JanMisali

Long time Super Mario Wiki reader, occasional Super Mario Wiki editor. I've made a couple videos about Mario games that you may or may not have seen, the most popular one being "how many Super Mario games are there?". I have a deep respect for this wiki, and I regard it as the best-maintained fan wiki on the entire internet.

A curated selection of my Super Mario-related works

Video essays

the original Mario Bros.

May 2020, YouTube. An analysis of the first game called Mario Bros. (No, not that one).

how many Super Mario games are there?

July 2021, YouTube. A video about the apparent lack of consensus regarding which games are part of the mainline Super Mario series.

how many Super Mario games are there NOW?

May 2024, YouTube. A follow-up to "how many Super Mario games are there?" that goes into more edge cases. A survey was open for Mario fans to share their analyses from October 2023 through April 2024.

Fanfiction

Wario Faces Consequences for His Actions

September 2021 (ongoing), Archive of Our Own; YouTube trailer. A highly canon-compliant WarioWare fanfiction, written as though it were the cutscenes of a real, unusually story-driven WarioWare game. In the process of being adapted into a visual novel. Notably referred to the obscure Rhythm Heaven character Cicada by that specific name almost two years before WarioWare: Move It! ended up making that her canon name.

Music

kalama musi pi jan Peni

December 2021, YouTube. A toki pona translation of Penny's Song.

kalama musi pi jan Asuli

March 2022, YouTube. A toki pona translation of Ashley's Theme.

tomo Napisa

August 2022, Bandcamp. A toki pona and VötGil translation of Mona Pizza.

how do we know what's mainline?

January 2024, YouTube. A Super Mario parody of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire".

Game & Watch, Donkey Kong
DK again except it's wrong
Electrocuting baby apes
Arcade game wasn't first
Hours stomping Koopas
Baby monkey algebra
Pesticide, Punch Ball
This foreman is the worst

Briefly on the same page
PC port with different stages
Sweaters and comedians
Referee in Punch-Out!!
Doki Doki or just 2
kijetesantakalu
Mario's inside the paddle
Extra lives are hearts now

How do we know what's mainline?
Everything is senseless
Cause there's no consensus
How do we know what's mainline?
If Super's in the title
Means the game is vital

Doesn't have a "level 1"
Princess Toadstool's Castle Run
Print World, slot machine
It's called a Rainbow Road
Balls level, spiky ants
Super Famicom enhanced
Marioless platformers
All toasters toast toast

Yoshi turns into a car
Legend of the Seven Stars
Bowser in the Fire Sea
Stole the Super Happy Tree
Rareware furry mascot race
Luigi wins standing in place
This Kong has a funny face
Fighting Polygon Team

How do we know what's mainline?
Everything is senseless
Cause there's no consensus
How do we know what's mainline?
If Super's in the title
Means the game is vital

Waluigi, Lady Bow
Doctor versus Wario
Vacuum all the fifty Boos
What's this icky paint-like goop?
Toadette, bongos, Jimmy T
Card e-Reader DLC
Beanbean Kingdom, Pinball Land
Switch Star on the Island

Don't have as many friends as you
Korokoro Party 2
Vibe Scepter, New Soup
Marching Minis, shooting hoops
Go to hell before you die
Itadaki, Honeyclimb
Captain Rainbow, Yellow Toad
Try Unit Converter mode

How do we know what's mainline?
Everything is senseless
Cause there's no consensus
How do we know what's mainline?
If Super's in the title
Means the game is vital

Supermassive Galaxy
$30 SNES release
Tail Tree, Coin World
They're New but they're the same
New Super Luigi U
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games

Skipsqueak, Blockstepper
Pink Gold Peach, Treasure Tracker
Rhythm Heaven Megamix
BABYMETAL, Soundfrog

How do we know what's mainline?
Everything is senseless
Cause there's no consensus
How do we know what's mainline?
If Super's in the title
Means the game is vital

Maker got released again
amiibo Challenge, Remix 10
Kart Arcade GP VR
You know you're my superstar
Spirit Board, Super Crown
Holding stone blocks weighs you down
Dr. Fire Rosalina
Baby Mario (Koala)

3D All-Stars, 35
Origami, Kart Live
Potted Cat Piranha Plants
Super Mushroom Chest DX
Talking Flowers, Outmaway
Yuri curtsy microgame
Kung Fu Peach, Pâtissière
How many Super Mario games are there?

