Mario

"It's-a me, Mario!"

- Mario

Mario (Japanese: マリオ, Mario) is the main protagonist of the Mario series and the legendary mascot of Nintendo. Mario is a plumber, but in most games, he uses his legendary jump and combat abilities to defend the inhabitants of the usually peaceful Mushroom World from power-hungry villains such as Bowser. During most of his adventures, he often teams up with his younger brother Luigi and their partner Yoshi and sometimes even Toads for extra support, as they are the only two characters he fully trusts to help him. When not adventuring, Mario participates in a variety of sporting events and even works as one of his alter-egos, Dr. Mario.

Mario was created out of necessity by Shigeru Miyamoto after Nintendo lost the license to create a video game based on the Popeye universe. The designers kept the gameplay, but created a new cast of characters. Mario assumed Popeye's role, and the game was released as the arcade version of Donkey Kong. In this game, he was originally referred to as "Jumpman." Jumpman was renamed "Mario" when an employee at Nintendo of America's office in New York City pointed out the similar physical appearances of Jumpman and Nintendo's Italian landlord, Mario Segale.

Since then, Mario has appeared in nearly every title in the Super Mario series. In addition, he has appeared in multiple television programs, comic books, and even a feature film. He is currently one of the most recognizable fictional characters in the world, having appeared in hundreds of video games. Many consider him the face of video gaming.

Donkey Kong
Mario's very first appearance in a video game is in the 1981 arcade game, Donkey Kong. In Donkey Kong, Pauline, known as simply Lady at the time of the original release of the game, must be rescued by Jumpman from the clutches of the "Ominous Donkey Kong".

Slinging Pauline across his back, Donkey Kong ascends the metal girders of a construction site in Big Ape City on Donkey Kong Island. When Mario pursues, the ape begins throwing barrels at him and rolling them down the structure. Mario must then jump over and dodge these obstacles and enemies like fireballs and Foxfires while using lifts and ladders to reach the top of the level where Donkey Kong holds Pauline captive. On the way, Mario can retrieve Items such as Pauline's umbrella and Pauline's purse for bonus points or a hammer which he can defeat enemies with.

Each time Mario reaches the top of the level, Donkey Kong will grab Pauline once again and climb up higher. After three Levels, Donkey Kong is trapped at the very top of the structure, cornered. Mario must remove all of the bolts from the structure to drop Donkey Kong down, later on to be captured and locked in cage. Mario is then reunited with Pauline and they share a special moment together.

Donkey Kong Jr.
Mario reappears in Donkey Kong ' s sequel, Donkey Kong Jr.. Released in 1983, this is the only game that featured Mario as the antagonist ever to be made. It follows the events of the original Donkey Kong. After Mario rescued Pauline and Donkey Kong was defeated, Mario captured Donkey in a cage. Now it is up to Donkey Kong's son, Donkey Kong Jr., to rescue his father.

Donkey Kong Jr. plays through four stages, attempting to get to the top of the level using vines every stage avoiding hazards thrown by Mario (similar to the prequel) and then push a key into the cage. However, Mario will flee, with the cage, to another stage every time Donkey Kong Jr. reaches the top. Eventually Mario falls to the ground, similar to what happened to Donkey Kong in the previous game, in Stage 4. However Mario manages to get up and then goes off-screen where he is punched by Donkey Kong and flies back onto the screen.

Mario Bros.
Mario Bros. was also released as an arcade game in 1983. It first introduced Mario's brother, Luigi. The brother was very similar in appearance to Mario himself, the only visible difference being his clothes; Luigi wore green where Mario wore red. The game takes place underground inside a sewage system in New York, and Mario and Luigi are plumbers. In the sewers, various enemies start crawling out of the pipes at the top of the screen, and work their way down until they enter one of the pipes at the bottom. Some enemies include Shellcreepers, Spinies, Sidesteppers, Fighter Flies, and Freezies. The objective is to knock out each enemy by punching the ground below them, which can be done by jumping up when directly below the platform the enemy is on. Mario or Luigi must then kick the enemy while they are down, or else they revive and start walking again. Once the enemy is defeated, coins that increase the player's score will fall from the top-most pipes. Each phase increases in difficulty, with occasional Bonus Rounds in which Mario and Luigi can retrieve coins for bonus points.

Donkey Kong Circus
One year after the release of Donkey Kong, a Game & Watch title named Donkey Kong Circus was released. It involves Donkey Kong being captured by Mario, and forced to serve as a circus animal. Donkey Kong must juggle pineapples and avoid deadly flames while maintaining balance on a rolling Barrel. The Game is one of the few Game & Watch games to be in full color.

Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. was released for the NES in 1985, and was the first platformer game released in the Super Mario series. This game set the tone for many future Mario games to come, and also was a tremendous financial success, and was the best-selling game of all time until Wii Sports surpassed it. In the game, a new antagonist, Bowser, is introduced. He, in an attempt to take over the Mushroom Kingdom, kidnaps Princess Peach, and turns all of the kingdom's inhabitants into blocks, weeds, and other strange objects. Mario and Luigi then fight through the eight worlds of the Mushroom Kingdom in an attempt to reach her. At the end of each world they entered the castle from which the Koopa Troop was controlling it and defeated a False Bowser with Fireballs or by cutting the bridge it was standing on with an Ax. Each time they did so, one of the seven Mushroom Retainers informed them that Peach was in another castle. Finally, Mario and Luigi entered Bowser's Castle in World 8. After navigating the mazes and traps, the brothers defeated Bowser and rescued Princess Peach.

''Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
In Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Bowser kidnapped the princess again. Mario and Luigi once again came to her aid, traversing eight new worlds of the Mushroom Kingdom to rescue her. The brothers' adventure was much more difficult than their first. Not only were enemies more powerful, but there were strong gusts of wind to deal with. Additionally, Poison Mushrooms were now present in ? Blocks, hindering their progress. Eventually, after defeating seven more False Bowsers, Mario and Luigi found the real Bowser in World 8-4. Defeating him, they rescued the princess and finally returned peace to the Mushroom Kingdom.

Super Mario Bros. 2
One evening, during the events of Super Mario Bros. 2, Mario dreamed that he was ascending a staircase leading to a door. The door opened and he looked out upon the land of dreams, Subcon. A faint voice informed him that the tyrant Wart had taken control of the land. Wart had achieved this with the help of the 8 bits and by casting a spell upon the majority of those who lived in Subcon that placed them under Wart's control. Additionally, he created the Nightmare Machine, a device that created additional monsters. Just after the voice mentioned that Wart hated Vegetables, a bolt of lightning flashed in front of Mario, and he lost his footing. As Mario fell, he woke up in his bed.

The hero could not clear his head of the dream, so he decided to talk to Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Toad about it. They decided to go on a picnic together on a nearby mountain. Once there, they discovered a cave and went exploring. Inside the cave was a staircase resembling the one in Mario's dream. The four climbed up to find a door resembling the one in Mario's dream. Fearful, they opened the door and entered Subcon.

Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Toad set out to free the captive world. Mario was the most balanced of his friends in terms of abilities: he is second most powerful, second fastest, and second highest jumper. Together, the team traversed the seven worlds of Subcon, toppling Wart's generals as they went. Their enemies could not be defeated using their traditional jump. Instead, they had to pick up Vegetables, pieces of the environment, or other enemies and throw them at enemies to defeat them. They encountered Birdo the most of all the generals, as she held the Crystal Balls that could open each of the Hawkmouths, doorways to the next part of each world. The doorway to each new world was protected by one of Wart's generals (Mouser, Tryclyde, and Fryguy). Finally, the four heroes reached the sky, where Wart had built his massive castle. They fought their way to the Nightmare Machine chamber and cornered Wart. There, he fought the heroes. Remembering the faint voice's last words, they tossed Vegetables into Wart's mouth, defeating him.

The heroes opened a vase which was being used as a prison for the Subcon and freed Wart's captives. With Wart's reign ended, the spell was broken and peace was restored. A celebration was held in the four heroes honor, and suddenly, Mario woke up. This time, he was not disturbed by his dream and soon went peacefully back to sleep.

Super Mario Bros. 3
With the Mushroom Kingdom now completely free of Bowser's tyranny, the land had now finally returned to peace. However, during the events of Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario All Stars, and Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, the seven lands in the Mushroom World were being attacked by Bowser's Koopalings. The Koopa king had commanded them to make mischief in the Mushroom World. The seven Koopalings each went to one of the seven lands of the Mushroom Kingdom and attacked their kings. Stealing the kings' royal Magic Wands, they transformed each of the kings into an animal. The king of Grass Land's Toad assistant quickly reported Larry Koopa's attack to Princess Peach.

Hearing of the Mushroom World's dire situation, Mario and Luigi took it upon themselves to recover the magic wands and restore the kings to their original forms. Princess Peach and Toad wished them good luck as the brothers left for their next adventure. Mario and Luigi fought their way through countless enemies in Bowser's army blocking their way to the castles in each country. Each time they reached a castle, the Koopaling controlling it would flee into his or her airship. Mario and Luigi were forced to chase the Koopaling around the world until finally raiding the Airship and defeating Bowser's minions within. After recovering each magic wand and restoring each of the seven kings, Mario and Luigi received a letter from Bowser: while the Mario Bros. were away, Bowser had kidnapped the princess and taken her to Bowser's Castle deep within the Dark Land.

Mario and Luigi met with their toughest challenges yet. Bowser had prepared an expansive, modern military, complete with tanks, airships, and ships capable of withstanding the lava that flowed throughout the world. The brothers were never safe: three Hand Traps were prepared to pull them into dangerous areas where they faced multitudes of enemies and hazards. Finally, they reached Bowser's Castle and cornered Bowser. The king attacked by creating holes in the floor and sending out fireballs. The brothers could defeat him by using Hammers or fireballs if they had the appropriate power-ups. However, Bowser eventually defeated himself by falling into one of his own pits. Mario and Luigi rescued Princess Peach, who joshed them, saying, "Thank you. But our princess is in another castle!... Just kidding. Ha ha ha! Bye bye!"

Super Mario World
Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach took a vacation to the strange Dinosaur Land during the events of Super Mario World. As soon as they arrived, they realized nobody was there. Luigi noticed a mysterious feather. After he and Mario touched it, he donned a cape and was able to fly. The brothers experimented with this new ability, but once they returned, Peach was missing. Mario and Luigi went to Yoshi's house and read a letter saying that he and his friends had been kidnapped by Bowser, who also made off with the Princess. The heroic plumbers immediately set out to save them, faced many strange new enemies along with their old foes, including the Koopalings (each of them were guarding a captured Yoshi Egg).

Using the help of the Yoshis and their long enemy-swallowing tongues, Mario finally liberates Dinosaur Land and all those who had been taken captive by Bowser. Mario, Peach, Luigi, and Yoshi celebrated the rest of the vacation at Yoshi's House, watching the seven Yoshi Eggs hatch.

