is a
media franchise, produced and published by video game company
Nintendo, created by Japanese game designer
Shigeru Miyamoto and starring the fictional Italian plumber
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 primarily a
video game franchise
This is a list of video game franchises, organized alphabetically. All entries include multiple video games, not counting ports or altered re-releases.
0–9
*''1080° Snowboarding''
*''1942''
*''3D Ultra Minigolf''
*'' 3-D Ultra Pinball''
*'' ...
, but has extended to other forms of media, including
television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...
, comic books, a
1993 feature film, an
upcoming 2023 animated film and
theme park attractions. The series' first installment was 1983's ''
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 ...
'', although Mario had made his first appearance in 1981's ''
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 ...
,'' and had already been
featured in several games of the ''
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 ...
'' and ''
Game & Watch
The Game & Watch brand ( ''Gēmu & Uotchi''; called ''Tricotronic'' in West Germany and Austria, abbreviated as ''G&W'') is a series of handheld electronic games developed, manufactured, released, and marketed by Nintendo from 1980 to 1991. C ...
'' series. The ''Mario'' games have been developed by a variety of developers including Nintendo,
Hudson Soft, and
AlphaDream
was a video game development company founded in 2000 by Tetsuo Mizuno and Chihiro Fujioka in Tokyo, Japan. In partnership with Nintendo, it produced software for the Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, and Nintend ...
. Most ''Mario'' games have been released exclusively for Nintendo's various video game consoles and handhelds, from the
third generation Third generation may refer to:
* ''Third Generation'' (album), a 1982 album by Hiroshima
* ''The Third Generation'' (1920 film), an American drama film directed by Henry Kolker
* ''The Third Generation'' (1979 film), a West German black comedy b ...
onward.
The main ''Mario'' subseries is the
''Super Mario'' series of
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 ...
s started with 1985's ''
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 ...
'', which mostly follows Mario's adventures in the fictional world of the
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 ...
and typically rely on Mario's jumping ability to allow him to progress through
levels. The franchise has spawned over 200 games of various genres and several sub-series, including ''
Mario Golf
There have been numerous sports games in the ''Mario'' franchise. Although originally a branch of the Mario sports games, the ''Mario Kart'' series is not included in this list, as it has since become a stand-alone series in the Mario franchise.
...
'', ''
Mario Kart'', ''
Mario Party
is a party video game series featuring characters from the ''Mario'' franchise in which up to four local players or computer-controlled characters (called " CPUs") compete in a board game interspersed with minigames. The games are currentl ...
'', ''
Mario Tennis
''Mario Tennis'' is a 2000 sports video game developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. Following ''Mario's Tennis'', it is the second game in the ''Mario Tennis'' series. The game is known for being ...
'', ''
Mario vs. Donkey Kong
is a sub-series of the ''Mario'' and ''Donkey Kong'' series, based on puzzle video games, marking the return of Pauline and the rivalry between Mario and Donkey Kong.
'' Mario vs. Donkey Kong'', released in 2004 for the Game Boy Advance, was ...
'', and ''
Paper Mario
''Paper Mario'' is a video game series and part of the ''Mario'' franchise, developed by Intelligent Systems and produced by Nintendo. It combines elements from the role-playing, action-adventure, and puzzle genres. Players control a paper ...
''; several characters introduced in the ''Mario'' franchise, such as
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 ...
and
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' ...
, sparked successful franchises of their own.
The ''Mario'' series is one of gaming's most successful and renowned franchises, with many of its games, in particular within the ''Super Mario'' subseries, being considered to be some of the
greatest video games ever made
This is a list of video games that multiple reputable video game journalists or magazines have considered to be among the best of all time. The games listed here are included on at least six separate "best/greatest of all time" lists from diff ...
. It is the
best-selling video game franchise of all time, with more than 776 million copies of games sold, including more than 390 million for the ''Super Mario'' games alone.
Characters
Video games
Origin games
''Donkey Kong''
![Donkey Kong arcade](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Donkey_Kong_arcade_at_the_QuakeCon_2005.png)
After the commercial failure of ''
Radar Scope
is a 1980 shoot 'em up arcade game developed by Nintendo R&D2 and published by Nintendo. The player assumes the role of the Sonic Spaceport starship and must wipe out formations of an enemy race known as the Gamma Raiders before they destroy t ...
'', Nintendo's company president referred to
Shigeru Miyamoto to create an arcade game to save the company. Miyamoto came up with the idea of a game in which the playable character has to make his way through an obstacle course consisting of sloped platforms, ladders and rolling barrels. Miyamoto named the game ''
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 ...
'', and its main protagonist "Jumpman". ''Donkey Kong'' is an early example of the
platform
Platform may refer to:
Technology
* Computing platform, a framework on which applications may be run
* Platform game, a genre of video games
* Car platform, a set of components shared by several vehicle models
* Weapons platform, a system or ...
genre. In addition to presenting the goal of saving Pauline, the game gives the player a
score. Points are awarded for finishing screens; leaping over obstacles; destroying objects with a hammer
power-up; collecting items such as hats,
parasol
An umbrella or parasol is a folding canopy (building), canopy supported by wooden or metal ribs that is usually mounted on a wooden, metal, or plastic pole. It is designed to protect a person against rain or sunburn, sunlight. The term ''umbr ...
s, and
purses (presumably belonging to Pauline); and completing other tasks. The game was surprisingly successful. "Jumpman" was called "
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 ...
" in certain promotional materials for the game's release overseas;
his namesake was
Mario Segale
Mario Arnold Segale (April 30, 1934 – October 27, 2018) was an American businessman and real estate developer. He was involved in various development projects in the Seattle area from the 1950s onwards. Nintendo’s mascot Mario was named afte ...
, the landlord of
Nintendo of America
is a Japanese multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles.
Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produced handmade playing card ...
's office/warehouse, who barged in on a meeting to demand an overdue rent payment. Eventually Jumpman's name was internationally and permanently changed to Mario. The success of the game spawned several ports, and a sequel, ''
Donkey Kong Jr.
is a 1982 arcade platform game that was released by Nintendo. It is the sequel to ''Donkey Kong'', but with the roles reversed compared to its predecessor: Mario (previously named "Jumpman") is now the villain and Donkey Kong Jr. is trying to ...
'', which is Mario's only appearance as an antagonist. ''
Donkey Kong 3
is a platform shooter video game developed and published by Nintendo. It is the third installment in the ''Donkey Kong'' series and it was released for arcades worldwide in 1983 and the Family Computer in 1984, then later released in North Am ...
'' did not feature Mario.
''Mario Bros.''
The first game to feature "Mario" in the title and to feature
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 ...
, the objective of ''Mario Bros.'' is to defeat all of the enemies in each
phase
Phase or phases may refer to:
Science
*State of matter, or phase, one of the distinct forms in which matter can exist
*Phase (matter), a region of space throughout which all physical properties are essentially uniform
* Phase space, a mathematic ...
. Each phase is a series of platforms with four pipes at each corner of the screen, and an object called a "POW" block in the center.
The mechanics of ''Mario Bros.'' involve only running and jumping. Unlike future ''Mario'' titles, players cannot jump on enemies until they are flipped over; this can be accomplished by jumping under the platform they are on or by using the "POW" block. Both sides of every phase feature a mechanism that allows the player to go off-screen to the left and appear on the right, and vice versa.
The game has since reappeared in various forms, including as a minigame in ''
Super Mario Bros. 3'' and the ''
Super Mario Advance ''Super Mario Advance'' is a series of video game ports for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance:
* ''Super Mario Advance'', a 2001 port of ''Super Mario Bros. 2''
* ''Super Mario Advance 2
''Super Mario World,'' known in Japan as is a platform ga ...
'' series, and reimagined as ''
Mario Clash''.
Game and Watch
Nintendo has released several ''Mario'' and ''
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 ...
