MarioWiki:Chronology

Here is a new policy I would like to put into action. If you have any questions or comments, please use the talk page. Do not change this page, at least, not yet. I think this new policy could effectively frame how we should write about Mario’s fictional universe (with some freedom, of course).

Although each game in the Mario series and various sub-series has its own unique adventure and story, the Super Mario Wiki believes a greater story is being told by Nintendo. The various games have weaved an intricate and complex web of stories to form one great fictional history.

Creating a Chronology – Use the Original Release Date

Newer games constantly make references to the old, reinforcing the point that the stories told in these games are making up an entire history, and the games are not isolated events. Therefore, when one is attempting to write the history of a character, species, or place, one can basically place the fictional historical events depicted in the game in order of the game’s original release date, regardless of region. However, not every game needs to be listed in a history or biography. Some games, such as Mario Party games, Mario sports games, Game & Watch Gallery games, Super Smash Bros. games, Japanese-only games (it is unknown how the rest of the world is supposed to interpret the events of these games, as official localization has not been done), and unlicensed Mario games may seem trivial compared to the rest of the character’s biography (“Mario defeated the evil King Bowser, then played a round of golf with him during his next adventure”). Games as just described can be placed in an “Other Events” or “Minor Events” section below the main “History” or “Biography” section. That way, we can keep major events in the main body of the article, while minor events, which are still canonical but not important historically, can be noted without interrupting the flow of the article. Sometimes characters have minor appearances, such as cameos or hosting a mini-game apart from the game’s main storyline. Once again, the events depicted are canonical, but should probably be placed in a “Minor Appearances” section as opposed to an “Other Events” or main “Biography” section. Cameo appearances in other Nintendo franchises and video games should simply be listed as cameos in a “Cameos” section.

What’s the Deal with Remakes? – Both are True and Occur at the Same Time

Often a remake has update graphics and minor changes and additions, which makes our lives a lot easier. But sometimes remakes have major changes, even an overhaul to the whole storyline. We appear to have two conflicting histories. Some are easy to reconcile – Donkey Kong ’94 for the Game Boy is simply expanding the story of the original Donkey Kong for the arcade. However, games like Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS (which is an enhanced remake) are difficult to reconcile. These two games should be noted as retellings of the same event. They should be placed in the same time frame as the original event in the fictional history, but be stated as differing accounts. For example, one may write that “Yoshi appeared in Super Mario 64, rewarding Mario after the plumber defeated Bowser. Alternatively, in Super Mario 64 DS, the games’s remake, Mario was captured by Bowser, and Yoshi was forced to save the plumber.” Both accounts are canonical – the remake takes place in the same order of events in the greater history as the original story. The remake is simply an alternative version of the original events depicted, and both should be mentioned with equal importance.

Explicit Prequels and Direct Sequels - Ignore the Rules of Release Date

However, not all games make sense if they are placed in order of release date. If a game explicitly occurs earlier or later in the timeline, it should be placed there. For example, while Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island was released after Super Mario World and is the game’s sequel, Super Mario World 2 takes place when Mario is a baby, not a grown man like in Super Mario World. Therefore, Super Mario World 2 would come before any game that features Mario as a man (effectively making SMW2 the first game in the chronology). However, the rules once again switch to default game release order even during the games that depict early events. For example, SMW2 would be followed by Yoshi’s Story and then Yoshi’s Island DS. Both are sequels to SMW2, but Yoshi’s Island DS does not state it takes place directly after Super World 2, and thus we revert to the order of release, and Yoshi’s Story was released before Yoshi’s Island DS. Remember, this can also work the other way. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins was released many many years after Super Mario Land, and many Mario games were released during this time. However, the story of the game is explicitly stated to take place directly after Super Mario Land, as Mario returns from his adventure to find his castle taken over by Wario. Remember, this does not mean all sequels take place directly after the original game. For example, Super Mario Bros. 2 can take place any amount of time after Super Mario Bros., as the game does not state that immediately after Mario saved Peach, he fell asleep and had a dream about Subcon. Any games released between SMB and SMB2 would occur in the timeline in the order of their release. Just as in SMW2 and Yoshi’s Island DS, any games that take place in the same era as SMW2 but were released before would take place before Yoshi’s Island DS. Although the games states it takes place after SMW2, that does not mean it takes place directly after. Of course this is all very tricky. Not everything can be placed easily. For example, Yoshi Touch & Go appears to be a retelling of the original Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, and should be noted as such.

Okay, that was confusing. Simply put, here’s how these games should be listed in a history:

• Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island (occurs when Mario is still a baby; the remake is Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3, which should also be noted in case of changes or conflict between the two)
• Yoshi Touch & Go (a retelling of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, so it occurs at the same time as Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island)
• Yoshi’s Story (the sequel to SMW2, Baby Bowser makes reference to Baby Mario, thus placing the game after SMW2; however, it was released before Yoshi’s Island DS, so it occurs before that game – this does not mess up any continuity)
• Yoshi’s Island DS (another sequel to SMW2, it is not a direct sequel as it does not take place immediately after Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, some time has passed)
• Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time (Mario is a toddler is “Past” timeline)
• Donkey Kong
• Donkey Kong Jr.
• (etc. etc.)
• Super Mario Land
• Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (although released much later, SML2 is the direct sequel to Super Mario Land, as stated by the story)
• Dr. Mario (normal rules of release date now apply)
• Super Mario World
• (etc., etc.)

The Yoshi games about the past and the Super Mario Land games are the only games we know that must be placed in the chronology without using the original release date rule. Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time also breaks this rule, as some events occur in the past, while others in the present (the present events follow the release date rule). Every other game in the series should be placed in release date order, as none explicitly state they occur immediately before or after another game. Note that Luigi’s Mansion is not the last game in the series, as references are made to this game in later released games (such as the updated Poltergust models).

Questionable Canonicity - Use Discretion

Games of questionable canonicity in Mario’s world, such as Super Smash Bros. or unlicensed Mario games, should be treated with discretion and most likely be placed in an “Other Events” section. As these games are not regulated by the same rules as other Mario games, they should not be considered the definitive account of a character’s history.

Breaking the Fourth Wall – A Fictional Universe in a Real Video Game

Remember, characters at times seem aware that they are in a video game, as well as being a part of a fictional universe. As such, one can freely alternate between writing about fictional stories and game elements. For example, we write phrases like “Mario saved the Mushroom Kingdom during the events of the game Super Mario Bros., the player had to press the A and B buttons at the same time to increase Luigi’s attack power, etc.” In these sentences, we have combined fictional stories with gaming reality. This should not be seen as an error, as sometimes we can only make the fictional clear by stating the game an event happened in, or what the player must do to perform an action if it isn’t already obvious. Note that characters in video games do the same, and as such we can do the same as well.

Final Notes

Remember, the Super Mario Wiki is not an official source of information, but instead tries to translate as much official information into accurate articles on the various subjects of Mario’s world. Nintendo is the only official source for anything related to Mario. We are just doing our best to weave the packets of information they send into a complete fictional universe.