Super Mario (franchise)

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File:Mario Bros. Emblem.gif

The Mario series emblem.

A poster showing several characters in the Mario series.

A character size chart, showing many characters from the Mario series, as well as its partner series.

The Mario series is a long-running video game series published by the popular gaming company, Nintendo. The Mario series has been running for more than a quarter of a century, and in its lifespan has released more than two hundred video games. And it is currently the best selling video game franchise in history with over 240 million combined units sold.

The series started out in 1981, with the arcade video game, Donkey Kong, and has since then took off into its own huge franchise. Originally created by Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario is the main protagonist throughout most of the series; the main antagonist of the series is Bowser, the King of all Koopas. The Mario series has contained many different genres of games, from platformers to role-playing games, and from puzzle games to party games. The most popular games in the series consist of what is known as the main series or the Super Mario series which consists of 2D and 3D platformers, at least one per home console and one per handheld (bar the Game Boy Advance).

The Mario series has been released on a large array of systems, including home consoles, handheld game systems, and even personal and Macintosh computers. Originally starting out with an 8-bit game, the Mario series has gone through many graphical changes throughout the years. The series has spawned numerous sub-series, including the Mario Kart and Mario Party series; it has also taken a large part in the story line to its partner series, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, and Wario.

Mario games

1981-1989

Title, original release and system	Synopsis and Ratings
Donkey Kong	In 1981, the Mario series had officially started with the release of Shigeru Miyamoto's creation - Donkey Kong. Originally released in the arcades, Donkey Kong became a very popular game amongst gamers, eventually spawning many remakes and ports. In 1981, Mario had yet to be called so -- rather, he was called "Jumpman" during that brief era; it was only a few years later that Mario Segale would rename the aforementioned character to "Mario". Since then, the name has become very popular among the video game community; he is considered to be one of Nintendo's mascots. Since the release of Donkey Kong in 1981, Mario has appeared in over 200 games, and has been referenced in several more.
Template:ReleasedateArcade Machine	(Ratings unavailable)
Mario Bros.	Two years later, in 1983, Mario got his own game - using his current name. In the game Mario Bros., Mario and his brother Luigi - who first debuted in this game - were traversing the creature-infested depths of the sewers. Mario and Luigi had to fight such creatures as Fighter Flys, Shellcreepers and Sidesteppers; but with the help of a POW Block, things could get easier. Mario Bros. is the 1st Mario game with infinite levels (and last.)
Template:ReleasedateArcade Machine	(Ratings unavailable)
Golf	Before the release of Super Mario Bros., Mario appeared in his first ever sports game: Golf — it was released in 1984. This game's gameplay is relatively simple: the player must strike the ball with the correct amount of force in order to get a good shot. The more good shots and the player gets, the more points he or she is likely to earn. Golf was the very first game in the Mario Golf series to ever be released. Mario was the only playable character, and even he is not seen in his traditional clothing.
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Wrecking Crew	In June of 1985, Nintendo released Wrecking Crew in Japan for the Famicom Disk System, then later that year for the NES. The concept of the game revolved around Mario (and Luigi, if a second player were to join the game) who were in the middle of a demolition site. While at the site, they had to break down all of the concrete walls with their hammers found in each level. The player would encounter several enemies, none of which could be defeated with the hammer that Mario (or Luigi) would carry. Rather, they would have to trap enemies under steel drums. The game also featured a new character: Foreman Spike, who would occasionally appear to outdo Mario at breaking down the concrete walls, and who could push Mario off of ledges. The game also featured a custom level creator, the first game in the Mario series to ever do so.
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Super Mario Bros.	On September 13, 1985, Mario starred in his very first game outside of the arcades. With the release of Super Mario Bros., the NES was an extreme success. Mario, and his brother Luigi, had to set out on a massive adventure across the Mushroom Kingdom to rescue Princess Toadstool and the Mushroom Retainers from the evil King Bowser Koopa. After traversing through eight massive worlds, filled with enemies, the brothers eventually reached Bowser's Castle, finally rescuing Princess Toadstool. Super Mario Bros. eventually became the best-selling video game for the NES in 1999.
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Super Mario Bros. Special	Super Mario Bros. Special is the true "lost" game of the series, which was made by Hudson Soft for the PC88 series of Japanese PCs and officially licensed by Nintendo. SMB Special was the very first licensed sequel to Super Mario Bros. to appear, released a few months before Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels in 1986. While superficially very similar to the original Super Mario Bros., the game features completely-original levels and lacks a screen-scrolling mechanism. Jumping and running physics also differ from the original, providing a more challenging experience than Super Mario Bros. Due to the PC88's technology being slightly inferior to that of the NES/Famicom, the graphics and audio differ slightly from the original NES game as well, although they are closely emulated, and does not include Luigi or a multiplayer mode.
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Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels	After the extreme success of Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels was released just one year later in Japan. The gameplay and story were almost identical to its predecessor, but it was not released in the United States due to its extreme difficulty. Some gameplay elements were changed slightly, such as Bloopers flying in midair, wind to help the player jump across abysses, and other minor changes.
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Return of Mario Bros.	Kaette Kita Mario Bros. (translated as Return of Mario Bros., but also commonly known as Mario Bros. Returns in English-speaking countries) is a Japanese game for the Famicom Disk System. The game has several modes that can be accessed from the main menu. The "Original Mario Bros." mode plays, for the most part, similarly to the Mario Bros. game that was released to arcades. However, there are several differences: some new levels were added, Mario and Luigi can now change direction in mid-air (much like modern remakes), the graphics and music were improved, high scores can now be saved and advertisements appeared between levels. Some were for upcoming Mario games, such as Super Mario Bros. 3; others were for the Japanese food company Nagatanien, who sponsored this game. There is also a two-player version of this mode, in which both players are active at the same time.
Template:ReleasedateFamicom Disk System	(Ratings unavailable)
Super Mario Bros. 2	Two years later in 1988, Nintendo released yet another Mario game for the NES - Super Mario Bros. 2. Despite the fact that the game's title has "2" in it, it was not the direct sequel to Super Mario Bros. — Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels was, however it was not released outside of Japan. In this game, Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Toad had to save the dream world of Subcon from the diabolical Wart. After fighting their way through seven strange worlds, they eventually saved Subcon. Super Mario Bros. 2 would eventually be released in Japan as Super Mario USA.
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Super Mario Bros. 3	Another two years had passed by the time the next mainstream Mario game had been released: Super Mario Bros. 3. This was by far, the most expansive Mario game on the NES, as it featured many levels, items, and enemies. Bowser and his seven Koopalings wreaked havoc across the Mushroom World after turning all of the Mushroom Kings into various animals. Mario and Luigi had to traverse through many worlds, castles, seas, forests, and deserts to fix the wrongs the Koopalings had caused. Eventually, the brothers reached Bowser and defeated him, rescuing Princess Toadstool once again.
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I Am A Teacher: Super Mario Sweater	I Am a Teacher: Super Mario Sweater is a 1988 Famicom Disk System game released only in Japan. It was designed by Royal industries Co. Ltd., a Japanese appliance and sewing machine company. The company realized that they could make a lot of money by releasing a sweater-design program, which led to this game. Players could design the sweater they want, and the company would make a real-life version for 2,900 Yen (about $24).
Template:ReleasedateFamicom Disk System	(Ratings unavailable)
Super Mario Land	Mario made the jump to Nintendo's first handheld system in 1989, with the release of Super Mario Land. Selling a total of 18.06 million copies, it became the bestselling video game not to be bundled with a system in history. In this game, Mario had to traverse across the four worlds of Sarasaland to save the Princess Daisy from the alien Tatanga. With the help of new features such as the Superball, Marine Pop, and the Sky Pop, Mario was able to stop Tatanga and save Daisy.
Template:ReleasedateGame Boy	(Ratings unavailable)