'' LCD video games for the
Game & Watch line. Eleven were released between 1982 and 1994. Nintendo also licensed the release of six LCD games for
Nelsonic's Game Watch line between 1989 and 1994. Many remakes of Game & Watch games have changed the protagonist from a generic
Mr. Game & Watch character to Mario. A nearby sequel for the
35th anniversary of Mario was made titled "Game and Watch: Super Mario Bros" in 2020.
Platform games
''Super Mario'' series
Mario then became the star of his own side scrolling platform game in
1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
, titled ''
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 ...
'', which was the pack-in game included with the
Nintendo Entertainment System console. It was also later sold in a package with ''
Duck Hunt
is a 1984 light gun shooter video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) video game console and the Nintendo Vs. System arcade hardware. The game was first released in April 1984, in Japan for the ...
''. In
Japan, a game titled ''
Super Mario Bros. 2
''Super Mario Bros. 2'' is a platform game, platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was first released in North America in October 1988, and in the PAL region in 1989.
After the smash hi ...
'' was released in
1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
**Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
**Spain and Portugal enter ...
, but a different
game with the same name was released internationally in
1988
File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...
, followed by ''
Super Mario Bros. 3'' later that same year. The Japanese version would subsequently be released in the United States in
1993
File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peacefu ...
under the title ''Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels'' as part of the ''
Super Mario All-Stars'' title for the
Super Nintendo Entertainment System, a console that also features iterations of the game known as ''
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 ...
''. While ''
Super Mario Land'' and two sequels were 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 ...
installments in the series, the
Game Boy Advance
The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, ...
did not receive any original entries, only
remakes
A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the sam ...
. ''
Super Mario 64'' debuted as the launch title 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 ...
console in
1996. ''
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 ...
'' was the series' entry for the
GameCube, and ''
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 ...
'' 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 ...
continued the franchise for the
Wii. ''
Super Mario 3D Land
is a platform video game in the ''Super Mario'' series developed and published by Nintendo for their Nintendo 3DS handheld game console. It was released worldwide in November 2011, beginning in Japan. It was the first ''Mario'' game to be re ...
'' was the series' flagship title for
Nintendo 3DS. 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 ...
saw the release of ''
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 ...
''. ''
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 ...
'' would be the first original game in the series to be released on the
Nintendo Switch, and was released in 2017.
In 2006, a sub-series with
retro
Retro style is imitative or consciously derivative of lifestyles, trends, or art forms from history, including in music, modes, fashions, or attitudes. In popular culture, the "nostalgia cycle" is typically for the two decades that begin 20–30 ...
gameplay called ''
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 ...
'' was inaugurated on the Nintendo DS, featuring the mechanics of the ''Super Mario Bros.'' games. It continued on the Wii as ''
New Super Mario Bros. Wii'', on the 3DS as ''
New Super Mario Bros. 2'' and on 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 ...
as ''
New Super Mario Bros. U'' and ''
New Super Luigi U
(stylized as ''New Super Luigi Bros. U'') is a 2013 platform game developed by Nintendo for the Wii U. It is an expansion pack for '' New Super Mario Bros. U'' (2012), part of the '' Super Mario'' series. The plot and game mechanics remain ...
'' (stylized as ''New Super Luigi
Bros U''), with a port titled ''
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 ...
'' on the Nintendo Switch in January, 2019. ''Super Mario Bros.''-styled gameplay is further offered by the level creator game ''
Super Mario Maker
is a 2015 side-scrolling platform game and game creation system developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U, released worldwide in September 2015. Players can create, play, and share courses online, free of charge, based on the styles ...
'', released on
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 ...
in 2015. A sequel, ''
Super Mario Maker 2'', was released on Nintendo Switch in June 2019.
In 2016, the team behind ''New Super Mario Bros.'' released ''
Super Mario Run
is a 2016 platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for iOS and later Android (operating system), Android. It is Nintendo's first mobile game that is part of one of the company's long-running and major franchises.
In ''Super Mari ...
'', Nintendo's first real
smartphone
A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...
game and one of the few instances a ''Mario'' game was developed for non-Nintendo hardware.
Puzzle games
''Dr. Mario'' series
![Dr](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Dr._Mario_series_logo.png)
(stylized as ') is a series of
arcade-style action puzzle video game originally developed by Nintendo Research & Development 1, and later developed by
Arika
is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. It was formed in 1995 by former Capcom employees, originally as ARMtech K.K, later named Arika. The name of the company is the reverse of the name of the company's founder, Akira Nishitani, who ...
and produced by
Nintendo Software Planning & Development
commonly abbreviated as Nintendo SPD, was a Japanese research, planning and development division housed inside the Nintendo Development Center in Kyoto, Japan. The division had two departments: ''Software Planning & Development Department'', w ...
. The first in the series, ''
Dr. Mario'', was launched in 1990 on the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy to critical and commercial success.
In the ''Dr. Mario'' series, the
player character 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 ...
, who assumes the role of a
doctor
Doctor or The Doctor may refer to:
Personal titles
* Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree
* A medical practitioner, including:
** Physician
** Surgeon
** Dentist
** Veterinary physician
** Optometrist
*Other roles
** ...
, is tasked with eradicating deadly
virus
A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea.
Since Dmitri Ivanovsk ...
es. The player's objective is to destroy the viruses populating the on-screen playing field by using falling colored
capsules that are dropped into the field, similarly to ''
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 player manipulates the capsules as they fall so that they are aligned with viruses of matching colors, which removes them from playing field. The player progresses through the game by eliminating all the viruses on the screen in each
level.
There have been 4 ''
Dr. Mario'' games released for home consoles and two portable games, for a total of six original titles. As the series has progressed, each new game has introduced new elements in order to keep the gameplay fresh such as new game modes. In 2001, ''
Dr. Mario 64
''Dr. Mario 64'' is a tile-matching action puzzle video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. The game was released in North America on April 8, 2001. The game is an enhanced remake of ''Dr. Mario'', which was originally ...
'' for the Nintendo 64 introduced new game modes such as a ''Story'' mode, ''Score Attack'' and ''Marathon'',
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 ...
as a playable character and four-player multiplayer. After a seven-year hiatus, in 2008, ''
Dr. Mario Express
''Dr. Mario Express'', known in PAL regions as ''A Little Bit of... Dr. Mario'', is a ''Mario'' action puzzle video game published by Nintendo. The game was released as a DSiWare title for the Nintendo DSi platform. ''Dr. Mario Express'' was r ...
'' for the
Nintendo DSi
The is a dual-screen handheld game console released by Nintendo. The console launched in Japan on November 1, 2008, and worldwide beginning in April 2009. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS, and its primary market rival is Sony's ...
's
DSiWare
This is a list of games and applications, collectively known as DSiWare, for the Nintendo DSi handheld game console, available for download via the DSi Shop and unplayable on earlier DS models. An update released for the Nintendo 3DS in June 201 ...
service re-introduced the series to the portable gaming market. Also in 2008, ''
Dr. Mario Online Rx
''Dr. Mario Online Rx'', stylized as ' and released in PAL regions as ''Dr. Mario & Germ Buster'', is a puzzle video game starring Dr. Mario. It was one of the WiiWare launch games in Japan, Europe, and Australia, and was released on March 25, ...
'' for the
Wii's
WiiWare
WiiWare was a service that allowed Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications could only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii ...
service introduced
online multiplayer
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system ( couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
to the series. In 2013, ''
Dr. Luigi
''Dr. Luigi'' is a 2013 puzzle video game developed by Arika and Nintendo SPD, and published by Nintendo for the Wii U console. It is the sixth game in the ''Dr. Mario'' series and is part of the larger ''Mario'' franchise. The player must cl ...
'' for 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 ...
's
Nintendo eShop introduced
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 ...
as the playable character as well as an ''Operation L'' game mode in which all capsules assume the shape of the letter "L".
