Earth
- "Real World" redirects here. For the general locale from Mario & Luigi: Dream Team sometimes colloquially referred to as the "real world", see Pi'illo Island.
| Earth | |
|---|---|
 Earth as it appears in Mario is Missing! (SNES) | |
| First appearance | Donkey Kong (1981) (real world) Super Mario Bros. (1985) (counterpart) |
| Latest appearance | Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass (2023) (real world) Princess Peach: Showtime! (2024) (counterpart) |
| Greater location | Solar System |
| Inhabitants | Humans, Goombas, Toads, Koopas, Yoshis |
Earth is a planet that features a wide variety of people, cultures, and ecosystems. While the Earth that appears in the Super Mario franchise has some features derived from the nonfictional entity, fictional alterations to the planet have been applied in the series. Shigeru Miyamoto stated that the backstory of Super Mario Bros. has Mario arrive in the Mushroom Kingdom through one of the Warp Pipes from Mario Bros. in New York City on Earth.[1] The Super Mario Bros. Movie also represents this connection. In the cartoons, there also were two versions of the Earth which were the "Real World" and a parallel one that featured the Mushroom Kingdom. Later games have incorporated places from the real world merged into the world of the Mushroom Kingdom.
History
Real world
Super Mario series
Earth first appears in Donkey Kong with Shigeru Miyamoto stating that "Donkey Kong is set in New York".[1]
Miyamoto further states that its sequel, Mario Bros., is also set in New York City, this time its sewer system.[1] He also states that the Mario Bros. are "Italians" in New York.[2]
DIC cartoons
According to The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'s introduction and The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 episode "Toddler Terrors of Time Travel", Mario and Luigi happened upon a Warp Zone to the Mushroom Kingdom while performing a plumbing house call and were sucked down into the Mushroom Kingdom. This second explanation was later modified through the power of Kooky von Koopa's Time Travel Tube, but no major changes were made to the history of the "Real World".
In The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, Mario and Luigi live in the Real World and run a moderately successful plumbing business called Mario Brothers Plumbing in their hometown of Brooklyn. Many of the brothers' relatives live on the planet as well, including Mama Mario and Papa Mario; the show's live-action segments take place in Brooklyn, and Australia is mentioned during an encounter with Alligator Dundee. In the animated segments, Mario and Luigi often try to find their way back to Brooklyn, usually via a Warp Pipe; however, towards the end of the series, they decide to stay so that they can protect Princess Toadstool and the Mushroom Kingdom.
In The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, many episodes feature characters using Warp Pipes to travel back and forth between the Real World and the Mushroom Kingdom. In the episode "7 Continents for 7 Koopas", King Koopa assigns each of his seven Koopalings to take over one of the Real World's continents:
- Bully – Asia
- Cheatsy – Australia
- Kootie Pie – Europe
- Kooky – Africa
- Big Mouth – Antarctica
- Hip – North America
- Hop – South America
King Koopa is seen in the Real World in a flashback sequence in the Super Mario World episode "Rock TV".
Mario is Missing! / Mario & Sonic series
Lands of Earth
Earth is organized into seven continents whose borders are based on geographical features rather than political boundaries. Continents are not necessarily separated by water. With the exception of Antarctica, each continent is further subdivided into countries, political bodies ruled by a government. Several countries are in more than one continent. The subdivisions of countries vary, but every country has population centers such as towns or cities.
Africa
Africa is home to both sandy deserts and lush rainforests. Luigi visits one of its countries, Egypt, in Mario is Missing!; specifically, he visits the city of Cairo.
Antarctica
Antarctica is a large icy desert continent located at the southernmost point of the planet, mostly populated by penguins. In Mario is Missing!, Bowser attempts to melt Antarctica in a plot to flood Earth, thus setting the game's plot into motion.
Asia
The largest continent, Asia, includes Japan, China and India. The Great Wall of China is one of the continent's most famous landmarks, visited by Luigi in Mario is Missing!. He also visits the city of Mumbai—or Bombay as it was previously known—in India. China's national capital, Beijing, is the location of the 2008 Summer Olympics in which Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog, and others competed during the events of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. Tokyo is the location where the Mario & Sonic cast competes during the events of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Australia
Australia is the smallest continent on Earth; its largest country shares the same name, and is home to a very large variety of animal species, including kangaroos. It is often referred to as "down under", due to its location in the southern half of the planet.
Europe
Europe shares a landmass with Asia, separated from it by the Ural Mountains. Famous for its varied culture and large role in Earth's history, Europe is divided into countries such as France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Russia, and Italy. Famous cities include Venice, Paris and London, the latter of which is the main setting for Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, where the 2012 Summer Olympics took place. In addition, the Russian city of Sochi is the main setting for Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, where the 2014 Winter Olympics took place.
North America
North America is the location of the United States of America, Canada, and Mexico, among some other nations. The United States of America is home to many famous and influential cities and other locations, many of which were featured in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! and The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3. These include New York City and its borough Brooklyn (which is depicted as Mario and Luigi's hometown in certain media), Washington, D.C. (the nation's capital), Hawaii, and the Kennedy Space Center. The Canadian city Vancouver is the setting of both Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games.
