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(also known as and ) is a
platform game A platform game (often simplified as platformer and sometimes called a jump 'n' run game) is a sub-genre of action video games in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are charac ...
series created by Nintendo starring their mascot,
Mario is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his cre ...
. It is the central series of the greater ''Mario'' franchise. At least one ''Super Mario'' game has been released for every major
Nintendo video game console The Japanese multinational consumer electronics company Nintendo has developed seven home video game consoles and multiple portable consoles for use with external media, as well as dedicated consoles and other hardware for their consoles. , in ...
. There are more than 20 games in the series. The ''Super Mario'' games are set primarily in the fictional
Mushroom Kingdom The is a fictional principality in Nintendo's ''Mario'' series. It is the setting of most main-series ''Mario'' games with an inconsistent presentation. There is no established canon regarding the topography of the ''Mario'' universe, and many ...
, typically with Mario as the player character. He is usually joined by his brother,
Luigi is a fictional character featured in video games and related media released by Nintendo. Created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Luigi is portrayed as the younger fraternal twin brother and sidekick of Mario, Nintendo's masc ...
, and often by other members of the ''Mario'' cast. As platform games, they involve the player character running and jumping across platforms and atop enemies in themed levels. The games have simple plots, typically with Mario and Luigi rescuing the kidnapped
Princess Peach is a fictional character in Nintendo's ''Mario'' franchise, created by Shigeru Miyamoto and introduced in the 1985 original '' Super Mario Bros.'' installment. She is the princess regnant and ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, where she resides ...
from the primary antagonist,
Bowser , or King Koopa, is a fictional character, the primary antagonist in Nintendo's ''Mario'' franchise, and the arch-nemesis of Mario. In Japan, the character bears the title of . Bowser is the leader of the turtle-like Koopa race. Despite the ...
. The first game in the series, ''
Super Mario Bros. is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The successor to the 1983 arcade game '' Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series, it was first released in 1985 for ...
'', released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985, established the series' core gameplay concepts and elements. These include a multitude of power-ups and items that give the character special powers such as fireball-throwing and size-changing. The ''Super Mario'' series is part of the greater ''Mario'' franchise, which includes other video game genres and media such as film, television, printed media, and merchandise. More than 380 million copies of ''Super Mario'' games have been sold worldwide, making it the fifth-bestselling video game series, behind the larger ''Mario'' franchise, the puzzle series ''
Tetris ''Tetris'' (russian: link=no, Тетрис) is a puzzle video game created by Soviet software engineer Alexey Pajitnov in 1984. It has been published by several companies for multiple platforms, most prominently during a dispute over the appro ...
,'' the series ''Pokémon'' video games, and
first-person shooter First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the p ...
series '' Call of Duty''.


Development and history


2D origins (1985–1995)