''Mario's Picross'' series
This series is a collection of
nonogram
Nonograms, also known as Hanjie, Paint by Numbers, Picross, Griddlers, and Pic-a-Pix, and by various other names, are picture logic puzzles in which cells in a grid must be colored or left blank according to numbers at the side of the grid to r ...
logic puzzles involving a grid with numbers for every row and column, which refer to the amount of marked squares within the grid. The games features Mario as an
archaeologist who chisels away to form images on the grid.
* ''
Mario's Picross''
* ''
Picross 2
''Mario's Picross'' is a 1995 puzzle video game for the Game Boy. Developed by Jupiter and Ape and published by Nintendo, it is a compilation of nonogram logic puzzles. The game stars Mario who chisels away at puzzle grids to form pictures. The ...
''
* ''
Mario's Super Picross
is a Super Famicom sequel to '' Mario's Picross''. The game is compatible with the Super Famicom Mouse. Developed by Jupiter and Ape and published by Nintendo.
After the failure of '' Mario's Picross'' in North America, Nintendo decided not ...
''
''Mario vs. Donkey Kong'' series
is a sub-series of the ''Mario'' and ''
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 ...
'' series, based on
puzzle video games, making the return of
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 ...
,
Pauline, and the former's rivalry with
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 ...
. The sub-series introduces the Mario-like toys known as Mini-Marios, who later replace Mario as the sole playable characters in all future installments starting with ''
March of the Minis'' onward.
Role-playing games
The first role-playing game in the ''Mario'' franchise was ''
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars''. It has since expanded to the ''Paper Mario'' and ''Mario & Luigi'' series.
''Paper Mario'' series
![Paper Mario Logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Paper_Mario_Logo.png)
is a spin-off series of
RPG video games developed by
Intelligent Systems
is a Japanese video game developer best known for developing games with Nintendo and the ''Fire Emblem'', ''Paper Mario'', ''WarioWare'', and '' Wars'' video game series. Originally, the company was headquartered at the Nintendo Kyoto Researc ...
and produced by Nintendo Software Planning & Development. The first game in the series, ''
Paper Mario
''Paper Mario'' is a video game series and part of the ''Mario'' franchise, developed by Intelligent Systems and produced by Nintendo. It combines elements from the role-playing, action-adventure, and puzzle genres. Players control a paper ...
'', was launched in 2000 on the Nintendo 64 to critical and commercial success.
In the ''Paper Mario'' series, the player controls Mario in a mixture of
3D environments and
2D characters who look as if they are made of
paper
Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distrib ...
. Mario can jump and use his hammer to overcome physical obstacles placed in the game's
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 ...
. Additionally, the player accumulates partners as they advance into different locations, who each have a specialized skill required for progression in the game.
These characters assist Mario in the game's turn-based battles. Damage inflicted to the player reduces the amount of
HP.
Attacks in the game are similar to those in traditional RPGs, although the player can influence the power of a move when attacking or defending by timing a button-press accurately or performing some other action command as required.
Mario and his partners have a finite capacity to perform special moves, with each of these consuming a particular number of flower points (FP) when performed. Such statistics can be increased by earning Star Points (
experience points
An experience point (often abbreviated as exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in some tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's life experience and progression through the game. Experien ...
) in combat to
level up.
Progression through ''Paper Mario'' depends upon interaction with the game's
non-player characters (NPCs), who will often offer clues or detail the next event in the storyline. As in other RPGs, the player can find or purchase items from NPCs to help in and outside of combat.
Badges can be obtained that yield bonuses ranging from added moves to gradual health restoration during combat; each consumes a set number of Badge Points (BP), meaning Mario can only equip a limited number of badges at a time.
There have been five ''Paper Mario'' games released for home consoles and one game on 3DS. As the series has progressed, each new game has introduced new elements in order to keep the gameplay fresh such as a new story, new partners, and new gameplay mechanics. In 2004, ''
The Thousand-Year Door'' for the GameCube introduced the ability of Mario turning into and folding up into a paper
airplane
An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, Propeller (aircraft), propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing configurat ...
and/or a paper
boat
A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats.
Small boats are typically found on inl ...
to interact with the overworld. In 2007, ''
Super Paper Mario
is a 2007 action role-playing game (RPG) developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the third installment in the '' Paper Mario'' series and the first Mario game to be released on the Wii. The game follows M ...
'' deviated into the 2D
action RPG
An action role-playing game (often abbreviated action RPG or ARPG) is a subgenre of video games that combines core elements from both the action game and role-playing genre.
Definition
The games emphasize real-time combat where the player h ...
genre and introduced the ability to "flip" into a 3D perspective in which the level rotates to reveal a hidden
z-axis
Underground Development, Ltd. (formerly Z-Axis, Ltd.) was an American video game developer based in Foster City, California. The company was founded in 1994 by David Luntz and sold to Activision in May 2002. Following a rebranding to Undergroun ...
, placing Mario in a 3D environment. In 2012, ''
Sticker Star'' for the Nintendo 3DS introduced the use of
stickers
A sticker is a type of label: a piece of printed paper, plastic, vinyl, or other material with temporary or permanent pressure sensitive adhesive on one side. It can be used for decoration or for functional purposes, depending on the situation. ...
in both the environment and in turn-based battles. They can be found and peeled off from various areas in the overworld, and can be purchased or received from
non-playable characters
A non-player character (NPC), or non-playable character, is any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster o ...
. In 2015, ''
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam'' also for the 3DS where all the ''Paper Mario'' world enters the real one. In 2016, ''
Color Splash
''Color Splash'' is an American television show on the U.S. cable network HGTV, hosted by David Bromstad.
The series was created for Bromstad after winning season one of ''HGTV Design Star''. It debuted March 19, 2007, on HGTV. The show focuses ...
'' for the Wii U was announced that introduced the use of
color
Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are assoc ...
s in both the environment and in turn-based battles, just like in ''Sticker Star''.
In 2020, ''
The Origami King'' was announced on the Switch with the use of
origami
) is the Japanese art of paper folding. In modern usage, the word "origami" is often used as an inclusive term for all folding practices, regardless of their culture of origin. The goal is to transform a flat square sheet of paper into a f ...
.
''Mario & Luigi'' series
![Mario and Luigi Logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Mario_and_Luigi_Logo.png)
The ''Mario & Luigi'' spin-off series, developed by
AlphaDream
was a video game development company founded in 2000 by Tetsuo Mizuno and Chihiro Fujioka in Tokyo, Japan. In partnership with Nintendo, it produced software for the Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, and Nintend ...
, was formed exclusively throughout handheld consoles. The series began with the release of ''
Superstar Saga'' for the Game Boy Advance in 2003. In 2017, ''
Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions'' for the Nintendo 3DS introduced a remake of the original game with added graphics, an improved map allowing players to place pinpoints, and an additional mode called ''Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser'', which provides a storyline that allows you to take control of Bowser's Minions to search for their leader, facing many obstacles in their way. In 2005, ''
Partners in Time
''Partners in Time'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by William Nigh and written by Charles E. Roberts. The film stars Chester Lauck, Norris Goff, Pamela Blake, John James, Teala Loring and Danny Duncan. The film was released on April 25 ...
'' for the Nintendo DS introduced their younger selves: Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Toadsworth the younger, Baby Peach and Baby Bowser. In 2009, ''
Bowser's Inside Story'' also for the DS introduced Mario, Luigi and the others inside of Bowser's body. In 2018, ''
Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey'' for the 3DS introduced a remake of the original game with added graphics, an improved map allowing players to place pinpoints, and an additional mode called ''Bowser Jr.'s Journey''. In 2013, ''
Dream Team
Dream Team may refer to:
Sport
Basketball
* Dream Team, the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team in Barcelona
* Dream Team II, the 1994 U.S. men's national basketball team at the FIBA World Championship
* Dream Team III, the 1996 ...
'' for the 3DS introduced Dreamy Luigi, where Luigi sleeps in the Dream World in celebrating the
Year of Luigi
The Year of Luigi was the 30th-anniversary celebration of the fictional character Luigi. He was created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for the 1983 arcade game '' Mario Bros.'' and has appeared frequently as a minor or suppor ...
