Super Mario (franchise): Difference between revisions

|image=[[File:Super Mario.svg|250px]]<br>[[File:mario series alternate.svg|250px|A horizontal version of the logo]]<br>The updated/current versions of the logo, used since ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]'' ([[List of games by date#2011|2011]])

|latest=''[[Super Mario RPG (Nintendo Switch)|Super Mario RPG]]'' ([[Nintendo Switch]]) ([[List of games by date#2023|2023]])

|series=''[[Mario Bros. (series)|Mario Bros.]]'', ''[[Golf (series)|Golf]]'', ''[[Wrecking Crew (series)|Wrecking Crew]]'', ''[[Super Mario (series)|Super Mario]]'', ''[[Dr. Mario (series)|Dr. Mario]]'', ''[[Mario Kart (series)|Mario Kart]]'', ''[[Mario Discovery (series)|Mario Discovery]]'', ''[[Mario Party (series)|Mario Party]]'', ''[[Mario Golf (series)|Mario Golf]]'', ''[[Mario Artist (series)|Mario Artist]]'', ''[[Mario Tennis (series)|Mario Tennis]]'', ''[[Paper Mario (series)|Paper Mario]]'', ''[[Super Mario Advance (series)|Super Mario Advance]]'', ''[[Luigi's Mansion (series)|Luigi's Mansion]]'', ''[[Mario & Luigi (series)|Mario & Luigi]]'', ''[[Mario vs. Donkey Kong (series)|Mario vs. Donkey Kong]]'', ''[[Mario Baseball (series)|Mario Baseball]]'', ''[[Mario Strikers (series)|Mario Strikers]]'', ''[[Mario & Sonic (series)|Mario & Sonic]]'', ''[[Mario + Rabbids (series)|Mario + Rabbids]]''

The main series in the franchise is the ''[[Super Mario (series)|Super Mario]]'' series, consisting of [[Genre#Platform games|platform games]] that typically involve Mario and his brother, [[Luigi]], with the help of their friends such as [[Yoshi]] and [[Toad]], working to save the Mushroom Kingdom and its ruler, [[Princess Peach]], from the villainous [[Bowser]] and his [[Koopa Troop]]. The two brothers use their [[jump]]ing prowess to progress through [[level]]s, while also making use of power-ups of various kinds. ''Super Mario'' games of other [[genre]]s include the ''[[Mario Kart (series)|Mario Kart]]'' [[Genre#Racing|racing]] series, [[Genre#Sports|sports]] games such as the ''[[Mario Tennis (series)|Mario Tennis]]'', ''[[Mario Golf (series)|Mario Golf]]'', ''[[Mario Baseball (series)|Mario Baseball]]'', and ''[[Mario Strikers (series)|Mario Strikers]]'' series, [[Genre#Party|party]] games such as the ''[[Mario Party (series)|Mario Party]]'' series, [[Genre#RPG|role-playing]] games such as the ''[[Paper Mario (series)|Paper Mario]]'' and ''[[Mario & Luigi (series)|Mario & Luigi]]'' series, [[Genre#Puzzle|puzzle]] games such as the ''[[Dr. Mario (series)|Dr. Mario]]'' series, the action-adventure ''[[Luigi's Mansion (series)|Luigi's Mansion]]'' series, and several [[Genre#Edutainment|educational]] games such as the ''[[Mario Discovery (series)|Mario Discovery]]'' series, among others. Furthermore, a few spin-off franchises have been created based on specific characters in the franchise, namely the ''[[Donkey Kong (franchise)|Donkey Kong]]'', ''[[Yoshi (franchise)|Yoshi]]'', and ''[[Wario (franchise)|Wario]]'' franchises. In total, over 300 video games are included in the franchise, which combined have sold over 800 million copies. The franchise has also been licensed into other media, such as television series, anime, comics (including manga), children's books, and feature films, and spawned various promotional videos and a [[Super Nintendo World|theme park attraction]]. As the flagship franchise of Nintendo, ''Super Mario'' has garnered critical acclaim and widespread recognition throughout the world, with several of its games being considered to be among the {{wp|List of video games considered the best|best video games ever made}}. It has {{wp|List of best-selling video game franchises|sold more total units than any other video game franchise}} in history and has become one of the world's {{wp|List of highest-grossing media franchises|highest-grossing media franchises}}, as well as one of the {{wp|List of longest-running video game franchises|longest-running video game franchises}} of all time.