Original ''Super Mario Bros.'' games

''Super Mario Bros.'', the first side-scrolling 2D platform game to feature Mario, was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985. It was derived through collaboration by Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto and
Takashi Tezuka is a Japanese video game designer, director, and video game producer, producer. He is a senior officer of Nintendo EPD and executive at Nintendo. Career Upon graduating the Design Department of Osaka University of Arts, he joined Nintendo in A ...
as a successor to the 1983 arcade game ''
Mario Bros. is a 1983 arcade game developed and published for arcades by Nintendo. It was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Gunpei Yokoi, Nintendo's chief engineer. Italian twin brother plumbers Mario and Luigi exterminate creatures emerging from the ...
'', which starred two characters: Mario, the titular character that first appeared in ''
Donkey Kong is a video game franchise created by Shigeru Miyamoto and owned by Nintendo. It follows the adventures of a gorilla named Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong and his clan of other Ape, apes and monkeys. The franchise primarily consists of plat ...
'' as the original player character and its
sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
where he was a final boss, and
Luigi is a fictional character featured in video games and related media released by Nintendo. Created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Luigi is portrayed as the younger fraternal twin brother and sidekick of Mario, Nintendo's masc ...
, who first appeared in ''Mario Bros''. ''Super Mario Bros.'' established many core ''
Mario is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his cre ...
'' elements, such as
Goombas Goombas , known in Japan as , are a fictional mushroom-like species from Nintendo's ''Mario'' franchise. They first appeared in the NES video game ''Super Mario Bros.'' as the first enemy players encounter. They have appeared outside video g ...
, Koopa Troopas, Bowser, Peach, and its three power-ups: the Super Mushroom, increasing the character's size and providing an extra
hit point Health is an attribute in a video game or tabletop game that determines the maximum amount of damage or loss of stamina that a character or object can take before dying or losing consciousness. In role-playing games, this typically takes the f ...
, Fire Flower, allowing the character to throw fireballs as weapons, and Super Star, granting temporary invincibility. The etymology of "Super" in the title came from the integration of the Super Mushroom into the game. The brothers Mario and Luigi must rescue Princess Toadstool/Peach from Bowser/King Koopa in the Mushroom Kingdom. The game consists of eight worlds of four levels each, totaling 32 levels altogether. Though the worlds differ in themes, the fourth level is always a fortress or castle that ends with a fight against Bowser (or one of his minions disguised as him). ''Super Mario Bros.'' is one of the best-selling video games of all time. ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' (''Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels'' in USA) is the first sequel to the original ''Super Mario Bros.'' It uses the ''Super Mario Bros.'' engine, with additions such as weather, character movements, and more complex levels, altogether yielding a much higher difficulty. The game follows the same style of level progression as ''Super Mario Bros.'', with eight initial worlds of four levels each. At that time, this sequel was not released outside Japan since Nintendo of America did not want the ''Super Mario'' series to be known to players outside of Japan for frustrating difficulty. It remained inaccessible to a steadily broadening market of American video game players, becoming stylistically outdated by the time the Japanese ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' could be eventually delivered to America. The game later debuted outside Japan in 1993 as "Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels" in the compilation game '' Super Mario All-Stars'' for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). In ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' (''Super Mario USA'' in Japan), Mario and his companions seek to defeat the evil frog
Wart Warts are typically small, rough, hard growths that are similar in color to the rest of the skin. They typically do not result in other symptoms, except when on the bottom of the feet, where they may be painful. While they usually occur on the ...
in the Subcon dreamland. Based on a discarded prototype, the game was instead originally released as '' Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic'' in Japan, and was ultimately converted into a ''Mario'' game for the rest of the world as ''Super Mario Bros. 2'', before being released in Japan as ''Super Mario USA'' as part of ''Super Mario All-Stars''. One of the game's most defining aspects is the four player characters: not only Mario, but Luigi, Princess Peach and Toad are available for single-player gameplay, each with defined character movements: Luigi jumps higher, the Princess can hover in the air for a short amount of time, and Toad is the fastest. Characters here also can pluck items from the ground to throw at enemies. This is also the first ''Super Mario'' game to use a life meter, which allows the characters to be hit up to four times before dying. ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' is divided into eight themed worlds, each with 6–10 levels and several bonus stages displayed as locations on a mapped
overworld An overworld (sometimes referred to as a hub world) is, in a broad sense, commonly an area within a video game that interconnects all its levels or locations. They are mostly common in role-playing games, though this does not exclude other vide ...
. These locations are not necessarily in a linear order, and the player is occasionally permitted to skip levels or play the game out of order. Completed levels cannot be replayed. The penultimate boss stage in each world is a side-scrolling level atop an
airship An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air. In early ...
("Doom Ship") with a fight against one of Bowser's seven
Koopalings The (also known as in Japan and Europe or in Japan) are a fictional group of seven childlike characters in the ''Mario'' video game franchise by Nintendo. Their individual names are Larry Koopa, Morton Koopa Jr., Wendy O. Koopa, Iggy Koopa, ...
. The game introduced a diverse array of new power-ups, including flight as Raccoon Mario and Raccoon Luigi or the level-long ''P-Wing'' allowing flight through a whole level. Bowser is again the final boss.


''Super Mario Land'' games

''Super Mario Land'' is the first handheld ''Super Mario'' game apart from the Game & Watch conversion of ''Super Mario Bros.'', and was released for the
Game Boy The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same t ...
in 1989. Like the ''Super Mario Bros.'' games, it is a sidescrolling platformer. Mario sets out to save
Princess Daisy is a fictional character in the ''Mario'' series of video games. She debuted in 1989's ''Super Mario Land'' as the ruler of Sarasaland. Described as a tomboy, she used to be rumored to be Luigi's love interest, similarly to Princess Peach b ...
from the spaceman Tatanga. Items include the Super Mushroom, Super Flower, which allows Mario to shoot projectiles, Super Star, and hearts, which give Mario an
extra life In video games, a life is a play-turn that a player character has, defined as the period between start and end of play. Lives refer to a finite number of tries before the game ends with a game over. It is sometimes called a chance, a try, rest ...
. The game consists of twelve levels split across four worlds. Reaching the higher of two exits at each level's end activates a
minigame A minigame (also spelled mini game and mini-game, sometimes called a subgame or microgame) is a short game often contained within another video game. A minigame contains different gameplay elements, and is often smaller or more simplistic, than t ...
where the player can try to get extra lives. ''Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins'' was released for the Game Boy in 1992. It introduces Mario's rival,
Wario is a fictional character in Nintendo's ''Mario'' series, designed as an arch-rival to Mario. He first appeared in the 1992 Game Boy game '' Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins'' as the main antagonist and final boss. His name is a portmanteau ...
, who took over Mario's castle during the events of ''Super Mario Land'' and forces Mario to collect the six golden coins in order to reenter and reclaim his castle. While its predecessor is similar to the original ''Super Mario Bros.'', ''Super Mario Land 2'' has more in common with ''Super Mario World'', featuring a world map and the ability to move back to the left within levels. There are 32 levels, divided into several themed worlds that each have their own boss. Three power-ups return: the Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, and Super Star. The game also introduces the Carrot power-up, which gives Mario large rabbit ears that let him glide when falling for a limited time. Its story was continued in '' Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3'', which retroactively became the first of a spin-off series, '' Wario Land''.