New Super Mario Bros.
Mario went back to his side scrolling roots during the events of New Super Mario Bros. Surprisingly, Princess Peach is kidnapped by Bowser Jr., not Bowser. Mario and Princess Peach were taking a stroll around Princess Peach's Castle. On their way back, the castle was struck by lightning, possibly from Lakithunder. Mario rushed to the castle, being distracted and forgetting about Princess Peach. Princess Peach was then captured by Bowser Jr. and Mario gave chase.

Mario had his classic battle with Bowser at the end of the first world, dropping him into the lava. The reluctant Bowser Jr., took Princess Peach through eight different worlds. Mario finally confronted the undead King Koopa who had become Dry Bowser, who was then defeated again. Bowser Jr. later tossed his father's skeletal remains into a cauldron and revived Bowser to his natural self and they both battled Mario together. Mario emerged victorious and received a kiss from Princess Peach.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Mario returns to his side-scrolling roots once again in the Wii title, New Super Mario Bros. Wii. The story starts with Mario and his friends Luigi, Yellow Toad, and Blue Toad celebrating Princess Peach's Birthday. Suddenly, a cake appears. While the group investigates it, Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings emerge from the cake. They trap Princess Peach in the cake, and ride off in the airship, dropping off Koopalings at their respective castles. After a dangerous trek through all the worlds, Mario and his friends encounter Bowser. Then music plays, signifying that Mario has completed the game. But the "Peach" Mario saves is really Kamek the Magikoopa in disguise, who uses magic to make Bowser absolutely huge. Mario must make it through the rest of the level while Giant Bowser breathes fireballs and, near the middle, jumps and creates waves of lava. Eventually, Mario reaches the real Peach and a skull switch that will drop Bowser out of the castle. When Mario exits the castle, with Peach at his side, Luigi appears in a hijacked hot air balloon, with Toads in another one behind him. Luigi offers Mario and Peach his balloon. Luigi intends to get into that balloon too, but when he tried to open the door, he fell over instead. They had taken off. Luigi then gets into the Toads' balloon. Peach then tells Mario about the secret world, World 9.

Super Mario 64
Mario went to Princess Peach's Castle during the events of Super Mario 64. Mario goes to Princess Peach's Castle after he received an invitation to eat cake. Upon entering the door, he heard Bowser's voice and learned that the Princess has been captured again. Mario entered the Painting Worlds created by Bowser's magic and saved some of the Power Stars that he scattered. With the help of the Toads advice, he finally collected enough Power Stars (120 in all) and faced Bowser for the last time. Using his new tail-tossing skill he hurled Bowser into a spiked bomb and ended his terrible reign. Princess Peach thanked him with a kiss and finally bakes him that cake. This is also Mario's debut 3D game.

Super Mario Sunshine
After Luigi saved him from the painting he was imprisoned in by King Boo, Mario took a well deserved vacation with Peach and Toadsworth during the events of Super Mario Sunshine. Upon arriving on the Pianta populated Isle Delfino however, Mario was branded a criminal. Apparently, an impersonator of Mario called Shadow Mario had been vandalizing Isle Delfino with a strange type of slime called Goop. Confused, Mario took a defensive hearing of his so called "crime". Using a smart portable water pump named FLUDD, Mario had to clean the whole island of Goop and return the Shine Sprites back to the Shine Gate. During this adventure, Mario also saved the many Yoshi sub-species of Isle Delfino. Mario started cleaning up the isle and found out who his impersonator was. It was Bowser Jr., Bowser's youngest son. He kidnapped Princess Peach and took her to the volcanic Corona Mountain. After Mario defeated Shadow Mario in Episode 7 of every level, Bowser Jr. flooded Delfino Square. Mario went to Corona Mountain and discovered Bowser and son, bathing in a tub of hot Slime Goop. When Mario flipped the tub upside down, they fell and Isle Delfino was saved. Mario then was finally able to enjoy his vacation with Peach and the others.

Super Mario 64 DS
Super Mario 64's remake, Super Mario 64 DS, offered an alternative reality to the original game's storyline. Luigi and Wario join Mario, instead of Mario traveling to the castle alone. They were invited to the castle for cake and in excitement, they rushed to the castle. Yoshi saw them go inside and wondered why they hadn't come out yet. Yoshi then went inside the castle and searched for keys to the three locked doors holding them captive. He saved Mario, who then eventually saved the other two.

Using their unique abilities, they rescued many Power Stars and defeated Bowser's minions. After they collected enough Power Stars, only Mario could face Bowser for the third last time. Princess Peach kisses Mario and decides give Yoshi, Mario, Luigi, and Wario the cake she had promised them.

Super Mario Galaxy
During the night of the Star Festival, Mario receives a letter from Princess Peach telling him that she is waiting for him at the castle and wants to give him something. Suddenly, Bowser invades, turning the festival into chaos. He captures Princess Peach by ripping the castle from it's foundation, lifting it into space. Mario makes to the castle in time as it is lifted up trying to protect Peach. Suddenly, a Magikoopa appears, and blasts Mario off into the cosmos. Later, he wakes up on a mysterious planet. He discovers a white bunny, who later is known as a white Luma. He also meets Rosalina, the protector of the Lumas. She summons the white Luma whom Mario found earlier on the planet. Giving him the Luma, Mario gains the power to Spin. He also can fly through the cosmos using items known as Launch Stars.

After retrieving the first Grand Star, Mario is transported to the Comet Observatory, which acts as a hub area. Each time Mario gains a Grand Star, a new dome would open up. After gaining 60 Power Stars, Mario is able to fly to the center of the universe to fight Bowser. Bowser Jr. holds Peach captive while Mario and Bowser are fighting. Eventually, Mario lands the final blow on Bowser, sending him to the very lava of the planet he was creating. Mario then retrieves the seventh and final Grand Star. On his way to the Comet Observatory, Bowser Jr. drops Peach out of his Airship. Mario catches her at the last second. Then Bowser appears, badly hurting, either from the battle with Mario or the landing in the lava. He moans over his defeat and his crumbling galaxy. Suddenly, the Sun explodes and transforms into a black hole, sucking in everything in the universe including the castle and the observatory. Mario's Luma spurts out of his hat, saying goodbye. Then it throws itself into the black hole. All of the Lumas then go into the black hole to reverse its effect, saving the entire universe. When Mario wakes up, he sees he is back in the Mushroom Kingdom. Peach and Bowser can be seen alongside him. After the credits, it shows that Mario's Luma is safe, alive and happy on a planet that has a place that resembles the remains of a destroyed Starshroom.

''Super Mario Galaxy 2
Mario appears in the sequel of Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Galaxy 2 where he is occasionally joined by Luigi and Yoshi to save the universe from being ruled by Bowser and to retrieve the Power Stars.

In Super Mario Galaxy 2, Mario receives a letter from Princess Peach and goes to her castle. On his way, he finds a lost Luma, who decides to stow away in his hat, giving Mario the power to star spin. When he goes to the castle, he notices that Bowser is gigantic and has the princess in his hand. Mario goes after him and ends up on Starship Mario, where he meets Lubba and his crew. To defeat Bowser and rescue Princess Peach, Mario had to collect 70 Power Stars so the Starship Mario can advance to Bowser's Galaxy Generator. After that, if Mario obtains the remaining 50 Power Stars, He may go on a hunt for the Green Power Stars, referred to as Cosmic Jewels. Once the Green Stars have been found, Mario can travel to the Grandmaster Galaxy to get the last 2 Power Stars.

Game & Watch series
Mario has appeared in several Game & Watch games, including Mario's Bombs Away, Mario's Cement Factory, Mario the Juggler, and Super Mario Bros.. He also appeared in the later series of remakes called Game & Watch Gallery 1-4 and Game & Watch Collection.

Wrecking Crew
Mario appeared once again in Wrecking Crew. Mario and Luigi worked on a demolition site, possibly as another facet of Mario's previous construction job. The goal was to break as many stone walls as possible. Defeating enemies in this game was not easy, as Mario and Luigi's regular hammer dealt them no damage. However, it could make Foreman Spike fall down if one of the Mario Bros. could hit him with it. If an enemy wandered underneath a drum, Mario could trap it by causing the drum to fall.

Super Mario Land
During Super Mario Land, Tatanga, an evil purple alien, hypnotized Sarasaland's residents and abducted Princess Daisy. He wanted to marry Daisy and make her queen. Mario heard about this and sprang into adventure. He had to trudge through four worlds, defeating exotic enemies and their leaders: King Totomesu, Dragonzamasu, Hiyoihoi, and Biokinton. When Mario finally encounters Tatanga, Tatanga was already heavily armored with his ship, the Pagosu. However, Mario still triumphed over Tatanga and rescued Daisy, thus restoring Sarasaland back to order.

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
While Mario was in Sarasaland, Wario conquered Mario's castle in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. Wario then distributed six golden coins throughout Mario Land, the keys to Mario's castle. Mario must travel to the Tree Zone, the Macro Zone, the Pumpkin Zone, the Mario Zone, the Turtle Zone, and the Space Zone. Wario tried many ways to defeat Mario, such as bringing down lights or shooting fireballs, but these failed as Mario dethroned Wario from his castle.

In the third game, Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, although it had Mario's name in the title, Mario did not appear until the end of the game, where he stole a Princess Peach statue from Wario.

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
Abandoning carpentry and leaving Donkey Kong to his own devices, Mario entered the plumbing business with Luigi and formed Mario Brothers Plumbing as revealed in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! The pair worked on plumbing from the business's headquarters, performed house calls, and also released a line of products. As the years passed, they remained financially unsuccessful, but gained a reputation for their plumbing skills and were recognized by the Grand Order of Plumbers as Plumbers of the Year in "Plumbers of the Year" despite an embarrassing appearance on David Horowitz's worldwide television show that ruined the reputation of their product line in "The Marios Fight Back" Mario and Luigi had a variety of mainly benign adventures. For example, in "Texas Tea" the brothers became rich from an oil well in their tomato garden. However, they were endangered on several occasions, such as in "Slime Busters" when the brothers were attacked by Slime Ghosts. Despite their adventures, Mario confided to Luigi in "Baby Mario Love" that he was dissatisfied with his current life, complaining it lacked glitz and glamor. Two conflicting stories of how the Mario bros. returned to Mushroom World exist. The first originates from The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! introduction and later expanded on in "Toddler Terrors of Time Travel." Mario and Luigi were performing a house call for a slightly daft lady who hired them to fix her bathtub drain. Unknown to them, the drain was a Warp Zone connected to the Mushroom World. After Luigi cleared it, Mario and Luigi were sucked towards the drain. Mario grabbed onto the shower curtain bar, but Luigi was already in the drain's suction. Grabbing unto Mario, Luigi ended up pulling both of them down. Later, Mario and Luigi were forced to relive this event due to Kooky von Koopa's Time Travel Tube. The events were slightly altered. Instead of struggling against the drain, Mario and Luigi openly jump through the pipe. The two were warped from the past Earth to the present Mushroom World, ending the process of overwriting past events. The second was invented for "The Legend." While Mario ate lunch one day in Mario Brothers Plumbing, the brothers heard a cry for help through a very small pipe. Springing into action, they grabbed their plungers and followed the voice, which they later learned belonged to Princess Toadstool.