 

Mario's most common enemies are the [[Goomba]]s, followed by the [[Koopa Troopa]]s. Goombas are mushroom-like creatures that betrayed the Mushroom Kingdom, and are almost always the first enemy that Mario encounters on his adventures. They are the most basic and standard enemies of the series; typically they are extremely weak to the extent that a single stomp is enough to defeat them. Koopa Troopas, as their name implies, are Koopa foot soldiers in the service of Bowser who retract into their shells if stomped on, after which they can be used to attack other foes (either by being kicked or picked up and thrown). They come in multiple colors, most often green and red; green Koopa Troopas move around recklessly and tend to fall off platforms, while red ones are much more cautious. Koopa Troopas also exist in several variants, the most common being the aerial [[Koopa Paratroopa]]s, which have wings on their shells that Mario can detach with a single stomp; and the skeletal, undead [[Dry Bones]], which are typically found in fortresses. There are also many other types of [[Koopa (species)|Koopa]]s, including the projectile-wielding [[Hammer Bro]]s., the hard-shelled [[Buzzy Beetle]]s, the cloud-riding [[Lakitu]]s and the spike-topped [[Spiny|Spinies]] they drop, the ball-belching [[Spike]]s, and the sorcerous [[Magikoopa]]s.

In 1985, Mario became the star of his own side-scrolling platform game called ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'', which was the pack-in title for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]], and introduced the ''Super Mario'' branding as it is known today. The game centers around Mario's quest to save the Mushroom Kingdom and Princess Peach (then known to the Western world as Princess Toadstool) from Bowser and the Koopa Troop. To save the princess, Mario conquers the eight worlds of the Mushroom Kingdom by going to the castle in each to defeat Bowser and his minions. The plot of Bowser kidnapping the princess has been repeatedly reused throughout the subsequent games in the core ''[[Super Mario (series)|Super Mario]]'' series. ''Super Mario Bros.'' sold over 40 million units worldwide for its original NES release alone; as such, it had the all-time highest sales of any title in the franchise until the end of 2021. It was also the world's best-selling video game overall until 2009.

The [[Game Boy]] had its own series of three ''Super Mario'' platformers, titled ''Super Mario Land''. This series' [[Super Mario Land|first entry]] was released in 1989 as one of the handheld's launch titles, and became its best-selling game despite not being bundled with the system. It follows Mario as he travels through Sarasaland, a kingdom with four geographical areas, to corner the alien [[Tatanga]] and rescue the region's kidnapped ruler, Princess Daisy. A sequel, subtitled ''[[Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins|6 Golden Coins]]'', was released in 1992 and had Mario working to save his private island from an evil spell conjured by his childhood friend turned rival, Wario. That character became so popular that the following year, [[Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3|the third game]] in the ''Super Mario Land'' series shifted the attention to him, spawning the ''Wario Land'' series. Neither of Nintendo's next two handhelds received any original mainstream ''Super Mario'' games, only ports and remakes; these included a 1999 "[[Super Mario Bros. Deluxe|Deluxe]]" edition of ''Super Mario Bros.'' for [[Game Boy Color]]; and ''[[Super Mario Advance (series)|Super Mario Advance]]'', a series of [[Game Boy Advance]] cartridges containing ports of various SNES ''Super Mario'' adventures with new features and additions, with a remake of ''Mario Bros.'' included as bonus content.