1990-1999

Title, Original Release, and System	Synopsis and Ratings
Super Mario World	One year after the release of Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World had been released on a whole new home console — the Super Nintendo. It was with this game that the Mario series had been upgraded from 8-bit to 16-bit graphics. Though the games' graphics would later be revolutionized once again, this was indeed a huge step at the time. During the story of Super Mario World, while Mario, Luigi, and Princess Toadstool were vacationing in Dinosaur Land, Bowser and his seven Koopalings once again kidnapped the Princess. With the help of the Yoshis and Dolphins, the brothers traversed across the vast area of Dinosaur Land. As they made their way to Princess Toadstool, they thwarted each Koopaling who stood in their way until they reached Bowser. Once again, Bowser had been defeated and Princess Toadstool had been rescued.
Template:ReleasedateSNES	(Ratings unavailable)
Dr. Mario	Dr. Mario was the first game in the Dr. Mario series; it was released for the NES in 1990. The game brought the basic concept of the series to the players' attention immediately, as they would start the game off having to reorganize falling Megavitamins in order to eradicate viruses from the screen. Once all viruses has been eliminated, the player would move on to the next level. As the game progressed, each level rose in difficulty, providing more viruses for the player to eliminate and less space to maneuver the Megavitamins in. Dr. Mario was ported and remade many times after its original release.
Template:ReleasedateNES	(Ratings unavailable)
Mario Paint	Released on the SNES in 1992, Mario Paint was highly interactive, even utilizing the SNES Mouse. The game had a series of four sequels on the failed N64 add-on, the Nintendo 64DD, known as Mario Artist. The game's title screen was interactive, as each letter of the words 'Mario Paint' would cause a different effect on the title screen. In Art Mode, the player could draw several different creations on a canvas displayed on-screen; these drawings would have elements that were highly influenced from Super Mario World. The game also featured the ability to make Stamps, which were a type of sprite that the player could create in a separate game mode. In addition, the player could create their own music samples using the game's Music Mode.
Template:ReleasedateSNES	(Ratings unavailable)
Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up	Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up is a DOS computer game featuring Mario and friends released in 1992. It is an Electric Crayon game and was published by Merit Software. The game is essentially a coloring book on the computer. A few pages have animated sequences. Career themed pages include Policeman, Attorney/Judge, Chef/Waiter, Business Executive, Ballet Dancer, and Homemaker. Characters in the game include Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toads, and Bowser. Link appears, too.
Template:Releasedate MS-DOS	(Ratings unavailable)
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins	Three years later, Mario reappeared on the Game Boy with the release of Super Mario Land 2. Super Mario Land 2 was less popular than its predecessor, Super Mario Land. This story picked up right where the last one left off. After rescuing Princess Daisy, Mario returned to his castle, only to find that it had been taken over by his old nemesis, Wario. Mario must collect six golden coins scattered across Mario Land in order to regain access to his estate and defeat Wario.
Template:ReleasedateGame Boy	(Ratings unavailable)
Super Mario Kart	Almost two decades ago, in 1992, the Mario Kart series had begun with the release of Super Mario Kart. It was one of the first games ever to be made that was 2-dimensional with 3-dimensional renderings. The game featured eight playable characters: Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, Yoshi, Toad, Bowser, Donkey Kong Jr., and Koopa Troopa. Though the player could not pick from a selection of karts, each character was pre-assigned with a kart, each with a different weight, speed, and acceleration. This game was also heavily influenced by Super Mario World, as many of the racecourses took place somewhere within the borders of Dinosaur Land; the game also featured the Cape Feather, which was found in Super Mario World.
Template:ReleasedateSNES	(Ratings unavailable)
Mario is Missing!	In 1992, Nintendo released their first ever Mario edutainment game: Mario is Missing!. The game was originally released for MS-DOS, but was later released on the NES, SNES, and then released again on the PC. The game was also the first to feature Luigi as the main playable protagonist. The story revolves around Bowser, who has kidnapped Mario and taken him to his fortress in Antarctica. Bowser then plans to steal several shipments of hair dryers in order to melt the icy continent and flood the world. Luigi must then travel through several locations on Earth in order to retrieve several artifacts to help him rescue his brother. The game was designed to be simple in battle, as the enemies and bosses found throughout the game could not harm the player.
Template:ReleasedateMS-DOS	(Ratings unavailable)
Mario's Time Machine	Mario's Time Machine is yet another edutainment game in the Mario series. It was released in 1993 for NES, SNES, and PC. The game is an attempt to teach children various aspects of world history. As such, Mario must use his time machine to travel throughout various time periods in history, dating back to 80,000,000 B.C., all the way up to 1989 A.D.. Mario must collect artifacts from each period of time he visits in order to progress through the game. Should the player fail at retrieving the artifacts in the wrong order, the ending will show Bowser escaping to Paradise, requiring the player to start the game over completely; however, if the game is completed in an orderly fashion, the player will win the game. This game is also notable for being the first and only game in the Mario series that has Mario speaking in full phrases.
Template:ReleasedateSNES	(Ratings unavailable)
Mario & Wario	Mario & Wario is a puzzle game only released in Japan, on the Super Famicom in 1993. The game featured three different modes of difficulty and ten levels in which the player had to guide Peach (easy), Mario (intermediate), or Yoshi (hard) to reach Luigi, who is the goal of each level. After Wario drops a random item on the player's head, be it a bucket or a jellyfish, Wanda the fairy must then help guide the player to Luigi in order to advance to the next level. The game was one of very few titles to utilize the SNES Mouse.
Template:ReleasedateSuper Famicom	(Ratings unavailable)
Yoshi's Safari	In 1993, Nintendo released Yoshi's Safari for the SNES. The game carried over many aspects of Super Mario World, featuring many of the same bosses and enemies (such as Chargin' Chucks), and having Mario ride Yoshi throughout the game. Yoshi's Safari is notable for being the only shooter in the Mario series, utilizing the Super Scope to facilitate gameplay. The story revolved around Mario and Yoshi traveling through the vast realms of Jewelry Land. Their mission was to save King Fret and his son, Prince Pine, from the diabolical Koopalings who were terrorizing the land.
Template:ReleasedateSNES	(Ratings unavailable)
Super Mario All-Stars	In 1993, a compilation of NES Super Mario Bros. games had been released. The game was titled Super Mario All-Stars. The game contained Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (the first U.S. release of that game), Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario Bros. 3. The games featured updated graphics to fit the 16-bit memory of the Super Nintendo. Not many other changes had been made to the games. One year later, in 1994, a second installment called Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World had been released. As its name implies, it has all the previously mentioned NES games as well as the addition of Super Mario World. A Wii remake of the original compilation game called Super Mario All-Stars - 25th Anniversary Edition was released in 2010.
Template:ReleasedateSNES	(Ratings unavailable)
Wario's Woods	Wario's Woods is a puzzle game released originally for the SNES in 1993; it was later released for the NES in 1994. The game features Toad as the main protagonist, the only Mario game to ever do so. As Toad was out walking one day, he accidentally ran into a large forest owned by the evil Wario. Wario was sending out many of his monsters to attack the Mushroom Kingdom. With the help of Birdo and Wanda, Toad had to protect the Mushroom Kingdom from the monsters' inevitable infiltration.
Template:ReleasedateNES	(Ratings unavailable)
Mario's Early Years!	Between September and November 1994, Nintendo released the Mario's Early Years! edutainment series: Fun with Numbers, Fun with Letters and Preschool Fun in each of the three months respectively.
Template:ReleasedateSNES	(Ratings unavailable)
Hotel Mario	In 1994, Hotel Mario was released for the Philips CD-i, and was developed by Philips Media. The game was rather obscure and received very little attention due to the lack of interest in the Philips CD-i. The plot deals with Bowser and his seven children, the Koopalings, who have once again taken over the Mushroom Kingdom; this time, they built a series of hotels, of which, one is hiding Princess Peach. Once Mario and Luigi become aware of this, they set out on a mission to stop Bowser and his children once more and rescue the Princess. The main goal of each stage is to close all of the doors on each floor in order to progress to the next stage or location. However, enemies commonly interfere with the player's goal, thus reopening the doors, requiring them to be closed once more. The name of each hotel is a portmanteau on a Real World hotel, such as the Ritz Carlton hotel.
Template:ReleasedatePhilips CD-i	(Ratings unavailable)
Undake30 Same Game	UNDAKE30 Same Game Taisakusen Mario Version was a puzzle game that was released in 1995 in Japan. The game could be controlled with a standard joypad or the Super Famicom Mouse and was similar to the card game Monte Carlo. The game centers around a large playing field composed of a random arrangement of Mario Heads, Coins, Yoshi Eggs, Fire Flowers, and Super Mushrooms. If two or more icons are connected, the player can move the cursor and click to make all the connected icons disappear. Now the icons above fall down and the Player can clear even more icons. Also, there is an undo move that allows the Player to take back the last move, and move back as far as wanted. Once the entire grid is clear, the game ends. The game was developed by Hudson Soft.
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Satella-Q	Satella-Q is a series of quiz game events released exclusively for Japan for the Satellaview (an add-on for the Super Famicom) in 1995. Within the game, Toad was featured as the main and primary character as he guided the players through the number of quizzes and minigames that were available. Each installment of the game series was divided into episodes and each was released at different times during the same year of the game's release. At the moment, it is also the longest-running of the Satellaview broadcasts to this point.
Template:ReleasedateSatellaview for the Super Famicom	(Ratings unavailable)
Mario's Picross	In 1995, Nintendo released Mario's Picross for the Game Boy. Mario's Picross was a puzzle game that spawned a sub-series containing two additional games: Picross 2 and Super Mario Picross. The game featured a paint-by-numbers puzzle system, in which there was a 100-square screen for the player to maneuver around. Once the puzzle was completed, the player would advance to the next one, which would increase in difficulty somewhat. A total of 192 puzzles could be found in the game, found throughout three different modes: Easy Picross, Kinoko, and Star — each of which contained 64 puzzles. There was also a time-trial mode, which contained 64 puzzles, (that were previously beaten), that would appear at random.
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Mario Clash	Mario Clash is an obscure Mario Bros. remake for Virtual Boy. In the game, the player must use Koopa Shells to hit enemies and knock them out of platforms, so they can progress. New enemies not present in Mario Bros. appeared in this game, like Thornys, Lobbs and Snakes.
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Mario's Tennis	In 1995, the first installment to the Mario Tennis series was released —Mario's Tennis. It inspired the creation of several more games in the series, (the next being Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64). The game had seven playable characters, all of which were featured in Super Mario Kart, with the exception of Bowser who did not appear in this game.
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Mario's FUNdamentals	Mario's FUNdamentals was an obscure Mario video game for young children released in 1995. Children could play games like "Go Fish", "Checkers", "Backgammon", "Dominoes", or "Yahtzee". Depending on the game, the player either plays against Mario or Bowser. It should also be noted that this is the first Mario game in which Charles Martinet provided Mario's voice, not to be confused with Mario Teaches Typing.
Template:Releasedate MS-DOS	(Ratings unavailable)
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars	The first Mario RPG to be made was one of the last Super Nintendo games to be released — Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. To many, it was a success, as it received great reviews amongst players. This Mario game also introduced the turn-based battle system to the series. HP, Speed, Attack, Defense, Magic Attack, and Magic Defense were all features that Mario, his partners, and enemies all carried. In the story, Princess Toadstool was kidnapped once again by King Bowser; Mario set off on a brief adventure to rescue her. After battling Bowser, Mario did not get the chance to fully rescue the princess. A large sword fell from the sky and plummeted straight into Bowser's Castle, destroying the Star Road, while sending the three into different directions. After Mario wakes up back in the Mushroom Kingdom, he sets out on an adventure to find out what happened all the while still having to rescue Princess Toadstool. Along his journey, Mario meets characters such as Mallow and Geno, all of whom join him in hopes of defeating Smithy, the cause of the Mushroom Kingdom's current state. This is the first game in which Bowser allied with Mario, and in which Bowser and Princess Toadstool were playable characters.
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Super Mario 64	Not long after the release of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Nintendo released a new system and a new game — Super Mario 64. The game was a success. It was the first fully 3-Dimensional Mario game to ever be made, thus revolutionizing the appearance of Mario games to date. The game sold over eleven million copies by 2007. Because the game had such amazing success, people began to create rumors of glitches and unlockables in the game. Perhaps one of the most notable rumors was that Luigi was a playable character in the game. This was also the second game to call Princess Peach by her current name (with Yoshi's Safari being the first). In the game, Mario was invited to Princess Peach's Castle to eat a cake she had baked. However, when Mario arrived at her castle, he had discovered that Bowser had taken it over and had stolen almost all of the castle's Power Stars— there were some which he did not know existed. As Mario traversed through fifteen different painting worlds, he eventually recovered enough Power Stars to battle Bowser and take back the castle, freeing Peach from her stained-glass prison.
Template:ReleasedateNintendo 64	Gamespot - 9.4: Superb
Excitebike: Bun Bun Mario Battle Stadium	Excitebike: Bun Bun Mario Battle Stadium is an Super Famicom racing game released in 1997. It is an obscure remake of the NES title, Excitebike. In this game, all human bikers were replaced with Mario characters. The game was somewhat based off of the Mario Kart series. The characters were Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Toad, Wario and Princess Peach. The players could download more parts of the game via Satellaview.
Template:Releasedate Super Famicom	(Ratings unavailable)
Wrecking Crew '98	In 1998, Wrecking Crew '98, the Japan-only sequel to Wrecking Crew was released. The game had similar mechanics to that of its prequel, as the player had to line up panels in a color-coded manner in order to get rid of them; there was also the option to smash them with a hammer. The game also featured the ability to rain a large amount of panels on the opponent, causing them to have more difficulty clearing the stage. The story tells that Mario, on his way home, discovers Bowser on a campaign to build several high-rises in the Mushroom Kingdom, which are destroying the plant life of the area. As Mario attempts to trump Bowser's plot, he must fight his old nemesis, Foreman Spike, along with other villains such as Eggplant Man.
Template:ReleasedateSuper Famicom	(Ratings unavailable)
Mario no Photopi	Mario no Photopi is a creativity game released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998 only in Japan. The game's cartridge has two slots for SmartMedia cards in the top, allowing to import digital photos and other images and for transfer between the cards. The pictures can be edited and decorated with font, artwork from the Mario series, borders and other graphics.
Template:Releasedate Nintendo 64	(Ratings unavailable)
Mario Party	In 1999, Nintendo released the first Mario Party game to ever be made — Mario Party. The game was a whole new aspect on multi-player capabilities in the Mario series; most games up until now mainly featured a 2-player versus mode, with the exceptions of a few sports spin-offs. The game mechanics worked near-identically to that of a board game: players would rove around the board, moving from space to space, and hitting a Dice Block in order to move said spaces. The players could earn coins by playing and winning mini-games; with a certain amount of coins, the players could by stars. Despite the fact that this was a party game, it also had a single-player mode, in which the player would play against CPUs. There were six playable characters in the game: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Donkey Kong, Yoshi, and Wario. Each character had one board modeled after them, in addition to two other boards in the game — one dedicated to the game's antagonist, Bowser, and the other unlockable after collection one-hundred stars.
Template:ReleasedateNintendo 64	Gamespot - 7.2: Good
Super Mario Bros. Deluxe	In that same year, Nintendo released another hit, Super Mario Bros. Deluxe. It sold a total of 2.8 million copies in the United States alone. The game was one of the highest rated games according to Gamespot and IGN. This game, though for the Game Boy Color (which didn't have particularly long or large games), had many features and unlockables. It featured two games in one - Super Mario Bros. and The Lost Levels. This was only the second time that The Lost Levels had been released in the United States. There were also many unlockables such as You vs. Boo, a Yoshi Egg Finder, a Calendar, a Photo Album and much more. A multiplayer mode was also available, which was very similar to the You vs. Boo mode.
Template:ReleasedateGame Boy Color	IGN - 10: Masterful • Gamespot - 9.9: Superb