How do we know what's mainline?
Everything is senseless
Cause there's no consensus
How do we know what's mainline?
This never will be done
The list goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on

How do we know what's mainline?
Everything is senseless
Cause there's no consensus
How do we know what's mainline?
If Super's in the title
Means the game is vital

How do we know what's mainline?
Everything is senseless
Cause there's no consensus
How do we know what's mainline?
If Super's in the title
Means the game is vital

How do we know what's mainline?

remixed end

April 2024, Niconico. A medley of one hundred tracks from one hundred different pieces of Mario media. How many do you recognize?

Character popularity poll tournaments

Koopaling Bracket

February 2023, tumblr. A series of popularity polls for the Koopalings, plus honorary Koopalings Bowser Jr. and Koopa Kid.

Before the bracket proper, there was a preliminary free-for-all match between the seven Koopalings, Bowser Jr., and Koopa Kid. Larry Koopa got the fewest votes in the preliminaries, and did not make it to the final bracket.

Koopaling Bracket
Iggy Koopa	Iggy Koopa	Iggy Koopa	Bowser Jr.
Morton Koopa Jr.
Roy Koopa	Roy Koopa
Koopa Kid (Mario Party)
Ludwig von Koopa	Ludwig von Koopa	Bowser Jr.
Lemmy Koopa
Bowser Jr.	Bowser Jr.
Wendy O. Koopa

WarioWare Bracket

November-December 2023, tumblr. A series of popularity polls for the main cast of the WarioWare series.

WarioWare Bracket
Orbulon		Orbulon	Orbulon	Ashley	Ashley
Red	Red
Lulu
Mona		Mona
Pyoro
Ashley		Ashley	Ashley
Young Cricket	Young Cricket
Master Mantis
Wario		Wario
Mike	18-Volt
18-Volt
Penny		Penny	Penny	Penny
Dr. Crygor	Dr. Crygor
Dribble
5-Volt		5-Volt
9-Volt
Fronk		Ana	Jimmy T
Kat	Ana
Ana
Jimmy T		Jimmy T
Spitz

Super Mario Bracket

June-July 2024, tumblr. A series of popularity polls for 128 "Mario characters", in a very loose sense.