The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 follows after the events of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! This series of episodes are based on Super Mario Bros. 3. Unlike in the previous series, this one has Mushroom Kingdom in a more peaceful state. Mario has more enemies to fight, most notably, the Koopalings. The only episode Mario does not appear in is Life's Ruff.

Super Mario World (television series)
The Super Mario World (television series) is a continuation of the previous series, The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3. This time, the episodes focuses loosely on the video game Super Mario World with added characters, the most prominent, Yoshi, the Cave People, and Oogtar. Mario appears in every episode of the Super Mario World television series as one of the main protagonists.

Mario Teaches Typing
In games such as Mario Teaches Typing and the Mario's Early Years! series, Mario taught children how to use skills they would normally learn in school such as typing and learning the alphabet. These games had Mario portrayed so children would be more eager to learn and had various Mario elements in them.

Mario Paint
Mario starred in a game called Mario Paint. In this game, players could draw, compose music, make stamps, or make animations. The SNES Mouse is compatible in this game. In the Music Mode, Mario needed to jump in the notes to make sound.

Mario Kart series
Mario has even started his own series of racing tournaments, starting with Super Mario Kart. Mario is an average weighted driver, making him very versatile and usable in many situations. Mario's stats are very similar to his brother, Luigi. His karts are usually based on his red color and have average stats resembling him. In Mario Kart Arcade GP, Mario had a new look to his kart. He raced with a couple other key Mario Kart characters, plus Pac-Man series characters. In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Mario was a middleweight, allowing him the option of both middleweight and heavy karts. His partner was Luigi and his item was the Red Fireball. His Kart was called Red Fire.

Mario Kart Arcade GP
As a spinoff of the Mario Kart series, the Mario Kart Arcade GP series features Mario with many crossover characters, such as Pac-Man and Mametchi.

In Mario Kart Arcade GP, Mario appears in the first Mario Kart for the arcade as a all-around type playable racer. He along with Luigi both share the same special character items. Mario's racing courses in were the Mario Highway and the Mario Beach. Mario appears once again as an all-around racer in the sequel, Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, where he was the same as he was in Mario Kart Arcade GP as well as his racing courses.

Mario is Missing!
Mario was the one needing rescue during the events of Mario is Missing!, which strangely takes place in the Real World. Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi went to stop all his Koopalings from stealing valuable landmark artifacts from famous Earth cities, which Bowser needed to fund his plan: he wanted the money to buy hair dryers to melt Antarctica and flood the world. The Hafta Havit Mail-Order was his source of hair dryers.

Luigi, scared to go into Bowser's Castle, stayed behind with Yoshi, however Mario then got kidnapped. Using the skills of deduction, Mario was saved and Bowser was launched to the center of Antarctica and split in two (although the game's place in the timeline, if it even happened, is questioned. Also, different versions of the game have different endings, Bowser's death being exclusive to the SNES version).

Yoshi's Safari
Mario used an energy gun called a Super Scope during the events of Yoshi's Safari. Bowser takes over the kingdom of Jewelry Land and steals twelve magical gems. This caused a disturbance in the ground and caused Jewelry Land to split into the Light Realm and the Dark Realm. Princess Peach's good friend, Prince Pine and his father, King Fret, are in trouble along with their kingdom. Mario, riding Yoshi, headed for Jewelry Land with the new weapon Princess Peach gave them.

Mario and Yoshi, riding through many unexplored stages, fought Bowser's Koopalings. Mario wasn't the only one with weapons as each of them possessed their own special weapon. Bowser, all geared up, fought Mario using many cheap tricks such as throwing bombs. Nevertheless, Mario and Yoshi beat him and saved another kingdom of the Mushroom World.

Mario & Wario
In Mario & Wario, Wario blinded Mario by dropping a bucket on Mario's head. Wanda, a fairy, had to guide Mario safely through hazards and traps until Mario reached Luigi. Luigi would then take off the bucket. Eventually, Wario had to resort driving a plane. Nevertheless, Wanda emerged victorious and blasted Wario away.

Mario's Time Machine
Mario went to the Real World back in time during the events of Mario's Time Machine. Note that the game is very different for the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Bowser stole valuable artifacts from the past in the Real World to build a great "Museum". He, however doesn't realize that it might alter the present forever if not returned immediately. Mario had to stop Bowser from stealing more artifacts and returned the ones he already has to their proper locations, using his own Time Machine. In the Nintendo Entertainment System version, Mario was accompanied by Yoshi, but in the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Yoshi didn't appear at all.

Mario first went to Bowser's Museum in Bowser's Castle and took back all the artifacts he has stolen. After meeting many historical figures and returning the artifacts to their proper places, Mario went to stop Bowser. Mario ended up victorious and the world is saved by Mario.

Hotel Mario
Both Mario and Luigi received an invitation from Princess Peach for a picnic during the events of Hotel Mario. Both went to the Mushroom Kingdom, only to find a note written by Bowser stating that he and the Koopalings had turned the Kingdom into their own personal resorts and retained Peach as a "permanent guest" in one of his seven Koopa Hotels. After destroying most of the Koopaling hotels, Mario fought Bowser in his own hotel and defeated him. He then received a kiss from Princess Peach, then congratulated the player as 'The best ever'.

Mario's Picross series
Mario's Picross, a puzzle game for Game Boy, has the player reveal hidden pictures in a grid by scraping a certain amount of squares. The picture revealed could a part of the Mario series, such as a Mushroom, a Bullet Bill, and Mario.

Mario's Super Picross, a Super Famicom successor to Mario's Picross, followed the same aspects of the original game, but with more and larger puzzles. The game starred both Mario and Wario in continuation of the archaeology theme that was present in Mario's Picross with more streamlined graphics, music, and controls.

Picross 2 was released on Game Boy as the direct sequel to Mario's Picross. It further increased puzzle size and count and is often deemed as the most tedious title to complete in the Mario's Picross series.

Due to the lack of commercial success of Mario's Picross in the West, neither Mario's Super Picross or Picross 2 saw a release outside of Japan until Mario's Super Picross was released on Virtual Console in Europe in 2007.

Mario Clash
Mario shot at Koopas and various other enemies in Mario Clash, a game for the Virtual Boy. Mario has to knock enemies away with Koopa Shells. Mario has to mainly hit them in the side. The gameplay was similar to the style of Mario Bros., but Luigi did not make an appearance.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Mario battled strange machine-like creatures from another dimension during the events of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Many things have changed, Mario even gets his own house. Mario first went to confront Bowser who had again captured Princess Peach (which by now is a recurring event). Mario walked to Bowser's Keep (Bowser's Castle) which is strangely located near Mario's Pad in this game. Mario battles Bowser atop a Kinklink and rescues Peach. Then a huge sword called Exor struck the castle from atop and knocked them all to various spots in the Mushroom Kingdom. Fortunately, Mario fell through the Pipe on top Pipe House (Mario's Pad) and landed right on his bed.

Mario discovered that the Star Pieces that grants dreams had been stolen by a group called the Smithy Gang run by Smithy. These criminals had not only stolen the Star Shards, they had caused much trouble to the Mushroom Kingdom. On this quest Mario was joined by Mallow, Geno, Peach, and even Bowser. They traveled through much of the Mushroom Kingdom in search of the Star Shards protected by the Smithy Gang's strongest members. After all Star Shards were collected, Mario had to go to Smithy's dimension and fight him once and for all. Mario of course had to reach it through Bowser's Keep which was inaccessible when Exor destroyed the bridge. With the help of Mallow's parents, King and Queen Nimbus, Mario had passage through a special cloud bus. When they finally got there, Mario defeated Exor and went to Smithy's dimension via Exor's mouth.

Mario's journey wasn't over as Smithy had even more minions at his disposal. After many grueling battles Mario faced Smithy, who was inevitably defeated and once again the Mushroom Kingdom was saved by Mario.

Wrecking Crew '98
Mario had to brandish his infamous Hammer during the events of Wrecking Crew '98. Mario came back to the Mushroom Kingdom from one his quests and discovers that it was overrun with many of Bowser's new fortresses. The result of all this construction was a withering Mushroom Kingdom.

Mario decided to stop Bowser by destroying his buildings. Foreman Spike also made a reappearance, this time helping Bowser. His trusty Hammer was a great help on this adventure, as it helped him wreck and destroy Bowser's many new fortresses. The heroic plumber defeated all his foes and the Mushroom Kingdom was saved yet again.

Mario Party series
Mario is always represented by his trademark red color. The mini-games test Mario's luck, skill, and endurance and reward him with coins. In the first three Mario Party games, Mario aimed to become the superstar. Though Mario doesn't have many distinguishable abilities from the other Mario Party characters, the most notable difference is Mario's ability to use the Fireball Orb in Mario Party 7. Whenever Mario used an Orb on a space, the space would have Mario's "M" insignia. As revealed in the official artwork of Mario Party 4, Mario's item of choice is the Mega Mushroom. Mario's Duel Mode partner is the defensive Koopa Troopa in Mario Party 3, and the booklet says that his favorite item is the Golden Mushroom. He also challenged the player for the Courage Star Stamp if he was not selected. Throughout the series, Mario's famed jumping ability is also evened out with the other characters, leveling the playing field. This also shows Mario's chemistry between other player when they team up.

Luigi's Mansion
Mario played his second role as a captive during the events of Luigi's Mansion. Mario went to check out a mansion that Luigi mysteriously won. There, a huge Boo called King Boo overpowered Mario with his many Boos and imprisoned him within a portrait. King Boo was apparently mad at Mario for harassing his kind during his past adventures. Luigi came later to find out why his brother didn't come back. Luigi overcomes his cowardice and finally captured all Boos using his Poltergust 3000. He then faced King Boo, who had possessed a Bowser suit. After he defeated King Boo, Luigi took Mario's portrait and reverted the plumber back to his original form, using Professor Elvin Gadd's Portrificationizer in reverse.

''Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix
Mario danced to save the Mushroom Kingdom during the events of Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix. Waluigi went to Truffle Tower to gain Music Keys and grant him the power to "hypnotize the rhythm less masses". However, after he opened the door, all but one key flew to various locations in the Mushroom Kingdom. One of the music Keys went down the sea, another one to Mushroom Park and another one to Freeze Mountain. Toad, who saw this occur, rushed to tell Mario. If all keys were not returned, they could fall into the wrong hands.