2000-2009

Title, Original Release, and System	Synopsis and Ratings
Paper Mario	After another two years had passed, Nintendo released another Mario game — Paper Mario. It was the first Mario role-playing game since the release of Super Mario RPG for the Super Nintendo. Paper Mario brought up a whole new concept for graphics in the Mario series, as everything in the game was made to look as if it were made out of paper. Once again, Mario had to set out on a long mission to save Princess Peach from Bowser. As Mario set out on his adventure, he met citizens of various villages that wanted to assist him on his journey, the first of which was Goombario. At the end of each chapter, Mario and his partners would fight a boss, eventually leading to the freedom of a Star Spirit. When Mario and his partners had freed all of the Star Spirits, they were prepared to fight Bowser. After an epic two-part battle with Bowser, Mario eventually rescued Princess Peach from her current fate. Paper Mario is the only Mario role-playing game to date in which Bowser acts as the main antagonist; in all other Mario role-playing games, Bowser has either taken the role of an ally, or as a somewhat minor antagonist. Paper Mario has inspired two sequels to date — Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Super Paper Mario, and a yet-to-be-named sequel to be released on the Nintendo 3DS.
Template:ReleasedateNintendo 64	IGN - 9.0: Outstanding • Gamespot - 9.5: Superb
Luigi's Mansion	In 2001, Nintendo released the GameCube, their first 128-bit System, and one of the launch titles was the Luigi's Mansion. The game was the second ever Mario game to star Luigi as the main protagonist in the game, after Mario is Missing; all other games prior to this one had Luigi portrayed as a sidekick or some sort, or off on his own mission. At the beginning of the game, Luigi is shown walking up to the large mansion that he won in a contest. Inside the mansion, Luigi encounters a few unfriendly beings, only to be saved by Professor Elvin Gadd. The Professor tells Luigi that the mansion is haunted with hundreds of ghosts, and sends him in to stop them in hopes of rescuing Mario. As Luigi passes through the various rooms of the house, eliminating ghosts with the Poltergust 3000, he eventually runs across some of Mario items: his hat, his shoe, his glove, and his star. After taking them to a ghostly fortune teller, Luigi discovers that Mario is indeed still alive and is being held captive by the Boos. Thus, Luigi travels forth more, ridding the mansion of any Boos along the way. Eventually, he finds King Boo's lair, finding Mario trapped within a painting frame. Luigi is whisked away to the mansion's roof, where he battles King Boo and its huge Bowser suit. After defeating King Boo, Luigi takes the framed Mario back to E. Gadd's lab, where he is soon thereafter freed.
Template:ReleasedateGameCube	IGN - 7.0: Decent • Gamespot - 7.9: Good
Super Mario Sunshine	In 2002, Mario was back in action in his own three-dimensional platformer once again. While on his way to a vacation with Princess Peach and her loyal steward, Toadsworth, they discover a large glob of graffiti in the shape of Mario's head on their landing strip. Mario then finds an interesting machine, called F.L.U.D.D., that helps him rid the island of graffiti. After he collects a total of ten Shine Sprites, an impostor bearing a striking resemblance to Mario kidnaps Princess Peach. Mario then must redeem his identity (because of Shadow Mario), by ridding the entire island of graffiti, all the while having to rescue Princess Peach. Towards the end of his adventure, he discovers that Shadow Mario is actually Bowser Jr. in disguise. After fighting Bowser and his son, Mario rescues Princess Peach, finally allowing them to start their vacation.
Template:ReleasedateGameCube	IGN - 9.4: Outstanding • Gamespot - 8.0: Great
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga	Towards the end of 2003, Nintendo released a huge Mario hit for the Game Boy Advance — Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. The game was the first Mario role-playing game to ever be released on a handheld system. The game featured Mario and Luigi, both being playable at the same time. After the evil Cackletta and her henchman Fawful infiltrated Princess Peach's Castle, they stole Princess Peach's voice in order to help dominate the world. Soon thereafter, the Mario bros. head off for the Beanbean Kingdom. After much traversing through the borders and Hoohoo Village, they eventually reached Beanbean Castle Town. When they enter the borders of the city, they find it in ruins. As they reach Beanbean Castle, they find that it too had been terrorized, and that Queen Bean was not herself. After battling her, the bros. set out on an additional mission to find all of the pieces of the Beanstar. After a long journey through the Mushroom World, they eventually reached Bowser's Castle, where Cackletta's Spirit was hiding out. It was a tiresome and fierce battle, but the bros. prevailed as always. The Princess was saved, and the Beanstar was retrieved. All was back to normal once again. This game eventually had a sequel for the Nintendo DS, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time and another one in 2009, called Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.
Template:ReleasedateGame Boy Advance	IGN - 9.0: Outstanding • Gamespot 9.2: Superb
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door	In 2004, Nintendo released the indirect sequel to Paper Mario — Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. The game was a huge hit, reaching Player's Choice status. The story starts out with Princess Peach in a mysterious town, called Rogueport, looking through someone's rummage sale. She vanishes soon thereafter. After receiving a letter from Princess Peach (mailed before she went missing) Mario sets off on a trip to Rogueport. After arriving there, he finds Toadsworth. To his dismay, Princess Peach mysteriously vanished from Rogueport. So, Mario and his current partner set out on a journey to save Princess Peach, and retrieve the seven Crystal Stars. After a long journey, Mario and his partners set the final Crystal Star in the Thousand-Year Door, they finally unlocked the entrance to the Palace of Shadow — a dark place locked away for an entire millennium. After fighting Sir Grodus, leader of the Secret Society of the X-Nauts, they fought the demonic Shadow Queen. After possessing Peach, the Shadow Queen revealed her true form and battle Mario and his partners. The battle was enormous, and required the motivation of people from across the Mushroom Kingdom to win. The Shadow Queen was defeated, and Rogueport and all surrounding areas were able to relax and return to their lives. Two years later, Super Paper Mario was released for the Wii. It wasn't the direct sequel to this game, but it continued the adventures of Mario in his paper form. A fourth Paper Mario game, yet-to-be-titled, is planned to be released on the Nintendo 3DS.
Template:ReleasedateGameCube	IGN - 9.1: Outstanding • Gamespot - 9.2: Superb
Mario vs. Donkey Kong	Released in 2004, Mario vs. Donkey Kong was a game for the Game Boy Advance. As its name would imply, it revolves around the concept of Mario fighting Donkey Kong. The game had a similar concept to that of Donkey Kong. After Donkey Kong had seen an advertisement on television for miniature Mario toys, he went to the store to purchase some. Since the store was out of stock, Donkey Kong raided the toy factory and stole all of their Mini Mario toys. Because of a hole in the bag in which he was storing the toys, the toys all fell out. Mario, the three Toad factory employees, and all the toys began to mock Donkey Kong. Thus, Donkey Kong kidnapped the three Toads and climbs atop the factory. It is then up to Mario to rescue the Toads.
Template:ReleasedateGame Boy Advance	IGN - 8.5: Great • Gamespot - 8.0: Great
Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix	In 2005, Nintendo released the first and only Mario rhythm game: Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix. The game was a Mario edition of the popular Dance Dance Revolution series produced by Konami. The game featured Waluigi as the main antagonist, who had stolen all of the Music Keys from Truffle Tower. Toad then informs Mario of Waluigi's mischief; Mario then sets out on a mission to retrieve the Music Keys back from him. Mario must then visit various locations, dancing to remixes of Mario themes in order to proceed to the next location. The game had five levels of difficulty; the hardest of which contained more than 200 steps in each song.
Template:ReleasedateGameCube	IGN - 8.0: Impressive • Gamespot - 7.0: Good
Mario Kart DS	Mario Kart DS, is the seventh installment in the Mario Kart series. This game has an assortment of old characters, while introducing three new characters to the series. They include Dry Bones, Shy Guy (who is only available in DS Download Play), and R.O.B., a robot that was an accessory for the NES. This game brings back old courses and introduces new, classical courses that appeared in the Wii installment. They include Desert Hills, Peach Gardens, and Delfino Square. This game also includes missions, where the player has to complete tasks in order to advance. Mario Kart DS, shows what Nintendo is capable of throughout the Mario Kart series.
Template:ReleasedateNintendo DS	IGN - 9.5: Amazing • Gamespot - 9.2: Superb
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time	In 2005, Nintendo released the sequel to Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga; it was titled Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. The game once again allowed Mario and Luigi to be playable at the same time, but it also allowed newcomers to the Mario & Luigi series — Baby Mario and Baby Luigi — to be playable as well. The story revolved around the invasion of the Mushroom Kingdom by a group of extraterrestrial terrorists, known as the Shroobs. The Shroobs had invaded the past and was quickly taking over all of the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario and Luigi, after teaming up with their infant selves, were eventually able to stop this catastrophe after defeating Princess Shroob and Elder Princess Shroob. The invasion immediately went into retreat and the Mushroom Kingdom returned to its normal self, thanks once again to the Mario bros.
Template:ReleasedateNintendo DS	IGN - 9.0: Outstanding • Gamespot - 8.9: Great
Super Princess Peach	Released in 2005, Super Princess Peach is a platformer for the Nintendo DS. As its title would imply, Princess Peach is the main protagonist. The story is of Bowser sending a large army of his minions to infiltrate Princess Peach's Castle. Because she is not there at the time of the attack, Mario, Luigi, and several of the castle's Toads are kidnapped. Princess Peach must then set out on a long journey — along with her helpful parasol, Perry — in order to rescue those who had been kidnapped and stop Bowser from using his ultimate weapon: the Vibe Scepter, which is capable of making creatures feel emotions and transforming them to fit their feelings. Super Princess Peach featured many extras; among them were three mini-games in which the player had to use the stylus to control Toad. There were also puzzles — only unlocked after all the Puzzle Pieces had been retrieved. Lastly, there were several songs from the game that Princess Peach could collect; these songs would later be played by Peach's band, the Peach Hit Five.
Template:ReleasedateDS	IGN - 7.8: Good • Gamespot - 7.2: Good
New Super Mario Bros.	This newest installment of the Super Mario Bros. series was released for the Nintendo DS in 2006. New Super Mario Bros. was the first 3-dimensional sidescroller ever in the Super Mario Bros. series. The story revolves around Mario and Luigi, who, once again, are out to rescue Princess Peach; this time from Bowser Jr. The Mario Bros. had to travel through several worlds full of Bowser's minions in order to finally rescue the Princess. This game marked the debut of Bowser's skeletal form, Dry Bowser. The game featured a two-player mode, in which the Mario Bros. would endure races through various levels collecting Big Stars.
Template:ReleasedateDS	IGN - 9.5: Incredible • Gamespot - 9.0: Superb
Super Paper Mario	Nintendo released yet another installment in the Paper Mario series in 2007, with the release of Super Paper Mario. The game introduced a whole other dimension to the series with Mario having the ability to flip between the second and third dimensions. This new feature was commonly required to pass up various road blocks or to defeat enemies throughout its eight chapters. The story revolves around Count Bleck, an evil mastermind that plans to destroy not only the Mushroom World, but all worlds and dimensions in existence. After reading a prophecy in the Dark Prognosticus, he had already devised a plan on how to do so. Thus, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and even Bowser teamed up, (with the help of many Pixls), to help stop Count Bleck and his vile plans. However, to do so, Mario and his friends had to collect all eight Pure Hearts in order to even have a chance to stop Count Bleck. A fourth installment to the Paper Mario series, which has not yet been named, is planned to be released on the 3DS by the end of March 2011.
Template:ReleasedateWii	IGN - 8.9: Great • Gamespot - 8.8: Great
Mario Strikers Charged Football	The latest installment of the Mario Football series , Mario Strikers Charged Football showed what Nintendo had to offer. The game has the original captains and sidekicks, but it introduces more captains and sidekicks. It introduces Boos, Diddy Kong, and many more characters. It has an assortment of stadiums to chose from. This game also features Wi-Fi Connection. Being the latest installment in its series, it is unknown if a sequel will come out.
Template:ReleasedateWii	IGN - 8.3: Great • Gamespot - 7.5: Good
Mario Party 8	Mario Party 8, is Nintendo's ninth installment in the Mario Party series. This game introduces two new playable characters and a new host, MC Ballyhoo. This game has an assortment of new mini-games and new game boards. It also has many things to do within the Star Carnival. Each player's desire is to win a star on a board and become the "superstar".
Template:ReleasedateWii	IGN - 5.2: Mediocre • Gamespot - 6.5: Fair
Super Mario Galaxy	The latest main installment into the Mario platformer series was released by Nintendo in the end of 2007, Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii was an adventure on galactic proportions. The story is told that every hundred years, a comet soars over the Mushroom Kingdom, raining stars down upon the land. Princess Peach invites Mario to her castle to join in on the festivities, only to have Bowser and Bowser Jr. crash the party. Bowser once again kidnaps Peach, but orders a Magikoopa to send Mario into a small planetoid. Mario then has to bounce from galaxy to galaxy, collecting Power Stars along his way. After encountering Rosalina and her Lumas, Mario learns that he needs to collect the Grand Stars in order to stop Bowser from completing his plan to create a new galaxy. The game introduces many new items to help Mario along his journey, including the Boo Mushroom, Bee Mushroom, Ice Flower, and many more. Super Mario Galaxy has a few similarities to Super Mario 64, including the fact that Mario must travel to various locations — this time galaxies instead of painting worlds — in order to defeat Bowser. This game gives Mario only three life points, as opposed to the eight that he had in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine, but he can increase his life points up to six by use of the Life Shroom.
Template:ReleasedateWii	IGN - 9.7: Outstanding • Gamespot - 9.5: Superb
Mario Party DS	For the very first time, Nintendo developed a Mario Party game for the Nintendo DS. Mario Party DS came out a week after Super Mario Galaxy and in the same year as its prequel, Mario Party 8. In this game, Bowser tricks Mario and the gang and they eventually end up in a microscopic size. This game features many mini-games and it has a unique storyline compared to the other game in its series. All the playable characters that appear, appeared in Mario Party 8. About a year and a half later, Nintendo developed its sequel which is only available in Japanese.
Template:ReleasedateNintendo DS	IGN - 7.0: Good • Gamespot - 8.0: Great
Mario Kart Wii	Mario Kart Wii is the latest installment of the Mario Kart series. A Wii Wheel, designed from the ground up for the Wii, is included in the package because Nintendo aimed that it would make it a more realistic steering experience. It is, however, compatible with other controllers as well. It features many classic Mario Kart characters as well as several new ones. Mario Kart Wii takes a step in a new direction, as twelve players are present in normal races. All twelve racers head to the finish in a multi-lap race around a given circuit; along the way, they may employ items, engage in horseplay, and take shortcuts to try and come in first.
Template:ReleasedateWii	IGN - 8.5: Great • Gamespot: 8.5: Great
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story	In 2009, another sequel of the Mario & Luigi series was released for the Nintendo DS. In this installment, an epidemic called The Blorbs swept across the Mushroom Kingdom, and it's up to Mario and Luigi to find a cure. However, determined to defeat the Marios, Bowser seeks help from Fawful, where he eats a "Lucky Mushroom". The mushroom gives Bowser the ability to inhale with great force. Bowser uses this ability to consume the Mushroom Kingdom, citizens and all. Throughout the adventure, Bowser realized he was used by Fawful, and in retaliation, goes off to stop his evil scheme. Meanwhile, Mario and Luigi, being inside Bowser's body, does whatever it takes to help Bowser in his quest, by messing with Bowser's insides to affect Bowser in a good way. This is the first time an RPG was created for the same platform as its predecessor. This also marks the first time Bowser is playable in the series.
Template:ReleasedateDS	IGN - 9.5: Incredible • Gamespot - 9.0: Superb
New Super Mario Bros. Wii	The sequel to New Super Mario Bros. for the DS, New Super Mario Bros. Wii was released in November 12, 2009 in Australia. This installment includes four players simentaneously controlling their characters, a feature Shigeru Miyamoto had wanted for years. This game also returns the Koopalings, absent since Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga, in their first 3-D models. In the story, Bowser and his minions kidnap Peach by using cake as a disguise. Mario, Luigi, Blue Toad, and Yellow Toad travel to eight worlds to save the princess. This game also reintroduces rideable Yoshis, although they can only be ridden in a few levels. The Penguin Suit and the Propeller Mushroom are new power-ups in this game. This game also includes the Super Guide, a demo video for those who are struggling in a particular level.
Template:ReleasedateWii	IGN - 8.9: Great • Gamespot - 8.5: Great