. In 2015, ''Paper Jam'' also for the 3DS also included Paper Mario as a playable character when Luigi knocks over the book containing him.
Party games
''Mario Party'' series
In 1998, the Hudson game ''
Mario Party
is a party video game series featuring characters from the ''Mario'' franchise in which up to four local players or computer-controlled characters (called " CPUs") compete in a board game interspersed with minigames. The games are currentl ...
'' was released for the Nintendo 64. Following this, nine numbered sequels have since been released, making for ten numbered titles, along with three non-numbered main series titles,
Mario Party DS
is a 2007 party video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. The second handheld game in the ''Mario Party'' series, and the last game to be developed by Hudson Soft, who was replaced by NDcube in 2012 ...
''(2007)'', ''
Super Mario Party (2018)'' and ''
Mario Party Superstars
is a 2021 party video game developed by NDcube and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the twelfth home console installment in the ''Mario Party'' series, and the second for the Nintendo Switch following ''Super Mario Party'' (2 ...
(2021)''. The series also has four spins offs that differ in gameplay, including ''
Mario Party Advance
is a party video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. Released in 2005, it is the first handheld game in the ''Mario Party'' series, and differs from other titles in that the game is mostly single- ...
'', ''
Island Tour'', ''
Star Rush'', and ''
The Top 100''. ''Mario Party'' is a
multiplayer
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system ( couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
party game featuring ''Mario'' series
characters
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
in which four human- or computer-controlled characters compete in a board game interspersed with
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 ...
s.
Sports games
There have been numerous
sports games in the ''Mario'' franchise.
''Mario Tennis'' series
The first appearances of Mario in tennis games were as a referee in ''
Tennis
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...
'' for the NES and Game Boy. These games did not use the ''Mario'' branding and only featured Mario in the capacity of a cameo. He then appeared in ''
Mario's Tennis'' for the Virtual Boy. After this,
Camelot Software Planning
(trade name, doing business as Camelot Software Planning) is a Japanese video game developer established in 1990 under the name Sega CD4, but quickly renamed to Sonic! Software Planning. Named after Sonic the Hedgehog, they were closely involve ...
released ''
Mario Tennis
''Mario Tennis'' is a 2000 sports video game developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. Following ''Mario's Tennis'', it is the second game in the ''Mario Tennis'' series. The game is known for being ...
'' for the Nintendo 64. They would subsequently develop other games in this series: ''
Mario Power Tennis'' for the GameCube and Wii, ''
Power Tour'' for the Game Boy Advance, ''
Mario Tennis Open'' for the Nintendo 3DS, ''
Ultra Smash'' for the Wii U, and ''
Aces'' for the Nintendo Switch.
''Mario Golf'' series
The first use of Mario's likeness in a golf game was that the golfer in ''
Golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping ...
'' for NES and Game Boy featured a mustached man resembling Mario. Later, ''
NES Open Tournament Golf
''NES Open Tournament Golf'', known in Japan as is a sports video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. ''NES Open Tournament Golf'' is the second Nintendo published golf-based video game released for t ...
'' was released. It featured Mario and Luigi as the golfers, with
Princess Toadstool
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 ...
and
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 ...
as their caddies. ''
Mario Golf
There have been numerous sports games in the ''Mario'' franchise. Although originally a branch of the Mario sports games, the ''Mario Kart'' series is not included in this list, as it has since become a stand-alone series in the Mario franchise.
...
'' was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1999. It was followed by ''
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour'' for the GameCube, ''
Mario Golf: Advance Tour'' for the Game Boy Advance and ''
Mario Golf: World Tour'' for the Nintendo 3DS.
Nintendo released ''
Mario Golf: Super Rush'' for the
Nintendo Switch in summer of 2021.
''Mario Baseball'' series
Mario and Luigi were team captains in ''
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
'' for the Game Boy. ''
Mario Superstar Baseball'' was released for the GameCube and ''
Mario Super Sluggers'' for the Wii.
''Mario Strikers'' series
The game of
football was introduced in one of the minigames in ''
Mario Party 4
''Mario Party 4'' is a 2002 party video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. The game is the fourth installment in the ''Mario Party'' series and is the first game in the series to be released for the GameCube. ...
'' as "GOOOOOOOAL!!". The
''Mario Strikers'' series (''Mario Football'' in Europe) made its debut for the GameCube with ''
Super Mario Strikers
''Super Mario Strikers'', known in Europe and Australia as ''Mario Smash Football'', is a 2005 sports video game developed by Next Level Games and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. The game's developers had worked on '' NHL Hitz Pro'' bef ...
'' in 2005, developed by
Next Level Games
Next Level Games, Inc. is a Canadian video game developer owned by Nintendo based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Founded in August 2002, Next Level Games specializes in creating console video games. Their first project was '' NHL Hitz Pro'', wh ...
. ''
Mario Strikers Charged
''Mario Strikers Charged'' is a 2007 sports game, sports video game developed by Canadian developer Next Level Games and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is a sequel to ''Super Mario Strikers'' for the GameCube. It was released on May 25, 200 ...
'' was released for the Wii in 2007. ''
Mario Strikers: Battle League'' was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2022.
''Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games'' series
In 2008, Mario and his friends appeared alongside the characters from ''
Sonic the Hedgehog'' in the sports game, ''
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games'', developed by
Sega as the crossover series. A follow-up, ''
Olympic Winter Games'', was released in 2009 and ''
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games'' was released between November 2011 (
Wii) and February 2012 (
Nintendo 3DS). On November 15, 2013, a third sequel called ''
Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games'' was released exclusively on 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 ...
, with a fourth sequel, ''
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
is a crossover sports and party game in the ''Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games'' series, released for the Nintendo 3DS in February 2016 in Japan, March 2016 in North America, and in April 2016 for Europe and Australia, and for the Wii U world ...
'' for the Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and arcade in 2016. A fifth sequel, ''
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020'', was released on Nintendo Switch in November 2019. In December 2021, the series was cancelled after six games due to the China controversy.
Racing games
= ''Mario Kart'' series
=
![Mario Kart logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Mario_Kart_logo.png)
is a series of
go-kart
A go-kart, also written as go-cart (often referred to as simply a kart), is a type of sports car, close wheeled car, open-wheel car or quadracycle. Go-karts come in all shapes and forms, from non-motorised models to high-performance racing ...
-style
racing video game
Racing games are a video game genre in which the player participates in a racing competition. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to fantastical settings. They are distributed along a spectrum between more realistic rac ...
s primarily developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development. The first in the series, ''
Super Mario Kart'', was launched in 1992 on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System to critical and commercial success. In the ''Mario Kart'' series, players compete in
go-kart races, controlling one of a selection of characters from the ''Mario'' franchise''.'' One of the features of the series is the use of various
power-up items obtained by driving into item boxes laid out on the course. These power-ups include
Super Mushrooms to give players a speed boost,
Koopa Troopa Shells to be thrown at opponents, and
banana peel
A banana peel, called banana skin in British English, is the outer covering of the banana fruit. Banana peels are used as food for animals, an ingredient in cooking, in water purification, for manufacturing of several biochemical products as w ...
s that can be laid on the track as hazards.
There have been five ''Mario Kart'' games released for home consoles, one enhanced port, three portable games, one game for smartphones, and three
Namco
was a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Namco Taiwan in Kaohsiung, ...
co-developed arcade spin-off games, for a total of thirteen. As the series has progressed, each new game has introduced new elements in order to keep the gameplay fresh such as new courses, new items, and new playable characters. In 1996 and 1997, ''
Mario Kart 64
is a kart racing video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was also released for the iQue Player in China in 2003. The game is the second main entry in the ''Mario Kart'' series and is the successor to ''Super Mari ...
'' for the Nintendo 64 introduced 4-player racing and
3D graphics
3D computer graphics, or “3D graphics,” sometimes called CGI, 3D-CGI or three-dimensional computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data (often Cartesian) that is stored in the computer for th ...