Ever the hero, Mario set out to find all four Music Keys, along with Toad. Using his S.S. Brass to navigate, Mario challenged the key owners to dance-offs. Mario then faced Waluigi (and other creatures) to a dance-off and got all four Music Keys back.

After getting the keys, Bowser stole them. Bowser went to his castle and Mario followed him with the S.S. Brass. Mario did the "Final Dance Off" with him and got the Music Keys back. They then were all returned to the Truffle Tower.

Mario Baseball series
The multi-talented plumber has also played baseball in Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers. Again, Mario is a balanced character although Mario is a bit of a slow runner in the first game. Mario's special ball is the classic Fireball, which dazzles other players with smoky speed. Mario's abilities are very similar to Luigi's. Mario's default team is the Mario Sunshines in Mario Superstar Baseball which mostly consists of the non-playable characters from Super Mario Sunshine. In Mario Super Sluggers, his team is called the Mario Fireballs, which consists of the Mario Bros., the Baby Mario Bros., Piantas, Nokis, and a Blooper.

Super Princess Peach
Mario was once again a Damsel-in-Distress during the events of Super Princess Peach. Bowser sent an army of Hammer Bros. and Goombas to invade Princess Peach's castle. Mario, Luigi, and the Toads, busy defending the castle, were caught by a bunch of Hammer Brothers. Princess Peach and a special umbrella named Perry given to her by Toadsworth, escaped in the nick of time. Mario and the others were sent to Vibe Island, the source of the enemies power. There they had no power to escape so Princess Peach went there to rescue him. Princess Peach defeated Bowser using her new "emotional" powers and this time, was the hero. Towards the end when Mario is rescued, he picks Peach into his arms and gives her some flowers.

Mario Football series
In the Mario Football (or Mario Strikers in America and Japan) series, Mario takes on yet another sport, football (also known as soccer). His stats are all-around in both games, Mario Smash Football and Mario Strikers Charged Football. His Super Strike in Mario Smash Football is the Fire Strike. His Super Ability in Mario Strikers Charged Football is Super Mario!. Unlike previous sports games, where Mario stayed in his usual traditional outfit, in the Mario Strikers series, he is seen wearing different gear, including different clothes and wearing cleats. In either game, Mario's team number is 1, and captain type is Balanced.

Mario Hoops 3-on-3
In Mario Hoops 3-on-3, Mario is seen playing a sport that was not part of the series until then; basketball. His Special Shot was the Fire Shot, which involved Mario dribbling the ball around him in the shape of an M, and then either alley-oop or dunk a flaming red basketball into the hoop. To execute this move, the player must tap the touchscreen in the shape of the letter M. Like the other sports games Mario has appeared in, he is classified as a balanced character.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island


Baby Mario and his brother, Baby Luigi, were flown to Mushroom World by the stork. However, Kamek, fearing the Star Children would ruin the plans of the Koopa Troop, attacked the stork and managed to kidnap Luigi but left Mario to plummet towards Yoshi's Island in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. By chance, Yoshi was walking below and cushioned Mario's fall. Confused at the baby's presence, Yoshi consulted his fellow Yoshis and they worked out a plan to trek across the island in an effort to save Luigi and return the babies to their parents.

However, the Koopa Troop soon realized that they had only stolen one of the babies and set out to procure the second one. Mario and the Yoshis were forced to contend not only with the harsh terrain of the island, but also with Kamek's forces, including the Toadies. These minions attempted to steal Baby Mario whenever he fell off of a Yoshi's back. However, thanks to the power of the Stars Yoshi and his friends collected throughout their adventures, Mario was kept safe inside of a bubble until rescued by one of the Yoshis. Baby Mario was able to help in the fight when Yoshi or one of his friends collected a Super Star, turning Mario into Super Baby Mario for a short time.

Finally, the Yoshis confronted Kamek and faced off against his leader, Baby Bowser. Defeating him, the Yoshis discovered Baby Luigi and the Stork and rescued them. The Stork took both babies up into the air and delivered them to their mother and father, who were completely unaware of their babies' status as Star Children or the trials that awaited them.

Yoshi Touch & Go
Yoshi Touch & Go, unlike other Yoshi games, has no story. Where, when, and how the events took place is unconfirmed.

Each level in this game begins with Baby Mario falling from the sky with balloons. The player must guide him with clouds while destroying obstacles with bubbles. Soon, Baby Mario lands on a Yoshi's back, and Yoshi finishes the rest of the level.

Yoshi's Island DS
When Mario was a little older, Kamek and his Toadies made a second attempt to ensure a safe future for the Koopa Troop in Yoshi's Island DS. They kidnapped countless babies, searching for all of the Star Children. Mario and Luigi were taken from their home in the night as their parents cried out for them, unable to stop the kidnapping. However, the Stork noticed Kamek and his Toadies taking away several babies. He attacked the Toady holding Mario. The Toady panicked and dropped Mario, who fell again towards Yoshi's Island. Yoshi and his friends again found the baby and sought to defeat the Koopa Troop one more time. In the process, they learned to utilize the abilities Mario granted to the Yoshi he rode on. They found Baby Peach, Baby Donkey Kong, Baby Wario, and Baby Bowser along the way, all of whom worked with the Yoshis to defeat the Koopa Troop. As they progressed, Bowser traveled from the future to assist his Koopa Troop of the past. The Yoshis were able to defeat him with the help of the babies. Mario was returned to his parents alongside his brother and the family was reunited.

WarioWare series
Mario didn't make a big appearance in the WarioWare series, but he made small cameos in some microgames in WarioWare: Touched!. He appeared as a blackboard drawing in Jimmy T.'s microgame Chalk Full, and appeared in Wario-Man's microgame You Scratch Mine, alongside Wario and even Toad.

Super Smash Bros. series
Mario has been playable in every Super Smash Bros. game to date. Mario has retained his balanced abilities even when fighting characters from other series. He brought with him many items, stages, and characters to compete in the tournament. Mario's alter-egos Dr. Mario and Metal Mario followed as well. Mario is usually portrayed as a "main" character alongside Link, Kirby, and Pikachu. He does not need to be unlocked in any Super Smash Bros. and is always playable at the start. Mario's skill is reflected by the player, as mentioned by the Adventure mode Mario trophy.

Solid Snake Codec Conversation

 * Colonel: Snake, you know who that is?
 * Snake: You're kidding, right? It's Mario.
 * Colonel: Mario made his first appearance in 1981, and since then, he's become a worldwide phenomenon. There's probably not a single person who doesn't know Mario. He's that famous.
 * Snake: Good thing I survived long enough to meet him on the field of battle, huh.
 * Colonel: This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, Snake. Now get out there and show him what you're made of. No regrets.
 * Snake: Got it.

Role in the Subspace Emissary
In the beginning, a trophy of Mario and Kirby are thrown into an arena. The two come to life and fight. The player chooses the one to play with. If Mario is chosen, the opponent will be Kirby. After the battle between the two, Mario resurrects Kirby. This scenario happens the other way around if the player chooses Kirby instead. The Subspace Army then ambushes the two. Peach and Zelda come to help and they are all confronted by the Ancient Minister. After seeing the two R.O.B.s setting up a Subspace Bomb, Mario runs to try and stop it, only to be blasted away by Petey Piranha. Afterwards, he meets Pit after the latter has descended from Skyworld. They team up and reach land and give chase to the Ancient Minister, but they lose him.

Eventually, Mario sees Peach's trophy form apparently dissolving. Thinking Link and Yoshi have done this, Mario and Pit attack them, only to be defeated and stolen by King Dedede. Kirby, however, saves them both, and Pit shoots an arrow at the Cargo that Dedede was driving, blowing its engine out. Keep note that this only happens if Peach was rescued from Petey Piranha. If Zelda is rescued, Mario and Pit end up facing a False Zelda, with Pit destroying her Dark Cannon that she was about to fire at Link and Yoshi. Link sees the Zelda trophy dissolve, and he and Yoshi attack Mario and Pit. Mario and Pit defeat them, but Mario sees the Peach trophy in the Cargo before Dedede takes Yoshi and Link. When Kirby saves them, Link is the one that blows out the engine.

Regardless, Mario and his team chase Dedede through a cave and into his castle, only to find his throne room a mess and himself and the trophies he had nowhere to be found. They go through a secret passage and see Bowser trying to get away. Mario attacks, only to find that he has the princess not rescued from Petey Piranha. Pit fires an arrow, but Bowser dodges, and the badge that the princess was wearing falls. Bowser gets away, and Kirby eats the badge.

Mario and his team encounter the Ancient Minister again later and chase him through the Wilds, but the R.O.B.s stop them and detonate the Subspace Bomb that the Ancient Minister was carrying. Mario and his team escape and end up fighting the Subspace Army at the Canyon where they meet the Ice Climbers, Marth, Lucas, the Pokémon Trainer, and Ike.

Eventually, the rest of the heroes join them and they head off into Subspace itself, taking down a Subspace Gunship along the way. In Subspace, they discover that Tabuu was behind the Subspace Army after all. Tabuu fires his Off Waves at them, turning them all into trophies. Mario was then rescued by King Dedede and his team consisting of Luigi and Ness; it turns out that Dedede knew of Tabuu and designed the badges to revive fighters from their trophy forms after a certain amount of time. Luigi and Ness were wearing the badges, and the one Kirby had eaten revived him as well. Everyone else was recovered by either Dedede's team or Kirby, with Bowser, Ganondorf, and Wario, who all had been working with the Subspace Army, joining them after learning about what Tabuu had done. Everyone went to confront Tabuu in the center of the Great Maze. Tabuu attempts to use his Off Waves again, but Sonic the Hedgehog suddenly appears and attacks Tabuu's wings, weakening the Off Waves considerably. Although the Off Waves were still powerful enough to score an instant knock out on someone, Mario and the others were able to defeat Tabuu, restoring most of the world back to normal.

Fireball
Mario shoots red fireballs out of his palm. It is his normal B move, and it is used by the Mario and Luigi in all three games. Mario's Fireballs are affected by gravity (meaning they bounce against the ground), while Luigi's shoot straight no matter what, unless it ricochets off something in front of Luigi. Kirby can also use the Fireball move once he has sucked up Mario.

The move originates from the Super Mario Bros. games, whereas if Mario or Luigi grab a Fire Flower, they gain the ability to chuck fireballs from their hands.

Cape
Mario uses Cape as an attack in each installment of the series. It is his Side + B move. While this attack is not particularly powerful, it is useful in that it can reverse the direction of certain projectile attacks. It can also make the foe spin around, and face the other direction. Interestingly enough, it's the only move that can reflect Mario's F.L.U.D.D. move. Also note that when Mario uses his cape it is not actually tied around his neck but held in his hand and swung.

The move originated from Super Mario World, when Mario grabs a Cape Feather, he will get a cape and can attack enemies just by swinging it.