''Super Mario World'' games

''Super Mario World'' was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and consists of nine worlds displayed via a world map. It is a direct successor to the ''Super Mario Bros.'' games, bearing the subtitle ''Super Mario Bros. 4'' in Japan. Unlike ''Super Mario Bros. 3'', however, where each world map is separate, the world map here covers the whole game. Some of the levels have hidden alternate exits leading to different areas. New abilities include a spin jump and the rideable
Yoshi Yoshi is a fictional dinosaur who appears in video games published by Nintendo. Yoshi debuted in ''Super Mario World'' (1990) on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as Mario and Luigi's sidekick. Yoshi is the title character of the ''Yoshi' ...
, who can eat enemies and either swallow or spit them out. Power-ups include the new Cape Feather, which lets Mario and Luigi fly with a cape, and the P-balloon, which inflates the player character to allow him to float. ''Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island'' was released for the
SNES The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in E ...
in 1995. To reunite baby Mario with his brother Luigi, who has been kidnapped by
Kamek The ''Mario'' franchise is a video game series by Nintendo. While Nintendo is usually the developer and publisher of games in the franchise, various series are developed by third-party companies, such as Hudson Soft and Intelligent Systems. ...
, the player controls Yoshi as the primary character through 48 levels while carrying Baby Mario. Yoshi runs and jumps to reach the end of the level while solving puzzles and collecting items. In a style new to the series, the game has a hand-drawn aesthetic. The game introduces his signature abilities to flutter jump and produce eggs from swallowed enemies. ''Yoshi's Island'' received "instant" and "universal acclaim", according to
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
and
review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, and sold over four million copies. Yoshi's signature characteristics established in ''Yoshi's Island'' would carry throughout a series of cameos, spin-offs, and sequels. Sources have debated on whether ''Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island'', where the player primarily controls a Yoshi carrying Baby Mario, should count as a ''Super Mario'' game, with some sources considering it strictly a ''Yoshi'' game. Miyamoto responded affirmatively when asked if ''Yoshi's Island'' is a ''Super Mario'' game, with Tezuka later adding:
"When that game debuted, I wanted people to understand that Yoshi was part of the ''Mario'' world, and that be conveyed whether through title or gameplay. To me, it's part of the ''Mario'' series, but today's Yoshi games? They've changed from those origins, so I think it's okay to think of Yoshi living in his own universe. You can think of it separately from Mario's world."


Introduction of 3D and open worlds (1996–2005)


''Super Mario 64''

In the early 1990s, director and producer Shigeru Miyamoto had conceived a 3D ''Mario'' design during development of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) game ''
Star Fox is an arcade style rail shooter and third person action-adventure video game series created by Shigeru Miyamoto, produced and published by Nintendo. The games follow the Star Fox combat team of anthropomorphic animals, led by chief protagon ...
'' (1993). He considered using the
Super FX The Super FX is a coprocessor on the Graphics Support Unit (GSU) added to select Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) video game cartridges, primarily to facilitate advanced 2D and 3D graphics. The Super FX chip was designed by Argona ...
chip to develop a SNES game, ''Super Mario FX'', with gameplay based on "an entire world in miniature, like miniature trains". He eventually reformulated the idea for the Nintendo 64, not for its substantially greater power, but because its controller has more buttons for gameplay. ''Super Mario 64'' was developed over approximately three years, with one year spent on the design concept and approximately two years on production. Production began on September 7, 1994, and concluded on May 20, 1996. ''Super Mario 64'' is the first 3D and open world game in the series, and a
launch game This list includes terms used in video games and the video game industry, as well as slang used by players. 0–9 A ...
for the
Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and ...
home console. Each level is an enclosed environment where the player is free to explore in all directions without time limits. The player collects Power Stars from the paintings in Peach's castle to unlock later courses and areas. The Nintendo 64's
analog stick An analog stick (or analogue stick in British English), sometimes called a control stick or thumbstick, is an input device for a controller (often a game controller) that is used for two-dimensional input. An analog stick is a variation of a joy ...
makes an extensive repertoire of precise movements in all directions possible. The game introduced moves such as punching, triple jumping, and using a Wing Cap to fly. It is the first ''Super Mario'' series game to feature
Charles Martinet Charles Martinet (, ; born September 17, 1955) is an American actor and voice actor, known for his portrayal of both Mario and Luigi in the ''Super Mario'' video game series since 1992. He is also the voice of other characters in the series suc ...
's voice acting for Mario. Mario must once again save Princess Peach from Bowser. The game's power-ups differ from previous games, now being three different hats with temporary powers: the Wing Cap, allowing Mario to fly; the Metal Cap, turning him into metal; and the Vanish Cap, allowing him to walk through obstacles. ''Super Mario 64'' is considered seminal to 3D video games. A remake of the game called '' Super Mario 64 DS'' was released for Nintendo DS in 2004 and 2005, adding Yoshi, Luigi, and Wario as playable characters, new abilities, new objectives, multiplayer, and minigames.