In 1996, the [[Nintendo 64]] console debuted with ''[[Super Mario 64]]'' as a launch title, one of the first fully 3D console games, and the first game to feature the ''Super Mario'' characters in their 3D rendered versions. Peach sends Mario a letter inviting him to her castle; however, when he arrives, Mario discovers that Bowser has invaded the castle and imprisoned the princess and her servants within it using the castle's Power Stars. Many of the castle's paintings are portals to other worlds, which Mario explores to recover the stars from Bowser's minions. The game was followed up in 2002 with ''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]'', for the [[Nintendo GameCube]]. There, Mario and Peach take a vacation to the tropical resort called [[Isle Delfino]], which has been vandalized and polluted by [[Shadow Mario|a mysterious figure]] similar in appearance to Mario. Mario is arrested and ordered to clean up the island; in the process, he seeks the help of [[F.L.U.D.D.]], a robotic water pump, and must also collect the [[Shine Sprite]]s, which the pollution has caused to flee the island's main plaza. Eventually, Peach is kidnapped by Shadow Mario, who later reveals himself to be Bowser's son, [[Bowser Jr.]], and Mario must confront him, along with Bowser senior, to rescue the princess.

In 2007, the mainstream ''Super Mario'' series continued for the [[Wii]] with ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'', today recognized as the franchise's most critically acclaimed game of all time. While Mario prepares to attend the Mushroom Kingdom's centennial "Star Festival," Bowser invades and uproots Peach's castle, carrying it into space toward the "center of the universe." In space, Mario meets star-like creatures called Lumas and their guardian Rosalina, who tells Mario that he must recover the Power Stars―the power source for her [[Comet Observatory|mobile observatory]]―from the Koopa Troop in order to reclaim Peach from Bowser's "galaxy reactor" in the center of the universe. The game was followed up in 2010 with [[Super Mario Galaxy 2|a sequel]] that features a loosely similar plot; this time, Bowser uses the Power Stars to become a giant, and Mario navigates through the galaxies and eventually to Bowser's lair using a "[[Starship Mario|Starship]]", or mobile planet, in the shape of his head.

There have been six ''Paper Mario'' games released, five being home console entries and one a portable game. As time has passed, each game has introduced new elements in order to keep the gameplay fresh; since 2012, however, the stories and character rosters have been significantly toned down from what they were in the first three games. The original ''Paper Mario'' for Nintendo 64 is set in a paper-based version of the Mushroom Kingdom, where Mario tries to rescue Peach from Bowser, who has imprisoned the seven [[Star Spirits]], lifted her castle into the sky, and has successfully defeated his foe after stealing the [[Star Rod (Paper Mario)|Star Rod]] from [[Star Haven]] and making himself completely invulnerable. To save Mushroom Kingdom, rescue Peach, get the castle back, and defeat Bowser, Mario must locate the Star Spirits, who can negate the effects of the stolen Star Rod, by defeating Bowser's minions who are guarding them. In the sequel, ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'', released in 2004 for the GameCube, Mario quests to retrieve seven [[Crystal Stars]] and rescue Peach from the secret society of the [[X-Nauts]] and their cybernetic leader, [[Sir Grodus]]. In this game, Mario gains the ability to fold himself up into things like a paper airplane and a boat to interact with the overworld. In 2007, ''[[Super Paper Mario]]'' was released on Wii, which deviated into the 2D action RPG genre and introduced the ability to "flip" into a 3D perspective in which the level rotates to reveal a hidden z-axis, placing Mario in a 3D environment; the plot follows Mario's quest to collect eight [[Pure Hearts]] in order to prevent [[Count Bleck]], the main antagonist, from destroying the universe. In the first two installments, Peach is a secondary playable character, with Bowser joining her in ''The Thousand-Year Door''; in ''Super Paper Mario'', not only these two but also Luigi function as secondary playable characters with their own sets of abilities independent of Mario's. In 2012, ''[[Paper Mario: Sticker Star]]'' for the Nintendo 3DS introduced the use of stickers in the environment and turn-based battles, which can be found and peeled off from various areas in the overworld, obtained from battles, or purchased/received from NPCs. The game's story involves Mario retrieving the six [[Royal Stickers]], which have been scattered after Bowser attempted to steal the [[Sticker Comet]]. Using a similar battle style to ''Sticker Star'', 2016's ''[[Paper Mario: Color Splash]]'' for the Wii U has Mario questing to retrieve the stolen [[Big Paint Star]]s in order to restore color to [[Prism Island]]. In 2020's ''[[Paper Mario: The Origami King]]'' for the Nintendo Switch, Mario has to defeat [[King Olly]], who has transformed Bowser's minions into origami enemies called [[Folded Soldiers]], and destroy the five colored streamers that Olly has wrapped around Peach's Castle.

