Game Over

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It has been requested that this article be rewritten to have excessive details removed for the following reason(s): Could be trimmed down to remove overly-descriptive info about each screen. See this TPP.

This article is about the term that refers to when a game ends. For the recurring theme that plays whenever the player gets a Game Over, see Game Over (theme).
Mario defeated.
LINE sticker portraying Mario's defeat with an emerging Boo Mario
“Peach... Noble princess, pure of heart... Do you take Bowser to be your lawfully wedded husband 'til your game be over?”
—Count Bleck, Super Paper Mario

"Game Over" is a message used in video games when the player has run out of lives or chances, or when players complete a game. However, nonstandard Game Overs are sometimes used to punish specific mistakes. The Game Over screen differs from game to game, but the text is usually set against a blank screen. After a Game Over, the player is typically given an option to restart the game from the last save point. However, many games from earlier hardware generations lack saving functionality, requiring the games to be restarted from the beginning.

In the Super Mario franchise, the "Game Over" message has seen several variations, and it has even been used in-universe as a euphemism for death.

Super Mario Odyssey and the Bowser's Fury campaign of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury are the only games in the Super Mario series thus far not to include a Game Over, as there are no lives or 1-Up Mushrooms in the games, with typical life-loss being replaced by a 10- and 50-coin deduction, respectively.

History[edit]

Super Mario series[edit]

Super Mario Bros.[edit]

In Super Mario Bros., when the player runs out of lives, the level turns into a black background with the words "GAME OVER" (as well as the name of the character who received the Game Over in multiplayer mode, either Mario or Luigi), while the HUD is still present; after the Game Over, the player is sent back to the title screen, where they have to start over from the beginning at World 1-1. If Mario or Luigi times out on his last life, "TIME UP" appears first while the Game Over music plays; the player can try again from the beginning of the world they lost in at the title screen by holding down A Button and then pressing Start Button.

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels[edit]

In Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, the Game Over screen has "GAME OVER," as well as the choices "CONTINUE" and "RETRY," which has the player either restart at the first level of the world they lost a life on or otherwise restart the game. If the player runs out of lives in World 9, the Game Over screen looks different. Instead of the usual choices "CONTINUE" and "RETRY," under the words that say "GAME OVER," there is a message that reads: "YOU'RE A SUPER PLAYER! WE HOPE WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN. MARIO AND STAFF."

Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]

In Super Mario Bros. 2, the Game Over screen just depicts the words "GAME OVER" in a black background. After the Game Over music has played, the text changes into two choices, reading "CONTINUE" and "RETRY." If the player chooses "CONTINUE," the game will resume from the beginning of the world, but if the player chooses "RETRY," the game will return to the title screen. Also, the player can use only two continues (this is depicted by the number of continues remaining on the Continue screen); the third Game Over shows only "RETRY" on the screen after the Game Over music has played. In all later versions, the player has an unlimited number of continues; also, the player can save the game with two choices replacing "RETRY": "SAVE & CONTINUE" and "SAVE & QUIT."

Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]

In Super Mario Bros. 3, receiving a Game Over returns the player to the map, while a light-blue rectangle appears with the words "GAME OVER!" and a "dead" Mario or Luigi to the left of the two choices, "CONTINUE" and "END." If the player chooses to continue, Mario is sent back to the beginning of the world, and all cleared levels, Toad Houses, and Spade Panels are reset to as if they were incomplete, though fortresses, Enemy Courses, and locked doors remain completed/unlocked; the player's life counter resets to four lives, the player's score resets to zero, and the player loses all of their end-of-level cards. Ending the game either sends the player back to the title screen in single-player mode or allows the other player to continue alone in multiplayer mode.

Super Mario Land series[edit]

In Super Mario Land, all enemies disappear and "GAME OVER" appears from the bottom of the screen. If the player earned 100,000 points or more upon receiving a Game Over, they can use a continue to restart from the level in which they obtained the Game Over. In Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, a Game Over sign appears at the top of the screen, and the player loses all the Golden Coins they earned in the game. After the player waits for two minutes, "Totaka's Song," a common Easter egg found in video games involving Kazumi Totaka, starts to play. In Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, the player loses one of their pieces of treasure, or half their cash if they do not have any treasure.

Super Mario World[edit]

In Super Mario World, the Game Over screen (also formatted as Game-Over screen)[1] has the words "GAME OVER" colored yellow appear from either side of the screen in front of a black background and join at the center. The player is then given a choice of either "CONTINUE" or "QUIT"; otherwise, the game goes back to the title screen.

Super Mario All-Stars[edit]

In Super Mario All-Stars, a Game Over means the player will restart from the world they lost in (however, in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, a Game Over means the player will restart only the level they were playing). Regardless of which game is being played, the player has unlimited continues and three choices: "CONTINUE," "SAVE & CONTINUE," and "SAVE & QUIT" (the only exception is when one player gets a Game Over in two-player mode, in which only two choices are present: "CONTINUE" and "QUIT," the latter choice dropping them out for the remainder of the session). In Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, a Game Over sign appears at the top of the screen (in two-player mode, the character who got the Game Over also appears). In Super Mario Bros. 2, a Game Over sign appears with Birdo in it, with the design similar to that of the title screen. This screen also appears for warping, but it instead says "WARP" and the world number that the player is going to. If played in Super Mario Bros. 3, the Game Over screen shows a blue rectangular box with a "dead" Mario or Luigi in between the "GAME OVER" words, rather than at the left like in the NES version.

Super Mario Advance series[edit]

The Super Mario Advance series basically shares the same screens as the original games (in the case of Super Mario Advance 2 and Super Mario Advance 3) and the Super Mario All-Stars games (in the case of Super Mario Advance and Super Mario Advance 4). However, the first game shows the player's world and score when they received the Game Over, and pressing A Button or Start Button gives them the same options as in the All-Stars version. Unlike the first game's NES version and SNES version, this game restarts on the level where the player got a Game Over. The second game does not return the player to the title screen in a Game Over, regardless if the player saves or not. The third game appears to function the same way as the original game. The fourth game displays a yellow "GAME OVER" with a "dead" Mario/Luigi sprite between the words on a black screen before the original screen appears on the map. However, as in the fourth game's NES version, only two choices are given: "CONTINUE" and "QUIT" (though the levels that were cleared are not set back to incomplete).

Super Mario 64[edit]

In Super Mario 64, when Mario gets a Game Over, the player returns to the Title Screen (with any unsaved progress lost), except the background is red and reads "Game Over." A piece of the "Super Mario 64 Main Theme" plays, slowly decreasing in pitch, and Mario's face looks worn out. The screen then reverts to the regular Title Screen with Mario smiling as the main-menu music plays and rises back to its normal pitch.