Super Jump Punch
The Super Jump Punch is a jumping move Mario, Luigi, and Dr. Mario can perform in the Super Smash Bros. series. It is executed by pressing B while holding the control stick upwards at the same time. When Mario performs the attack, coins fly out of the enemy, and the foe receives about 10% damage. Mario's Super Jump Punch has not changed at all throughout his appearances.

This move originated from Super Mario Bros., where if Mario jumps under certain blocks, coins will appear from the blocks. Plus, Mario, when using the move, would always be in the pose when he jumps in Super Mario Bros.

Mario Tornado
Mario Tornado is a special move that Mario can use as an aerial attack. After pressing B and tilting the control stick in the down position, Mario would spin around, suck the foe in, spin them silly, and then spit them out, damaging opponents, in a similar fashion to Luigi's Luigi Cyclone. The move is powerful, but is best used when surrounded by opponents. Mario Tornado, unlike Luigi Cyclone, cannot move very far. By repeatedly tapping the B Button, Mario will also move vertically while using the attack.

The Mario Tornado is replaced as his down special move by F.L.U.D.D. in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Mario Tornado is still one of his normal attacks, executed by pressing Down A in mid-air. In both games, Mario can use the attack in mid-air.

It is possible that this move originated from Super Mario World, where it's called the Spin Jump and/or Super Mario land 2 when you are in midair you press down you will spin. A mushroom is needed to do this.

F.L.U.D.D.
F.L.U.D.D. is a special move that Mario can use in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. When Mario uses the move, he will put F.L.U.D.D. on his back and douse his enemies with water.

The attack will have no effect on the opponents' damage percentages whatsoever, however, it can still have a lot of benefit to Mario, as the water can blast foes great distances, possibly resulting in a KO. F.L.U.D.D. can also be charged before use, resulting in a more powerful stream of water. It is best used at enemies near the edges of the battle.

This move originated in Super Mario Sunshine, where the F.L.U.D.D. is a key element in the game. Using F.L.U.D.D., Mario can spray water at enemies, or clean up a part of a level. However, unlike in Sunshine, F.L.U.D.D. has various nozzles that can be used for various purposes, whereas in Brawl, F.L.U.D.D. can only use the spray nozzle.

Mario Finale
The Mario Finale is Mario's Final Smash in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and is also the first Final Smash ever shown. As with any Final Smash, Mario must first collect a Smash Ball. Mario unleashes a giant wave of flames, which expands vertically before him. This bursts across the stage in front of him devastating any opponents in front of him by causing damage and pushing them off the screen along with the wave. This is best used on the sides of a stage. This way, enemies will be unable to stand behind Mario and be safe from the blast. This move was the first Final Smash shown in the 2006 E3 trailer. The move is an original one, not based on any specific power in the Mario series other than the traditional Fire Mario.

Paper Mario
Mario once again is invited to Princess Peach's Castle during the events of Paper Mario. However, this time Mario is invited to a party in the castle. Mario had rushed to the castle, made his way through the bustling party guests, and was chatting with Princess Peach in the throne room. However, Bowser usurps the castle, bringing it high in the air. He and Kammy Koopa break in to the castle through the window and using the power of the Star Rod, defeats Mario. He then tosses Mario out of the shattered window. Mario lands in a small forest located on the outskirts of Goomba Village. Goombas, being a proficient enemy in many of his quests, surprises Mario with their hospitality. Mario gives his many thanks and heads back to Toad Town via Goomba Road, together with the Goomba's families eldest child, the young adventurer Goombario.

Mario hears a Star Spirit called Eldstar asking for his help. The Star Spirit requests that he speak to him on Shooting Star Summit, in which he has more strength to speak better. Once there, Mario meets many other Star Spirits asking for his help. He learns that Bowser had imprisoned them in special cards and has given them to his strongest minions. Mario then sets out on a quest in search of the Star Spirits. Mario makes many new friends and partners on his long grueling journey and eventually collects all seven Star Spirits. Mario returns to Shooting Star Summit where he gains access to Star Way. Mario acquiers a new ability called Star Beam and is transported to Bowser's Castle from the Star Shrine. While Mario and his team are at Bowser's Castle, they save the many prisoners and fight Bowser at the top of the castle.

Using his dirty tactics, Bowser breaks all routes of escape and uses his Star Rod to fight. Mario and the team cannot defeat Bowser while he is using the Star Rod, so they instead use Star Beam to weaken his power. The reluctant Bowser is unaffected by it and shakes the beam's power off. Watching the team's defeat, Peach asks the people of the Mushroom Kingdom to help Mario and his friends fight through their wishes. Twink helps her convey this message of hope through her wish and suddenly Mario wakes up from his fainted status. He recovers all of his health, and learns a new upgraded version of the Star Beam called Peach Beam. Mario and company, fresh and ready to go, face Bowser to round two. Mario shoots the Peach Beam at Bowser, leaving him defenseless and ready for a fair fight. Mario and his friends defeat the evil Bowser and once again save the Mushroom Kingdom. The castle returns to ground from where it came from and another party is held there later. The power of wishes is restored and once again the Mushroom Kingdom is saved by Mario and company. After a parade led by Luigi, Mario takes Peach to his place where they watch the fire works.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Peach asked Mario to come to a land called Rogueport during the events of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. She found a treasure map leading to powerful artifacts called Crystal Stars. By the time he got there, Peach had been kidnapped by a group known as the Secret Society of X-Nauts. They needed to use her as a vessel for the Shadow Queen so that the leader of the X-Nauts, Sir Grodus, can use her power to aid him in world domination. Mario met an intelligent Goomba called Professor Frankly. He told Mario the history of Rogueport and revealed the secret of The Thousand-Year Door.

The Shadow Queen once took control of Rogueport, enslaving and killing many of its citizens. To achieve this, she created the Crystal Stars and used them to give her great power. The Four Legendary Heroes used the power of the Crystal Stars against her and she was imprisoned in the Thousand Year Door for a millennium. Mario set out to collect all seven Crystal Stars. Gaining many new partners and finding all Crystal Stars, Mario went through the Thousand Year Door. There he found Sir Grodus standing before the Shadow Queen's room. Mario defeated Sir Grodus, but was then ambushed by Bowser and Kammy Koopa. This gave Grodus time to escape with Peach to the Shadow Queen's room. When Mario got there, Grodus had awakened the Shadow Queen herself, taking control of Peach's body. Mario had to fight her possessed form and using the help of the Rogueport citizens' wishes, Mario prevailed.

In Glitz Pit, Mario and his parter's team was named "The Great Gonzales" (in japanese: 『じごくかちまた しょけいにん』グレート・ゴンザレス) by Grubba.

Super Paper Mario
Mario and Luigi were once again called into action in Super Paper Mario. Mario and Luigi sit in their house one day when they hear the news that Princess Peach has been kidnapped. The Mario Bros. rush to Bowser's Castle, thinking he has the princess, but he didn't. Later, a strange new enemy named Count Bleck shows up and kidnaps Luigi and Bowser. It also turns out Count Bleck has Princess Peach too.

Mario is transported to Flipside, a strange town between dimensions. Mario later finds Bowser and Princess Peach who decide to join with Mario in his quest to stop Count Bleck. Mario must go through eight chapters to get eight Pure Hearts, which can counter the Chaos Heart. Mario also encounters new enemies such as O'Chunks, Dimentio, Brobot, Mimi, Nastasia and even his brother Luigi; now called Mr. L because Nastasia, an assistant of Count Bleck, brainwashed him (however he joined Mario once he was freed by Dimentio and sent to The Underwhere).

After collecting the eight Pure Hearts, Mario, Princess Peach, Bowser, Luigi and some Pixls face Count Bleck. After defeating Bleck, Dimentio, a former minion of Bleck, turns on him and teleports him to Dimension D to deal with him later. Then Dimentio, the Chaos Heart and Luigi merge together to form Super Dimentio as the final boss. After defeating Super Dimentio, Count Bleck and Tippi get married to stop the Void.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
After Mario's vacation, Mario ventured with his brother Luigi through strange lands during the events of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. An ambassador from the Beanbean Kingdom came to visit Princess Peach. However, the ambassador was actually a fake and was one of the most wanted criminals in the Beanbean Kingdom. Cackletta was this wicked impersonator who stole Princess Peach's voice during the visit. Toad came running to Mario's Pad warning him about Princess Peach's voice dilemma. As soon as Mario came out of his bathroom, he sped to the castle, dragging Luigi behind him. There they met Bowser, adding more to their troubles. Mario fought Bowser, but Peach spoke and interrupted their fight. As she spoke, explosives dropped from her mouth and shook up the castle. Bowser, outraged that another villain has stolen his spotlight, suggested that they go to the Beanbean Kingdom with his Koopa Cruiser.

Cackletta's apprentice, Fawful caused the Koopa Cruiser to crash causing Mario and Luigi to land on the Beanbean Borderlands. Mario and Luigi went to the Beanbean Castle after rescuing Prince Peasley from his horrible transformation. After saving Queen Bean, they went to the Beanbean International Airport expecting Princess Peach. Clearing the Airport of a few Piranhas, Peach's Plane landed on the runway. Mario, surprised to see Princess Peach talking in her normal voice, asked how she got her voice back. After the Princess's visit, Princess Peach requested to go to Little Fungitown. During their short stay, she got kidnapped. At Beanbean Castle, they heard from Bowletta (Cackletta's possessive body of Bowser), that the Beanstar has been scattered after the second battle with Popple and Rookie (Bowser as Popple's second-hand man). So Mario headed out to find the four scattered Beanstar Pieces. Going through a long journey around the Beanbean Kingdom, they managed to get all Beanstar Pieces. After that, they returned to the castle, and Bowletta again sent a message to deliver the restored Beanstar to Joke's End, with Peach in return. Peasley gave the bros. 99.999.999 Mushroom Coins, which are actually worth 99 Beanbean Coins. Then Mario went to Joke's End to save Peach. They saved her by using a clever trick to let appear a "second" Peach, who actually was Luigi. Bowletta discovered this in her somehow-repaired Koopa Cruiser, but Luigi managed to escape.

However, Bowletta also took over Bowser's Castle and attacked the Beanbean Castle Town. Mario and Luigi asked Blanbladon to take them to the flying fortress in the sky. After defeating many Koopalings and strong enemies, they reached the throne room. When they defeated Bowletta she sucked them into her body where they had to fight Cackletta's Spirit. Mario and Luigi finally finished Cackletta and her spirit. They escaped from the castle (which was set to blow up) in time, saving the Beanbean Kingdom.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Mario and his brother Luigi took a trip back in time during the events of Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. Mario and Luigi were at Princess Peach's Castle, watching Princess Peach take a trip to the past using Professor E. Gadd's Time Machine powered by the Cobalt Star. Toadsworth got overworried about the princess' return, and fainted. Mario therefore went over to Toadsworth's Room to get the Refreshroom and revived Toadsworth from his fainted state. However a few minutes later the Time Machine returned, but not with Princess Peach. A large green fungus called the Junior Shrooboid attacks Mario and Luigi. They managed to beat the monster. Afterwards, a Time Hole appeared in the center court of the castle.