Super Mario Bracket
Vivian	Vivian	Vivian	Vivian	Vivian	Vivian	Vivian	Vivian
Dribble & Spitz
Goomba	Goomba
Donkey Kong
Peasley	Peasley	Kamek
Rawk Hawk
Kamek	Kamek
White Mage
Abe Lincoln	Chunky Kong	Iggy	Count Bleck
Chunky Kong
Iggy	Iggy
Bobby
Count Bleck	Count Bleck	Count Bleck
Bill Gates
Link	Link
Dreambert
Shy Guy	Shy Guy	Shy Guy	the letter "p"	Big Bertha
Bill Board et al.
Boshi	Boshi
Lemmy
Kirby	I am a teacher: Super Mario Sweater	the letter "p"
I am a teacher: Super Mario Sweater
Bowser Jr.	the letter "p"
the letter "p"
Fawful	Big Bertha	Big Bertha	Big Bertha
Big Bertha
Bobbery	Bobbery
Petey Piranha
Mimi	Mimi	Mimi
Huey
Penny	Penny
Dorrie
Waluigi	Waluigi	Waluigi	Waluigi	Waluigi	Daisy
Midbus
Samus	Blooper
Blooper
Tippi	Tippi	Boo
Francis
Boo	Boo
Inkling
Wario	Wario	Wario	Wario
Blaze
Bowser's brother	Bowser's brother
Pink Gold Peach
George Washingtoad	Captain Syrup	Captain Syrup
Captain Syrup
Roy	Cappy
Cappy
Daisy	Daisy	Daisy	Daisy	Daisy
the Yoshi kid
E. Gadd	King Bob-omb
King Bob-omb
Kinoppe	Kinoppe	Strollin' Stu
Pikmin
Strollin' Stu	Strollin' Stu
Gooigi
Sonic	Sonic	Sonic	Peach
Undodog
Yellow & Blue Toad	Captain Lou
Captain Lou
Peach	Peach	Peach
Lanky Kong
Ashley	Ashley
Wiggler
Luigi	Luigi	Luigi	Luigi	Luigi	Luigi	The Old Psychic Lady with the Evil Eye Who Reads Fortunes and Knows Everything Before It Happens
Mary O.
Koops	Koops
MIPS
Mr. L	Mr. L	Mr. L
Spike
Twink	Twink
Goomba Tower
Goombella	Goombella	Goombella	Goombella
Fracktail
Starlow	Toadsworth
Toadsworth
Toadette	Chuckster	Chuckster
Chuckster
Slammer	Slammer
Peachette
Catherine	Catherine	Catherine	Catherine	Catherine
Ninji
Shadow	Shadow
Popple
King Boo	King Boo	Geno
George Washington
Geno	Geno
Pauline
Mario	Poochy	Poochy	Plato
Poochy
Ludwig	Monty Mole
Monty Mole
Captain Toad	Plato	Plato
Plato
Nabbit	Nabbit
Broque Monsieur
Rosalina	Rosalina	Rosalina	Rosalina	Rosalina	The Old Psychic Lady with the Evil Eye Who Reads Fortunes and Knows Everything Before It Happens
Punio
O'Chunks	Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Toad	Toad	FLUDD
Morton
MC Ballyhoo	FLUDD
FLUDD
Bowser	Bowser	Bowser	Bowser
Gandhi
Bow	5-Volt
5-Volt
Dry Bones	Dry Bones	"Mallow"
Koopa Kid
?????	"Mallow"
Mallow
Yoshi	Yoshi	Yoshi	The Old Psychic Lady with the Evil Eye Who Reads Fortunes and Knows Everything Before It Happens	The Old Psychic Lady with the Evil Eye Who Reads Fortunes and Knows Everything Before It Happens
Elvis
Dry Bowser	Whacka
Whacka
Funky Kong	Funky Kong	The Old Psychic Lady with the Evil Eye Who Reads Fortunes and Knows Everything Before It Happens
GLOM
The Old Psychic Lady with the Evil Eye Who Reads Fortunes and Knows Everything Before It Happens	The Old Psychic Lady with the Evil Eye Who Reads Fortunes and Knows Everything Before It Happens
Ms. Mowz
Dimentio	Elvira	Elvira	Elvira
Elvira
Nastasia	Nastasia
K. Rool
Gorbachev	Gorbachev	Gorbachev
Mii
Orbulon	Orbulon
Albert Einstein

Super Mario Land is WEIRD!!

This is an adaptation of the 2018 YouTube video "Super Mario Land is WEIRD!!" by Joey Pockett. It contains strong language that may not be appropriate for younger audiences. Reader discretion is advised.

Background

"THIS IS A WEIRD ASS GAME" - joseph pockett, kid years old

Super Mario Land is a weird-ass game. So weird that even playing it as a kid I'd think, "this is a weird-ass game!".

Back then, I'd usually just accept anything in a game at face value. You know, Pokémon, throwing shit at wild animals? Yeah, man! That's– that's normal. I'm– I'm always doing that! Sonic, you curl up in a ball to go fast? Yes, that's norm– I'm doing that right now, even. I don't know if you can hear it on the recording but I'm doing it at– right now.

Super Mario Land? What the fuck? This guy is... collecting all these coins!? I didn't have money as a kid! I stole this game!

As the first Mario game not made by Shigeru Miyamoto, the development team had to take liberties with some aspects of the game, as Miyamoto usually kept his Mario bible glued to his thigh, keeping all Mario lore secret to himself at all times, but he was off busy making Pikmin 4 at the time in 1988 and it's still not out yet. So then Gunpei Yokoi was told to "make Game Boy Mario", and after first inventing the Game Boy because he mistakenly heard "make Game Boy, Mario" and thought "Mario" was his nickname, he made this game, and then made this music video to promote it, filmed at Chessington World of Adventures, which is a pretty odd place to make a music video. I mean, why waste your time dancing with Mario when you could be seeking thrills on the dizzying twists and turns of the Dragon's Fury ride and dozens more attractions?