The first game in the series, 2003's ''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]'' for the Game Boy Advance, has Mario and Luigi travel to a foreign land called the [[Beanbean Kingdom]], where they combat a witch named [[Cackletta]] and her assistant [[Fawful]], who have stolen Princess Peach's voice and are plotting to take over the realm by using her voice to awaken the [[Beanstar]]. In 2005, ''[[Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time|Partners in Time]]'' for the Nintendo DS was released. The game places an emphasis on time travel as the protagonists journey between the past and present of the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario and Luigi encounter their younger selves and work with them to search for Peach, who has been abducted by an alien species called the [[Shroobs]] that conquer the Mushroom Kingdom in the past. In 2009, ''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story|Bowser's Inside Story]]'', also for the DS, makes Bowser the main protagonist, who tries to foil Fawful's takeover of the entire kingdom; Mario and Luigi, who have been inhaled into the body of their long-time nemesis, find ways to assist him despite him being unaware of their presence.

The Nintendo 3DS has seen four entries in the ''Mario and Luigi'' series (two original games and two reissues). In 2013, ''[[Mario & Luigi: Dream Team|Dream Team]]'' introduced "Dreamy Luigi," where Luigi sleeps in the Dream World, as part of the "[[Year of Luigi]]" celebration. Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and her attendants head to [[Pi'illo Island]] for a vacation, but find that it must be saved from [[Antasma]], who seeks the [[Dream Stone]]. ''[[Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam|Paper Jam]]'', released in 2015, was a crossover game in which the paper incarnations of the ''Super Mario'' cast seen in the ''Paper Mario'' series are brought into the world of ''Mario & Luigi''. After the two Bowsers team up to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario and Luigi team up with [[Paper Mario (character)|Paper Mario]] in order to stop them. In 2017, a [[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions|remastered version]] of ''Superstar Saga'' was released as the 3DS' third entry, with an added story called "Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser," involving the Koopa Troop's attempts to rescue Bowser from the problems he gets into during the course of the main plot, while confronting and teaming up with the creatures of the Beanbean Kingdom. ''Bowser's Inside Story'' was [[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey|given the same treatment]] for its 10th anniversary in 2019, with its added subplot incorporating Bowser Jr. into the storyline.

In 2005, the franchise saw a role-reversal with ''[[Super Princess Peach]]'' for the Nintendo DS. Developed by the behind-the-scenes studio [[TOSE Software Co.|TOSE]], it casts Peach as the main protagonist, who uses [[Perry]] the talking parasol and her own powers of emotion in the form of [[Vibe]]s to save Mario, Luigi, and several Toads from Bowser, who has imprisoned them on [[Vibe Island]].

One of the most closely linked partner franchises to ''Super Mario'' is the [[Yoshi (franchise)|''Yoshi'' franchise]], composed of various platform and puzzle games. In addition to Nintendo, its games have been developed by such other companies as [[Game Freak]], Intelligent Systems, [[Artoon]], [[Arzest]], and [[Good-Feel]]. The series was conceived after its eponymous character gained mass popularity from his debut appearance in ''Super Mario World''. The "main" branch of the ''Yoshi'' series―that in which he is featured in playable main-character roles―was established in 1995 with ''[[Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island]]'' for the SNES, which introduced the main staples of Yoshi's independent universe; in this game, Yoshi and his friends tote Baby Mario around their island to reunite him with Baby Luigi, who along with the stork that was supposed to deliver the two brothers was kidnapped by the Magikoopa Kamek, who is caring for an [[Baby Bowser|infant Bowser]]. ''Yoshi's Island'' has since spawned six follow-up adventures, one of which, ''[[Yoshi's Island DS]]'', introduced infant versions of several other recurring ''Super Mario'' characters. Other ''Yoshi'' games include [[Yoshi (game)|a 1991 falling-block puzzle game]] for NES and Game Boy; the tile-matching game ''[[Yoshi's Cookie]]'', developed by {{wp|Blue Planet Software}} (then called Bullet-Proof Software); and a dedicated {{wp|light gun shooter}} called ''[[Yoshi's Safari]]'', which made use of the SNES [[Super Scope]].