Super Mario Sunshine[edit]

In Super Mario Sunshine, the Game Over graphic follows the "TOO BAD!" sequence if Mario loses his last life with a small transitional animation, which is later recycled in Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 in a much faster manner (in translated versions, the "TOO BAD!" graphic says "ARRIVEDERCI," Italian for "goodbye"; in the Japanese and Korean version, however, it says "MISS!" instead); additionally, the music that plays combines the regular life-loss and Game Over themes from Super Mario Bros., transposed into A major with the former's first measure transitioning into the entire version of the latter. Mario also says something, such as "The horror!", "Arrivederci!", or simply "Mamma mia!" The Game Over graphic is red. Following the Game Over, the player is asked if they can either continue from the last save point or return to the title screen. Continuing results in Mario abruptly returning to Delfino Plaza with his life counter reset to three.

Super Mario 64 DS[edit]

In Super Mario 64 DS, Mario's face does not appear on the Game Over screen. Also, the background is a dark-gray gradient instead of red and without text reading "Game Over." Instead, the purple words "GAME OVER" slide into place from either side of the top screen, similarly to Super Mario World, though in the same font as the title uses.

In the Toad's Rec Room minigames, the Game Over screen appears with wiggling purple letters right after a game ends, except in games where a different scenario occurs.

New Super Mario Bros.[edit]

In New Super Mario Bros., the Game Over sign appears in pale blue and drops from the top of the screen, with the word "Over" appearing first. After the music has played, the player is given an option to continue or quit. This is the only game in the New Super Mario Bros. subseries that has a unique Game Over fanfare, as the other three games share the same fanfare.

Game Overs can also appear during minigames, like in Super Mario 64 DS. However, the characters are now lowercase. In the NTSC version, the text wiggles just as it did in all versions of Super Mario 64 DS.

Minigames that do not have the "Game Over" text:

Super Mario Galaxy / Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]

Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 share almost the same Game Over look with Super Mario Sunshine; if Mario/Luigi loses his last life, the Game Over graphic shows instead of the "TOO BAD!" sequence (or "MISS!" in the Japanese and Korean versions). There is an exception: If a player gets a Game Over because of losing to Cosmic Mario in the first game, the "YOU LOSE" sign appears as usual before the Game Over graphic appears. Notably, if a player gets a Game Over another way, such as losing to the penguins in the Sea Slide Galaxy or the Spooky Speedster in the Ghostly Galaxy or Boo's Boneyard Galaxy in the first game, or failing The Chimp's challenges he requested via mail in the second game, Mario does his normal death animation instead of the one exclusive to such deaths. The Game Over graphic is purple in Super Mario Galaxy and yellow in Super Mario Galaxy 2, and in the latter, the text is slightly bigger. During Green Star missions in Super Mario Galaxy 2, the background is green instead of black. Upon getting a Game Over in the first game, the player is asked to save before going back to the title screen, whereas in the second game, they return to Starship Mario.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]

In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the Game Over screen appears before the Continue screen, and the words "GAME OVER!" drop from below in a puff of smoke. In multiplayer, if some (but not all) players get a Game Over, no Game Overs appear; instead, the Continue screen appears after the player(s) return(s) to the world map but before they select a level. No matter who was being used, only Mario can be heard crying when a Game Over is received.[2] On the Continue screen, after their life counters are reset to five lives, Mario says, "Here we go again!"; Luigi says, "I'm-a back!"; Yellow Toad mimics a fanfare-like sound; and Blue Toad makes one of Jen Taylor's noises.

Super Mario 3D Land[edit]

In Super Mario 3D Land, there is a yellow background, and Mario or Luigi falls onto the ground, depressed, after which a red Game Over sign appears. If the player selects "Quit" on the Touch Screen, the game saves its progress and returns the player to the title screen, but if the player selects "Continue," Mario or Luigi happily runs away. After this, he goes to the Hint Room, with a special power-up and a Toad explaining a basic use of the power-up to Mario, but only in the normal worlds, excluding the second half of World 8.

New Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]

In New Super Mario Bros. 2, the Game Over screen is similar to the Game Over screen from New Super Mario Bros. Wii, except that the Game Over sign drops down one letter at a time, starting with G colored in red, and that there is a lack of the puff of smoke. Additionally, Mario does not cry when receiving a Game Over, and he and Luigi do not say anything when accepting to continue.

New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe[edit]

In New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U, and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, just like in previous games, the Game Over screen appears just before the Continue screen, except this time the words "GAME OVER!" appear in purple. In multiplayer, if some (but not all) players get a Game Over, no GAME OVER signs appear at all; instead, the Continue screen appears before returning to the world map, and any eliminated player has their life counter reset to five lives. A GAME OVER sign also appears if the player fails Boost Rush.

The Game Over animation is different in New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, appearing letter by letter. The Continue screen is also different: The continue count is white with a black outline instead of purple, purple smoke no longer appears every time the player continues, and some sound effects were changed.

Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[edit]

Super Mario 3D World and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury have the same Game Over screen and concept as Super Mario 3D Land, except it has a red background with a brown Game Over sign, and selecting "Continue" causes all Toad Houses and Lucky Houses to reopen. Like in previous games, when "Quit" is selected, the player is sent back to the title screen. In multiplayer, if a course is cleared when players are out on their last lives, no Game Overs happen; all players out are revived when returning to the world map, and the life counter increases by five for each eliminated player in the level. When getting a Game Over, Mario sighs and says, "Mamma mia..."; Luigi groans, "No, nooo! Oh..."; Rosalina moans, "Oh, no…"; and Peach and Toad cry in disappointment. When continuing after a Game Over, Mario says, "All right!"; Luigi says, "C'mon!"; Peach says, "It's on!"; and Rosalina says, "Never give up!"

Super Mario Maker[edit]

In Super Mario Maker, if the player loses all of their lives in either the 10 Mario Challenge or the 100 Mario Challenge, the Game Over screen appears, depicting a black screen with Mario's death sprite in the middle, which drops down from the top of the screen with the letters of the words "GAME OVER" also dropping into place above, written in purple. Both the music and Mario's sprite are taken from Super Mario Bros., regardless of what game theme the current level was using when the player lost their last life. The hidden minigame Gnat Attack also has its own Game Over screen if the player runs out of time; the HUD and all enemies disappear while the same letters of the words "GAME OVER" drop into place. The player is then given an option to retry or quit.

Super Mario Maker 2[edit]

In Super Mario Maker 2, if the player loses all their lives in the Endless Challenge mode or the World Maker mode, the Game Over screen appears. The Game Over screen is similar to its appearance in the previous game, though it lacks any sprites; the "Game Over" theme played matches that of the game style used by the last played stage. In Story Mode, if the player loses all their lives, a similar screen is depicted, saying "TOO BAD..." rather than "GAME OVER"; this is followed by Luigi offering assistance with three choices:

  • Give up: Mario returns to the hub world without receiving a payment, and the failed job is temporarily unavailable.
  • Try Again: The player is able to restart the level from the beginning.
  • Call Luigi: Luigi comes and finishes the job for the player after saying, "Oh, ya! Luigi time!" and running across the screen.