2010-present

Title, Original Release, and System	Synopsis and Ratings
Super Mario Galaxy 2	Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a 3-D platform game for Wii. It is the sequel of Super Mario Galaxy and one notable difference is Yoshi. In the game, Princess Peach invites Mario another time to the Star Festival. In his way, he finds Baby Luma lost. But to his surprise, Bowser, who is gigantic, attacks Toad Town and flees with the princess. Mario follows him in space and the adventure begins. Mario meets Lubba, the Cosmic Spirit, The Chimp, Bowser Jr., the Toad Brigade, and other characters in his adventure. To navigate through the galaxies, instead of the Comet Observatory, Mario uses the Starship Mario. The game has a different 2-Player mode: the second player can control Co-Star Luma, who can do things Mario cannot do.
Template:ReleasedateWii	IGN - 10.0: Masterful • Gamespot - 10.0: Prime
Super Mario All-Stars - 25th Anniversary Edition	Super Mario All-Stars - 25th Anniversary Edition is a Wii remake of Super Mario All-Stars. This game features a book detailing the history of Mario and a soundtrack of famous Mario games. It was released for the 25th aniversary of Super Mario Bros.
Template:ReleasedateWii	IGN - 7.0: Good
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!	Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! is the fourth game in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series, after the DSiWare title Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!. Because of the opening of his new park, Mario is giving Mini Pauline toys to the first 100 guests of it. Donkey Kong is the 101st guest to arrive. He's anxious to win the toy, but Mario says it's out of stock. Enraged, Donkey Kong kidnaps the real Pauline and Mario and the toys run towards him as the adventure begins.
Template:ReleasedateDS	IGN - 9.0: Outstanding • Gamespot - 8.0: Great
Mario Sports Mix	Mario Sports Mix, is a game that features an assortment of sports which include dodgeball, hockey, volleyball, and basketball. This game also has an assortment of characters to chose from including the Final Fantasy characters that appeared in Mario Hoops 3-on-3 and Slime from the Dragon Quest series. Slime also appeared in Itadaki Street DS. Mario Sports Mix, has a selection of courts, and rinks to chose from. Some of the courts and rinks are capable with multiple sports. This game also features Nintendo Wi-Fi connection and it has tournaments. The tournaments have three tourneys for each sport, and each sport has three more hard tourneys. After beating each tournament once, the player can go back and use alternate routes. These routes lead to unlockable characters, alternate colors for some characters, and even some secret courts and rinks.
Template:ReleasedateWii	IGN - 6.5: Okay • Gamespot - 4.0: Poor
Mario Kart (Nintendo 3DS)	The third Mario Kart game on a handheld console like Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart: Super Circuit, and also the latest installment in the Mario Kart series, Mario Kart, was unveiled with the Nintendo 3DS.
Template:Releasedate3DS
Paper Mario (Nintendo 3DS)	The fourth game in the Paper Mario series, Paper Mario was announced along with the Nintendo 3DS.
Template:Releasedate 3DS
Super Mario (Nintendo 3DS)	A new main series Super Mario game for the Nintendo 3DS. Few details are known currently.
Template:Releasedate 3DS

Other Series

Partner Series

Emblem	Name	Summary	List of Main Games
File:Yoshi Emblem.gif	Yoshi Series	The Yoshi series is perhaps one of the most tightly linked partner series to the Mario series. While all of the games star Yoshi and his island's villagers, some games also feature Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, and several other infant characters from the Mario series. With the release of his self-titled debut, Yoshi earned his own series in 1991. The series then spawned several games from there. While some Yoshi games are in the puzzle genre, the more main series takes place on Yoshi's Island, where he must constantly save his island and the babies from imminent doom.	Yoshi Yoshi's Cookie Yoshi's Safari Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Yoshi's Story Yoshi Touch & Go Yoshi's Universal Gravitation Yoshi's Island DS
File:Wario Emblem.gif	Wario Series	The Wario series is another fairly large Nintendo franchise. The series started with Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, in which Wario was the main protagonist in the game. Despite the game's title, Mario made only a small cameo appearance. From there, the Wario Land sub-series spawned five more games over the next fourteen years. The most recent Wario Land game was released for the Wii in 2008; this game was titled Wario Land: Shake It!. The Wario series also has another sub-series — the WarioWare series. This sub-series consists of several games, all of which contain microgames. The Wario series finally received a playable character in the Super Smash Bros. series when Wario was included in Super Smash Bros. Brawl's lineup.	Wario Land Virtual Boy Wario Land Wario Land II Wario Land 3 Wario Land 4 Wario World Wario: Master of Disguise Wario Land: Shake It!
File:Donkey Kong Emblem.gif	Donkey Kong Series	If not for the Donkey Kong series, there would be no Mario series. In 1981, with the release of Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong posed as the main antagonist in the game; the main protagonist, "Jumpman", had to rescue Pauline from the angry ape. Over a decade later, the series would adopt a whole new premise with the release of Donkey Kong Country. Though the game was 16-bit, it had the appearance of a 3-dimensional sidescroller — somewhat like New Super Mario Bros.. Donkey Kong Country featured Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong as the main protagonists throughout the game. The series later released two more sequels to Donkey Kong Country, which featured new playable characters such as Dixie Kong and Kiddy Kong. The latest 3-dimensional Donkey Kong adventure game was Donkey Kong 64, for the Nintendo 64. It brought new characters into the series such as Tiny Kong and Chunky Kong. At E3 2010, Nintendo announced a new side-scrolling revival of the original Donkey Kong Country series for Wii, Donkey Kong Country Returns.	Donkey Kong Country DKC 2 DKC 3 Donkey Kong Land Donkey Kong Land 2 Donkey Kong Land III Donkey Kong 64 Donkey Kong Jungle Beat DK: King of Swing DK: Jungle Climber Donkey Kong Country Returns
File:Super Smash Bros. Emblem.gif	Super Smash Bros. Series	With the release of Super Smash Bros. in 1999, Nintendo started the Super Smash Bros. series. Though the series was more of a crossover series for all of Nintendo's major series, it has featured five different Mario characters: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, and Dr. Mario. Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and Wario have also appeared as playable characters, however they are shown to represent their own series. In the games, players would select whichever character they wanted, and would then fight against each other on a specific stage. Each character had different move-sets, clearly defining them from one another. Characters could also use items to harm other characters or help themselves in some way. The game was an all-out fight between some of Nintendo's most popular video game characters.	Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl
File:BrawlGandW.gif	Game & Watch Series	The Game & Watch series is one of the oldest series of games Nintendo has made. The series lasted for eleven years, from 1980 to 1991. The Game & Watch series has had five installments, each of which are a compilation of games; some of the games have extremely simple concepts, (such as Ball, where the player must simply juggle), while others have more detailed gameplay, (such as Donkey Kong Jr. and Super Mario Bros.). The Game & Watch series has had a total of thirteen games that revolve around the Mario series in some way.	Game & Watch Gallery Game & Watch Gallery 2 Game & Watch Gallery 3 Game & Watch Gallery Advance Game & Watch Collection