''Super Mario Sunshine''

''Super Mario Sunshine'' is the second 3D ''Super Mario'' game. It was released in 2002 for the GameCube. In it, Mario and Peach travel to Isle Delfino for a vacation when a Mario doppelgänger, going by the name of
Shadow Mario in Japan) is a fictional character who appears in Nintendo's ''Mario'' franchise as an antagonist. He is the son of the series' main antagonist, Bowser. Since his debut in ''Super Mario Sunshine'' in 2002, Bowser Jr. has been a recurring cha ...
, appears and vandalizes the entire island. Mario is sentenced to clean the island with a water-squirting accessory called F.L.U.D.D. ''Super Mario Sunshine'' shares many similar gameplay elements with its predecessor '' Super Mario 64'', yet introduces moves, like spinning while jumping, and several other actions through the use of F.L.U.D.D. The game contains a number of independent levels, which can be reached from the hub, Delfino Plaza. Mario collects Shine Sprites by completing tasks in the levels, which in return unlock levels in Delfino Plaza by way of abilities and plot-related events. ''Sunshine'' introduces the last of Bowser's eight children,
Bowser Jr. in Japan) is a fictional character who appears in Nintendo's ''Mario'' franchise as an antagonist. He is the son of the series' main antagonist, Bowser. Since his debut in ''Super Mario Sunshine'' in 2002, Bowser Jr. has been a recurring chara ...
, as an antagonist. Yoshi also appears again for Mario to ride in certain sections.


2D revival and path-focused 3D games (2006–2019)


''New Super Mario Bros.'' games

After no original 2D game releases in the series since 1995, ''New Super Mario Bros.'' was released on the Nintendo DS in 2006. In it, Mario and Luigi set out to save Princess Peach from
Bowser Jr in Japan) is a fictional character who appears in Nintendo's '' Mario'' franchise as an antagonist. He is the son of the series' main antagonist, Bowser. Since his debut in ''Super Mario Sunshine'' in 2002, Bowser Jr. has been a recurring ch ...
. The gameplay is 2D, but most of the characters and objects are 3D on
two-dimensional In mathematics, a plane is a Euclidean ( flat), two-dimensional surface that extends indefinitely. A plane is the two-dimensional analogue of a point (zero dimensions), a line (one dimension) and three-dimensional space. Planes can arise as ...
backgrounds, resulting in a
2.5D 2.5D (two-and-a-half dimensional) perspective refers to gameplay or movement in a video game or virtual reality environment that is restricted to a two-dimensional (2D) plane with little to no access to a third dimension in a space that other ...
effect. The game uses an overworld map similar to those of ''Super Mario Bros. Deluxe''. Some levels have multiple exits. The classic power-ups (Super Mushroom, Fire Flower and Super Star) return alongside the Mega Mushroom, Blue Shell, and Mini Mushroom. ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii'' (2009) features 4-player co-op and new power-ups: the Propeller Mushroom, the Ice Flower, and the Penguin Suit. All characters can ride
Yoshi Yoshi is a fictional dinosaur who appears in video games published by Nintendo. Yoshi debuted in ''Super Mario World'' (1990) on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as Mario and Luigi's sidekick. Yoshi is the title character of the ''Yoshi' ...
. ''New Super Mario Bros. 2'' was released in July and August 2012 for the Nintendo 3DS. The player, as Mario or Luigi, tries to save Princess Peach from Bowser and the Koopalings, with the game's secondary goal to collect one million coins. Several gameplay elements were introduced to help achieve this goal, such as the Gold Flower, a rarer variant of the Fire Flower that turns items into coins. ''New Super Mario Bros. U'', the
Wii U The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4. Th ...
follow-up to ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii'', was released in November 2012. It introduces both a Flying Squirrel suit that lets the characters glide through the air, and asymmetric gameplay that allows the player holding the
GamePad A gamepad is a type of video game controller held in two hands, where the fingers (especially thumbs) are used to provide input. They are typically the main input device for video game consoles. Features Gamepads generally feature a set o ...
to influence the environment. In June 2013, '' New Super Luigi U'' was released as a downloadable content (DLC) package for the game, featuring shorter, but more difficult levels, starring Luigi as the main protagonist instead of his brother. Subsequently, it was released as a standalone retail game on August 25 in North America. The Nintendo Switch port ''
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is a 2D side-scrolling platform video game developed and published in 2012 by Nintendo as a launch game for the Wii U. It is the fourth entry in the ''New Super Mario Bros.'' series, and is the first mainline ''Mario'' game to be released in ...
'' includes both the main game and ''New Super Luigi U'', and new playable characters Nabbit and Toadette.