As Luigi is playable in the Endless Challenge mode, he cannot assist the player if they receive a Game Over in that mode.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder[edit]

In Super Mario Bros. Wonder, if the player loses their last life, text reading "Too bad!" appears ("Miss" in the Japanese and Korean version), Bowser's emblem closes out the screen while his laugh can be heard (with "Gwahahaha..." appearing onscreen), and the Game Over screen appears. The player loses 25% of their flower coins as a penalty (up to 50 flower coins) and is sent back to the world map. Prince Florian then gives the player five 1-Up Mushrooms.

Mario Kart series[edit]

In Super Mario Kart, if a player runs out of chances to retry the race, a white Game Over sign with a bubbly font bounces onto the screen and the screen darkens. One player can lose all chances and get a Game Over while the other continues with chances left. If no players can continue, the game returns to the title screen and the player must restart the cup from the beginning. If the player finishes a cup in fourth place or below, a "TRY AGAIN" screen appears that reads the following:

"[X]cc [name of cup] CUP RACE
[Character's name] CAME IN [X]TH PLACE.
TRY AGAIN."

Starting in Mario Kart 64, with the exception of Mario Kart: Super Circuit, there are unlimited chances, so Game Overs occur only if the player finishes a cup in fourth place or below in the Grand Prix mode (these Game Overs do not have the usual "Game Over" text), although in Mario Kart 64, the player must retry the race if the player finishes fifth or lower on a track. If the player loses all chances in Mario Kart: Super Circuit, the Game Over sign appears in blue text, while the same results screen music plays. Also, when playing in the 2 Player Grand Prix mode in Mario Kart: Super Circuit, neither player loses a chance if one player finishes fourth or higher. In Super Mario Kart, the text that displays when the player finishes in fifth place or below reads "RANKED OUT" in the same bubbly font as the Game Over sign, although it is red. From Mario Kart 64 onwards, the messages for placing fourth or lower in a cup are as follows:

Versus modes past Mario Kart DS can also yield a Game Over screen but with certain exceptions:

  • Mario Kart DS: "Defeat! Victory goes to [first-place player's name]." In the Team mode, the winning team is shown on the top screen. It says "Tie" if all players are placed first, or if both teams have the same score in the Team mode.
  • Mario Kart Wii: "The [color] team lost." In the British English version, it displays "The [color] team loses!" In case of a tie in a Team race, it says "Tie" in green ("Draw" in the British English version). In the case of finishing a friend GP, all results text (except the text relating to the player's team) shares the same color as when finishing a GP in the top three.
  • In the Team mode in Mario Kart 7, the "Nice Try!", "Too Bad!", or "Congratulations!" text changes color to the player's selected team.
  • In the Team mode in Mario Kart 8, it always shows "Congratulations!" regardless if the player is on the winning team or not, unless it ended in a draw.

In the Mario Kart Arcade GP subseries, the Game Over screen appears once the player chooses not to continue. Many international cabinets of Mario Kart Arcade GP DX do not have continues; at the end of these races, the Game Over screen appears. Timing out in a race may also result in a Game Over. This can also occur in a multiplayer race when 15 seconds pass after the first-place player finishes. If the player times out, "Time Up!" shows up, except in DX and VR, where it says "Time's Up" instead.[3]

Donkey Kong Country series[edit]

Donkey Kong Country[edit]

In Donkey Kong Country, the Game Over screen consists of Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong bandaged and beaten up in a black background with depressing music and a wooden text font, which is recycled from the title screen. This also carries over to its Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance versions, along with slight modifications each time. The Game Over screen in the Game Boy Color version plays a different music track—a slowed-down version of part of "DK Island Swing." The same screen in the GBA version had its dark background changed to a more colorful, aerial view of a jungle.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest[edit]

In Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, the Game Over screen consists of Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong appearing tied to each other in a black cell, with Diddy having a scared face looking out the window and Dixie having a depressed face looking away. The screen then turns to a red tint. The background image can also be seen in error and antipiracy screens in the game. The Game Over screen had been carried over to the game's GBA remake.

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble![edit]

In Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, the Game Over screen consists of an image of Dixie Kong and Kiddy Kong inside a crib within a dark room, with Kiddy having a sad face in closeup and Dixie having an irritated face lying behind. On the bottom of the picture, the phrase "GAME OVER" is shown, spelled in toy blocks; the blocks bounce along the notes of the Game Over jingle. After the jingle has ended, the player can press buttons to make music with the blocks. When the Start Button button is pressed or if the player does not touch any buttons for a few seconds, the screen goes black along with a door shut. As with Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, this Game Over screen is shown in antipiracy and error screens. The game's GBA remake reuses this Game Over screen, but the blocks have different colors and the music is changed to a music box rendition of "Theme" from Donkey Kong Country.

Donkey Kong Country Returns / Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D[edit]

In Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, the Game Over screen features the Kongs staying in a spotlight over a dark background; they look down, disappointed. The music that plays on the screen is an arrangement of the Game Over theme from Donkey Kong Country. Continuing the game makes the Kongs jump up in triumph, followed by returning to the world map, where four Red Balloons are then replenished. Quitting instead makes the Kongs upset and takes the player to the title screen. Selecting the save file the player previously got a Game Over on greets them with Cranky Kong via a message window, who offers the Kongs four Red Balloons as a "gift" for help.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze[edit]

Funky Kong restocks the player with several Red Balloons after a Game Over.
Reentering a save file after a Game Over in the Wii U version of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Funky Kong restocks the player with several Red Balloons after a Game Over in the Nintendo Switch version of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.
Nintendo Switch version

In Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and its Nintendo Switch port, the Game Over screen shows the Kongs trapped in a solid ice block, guarded by two Painguin Tucks. The Kongs look around fearfully while the two Painguin Tucks repress them with their spears. Choosing to continue the game makes the Kongs suddenly break out of the ice cube, scaring the Painguin Tucks away. A loading screen commences, leading to the world map, where the Kongs are replenished with four Red Balloons. However, if the player chooses to quit the game while on the Game Over screen, the Painguin Tucks will jump in the air, rejoicing, as the Kongs look down despondent. If the player selects the same save file afterwards, they will be greeted by Funky Kong via a message window, stating that he offers four Red Balloons "on the house" to help them continue their gameplay.

The presence of any of Donkey Kong's partners within the ice cube depends on who accompanied him while the player lost their last life during gameplay. On Hard Mode, only the Kong that was played as when the last life was lost appears inside the ice cube.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars[edit]

In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, a Game Over happens only during a battle when the party runs out of HP and is downed. The message "Game over...!" appears on the top of the screen with the music slowing down in speed and pitch. If a save is present, the game returns to the last location where the Save Block was used, retaining only the Experience Points obtained from previous battles for the party. Otherwise, the game goes to the file-selection screen. In the Nintendo Switch remake, the screen fades to black after a Game Over happens, with the exception of the player. Additionally, the text now reads, "Game over!" without the ellipsis, and a Toad provides a gameplay tip afterward.