After Wario gained his share of popularity from his debut in ''Super Mario Land 2'', he was spun off into [[Wario (franchise)|his own franchise]]. The third ''Super Mario Land'' game, released in 1993, focused its attention on him, and kicked off a platforming series called ''[[Wario Land (series)|Wario Land]]'', spawning [[Wario Land II|three]] [[Wario Land 3|numbered]] [[Wario Land 4|sequels]] on handhelds, a [[Virtual Boy Wario Land|Virtual Boy adventure]], and ''[[Wario Land: Shake It!]]'' on Wii. In the interim between ''Wario Land 4'' and ''Shake It!'', Wario starred in two additional adventures: the 3D game ''[[Wario World]]'' and ''[[Wario: Master of Disguise]]'' on DS. Wario's adventures typically involve him grubbing money and hunting for treasure in attempts to further increase his wealth. Ten years after the original ''Wario Land'' was released, a new ''Wario'' series was added, called ''[[WarioWare (series)|WarioWare]]'', in which Wario, motivated by his wish of making money, founds [[WarioWare, Inc.|a video game studio]] and hires numerous friends of his to make short microgames for him. Since ''WarioWare'' launched on Game Boy Advance, every Nintendo system from the sixth generation onwards has contributed an entry of its own to that series, with each new entry featuring microgames that often exploit the new technological enhancements of the console or handheld for which the game is released.

''Hotel Mario'', a puzzle game, was developed by Fantasy Factory and published by Philips in 1994. The primary characters of the game are Mario and Luigi, who must find Princess Peach by going through seven "Koopa Hotels" in the Mushroom Kingdom. Every hotel is divided into multiple stages, and the objective is to close all doors on each stage. The game has been criticized as one of the worst games in the series, mainly because of its cutscenes and the simplicity of its gameplay.

''[[Mario Ice Capades]]'', a live-action ice show, aired on {{wp|American Broadcasting Company|ABC}} in 1989 and starred {{wp|Alyssa Milano}} and {{wp|Jason Bateman}} as a pair of kids. The two are playing ''Super Mario Bros.'' on an NES, when suddenly the game begins glitching and Bowser appears on stage. He sends his minions to attack, prompting Princess Toadstool to appear and assist the Mario Bros., who with the help of a vaporizing gun, must defeat the Koopa troops to save the day.