''Super Mario Galaxy'' games

Miyamoto explained that when he was developing ''Super Mario 64'' with
Yoshiaki Koizumi is a Japanese video game designer, director, and producer, and business executive. He is a senior executive officer at Nintendo, where he is known for his work within their ''Mario'' and ''The Legend of Zelda'' series. Since 2013, Koizumi is a ...
, they realized that the title would be more directed towards the "core gamer", rather than the casual, "pick-up-and-go" gamer.NinEverything. (January 13, 2017)
Miyamoto on Super Mario Odyssey – Nintendo Treehouse Live with Nintendo Switch
. ''YouTube''. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
After ''Sunshine'', their focus shifted to more accessible, casual games, leading them to develop ''
Super Mario Galaxy is a 2007 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the third 3D game in the ''Super Mario'' series. As Mario, the player embarks on a quest to rescue Princess Peach, save the universe from Bowser, and collect 1 ...
'' with more progression-oriented paths. ''Galaxy'' was launched in 2007 for the Wii. It is set in
outer space Outer space, commonly shortened to space, is the expanse that exists beyond Earth and its atmosphere and between celestial bodies. Outer space is not completely empty—it is a near-perfect vacuum containing a low density of particles, pred ...
, where Mario or Luigi travel between " galaxies" to collect Power Stars, earned by completing quests or defeating enemies. It introduced
motion controls In video games and entertainment systems, a motion controller is a type of game controller that uses accelerometers or other sensors to Motion capture, track motion and provide input. History Motion controllers using accelerometers are used as c ...
to the series. Each galaxy contains a number of
planet A planet is a large, rounded astronomical body that is neither a star nor its remnant. The best available theory of planet formation is the nebular hypothesis, which posits that an interstellar cloud collapses out of a nebula to create a you ...
s and other space objects for the player to explore. The game's physics system gives each celestial object its own gravitational force, which lets the character circumnavigate rounded or irregular planetoids by walking sideways or upside down. The character is usually able to jump from one independent object and fall towards another close object. Though the main gameplay and physics are in 3D, there are several points in the game where the character's movements are restricted into a 2D axis. Several new power-ups appear following the new game mechanics. The sequel, ''Super Mario Galaxy 2'', released on May 23, 2010, was initially developed as an expansion pack to ''Galaxy'', but was eventually developed into its own game. It retains the basic premise of its predecessor and includes its items and power-ups besides the Ice Flower and Red Star. New power-ups include the Cloud Flower, which allows Mario or Luigi to create platforms in mid-air and the Rock Mushroom, which turns the character into a rolling boulder. The character can also ride Yoshi. The game was released to widespread critical acclaim, getting better reviews than its predecessor.


''Super Mario 3D Land'' and ''3D World''

Two games in the series have attempted to translate the gameplay of the 2D games into a 3D environment, and simplify the control scheme of the 3D games through including more linear levels. ''Super Mario 3D Land'' was released for the Nintendo 3DS in November and December 2011. It is the first original 3D ''Super Mario'' game on a handheld console, since all previous handheld games were either 2D or a port of a previous game. It also brought back several older gameplay features, including the Super Leaf power-up last seen in ''Super Mario Bros. 3''. ''Super Mario 3D World'', the sequel to ''3D Land'', was released for the Wii U on November 22, 2013 in North America, and utilized the same gameplay mechanics as its predecessor. Co-operative multiplayer is available for up to four players. The game introduced the ability to turn the characters into cats able to attack and scale walls in order to reach new areas, and to create clones of the characters. Like ''Super Mario Bros. 2'', it features Princess Peach and Toad as playable characters in addition to Mario and Luigi. Rosalina from ''Super Mario Galaxy'' is also unlocked later in the game. Miyamoto said that "even though that's a 3D game, it's a little more accessible to everybody."


''Super Mario Maker'' games

''Super Mario Maker'' is a creation tool released for the Wii U in September 2015 which allows players to create their own levels based on the gameplay and style of ''Super Mario Bros.'', ''Super Mario Bros. 3'', ''Super Mario World'', and ''New Super Mario Bros. U'', as well as to share their creations online. Based on existing games, several gameplay mechanics were introduced for the game, with existing ones also available to be used together in new ways. A Nintendo 3DS version of the game called ''Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS'', was released in December 2016. It features a few new pre-installed levels, but no online level sharing. ''Super Mario Maker 2'' is a new version of ''Super Mario Maker'' with many new items, themes, and enemies, a world-builder, as well as online multiplayer. The game was released on June 28, 2019 for the Nintendo Switch.


''Super Mario Run''

''Super Mario Run'' is a side-scrolling and auto-scrolling video game released in December 2016 on the
iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also include ...
platform, then in March 2017 on Android. It is the first official ''Super Mario'' game developed for
mobile devices A mobile device (or handheld computer) is a computer small enough to hold and operate in the hand. Mobile devices typically have a flat LCD or OLED screen, a touchscreen interface, and digital or physical buttons. They may also have a physical ...
. As such, it features simplified controls that allow it to be played with only one hand. In this game, the character runs automatically, with the player controlling the jumping action to avoid hazards. This is achieved by touching the tactile screens these devices are built with. The longer the player touches the jump button, the higher the character jumps. This game also includes a "Toad Rally" mode, similar to the "VS Boo" mode of ''Super Mario Bros Deluxe'', in which players have to complete a level faster than a computer-controlled Toad. Success in this mode earns the player access to in-game money to spend on customizing the Mushroom Kingdom map, using mechanics similar to ''
Farmville ''FarmVille'' is a series of agriculture-simulation social network game developed and published by Zynga in 2009. It is similar to '' Happy Farm'' and ''Farm Town''. Its gameplay involves various aspects of farmland management, such as plowi ...
''. This is the first ''Super Mario'' game that
Princess Daisy is a fictional character in the ''Mario'' series of video games. She debuted in 1989's ''Super Mario Land'' as the ruler of Sarasaland. Described as a tomboy, she used to be rumored to be Luigi's love interest, similarly to Princess Peach b ...
is playable in and the first to feature a music track with vocals.


