Super Mario (franchise): Difference between revisions

{{about|the whole Super Mario franchise|the main series of platform games|[[Super Mario (series)]]}}

{{franchise infobox

|first=''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'' ([[List of games by date#1981|1981]])

|number=300+

|related=''[[Donkey Kong (franchise)|Donkey Kong]]'', ''[[Yoshi (franchise)|Yoshi]]'', ''[[Wario (franchise)|Wario]]''

}}

|image2=Super Mario Series Logo (alt).png

}}

==Common elements==

===Plot, themes, and universe===

Throughout his adventures, Mario faces a wide variety of enemies that make attempts to hinder his progress. The majority of these enemies are in the service of Bowser, and are collectively known as [[Bowser's Minions]].

Other common, recurring enemies that Mario has faced over the years include [[Boo]]s, timid ghosts that cover their faces whenever the hero stares at them; [[Piranha Plant]]s, man-eating flora that dwell within pipes; [[Pokey]]s, spiked cacti with detachable body segments; [[Monty Mole]]s, rodent creatures that burst out of the ground; [[Wiggler]]s, caterpillars with segmented bodies and large noses which when stomped on get angry and run frantically; [[Shy Guy]]s, masked creatures wearing robes who come in many different variations; [[Bullet Bill]]s, projectiles that are shot out of cannons called "blasters"; [[Bob-omb]]s, anthropomorphic wind-up bombs with short tempers leading to inevitable explosions; [[Chain Chomp]]s, tethered ball-and-chain creatures that lunge at Mario when in close proximity; [[Blooper]]s, squids that like to corner and close in on their prey; [[Cheep Cheep]]s, fish with wing-like fins and the ability to attack above the surface of the water; [[Thwomp]]s, rectangular rock creatures that flatten whoever passes below them using their own weight; [[Whomp]]s, stone slab creatures with bandaged backs that use their faces to flatten Mario; and [[Lava Bubble]]s (also known as "Podoboos"), living fireballs that inhabit lava pits and attack by leaping upward out of the lava.

===''Super Mario'' series===

{{main|Super Mario (series)}}

[[File:SuperMarioBrosArtwork2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|''Super Mario Bros.'', the flagship game of the ''Super Mario'' franchise, was largely responsible for the early success of the NES and the revival of the North American video game industry after the {{wp|North American video game crash of 1983|1983 market crash}}.<ref>[http://top100.ign.com/2005/001-010.html IGN's Top 100 Games]</ref> The game is represented here with this promotional artwork drawn by Shigeru Miyamoto himself.]]

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 his minions. 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.

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.

[[File:NSMBW Yoshis Group Art.jpg|thumb|200px|The ''New Super Mario Bros.'' games marked a revival of 2D ''Super Mario'' platformers after over 10 years.]]

In 2006, a {{wp|2.5D}} retro throwback sub-series called ''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]'' was inaugurated for the [[Nintendo DS]]. Beyond the first game, the series has continued with follow-ups on [[New Super Mario Bros. Wii|the Wii]], [[New Super Mario Bros. 2|Nintendo 3DS]], and [[New Super Mario Bros. U|Wii U]]. The games in the series are similar in structure and gameplay to the original 2D games, and as such have generally minimalist stories, where Bowser simply kidnaps Peach and provokes Mario to give chase, venturing through eight worlds as in the original ''Super Mario Bros.'', and eventually do battle with him to rescue the princess. In the Wii and Wii U installments, four players can simultaneously control their characters; the Mario brothers are accompanied as playable heroes in these games by two Toads, one [[Blue Toad (character)|blue]] and the other [[Yellow Toad (New Super Mario Bros. series)|yellow]].