. In 2001, ''
Super Circuit'' for the Game Boy Advance introduced the ability to unlock retro tracks from previous installments. In 2003, ''
Double Dash'' for the Nintendo GameCube introduced
co-operative LAN multiplayer and two-player karts with one player driving and the other player on the back of the vehicle throwing out hazards. In 2005, ''
Mario Kart DS
''Mario Kart DS'' is a 2005 kart racing video game developed by Nintendo EAD Group No. 1 and published by Nintendo. It was released for the Nintendo DS handheld game console in November 2005 in North America, Europe, and Australia, and on De ...
'' for the Nintendo DS introduced
dual-screen play and
online multiplayer
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system ( couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
via
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio wav ...
. In 2008, ''
Mario Kart Wii
is a kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the sixth installment in the ''Mario Kart'' series, and was released in April 2008. Like its previous installments, ''Mario Kart Wii'' incorporates playable characters ...
'' introduced
motion control
Motion control is a sub-field of automation, encompassing the systems or sub-systems involved in moving parts of machines in a controlled manner. Motion control systems are extensively used in a variety of fields for automation purposes, includi ...
s, 12-player racing,
motorbikes
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
and playable
Mii
A Mii ( ) is a customizable avatar used on several Nintendo video game consoles and mobile apps. Miis were first introduced on the Wii console in 2006 and later appeared on the 3DS, Wii U, the Switch, and various apps for smart devices. Miis c ...
characters, as well as three new items: the POW Block, Mega Mushroom, and Thunder Cloud. In 2011, ''
Mario Kart 7
''Mario Kart 7'' is a Kart racing game, kart racing video game developed by Nintendo EAD in cooperation with Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS in 2011.
As with the previous games in the Mario Kart, ''Mario Kart'' ser ...
'' for the Nintendo 3DS featured optional
stereoscopic graphics, introduced
hang gliding
Hang gliding is an air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised foot-launched heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite frame covered ...
and
submersible karts, an alternate
first-person perspective, and kart customization. In 2014, ''
Mario Kart 8
is a 2014 kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. It features the ''Mario Kart'' series' game mechanics, in which players drive go-karts using ''Mario'' franchise characters in various race formats. Items placed a ...
'' for the Wii U introduced
anti-gravity
Anti-gravity (also known as non-gravitational field) is a hypothetical phenomenon of creating a place or object that is free from the force of gravity. It does not refer to the lack of weight under gravity experienced in free fall or orbit, or t ...
racing,
ATVs, uploading highlights to
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
via Mario Kart TV, up to four local players in Grand Prix races,
downloadable content
Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enabli ...
, and is the first in the series to boast
HD graphics
Intel Graphics Technology (GT) is the collective name for a series of integrated graphics processors (IGPs) produced by Intel that are manufactured on the same package or die as the central processing unit (CPU). It was first introduced in 2010 ...
. In 2017, ''
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
is a 2014 kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. It features the ''Mario Kart'' series' game mechanics, in which players drive go-karts using ''Mario'' franchise characters in various race formats. Items placed a ...
'' for the Nintendo Switch was released as an enhanced port of the Wii U version, featuring an improved battle mode and several new characters including the Inklings from ''
Splatoon
is a third-person shooter video game franchise created by Hisashi Nogami, and developed and owned by Nintendo. Set in a post-apocalyptic Earth inhabited by anthropomorphic marine animals, the series centers around fictional cephalopods known ...
'' and
villagers from ''
Animal Crossing
is a social simulation video game series developed and published by Nintendo. The series was conceptualized and created by Katsuya Eguchi and Hisashi Nogami. In ''Animal Crossing'', the player character is a human who lives in a village inhab ...
''.
Possibly the most popular spin-off series in the franchise, the ''Mario Kart'' series began in 1992 and is currently the most successful and longest-running
kart racing
Kart racing or karting is a road racing variant of motorsport with open-wheel, four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits, although some professional kart races are also held on fu ...
series, having sold over 150,000,000 copies worldwide.
Educational games
In the early 1990s, many
educational game
Educational games are games explicitly designed with educational purposes, or which have incidental or secondary educational value. All types of games may be used in an educational environment, however educational games are games that are desig ...
s were released in the ''Mario'' series. One example of a educational Mario game is "Mario teaches Typing". Few of these games were platformers; most sought to teach skills such as typing, mathematics or history. They are officially licensed but not officially recognized by Nintendo. The games were developed independently by Software Toolworks, Interplay and Brainstorm. Nine educational games were released from 1991 to 1996.
Games not published by Nintendo
This section covers games
developed by other companies without significant Nintendo involvement.
Hudson
Hudson Soft released two games based on ''
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 ...
'' and another similar to ''
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 ...
''
''
Mario Bros. Special
is a 1983 arcade game developed and published for arcade game, arcades by Nintendo. It was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Gunpei Yokoi, Nintendo's chief engineer. Italians, Italian twin brother plumbers Mario and Luigi exterminate creatu ...
'' is a video game released in 1984 for the Japanese computers
NEC PC-6001
The NEC PC-6000 series is a series of 8-bit home computers introduced in November 1981 by NEC Home Electronics. There are several models in this series, such as the PC-6001, the PC-6001 MK2 and the PC-6001 MK2 SR. There is also an American versio ...
mkII,
NEC PC-6601
The NEC PC-6600 Series were a lineup of personal computers produced by the NEC Corporation in 1985. They were essentially a PC-6001 MK2 with a built-in 3.5" floppy disk drive. Two models in this series were produced: the PC-6601 and the PC-660 ...
,
NEC PC-8801,
FM-7
The FM-7 ("Fujitsu Micro 7") is a home computer created by Fujitsu. It was first released in 1982 and was sold in Japan and Spain. It is a stripped-down version of Fujitsu's earlier FM-8 computer, and during development it was referred to as th ...
and
Sharp X1
The , sometimes called the Sharp X1 or CZ-800C, is a series of home computers released by Sharp Corporation from 1982 to 1988. It is based on a Zilog Z80 CPU.
The RGB display monitor for the X1 had a television tuner, and a computer screen co ...
. It is a remake of the original ''
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 ...
'', with new stages, mechanics and gameplay.
''
Punch Ball 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 ...
'' is a video game released in 1984 for the Japanese computers NEC PC-6001mkII, NEC PC-6601, NEC PC-8801, FM-7 and Sharp X1. It is similar to the original ''Mario Bros.'', but featured a new gameplay mechanic of "punch balls", small balls which
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 ...
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 ...
can kick into enemies to stun them, instead of hitting them from below, as in the original.
Hudson Soft was originally responsible for the ''Mario Party'' series until ''
Mario Party DS
is a 2007 party video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. The second handheld game in the ''Mario Party'' series, and the last game to be developed by Hudson Soft, who was replaced by NDcube in 2012 ...
'' in 2007, but as of March 2012 this has been taken over by
Nd Cube
is a Japanese video game developer and a wholly owned subsidiary of Nintendo based in Japan with offices in Tokyo and Sapporo. The majority of the company is made up of former employees of Hudson Soft. They have also been the developers of ...
since Hudson has become a part of
Konami
, is a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machines, slot machines, and arcade cabinets. Konami has casino ...
. Many of Hudson's employees now work for Nd Cube.
Philips
Three games were planned for development by
Philips Interactive Media
The Compact Disc-Interactive (CD-I, later CD-i) is a digital optical disc data storage format that was mostly developed and marketed by Dutch company Philips. It was created as an extension of CDDA and CD-ROM and specified in the '' Green B ...
for use on its
CD-i machine: ''
Super Mario's Wacky Worlds
''Super Mario's Wacky Worlds'' was a canceled ''Mario'' platform video game developed by NovaLogic for the Philips CD-i system. The game was conceived as a sequel to ''Super Mario World'', a game released for Super NES in 1990. An early proto ...
'', ''
Hotel Mario'', and ''Mario Takes America''. Only ''Hotel Mario'' was released; ''Super Mario's Wacky Worlds'' and ''Mario Takes America'' were eventually cancelled. Philips was given permission to use
Nintendo characters in CD-i games due to their taking part in developing an unreleased
add-on for the
Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).