Return of open-ended exploration (2017–present)


''Super Mario Odyssey''

After having fallen out of favor by the mid-2000s, open-world "collectathon" 3D platformers such as ''Super Mario 64'', '' Banjo-Kazooie'' and ''
Donkey Kong 64 ''Donkey Kong 64'' is a 1999 platform game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It is the first 3D game in the '' Donkey Kong'' series. As the gorilla Donkey Kong, the player explores themed levels to collect it ...
'' had become less common. For example, the 3D adventure game '' Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts'' (2008) explicitly mocked the perceived tedium of collecting large quantities of tokens. By the mid-2010s, however, 3D platformers were aiming to replicate such experiences, including ''
Yooka-Laylee ''Yooka-Laylee'' is a platform game published by Team17 in 2017 for Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, followed by a version for Amazon Luna in October 2020. Developed by Playtonic Games, a group of former ke ...
'' and '' A Hat in Time''. ''Super Mario Odyssey'' is a return to the open-world "sandbox" 3D style of game, with "more open-ended exploration like in ''Super Mario 64'' and ''Super Mario Sunshine''." It was released in October 2017 for Nintendo Switch. After Mario's cap is possessed by a spirit named Cappy, he gains the new move of temporarily "capturing" enemies and objects to utilize their abilities. Like previous sandbox 3D games, the game's worlds contain a large variety of objectives that can be achieved in a non-linear order before progressing. The game features many different kingdoms in addition to the Mushroom Kingdom that Mario's adventures usually take place in.


''Bowser's Fury''

'' Bowser's Fury'' is part of the 2021 re-release of ''Super Mario 3D World'' on the Nintendo Switch. It implements 3D open-world "free-roaming" gameplay in a similar fashion to ''Odyssey'', from which it includes many elements. Supporting up to two players, it sees Mario teaming up with Bowser Jr. to collect Cat Shines to restore lighthouses in a land called Lake Lapcat. Periodically, a gigantic incarnation of Bowser known as Fury Bowser awakens to bring darkness upon the land and attacks the island. To beat him, Mario must collect enough Cat Shines to awaken the Giga Bell and use it to fight Bowser.


Remakes and remasters


Music

Much of the original ''Super Mario Bros.'' music and sound effects have become iconic to the series and incorporated into modern games. The original ''Super Mario Bros.'' theme, composed by Koji Kondo, has become one of the most well known video game themes around the world. ''Super Mario Galaxy'', released in 2007, became the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series to feature orchestrated music, which would return in its sequel and other subsequent games such as ''Super Mario 3D World''.


Common elements

The objective of the game is to progress through levels by defeating enemies, collecting items and solving puzzles without dying. Power-up use is integral to the series. The series has installments featuring both two and three-dimensional gameplay. In the 2D games, the player character (usually Mario) jumps on platforms and enemies while avoiding their attacks and moving to the right of the scrolling screen. 2D ''Super Mario'' game levels have single-exit objectives, which must be reached within a time limit and lead to the next sequential level. '' Super Mario Bros. 3'' introduced the
overworld An overworld (sometimes referred to as a hub world) is, in a broad sense, commonly an area within a video game that interconnects all its levels or locations. They are mostly common in role-playing games, though this does not exclude other vide ...
, a map of nonlinear levels that branches according to the player's choice. ''
Super Mario World ''Super Mario World,'' known in Japan as is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was released in Japan in 1990, North America in 1991 and Europe and Australia in 19 ...
'' introduced levels with multiple exits. 3D installments in the series have had two subgenres: open world exploration based games and more linear 3D games with a predetermined path. Levels in the open world games, '' 64'', '' Sunshine'' and ''
Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Iliad'', th ...
'', allow the player to freely explore multiple enclosed environments in 360 degree movement. As the game progresses, more environments become accessible. The linear 3D games, ''Galaxy'', ''Galaxy 2'', ''3D Land'' and ''3D World'', feature more fixed camera angles and a predetermined path to a single goal.


Blocks

Most items in the ''Super Mario'' series appear from item blocks when hit, which originated in ''
Super Mario Bros. is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The successor to the 1983 arcade game '' Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series, it was first released in 1985 for ...
'' and have persisted throughout the series, where the character hits a block to receive either coins or power-ups. Variations include those that are invisible until hit, advice dispensers, produce another block, move, frozen, contingent on a switch, bouncy, etc. The propeller block lets the character spin up into the air and slowly descend, and the Gold Block generates coins through running. A single block is the unit of measurement in the design of ''Super Mario'' levels.