Mario Sub-Series

Artwork	Summary	List of Games
Super Mario Series	The Super Mario series fired Mario into stardom as The King of Platforming. The series originally started on the NES as a trilogy of three Super Mario Bros. games released between 1985 and 1990 (however Japan and USA had two different Super Mario Bros. 2s, making four games). When the SNES was released in 1991, so was Super Mario World, known in Japan as Super Mario Bros. 4: Super Mario World. The original side-scrollers then gave way to the 3D platformers, with Super Mario 64 for the Nintendo 64 in 1996 and Super Mario Sunshine for the GameCube in 2002. In 2006 the original style of 2D platforming was revived with New Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS. That was followed by three Wii games: the 3D platformer Super Mario Galaxy and its eventual sequel, Super Mario Galaxy 2, and 2009's sequel to the DS game, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which is the first side-scrolling Mario game to have four players in simultaneous cooperative and competitive modes. A new 3D game, currently untitled, is in development for the Nintendo 3DS. Almost all the games in the Super Mario series have the basic plot of Bowser kidnapping Princess Peach, who then has to be rescued by Mario, although the American version of Super Mario Bros. 2 was drastically different, due to the fact that it was based on an unrelated game titled Doki Doki Panic. To this day the Super Mario series is the most successful video game series ever.	Super Mario Bros. Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels Super Mario Bros. 2 Super Mario Bros. 3 Super Mario World Super Mario 64 Super Mario Sunshine New Super Mario Bros. Super Mario Galaxy New Super Mario Bros. Wii Super Mario Galaxy 2 Super Mario 3DS
Super Mario Land Series	The Super Mario Land series is a sub-series very similar to the Super Mario Bros. games. The first game in the series plays very close in gameplay compared to the series. The game sees Mario trying to rescue Princess Daisy, who has been kidnapped by an alien. Mario can also find mushrooms; flowers; coins; and stars throughout the game, another feature of the Super Mario Bros. series. However, the second game in the series plays a little different. In it, Mario try to free his castle from the evil clutches of Wario, who stole the castle during the events of the first game. The third game is not only the final Super Mario Land title, but also the first game in the Wario Land series, in which Wario is the main hero, and goes on his own quests.	Super Mario Land Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
Paper Mario Series	The Paper Mario series is a series of Mario role-playing games. As its name implies, all the characters and elements in the game appear to be made from paper. The series started in 2001 with the release of Paper Mario for the Nintendo 64. The game used a similar battle system to that of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars; the player would attack an enemy for one turn, then the enemy would attack the next. The first team to reach 0 HP would lose the battle. The series generally revolves around collecting multiple objects from evil beings in order to stop the ultimate evil faced in the game. The series also utilizes partners throughout its games; each partner has unique abilities to help the player progress through the overworld, as well as in battle.	Paper Mario Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Super Paper Mario Paper Mario 3DS
Mario & Luigi Series	The Mario & Luigi series is yet another Mario sub-series. This sub-series is formed of a series of role-playing games for Nintendo's handheld systems. The first game in the series was Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, released in 2003 for the GameBoy Advance. The series features games with long, detailed stories, full of battles that the player must endure in order to Level Up and progress through the game with ease. The battles are turn-based, much like those from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars and the Paper Mario series. In the games, the player must control both Mario and Luigi; in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, the player also had to control their baby forms and in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, the player also controls Bowser. The series has yet to feature Bowser as the main antagonist of a game; however, he usually ends up falling victim to the ways of the games's true villains.	Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Mario vs. Donkey Kong Series	The Mario vs. Donkey Kong series is yet another Mario sub-series. This sub-series is formed of a series of games similar to the original Donkey Kong arcade game. The first game in the series was Mario vs. Donkey Kong, released in 2004 for the GameBoy Advance. The series features games with puzzles similar to the 1994 Donkey Kong game released on the Game Boy. The objective was always to get to the end of the level to defeat Donkey Kong. In the original game, the player must control Mario, however, in the later two games the player takes control of Mini Marios.	Mario vs. Donkey Kong Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!
Dr. Mario Series	The Dr. Mario series series is a puzzle-themed sub-series of the Mario series; it stars Mario's physician alter-ego, Dr. Mario. Other characters that have appeared in the series are Princess Peach as "Nurse Toadstool" and Wario. The series revolves around a Tetris-like concept in which the player must line up Megavitamins in a color-synchronized pattern in order to rid the screen of Viruses. As each level progresses, the game grows more and more difficult, providing the player with more Viruses to eradicate and less room to maneuver the Megavitamins.	Dr. Mario Vs. Dr. Mario Dr. Mario 64 Dr. Mario & Germ Buster Dr. Mario Express
Mario Party Series	The Mario Party sub-series is the largest Mario spin-off series to date. With a total of ten main games and one on the e-Reader, the sub-series has been released on the Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, DS, and Wii. There were also quite a few games that were only playable on arcade machines in Japan. The series started in 1999 with the release of Mario Party. While the actual game boards rely on luck — either from the Dice Block, or from which paths the player takes — the mini-games rely on skill. The player must perform various tasks in each mini-game; some mini-games will award the player with coins as long as they play, while others require the player to win to earn coins. Many characters have been playable throughout the series, including characters such as Koopa Kid, Hammer Bro., and several other unique characters. The most recent Mario Party game to date was Mario Party DS, released for the Nintendo DS in 2007.	Mario Party Mario Party 2 Mario Party 3 Mario Party 4 Mario Party 5 Mario Party 6 Mario Party 7 Mario Party 8 Mario Party Advance Mario Party DS Mario Party-e
Mario Kart Series	The Mario Kart series is one of the most popular genres of Mario spin-offs. Like the titles says, the player could race as one of the Mario characters. The first game was Super Mario Kart, released for the SNES. It had eight characters: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Toad, Koopa Troopa, Bowser and Donkey Kong Jr. The courses took mostly in the same locations, but the courses self had their location name and the number of this course (e.g. Koopa Beach 1). Also, there were five courses in one cup, and the Special Cup was only playable in 100cc. This later changed in Mario Kart 64: Wario and Donkey Kong took the places of Koopa and Donkey Kong Jr., courses were differently named, there were four courses per cup and the Special Cup was in every cc playable. It was also the first Mario Kart that could be played up to four players. More features continued to be added over the years (e.g. VS in Mario Kart: Super Circuit, more karts in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Classic courses and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection usage in Mario Kart DS, bikes in Mario Kart Wii). Some functions were also removed in subsequent games (e.g. two racers rode in one kart in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, but not in the subsequent games; Mario Kart DS included missions, which were replaced by the competitions in Mario Kart Wii). Like the Mario Party Series, more and more characters have participated in Mario Kart series (e.g. Rosalina, R.O.B. and Petey Piranha). The items (which were introduced in the first Mario Kart) also got more additions (like Mega Mushroom, Blooper and Bob-omb). Character-specific Special Items were briefly included in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!	Super Mario Kart Mario Kart 64 Mario Kart Super Circuit Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Mario Kart Arcade GP Mario Kart DS Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 Mario Kart Wii Mario Kart 3DS
Mario Golf Series	The Mario Golf series is yet another one of Mario's sports spin-offs. This sub-series revolves around the grassy sport of golf. Mario and his friends (and enemies in some games) grab their golf clubs and tees and prepare to compete to see who is the best golfer. The series started with the release of Golf for the NES in 1984. The only playable character in the game was Mario, who appeared in much different apparel than usual. Past there, the series started to introduce more and more characters to be playable, including Luigi, Peach, Bowser, and many others. Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour featured the largest cast of playable characters ever; it also had the compatibility to be linked to the Game Boy Advance game, Mario Golf: Advance Tour, for the addition of new characters. The home-console-to-handheld-system linking capability is a feature that has been available since the release of Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64. The games feature the exact same rules as a real world golf game; however, many Mario elements are added as obstacles throughout some courses, giving the series even more originality.	Golf NES Open Tournament Golf Mario Golf (Nintendo 64) Mario Golf (Game Boy Color) Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour Mario Golf: Advance Tour
Mario Tennis Series	The Mario Tennis series is yet another sports sub-series of the Mario series. The series revolves around the concept of tennis, as the games' titles imply. The series started in 1995 with the release of Mario's Tennis for the Virtual Boy. Despite the fact that Nintendo started the series on an unpopular game system, four more games have been released to date. The games stay fairly close to the real world concept of tennis; however, there are some Mario series features added to each game. Many human characters are introduced in the sub-series — as with the Mario Golf series — though they were never seen in any other Mario series or games. The latest release in the series was Mario Power Tennis for the Game Boy Advance.	Mario's Tennis Mario Tennis (Nintendo 64) Mario Tennis (Game Boy Color) Mario Power Tennis (Nintendo GameCube) Mario Power Tennis (Game Boy Advance)
Mario Football Series	The Mario Football series (known as the Mario Strikers series in North America and Japan) is a soccer-based sports spin-off in the Mario series. The series has only two installments: one for the Gamecube, and one for the Wii. The Mario Football series features many playable characters in its few installments. The first release was Mario Smash Football, for the Gamecube; it featured eight team captains, along with four different types of sidekicks. The second installment, Mario Strikers Charged Football, featured twelve team captains and eight types of sidekicks to select from.	Mario Smash Football Mario Strikers Charged Football
Mario Baseball Series	The Mario Baseball series is the latest sports-based spin-off in the Mario series. As its name implies, it revolves around the concept of baseball. This sub-series features more playable characters in a single game than in any other spin-off title, with a total of more than forty in the most recent installment, Mario Super Sluggers. The series originated with Mario Superstar Baseball for the Gamecube, which was developed by Namco. The sequel was released on the Wii in 2008 in Japan and North America; however, no announcements of release dates in Europe or Australia have been announced.	Mario Superstar Baseball Mario Super Sluggers
Luigi's Mansion Series File:LM Luigi Flee.jpg The Luigi's Mansion series is a new series that officaly started with the announment of the Luigi's Mansion 2. It is the first series overall to have Luigi be the main characther. It involes Luigi sucking up ghost with the Poltergust 3000 in usually, a haunted mansion setting. It is a popular series due to the first game. A new installment Luigi's Mansion 2 has been announced for 3DS Luigi's Mansion Luigi's Mansion 2 Crossovers Image Summary of Crossover Technical Information Yakuman DS Yakuman DS is a Mahjong-themed game for the Nintendo DS; it was released only in Japan. The game starred several Mario series characters and enemies. The game featured a total of thirteen characters to play as; it featured 21 opponents to face against. In order to progress through the game, the player would have to win a game of Mahjong against an opponent; he or she would then face the next opponent. The game was later released in Japan with an Online Mode under the title, Yakuman DS with Wi-Fi. Template:Releasedate System: DS Tetris DS Released in 2005 in Europe, Tetris DS is the only installment of Tetris to be on the DS. This installment in the successful puzzle series featured many Nintendo-related characters and elements. The game had several modes, all of which had themes from older Nintendo games. Among the many themes, the Mario series themes were Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Donkey Kong, Duck Hunt, the Mario Kart series, and many more. Several Mario characters also appeared in the game, including Mario, Bowser, Frog Mario, Raccoon Mario, Goomba, Donkey Kong, and Yoshi. Template:Releasedate System: DS Itadaki Street DS Released for the Nintendo DS only in Japan, Itadaki Street DS is a multi-player virtual board game. The game combines elements of the Itadaki Street and Mario Party series, such as the addition of mini-games. The game is themed similarly to that of Monopoly, as players much purchase shops and buildings in order to succeed in the game. Opposers who land a player's property must pay a fee to the property's owner. Under certain circumstances, property can be stolen from one another as well. The game features a total of 22 playable characters — eleven are from the Mario series, while the other eleven are from the Dragon Quest series. Template:Releasedate System: DS Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games was a sports game released for the Wii in 2007; it was later released for the DS in 2008. The game starred sixteen playable characters: eight from the Mario series, and eight from the Sonic series. The game included several games that were taken directly from the Summer Olympics; it also included a few that were created solely for the game. The players of the game had to reenact some of the motions required to take part in the Olympic games in order to have a chance at winning. For example, the 100m Freestyle required the player to move the Wii Remote and Nunchuk in a pattern similar to that of swimming in order to make progress in the competition. A sequel entitled Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games was released in the fourth quarter of 2009, which revolves around the Winter Olympics. Template:Releasedate Systems: Wii; DS Captain Rainbow Released only in Japan, Captain Rainbow is an action-adventure game for the Wii. The game revolves a character named Nick, whose alter-ego is that of a superhero known as "Captain Rainbow". After the superhero's show began to lose popularity, (due to another superhero who had attracted Rainbow's audience), he decided to travel to Mimin Island, where it is said that wishes can come true. The game featured many Nintendo characters and elements; some had a role in the story, while others did not. The Mario series had much representation in the game. Birdo appeared as a main character in the game. In the game, she had to be rescued from her cage by Captain Rainbow. Other Mario series elements that were found in the game include Piranha Plants, Warp Pipes, and even a picture of Mario. Template:Releasedate System: Wii Other Media Television Series Name Synopsis # of Episodes The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! was the first animated series to revolve around the Mario series. It debuted in 1989 and ended in 1990. The show was loosely based on Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 2. Each episode would have Mario, Luigi, Toad, and/or Princess Toadstool fighting against King Koopa in some way. In addition to the animation, the show featured a short live-action segment with each episode. One episode would air per day from Monday to Thursday of each week; on Friday, The Legend of Zelda cartoon would air. The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! was renamed 'Club Mario' in 1990. 52 The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 was the second Mario animated series to be made; it debuted in 1990 and ended in 1991. Unlike its predecessor, which aired four days a week, The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 only aired once a week, on every Saturday morning. As its title implied, the show was based off of Super Mario Bros. 3, thus, the show's atmosphere had morphed somewhat to make a more fitting link between the show and the game. Each of Bowser's seven Koopalings appeared in the show, however under entirely different names. Among many other things from Super Mario Bros. 3 that had been implemented into the cartoons included the various power-ups of the game, such as the Frog Suit and Super Leaf. 26 Super Mario World The Super Mario World animated series was the third and final animated Mario series; as its name implies, it was based somewhat off of the game of the same, Super Mario World. It was a short-lived series, debuting and ending in the same year: 1991. The show featured mostly the same features that The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 had, only some of it had been twisted to match the story of Super Mario World a little better. It also introduced two new characters, exclusive to this show: Yoshi and Oogtar the cave-boy. 13 Literature Title Summary Super Mario Brothers: Trapped in the Perilous Pit Super Mario Brothers: Trapped in the Perilous Pit is a book featuring Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach. It was written by Jack C. Harris. Club Nintendo Club Nintendo was the German equivalent of Nintendo Power; it was a series of magazines dedicated to everything Nintendo-related. However, Club Nintendo had a unique feature: every other month, a comic was published by Club Nintendo, generally featuring Mario-related characters and species. The first comic issue debuted in April of 1991. Over a span of eight years, Club Nintendo released a total of 37 comics that were based around the Mario series. Super Mario Advance Super Mario Advance is a short chapter book published by Scholastic Books Inc. in 2001. Telling the story from Super Mario Bros. 2, the book takes place in the land of Subcon. This book allows the reader to choose their own story path by picking one of the story's four protagonists: Mario, Luigi, Toad or Princess Peach. Mario and the Incredible Rescue Mario and the Incredible Rescue is a short chapter book written by Tracey West and published by Scholastic Books Inc. in 2006. It includes locations from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars such as Kero Sewers, Tadpole Pond and others. Film Title Summary Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyushutsu Dai Sakusen! Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyushutsu Dai Sakusen!, which can be roughly translated as Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Save Princess Peach, is an anime movie that features Mario as the movie's main protagonist. It was released in 1986 in Japan and was never localized for any other region. The movie's plot revolved around Peach, whom gets kidnapped by Bowser right before Mario's eyes. Mario and Luigi then meet a dog named Kibidango who brings them to the Mushroom Kingdom. There they learn from the Mushroom Hermit that Bowser cursed the inhabitants of the Kingdom and abducted Peach because he wants to marry her. The Mario brothers then agree to go to Bowser's Castle together with Kibidango and save Peach. Along the way they obtain the three mystical items that are required to defeat Bowser, namely a Super Mushroom, a Fire Flower, and a Starman. They encounter many enemies from the Mario series, until they finally reach the Castle in a flying ship. There, Mario defeats Bowser, saves Peach, and returns her to the Mushroom Kingdom. Peach's magical pendant then lifts the curse that was casted on Kibidango, transforming him into Prince Haru, an aristocrat from the Flower Kingdom. Mario and Luigi then leave the kingdom again, presumably returning to the grocery store they were working at the beginning. For some reason, Bowser and his minions can be seen working in the store in the end. Super Mario Bros. The Super Mario Bros. film was a movie released in 1993, loosely based on the Super Mario Bros. series of video games. The movie was considered a financial failure; the estimated production of the film was $42 million, but the gross revenue failed to reach even $21 million. The movie starred Bob Hoskins(as Mario), John Leguizamo(as Luigi), and Dennis Hopper(as King Koopa). In the movie, Mario and Luigi must rescue Daisy, the princess of Dinohatten, from King Koopa's idiotic cousins —Spike and Iggy. Main Features of the Mario Series Items Name Description First Appearance Super Mushroom The Super Mushroom is a small, red Mushroom with white spots. It is the most common type of Mushroom found throughout the Mushroom World. The Super Mushroom has the ability to make whatever it touches grow in size, sometimes increasing said being's strength. Mario and Luigi have commonly used Super Mushrooms throughout their many adventures in order to help them survive. In Mario platformers, the Super Mushroom generally increases the size of the Mario Bros. by a minimal amount; this change in size is just enough to allow the Bros. to break Brick Blocks. In Mario role-playing games, Super Mushrooms generally heal Mario or his partners by partially refilling their HP. Super Mario Bros. 1-Up Mushroom The 1-Up Mushroom is an item that is similar in appearance, but entirely different in effect to the Super Mushroom. 1-Up Mushrooms are green in color, with white spots. They are the same size as Super Mushrooms, and share the same facial features. 1-Up Mushrooms grant Mario and others to gain an extra life when they touch or eat it. 1-Up Mushrooms can be found hidden in blocks, behind items, guarded by enemies, within chests, or any number of other locations. 1-Up Mushrooms are much less common than Super Mushrooms, appearing roughly once per level, whereas Super Mushrooms appear several times in a level. In Paper Mario games, 1-Up Mushrooms don't exist; rather, there are Life Shrooms, which are kept in the inventory and automatically revive Mario or his partners when they run out of HP in battle. Super Mario Bros. Poison Mushroom Debuting in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Poison Mushrooms are Mushrooms that, as their name suggests, harm whatever they touch. In platformers such as Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels and Luigi's Mansion, Poison Mushrooms will shrink the player if he or she comes in direct contact with one. In Super Mario Kart, Princess Toadstool and Toad could throw these at opposing racers, shrinking them drastically in size; when an opponent shrank, they could easily be run over and thrown off-track. In the Mario Party series, Poison Mushrooms appear once again; however, here they effect how many spaces the player can move. In Mario role-playing games, Poison Shrooms harm Mario or his partners by decreasing their HP greatly. Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels Mini Mushroom Debuting in Mario Party 4.they were pink and shrunk the player and decreased the dice from 1-10 to 5-10, and using this item the player could gain access to certain areas of the game boards, These areas aloowed the player to play special Minigames usually for Coins or Items. In Mario Pinball Land, Mini Mushrooms were used to squeeze inside small locations to retrieve Power Stars. Their latest appearance was in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, in which their color scheme changes drastically from the original pink, to the new blue with white spots. Mini Mushrooms held the same effect, allowing Mario or Luigi to fit in tiny pipes to retrieve certain items. Mario Party 4 Mega Mushroom First appearing in Mario Party 4, Mega Mushrooms were pale green in color with white spots; they were slightly larger than most other Mushrooms, but still had similar facial features. Mega Mushrooms would grant anyone who used them the power to grow enormous in size, as well as use two Dice Blocks. If the player crushed an opponent while walking across the board, he or she would receive ten coins for doing so. Mega Mushrooms later appear in New Super Mario Bros. with a new design; they were large, yellow mushrooms with vibrant red spots. Here they grant Mario or Luigi the ability to be huge in size and invincible from all harm, (with the exception of falling into an abyss. This is the one of the two items from New Super Mario Bros., along with the Blue Shell that was not reused for New Super Mario Bros. Wii, its successor. A Goomba also touched a Mega Mushroom in the game, becoming the boss of the fourth world: Mega Goomba. In Mario Kart Wii, Mega Mushrooms acted similar to the way they did in Mario Party 4, only the player would not receive coins for running over opponents. Mario Party 4 Fire Flower Debuting in Super Mario Bros., Fire Flowers are a type of plant that grant whoever touches one the ability to throw fireballs. When Mario or Luigi would touch a Fire Flower, they would turn into their fire form, with the traditional white shirt and hat, and red or green overalls respectively, being able to sling fireballs at incoming enemies. Fireballs are sometimes the most effective way to eliminate enemies, as very few are immune to them; Buzzy Beetles are one of these exceptions. In Super Mario World Fire Flowers went through a design change, appearing to be more like orange tulips with happy eyes. In the Paper Mario series, Fire Flowers can be used both as weapons against enemies, and as an ingredient into several different recipes, (including the Spicy Soup). Super Mario Bros. Ice Flower The Ice Flower debuted not in a normal platformer, unlike most items, but in a RPG, being Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, as a Bros. Item. It allowed Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario and Baby Luigi to shoot ice balls to the enemies, opposing to the Fire Flower. In Super Mario Galaxy, however, Mario turns into an ice sculpture of himself, being Ice Mario, with the ability to freeze water and lava when stepped on, instead of throwing ice balls. The Ice Flower also made a more prominent appearance in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, being similar in purpose to Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, by throwing ice balls again. Because of this, Mario will not turn into ice, but instead get a light blue shirt and hat, and overalls become red, to fit his Fire Mario appearance. Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time Star Originally called "Starman", Stars are a powerful celestial object found commonly throughout the Mario series. Stars debuted in Super Mario Bros. Whenever Mario or Luigi touch a Star, they become almost entirely invincible — the only things that can still end their game is to either fall into an abyss, or to get squished. While using the Star, they can defeat any enemy instantly with one touch. However, the effect of the Star lasts for a relatively short time. The theme music of the effect eventually was used in most Mario games, though sometimes the theme would get remixed. Super Mario Land's Star theme music was the famous Can-Can music, but Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins used an entirely different melody. In Super Mario Kart and other Mario Kart games, this item was one of the rarest ones received, which of course gave the user invincibility, as well as the ability to knock other racers aside. This item was replaced by the Rainbow Star in Super Mario Galaxy, but it returned in Mario Kart Wii. Super Mario Bros. Coin First appearing in the arcade game, Mario Bros., Coins are a form of currency in the Mushroom World. In the Super Mario Bros. series of platformers, when collected, they will award the player with a total of one-hundred points per coin; also, after collecting one-hundred coins, the player would earn an extra life. In Super Mario 64, there were three different types of Coins: Yellow Coins, Blue Coins, and Red Coins. Yellow Coins played a much more vital part in completion of the game. By collecting coins, the player's HP meter will refill by one notch; also, if the player collects one-hundred coins on a stage, he or she will be awarded with an secret Power Star, which is vital to entirely completing the game. In Mario RPGs, Coins act as a form of currency to purchase items, weapons, badges, and other things that are useful along Mario's journey. Mario Bros. Yoshi Egg Yoshi Eggs, are items used in the Mario and Yoshi series. Each egg hatches a Yoshi. They are also items in the Mario Kart series. There are different colored eggs that hatch different colored Yoshis. For example, a light blue egg, will hatch a Cyan Yoshi. Ever since their first appearance in Super Mario World, Yoshi eggs have made many more appearances, but their latest appearance is in Super Mario Galaxy 2 . Super Mario World Objects Name Description First Appearance Brick Block Perhaps one of the most common type of Blocks found throughout the Mario series is the Brick Block. First appearing in Super Mario Bros., Brick Blocks can only be broke by Super Mario or Super Luigi; they can only achieve this status after they have used a Super Mushroom. Some Brick Blocks turn out to hold many coins for the player to collect and add to his or her point total. Brick Blocks are also know to secretly contain power-ups and 1-Up Mushrooms. Brick Blocks also sometimes provide a bridge for the player to walk across abysses. Beanstalks also can be found hidden within certain Brick Blocks, allowing the player access to a Coin Heaven. Certain switches can also be unveiled from a Brick Block; this can sometimes be vital to completing a level, depending on whether or not said switch activates an event that helps the player gain further access in the level. Super Mario Bros. ? Block Debuting in Super Mario Bros., the ? Block (or "Question Block") provides the player with many things. Super Mushrooms, Fire Flowers, and Coins can all be received by hitting a ? Block in the game. In Super Mario 3 and in Super Mario World, there was also the possibility that a Switch would pop out of the block. In Super Mario 64, ? Blocks are replaced with ! Blocks. In order for Mario to get his Wing Cap, he must activate the ? Switch hidden in the castle and flip it to activate the ! Blocks. ? Blocks also appear in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door; here, they are seen during the chapter intermissions in which the player controls Bowser, and they hold various items as well. The ? Blocks during Bowser's intermissions contain Meat, which help Bowser to grow in size and become more powerful. In Super Mario Galaxy, ? Blocks hold Star Bits within them. Item Boxes from the Mario Kart series have an appearance similar to ? Blocks, only they have a transparent color. Super Mario Bros. Warp Pipe Throughout the Mushroom Kingdom, Warp Pipes are used as the primary way of transportation. Debuting in Mario Bros., Warp Pipes would randomly eject various enemies for the player to defeat or avoid. In Super Mario Bros., Warp Pipes had a much more noticeable role. While they provided access to secret underground areas that often hosted mass amounts of Coins, they also were commonly clogged with Piranha Plants. On occasion, the player would have to use Warp Pipes as platforms to traverse from one area of a level to another. In Super Mario Bros. 3, Warp Pipes served basically the same purpose. However, the seventh world of the game was a massive maze of Warp Pipes that the player had to maneuver through. Certain Warp Pipes would take the player further into the level, while others would send them backwards. In almost all main Mario games, and in most role-playing games, Warp Pipes serve exactly the same purpose. In Mario Party 7, there was the Warp Pipe Orb, which served as a road block; any player that would pass over the space it had been set on would be teleported to a previous location in the board. Mario Bros. POW Block Beginning from the Mario Bros. arcade game, POW Blocks have made great appearances in the Mario Series. One bump from under, and every enemy on the ground are stunned (For Shellcreepers, and later Spinys, is not as easy. Sidesteppers must be hit twice to be stunned. Fighter Flys can only be stunned on the ground, as mentioned before). Usually, a POW Block can be used 3 times, so players must use it wisely. In their debut, they appear in most phases. in Super Mario Bros. 2, they appear again, but are red instead. It can now be picked up, and are only used once. This also defeats any enemy on the screen. In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, it appears, too, but enemies on the screen will change into Stars with feet, that can be counted to the counter. It also appears in every Paper Mario game, doing damage to all enemies on the ground or ceiling. They also appear in Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart: Arcade GP 2, but in comparison to the two mentioned games, the POW Block in those game work different to each other. Recently, they appear actually more than first. Mario Bros. Major Characters Main Protagonists Character Brief Biography First Appearance Mario Mario is the main protagonist in his titular series of games. He made his debut in 1981, with the release of Donkey Kong for arcades across the world. Mario, (going by the name "Jumpman" in that game), had to fight his way through several mazy stages full of obstacles and enemies in order to rescue Pauline from the large ape, Donkey Kong. After that, Mario became largely popular, receiving another game for the arcade — Mario Bros.