Fourth wall
Sometimes, characters in the Mario series will state something that implies that they are aware of being fictional characters in a video game; this is known as breaking the Fourth Wall. The reason it is called a "fourth wall" is that the term originated from plays in theaters, when actors would look at the audience, talk to them, or do anything else that involved the audience. Because the stage would generally have a wall at the back and both sides, this concept involves the actors becoming involved with the audience who are at the front, which can be considered an invisible wall, making it the fourth one. The Fourth Wall is often broken in the Paper Mario series, for comic relief.
Note: Video games frequently break the Fourth Wall in order to address the player with directions (ie, "Press A to jump"). These instances are not to be recorded here, unless a character is aware of the fact that they are in a video game due to the remark.
In Video Games
Many Fourth Wall breaks happen in these video games.
Donkey Kong Country series and Donkey Kong 64
Throughout these many games, Cranky Kong constantly makes remarks about how the games of yesteryear are superior to modern games, and often whines about how the game that he's in is too easy for someone like him to complete. More of Cranky's Fourth Wall-breaking comments can be found in the instruction booklets for these games.
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
If the Kongs manage to find Krematoa on their own, Blunder will ask if they used the Player's Guide to find it, and confesses that he did so himself.
Hotel Mario
During the intro of the game, Luigi points to the screen and says "And you gotta help us!". In turn, Mario says "If you need instuctions on how to get through the Hotels check out the enclosed instruction book." Throughout the many other cutscenes of the game, Mario and Luigi will continue to speak with the player. Also, at the end of the game, the Mario Bros. and Princess Peach wave to the player and congratulate him/her for the completion of the game and Peach even thanks the player for helping them.
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
When Daisy gets a double bogey or worse, she will shout "OH! No, no, no, no, no, no, no!! You klutz!" Apparently, it means she is shouting at the player for causing her to get a lousy shot. It may also be, though, that she is shouting this to herself.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
When Bowser's Aerial Castle plunges into the ocean, Bowser hits the screen, cracking it.
In Mushroom Plaza, when Mario talks to the Toad by the fountain he will ask Mario if he wants to hear about Action Commands. If Mario says no every time the Toad will say "Action Commands are... Well look in the instruction booklet!"
Mario Party series
The various hosts of these games will usually greet players upon arriving at the main menu, and guide them through the sub-menu screens, asking them questions as to where they want to go, and which characters they'd like to play as.
Mario Party Advance
After a round of Bowser Land, Bowser looks at the player, saying, "That was fun! Come again soon!".
Mario vs. Donkey Kong
At the end of Credits 1 and Credits 2, Mario will say "Thanks very much for-to playing my game!", a line similar to the one at the end of Super Mario 64. Also, Mario makes several remarks at the credits in Credits 2 as they pop up (such as "Oh, the engineering! Mamamia!" and "Ooh, don't forget to thank Mr. Miyamoto."). Also, Mario breaks the 4th wall in every level (bar the Mini-Mario and boss levels) by smashing the Mini-Mario crystal ball against the screen to break it.
New Super Mario Bros.
After the end credits, the Touch Screen shows Bowser Jr. dragging his unconscious father back to their home. Bowser Jr. looks to the camera and threateningly roars at the player. He then continues dragging Bowser.
Paper Mario
If Goombario uses Tattle on a Goomba, the tattle mentions that they have been around since Super Mario Bros.
While Mario is fighting Bowser???, the Koopa Bros. try to lower his confidence by stating several phrases that lead the plumber to believe that this phony Bowser is invincible, as the real Bowser is; one of the phrases is "The sequel should be called Paper Bowser!"
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
After Mario defeats Gus, he will shout, "CRUD! You dumb video-game heroes always do this!" referring to the player.
While describing how the Happy Lucky Lottery works, Lucky will explain that the daily number changes every day in real-time, and that he uses the Nintendo GameCube's clock as a referrence. If the player sets the GameCube's date back in an attempt to cheat the system, Lucky will penalize them.
When Goombella tattles on Stewart in Glitzville, she will tell Mario that they've been a part of the Mario franchise for a while. In fact, Goombella even says, "Oh, gosh. I just broke through the fourth wall there, didn't I? Sorry. Just forget it."
The same occurs when she tattles on the gatekeeper of Twilight Town, in which she says that the game would be too easy without him. Rather than directly referring to breaking the fourth wall, she only says, "Hee hee... Let's never speak of it again."
In Chapter Four, After Mario has been transformed into a shadow, if he walks into Mayor Dour's house, he will find Doopliss (in Mario's body) with his four current partners. If Mario talks to them, they will say that Mario has become much more chatty lately, a reference to his being a silent protagonist.