Super Mario Land

Instead of taking place in the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario Land is set in "Sarasaland". That's not even a real place! And instead of saving Peach, you're saving Daisy. But just take a look at what happens when you rescue her!

I know, right? "OH! DAISY". What awkward dialogue!

An ordinary Goomba

A "Goombo" from Super Mario Land

You have these weird variants of regular Mario enemies, like instead of Goombas, you have "Goombos". I'm just gonna come out and say it: this thing looks like a penis, right? We were all thinking it. I don't know why they didn't keep the normal Goomba design and instead made what is clearly just a dick.

Also, you can't kick Koopa Shells anymore or else look what happens!

"Kablooka"!

How bizarre!

Look at these enemies! These just look like people, but their anatomy seems very disproportionate compared to Mario. You have to make them look like they actually fit in next to him?

Okay, the wiki is saying they're more like zombies, which, okay, is honestly even more out of place for Mario Land, what on Earth? Zombies are the kind of thing you'd find in fucking Left 4 Dead, or Wario Land!

And there's the Easter Island enemies that just fucking run at you okay jeez– Okay.

Most Horrifying Sound Yet Discovered 0:01

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Also, Bowser is a Sphinx now? I don't know whose idea it was to make Bowser into a big cat. Were they out of ideas or something? Next you'll be telling me he's on display on the Chessington World of Adventures Tiger Rock ride, where you can watch majestic tigers roam around as you traverse a log flume!

Sometimes during shoot-'em-up sections the game has to spell out "MARIO" in coins to remind you that it's a Mario game. It's without a doubt the weirdest Mario to date. I mean, nothing else even comes close, really, it's crazy!

They really must– heh, they must have been on drugs when they made this game! They were on the– the 1– the 1-Up Mushrooms, if you know– W–

The 1-Ups are hearts now, what the fuck? Since when do hearts mean life?! I see a heart, I think "okay, so that's ammo, like in Castlevania"!

At this point, you're probably wondering if this game was just a reskin of another Japanese game like Mario 2 was, because it's way too wacky, right? Well, you'd be correct, as this game in Japan was originally called Super Mario 3D Land, but they removed the 3D from the Western release.

Luckily the whole game is only 40 minutes long, so if it's too much for you you can still refund it.

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

But if you thought Mario Land 1 was weird, wait until you see the sequel!

So, uh, Mario Land 1 was set in Sarasaland, but Mario Land 2 is set in a place actually called Mario Land, meaning a Mario Land exists, but the first game just wasn't set there despite being called Super Mario Land, so immediately I like this game better because it doesn't fucking lie to me.

Enter... the Mario Zone... the Mario Zone...

When you go into his balls it's a balls level! What the fuck?

What else is there in Mario Land? There's:

• a house
• a tree
• a space, somehow
• uh, Legoland

What the hell, Mario? You have your own kingdom and this is what you do with it? If I had my own Pockett Land I would have like, an underwater aquarium, an Aztec hotel, a place where you can meet the beloved children's book character the Gruffalo; luckily I wouldn't need to have any of this, because Chessington World of Adventures already has it all and I can visit whenever I like for a whole year for just £65!

Instead you choose to have a castle that gets taken over by Wario, who, by the way, is way bigger than he normally is. I said it before with the enemies from Mario Land 1, but you at least have to keep your recurring characters consistently sized, like, come on, that's just lazy!

Spiky Ants gave birth to the wretched Wario I despise so much

Who even worked on this one? The Hiroji Kiyotake, uh, oh yeah, the Spiky Ants, that explains it. These guys worked on the uh, WarioWare games if I remember correctly, and also the third Mario Land game, Wario Land, where the goal is to collect as many coins as possible!? Come on, I had nothing as a kid! I should have stolen this one too!

Conclusion

It's a good thing that since then Miyamoto has published his Mario bible on Wii U, so people can make their own good and normal Mario games, and we can just pretend this series was nothing more than a fever dream.

Also, Luigi isn't in any of them!? What the fuck? That's it, I'm closing down Chessington until March.