— and then several more games for the newly-developed home game console, the NES. Throughout almost thirty years, Mario has been the star of the largest game franchise Nintendo has published. Many characters have fought alongside Mario in his adventures in platformers and RPGs, but many have also fought against him during those times. Mario has gone through many physical changes, from his original 8-bit appearance, to his current 128-bit appearance. Mario commonly rescues Princess Peach, as well as several others, such as Mushroom Retainers, as his adventures continue. Mario has even been accepting enough to team up at times with his greatest foe, Bowser. Donkey Kong Luigi Luigi is Mario's taller, younger, twin brother. Luigi first debuted alongside Mario in Mario Bros. in 1983, fighting off the many enemies as a plumber. Luigi reappeared in Super Mario Bros. for the NES, playable only in the two-player mode of the game. He later appeared in Super Mario Bros. 2, being playable in one-player mode for the first time along with Toad and Peach. Luigi has appeared in many of Mario's games, but there were some from which he was excluded — among which are Super Mario Land and Super Mario 64 . Luigi received his first starring role in Mario is Missing!, in which Luigi had to go on a search for Mario. Several years later, Luigi received a similar role in Luigi's Mansion, having to search for and rescue his brother. Luigi has appeared in every single Mario spin-off to date, from the Mario Party series to the Mario Kart series. Mario Bros. Princess Peach Princess Peach — originally "Princess Toadstool" — is one of the main protagonists in the Mario series, and usually plays the damsel-in-distress. Princess Peach is the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, and is protected by many Toads. However, her protection commonly fails and eventually results in her being kidnapped, be it by Bowser, or by another villain. Princess Peach's original appearances would leave her without an initial design, however, she was later given a standard design in Super Mario Bros. 2. Super Mario Bros. 2 also marked the debut of Peach's first playable appearance, something not found often in mainstream Mario games. Princess Peach was repeatedly the victim of kidnapping for many years, until she finally took over the role of the main protagonist. In Super Princess Peach, she had to rescue Mario, Luigi, and many of the Mushroom Kingdom's Toads from Bowser and his minions. Peach has always been playable in whichever spin-off game she has appeared in. Super Mario Bros. Princess Daisy Princess Daisy is the second most prominent female in the Mario series, and is the ruler of Sarasaland; in her first appearance, Daisy had been kidnapped by Tatanga and had to be rescued by Mario. The redhead princess has appeared in many Mario games since Super Mario Land, most regularly as a playable character. Despite being a Princess, Daisy is not nearly as feminine as the other females in the Mario series. Daisy is known for being a tomboy even since her debut as a damsel-in-distress; a role she has yet to subsequently fill. Daisy has a strong affinity for flowers; her special abilities, clothing, and any other general representations always deal with flowers. Aside from her strong friendship with Princess Peach, Daisy also shares ties with many other characters such as Luigi. Super Mario Land Yoshi Yoshi is a main protagonist in the Mario series, and is also the main protagonist of his own series. Yoshi is native to Yoshi's Island, along with his fellow species. Yoshi's first appearance was in Super Mario World, in which Mario would ride Yoshi across the various levels of the game. Yoshi later appeared in his own series of games as a playable character. His only appearances in main Mario games after that were non-playable. Yoshi has appeared in almost every Mario spin-off game to date, always as a playable character. He has starred in every game in the long-running Mario Kart and Mario Party sub-series, and has commonly appeared in the Mario Tennis and Mario Golf sub-series. Super Mario World Birdo Birdo is a character in the Mario series. Birdo first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 2 as a boss enemy, and she appears in numerous Mario titles to date. Birdo is shown to have a strong affection towards Yoshi. Birdo is actually a member of a species that shares her name; in Japan Birdo goes by the name Catherine. Like Yoshi, she is sometimes reduced to the role as a species, rather than a single playable character. Birdo also has caused much controversy over her gender. In the American versions of games, Birdo is referred to as a female, but in the Japanese versions, Birdo is a male thinking he is female. Super Mario Bros. 2, (Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic) Toad Toad is a protagonist in the Mario series, and is commonly found in the company of Princess Peach. Toad originally played the role of Princess Peach's assistant, as well as her guide and guardian throughout her travels; however, he has been reduced to lesser roles since his debut appearance, with his role in main games having been replaced by Toadsworth. His first playable appearance was in Super Mario Bros. 2. He appeared a few years later as the main protagonist of Wario's Woods; with the help of Birdo and Wanda, Toad had to defeat the monsters Wario was sending out from his woods to attack the Mushroom Kingdom. Though he appears identical to many others in his species, Toad is actually an entirely different character; this causes much confusion as to whether or not certain Toads are the Toad discussed. Super Mario Bros. Toadette Toadette is the most prominent female member of the Toad species, and from time to time appears a playable character in Mario spin-off titles. She is generally paired with Toad, and always has similar abilities as him. She was first seen as an unlockable character in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, in which she was Toad's partner. She has since reappeared in the Mario Party and Mario Kart series. Toadette appeared in one mainstream Mario game, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Aside from personal traits she is well regarded as the female version of Toad. Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Toadsworth Toadsworth is a protagonist in the Mario series, and serves as Princess Peach's personal steward. He has replaced the role of Toad since the release of Super Mario Sunshine. He also appeared in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door as Peach's steward; the player could talk to him at any time at the inn at Rogueport. Toadsworth also appeared in New Super Mario Bros.; in this game, he didn't act as Princess Peach's steward; rather, he ran the Toad Houses found throughout the various worlds of the game. Toadsworth has also appeared as a host of a few spin-off titles, such as Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Party 7. He has appeared as a playable character only in the Mario Baseball series. Super Mario Sunshine Baby Mario Baby Mario is Mario as an infant. He appears in the Yoshi series as well. Baby Mario has rescued his brother, Baby Luigi, in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and in Yoshi's Island DS. He also appears in many spin-off series such as the Mario Kart and the Mario Baseball series. Baby Mario also appeared Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time where he helped Mario and Luigi save Princess Peach from the Shroobs. After making his first appearance in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Baby Mario has made many more appearances. His most recent appearance is Mario Super Sluggers. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Baby Luigi Baby Luigi, is Luigi as an infant. He appears in the Yoshi series where he is kidnapped by Kamek twice. With his brother, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi appears in spin-off series such as the Mario Baseball and the Mario Kart series. He also helps Mario and Luigi rescue Princess Peach from the Shroobs in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. After appearing in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island , Baby Luigi has appeared in many more games. His most recent appearance is Mario Super Sluggers. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Rosalina Rosalina, or Rosetta, is one of the main characters in Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2. She is the adopted mother of the Lumas, which are also popular to Super Mario Galaxy. Her main duty is to watch the Lumas and help keep the galaxies safe. Throughout the game, Rosalina gives helpful and important advice and tips to Mario. Besides appearing in the Super Mario series, Rosalina makes an appearance in Mario Kart Wii where she can be unlocked. There are two ways to unlock her. Super Mario Galaxy Donkey Kong Donkey Kong is a character that appears in the Mario series, but is the main protagonist of his own series. Donkey Kong made his first appearance in his titular arcade game released in 1981, appearing as the games main antagonist. He later appeared as a sort-of protagonist in Donkey Kong Jr., as he was the caged victim of Mario. Donkey Kong has appeared in the Mario series mostly in spin-off games since his arcade days. In the Mario Party sub-series, Donkey Kong originally appeared as a playable character, but eventually became a feature found on most boards from the fifth installment on. He has also appeared in some spin-offs with Diddy Kong, such as Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour and Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. Donkey Kong has recently reappeared as an antagonist in the Mario series, once again rivaling Mario in Mario vs. Donkey Kong and Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis. Donkey Kong Diddy Kong Diddy Kong is Donkey Kong's nephew and lives in the Kongo Jungle. Diddy Kong made his debut in Donkey Kong Country. He has also appeared throughout sports like Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour and Mario Superstar Baseball, along with Donkey Kong. Diddy also has a peanut popgun and rocket barrels in Donkey Kong 64, and also has them in Super Smash Bros Brawl. He even has his racing series called Diddy Kong Racing, and this game features characters from other series. Donkey Kong Country Main Antagonists/Anti-heroes Character Brief Biography First Appearance Bowser Bowser is the main antagonist throughout most of the Mario series. He first appeared in Super Mario Bros. for the NES, having kidnapped Princess Toadstool. He is the King of all Koopas, and is found to be the final boss in almost all platformers. However, Bowser has, on occasion, teamed up with Mario to help save the world. Bowser is the father of many children, including the seven Koopalings — from the SNES era — and Bowser Jr.— from the Gamecube era forth. Bowser has shown signs of affection towards Princess Peach over the years as well; so despite the fact that he is a villain, he has never put her in any mortal danger. Rather, he has consistently attempted to put an end to Mario and Luigi. Bowser has appeared in almost every spin-off game in the Mario series; however, he has never once appeared as a playable character in the Mario Party series. Super Mario Bros. Bowser Jr. Bowser Jr. is one of Bowser's many children, and the newest one introduced to the Mario series; he is sometimes considered a replacement for the Koopalings. Bowser Jr. first appeared in Super Mario Sunshine, acting as one of the game's two main antagonists. He was convinced that Princess Peach was his mother, and thus kidnapped her back from Mario. Bowser Jr. has commonly reappeared in mainstream Mario games, alongside Bowser, usually in the act of kidnapping Princess Peach. He has appeared as a playable character in some games as well; among these are Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour. He appears in New Super Mario Bros. Wii with the Koopalings. Super Mario Sunshine Koopalings The Koopalings consist of Bowser's seven oldest children; Larry Koopa, Morton Koopa Jr., Wendy O. Koopa,Roy Koopa, Iggy Koopa, Lemmy Koopa, and Ludwig von Koopa. Oftentimes, the Koopalings act as high-ranking leaders of the Koopa Troop and mostly appear as bosses in the various Mario series games. The Koopalings are known for taking long hiatus between their appearances, but all most recently appear in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Super Mario Bros. 3 Wario Wario is Mario's greedy, hot tempered rival appearing in the Mario series as a sometimes an antagonist and antihero, and is the main protagonist of his own series. Wario first appeared in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, having taken over Mario's estate. Wario mostly appeared in Mario spin-offs after that game. He is always a playable character, and is often found partnered in some way with Waluigi. Wario appeared in Super Mario 64 DS as one of the games four playable protagonists; he was the last playable character to be unlocked, and was unlocked after defeating Chief Chilly. Wario is a burly person, generally classified as a heavy character in some manner. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins Waluigi Waluigi is one of the few reoccurring characters to have never appeared in a mainstream Mario game. He is commonly alongside Wario aiding him in many ways. He first appeared in Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64, in which he was Wario's partner-in-crime; a trait that he would follow throughout almost every appearance he makes. Waluigi has appeared as the main antagonist in only one game: Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix. In this spin-off, Waluigi had stolen all of the Music Keys in hope of world domination. The only other significant connection Waluigi has is with Luigi, who Waluigi considers to be his biggest rival. Not much has ever been revealed about Waluigi's past, so where he comes from, and who he is related to is a mystery. Although he is mostly believed to be Wario's brother, this has not yet been confirmed. Mario Tennis Kamek Kamek is a high ranking Magikoopa in the Koopa Troop. Kamek has cared for Bowser since he was a child. Kamek's first appearance was in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island where he foresaw that two babies born that night would cause great trouble for the Koopa Troop. Kamek captured one of them, Baby Luigi, but failed to find the other one, Baby Mario. Kamek continued to serve Bowser for many years, trying to kidnap Mario & Luigi, but failing. Kamek is also a leader of his own group known as the Toadies, who follow Kamek's every whim. Kamek also made an appearance in the spin-off game, Mario Party DS, once again serving as Bowser's Acolyte. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island King Boo King Boo first appeared as the main villain in Luigi's Mansion. He was introduced as the king of the Boo species and was imprisoned by Luigi in a painting. He somehow escaped and later reappeared in Super Mario Sunshine as a boss. Under the name of Big Boo, King Boo appears again in Super Mario 64 DS, kidnapping Luigi to get his revenge. After that, King Boo has been participating in a few spin off games, including Mario Superstar Baseball, Mario Party 8, and Mario Kart Wii. Luigi's Mansion Petey Piranha Petey Piranha is a recurring boss throughout the Mario series, and possibly the leader of the Piranha Plant species. He first appeared in Super Mario Sunshine, where he was partly responsible for the mess in Delfino Plaza. Like all other boss characters, Mario made quick work of the overgrown Piranha Plant. After that, he went on to antagonize the heroes further in games like New Super Mario Bros. and Super Princess Peach, or to participate in sports like Mario Super Sluggers and Mario Strikers Charged Football. Super Mario Sunshine Species Species Name Brief Biography First Appearance Goomba Goombas were the first enemy to appear in Super Mario Bros., and have since then generally been the first common enemy featured in mainstream Mario games. Goombas have been depicted to be "the underlings of underlings", though they are commonly found throughout the Mushroom Kingdom. Goombas are brown mushroom-like creatures that generally work under the orders of Bowser. There have been Goombas shown to have more benevolent personalities in such games as Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, though they are less common than the actual enemies. Goombas can be found both on their own, as well as with several other Goombas and other types of enemies. Goombas have had important roles in games in the Mario Party series, appearing as hosts, as well as obstacles in mini-games. Goombas have had very few appearance changes over the years, almost always appearing as brown, teardrop-shaped creatures with two feet. However, the Goombas of Super Mario World — Kuribons — are round in design. Super Mario Bros. Paragoomba Paragoombas, first debuting in Super Mario Bros. 3, are an aerial subspecies of Goombas. Paragoombas share the exact same appearance as regular Goombas, except they have white, feathery wings, which give them the ability to hop and fly. Paragoombas usually hover about in random patterns, similar to some Koopa Paratroopas. They also have the ability to create multiple Micro Goombas that stick to the player and temporarily remove their ability to jump. Paragoombas have since reappeared in many games, including all games in the Paper Mario series and Super Princess Peach. They also appeared in Mario Superstar Baseball, in which they were playable for the first time. Super Mario Bros. 3 Koopa Troopa Koopa Troopas are common enemies from the Mario series, and sometimes an ally, which first appeared alongside with Goombas from Super Mario Bros.. They appeared as a regular turtle, acting just like one, however, in Super Mario World, Koopa Troopas began to walk on their feet, and not on all fours. They come in many different colors, ranging from Red ones to Blue ones. Koopa's have first appeared as an ally from Paper Mario, in which many of the Koopas from Koopa Village help out Mario and friends. Koopa Troopas have also made their first playable appearance in Super Mario Kart. In the Paper Mario series, Koopa Troopas were also featured as an enemy, and wore shades and a spiked collar too. Koopa Troopas will hide in their shell if stomped on, or be flipped over, in which they cannot get up for a certain amount of time. Their shells can be kicked, and can defeat enemies by just knocking them out. Koopa Troopas were modeled after Shellcreepers which first appeared in the original Mario Bros. in the arcade. Super Mario Bros. Koopa Paratroopa This aerial subspecies of Koopa Troopa first appeared in Super Mario Bros.. Much like Paragoombas, Paratroopas share the same basic physical features as their ground-bound counterparts. Should a Paratroopa be jumped on, it will lose its ability to fly, becoming a mere Koopa Troopa. Depending on their shell color, Paratroopas have varying flying patterns. For example, green-shelled Paratroopas are not fully airborne, as they can only hop along whilst fluttering their wings; red-shelled Paratroopas are fully airborne, being able to fly in swift, continuous patterns, be it vertically or horizontally. A Paratroopa became playable for the first time in Mario Tennis, in which, it was a tricky character. Super Mario Bros. Boo Boos are a species of ghosts that tend to haunt castles and other dark locations; they first appear in Super Mario Bros. 3. Boos have the ability to make themselves invisible to others around them, keeping them safe from most possible harm. In Super Mario Bros. 3, Boos are invulnerable to all attacks except for being touched while using a Star. If the player were to stare at a Boo, it would cover its face; if they player were to face the opposite direction, the Boo would chase after the player to attack. In Luigi's Mansion, Boos served as the main antagonists, following their leader King Boo. Boos also have several alternate varieties, from their large counterparts to their vibe-inflicted ones. In Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, Boos were show to have a natural talent for racing. In this game, several different-colored Boos appeared as opponents, each much swifter than the last. Boos have also appeared as playable characters in many spin-off games, including the Mario Party series, as well as the Mario Golf series. Some Boos have been shown to have friendly personalities as well, much like Lady Bow from Paper Mario, and the Creepy Steeple Boo from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Super Mario Bros. 3 Hammer Bro. Hammer Bros. are a variety of bipedal Koopas that wield many hammers as their weapons. First appearing in World 3 of Super Mario Bros., Hammer Bros. would always appear in pairs, throwing massive amounts of hammers at Mario or Luigi. Hammer Bros. were vulnerable to fireballs and jumps, just as most enemies were, and they could also be knocked off of the blocks that they stood upon. They reappeared in Super Mario Bros. 3, along with their many related species — Boomerang Bros., Fire Bros., Sledge Bros., and Sumo Bros.. Hammer Bros. have consistently reappeared in many games since then, picking up new forms such as the Ice Bros., generally