Just before Mario begins Chapter 5, Professor Frankly is about to tell them very important and long information concerning the Thousand-Year Door. He asks if they're ready to hear it, and then says, "And you there! In front of the TV! You listen up, too!". Mario's current partner out will question Professor Frankly (for example, Yoshi says to him, "Did someone pile-drive your head, or what? I don't see any TV here, nutjob!". Vivian remarks, "What to say... ARE YOU TALKING TO NO ONE?!?" Goombella even says, "Yeesh. First me, then you! Why do we always have to break through the fourth wall?") Frankly tells them to disregard it as he continues. Later during the chapter, Lord Crump (under his alias, "Four Eyes") tells the player that they'd better not tell Mario who he really is, though it is impossible to even use Mario to attack him until the end of the chapter.
A Toad in Petalburg consistently breaks the fourth wall throughout the game. He states that he is a fan of Luigi and says he wants a game called "Paper Luigi". Later, he mentions that he is actually playing the game Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and ends up beating it before the player does.
Super Mario 64/DS
At the game's title's screen, Mario's will speak to the player with lines such as "It's-a-me, Mario! Hello!" and "Press Start to play!". At the ending sequence, Mario (or Yoshi in the remake) points his face to the player.
In the two versions, after Bowser is defeated in Bowser in the Sky, he will exclaim, "C'mon, troops! Let's watch the ending together! Gwa ha ha!" Additionally, if Mario retrieves all 120 Power Stars and then defeats Bowser, Bowser will say, "Just you wait until next time. Until then, keep that Control Stick smokin'! Bwaa ha ha!"
After the end credits in both versions, Mario is heard saying, "Thanks so much for-to playing my game."
Exclusively in the DS version, when the player first faces Bowser in Bowser in the Dark World, he will scoff at the player, claiming Mario will never swing him around by drawing circles on the touch screen.
Additionally, throughout the game the camera is held up by a lakitu. when you enter the mirrored room in the castle, you can see lakitu moving around according to how you move your vision.
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
If the player dies in World 9, the Game Over screen, under "Game Over", will read "You are a super player! We hope we'll see you again. Mario & Staff". This also happens in the ending scene where Princess Toadstool would say, "Thank you, Mario! Your quest is over." in the original Super Mario Bros. ending scene in the Game Boy Color remake of both games.
Super Mario Galaxy
Much like the ending to Super Mario 64, after the credits roll, Mario or Luigi will say "Thank you so much for playing my game". When 120 Power Stars are collected, after Mario or Luigi thanked the player, Rosalina will also thank the player and she will watch you from beyond the stars.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
During the ending sequence, there is a scene where Mario, Princess Toadstool, Yoshi, Toad and the Chancellor wave at the player, with the words "THANK YOU" displayed at the top of the screen. The scene ends with the camera irising-in on Mario, who in turn winks at the player.
Super Mario Sunshine
After Mario defeats Bowser and Bowser Jr., if he talks to a certain yellow Pianta in Delfino Plaza, he will ponder whether the game is over, and tells Mario his hopes of something else happening.
Super Mario World
Nintendo breaks the Fourth Wall in Funky; A long row of Coins spell out "YOU ARE A SUPER PLAYER!"
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Before enlarging Tap-Tap the Red Nose, Kamek will end his speech with the line "Your game ends HERE!!".
Super Paper Mario
When encountered, Thoreau says: "What's this (1), you say? You need not worry. The great being that watches us will know what it is." The "(1)" stands for the 1 button on the Wii Remote and the "great being that watches us" is the player. He says that the player knows what it is (the Wii Remote thus). Also, the owner of the bar in Flipside tells the player how to use the Wii Remote to perform stylish moves.
In the game, death is actually referred to as "Game Over". Several characters, the first one being Bestovius, refer to a certain button when explaining how to perform a move. When Mario asks what they mean by pressing that certain button, the character assures them not to worry, and that the great being that watches them (the player) will know what it means.
More specifically, Bowser shouts to Mario, "No more sequels!" and that he will finish him off. Lastly, during Chapter 3, the last option for Princess Peach to choose on the Swoon.exe will result in her to outburst in anger and demand to know who is picking these answers for her.
After being defeated, Invisible Brock of the Sammer Guys states that no one would be able to find him without using a guide.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
When Mr. Resetti is released from an Assist Trophy, he may tell the players to stop resetting, as in the Animal Crossing games, he considers it to be a form of cheating. While not a direct form of breaking the Fourth Wall, Mr. Resetti's speech bubble also blocks part of the screen.