Transformation

Mushroom power-ups appear in almost every ''Super Mario'' game. The most iconic of these is the Super
Mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans. The standard for the name "mushroom" is ...
. The ''Super Mushroom'' increases the character's size, turning them into a "Super" variant, and allows them to break certain blocks. When hit by an enemy, the character reverts to their smaller size instead of losing a life. When the character is in their "Super" form, most blocks that would contain a Super Mushroom instead offer a more powerful power-up such as the Fire Flower. The Super Mushroom is similar in appearance to the '' Amanita muscaria'', with an ivory stalk below a most commonly red and white (originally red and orange) spotted cap. Created by chance, Shigeru Miyamoto stated in an interview that beta tests of ''Super Mario Bros.'' proved Mario too tall, so the development team implemented mushrooms to grow and shrink Mario. The ''Poison Mushroom'', first introduced in the Japanese ''Super Mario Bros. 2'', is a mushroom that causes damage when touched. The ''Mini Mushroom'' is a small blue mushroom recurring in the ''New Super Mario Bros.'' series that shrinks the character to miniature size, allowing them to access certain areas and pipes, jump higher, float in midair, bounce off enemies without hurting them, run across the surface of water, and in ''New Super Mario Bros. U'' run up walls. The ''Mega Mushroom'', introduced in ''New Super Mario Bros.'' and further appearing in ''New Super Mario Bros. 2'' and ''3D World'', grows the character into a towering, invulnerable giant who destroys enemies and the environment by running through them. It has an orange-yellow cap with red spots, like the ''Super Mario Bros.'' Super Mushroom, but with an inflated cap. ''64 DS'' features an item simply called "Mushroom" that grants the same abilities as the Mega Mushroom. In the ''Galaxy'' games, the Bee Mushroom gives Mario or Luigi the Bee Suit, the Spring Mushroom puts him inside a metallic coil, and the Boo Mushroom turns him into a ghost. Other types of transformation have also appeared. The Wing Yoshi form is available in ''World'' and ''64 DS'' and Wing Mario in ''64'' and ''64 DS''. Yoshi can also transform into a car, helicopter, train, submarine, and
mole Mole (or Molé) may refer to: Animals * Mole (animal) or "true mole", mammals in the family Talpidae, found in Eurasia and North America * Golden moles, southern African mammals in the family Chrysochloridae, similar to but unrelated to Talpida ...
in ''Yoshi's Island''. Transformation into a silver metallic form is available to Mario in ''64'', Wario in ''64 DS'', and Luigi in ''New Super Mario Bros. 2'', in which game Gold Mario and Silver Luigi have coin-based powers. Ghostlike intangibility can be achieved by Mario in ''64'', Luigi in ''64 DS'', and both brothers in the ''Galaxy'' games. A balloon transformation is available to Mario and Luigi in ''World'' and Mario in ''64 DS'', to a pink baby Yoshi in ''New Super Mario Bros. U'', and to all player characters in ''Maker 2''. Projectile flowers turn the character into a form with shooting abilities, and
flight Flight or flying is the process by which an object moves through a space without contacting any planetary surface, either within an atmosphere (i.e. air flight or aviation) or through the vacuum of outer space (i.e. spaceflight). This can be a ...
and
invincibility {{Short pages monitor