''Hotel Mario'' did not gain much success, with Nintendo rarely acknowledging it as part of the ''Mario'' series.
''Super Mario's Wacky Worlds'' is a cancelled
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
planned for the CD-i, developed by
NovaLogic, which attempted to duplicate the gameplay of ''
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 ...
''. 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. The nature of the pointing device controller provides difficult controls for Mario, as the game has the default controls of running and jumping.
''Mario Takes America'' was proposed about Mario's trip to Hollywood to make his own movie. The game's concept initially impressed Philips, but was cancelled due to the company being unsatisfied with the game's development progress.
''Hotel Mario'' is a
puzzle game
A puzzle is a game, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together ( or take them apart) in a logical way, in order to arrive at the correct or fun solution of the puzzl ...
developed by Fantasy Factory and published by Philips Interactive Media for the CD-i in 1994. The primary characters of the game are
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 ...
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 must find
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 ...
by going through seven
Koopa
Koopa Troopas, known in Japan as , are fictional footsoldiers of the turtle-like Koopa race from the Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' media franchise. They are commonly referred to generically as Koopas, a race that includes Bowser, Bowser, King of ...
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 ''Mario''-centered games, mainly because of its
cutscene
A cutscene or event scene (sometimes in-game cinematic or in-game movie) is a sequence in a video game that is not interactive, interrupting the gameplay. Such scenes are used to show conversations between characters, set the mood, reward th ...
s and simple gameplay.
Ubisoft
''
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
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 creat ...
'' is a
turn-based
In video and other games, the passage of time must be handled in a way that players find fair and easy to understand. This is usually done in one of the two ways: real-time and turn-based.
Real-time
Real-time games have game time progress cont ...
tactical role-playing video game developed by
Ubisoft Milan
Ubisoft is a French video game publisher headquartered in Montreuil, founded in March 1986 by the Guillemot brothers. Since its establishment, Ubisoft has become one of the largest video game publishers, and it has the largest in-house developme ...
(Ubisoft's Italian studio division) for the Nintendo Switch. The game is a
crossover
Crossover may refer to:
Entertainment
Albums and songs
* ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album)
* ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987
* ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album)
* ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album)
* ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...
with Ubisoft's ''
Raving Rabbids'' franchise, and features both singleplayer and
cooperative
A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-contro ...
multiplayer gameplay. The game's story sees players controlling Mario, his friends, and a group of Rabbids dressed as them, dealing with the aftermath of a sudden invasion by a group of Rabbids, who have accidentally misused a powerful invention that has brought chaos to the Mushroom Kingdom. Shigeru Miyamoto was initially impressed by the prototype of the game, that was presented to him by creative director Davide Soliani in 2014, which later caused Nintendo to greenlight the game for a Nintendo Switch release. It was released in Europe and North America on August 29, 2017, and was met with generally favorable reception from critics, who praised its gameplay, depth, and graphics.
A sequel, ''
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
''Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope'' is a 2022 action-adventure turn-based strategy video game developed by Ubisoft Milan and Ubisoft Paris and published by Ubisoft for the Nintendo Switch. The game is a crossover between Nintendo's ''Mario'' an ...
'', was released on October 28, 2022 for the Nintendo Switch.
Others
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the ...
(creator of games such as FIFA, Battlefield, Apex Legends and many other games) developed and released ''
NBA Street V3'' and ''
SSX on Tour
''SSX on Tour'' is a snowboarding and skiing game, the fourth title in the ''SSX'' series of video games for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox and PlayStation Portable. It was released in North America on October 11, 2005 and in the PAL region on ...
'' in 2005, both of which included Mario, Luigi, and Peach as playable characters in the GameCube versions.
Square Enix released ''
Itadaki Street DS & Wii'' including many characters from Mario games.
Other media
The ''Mario'' franchise includes many comics, manga and TV series based on the games. Most were released in the late 1980s to early 1990s, and have since become obscure. The series launched two films, the
anime
is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...
''
Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach!'' released in 1986 and the
live action
Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ...
film ''
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 ...
'' in 1993. The latter lost a large amount of money at the box office and was widely considered to be a
failure.
Television
''
Saturday Supercade
''Saturday Supercade'' is an American animated television series produced for Saturday mornings by Ruby-Spears Productions. It ran for two seasons on CBS.
Premise
Each episode is composed of several shorter segments featuring video game characte ...
'' was an
animated television series produced for
Saturday mornings by
Ruby-Spears Productions
Ruby-Spears Productions (also known as Ruby-Spears Enterprises) was a Burbank, California–based American entertainment production company that specialized in animation with another branch in Rome, Italy. This company was founded in 1977 by vete ...
. It ran for two seasons on
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
, beginning in 1983. Each episode comprised several shorter segments featuring
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
characters from the
Golden Age of Arcade Games
The golden age of arcade video games was the period of rapid growth, technological development and cultural influence of arcade video games, from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. The period began with the release of ''Space Invaders'' in 1978, ...
.
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 ...
,
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 ...
and
Pauline (from the ''
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 ...
'' arcade game) were featured in the show.
''
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'' is an American live-action/animated television series airing from September 4 to November 30, 1989, on syndication. The series is based on the video games ''Super Mario Bros.'' and '' Super Mario Bros. 2'' by ...
'' is the first American TV series based on the ''Mario'' NES games. It was broadcast in
syndication
Syndication may refer to:
* Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system
* Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips
* Web syndication, ...
from September 4 to December 1, 1989. The show was produced by
DIC Entertainment
DIC Entertainment Corporation (; also known as DIC Audiovisuel, DIC Enterprises, DIC Animation City, DIC Entertainment, L.P., and DIC Productions), branded as The Incredible World of DIC, was an international film and television production com ...
and was distributed for syndicated television by
Viacom Enterprises
Viacom Productions (formerly Viacom Enterprises) was a television production arm of Viacom International. The division was active from 1974 until 2004, when the company was folded into Paramount Network Television 10 years following Viacom's acq ...
(full rights have since reverted to DiC through
Nintendo).
''
King Koopa's Kool Kartoons
''King Koopa's Kool Kartoons'' is a local, American live-action children's television show broadcast in Southern California during the Autumn of 1989. The show was produced by DIC Entertainment in association with Fox Television Studios for the ...
'' was a
live action
Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ...
children's
television show
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed b ...
broadcast in
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban a ...
during the holiday season of 1989-90. The show starred King Koopa (also known as
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 main antagonist of the ''Mario'' series. The 30-minute program was originally broadcast during the after-school afternoon time-slots on
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
-based
KTTV Fox 11.
''
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3'' is the second TV series based on the ''Mario'' NES games. It aired on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
from September 8 to December 1, 1990. Based on the ''
Super Mario Bros. 3'' video game, the cartoon shows Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool and Toad fighting against Bowser and his
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, ...
, who went by different names on the show (Hip, Hop, Kooky, Kootie Pie, Big Mouth, Cheatsy, and Bully). Like the previous Mario cartoon series, the animation was done by Sei Young Animation Co. Ltd, however this show was co-produced by Reteitalia S.P.A., hence the slight differences in character design.
''
Super Mario Challenge
The ''Mario'' media franchise extends out of video games into non-game media. Mario and themes related to the franchise have appeared in television shows, anime, films, comics and manga, merchandise, and musical performance.
Television
''Satu ...
'' was a show which aired on
The Children's Channel
The Children's Channel, also known as TCC, was a British-based pan-European children's television channel in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, which was owned by Flextech in London, England, UK. It began broadcasting on the original Eutelsat ...
. It ran from 1990 to 1991 and aired at 4:30 p.m. every weekday. The presenter,
John Lenahan
John Lenahan (born 1961 in Philadelphia, US) is an American illusionist and entertainer resident in the UK since 1984. A successful corporate entertainer, he came to greater fame as a result of a 1994 appearance on the BBC One show ''How Do The ...