Years later, in January 2018, it was announced that another film adaptation of the franchise would be produced: ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]'', a fully animated film produced by Nintendo, [[Illumination]], and {{wp|Universal Pictures}}.<ref>Pallotta, Frank (November 14, 2017). [https://money.cnn.com/2017/11/14/media/super-mario-bros-movie/index.html 'Super Mario Bros. animated movie in the works at Illumination Entertainment]. CNNMoney. Retrieved November 14, 2017.</ref> The film was released theatrically worldwide in April 2023,<ref name=TwitterApril25>@NintendoAmerica (April 25, 2022). [https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/1518756878251089921 "''This is Miyamoto. After consulting with Chris-san, my partner at Illumination on the Super Mario Bros. film, we decided to move the global release to Spring 2023–April 28 in Japan and April 7 in North America. My deepest apologies but I promise it will be well worth the wait.''"] ''Twitter''. Retrieved April 25, 2022.</ref> and is the first major motion picture produced by Nintendo. Featuring an all-star voice cast including [[Chris Pratt]] as Mario, [[Charlie Day]] as Luigi, [[Anya Taylor-Joy]] as Peach, and [[Jack Black]] as Bowser, the film depicts the story of the Mario brothers' origins in Brooklyn, then follows Mario and Luigi as they are transported to the alternate worlds of the [[Mushroom Kingdom]] and the [[Dark Land]]s, respectively, and become entangled in a battle between the Mushroom Kingdom and the Koopa Troop. Luigi is kidnapped by Bowser's forces, and Mario must work alongside Peach and Toad to save him, as well as foil Bowser's plot for world domination. The film earned a better reception than the previous live-action film, as it was praised by a number of major film critics; earned aggregate scores of 59% and 96% among critics and audiences, respectively, on Rotten Tomatoes;<ref>[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_super_mario_bros_movie THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE] ''Rotten Tomatoes''. Retrieved April 4, 2023.</ref> set numerous box office records for animated features within multiple countries; and grossed over $1 billion worldwide in its lifetime,<ref>[https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2023/04/mario-movie-continues-to-smash-global-box-office-records-in-opening-weekend Super Mario Movie Secures Most Successful Opening Weekend For Any Animated Film, Ever] ''Nintendo Life''. Retrieved April 8, 2023.</ref> the highest of all video game adaptations in the history of cinema.<ref>[https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2023/04/mario-movie-continues-to-smash-global-box-office-records-in-opening-weekend Super Mario Movie Secures Most Successful Opening Weekend For Any Animated Film, Ever] ''Nintendo Life''. Retrieved April 8, 2023.</ref> It also received three {{wp|Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Award}} nominations: for Best Animated Feature Film, Best Original Song (for [[Peaches|a musical number]] performed by Bowser in the film), and Cinematic and Box Office Achievement.<ref>Rich, Katey (December 11, 2023). [https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/golden-globes-2024-see-all-the-nominations-here Golden Globes 2024: See All the Nominations Here] ''{{wp|Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair}}''. Retrieved December 11, 2023.</ref>

 

The ''Super Mario'' brand was licensed to {{wp|Western Publishing}} for use in children's books in its "Golden Look-Look Book" line, which was aimed at very young readers. Three ''Super Mario Bros.'' books were published under this banner in 1989 and 1990, and were written by Jack C. Harris. The first, ''[[Super Mario Bros.: Trapped in the Perilous Pit|Trapped in the Perilous Pit]]'', has Bowser kidnap Princess Toadstool while Mario and Luigi are trying to repair the castle pipes; the brothers try to push back the Koopa Troop as they advance, but unfortunately fall into a pit, with the princess thrown in as well. ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3: Happy Birthday, Princess Toadstool!|Happy Birthday, Princess Toadstool!]]'' centers around Mario and Luigi's contest to see who can be the first to claim a Starman to present the princess for her birthday. The third and last, ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3: The Secret Bridge|The Secret Bridge]]'', has the brothers and the princess create a bridge to avoid paying Bowser's toll.

Throughout the ''Super Mario'' franchise's life span of over thirty years, many critics, fans, and developers have considered it to be the greatest video game franchise of all time. Mario is widely considered the most famous video game character in history and an icon of the gaming industry.<ref>[http://www.gamecubicle.com/features-mario-nintendo_shining_star.htm "Nintendo's Shining Star: The History of Mario"]. ''Game Cubicle''. August 23, 2008.</ref><ref>Orlando, Greg. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20081020153928/http://www.wired.com/gaming/gamingreviews/multimedia/2007/05/gallery_game_history?slide=18 Console Portraits: A 40-Year Pictorial History of Gaming]." ''{{wp|Wired News}}''. May 15, 2007.</ref><ref>Buchanan, Levi. "[http://retro.ign.com/articles/954/954165p1.html Is There a Bad Mario Game?]"

*[https://nintendo.co.jp/character/mario "Mario Portal" page at the Nintendo Japan site]

*[https://nintendo.co.uk/Super-Mario-Bros-Hub-Mario-Games-627604.html "Super Mario Bros. Hub" page at the Nintendo UK site]

*[https://nintendo.com.au/mario "The official home of Super Mario" page at the Nintendo Australia site]