When using Solid Snake's codec on Sonic the Hedgehog on Shadow Moses Island, Otacon says that people are excited that he is in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
When using Solid Snake's codec on Mario on Shadow Moses Island, Colonel says that Mario made his first appearance in 1981.
When using Solid Snake's codec on Jigglypuff on Shadow Moses Island, Colonel says that it takes all kinds of energy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
There is a scene in the Subspace Emissary mode where Snake reveals himself after being hidden in his cardboard box for a long time. While facing towards the screen, he says "Kept you waiting, huh?" There are no other characters in his vicinity during the scene, so he must have been talking to the player, in reference to the fact that a brief scene of him hidden in the carboard box was shown much earlier in the Subspace Emissary storyline.
Yoshi's Story
Nintendo also broke the Fourth Wall in Yoshi's Story. Each time the player eats a Heart after playing a level's mini-game, a row of Coins forming a letter will appear. If the player puts all the letters from each level in order, it reveals the message "YOU ARE YOSHIS BEST PARTNER!"
Television Series
Before many of the games listed above came out, the Fourth Wall was broken in several of the cartoon episodes.
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
At the start of the opening sequence, Mario shouts out to the audience "Hey, paisanos! It's The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!". In the live-action segments that aired from Monday through Thursday, Mario, Luigi, and/or the guest star will tell the audience to watch a preview of Friday's The Legend of Zelda episode. At the end of every episode, Mario, Luigi, and sometimes the guest star will say to the audience "Til next time, everyone... Do the Mario!"
Pirates of Koopa
After Blackbeard Koopa kidnaps Princess Toadstool, he asks "Would Blackbeard Koopa lie?" and winks to the viewers.
The Provolone Ranger
At the end of the episode, Mario, upon hearing the mention of dinner, comes running up to Pronto and an old man at a very high speed. After making his entrance, Mario then says to the viewers "And you thought Pronto was fast!".
Two Bums from Brooklyn
After Luigi correctly guesses that Mario had been speaking to Tommy Lasagna on the phone, Mario turns to the viewers and gripes "But how does he always know?".
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
Do the Koopa
When Mario and the gang see the large fire pit they must cross, Luigi takes note of the Dark Land music in the background and nervously shouts "Stop the music!", to which it does. Luigi tells Mario that they can't cross that pit, but Toad sees some ? Blocks that can help them. Mario calls out for the music to start up, and new, more epic background music plays.
Recycled Koopa
At the end of the episode, the Statue of Liberty comes to life to tell the audience "Those Mario Bros. are super!"
True Colors
At the end of the episode, Luigi asks if people in the Real World will ever accept others regardless of their color, to which Mario, while facing the camera, responds "Yeah, when humans get as smart as Mushrooms."
Up, Up, and a Koopa
Right before the commercial break, Mario tells Bowser that he'll never get away with his latest scheme, only for Bowser to turn to the audience and say "I know I've said this a zillion times before, but at last, this time for sure, her (Princess Toadstool's) people will rise up, and her kingdom will be mine!".
Later on in the episode, when Princess Toadstool and Toad are flying with P-Wings, Princess Toadstool says to Toad when he complains about his appearance "It's not like you're on television with millions of people watching you!".
Super Mario World
Send in the Clown
When Bowser is luring the cavepeople of Dome City to his Koopaling Bros. Circus, he says to the audience "This is easier than talking Kootie Pie into a shopping spree!".
Donkey Kong Country
Ape-Nesia
Shortly after Donkey Kong loses his memory, Diddy rushes off to find Cranky, telling DK that he's got problems. DK responds by looking at the camera and saying "I'd say he's the one with the problems."
Miscellaneous
Throughout the three DiC cartoons, commercial bumpers for the shows were announced to the audience by various characters at the start and end of the commercial breaks (i.e. "Be right back, paisanos!", "And now back to The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!"). These commercial bumpers can be viewed on the DVD sets of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, but were not included on The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 DVD set. Additionally, the first three weeks of episodes for The Super Mario Bros. Super Show all contained unique bumpers featuring scenes and voice overs related to the episode's live-action segment. All of the later episodes used a few generic bumpers that were announced by Mario, and showcased a still shot from the opening sequence.
When The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 aired on NBC during its original run, a character from each of the two upcoming episodes, as well as a character from Captain N: The Game Master, which aired between the two episodes, would all narrarate a preview of the upcoming episodes before the show started. This trend continued with Super Mario World. These previews were not included on the DVDs due to the fact that they are considered the property of NBC.