There are some exceptions after the player gets a Game Over in battle, in which case the party is revived with one HP and can continue on the spot:

Mario Party series[edit]

In the Mario Party series, the first three games, Mario Party Advance, and the Nintendo 3DS installments (Mario Party: Island Tour, Mario Party: Star Rush, and Mario Party: The Top 100) make use of Game Overs. In Mario Party and Mario Party 2, getting a Game Over is possible only if the player runs out of lives in Mini-Game Island/Mini-Game Coaster, while in Advance, a Game Over occurs if the player runs out of mushrooms. The criteria for a Game Over in the 3DS games are as follows:

  • In Island Tour, when the player fails a minigame in Bowser's Tower, the player does a fourth-place animation under a golden yellow spotlight with a red Game Over sign. If the player chooses "Continue," they continue from the point where they failed the minigame. If the player chooses "Quit," they return to the selection screen.
  • In Star Rush, this occurs when the player fails Challenge Tower. The Game Over sign is in orange.
  • In The Top 100, this occurs when the player loses all their lives in the Minigame Island. The Game Over sign is in purple.

In Mario Party 3, one can get a Game Over in an Item minigame if either Baby Bowser or nothing is received. In the Japanese version of the game, however, "Miss!" is used instead. In Mario Party 9, while it does not feature a standard Game Over screen, a unique Game Over appears in the Solo mode. If Shy Guy or Kamek/Magikoopa wins, they take all of the Mini Stars, and the player's character does their fourth-place animation. After that, a selection screen appears with the choices "Restart Stage" and "Back to Main Menu."

Donkey Kong 64[edit]

In Donkey Kong 64, if the player chooses "Quit" in the pause menu, a brief cinematic appears, showing King K. Rool laughing maniacally before aiming the Blast-o-Matic at Donkey Kong Island. He then realizes he forgot to press the button to activate it, does so, and resumes laughing. The Blast-o-Matic then takes aim for Donkey Kong Island, charged up, with the text reading "GAME OVER" zooming in. This cinematic also shows up if the Kongs fail to shut down the machine's generator.

Paper Mario series[edit]

One of the alternate game overs in Paper Mario.
The Game Over screen for Paper Mario

Paper Mario[edit]

In Paper Mario, the Game Over screen depicts Mario lying defeated, covering his eyes with his cap, looking upwards exhausted, looking shocked, praying, or crouching while holding his cap under a spotlight with the orange words "GAME OVER" while the classic Game Over theme of the Super Mario franchise plays. The game then returns the player to the title screen upon receiving a Game Over.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[edit]

Screenshot of Gus threatening a Game Over, from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Gus in Rogueport threatening the player with a Game Over

In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Game Over screens appear very similar to the one in the previous game, with Mario still lying lifeless on the floor, albeit with different tints and the curtains closing and covering him, before coming back to the title screen. In addition, this is one of the first games of the Super Mario franchise to feature nonstandard Game Overs with five total, including:

In addition, the player can also get a Game Over by touching an overworld hazard with one HP, whereas in Paper Mario, Mario's HP will not go down if it is at one, meaning he could get a Game Over only during a battle.

In the Nintendo Switch remake, the player can choose to retry the scene, continue from their last save point, or return to the title screen.

Super Paper Mario[edit]

In Super Paper Mario, the music and the words remain, but the fallen Mario is not present, and the stage is absent too. The Game Over is also referenced throughout the game. This occurs once Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, or Bowser loses all HP (or five minutes pass in an enemy room in the Flipside Pit of 100 Trials or Flopside Pit of 100 Trials), and they do a death animation in the overworld. The game retains the nonstandard ways to get Game Overs, including:

  • Refusing to answer all three of Merlon's pleas for help at the beginning of the game before the player can even first take control of Mario (responding "Nah," "I don't wanna!", and "Still no.").
  • Declining Tippi's request to wear a helmet in Outer Space (responding "No" five times, then "Yes" three times).
  • Refusing Queen Jaydes' request to find Luvbi in The Underwhere (responding "No" four times).
  • Agreeing to team up with Dimentio in Castle Bleck (responding "Yes" four times).
"Game Over" as death[edit]

It has been requested that this article be rewritten and expanded to include more information. Reason: Which girl specifically theorizes about "white empty space", what's her name?

In Super Paper Mario, a Game Over is the equivalent of death, as extra lives make "death" a mild inconvenience.[4]

In that game, Dimentio sends Mario and his teammates to "the next world," albeit "while still very much alive,"[5] which is similar to the philosophy of the afterlife. Mario, Luigi, and Bowser end up in The Underwhere, which resembles hell, where some Shaydes ask Mario how his "game," referring to his life, was. Also, many Shaydes can be seen discussing how they got a Game Over. The Overthere resembles heaven, surrounded by clouds, the sun, and rainbows. Princess Peach ends up there.

That said, all the conversations in The Underwhere seem to suggest that Shaydes can request an audience with Queen Jaydes, who will weigh in their sins and send them to The Overthere, submit them to punishments befitting of their crimes, or even return them to the land of the playing if the situation calls it.

The areas of The Underwhere or The Overthere where Jaydes sends the dead people are never clearly shown; all that are seen in The Underwhere are Shaydes that have not yet requested an audience with Jaydes, and D-Men who work for her, while all that are seen in The Overthere are Nimbis (and Skellobits that are invading). It is implied that the dead villains are condemned to an area below The Underwhere, where Bonechill was also imprisoned before he escaped. It is possible that the paradise dimension witnessed at the end credits may be an area of The Overthere, though what Nastasia says seems to suggest otherwise.[6]

One Shayde speculates that if a person dies in The Underwhere or The Overthere while already dead, their aftergame ends and they go to a "post-aftergame."

When Count Bleck was using The Void to destroy all worlds, The Void also appeared in The Overthere, indicating that it would even destroy the aftergame. Where all the dead characters (or even all the characters altogether) would have gone following the aftergame's destruction is unknown; however, a young girl speculates that the souls of the deceased would be forced to drift aimlessly in the white empty space left behind by The Void due to being left without a world or aftergame to reside in, a fate deemed both sad and boring.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star[edit]

In Paper Mario: Sticker Star, the Game Over screen has a similar concept as in the first two games in the series, with Mario's dead body on the stage, but the spotlight and text are purple and a different tune is present. The game also retains the presence of unique Game Overs, including:

Paper Mario: Color Splash[edit]

In Paper Mario: Color Splash, when Mario is defeated in battle, six Slurp Guys come in and drain all of his color, resulting in a Game Over. The Game Over screen is now different, with only a white background and without Mario's corpse. Other ways to get it during the game include:

Additionally, if Mario is defeated by a Koopaling's special move without the Thing required to beat them, Huey will appear on the Game Over screen and tell the player to ask the Know-it-All Toad in Port Prisma for guidance.

