sweatshop is, displaying a bear character working in substandard conditions.
• Mario wearing The Cat in the Hat's trademark headwear along with Luigi holding a plate of green eggs and ham on a card about Dr. Seuss.
• Mario with a rifle and hunting dog on a question about wildlife regulation.
• Mario discovering a (presumably) magic oil lamp on a question about Arabian Nights.

Some cards interestingly use Bowser's "King Koopa" design from the cartoons, recolored to match his game counterpart. Also, one card has Luigi's clothes in Mario's colors. In the user manual, some of the character's names are incorrect or misspelled: Cheep Cheep is labeled as "Cheap Cheap", Spiny Egg is labeled as Bob-omb, Koopa Paratroopa is labeled as Paragoomba and Toad is labeled as Toady.

Cards

This section is under construction. Therefore, please excuse its informal appearance while it is being worked on. We hope to have it completed as soon as possible.

Arts, Sports & Leisure

• 

  Divider card

• 

  "In what country did the Renaissance begin?"

• 

  "In what country did the Renaissance begin?" (back)

• 

  "In what section of the orchestra does the flute belong?"

• 

  "In what section of the orchestra does the flute belong?" (back)

• 

  "To which musical-instrument family does the guitar belong?"

• 

  "To which musical-instrument family does the guitar belong?" (back)

• 

  "To which musical-instrument family does the gong belong?"

• 

  "To which musical-instrument family does the gong belong?" (back)

• 

  "What are hennins, bowlers, and boaters?"

• 

  "What are hennins, bowlers, and boaters?" (back)

• 

  "What are sails made of?"

• 

  "What are sails made of?" (back)

• 

  "What are the martial arts?"

• 

  "What are the martial arts?" (back)

• 

  "What are the oldest American dolls?"

• 

  "What are the oldest American dolls?" (back)

• 

  "What are three kinds of weightlifting moves?"

• 

  "What are three kinds of weightlifting moves?" (back)

• 

  "What equipment is necessary for windsurfing?"

• 

  "What equipment is necessary for windsurfing?" (back)

• 

  "What happened at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, August 29, 1966?"

• 

  "What is 'show jumping' at a horse show?"

• 

  "What is 'show jumping' at a horse show?" (back)

• 

  "What is a hang glider?"

• 

  "What is a hang glider?" (back)

• 

  "What is a thoroughbred?"

• 

  "What is a tom-tom?"

• 

  "What is a tom-tom?" (back)

• 

  "What is Japanese wrestling called?"

• 

  "What is Japanese wrestling called?" (back)

• 

  "What is karate?"

• 

  "What is karate?" (back)

• 

  "What is science fiction?"

• 

  "What is science fiction?" (back)

• 

  "What is Sherlock Holmes' favorite saying?"

• 

  "What is snorkeling?"

• 

  "What is snorkeling?" (back)

• 

  "What is the Indianapolis 500?"

• 

  "What is the Indianapolis 500?" (back)

• 

  "What is the weapon used in kendo?"^[sic]

• 

  "What is the weapon used in kendo?"^[sic] (back)

• 

  "What is Yoga?"

• 

  "What is Yoga?" (back)

• 

  "What kinds of weapons are used in the sport of fencing?"

• 

  "What kinds of weapons are used in the sport of fencing?" (back)

• 

  "What was the first big accomplishment in mountain climbing?"

• 

  "What was the first big accomplishment in mountain climbing?" (back)

• 

  "What's the highest you can score in one bowling game?"

• 

  "What's the highest you can score in one bowling game?" (back)

• 

  "What's the world's most important bicycle race?"

• 

  "What's the world's most important bicycle race?" (back)

• 

  "When did figure skating become part of the Olympic Games?"

• 

  "When did the first Paris-Dakar car race take place?"

• 

  "When was abstract art invented?"

• 

  "When was the end of the silent movie era?"

• 

  "When was the end of the silent movie era?" (back)

• 

  "When was the first America's Cup boat race held?"

• 

  "When was the first America's Cup boat race held?" (back)

• 

  "Where are the oldest known cave paintings?"

• 

  "Where are the oldest known cave paintings?" (back)

• 

  "Where was the kite invented?"

• 

  "Where was the kite invented?" (back)

• 

  "Which are maneuvers in rock climbing?"

• 

  "Which are maneuvers in rock climbing?" (back)

• 

  "Which are pieces of mountain climbing equipment?"

• 

  "Which are pieces of mountain climbing equipment?" (back)

• 

  "Which is a characteristic of Gothic architecture?"

• 

  "Which is a characteristic of Gothic architecture?" (back)

• 

  "Which is the pen name used by author Theodore Geisel?"

• 

  "Who founded the Boy Scouts?"

• 

  "Who founded the Boy Scouts?" (back)

• 

  "Who invented cubism?"