appearing as tough foes for Mario and Luigi to defeat. In Mario Superstar Baseball, a Hammer Bro. became playable for the first time, being available as an unlockable character. Super Mario Bros. Magikoopa Magikoopas are a species of Koopas garbed in cloth robes; they are highly notable for their ability to cast various magical spells on their victims. First debuting in Super Mario World, Magkioopas would cast spells on Mario, inflicting damage on him with immediate contact. Magikoopas have reappeared in many different games since then, from the Mario Party series, to the Paper Mario series. Perhaps two of the most notable Magikoopas are Kamek — who is portrayed as the main antagonist of the Yoshi series — and Kammy Koopa, who plays Bowser's assistant in the Paper Mario series. Magikoopas have many different relatives, all of which can perform different magic. Super Mario World Lakitu Lakitus are a variety of Koopas that ride on clouds, throwing Spiny Eggs at their prey. They first appear in World 4-1 of Super Mario Bros.. Lakitus will continue to chase their enemies as long as they can. Though they reside high in the sky, they are not invincible. Should the player reach a platform that is high enough, he or she can jump on top of the Lakitu, defeating it instantly; fireballs also can defeat Lakitus if they are shot from a high location. Lakitus appear in many games as enemies, constantly bombarding their enemies with Spiny Eggs. In Super Mario 64 and its DS counterpart, a Lakitu played a somewhat large role as the cameraman; this Lakitu was always behind the player, in order to give a clear third-person view of the game. One of Lakitu's most well known roles the owner of the Super Mario Kart Race Track in the Mario Kart series. This has caused Lakitu to play an important role in other spin-offs and crossovers (e.g. an assist trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and a referee in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games). Super Mario Bros. Buzzy Beetle First appearing in World 4-2 of Super Mario Bros., Buzzy Beetles are extremely hard-shelled Koopa-like creatures. They are small in size with a dark blue shell; this shell, though similar in appearance to a typical Koopa Shell, protects them from being harmed by fireballs. However, Buzzy Beetles are still vulnerable to being flipped over onto their backs — or into their shells — and being kicked around to harm other enemies; Buzzy Beetle shells will ricochet off of any hard surface and come rocketing back to the player to inflict damage if he or she does not avoid it in time. Buzzy Beetles appear in many games as enemies that Mario must fight, along with the dark red shelled Spike Top, which debuted in Super Mario World, and has a large spike on the top of its shell, because of this protection, these red shelled variants must be defeated with a Starman or another Koopa Shell. In the Paper Mario sub-series, Buzzy Beetles appear not only as enemies, but as notable characters such as Chan, Torque, and Spiky Joe. In these games, Buzzy Beetles are just as impervious to fire as ever, and they even have high defense that protects them from damage. Super Mario Bros. Spiny Spinies are small, Koopa-like creatures that hatch from the Spiny Eggs thrown by Lakitus. They are similar in stature to Buzzy Beetles and Spike Tops, as they are quadrupedal and have a hard shell that cover them almost entirely. Their shells are a fiery red color, with sharp white spikes poking from all available spots. Because of these spikes, they cannot be jumped on; rather, they must be defeated by being attacked with fireballs. Spinies appear in several games after Super Mario Bros., reprising their role as the live ammo thrown by Lakitus. Despite the fact that they are ground-bound, Koopa-like creatures, they do not have airborne subspecies. Super Mario Bros. Cheep-Cheep Cheep-Cheeps are a species of fish that first appear in World 2-2 of Super Mario Bros.. In this game, they appear in two different colors: red and green. The red Cheep-Cheeps could swim in a diagonal pattern, while the green ones were restricted to swimming in a straight line. Underwater, Cheep-Cheeps can only be defeated by attacking them with fireballs; otherwise, they must simply be avoided. Cheep-Cheeps are also shown to be able to survive above water, despite being fish. They have the ability to jump at extraordinary heights out of water; there are also some Cheep-Cheeps that live on land, (such as Chef Shimi). Cheep Cheeps have a large variety of subspecies, some of which are spiked, are extremely large, or are miniscule in size. Super Mario Bros. Shy Guy First appearing in the American version of Super Mario Bros. 2, Shy Guys are a commonly recurring species in both the Mario and Yoshi series. In the Yoshi series, Shy Guys are always found as enemies; however, in the Mario series, they are commonly seen as benevolent characters. In Super Mario Bros. 2, Shy Guys appeared as enemies that were attacking Subcon, along with their relatives, Beezos. Other recurring types of Shy Guys include Fly Guys and Snifits. Shy Guys generally appear in spin-off games, such as those from the Mario Party, Mario Tennis, and Mario Kart series. They are generally seen in the audience, or help take part in the story of a mini-game, but have also appeared as playable characters in a few games, such as Mario Kart DS. Super Mario Bros. 2, (Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic) Dry Bones First appearing in Super Mario Bros. 3, Dry Bones are the zombified skeletal remains of a Koopa Troopa. In their first appearance, they were quadrupedal, crawling around much like a Koopa Troopa; they later became bipedal, just as Koopas. Perhaps their most notable feature is their ability to reanimate. After being jumped on, they will collapse into a pile of bones; after a few moments, they will arise and once again act as enemies. Originally, they were made to be impervious to fire; however, they were later shown to be vulnerable to the attacks of a fireball. Although in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, they must be hit with an ice ball before they can be defeated. Dry Bones always appear as enemies in main games, and very seldom do the speak. However, a Dry Bones was brought into the Mario Party series as a playable character. In New Super Mario Bros., Bowser falls into a pit of lava. His bones are later reanimated to make Dry Bowser, the Dry Bones form of Bowser. Super Mario Bros. 3 Blooper Bloopers — originally called "Bloobers" — are squid-like creatures that are generally found underwater, usually with the company of Cheep-Cheeps. Bloopers can move freely in any direction they wish, though they do so in a slow manner. Bloopers like to corner their prey, closing in on their victim, even ganging up on them. In Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Bloopers have the ability to hover through the sky. Their motion in the sky is identical to those made in water, so it looks as if they are swimming through the sky. Bloopers have been shown to be able to survive out of water in the Paper Mario series as well. A Blooper first became playable in Mario Party 8, where it was an unlockable. Super Mario Bros. Piranha Plant Piranha Plants are a type of flora that dwell within warp pipes. When they come out, they will bite anyone who steps on them. However, if someone is right beside a their pipe, they will not come out, making the pipe safe to stand on. Piranha Plants can only be damaged by attacking them with fireballs, or other projectiles. Despite the fact that they live in pipes, they do not clog the pipes; as such, the pipes are still able to be used as a form of transportation. There are many types of Piranha Plant. Some, like the Venus Fire Trap, can emit fireballs from its mouth as an additional way to attack. There are also Ptooies, which blow on a heavy ball; should this ball be touched, the player will be damaged. Piranha Plants do not have eyes, so it is unknown how they see their prey, or if it is a heightened sense — such as smell — that allows them to locate their prey. Super Mario Bros. Chain Chomp Chain Chomps are vicious, dog-like creatures that resemble a ball and chain. They are often staked to the ground so that they can only reach so far. Chain Chomps have long, sharp teeth that they bite their prey with; they also tend to ram their head into any being that approaches them. Chain Chomps have no feet or arms, so they must hop along by their head. They have extremely vicious personalities, and tend to attack anyone or anything that approaches them. They have also appeared in the Mario Party series, usually acting as the subject of a mini-game; even in these roles, they are feared by any around them, and generally try to attack the players in some manner. One variation of the Chain Chomp is the Fire Chomp, a free-roaming orb with the ability to spit fireballs. Super Mario Bros. 3 Bullet Bill Bullet Bills are the last type of enemy to be introduced in Super Mario Bros., appearing in World 5 of the game. Bullet Bills are a type of projectile that are shot out of blasters in order to attack the player. Once fired, Bullet Bills could only move in a perfectly horizontal line across the screen. They are impervious to fire, and can only be damaged by jumping on them. In Super Mario 64, Bullet Bills were much larger in size, and were given the ability to make turns after being shot. Bullet Bills have many varieties, including the large Banzai Bill — which act identically to a Bullet Bill — the sea-bound Torpedo Ted — which are launched out underwater to attack — the Bombshell Bill, an extremely hard and powerful version of a Bullet Bill, and the King Bill, a variant even bigger than the Banzai Bill. Bullet Bills have never been playable in a game, (except Mario Party 8) and no confirmation has been made as to whether or not they will be. Super Mario Bros. Bob-omb First appearing in Super Mario Bros. 2, Bob-ombs are anthropomorphic bombs that commonly act as enemies. They are known for their short tempers, leading to their inevitable explosion. Bob-ombs have appeared in many games since their debut. In Super Mario 64, Bob-ombs once again appeared as enemies; here, they were seen in the first course of the game, Bob-omb Battlefield. Along with the black Bob-ombs that would attack the player, there were also Bob-omb Buddies, who are pink in color. They acted as allies that helped Mario somewhat, by letting him use their cannons to rove around the course. Among the notable Bob-omb characters that have appeared in the Mario series are Big Bob-omb, (who acted as the first boss in Super Mario 64 and its DS counterpart), Bombette, (who appeared as one of Mario's partners in Paper Mario), and Admiral Bobbery, (who appeared as one of Mario's partners in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door). Super Mario Bros. 2, (Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic) Thwomp Thwomps are rock creatures found mostly in the Mushroom Kingdom. They are usually rectangular in shape and covered in spikes, and made their first appearance in the game Super Mario Bros. 3. They typically attempt to flatten or squash whoever passes below them using their own weight. Sometimes, they will be moving side-to-side. They are resistant to most attacks, but are susceptible to hammers, tail whips from a raccoon suit, and Mario himself when he is powered -up with an Invincibility Star. A similar species known as Whomps also appear in numerous Mario games. Super Mario Bros. 3 Wiggler Wigglers are caterpillar-like creatures that appear as enemies in various Mario games. They first appeared in Super Mario World. When Mario, Luigi, or Yoshi would jump on a Wiggler, they would turn red in color and become very angry; during this state, they would run around at high speeds, damaging the player if he or she were to be touched by the Wiggler. Wigglers have appeared again in New Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Galaxy, where their role is almost the same. In Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Princess Peach, a Wiggler appeared as a boss in each game. Wigglers have also appeared as playable characters games such as Mario Power Tennis and Mario Super Sluggers. Super Mario World Monty Mole Monty Moles are surly moles that have appeared in several Mario games, including a few side-scrollers such as Super Mario World and New Super Mario Bros. Wii. They later reappeared in Super Mario 64, Paper Mario, and other recent titles. In these games, Monty Moles are generally cowards who throw rocks at Mario and then burrow underground before he can counter-attack. Super Mario World Pokey Pokeys are cactus enemies that are composed of three to five spherical body segments. To defeat a Pokey, typically each body section must be destroyed. Pokeys, like Shy Guys and Bob-ombs, originate from the non-Mario game Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic, which later became Super Mario Bros. 2. Super Mario Bros. 2, (Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic) Yoshi Yoshis, are dinosaur-like animals and Yoshi's species. They accompany Mario in many adventures. They use their tongues to eat food and enemies. Yoshis come in many colors such as green, blue, red, pink, orange, and yellow. After appearing in Super Mario World, they have appeared in some spin-off games such as the Mario Baseball series, they also make appearances in Mario Hoops 3-on-3 and Mario Sports Mix, which is their latest appearance. Super Mario World Toad Toads are the servants to Princess Peach and Toad's species. Whenever Peach gets kidnapped, Toads are usually the ones to tell Mario. Toads come in many different colors such as blue, yellow, green, and red. After appearing in Super Mario Bros.', they have made many appearances in spin-off games such as Mario Super Sluggers, Mario Sports Mix, and the Mario & Luigi series. They can also be seen in the crowd of many sports games, too. Some toads are apart of the Toad Brigade. Some include Banktoad and Mailtoad. Their latest appearance is in Mario Sports Mix where they are playable and in the crowd. Super Mario Bros. Luma Lumas, are the main species in Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2. They also make a cameo appearance in Mario Kart Wii. They are seen riding next to Rosalina. Lumas are also advisers to Rosalina. Lumas come in many different colors that include green, red, and blue. Lumas are also Luma and Lubba's species. Although Lumas are not playable in any game, they do make impacts on the games. Super Mario Galaxy Human Humans, are real-life people that appear in the Mario series. They are the first protagonists. The first humans to appear in the Mario series are Mario and Pauline, when they first appeared in Donkey Kong. Notable members include Mario, Luigi, Peach, Wario, and more. Humans appear in Mario sub-series such as the Mario Golf and Mario Tennis series. Humans have appeared in every Mario game, but their latest appearance is in Mario Sports Mix. Donkey Kong Kong Kongs were the first species to appear in the Mario series, as well as the first antagonists. They resemble gorillas and other apes. Kongs appear in the Donkey Kong series and in Mario sub-series. Notable members include Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, and Kiddy Kong. The Kongs appear in many games including Mario Super Sluggers, Donkey Kong 64, and in Mario Kart Wii. Their latest appearance is Mario Sports Mix. Donkey Kong Critical Reception Artwork depicting various games of the Mario series: Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros. 3, Dr. Mario and Super Mario World. The Mario series is the largest video game franchise in existence, and has had a lifespan of almost thirty years. It is often considered to be the greatest video game series of all time, receiving many high-scoring reviews on their various games. In the series, many games have been considered to be the best of their time by players. However, the series has been considered to have some games of lower quality. An example is the Mario Party sub-series; after the release of Mario Party 3, the series is considered to have lost its flair, as the games often contain the same mechanics. Super Mario Bros. was declared to be the greatest video game of all time twice: once by IGN in 2003, and the other time by GamesRadar in 2000. The Mario cartoons also were shown to have received good reviews. Though each of the series were short-lived, they were considered to be highly popular, attracting an audience of children to each episode. Even with the success of the games and cartoons in the series, there was still a large production that attracted a lot of negative reviews. The Super Mario Bros. film is often considered to be a great failure. The film took over a $20 million gross loss in profits. Bob Hoskins, who played the role of Mario in the film, was recorded saying that the movie was a "nightmare". In the May 2006 issue of Nintendo Power, an interviewee from the magazine had said, "Yes, it happened. Let us speak no more of it." Cultural Impact The Mario series has been referenced many ways throughout the years. From animation to music, and from the internet to other video games, the Mario series has culturally impacted many people. In animation, Mario characters and elements have appeared in such shows as The Simpsons, The Ren and Stimpy Show, and The Fairly OddParents. In films, the Mario series has been referenced in such titles as Billy Madison and Ghostbusters II. Not many references have been made to the Mario series in music, but some songs have been dedicated to the popular series, such as the song "Birdo" as performed by Horse the Band. The Mario series is highly popular on the internet. Many websites have dedicated themselves to the series in some way, while others poke fun at the series. On Youtube, there are thousands of videos poking fun at one of the greatest blunders of the Mario series, Hotel Mario. The popular website, Newgrounds, has many fan-made games, like the popular Super Mario Bros. Z, that are Mario-themed in some way. Many comics and books have also referenced the Mario series, or are completely centered around them. In television, the Mario series has been referenced in such shows as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and My Name is Earl. The Mario series has been referenced more times in video games than in any other form of publication. Many games created by Nintendo, such as Animal Crossing make very notable references to the Mario series. Even games on non-Nintendo consoles, such as Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, have referenced the Mario series in some way. The Mario series has also been referenced in commercials as well as other theatrical productions. External Links The History of Mario Bros References