Paper Mario: The Origami King[edit]

In Paper Mario: The Origami King, the Game Over screen functions exactly like its predecessors, except the player can choose to continue from their last save point or return to the title screen. In some cases, the player is allowed to retry the scene in which the Game Over screen appeared. The Game Over screen is checkered. Also, nonstandard Game Overs return, including:

  • Falling in the first Not-Bottomless Hole in Whispering Woods too many times, triggering a quote from Olivia.
  • Getting crushed by a Folded Soldier Thwomp in Overlook Mountain or during the second phase of King Olly's boss fight.1
  • Getting crushed by the rolling rock in the Earth Vellumental Temple.
  • Hitting any walls or rocks or using Mario's hammer five times while going through the Eddy River, causing the boat to break.
  • Getting crushed by the walls at the very end of the Ninja Attraction.
  • Losing the western duel minigame at the Big Sho' Theater.
  • Refusing to pay the Snifit running the mood-guessing game in Shroom City 1,000 coins after losing the game, or losing the game two times.2
  • Choosing any of the wrong paths (led by Bowser Jr. and Olivia) in the final fork of the Spring of Jungle Mist.
  • Getting eaten by the Paper Macho Chain Chomp in the Spring of Jungle Mist.
  • Losing Shy Guys Finish Last in the first game, with an insufficient number of points.2
  • Losing the Sudden Death round in Shy Guys Finish Last.
  • Jumping on Scissors' blades during the battle once they are uncovered, or failing to dodge Scissors, resulting in Mario being shown cut in half.
  • Getting hit by the Paper Plane Squadron five times.
  • Falling in the lava in Hotfoot Crater.
  • Getting overrun by the Paper Macho Goombas in Hotfoot Crater.
  • Falling down the trapdoor on the return visit to Peach's Castle near the end of the game.
  • Falling into the origami pit or getting eaten by the fortune teller hazards in Origami Castle with 100 HP or less.
  • Refusing to hit the POW Block in time to prevent Bowser from being overthrown by King Olly in the second phase of his boss fight.1
  • Failing to un-shuffle the Magic Circle in time in the third and final phase of King Olly's boss fight.1
  • Failing to dodge King Olly's final attack when the Magic Circle is fully assembled. Like with Scissors, this also shows Mario being cut in half.1

1 - 1-Up Mushrooms do not revive the player. However, they can choose to retry the respective phase of King Olly's boss fight after getting a Game Over there.
2 - The player can choose to retry the respective scene after getting this Game Over.

Super Smash Bros. series[edit]

In the Super Smash Bros. series, the Game Over screen displays when the player is defeated in the single-player modes, such as Classic Mode. In the first game, when the player is defeated in 1P Game, the character dolls fall, and the announcer asks the player if they want to continue or not. Unlike in future games, there are no payments for continuing; instead, the player's score is reduced in half, and one point is added, likely to indicate how many continues are used. If "YES" is selected, the doll regains life, and the game continues; if "NO" is selected or the player does nothing for a few seconds, the screen fades out and the announcer says, "Game over." The Game Over sign is blue.

In Super Smash Bros. Melee, the character trophy falls into a dark screen, and depending on how many coins the player has, they are asked if they want to continue; otherwise, the game ends instantly with a Game Over, forcing the player to restart the mode if they do not have enough coins to continue. Even if the player gets a Game Over after using every starter character in any single-player mode, Marth is unlocked after the player defeats him.

Notably, if the player gets a Game Over by not having enough coins to continue, the "Continue" sign that regularly plays on the background is hidden while the "Yes" and "No" buttons are already hidden, the continue audio effects do not play, and right after the trophy lands, the Game Over sign plays before "Yes" and "No" appear. Automatic continuation (only when the following Action Replay codes are used) through the state only reduces the score.

1.00 1.01 1.02 PAL 
0419EA24 4800001C
0019EA43 00000009
0419EA84 60000000
0219FC92 00000018

0419F124 4800001C
0019F143 00000009
0419F184 60000000
021A0392 00000018

0419F76C 4800001C
0019F78B 00000009
0419F7CC 60000000
021A09DA 00000018

041A02CC 4800001C
001A02EB 00000009
041A032C 60000000
021A153A 00000018

Additionally, the game checks for coins before the "Yes" button can be selected; if an Action Replay code is used to force the "Continue?" screen to appear while the player does not have enough coins, it plays an error sound when "Yes" is selected.[7]

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, when the player runs out of lives in the Classic and All-Star modes, the grid-like screen appears, and the player is asked to continue or not. If "YES" is selected, the game continues; if "NO" is selected or if the player does not have enough coins to pay, the player is given a Game Over and forced to restart the mode. The Game Over sign is red. When the player runs out of lives/other fighters in The Subspace Emissary, the characters' trophies are shown in a spotlight falling onto a floor with the Subspace Army insignia on it, and the player is given the options "Get Up," "Back to Map," and "Quit." Selecting "Get Up" allows the player to continue from the stage's last checkpoint, at the cost of all collectibles they collect being halved. Selecting "Back to Map" takes away any collectibles gained in the level and sends the player back to the mode's world map. If "Quit" is selected, the camera pans to a view above the trophies, the spotlight goes out, and the announcer says, "Game over," followed by the game sending the player back to the Solo area of the main menu. In the Boss Battles mode, the player is not given the choice to continue, likely because it is a Stadium game; it automatically cuts to the Game Over screen and shows the number of bosses the player has defeated. Either way, if a continuation is used in this mode, the player is sent back to the character-selection menu.

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the Game Over sign appears briefly before the "Continue?" screen, using a blue color. However, unlike in the previous three games, the announcer no longer says, "Game over," during the screen, nor does the jingle from Melee and Brawl play; instead, the "Continue?" screen jingle plays consistently. In Classic Mode, failure causes some of the player's rewards, including gold, to be lost, and by continuing, the intensity lowers by .5, unless the intensity level is set at 2.0 or below. Additionally, continues are no longer possible in the All-Star mode; the game cuts directly to the results screen and takes the player back to the character-selection screen.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, no Game Over sign appears; only the "Continue?" screen does. No cutscene happens, either. In Classic Mode, using a continue no longer causes the current match the player is in to restart; instead, the match begins right where it left off, but the player starts with 0%. Additionally, the Continue system appears to be a mixture of those from Brawl and for 3DS / Wii U; the player can spend their Gold to lower the intensity or use a Classic Ticket without lowering the intensity. If the player chooses not to continue or if they do not have enough coins to pay, the player is given a Game Over and forced to restart the mode; if that happens from Stage 3 onward, the Final Results screen is shown as well. In World of Light, however, there are no penalties to continue.

There are also additional failures if the player is unable to complete certain challenges, such as Break the Targets or an Event Match. While not a Game Over by name, the failures act much like one, as the player has to restart the challenge should they choose to retry it.