===Role-playing games===

The first role-playing game in the ''Super Mario'' franchise, '''''[[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]''''', was released in 1996 for the SNES to critical acclaim. Developed by {{wp|Square (company)|Squaresoft}} before [[Square Enix|it merged]] with {{wp|Enix}}, it contains gameplay elements similar to or inspired by Square's ''{{wp|Final Fantasy}}'' series. The story focuses on Mario as he, with the help of four other characters, seeks to eliminate the game's main antagonist, [[Smithy]], who has stolen the seven pieces of the [[Star Road (Super Mario RPG)|Star Road]] where all the wishes of the world's inhabitants are turned into stars; Mario must return the pieces so these wishes may again be granted. The two ''Super Mario'' RPG series that followed this game, the ''Paper Mario'' and ''Mario & Luigi'' series, have been considered {{wp|informal sequel}}s and {{wp|spiritual successor}}s to this game.

====''Paper Mario'' series====

{{main|Paper Mario (series)}}

The ''Mario & Luigi'' series, developed by [[AlphaDream]], is formed of several role-playing games for Nintendo's handheld systems. The series features games with long, detailed stories full of battles that the Mario brothers must endure in order to progress through the game with ease; as in the ''Paper Mario'' series, the battle system emphasizes timing and more elaborate attacks. Compared to other RPGs, the tone of the ''Mario & Luigi'' games is generally more whimsical and lighthearted, with various in-game jokes and comical references to the heritage of the ''Super Mario'' franchise. With the exception of ''Paper Jam'', Bowser is a side antagonist but lends his form for the games' final bosses.

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 attempts of Bowser's Minions to rescue their king 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.

Later in 2001, when Nintendo released the Nintendo GameCube, one of its launch titles was ''[[Luigi's Mansion]]'', where as in ''Mario is Missing!'' before it, Luigi is the main protagonist instead of Mario. The game takes place in a haunted mansion that Luigi wins in a contest that he never entered. Mario has gone missing while investigating the mansion, so Luigi must find him with the help of Professor E. Gadd, who is studying the ghosts in the mansion. The scientist equips Luigi with a vacuum cleaner called the [[Poltergust 3000]], with which he must capture every ghost in the mansion, and eventually corner their leader, [[King Boo]]. In the 2010s, the game ended up spawning a [[Luigi's Mansion (series)|full-fledged series]], with several follow-ups. The first sequel, ''[[Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon]]'', was released in 2013 as part of the "Year of Luigi" celebration. In this game, King Boo has escaped and shattered the [[Dark Moon]], causing the normally peaceful ghosts of [[Evershade Valley]] to become wild. E. Gadd once again enlists the help of Luigi, equipped with the upgraded [[Poltergust 5000]], to stop the ghosts, this time across five mansions. In 2015, an [[Luigi Mansion Arcade|arcade spinoff]] was released by Capcom. In 2018, the first ''Luigi's Mansion'' was [[Luigi's Mansion (Nintendo 3DS)|remade]] for 3DS with enhanced graphics and audio, modified levels, and added features such as in-game achievements. Another main game, ''[[Luigi's Mansion 3]]'', where Luigi uses the new model [[Poltergust G-00]], was released for the Switch in 2019.

In 2014, Nintendo released ''[[Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker]]'' for Wii U, a puzzle-platforming game based on the "Adventures of Captain Toad" stages in ''Super Mario 3D World'', retaining the main gimmick in that the player is unable to jump, though in this game they can attack by picking up and throwing objects. The heroes [[Captain Toad]] and [[Toadette]] go on a quest for treasure, but must save each other from a treasure-seeking bird named [[Wingo]]. ''Treasure Tracker'' was ported to both the Switch and the 3DS in 2018, replacing the ''3D World'' levels with new ones based off ''Super Mario Odyssey''; this port was updated the following year with a downloadable pack containing 18 new levels and a co-op mode.

:''Main articles: [[Yoshi (franchise)]], [[Wario (franchise)]], [[Donkey Kong (franchise)]]

[[File:YIDS Babies.jpg|thumb|Illustration showing some of the main recurring elements of the ''[[Yoshi's Island (series)|Yoshi's Island]]'' series, created for its DS installment.]]

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 1994, 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. Nearly 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.

Three games using the ''Super Mario'' license were planned to be released by [[Royal Philips Electronics|Philips]]' interactive media division for its [[Philips CD-i|CD-i]] machine: ''[[Super Mario's Wacky Worlds]]'', ''[[Hotel Mario]]'', and ''[[Mario Takes America]]''. Only ''Hotel Mario'' was released; the other two were eventually canceled. Philips was given permission to use Nintendo characters in CD-i games due to its taking part in developing an unreleased CD add-on for the SNES. ''Hotel Mario'' was critically panned and gained very little success, if any at all.