South America
A largely tropical continent, South America is famous for the Amazon rainforest. Countries include Argentina, of which Buenos Aires is the capital and one of the locations in Mario is Missing!. One of the continent's main cities, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, also appears in Mario is Missing! and likewise serves as the main setting for Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, where the 2016 Summer Olympics took place.
Super Mario Bros. film
The Super Mario Bros. film features an introduction that outlines the rule and extinction of the dinosaurs on Earth. Dinosaurs were the dominant species on the planet and overall superior to the small mammals who also inhabited Earth, until one day a gigantic meteor struck the planet. This cataclysm not only killed off the dinosaur population on Earth, but also caused spatial and dimensional disturbances that created a parallel Earth that subsequently became the new domain of any surviving dinosaurs and other animals. This alternate, parallel dimension becomes known as Dinohattan, and allowed for most of its reptilian inhabitants to evolve into humanoid creatures, while some retain their reptilian form. However, some members, such as Yoshi, seemed to have retained their reptilian forms. Aside from one rundown city, Dinohattan, the parallel Earth is an arid wasteland, lacking various resources.
The first act of the film takes place in Brooklyn, New York on Earth, until Daisy is kidnapped by Iggy and Spike and brought to Dinohattan. It is established that a link between these two dimensions exists in the sewers of New York City. The plot of the film involves President Koopa trying to use Daisy's meteorite pendant, a remnant from the meteor that split the dimensions, to merge and combine them back together. At the film's climax, Lena uses the meteorite shard to temporarily successfully combine the two dimensions. After Koopa's defeat, Mario and Luigi successfully un-merge the dimensions back to their original state and return to their home in Brooklyn.
Mario Kart series
In Mario Kart Tour, most new courses are themed after cities and/or countries from Earth, featuring real-world landmarks, and many tours are aptly named after such locations. The planet, as well as the Andromeda Galaxy, can now be seen in the background of 3DS Rainbow Road.
Mushroom Kingdom counterpart
Another Earth[3] serves as the planet where the Mushroom Kingdom and other lands reside. Super Mario Galaxy features Mario traveling between the planet and others across space, while Super Mario Odyssey features him traveling between continents within the planet. In more recent games such as the Mario & Sonic series and the Booster Course Pass of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, locations from the real world Earth also exist on the planet, suggesting that the two worlds are merged in these instances.
Club Nintendo
During the events of the Club Nintendo magazine comic "Donkey Kong in: Banana Day 24", aliens erroneously took Earth for a giant coconut, and since they adored this kind of fruit, they took the planet with them, pulling it away from the sun. This resulted in a sudden drop of temperature all over the planet. When Donkey Kong and some of his friends talked to the aliens, they returned Earth back to its original position.
In "Die Jagd nach dem Nintendo 64: Krawall im All", from the same magazine, Mario and Luigi traveled through space in search for a new spaceship. They finally found it on Earth (which Luigi referred to as "Planet Terra").
Wario franchise
Wario refers to the area below the Awazon as "deep within the Earth" in the manual of Virtual Boy Wario Land. In the WarioWare series, Wario has a map of the Earth inside his house. Additionally, the Earth appears in the opening and closing cutscenes of WarioWare Gold. The Earth also appears in the microgame "Shave the World" from WarioWare: Twisted! and WarioWare Gold.
Mario Party series
Earth appears in the maps of the Astro Avenue and Rocket Road boards from Mario Party 6 and Mario Party: Island Tour, the former being the starting space, and the latter in the map's background. In Mario Party 7 and Mario Party 8 (in a minigame in the latter), the Earth can be seen. In Mario Party DS, there is a minigame where players run on a globe and shoot opponents.
Mario Kart series
Official artwork for Mario Kart DS depicts various characters racing and battling on the Earth's surface, visually representing the worldwide scope of the Nintendo DS' Wi-Fi capabilities.
In Mario Kart Wii, Earth is seen in the background of the Rainbow Road course, underneath the track. Players that fall off the course will fall towards the planet, appearing to start burning up in the atmosphere like a meteor before being saved by Lakitu. Earth also appears as a background for Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and the Mario Kart Channel. During matchmaking, the camera zooms in towards the surface to briefly highlight individual players, whose Miis stand over their console's selected region. Mario Kart 7 also features Earth in the background for online features, including its own Mario Kart Channel.
In Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Rainbow Road is again set above Earth, along with a Blooper spaceship and MKTV satellites floating in space. The planet can also be seen in the background of the Lunar Colony battle course in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. A globe of the Earth can be seen in the background of GBA Ribbon Road, due to it now taking place inside a child's bedroom. Earth also continues to be prominently featured as a visual for the online mode, and players in an online lobby gather atop its surface between matches.
The key art, loading screen (prior to version 2.0.0) and multiplayer menu for Mario Kart Tour features Earth, appearing more cartoonishly with flat colors and visible latitude/longitude lines. It also resembles the planet's appearance in Super Mario Odyssey, with some minor design differences.