Luigi's Mansion series[edit]

In Luigi's Mansion, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, and Luigi's Mansion 3, when a Game Over occurs, instead of the usual "Game Over" text, the screen reads, "Good night!" as if Luigi has fainted and/or fallen asleep. In the first game, when a Game Over occurs, the player is taken back to the title screen. However, in Dark Moon, the player is asked if they want to restart from the beginning of the mission or return to the Bunker. In the third game, after Luigi faints, the screen fades to black, followed by a cutscene where he is trapped inside a painting with the rest of his friends, and King Boo looks at his collection, turns to the player, and laughs, happy that his plan succeeded. The "Good Night!" sign is revealed from a flashlight, and the player is then given the option to resume from their last save point or return to the title screen. In the ScareScraper mode, when the player(s) fail(s) a floor, a Game Over occurs, but the screen reads, "Game Over," instead of the usual "Good night!" If playing local or download play, the host is asked if they want to play again. The Luigi's Mansion unused Game Over is the same as the final. The only difference is that there is no music.

In Luigi's Mansion 3, there is no Game Over if Gooigi loses all his energy, gets hit by fire, or touches water, as it happens only if Luigi faints, while Gooigi can be called again. It also appears in the prologue if Luigi fails to escape from King Boo and gets trapped in a painting. The Game Over screen shows Luigi trapped inside a painting like Mario, Peach, the three Toads, and Professor E. Gadd, with the same scared expression and pose he makes when King Boo captures him. King Boo himself appears and turns towards the player while evilly laughing. This also happens if the Toad that Luigi saved in the mission on floor B-2 gets kidnapped by ghosts and he is unable to bring him to Professor E. Gadd.

Wario franchise[edit]

In the WarioWare games, if the player loses all four lives on a stage, a Game Over occurs, with a differing design and font, depending on the stage the player is playing. Usually after this happens, on the score screen that follows, the background image depicts the stage's owner(s) being depressed.

Wario Land 3 has a unique Game Over screen. Wario is ordinarily invincible in this game; the only possible way to get a Game Over at all is to lose to the final boss, which is the only enemy that can actually kill him. The Game Over screen depicts Wario sleeping, similar to the Game Over screens of various games in the Kirby franchise, in which Kirby sleeps. If the player chooses to continue, Wario wakes up and tries again.

Mario & Luigi series[edit]

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga[edit]

In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, if both Mario and Luigi reach zero HP in battle, a rounded-curved red "Game Over" text appears and the last Mario Bro. to fall says, "Mamma mia!" Since defeating Queen Bean, the player has an option to continue the game from the last save point or from Beanbean Castle; the Continue screen depicts a desk with a sign reading "GAME OVER," and the latter choice does not revert playtime to when the game is last saved. Another Game Over can occur if the player runs out of time escaping Bowser's Castle after defeating Cackletta: The screen shakes, followed by a scene of the castle in the sky exploding and the screen turning completely red. The game then immediately takes the player back to their last save point.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time[edit]

In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, there are two Game Over screens. One of them appears if Mario and company lose in battle, and the screen has eerie smoky purple text that seems to allude to the Shroobs. The other one appears if they lose the battle against the Shroob saucers (or, later, the Shroob Mother Ship in Shroob Castle), and the screen shows the party depressed while Shroob laughter is heard in the background, symbolizing their conquest succeeded. A unique Game Over occurs during the battle with the Elder Shrooboid if it is not defeated in four turns during the second phase. The Continue screen resembles the file-selection screen, with "LOAD" at the top, the Continue choices underneath it, and the characters' levels on the right.

Usually, the Continue screen gives the option to return to Peach's Castle. However, there are four exceptions. If the player loses on the Shroob Mother Ship, the player instead has the option to continue from the first room of the Shroob Mother Ship, as for storyline purposes, it is temporarily impossible to go back to Peach's Castle at that point in the game. The same applies to Bowser's Castle prior to finding the time hole in the final room, as well as the first visits to Yoob's Belly and Toad Town. Losing in those locations instead gives the player the option to continue from the first room of the respective location. If Baby Mario and Baby Luigi lose the battle against two Shroobs in Hollijolli Village, the only option is to continue from the last save point.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story[edit]

In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, the Game Over text is colored yellow, and it uses a font slightly similar to that of the traditional one used in the Super Mario franchise. Two unique Game Overs exist: One can be achieved by allowing Bowser to fall down the rickety track bridge during the giant battle with the Fawful Express if he does not destroy it quickly enough and reaches the station, and another can be achieved by allowing Bowser to be defeated by the black hole during the giant battle with Super Peach's Castle of Fury.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team[edit]

In Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, the Game Over text is completely blue. Unique Game Overs that do not take the player back to the menu also appear in the game, which involves a fountain on the summit of Mount Pajamaja, or a certain part of Dreamy Mount Pajamaja. If Mario and Luigi drink from it for the first time, they fall fast asleep and have a nightmare about getting giant after eating too many Mushrooms, and realize they cannot survive like this. Another nightmare involves Mario and Luigi powering up to corner Bowser and Antasma and save the Dream Stone, leaving Prince Dreambert to free all the Pi'illos and welcome all tourists. After the screen goes black, a fake Game Over appears. A few moments after the Game Over screen fades in, Dreambert yells, "MARIO! LUIGI! WAKE UP! NOW!" This fake Game Over does not happen for the rest of the game after it is triggered for the first time. The "Comedic Curtains" theme plays during the first time, and the Peach's Castle theme plays with all subsequent drinks from the fountain. When the player battles in the Dream World, since Dreamy Luigi does not battle, the game ends if Mario is defeated.

Unlike in previous Mario & Luigi games, players can choose to retry a battle after losing, either on its original difficulty or on Easy Mode if it is too difficult for the Mario Bros. to handle. This option is not available on Hard Mode, as the game reverts to the title screen instead.

Game Overs also result from losing in the minigames of Battle Broque Madame and Mad Skillathon, but these just indicate the player did not reach the maximum score of the game and return them to the minigame's menu. The player can still get prizes for high scores even though they "lost."