, was a lookalike of
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 ...
, and dressed in his clothes. Two guest players had to do tasks, all of which involved playing the ''Mario'' video games ''
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 ...
'', ''
Super Mario Bros. 2
''Super Mario Bros. 2'' is a platform game, platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was first released in North America in October 1988, and in the PAL region in 1989.
After the smash hi ...
'' and, after its release in 1991, ''
Super Mario Bros. 3''. Rounds included challenges to see which player could complete a level in the fastest time and who could collect the most gold coins on a certain level.
''
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 an
animated television series based on the
SNES video game of the same name. It is the third and currently last
Saturday morning cartoon based on the ''Mario'' series. The show was originally aired on Saturday mornings on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
in the 1991–92 season. It was featured in a half-hour time slot with a shortened version of ''
Captain N: The Game Master''. Episodes of ''Super Mario World'' were later shown as part of the
syndication
Syndication may refer to:
* Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system
* Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips
* Web syndication, ...
package ''Captain N and the Video Game Masters''. Afterwards, the series was split from ''Captain N'' altogether and shown in time-compressed reruns on ''Mario All-Stars''.
Anime
''
Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach!'' is a Japanese
anime
is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...
film released on July 20, 1986. Directed by Masami Hata and produced by Masakatsu Suzuki and Tsunemasa Hatano, it stars
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 ...
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 get stuck in a
Famicom
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit Third generation of video game consoles, third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redes ...
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
, in which they must save
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
King Koopa
, or King Koopa, is a fictional character, the primary antagonist in Nintendo's Mario (franchise), ''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 ...
. A
manga adaptation of the film was published in Japan around the same time as the film's release.
A series of three
OVA
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...
episodes titled ''
Amada Anime Series: Super Mario Bros.'', based on ''
Momotarō
is a popular hero of Japanese folklore. His name is often translated as ''Peach Boy'', but is directly translated as ''Peach + Tarō'', a common Japanese given name. ''Momotarō'' is also the title of various books, films and other works that p ...
'', ''
Issun-bōshi
is the subject of a fairy tale from Japan. This story can be found in the old Japanese illustrated book '' Otogizōshi''. Similar central figures and themes are known elsewhere in the world, as in the tradition of Tom Thumb in English folklore.
...
'' and ''
Snow White
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection '' Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as T ...
'', were released on August 3, 1989. These generally featured Mario as the hero, Peach as the damsel and Bowser as the villain, with other Mario characters playing supporting roles.
Films
1993 live-action film
''Super Mario Bros.'' is an American 1993
adventure
An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme ...
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
comedy
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
loosely based on the video game of the same name. The film follows the exploits of
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 ...
(
Bob Hoskins) 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 ...
(
John Leguizamo
John Alberto Leguizamo Peláez (; ; born July 22, 196013:04) is an American actor, comedian, and film producer. He has appeared in over 100 films, produced over 20 films and documentaries, made over 30 television appearances, and has produced ...
) in a
dystopia ruled by
King Koopa
, or King Koopa, is a fictional character, the primary antagonist in Nintendo's Mario (franchise), ''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 ...
(
Dennis Hopper). It was the first live-action
major motion picture to be based on a video game. The film's plot features Mario and Luigi as the main protagonists, Mario leading the team with Luigi developing a romance with
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 ...
.
The film grossed $21 million on a $48 million budget.
On the television show ''
Siskel & Ebert
Gene Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) and Roger Ebert (June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013), collectively known as Siskel & Ebert, were American film critics known for their partnership on television lasting from 1975 to Siskel's d ...
'', the film received two
thumbs down
A thumb signal, usually described as a thumbs-up or thumbs-down, is a common hand gesture achieved by a closed fist held with the thumb extended upward or downward in approval or disapproval, respectively. These gestures have become metapho ...
and was written off as a
box office flop
A box-office bomb, or box-office disaster, is a film that is unprofitable or considered highly unsuccessful during its theatrical run. Although any film for which the production, marketing, and distribution costs combined exceed the revenue after ...
.
Upcoming 2023 animated film
''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'' is currently in development and is scheduled to be released on April 7, 2023 by
Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
in North America. Produced by
Illumination and
Nintendo, the film will feature the voices of
Chris Pratt as Mario,
Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach,
Charlie Day
Charles Peckham Day (born February 9, 1976) is an American actor, writer, producer and podcaster. He is best known for playing Charlie Kelly on the FX comedy ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' (2005–present), which he co-created with Rob ...
as Luigi,
Jack Black as Bowser,
Keegan-Michael Key
Keegan-Michael Key (born March 22, 1971) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. He co-created and co-starred alongside Jordan Peele in Comedy Central's sketch series ''Key & Peele'' (2012–2015) and co-starred in USA Netw ...
as Toad,
Seth Rogen
Seth Aaron Rogen (; born April 15, 1982) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian and filmmaker. Originally a stand-up comedian in Vancouver, he moved to Los Angeles for a part in Judd Apatow's series '' Freaks and Geeks'', and then got a part o ...
as Donkey Kong,
Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, and
Fred Armisen
Fereydun Robert Armisen (born December 4, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. With his comedy partner Carrie Brownstein, Armisen was the co-creator and co-star of the IFC sketch comedy series '' Portlandia''. ...
as Cranky Kong.
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 ...
, Mario's in-game voice actor, will also provide cameo roles.
Aaron Horvath
Aaron James Horvath (born August 19, 1980) is an American animator, screenwriter, producer, and director. He is best known for co-developing '' Teen Titans Go!'' alongside Michael Jelenic for Cartoon Network as well as directing the upcoming film ...
and
Michael Jelenic, the developers of ''
Teen Titans Go!
''Teen Titans Go!'' is an American animated television series developed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic for Cartoon Network. It premiered on April 23, 2013 and is based on the DC Comics fictional superhero team. The series was announce ...
'', will direct, while Matthew Fogel will write the screenplay.
Shigeru Miyamoto and
Chris Meledandri
Christopher Meledandri (; born May 15, 1959) is an American film producer and founder and CEO of Illumination. He previously served as President of 20th Century Fox Animation, and has worked as the producer of the ''Despicable Me'' franchise ...
are the producers.
Other film appearances and cameos
Bowser and the Super Mushroom had a cameo in the 2012 Disney computer-animated film ''
Wreck-It Ralph
''Wreck-It Ralph'' is a 2012 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 52nd Disney animated feature film, it was directed by Rich Moore (in his feature director ...
''. Mario was mentioned but not seen in the film. Banzai Bills from the ''Mario'' franchise also appear in the 2022 film ''
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers''.
Comics and manga
is a
manga series written by and published by Shogakukan. It is serialized in
CoroCoro Comic
is a Japanese monthly manga magazine published by Shogakukan, established on May 15, 1977. Its main target is elementary school-aged boys, younger than the readers of shōnen manga, shōnen manga. Several of its properties, like ''Doraemon'' and ...
. It contains many characters and scenarios from ''Mario'' games, such as ''
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 ''
Paper Mario
''Paper Mario'' is a video game series and part of the ''Mario'' franchise, developed by Intelligent Systems and produced by Nintendo. It combines elements from the role-playing, action-adventure, and puzzle genres. Players control a paper ...
''. Having just hit its 41st volume, ''Super Mario-kun'' is the longest-running ''Mario'' series manga to date. It continues to release new volumes to date. Another consistent manga series based on various Mario games is a work written and drawn by and published by PikkaPika Comics that is, somewhat confusedly, also called It is currently at five volumes and stopped due to the author's death in 2006.
The ''
Nintendo Comics System
The ''Nintendo Comics System'' was a series of comic books published by Valiant Comics in 1990 and 1991. It was part of a licensing deal with Nintendo, featuring characters from their video games and the cartoons based on them.
The comics
V ...