Super Mario series
In Super Mario Galaxy, Earth is shown primarily in the opening and ending cutscenes, with Peach's Castle Gardens being the first setting that Mario traverses through. Earth is first shown from space when Bowser kidnaps Peach, removes her castle from its foundation, and carries them both into space. Earth is also the setting of Grand Finale Galaxy, due to it involving Mario returning to Peach's Castle Grounds in order to attend the uninterrupted Star Festival.
Earth returns in Super Mario Galaxy 2, where it is shown in the background of World 1 and the Grand World Map. The settings of subsequent worlds also resemble real places, such as the Solar System in World 2, the Orion Arm in World 3, the Milky Way galaxy in World 4, the Local Group in World 5, and a black hole/quasar in World 6. World S is exempt, due to it featuring a planet with star-shaped islands instead, as well as the backgrounds of the first two Bowser Jr. galaxies (Bowser Jr.'s Boom Bunker is the exception, due to it featuring a Sun in the background).
Earth also appears in the backgrounds of Worlds Star, Mushroom, and Flower in Super Mario 3D World, due to those worlds being set in space. Upon completing Super Galaxy in World Star, Rosalina will be unlocked as a playable character. Like Rosalina, both Lumas and Star Bits are also fittingly present.
Earth is featured primarily in the game Super Mario Odyssey, where Mario and Cappy must travel the world in a hat-shaped airship called the Odyssey in an attempt to both stop Bowser's wedding to Peach and to save Cappy's sister Tiara (who was also kidnapped by Bowser for the wedding). In Odyssey, Earth looks completely different than how it appears in real life, with the western hemisphere featuring a landmass resembling Pangaea and the eastern hemisphere featuring landmasses resembling Laurasia and Gondwanaland, as well as islands shaped like a top hat, a Triceratops head, a flower, and a mushroom. The game features various kingdoms serving as stand-ins for real countries and cities such as London, England; Mexico; Greece; possibly Germany, New York City, NY; Russia, the French Riviera; Italy; and Japan.
Earth also makes an appearance in the background of the Moon Kingdom, where it is seen rising from the horizon, while its southern hemisphere is seen during the escape sequence after the final boss fight, where Mario (controlling a captured Bowser), Cappy and Peach must try to find a giant spark pylon in order to escape the collapsing Wedding Hall. Additionally, the Odyssey features a globe that allows Mario to travel to a different kingdom by throwing Cappy at it.
Earth appears in the background of the box arts for Super Mario World (Japanese version) and Super Mario 64. Its atmosphere can also be seen in the background during the battle against Raphael the Raven in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island.
Mario Tennis Open
Earth can be seen in the background of Galaxy Arena in Mario Tennis Open.
Mario Golf: World Tour
In Mario Golf: World Tour, the Earth can be seen in Diddy Kong's eagle, albatross, and hole-in-one animations when he soars so high on his Barrel Jet out of joy that he ends up in Earth's atmosphere next to space, leaving him staring at the camera comically confused.
Super Paper Mario
In Super Paper Mario, on Chapter 7-3 if either Mario or company jumps on Cyrrus, they will be sent into orbit and back down to Earth, which is seen in the background.
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
In Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, Earth can be seen in the background during Asteroid Belt and the fight with Sumo Kong.
Gallery
Earth seen from 3DS Rainbow Road in Mario Kart Tour
Closer look of Earth in 3DS Rainbow Road
Earth seen in Diddy Kong's Albatross animation in Mario Golf: World Tour
Names in other languages
Earth
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 地球[?] Chikyū |
Earth | |
| Chinese | 地球[?] Dìqiú |
Earth | |
| Dutch | Aarde[?] | Earth | |
| French | Terre[?] | Earth | |
| German | Erde[?] | Earth | |
| Italian | Terra[?] | Earth | |
| Korean | 지구[?] Jigu |
Earth | |
| Portuguese | Terra[?] | Earth | |
| Russian | Земля[?] Zemlya |
Earth | |
| Spanish | Tierra[?] | Earth |
Real world
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 現実の世界 Genjitsu no Sekai リアルワールド[?] Riaru wārudo |
Real world | |
| Dutch | Echte wereld[?] | Real world | |
| French | Monde réel[?] | Real world | |
| German | Realwelt[?] | Real world | |
| Italian | Mondo reale[?] | Real world | |
| Korean | 현실 세계[?] Hyunshil segye |
Real world | |
| Portuguese | Mundo real[?] | Real world | |
| Romanian | Lumea reală (The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3)[?] | Real world | |
| Russian | Реальный мир[?] Realny mir |
Real world | |
| Spanish | Mundo real[?] | Real world |
References
- ^ a b c インタビュー マリオ映画公開記念！宮本茂さんインタビュー 制作の始まりから驚きの設定まで (April 25, 2023). Nintendo Dream Web. Retrieved April 25, 2023
- ^ Q&A: 'Mario' creator Shigeru Miyamoto
- ^ "Perhaps the best way to say it is that the human characters you're encountering here and Mario also live on an Earth together" Kenta Motokura