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam[edit]

In Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, like in the previous installment, the Game Over text is completely blue and now uses the second font of the Super Mario franchise as seen in modern installments. If a player fails to complete a mission, gets defeated in the Boss Battle Ring, loses all health in a Papercraft Battle, or gets a C score rating in the Attackathon arcade machine, the "Too bad..." message is displayed instead. The "Too bad..." message is displayed in two ways: either falling down with purple smoke and slightly dislodging itself or falling down like a wave. Unlike in the previous installments, the Game Over screen causes the music to fade out, leaving it without any music, like in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions[edit]

In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, the Game Over text is completely blue, resembling the one from Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. "Mamma mia!" can be heard just like in the original (though both Mario Bros. say it instead of the last brother to fall in battle), and the screen's iris-out effect focuses on the two brothers. An arrangement of the Super Mario Bros. death jingle also plays. The player is given a chance to either try again or use Easy Mode, like in Dream Team and Paper Jam. Another Game Over can occur if the player runs out of time escaping Bowser's Castle after defeating Cackletta: The screen shakes, followed by a scene of the castle in the sky exploding and the screen turning black. The game then immediately takes the player back to the title screen. In Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser, if the player's captain is defeated, a red "Defeated..." text appears instead. Hints also appear, instructing the player on how to lead their squad to victory.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey[edit]

In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, the font for the Game Over text is similar to the one used in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, though using a white coloration with a cyan gradient. The Game Over sequence is similar to the one in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, with the arrangement of the Super Mario Bros. death jingle playing and both brothers saying, "Mamma mia!" with a screen iris-out effect focusing on them. When the player gets a Game Over while playing as Bowser, the Game Over sequence is identical to the one used for the brothers, though Bowser can be heard groaning disappointingly. In Bowser Jr.'s Journey, a different Game Over screen occurs when Bowser Jr. is defeated, with the text "Defeated..." appearing in red, similar to the one used in Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser from Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong series[edit]

The Game Over screen of Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
The Game Over screen in Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis

In Mario vs. Donkey Kong, the Game Over screen depicts a depressed Mario and the outlined words "GAME OVER," as well as two choices: "Restart" and "Quit." If the player selects "Restart," the stage where the player lost is restarted, but if the player selects "Quit," the game returns to the stage-selection screen. If the player stays on the Game Over screen, Mario can be heard snoring while saying, "Spaghetti," or "Ravioli." In the Nintendo Switch remake, the "GAME OVER" text is red with a white outline. Toad appears alongside Mario upon the player getting a Game Over during multiplayer. Instead of snoring and saying, "Spaghetti," or "Ravioli," Mario sighs on occasion if the player stays on the Game Over screen.

In Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, the words "GAME OVER" are displayed in a wobbly red font, and a depressed Mini Mario is displayed on the Touch Screen in place of Mario. The Touch Screen also features "Retry" and "Quit" buttons, which the player can tap using the stylus to restart the level or return to the level-selection screen, respectively. If the player remains on the Game Over screen, a Mini Mario can be heard snoring and saying several lines:

  • "Mamma mia!"
  • "Spaghetti!"
  • "Ravioli!"
  • "Ohhh, linguini!"
  • "Ohhh, meat-a-balls! Mmmmmmmmmm!"
  • "Ohhh, gelato al cioccolato! Mmmmmmmmmmm!" (in English, "Ohhh, chocolate ice cream! Mmmmmmmmmmmm!")

If the player continues to remain on the Game Over screen, the music eventually fades out, and voice clips of Mini Mario gradually become more frequent, until several voice clips overlap one another. Afterwards, the voice clips fade out and the game automatically returns to the title screen.

The Game Over screens for Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! and Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! similarly feature the words "GAME OVER" and a depressed Mini Mario, with options to retry or exit the current level on the Touch Screen. In Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!, the player always gets a Game Over screen if they fail a level, due to the lack of a life system in the game. An additional option to use the Mini Guide also appears after the player loses five times in any main level, and an alternate Game Over screen with the words "YOU FAILED..." is displayed if the player loses a level created in the Construction Zone mode.

The Game Over screen for Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move displays the words "TOO BAD!" (or "TIME'S UP!" if the player runs out of time to clear the level) with options to retry or exit the current level on the Touch Screen. An additional option allows the player to give up on the current level. Giving up on a level can allow the player to unlock the next level or set of levels. However, a red frowning face is displayed next to the level on the level-selection screen until the level is completed.

The Game Over screen for Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars displays the words "GAME OVER" in a red font, with options to retry or exit the current level.

Other games[edit]

  • In Super Princess Peach, a Game Over occurs when the Health Meter is depleted. The Health Meter loses some sections when Princess Peach falls into a bottomless pit or takes damage. The "GAME OVER" text does not actually appear on the screen, but instead Peach has tears in her eyes on the lower screen. It then brings the player back to the map screen for the player to try again.
  • In Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix, whenever the player fails a song in Story Mode, a "Failed" message appears in brown, then the results screen appears and the announcer says, "Wha-wha-what?" with an F grade (in the case of the Japanese version, the announcer says, "Aw, you couldn't make it!" with a D grade). After the player presses A Button, the Game Over sign appears in red with Mario or Luigi dizzy. After that, a message asking if the player wants to continue appears onscreen if they have lives remaining; otherwise, they must start the mode over. If they choose to continue, they use one of their lives to retry the song. If the player passes the song but fails a Story Mode objective (such as losing a dance-off), the "Failed" message still displays, though the announcer says, "Sorry. Almost..." instead. In Free Mode, the same happens when the player fails a song, except that there is no Game Over screen. Failing to defeat Bowser in the song "Bowser's Castle" when playing in Free Mode with Mush Mode enabled still gives the "Failed" message, but the announcer uses the quote associated with the grade earned instead of saying, "Sorry. Almost..." Also, the player can hold START/PAUSE Button during a stage to quit a song, which also gives the "Failed" message but with stats of zero for all of Perfect, Great, Early/Late, Miss, Max Combo, and Score.
  • Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker shares the same Game Over look with Super Mario 3D World, but the Game Over screen is situated on a black dot-like background.
  • In Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition, the Too Bad sequence plays when the player's team's health (HP) bar is depleted during a course, causing all the orbs to fall down from the board. A Game Over occurs if the player chooses not to continue if the number of lives remaining is greater than zero, or if the HP bar is depleted when the number of lives is zero. If the latter occurs, they are automatically given three lives when sent back to the world map. The "GAME OVER" text appears in yellow and falls down to the center of the top screen, while a jazzy arrangement of the Game Over theme from New Super Mario Bros. Wii plays. However, in Score Attack modes, when the timer reaches zero, the "TIME'S UP" text falls down, while the Too Bad theme plays, leaving the HP bar intact.
  • In Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, a lost battle is considered a Game Over. Mario and the gang pose with despondent looks in front of the camera whenever they lose a battle. In Donkey Kong Adventure in the former game, if the player loses a battle, Donkey Kong gets angry and punches Rabbid Cranky out of the screen, dropping his cane in the process, followed by him and Rabbid Peach laughing. The theme that plays is an arrangement of the death jingle from Donkey Kong Country.
  • NES Remix and NES Remix 2 give a Game Over when the player loses all their lives on a stage, or runs out of time on a stage with infinite lives. A clear time is not given, and the player gets only one star when clearing the stage if they continue after getting a Game Over.
  • In Mario Tennis Aces, the player gets a Game Over if they fail a challenge in the story mode, mainly by running out of time. Mario can still gain Experience Points when a Game Over occurs.
  • In Tetris 99, when the blocks reach the top, the sound when the player loses a life or is defeated plays as the blocks disappear line by line from the bottom to the top of the matrix (the sound varies depending on the theme used), with the Game Over text appearing only if it occurs in the Marathon mode. After the sound has finished playing, the ranking and results screens appear. For example, when using the Super Mario Bros. Wonder theme, the Too Bad sound plays.
  • In Super Mario Bros. 35, the Game Over sound followed the Too Bad sound if the player finished in fourth place or lower. However, if the player finished in second or third place, the theme "Course Clear" followed. Finishing in first place made the game play the Castle Defeated sound.