'' was a series of
comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
s published by
Valiant Comics
Valiant Comics is an American comic books, comic book publisher. The company was founded in 1989 by former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter along with lawyer and businessman Steven Massarsky. In 1994, the company was sold to Acclaim E ...
in 1990 and 1991. It was part of a licensing deal with
Nintendo, featuring characters from their
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
s and the
cartoons based on them. Valiant's ''Super Mario Bros.'' comic books were based on the three main ''Mario'' games on the
Nintendo Entertainment System, as well as ''
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show
''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'' is an American live-action/animated television series airing from September 4 to November 30, 1989, on syndication. The series is based on the video games ''Super Mario Bros.'' and '' Super Mario Bros. 2'' by ...
''. The ''Mario'' line was renewed for 1991 with two different books—''Super Mario Bros.'' and ''Adventures of the Super Mario Bros.''
The ''
Nintendo Adventure Book'' series was published from 1991 to 1992 by Archway books, and Mammoth books 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 European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. There are twelve in all. They are formatted like the popular
Choose Your Own Adventure
''Choose Your Own Adventure'' is a series of children's gamebooks where each story is written from a second-person point of view, with the reader assuming the role of the protagonist and making choices that determine the main character's actio ...
books, where the reader makes decisions that change the outcome of the story. Ten of the books are about the
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 ...
' adventures in the
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 ...
and are based primarily on the
Valiant Comics
Valiant Comics is an American comic books, comic book publisher. The company was founded in 1989 by former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter along with lawyer and businessman Steven Massarsky. In 1994, the company was sold to Acclaim E ...
published for the
Nintendo Comics System
The ''Nintendo Comics System'' was a series of comic books published by Valiant Comics in 1990 and 1991. It was part of a licensing deal with Nintendo, featuring characters from their video games and the cartoons based on them.
The comics
V ...
imprint.
is an
anthology of comics, drawn in a Japanese
manga style, that ran in ''
Nintendo Power
''Nintendo Power'' was a video game news and strategy magazine from Nintendo of America, first published in July/August 1988 as Nintendo's official print magazine for North America. The magazine's publication was initially done monthly by Ninten ...
'' magazine throughout 1992, featuring the characters from Nintendo's ''
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 ...
'' series and based loosely on ''
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 ...
''.
Immediately following the end of ''Super Mario Adventures'', ''Nintendo Power'' concluded the epic with a ten-page story based on ''
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins'' titled ''
Mario VS Wario'', which ran in their January 1993 issue and was later reprinted in the graphic novel.
At one point,
Archie Comics made a pitch to Nintendo for a new Mario comic similar to its ''
Sonic the Hedgehog'' series, but it was turned down.
An encyclopedia based on ''Super Mario Bros.'' was released in Japan in October 2015. In February 2017, Nintendo announced that the encyclopedia would launch in North America and Europe in June 2017.
Another encyclopedia based on the series up until ''Super Mario Maker'' was published by
Dark Horse Publishing on October 23, 2018.
Merchandise
![Nintendo DS Lite Mario Edition 20081204](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Nintendo_DS_Lite_Mario_Edition_20081204.jpg)
Mario has appeared on lunch boxes, T-shirts, jeans, magazines, commercials (notably, in a
Got Milk?
Got Milk? (stylized as got milk?) is an American advertising campaign encouraging the consumption of milk and dairy products. Created by the advertising agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners for the California Milk Processor Board in 1993, it ...
commercial), in candy form, on shampoo bottles, cereal, badges, and as a plush toy. In 1992,
Gottlieb
Gottlieb (formerly D. Gottlieb & Co.) was an American arcade game corporation based in Chicago, Illinois.
History
The main office and plant was located at 1140-50 N. Kostner Avenue until the early 1970s when a new modern plant and office was lo ...
created a Super Mario themed
pinball
Pinball games are a family of games in which a ball is propelled into a specially designed table where it bounces off various obstacles, scoring points either en route or when it comes to rest. Historically the board was studded with nails call ...
machine. A
Monopoly
A monopoly (from Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situation where a speci ...
board game based on the ''Mario'' franchise has been confirmed by the website USAopoly. In April 2017, a board game developed by USAopoly titled ''Super Mario Level Up!'' was announced for release. Another Monopoly-inspired board game called ''Monopoly Gamer'' was released in August 2017. In addition, Monopoly Gamer adds a ''Mario Kart'' version with courses from ''Mario Kart 8'' serving as properties.
LINE released four voiced ''Mario'' sticker sets.
Mario-themed Lego sets were released in August 2020. These sets feature an electronic Mario figure that interacts with other parts of the set.
Concerts and performances
The ''Super Mario Bros.'' theme has been featured in many concerts, including "PLAY! Chicago",
the
Columbus Symphony Orchestra
The Columbus Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Columbus, Ohio. The oldest performing arts organization in the city, its home is the Ohio Theatre. The orchestra's current Executive Director is Denise Rehg. Ross ...
,
the Mario & Zelda Big Band Live, Play! A Video Game Symphony,
and others.
The
Video Games Live
Video Games Live (VGL) is a concert series created by Tommy Tallarico and originally founded by Tallarico and Jack Wall. The concerts consist of segments of video game music performed by a live orchestra with video footage and synchronized light ...
concert featured the theme performed by Koji Kondo.
Reception
The ''Mario'' series has received highly positive reception from critics and audiences. A 1996 article in ''
Next Generation'' declared that "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".
Impact and legacy
Mario has been featured in 256 games of various genres (including sports, puzzle, party, racing and first-person shooter), and the ''Mario'' franchise is the
best-selling video game franchise of all time. At least 31 different ''Mario'' games have sold more than a million copies each since 1995. This includes the core ''
Super Mario'' series, which alone has sold over 370 million units worldwide, as well as the ''
Mario Kart'' series which sold 154.26 million units,
[* 12 million in North America as of November 15, 2005:
*
** '' Super Mario Kart'': 3.82 million
** '']Mario Kart 64
is a kart racing video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was also released for the iQue Player in China in 2003. The game is the second main entry in the ''Mario Kart'' series and is the successor to ''Super Mari ...
'': 2.24 million
* '' Mario Kart: Double Dash'' sales in Japan as of January 2, 2005: 802,217 ()
* :
** ''Mario Kart DS
''Mario Kart DS'' is a 2005 kart racing video game developed by Nintendo EAD Group No. 1 and published by Nintendo. It was released for the Nintendo DS handheld game console in November 2005 in North America, Europe, and Australia, and on De ...
'': 23.60 million
** ''Mario Kart 7
''Mario Kart 7'' is a Kart racing game, kart racing video game developed by Nintendo EAD in cooperation with Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS in 2011.
As with the previous games in the Mario Kart, ''Mario Kart'' ser ...
'': 18.92 million
** ''Mario Kart Wii
is a kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the sixth installment in the ''Mario Kart'' series, and was released in April 2008. Like its previous installments, ''Mario Kart Wii'' incorporates playable characters ...
'': 37.38 million
** '' Mario Kart 8 (including Mario Kart 8 Deluxe)'': 41.86 million
the ''
Mario Party
is a party video game series featuring characters from the ''Mario'' franchise in which up to four local players or computer-controlled characters (called " CPUs") compete in a board game interspersed with minigames. The games are currentl ...
'' series which sold over 56 million copies,
''
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 ...
'' which sold over
125,000 arcade machines and six million
Coleco
Coleco Industries, Inc. was an American company founded in 1932 by Maurice Greenberg as The Connecticut Leather Company. It was a successful toy company in the 1980s, mass-producing versions of Cabbage Patch Kids dolls and its video game conso ...
cartridges, and ''
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 sold 1.72 million
Famicom
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit Third generation of video game consoles, third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redes ...
cartridges.
By 2002, the ''Super Mario'' series had grossed more than $7 billion in software sales.
See also
*
List of ''Luigi'' video games
Notes
References
External links
Official website
{{Authority control
Nintendo franchises
Video game franchises
Video game franchises introduced in 1981
Video games produced by Shigeru Miyamoto
Video games adapted into comics
Video games adapted into films
Video games adapted into television shows
Action-adventure games