Mario and Luigi looked at it in awe, when Toadsworth came and accidentally knocked Luigi into the Time Hole. Mario went in to save him and they went back in time. They landed on the starting road to Hollijolli Village, fighting more and more strange creatures. They saw the village damaged and ruined by many Shroobs and Shroob UFOs. Mario and Luigi helped the Hollijolli Mayor out of a chimney he got stuck in while he was trying to escape. They then got assaulted by a wave of Shroobs and Shroob UFOs. They then left the two brothers lying on the ground. Meanwhile, Baby Mario and Baby Luigi came to their rescue and finished the remaining Shroob foes.

Baby Bowser helped them escape for because of Baby Peach's incessant crying. They boarded his Koopa Cruiser and crash landed into Bowser's Castle as a result of the Shroob UFOs aerial attacks. Mario and Luigi looked for their younger selves and headed for Baby Bowser's room. There, a Time Hole was located and the four Mario Bros. headed back to the Princess Peach's Castle of the future. Professor E. Gadd spoke to them and advises that they go find pieces of the Cobalt Star Shards.

Mario and the others noticed the new Time Holes that sprung up around the castle. They met Toadiko and Toadbert who told them about the Shroobs and the Princess Shroob. They finally collected all five Cobalt Star Shards, and broke the barrier of the Shroob Castle (previously Princess Peach's Castle) and went for the Shroob Princess. The Mario Bros. defeated the Shroob Princess and even the Elder Princess Shroob and prevailed. Professor E. Gadd discovered that the chemical makeup of the babies' tears can revert all of the Shroob's Shroobification. Thus, all the victims of the Shroobs were saved by the four Mario Bros.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Mario and Luigi appear again in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. A new disease, the blorbs, which make Toads grow to a giant size, has affected the Mushroom Kindgom citizens from Fawful, who is selling Blorb Mushrooms. Mario and Luigi attend a meeting that is disrupted when Bowser barges in. Bowser then fights Mario. After defeated, Bowser receives a Vacuum Mushroom from Fawful. The mushroom makes Bowser inhale everything, including Mario, Luigi, Starlow, and the Princess.

Mario and Luigi are found inside Bowser, who is knocked out in Cavi Cape. The Bros. and Starlow help Bowser get his castle back from Fawful. Along the way, Bowser meets Broque and Broggy and gets the ability of the Vacuum block. Mario, Luigi, and Starlow aids Bowser in his trips, while they travel to various parts of his body. When Bowser finally reaches his castle and reclaims it, Bowser is grown fat from winning the fight against Midbus, a giant pig.

While Bowser is fat, Mario and Luigi find Peach in the Flab Zone, who is kidnapped in front of them by Alpha Kretin. After a long chase, Mario and Luigi trap and defeat Alpha and Beta Kretin, freeing the Princess. Peach, after the boss battle, tells them that Fawful probably wants the Dark Star, so he can control the Mushroom Kingdom. She also explains that Peach herself is necessary for this process. As they find an exit, Peach is taken out of Bowser's Body by Fawful and is once again kidnapped. Meanwhile, Midbus gives Bowser a treadmill to lose his extra pounds on.

Mario and Luigi travel until they find Bowser knocked out in a island of trash. After fighting Junker, they go back into Bowser, and wake him up from his back pain. After going through the castle all to finding the Dark Star awakening and Fawful becoming Dark Fawful, who is sent flying by Bowser. Dark Star enters Bowser, who copies his DNA, but is incomplete thanks to the Mario Bros., and combines with Dark Fawful to create Dark Bowser.

After Mario and Luigi defeat Dark Star Core and Bowser defeats Dark Bowser, Fawful explodes, destroying himself, and expelling everyone else from Bowser's body, freeing them. After realizing that the Mario's were inside Bowser, Bowser and Mario & Luigi fight, which ends the story. At the end, it is revealed that Mario and Luigi win yet again and Bowser is back at his ruined castle, recovering from the injuries he sustained in their fight.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Mario, the famous superstar of the Mushroom Kingdom, gets his own toy company during the events of Mario vs. Donkey Kong. Donkey Kong was watching television and saw an ad for the super-famous Mini Mario Toys. Donkey went to all stores, but they were all sold out. Ever so furious and frustrated, Donkey Kong stole the Mini Mario Toys from the Mario Toy Company itself.

Mario attempted to chase his old rival down and saved the Mini Mario Toys. After saving all of his toys and putting them in the Toy Chests, Mario taught Donkey Kong a lesson (but out of pity, gave him a Mini Mario of his own). The Mario Toy Company was then saved by the founder himself, Mario.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
Mario's Mini Mario Toys were so successful that Mario opened a theme park for them during the events of Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis. Mario is launching the opening of the Super Mini Mario World Theme Park along with the new Mini Peach, Mini Toad and Mini Donkey Kong toys. Pauline made an appearance, having the honor of cutting the premiere ribbon of the Super Mini Mario World Theme Park. Donkey Kong was immediately smitten with her. Donkey Kong ran up to her and presented her with a Mini Donkey Kong toy. She instead accepted Mario's Mini-Mario Toy and Donkey Kong was left heart broken. Donkey Kong kidnapped her and went up the elevator of the Mario Toy Company. Mario sent the small Mini Mario Toys after him and the march of the minis began.

The Mini Mario Toys cleared the paths for Mario, liberating the elevators and allowing Mario to go up floors. When Mario reached the final floor, he saw Pauline sitting in comfort and drinking tea. Donkey Kong came and instead of fighting Mario, felt guilty. Pauline and Mario felt sorry for Donkey Kong so the three celebrated the opening of Super Mini Mario World Theme Park together.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!
In Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!, the game's story begins when Mario and Pauline open the Super Mini Mario World Theme Park. It shows a crowd of Toads and Donkey Kong in line to get in the theme park. As Donkey Kong reaches the front of the line, he discovers the tickets are sold out. Due to this, Donkey Kong bursts into anger, and grabs Pauline. As Donkey Kong runs for the elevator, Mario leaps to rescue Pauline, but ends up failing, and ripping the fringe of her dress. As Mario lies on the ground, a few Mini Marios come towards him, volunteering to help save Pauline.

Later on, when Mario reaches to the top of the tower. He finds Pauline is there waiting for him. Relieved, Mario opens the door, ready to hug her, but then all of a sudden, Donkey Kong turns off the light and captures Pauline, once again. Mario and the Mini Marios jump out of the tower after Donkey Kong. Leading them to more floors.

After all the trouble. Mario once again opens the door and sees Donkey Kong, Pauline and two Mini Mario's, confused by this, Mario then sees Pauline with a clipboard,showing that the Mini Mario model passed the test. Mario shrugs, and then celebrates with Donkey Kong, Pauline, and the rest of his minis.

Mario & Sonic series
Mario also appears in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, where he is classified as an "All Around" character, and is well rounded in any event. He participates in a variety of Olympic events, such as swimming, track & field, and archery. He makes a return in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games as once again a all around type. During the Adventure Tour of the DS version, he joins forces with Sonic to save the Snow Spirits from Bowser and Dr. Eggman after they capture them to melt all the snow so they can make their own Winter Games. Some events in which Mario participates in Winter Games include Speed Skating, Alpine Skiing, and Snowboarding.

Appearances Outside of Electronic Media
See also: Merchandise, Toys, Publications Mario has been featured many times outside of the videogame, television, and film world. For instance, McDonalds released a chain of toys based on the popular Mario videogame Super Mario Bros. 3, as seen here. Mario T-shirts, toys and alike have also been produced. Another prominent non-elctronic source where Mario is found is comics and cartoons. Super Mario Kun, a currently running comic book series in Japan, has been running for more than 20 years. Mario also appeared as the best purchasable character in Nintendo Monopoly. Costing $400, he replaced the Boardwalk. Mario has a neon sign that depicts him.

Physical Description
Mario's distinctive look is due to technology restrictions in the mid-'80s. With a limited number of pixels and colors, the programmers could not animate Mario's movement without making his arms "disappear" if his shirt was a solid color, so Mario got overalls. They did not have the space to give him a mouth. As a result, Mario has a mustache. They could not animate hair. Due to this, they used a cap to bypass these problems. Mario's creator Shigeru Miyamoto has also stated when interviewed that Mario wears a cap because he finds it difficult to draw hair, the same reason Mario and Luigi have mustaches.

When Mario was first conceived, he looked more or less as he does today: a stocky man with a trademark hat, brown hair, black mustache and overalls who is 155 cm (5 ft, 1 in) tall. He normally wears blue overalls on top of a red shirt, but such was not always the case. Originally, he wore red overalls on top of a blue shirt – almost exactly the opposite of what he wears now. The Famicom version of Mario Bros. was the first game to depict Mario with blue overalls and a red undershirt (Although on the boxart he was depicted entirely in blue); however, it was Super Mario Bros. 2 that standardized today's blue overalls-on-red shirt outfit. (Incidentally, the original Super Mario Bros. has neither in-game; Mario wears a brown shirt with red overalls). Mario's outfit rarely changes, though he is known to change it on occasion if the situation calls for it. For example, in Super Mario Sunshine, Mario wore short sleeves instead of his usual long sleeved shirt, and could even forgo this entirely in favor of a more tropical shirt design worn over his normal shirt, which he always wore with sunglasses. When Mario appeared in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Brawl, his clothing was much more realistic than it was in Super Smash Bros.

Mario has brown hair (although the DiC cartoons sometimes depict it as black), with three swooped up bangs. There are two flips at the top and back of the head. Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi's hairstyle have very similar traits. Mario's mustache was shown to be black, but more recent artworks depict it to be very dark brown. Mario's mustache also has six bumps on the bottom. Like most other Nintendo characters, he has light blue eyes.

Clothing

 * Cap – The red cap Mario wears, it is really important for him because if he loses it he takes more damage. He has had the hat since he was born. He gets another hat when he is Fire Mario and a different one when he's Ice Mario. In Super Mario Sunshine, if he lost the hat he would lose health no matter what due to the extreme heat.
 * Mario's Gloves – A pair of white gloves he is rarely seen without.
 * Mario's Shoes – A simple pair of brown work shoes. In the Paper Mario series, these are known as the Boots.
 * Overalls – Mario wears blue overalls. Mario can change his overalls in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
 * Badges – In RPG games, Mario wears badges that give him new attacks or abilities.