Sales

''Super Mario'' is one of the best-selling video game franchises, having sold more than units worldwide . The first seven ''Super Mario'' games (including the first three ''Super Mario Bros.'' titles, the first two ''Super Mario Land'' titles, and ''Super Mario World'') had sold units by March 1993. Games in the ''Super Mario'' series have had consistently strong sales, ranking among the best-selling video games of all time. ''Super Mario Bros.'' sold more than units worldwide sold across multiple platforms by 1996. The original NES version sold 40.23 million units and is the best-selling NES game, with its two sequels, ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (18 million copies) and ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' (10 million copies), ranking in second and third place respectively. ''
Super Mario World ''Super Mario World,'' known in Japan as is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was released in Japan in 1990, North America in 1991 and Europe and Australia in 19 ...
'' is the best-selling game for the SNES console, selling 20 million copies. ''Super Mario World'' is also the seventh best-selling game of all time. '' Super Mario 64'' sold the most copies for the
Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and ...
(11 million), whereas ''
Super Mario Sunshine is a 2002 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the second 3D game in the ''Super Mario'' series, following '' Super Mario 64'' (1996). The game was directed by Yoshiaki Koizumi and Kenta Usui, produced b ...
'' is the second best-selling game (5.5 million) on the GameCube (second to '' Super Smash Bros. Melee''). ''
Super Mario Galaxy is a 2007 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the third 3D game in the ''Super Mario'' series. As Mario, the player embarks on a quest to rescue Princess Peach, save the universe from Bowser, and collect 1 ...
'' has sold 12.80 million units , which was the best-selling 3D game in the series until 2019, and is the ninth best-selling game for the Wii. Its sequel ''
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a 2010 platform game, platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was first announced at E3 2009 and is the sequel to 2007's ''Super Mario Galaxy''. It was released worldwide in 2010. Much like the first game, t ...
'' has 7.41 million units sold, placing in twelfth. ''
Super Mario 3D World is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U in 2013. It is the sixth original 3D platform game in the ''Super Mario'' series and the sequel to '' Super Mario 3D Land'' (2011) for the Nintendo 3DS. Players control Ma ...
'' was the second bestselling game on the Wii U and along with its more popular Switch port has sold over 14 million copies combined making it the 2nd bestselling 3D Mario game. ''
Super Mario Odyssey is a 2017 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. An entry in the ''Super Mario'' series, it follows Mario and his new ally Cappy—a sentient hat that allows Mario to control other characters and objects ...
'' has 23.50 million units sold as of December 2021, making it the best-selling 3D game in the series to date, and among the best-selling games for the Nintendo Switch. '' New Super Mario Bros. Wii'' has sold 30.32 million copies worldwide, the fourth best-selling game on the Wii, as well as one of the best-selling video games of all time. The ''Super Mario'' series also sold well on handheld consoles. '' Super Mario Land'' has sold 18.14 million copies, and is the fourth best-selling game for the
Game Boy The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same t ...
. Its sequel, '' Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins'', sold 11.18 million copies, placing sixth. ''
New Super Mario Bros. is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It was first released in May 2006 in North America and Japan, and in PAL regions on June 2006. It is the first installment in the '' New Super Mario Bros.'' sub ...
'' for the Nintendo DS sold 30.80 million units, making it the best-selling game for the console, and the best-selling portable entry. For all console and handheld games that have not been bundled with a console, ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' is the fourth best-selling game, whereas ''New Super Mario Bros.'' is fifth, ''Super Mario Land'' is eleventh, and ''Super Mario 64'' is eighteenth. In
the United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, ''Super Mario Bros.'' is the most famous video game brand, recognized by 91% of the UK adult population .


Critical reception

The ''Super Mario'' series has seen tremendous critical acclaim from both critics and audiences. The series was ranked as the best game franchise by
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
in 2006. In 1996 '' Next Generation'' ranked the series as number 5 on their "Top 100 Games of All Time", additionally ranking ''Super Mario 64'' at number 1 although stating the rule that series of games be confined to a single entry. In 1999, '' Next Generation'' listed the ''Mario'' series as number 3 on their "Top 50 Games of All Time", commenting that, "The depth of the game design was never matched in 2D and has yet to be equaled by a 3D action performer. The gameplay is simply genius – Shigeru Miyamoto wrote the book on platformers." ''
Electronic Gaming Monthly ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (often abbreviated to ''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews. History The m ...
'' attributed the series' excellence to the developers' tireless creativity and innovation, pointing out that " Sega's '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' series changed very little in its four installments on the
Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
. The Mario series has changed significantly with each new game." The original ''
Super Mario Bros. is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The successor to the 1983 arcade game '' Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series, it was first released in 1985 for ...
'' was awarded the top spot on ''Electronic Gaming Monthly''s greatest 200 games of their time list and IGN's top 100 games of all-time list twice (in 2005 and 2007). ''Super Mario Bros.'' popularized
side-scrolling video game '' A side-scrolling video game (alternatively side-scroller), is a game viewed from a side-view camera angle where the screen follows the player as they move left or right. The jump from single-screen or flip-screen graphics to scrolling graphic ...
s and provided the basic concept and mechanics that persisted throughout the rest of the series. ''Super Mario Bros.'' sold 40.24 million copies, making it the best-selling video game of the whole series. Various other video games of the series were ranked as the best within the series. Games included are '' Super Mario Bros. 3'', ''
Super Mario World ''Super Mario World,'' known in Japan as is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was released in Japan in 1990, North America in 1991 and Europe and Australia in 19 ...
'' and '' Super Mario 64'' to name a few. Before ''
Super Mario Odyssey is a 2017 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. An entry in the ''Super Mario'' series, it follows Mario and his new ally Cappy—a sentient hat that allows Mario to control other characters and objects ...
'', ''
Super Mario Galaxy is a 2007 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the third 3D game in the ''Super Mario'' series. As Mario, the player embarks on a quest to rescue Princess Peach, save the universe from Bowser, and collect 1 ...
'' has been for 10 years the best-ranked game on GameRankings.


See also

* ''Luigi's Mansion'' series: A spin-off of the series. *'' Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker'': A spin-off of the series. * ''Donkey Kong Country'' series: Similar platform sub-series. * ''
Super Princess Peach ''Super Princess Peach'' is a Platform game, platform video game developed by Tose (company), Tose and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It was released in Japan in October 2005 and worldwide the following year. ''S ...
'': A similar Nintendo platform game that role reverses the characters that are commonly used in the concept of the series. * ''Wario Land'' series: A similar platform sub-series


Notes


References


External links

* {{Portal bar, Video games, Japan, Speculative fiction, 1980s, 1990s, 2010s Nintendo franchises Video games about size change Video game franchises introduced in 1985 Video game franchises Video games produced by Shigeru Miyamoto