''Super Mario's Wacky Worlds'' was developed by [[NovaLogic]] and attempted to duplicate the gameplay of ''Super Mario World''. Though the game sprites are based on those in ''Super Mario World'', the level design is based on Earth locations rather than Dinosaur Land. Due to the limitations of the CD-i, several features could not be included in the game, such as large numbers of sprites on the screen, and many visual effects. Though the game was canceled, a few prototype discs exist.

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 army. 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>

====Anime====

''[[Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!]]'' (subtitle translated as "The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach") was a Japan-only anime film released on July 20, 1986. Directed by Masami Hata and produced by Masakatsu Suzuki and Tsunemasa Hatano, it stars Mario and Luigi, who get stuck in a video game world, in which they must save Princess Peach and the Mushroom Kingdom from Bowser, who plans to marry the princess. The first full-length feature film to be based on a video game, it was adapted into manga form shortly after its release.

==Reception and legacy==

{{quote2|The evolution of the Mario series led the rest of gaming by the hand, blazing a trail, and teaching lessons in game mechanics, structure, and sheer playability to any who would study its secrets.|''{{wp|Next Generation}}'' No. 14, February 1996}}

===Critical response===

[[File:Marioseries.jpg|thumb|Artwork from an early 1990s ''Nintendo Power'' guide depicting various ''Super Mario'' games: ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'', ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', ''[[Dr. Mario (game)|Dr. Mario]]'' and ''[[Super Mario World]]''.]]

  {{wp|IGN}}. February 13, 2009.</ref> Mario was an inaugural inductee of San Francisco's "{{wp|Walk of Game}}," which honored notable figures in video gaming from 2005 to 2012; and was the first video game character to be honored with a figure in the {{wp|Hollywood Wax Museum}} in 2003. At the height of his popularity, a national survey showed that Mario had become more recognizable to children than American cartoon characters like {{wp|Mickey Mouse}}.<ref>Iwabuchi, Koichi. ''[http://www.dukeupress.edu/Catalog/ViewProduct.php?productid=8083&viewby=title Recentering Globalization: Popular Culture and Japanese Nationalism]''. {{wp|Duke University Press}}. p. 30.</ref> Miyamoto has declared Mario to be his favorite out of all the characters he has created.<ref>"[http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/video-games/4334387 Exclusive Interview with Nintendo Gaming Mastermind Shigeru Miyamoto]" on GamePress.</ref>

Additionally, the ''Super Mario'' franchise possesses a highly diverse fanbase, where content and gameplay are frequently shared via [[List of references on the Internet|the Internet]]. As Nintendo's most popular series, ''Super Mario'' attracts fans of all ages and skill levels―one of its core mission statements. Many websites and online games have poked fun at the series, and there are several sites that have dedicated themselves to it completely. Thousands of unlicensed fan-made games, videos, comics, stories, cosplay costumes, artworks, {{wp|Video game modding|video game modifications}}, and other materials dedicated to the ''Super Mario'' franchise and its games and characters have existed on sites such as {{wp|Newgrounds}}, {{wp|YouTube}}, {{wp|FanFiction.net}}, and {{wp|DeviantArt}}, among others; many of these fan-works have been viewed or accessed by tens or even hundreds of thousands of people. A few Internet memes have been based around ''Super Mario'' characters, and a multitude of YouTube videos have poked fun at what is perceived to be one of the series' greatest blunders, ''[[Hotel Mario]]''. Crossover titles such as ''[[Super Smash Bros. (series)|Super Smash Bros.]]'' are highly coveted among fans, and frequently raise heated discussion in online communities; many of these titles help to introduce ''Super Mario'' fans to other Nintendo or third-party franchises, resulting in large amounts of fandom overlap.

==External links==

**[https://mario.nintendo.com/es Spanish version]

**[https://mario.nintendo.com/fr French version]

==References==