Characteristics
Despite his lengthy history, Mario is, in many ways, an undeveloped character, with many details of his accepted biography having been created through complex lore spawned from the imaginations of comic book artists, cartoon writers, and fans. In most media and some games, Mario is depicted as an Italian plumber from Brooklyn who stands for what is right and has a love for Italian food. He is also bilingual, as he can speak both Italian and English. Mario has proven himself to be an excellent fighter, all-around sports player, and party lover in Mario spin-off titles.

Officially, Nintendo producers have stated that Mario's biography is kept simple in order to make the character versatile and reusable in many different games and situations. Mario is indeed one of the most underdeveloped characters in the Mario series, with characters such as Bowser and Princess Peach having more complex, consistent, and unique back stories. In fact, his brother Luigi has even gained more of a personality in recent games, while Mario has stayed "flat".

Over the course of his many games, Mario has rescued a number of people from captivity (including Pauline, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, and Prince Pine) and has become regarded as a great hero in the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario is actually a famous personality across the world, and is a recognized celebrity inside and outside the Mushroom Kingdom. On the popular level, Mario is seen as the sole savior of the Mushroom Kingdom, while the contributions of others, including his own brother Luigi, have been forgotten or ignored. While not necessarily Mario's fault, Mario has remained in the limelight despite Luigi's equal efforts to protect the Mushroom Kingdom. In addition, Mario has been shown on very rare occasions, such as certain cutscenes in Mario Power Tennis, to have an almost overbearing attitude towards his brother. However, it should be noted that this could also just be Mario's outgoing "big brother" personality interacting with Luigi's more introverted nature.

Additionally, Mario is much more impulsive and aggressive than his brother Luigi, and is willing to enter dangerous situations all alone. Unlike Luigi, Mario will often attempt to quickly solve a problem with his actions instead of sitting back and analyzing the situation. Mallow even had to physically restrain Mario from brawling several times, such as before the battle with Bowyer, so that the heroes could figure out what exactly was happening to their world. While he will accept help and even partners during his adventures, at times he may also resent the implication that he needs the help in the first place. Despite this, he seems to enjoy their company.

Despite these potential flaws, Mario is a kind-hearted and brave hero with a strong sense of justice, morality and righteousness. He, more often than not, puts other peoples' problems and needs before his own. This is shown in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door when Doopliss had stolen his identity, and he was still willing to help Vivian with her problem, despite having his own to deal with. He is willing to risk his life to save the lives of millions from the forces of evil.

Like many other protagonists of Nintendo games, Mario rarely speaks, his dialogue primarily limited to numerous grunts and yells. When he does speak, he is shown to speak English with a heavy Italian accent, sporadically breaking into Italian. In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Mario is completely silent, communicating solely through pantomine. In the Paper Mario titles, he mainly communicates through simple nodding and hand gestures, and in the Mario & Luigi titles, he speaks in unintelligible gibberish that the other characters can understand perfectly. In Super Mario Sunshine, Mario is "heard" speaking in the opening scenes, but his dialogue is completely inaudible. In the Mario vs. Donkey Kong titles, Mario speaks fully, shouting sentences such as "Come back here, you big monkey!", and can be clearly heard shouting, "Welcome! Welcome, new galaxy!" in the ending of Super Mario Galaxy, as well as saying "Thank you so much for playing my game!" after the credits. He has full speech capabilities in the sports games, and also speaks regularly in the DiC cartoon trilogy, though he spoke perfect English with a Brooklyn accent in the latter.

Mario seems to have a small fixation with food. This is most notably seen in the DiC cartoon trilogy, which may also be the origin of this trait, where Mario is almost constantly hungry and fascinated with Italian food (mostly pizza and pasta), typically wanting to stop Bowser's latest scheme simply so he could eat. In fact, in the The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode "Koopenstein", when Princess Peach asked him if he ever thought about anything besides food, Mario, with pure honesty, replied, "What else is there?" As in Super Mario 64 and its remake, the original reason Mario came to the castle is that Peach was baking him a cake. In the opening of Super Mario Sunshine, Mario was apparently daydreaming about seafood. Quite a few characters in other games also advised Mario to refrain from eating much.

Powers and Abilities

 * Mario's first and trademark ability is his Jump, which allows him to leap two stories high, while doing two flips and a twist. He is the second best jumper in the Mushroom Kingdom, only bested by Luigi. He is also capable of several variations, including the Back Flip and the Spin Jump, and a Wall Jump.
 * Mario is always associated with the element of fire.
 * Mario has very powerful feet, which have trampled innumerable enemies, toppled Fortresses and even crushed spaceships. When timed correctly, he is able to do this 100 times in a row.
 * In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Mario is able to "transform" into other characters, which comes in handy, as he is a silent protagonist. This is not one of his attacks, however; he simply uses it to tell stories or explain situations to other characters.
 * Mario can use simple physical attacks, including punching and kicking.
 * Mario can perform many standard moves in the Mario series, such as the Ground Pound.
 * Mario has been shown to possess superhuman strength. In Super Mario World, he is seen lifting a fortress out of the ground and then throwing it. In Super Mario 64, he can carry and throw the very large King Bob-omb, despite the king being far larger than him. An even more impressive feat is during the battles with Bowser; Mario can grab him by the tail, spin him around and throw him. Mario spins Bowser around faster and farther with more spins. His strength is also shown in Super Mario Galaxy, where he can easily stun a Mega Goomba with a Star Spin despite its great size and his ability to knock Bowser around during battles with him. He can also lift Bob-ombs that were his size. In Bowser's Inside Story, he is able to, with great effort, lift and throw a 3 ton, morbidly obese Luigi when using the Snack Basket move among other fantastic feats.
 * Mario has extremely high stamina and can mantain continuous physical activity for an indefinite peroid of time.
 * Mario's body is shown to be nigh-invulnerable. He can withstand and endure many things such as harsh environments and so on. For instance, in the third Mario and Luigi game, he could withstand the freezing cold within Bowser's stomach or a dark energy blast from the Dark Star when Luigi had a difficult time shaking it off. Mario is very versatile and adapts amazingly fast to his surroundings, being able to go from scorching deserts to freezing snow peaks to the depths of outer-space. He can endure otherwise lethal hits (i.e. Burning, Electrocution, Freezing) several times before dying.
 * Mario's first weapons were the Hammer in Donkey Kong and the Fireball in Super Mario Bros. Mario often uses the Hammer as a weapon in Mario RPGs. Mario can, in some games, control fire without a Fire Flower power-up.
 * Mario has eleven power-ups that allow him to fly; the Raccoon Suit, the Tanooki Suit, the Cape Feather, the Wing Cap, the P-Wing, the P-Balloon, the Power Flower, the Bee Mushroom, the Boo Mushroom, the Red Star, and the Propeller Mushroom. On The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, Mario was able to fly even after powering up with a Fire Flower.
 * In Super Mario Bros. 3, Mario had the ability to transform into a Hammer Bro with the ability to throw hammers at his enemies or a Frog which let him swim faster and jump higher.
 * Mario has three other caps he can wear, the Metal Cap, Wing Cap and Vanish Cap, which turn him into Metal Mario, make him fly and make him invisible and intangible, respectively.
 * Mario even has his own fighting style. Although he never really uses it in his games, except the Smash Bros. series, he does use the martial arts in a Super Mario Bros. 3 comic. In the comic, while fighting Lemmy Koopa, Mario says, "Good thing I know karate!" In the following panel, Mario jumps many times in a rapid motion, dodging all of Lemmy's attacks with ease. Mario also has a black belt in Plumb Fu.
 * In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Mario became more paper-like, and could become Flat Mario, Paper Tube Mario, Paper Airplane Mario, and Paper Boat Mario thanks to the "curses" that were granted to him by the Black Chest Demons.
 * In Super Paper Mario, Mario was given the ability to flip between dimensions.
 * In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario has a special attack called the Mario Finale, in which he unleashes a twin stream of fire from his hands, although he requires a Smash Ball in order to execute it.
 * Mario is able to hold his breath for a long period of time, as seen in Super Mario Bros. and numerous later games. However, in 3D platformers such as Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy, he isn't able to hold his breath for as long.
 * Mario seems to not be bothered by certain temperature levels, even in volcanoes and tundras (although in Super Mario Sunshine Mario would take damage without his hat on due to the heat and in Super Mario 64, Mario would shiver when not moving in snow level).
 * In the 2-D games, Mario is shown to run at a fast pace, even fast enough to run up walls. In the opening to Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Mario is shown to run as fast as Sonic the Hedgehog.

Bowser
Bowser is Mario's arch nemesis and main enemy. Bowser and Mario have had a long history of antagonism and rivalry for Princess Peach. However, Mario almost always defeats Bowser one way or another. Bowser always tries to find a way to take Peach from Mario and have her all for himself. Bowser is jealous of Peach's friendship with Mario, as he admits in Super Paper Mario. Occasionally, Bowser is on the same side as Mario when they shared a common enemy, as shown in Super Mario RPG, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Super Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. Oddly enough, Bowser has saved Mario from a few obstacles, as shown in the last cinema in Mario Super Sluggers; Bowser stops a Bullet Bill from taking out Mario. Of course, Bowser's only reason for saving Mario is so that he needs a rival and he wants to destroy Mario himself. Mario (along with Luigi and Yoshi) is also one of the three main heroes that Bowser absolutely hates, as they always get in the way of his plans.

Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong is the son of Mario's old enemy from the Donkey Kong Jr. era, in which DK's father was just a kid. Despite Mario's old conflicts with DK's grandfather, now known as Cranky Kong, he has developed a friendly and somewhat competitive rivalry with Donkey Kong as witnessed in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series. Donkey Kong regularly takes part in numerous sports with Mario and his friends, often bringing along his eager nephew, Diddy Kong.

Luigi
Luigi is Mario's younger twin brother. Luigi usually joins and accompanies Mario on his adventures, serving as the secondary protagonist (although Mario has been known to go on adventures by himself). Through the years, Mario and Luigi have maintained a brotherly love for each other as shown in games like Luigi's Mansion and the Mario & Luigi series. In addition, the two of them are normally paired together in sports titles and spin-offs and although Luigi has shown to be slightly jealous of Mario at times (as he admits in Paper Mario), he loves his brother very much and looks up to him as a positive role model. For his part, Mario seems to allow his sibling rivalry to get the best of him when competing directly with Luigi. When Luigi receives a trophy in Mario Power Tennis, Mario is shown slapping Luigi's back and stepping on Luigi's foot intentionally.

Pauline
Pauline was Mario's first girlfriend and damsel-in-distress. Since Donkey Kong, Mario has rescued her on different occassions from the clutches of Donkey Kong and his father.

Princess Daisy
Princess Daisy and Mario have been officially stated to be good friends. She was rescued by Mario from the clutches of Tatanga in Super Mario Land; at the time it was implied the two had a romantic interest equal to that of Mario and Peach's. In later games, Mario and Daisy are given the team name "Nice Couple" when paired together. In the Mario Baseball series, the two do not share player chemistry; this is similar to Luigi and Peach.