• 

  "Who invented cubism?" (back)

• 

  "Who invented the game of basketball?"

• 

  "Who invented the game of basketball?" (back)

• 

  "Who told the tales of The Arabian Nights?"

• 

  "Who told the tales of The Arabian Nights?" (back)

• 

  "Who was Cyrano de Bergerac?"

• 

  "Who was John James Audubon?"

• 

  "Who was John James Audubon?" (back)

• 

  "Who was Martha Graham?"

• 

  "Who was Martha Graham?" (back)

• 

  "Who was the first movie director to win four Oscars?"

• 

  "Who was the first movie director to win four Oscars?" (back)

• 

  "Who wrote Don Quixote?"

• 

  "Who wrote The Little Prince?"

• 

  "Who wrote The Little Prince?" (back)

Beliefs & Legends

• 

  Divider card

• 

  "What are Muses?"

• 

  "What is a menorah?"

• 

  "What is Christianity?"

• 

  "Who is the leader of Tibet's Buddhists?"

By Air & By Sea

• 

  Divider card

• 

  "What do airports use to ensure security?"

• 

  "Who invented the rudder?"

Domestic Animals

• 

  Divider card

• 

  "Are boxers and bulldogs the same type of dog?"

• 

  "How long have llamas been domesticated?"

• 

  "What are ruminants?"

• 

  "What is a fox terrier?"

• 

  "What is carding?"

• 

  "What is equitation?"

• 

  "What is the Triple Crown in horse racing?"

• 

  "Why are horses shod?"

Geography

• 

  Divider card

• 

  "In which state would you find the Grand Ole Opry and Graceland?"

• 

  "What is a volcano?"

• 

  "What is the highest mountain in the world?"

• 

  "Which is the world's largest river by volume?"

• 

  "Which waterfalls are the largest in the Americas?"

• 

  "Why do we have earthquakes?"

History

• 

  Divider card

• 

  "In what year did Hitler take power in Germany?"

• 

  "What event marked the beginning of the French Revolution?"

• 

  "What is a lotus?"

• 

  "What is chronology?"

• 

  "What is the ERA?"

• 

  "When was Prohibition?"

• 

  "Which U.S. Presidents' faces are carved into Mount Rushmore?"

• 

  "Who was Al Capone?"

• 

  "Who was Che Guevara?"

• 

  "Who was Lawrence of Arabia?"

• 

  "Who was Rosa Parks?"

Human Body

• 

  Divider card

• 

  "How do we hear?"

• 

  "How many quarts of blood are in the human body?"

• 

  "How many teeth does an adult human have?"

• 

  "What makes our bodies move?"

• 

  "Why do we need oxygen?"

• 

  "Why is blood red?"

• 

  "Why is it important to know your blood type?"

Land Transportation

• 

  Divider card

Medicine

• 

  Divider card

Meteorology

• 

  Divider card

• 

  "Where was the hottest air temperature recorded on Earth?"

Oceans & Seas

• 

  Divider card

• 

  "What's an abyss?"

• 

  "Why is Earth called the blue planet?"

People of the World

• 

  Divider card

• 

  "What does an ethnologist study?"

• 

  "What do Indian women wear?"

Plants & Trees

• 

  Divider card

• 

  "What is alfalfa?"

Science & Technology

• 

  Divider card

• 

  "How do elevators work?"

• 

  "What heats up a microwave oven?"

• 

  "What is alchemy?"

• 

  "What is used to pave roads?"

• 

  "Where are most of the world's oil reserves?"

• 

  "Where do colors come from?"

• 

  "Why are chemical additives added to food?"

Social Life

• 

  Divider card

• 

  "What agency is in charge of hunting regulations in the U.S.?"

• 

  "What are firefighters' duties?"

• 

  "What is a sweatshop?"

• 

  "What is illiteracy?"

• Mother's Day quiz card.jpg

  "When did we start celebrating Mother's Day in the U.S.?"

• 

  "Which is used to make whiskey?"

The Story of Life

• 

  Divider card

• 

  "What is Greenpeace?"

The Universe

• 

  Divider card

• 

  "Is the Earth closer to the sun in the summer?"

• 

  "How is a star born?"

• 

  "What's a solar eclipse?"

• 

  "Who were the first men to walk on the moon?"

• 

  "Why are some planets known as the outer planets?"

Wild Animals

• 

  Divider card

• 

  "What is a bison?"

• 

  "What is a finch?"

• 

  "What is a hyacinth macaw?"

• 

  "Which dinosaur could fly?"¹

• 

  "Which dinosaur could fly?" (back)

• 

  "Why are tigers striped?"

¹ - Despite the front of this card featuring artwork of a pterodactyl, the correct answer on the back of the card is "None of them"; no dinosaurs could fly, as pterodactyls were pterosaurs, not dinosaurs.