Other media[edit]

  • Game Overs also appear in the Nintendo Adventure Books series, used after a bad ending has occurred. These Game Overs can occur if one of the main characters dies (although the scene is usually alluded to rather than described), although letting the villain win also results in a Game Over. An example of getting a Game Over in these books is in Leaping Lizards, where an anchor is a dud item; it will drag Luigi down if he falls into a body of water.
  • Game Overs appear in the comics of the Super Mario franchise in the Nintendo Comics System, ending the story. They appear on the final page on one corner of it.
  • A Game Over happens twice in the movie Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen! The first time is when Bowser and Princess Peach vanish on Mario's TV screen, and the second time is while Bowser and his minions are working at Mario and Luigi's shop at the end of the movie.

Profiles[edit]

Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]

  • Wii Virtual Console manual: "When your life meter is empty or you fall into a pit, you lose one life. When you lose a life with no lives remaining, you are taken to the game-over screen and presented with the following options:
    • Continue "Resume play from the first area of the last world you managed to reach before your game ended. You can only continue a game twice.
    • Retry "Return to the title screen."

New Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]

  • Electronic manual: "If Mario loses all of his lives, it's game over. You can then restart with five lives from your last save point."

New Super Mario Bros. U[edit]

  • Electronic manual: "If Mario loses all of his lives, it's game over. You can then restart at your last save point with five lives."

Super Mario 3D World[edit]

  • Electronic manual: "If you lose your last life, it's game over. Select Continue to start again with all progress in the current course reset."
    • "You will get five lives per player when you continue after a game over."

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker[edit]

  • Electronic manual: "If you fall from the course or into lava or if you take damage as Small Captain Toad, You'll lose one life. Too bad! If you lose a life with zero lives remaining, it's game over!"

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Game Over.

Media[edit]

Audio.svg Super Mario Bros.
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Audio.svg Super Mario Bros. Special
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Audio.svg Super Mario Bros. 2
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Audio.svg Super Mario Land
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Audio.svg Super Mario Kart
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0:02
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Audio.svg Donkey Kong (Game Boy)
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Audio.svg Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
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Audio.svg Paper Mario: The Origami King
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0:30
Help:Media • Having trouble playing?

Names in other languages[edit]

Game Over[edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese ゲームオーバー[?]
Gēmu ōbā 		Game Over
Chinese (simplified) 游戏结束[?]
Yóuxì Jiéshù 		Game Over
Chinese (traditional) 遊戲結束[?]
Yóuxì Jiéshù 		Game Over
French (NOA) Partie Terminée[?] Game Over
French (NOE) Game Over[?] Game Over most games
Partie Terminée[?] Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions
German Game Over[?] -
Italian Game Over[?] -
Korean 게임 오버[?]
Geim Obeo 		Game Over
Portuguese (NOA) Fim da partida[?] End of the game
Portuguese (NOE) Fim do jogo[?] End of the game
Russian Игра окончена![?]
Igra okonchena! 		Game over!
Spanish Fin de la partida[?] End of the game
Fin del juego[?]
¡Otra vez será![?] Better luck next time! Super Paper Mario
¡Se acabó![?] It's over! Super Mario Galaxy and WarioWare: Get It Together!

Time's up![edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese タイムアップ！[?]
Taimu Appu 		Time's up!
Chinese (simplified) 时间到![?]
Shíjiān Dào! 		Time's Up!
Chinese (traditional) 時間到![?]
Shíjiān Dào! 		Time's Up!
Dutch Tijd![?] Time!
French Temps écoulé ![?] Time's up!
German Zeit abgelaufen![?] Time's up!
Italian Tempo scaduto![?] Time's up!
Korean 시간 초과![?]
Sigan Chogwa! 		Time's Up!
Portuguese (NOA) Tempo![?] Time!
Portuguese (NOE) Acabou o tempo![?] Time's up!
Russian Время вышло![?]
Vremya vyshlo! 		Time's up!
Spanish ¡Tiempo![?] Time!

Too bad![edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese ミス[?]
Misu 		Miss
Chinese 太差了![?]
Tàichà Le! 		Too bad!
Dutch Helaas![?] Unfortunate!
French Dommage ![?] Pity!
German Schade![?] Pity!
Italian Peccato![?] Pity!
Ahi ahi![?] Ouch ouch! Super Mario Sunshine
Oh no![?] - Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Korean 미스[?]
Miseu 		Miss
Portuguese (NOA) Ah, não![?] Oh no!
Portuguese (NOE) Oh, não![?] Oh no! Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Que pena![?] -
Russian Очень жаль![?]
Ochen' zhal'! 		Quite a pity! sometimes with "ж" capitalized
Жаль![?]
Zhal'! 		Pity!
Spanish ¡Ay![?] Ouch! Super Mario Bros. Wonder
¡Lástima![?] Pity!
¡Que Mal![?] How Awful! Super Mario 3D Land and Super Mario Galaxy series
¡Oooh...![?] Oooh...! Super Mario Sunshine

References[edit]

Game Over coverage on other NIWA wikis:
  1. ^ 2002. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 21.
  2. ^ Master0fHyrule (February 26, 2018). EVOLUTION OF TOAD DEATHS & GAME OVER SCREENS (1988-2017) NES, SNES, GBA, Wii, Wii U, Switch (01:54). YouTube (English). Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  3. ^ Sun Arcade Gamer (October 2, 2015). Mario Kart Arcade GP DX: Timed Out (Ver. 1.04). YouTube (English). Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  4. ^ "Huh? What'd you say? "What's The Underwhere?" ...You're kidding, right? Man, for a guy with no extra lives, you're sure hilarious! Isn't it obvious? This is where people go when their games are OVER! Some call it "World -1"..." – A Shayde (2007). Super Paper Mario. Nintendo.
  5. ^ "And by the way, it may please you to know that your game is not truly over. Somehow, you were sent to The Underwhere while still very much alive... My power can return you to your world if you so wish..." – Queen Jaydes (2007). Super Paper Mario. Nintendo.
  6. ^ Princess Peach: Both Tippi and Count Bleck...gone. What could have happened to them?
    Merlon: I shudder to think about it, but surely when the prophecy was nullified...
    Nastasia: Um, no... They're alive. Yeah, they're finally united. They overcame time and fulfilled their old vows... Somewhere, the count...is living together with Tippi... in...um...happiness...
  7. ^ Super Smash Bros. Melee. The Cutting Room Floor (English). Retrieved July 5, 2024.
[Edit]
General video game terms
Cheat code • Completion • Continue • Easter egg • Extra life • Fourth wall • Game Over • Glitch • Missable content • Point • Unrevisitable area • Unwinnable state
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