Princess Peach
Princess Peach is shown to be Mario's close companion since childhood. Mario saves Peach quite often and she usually will bake him a cake or kiss him upon her rescue. Since Peach's debut appearance, the two have been largely speculated to be in a romantic relationship. This is confirmed in the official European Mario website, in which Peach is listed as Mario's girlfriend.

In Luigi's Mansion, she sends Toad to help Luigi search for his brother, and in Mario Party 5, Peach and Mario are called "Cutest Couple". They also share chemistry together in Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers, as they are "buddy players". Mario Power Tennis even goes as far as showing Mario himself telling Peach of his love for her in Peach's victory scene. Peach responded with a smile and blew a kiss. Also, in Mario's victory scene in Mario Power Tennis, Peach gives him a small kiss on his cheek. They both show deep devotion to each other as depicted in many of the games, especially in the Paper Mario series. In the comic "Warios Weihnachtsmärchen", published in the German Club Nintendo magazine, it is even revealed that they spent their graduation ball in school together, and that Peach decided in favor of Mario and against Wario. Mario and Peach are the Secret Staff Ghosts for Rainbow Road in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. The official guide describe them at this: Aw, isn’t that cute? Mario and Peach are together again, zipping down the Rainbow Road and leaving the player coughing up their dust.

In the first Paper Mario, one of the Toads tells Mario to take Peach on a date to Shooting Star Summit. For the official guide of Yoshi's Island DS, in the description for the level Baby Mario and Baby Peach: Dynamic Duo, Nintendo mentioned that before the "romantic entanglements" in their adult lives, they teamed up as babies to stop evil. Also the official guide for Mario Party 8 stated that Peach is apple of Mario's eye. Rosalina in Super Mario Galaxy even referred to Peach as Mario's 'Special One'.

Rosalina
Rosalina befriended Mario in Super Mario Galaxy. She trusted him enough to help her restore the Comet Observatory; and in return she helped him to defeat Bowser.

Toad
Toad is shown to be Mario's good friend. Toad usually helps Mario with supporting roles and gives him advice. In the Mario cartoons, Toad was shown to be a close friend of both Mario and Luigi's, as he would commonly be seen assisting them in stopping King Koopa's evil plots. Toad even helped in domestic situations, alongside Princess Peach. Throughout the issues of the Nintendo Comics System, the comics often portrayed Toad to being Mario's loyal and trusted sidekick. In Super Mario 64 and it's DS remake, Toad completely trusted Mario throughout his adventure. In the Super Mario Galaxy games, Toad often relied on Mario to back him and his brigade up in various situations during the adventure.

Wario
Wario is Mario's rival. Their relationship started out very violent with such acts as Wario stealing Mario's Castle in the Super Mario Land games, but their rivalry has settled down in later games. The two even teamed together in Super Mario 64 DS (though they did attack each other possibly for fun in the intro). Nintendo Power has stated that Wario is Mario's cousin, but this is unconfirmed. In the Super Mario Kun comics, the rivalry between the two characters is frequently a theme.

Yoshi
Yoshi is Mario's best friend. They have gone on many adventures together, not to mention he saved and helped Mario when he was a baby. Mario occasionally rides Yoshi, although Yoshi has been known to be as good as Mario on his own two feet. Mario and Yoshi are often seen together trying to foil Bowser's plans.

Aliases
Throughout his illustrious history, Mario has been referred to as various names besides "Mario". Here is a listing of his aliases from Mario games and The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!!.

The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 Writers Bible

 * Bio: "Don't let Mario's looks fool you. He may be the shortest, chubbiest, most comedic-looking superhero ever to have his own show, but he always finds an ingenious way to overcome the most overwhelming obstacles in his path, and somehow, save the day. Even if it takes turning into a flying raccoon with superpowers, the irrepressible Mario will cleverly and bravely do his best to outwit the villainous Koopa Clan. He continues the quest when wiser heads would quit. With the spirit of a true plumber, he will show up at any hour of the day or night, to solve a crisis that ordinary men refuse to even touch. No matter how many times he's tricked, trapped, or defeated, Mario bounces back. His greatest strength is his unconquerable spirit and his willingness to fling himself selflessly into any situation if justice is at stake."

''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

 * Level 1
 * HP: 20
 * FP: 10
 * Speed: 20
 * Attack: 20
 * Defense: 0
 * Magic Attack: 10
 * Magic Defense: 2
 * Special Attacks:
 * Jump:
 * FP Used: 3
 * Magic Power: 25
 * Description: Mario jumps on one enemy. Right before he stomps, push the "Y" button.

Super Smash Bros. Profile
''Although best known as the mustachioed plumber who battles the Turtle Tribe with his distinct jumping action, this internationally-famous hero has also acted as a referee, a driver, and even a doctor! He's been linked to Princess Peach of Mushroom Kingdom for years, but to this day their true relationship remains a mystery.

''Mario Tennis

 * Type: All-Around
 * Bio: "With a bushel basket of power, decent speed and the ability to play effectively anywhere on the court, Mario is indeed a weapon."

Paper Mario Tattle Information
"It's Mario, silly! He's here to save Princess Peach, who was kidnapped by Bowser. Remember? He fights until the bitter end, no matter what enemies attack!" -Lee or a Duplighost, when copying Goombario's Tattle ability.

''Mario Kart Super Circuit Information

 * Speed: *****
 * Weight: *****
 * Bio: Mario is a well-balanced driver with equal Speed and Weight attributes. He's a great choice for beginning drivers looking to get a feel for the road.

''Mario Party 4

 * Mario's Room:
 * Mario's TV: A blue television.
 * How To Unlock: Defeat Toad in Story Mode with Mario
 * Mario's Table: A small, round gold table.
 * How To Unlock: Defeat Goomba in Story Mode with Mario
 * Mario's Sofa: A pink sofa.
 * How To Unlock: Defeat Shy Guy in Story Mode with Mario
 * Mario's Fridge: A yellow refrigerator with green handles.
 * How To Unlock: Defeat Boo in Story Mode with Mario
 * Mario Doll: A rather plump doll of Mario.
 * How To Unlock: Defeat Koopa in Story Mode with Mario
 * Bowser Vase: A vase resembling Bowser's head.
 * How To Unlock: Defeat Bowser in Story Mode with Mario

''Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour

 * Distance: 212
 * Star Distance: 280
 * Trajectory: Straight
 * Height: 2/5
 * Impact: 2.5/5
 * Control: 1/5
 * Spin: 4/5
 * Bio Quote:
 * Bio:

''Mario Party 5

 * Bio Quote: "Let's a' all have fun!"
 * Bio: "The Brooklyn kid who made good is back again for Mario Party 5. Mario's great attitude and luck will do him well in these events. Who knew pumping pipes in New York could lead to a gig like this?"

''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

 * Partner: Luigi
 * Class: Middleweight
 * Personal Kart: Red Fire
 * Special Item: Fireball
 * Acceleration: ***
 * Speed: ***
 * Weight: ***
 * Bio: "You Know Him, you love him - the one and only Mario! He's returned to the GRAND PRIX with fireballs in mind."
 * Bio 2: What's that red and blue streak that just went zooming by? It's Mario, of course. Don't get too close, or you'll end up eating more than just his dust.

''Mario Power Tennis

 * Type: All-Around
 * Defensive Power Shot: Spin Jump Return
 * Offensive Power Shot: Iron Hammer
 * Stats:
 * Power: 2.5/5
 * Speed: 2.5/5
 * Reach: 2.5/5
 * Serve: 3/5
 * Lunge: 3/5
 * Control: 3/5
 * Bio: [Booklet]
 * Bio 2: [Site]

''Mario Superstar Baseball

 * Teams: Mario Heroes, Mario Fireballs, Mario Sunshines, Mario All-Stars
 * Type: Balanced
 * Starting Team Players: Luigi, Monty Mole, Pianta, Noki
 * Status: Team Captain
 * Stats:
 * Batting: 3/5
 * Pitching: 3/5
 * Fielding: 3/5
 * Running: 2.5/5
 * Player Profile:
 * Strong Point: Might
 * Special Talents: Wall Jump, Sliding Catch
 * Trajectory:
 * Field: Center
 * Height: Normal
 * Special Ball: Fireball
 * Default Batting Position: Right
 * Default Throwing Arm: Right
 * Sweet Spot: The "M" on the bat
 * Compatible Relationships: Luigi, Peach, Yoshi
 * Bio: "Everyone's favorite hero. When Peach is in trouble, he always saves the day! A kart racer, tennis player, golf enthusiast, doctor...the list goes on and on, showing that he's a jack-of-all-trades. His trademark fireball will help him in his first foray into baseball."

''Mario Party 7

 * Partner: Luigi
 * Special Orb: Fire Orb

''Mario Kart DS

 * Class: Middleweight
 * Default Karts: B Dasher, Standard MR
 * Unlockable Kart: Shooting Star
 * Bio: "He lent his name to the sport, so it's no surprise that Mario has been at the forefront of the karting scene since it began in 1993. He is the perfect all-rounder; his karts representing the best balance of top speed, acceleration, weight and handling."

''Mario Smash Football

 * Type: Balanced
 * Super Strike: Fire Strike
 * Bio: Booklet

Mario Kart Wii

 * Size: Medium
 * Actual Bonuses
 * Weight: +2
 * Acceleration: +1
 * Handling: +1
 * Drift: +1

''Mario Hoops 3 on 3 Information

 * Baller Name: The Jumpman
 * Type: All-Around
 * Special Shot: Fire Shot
 * Letter to Tap: M
 * Bio: "A versatile player. Mario's steady performance lets him handle anything."

''Mario Party 8

 * Bio: Mario has been Nintendo’s leading man for well over two decades, headlining such seminal adventures as the world’s bestselling video game, Super Mario Bros. for the original Nintendo Entertainment System. Mario has been collecting coins for most of his life, so scouring the boards in the Star Carnival for cash shouldn’t be too difficult for this hero.
 * Team Names:
 * Luigi: Mario Bros.
 * Peach: Power Players
 * Yoshi: Fan Favorites
 * Wario: Big Starrios
 * Daisy: Flower Players
 * Waluigi: 'Stache Clashers
 * Toad: Fungi Fun Guys
 * Boo: Soul Bros.
 * Toadette: Marionettes
 * Birdo: Super Snozzios
 * Dry Bones: BBQ Ribs
 * Blooper: 'Stache Splashers
 * Hammer Bro: Heavy-Blow Bros.

''Mario Strikers Charged Football

 * Character Type: Balanced
 * Mega Strike: Mario turns into a fiery Metal Mario before mashing the ball.
 * Super Ability: Super Mario!
 * Deke: Mario rolls forward a short distance.
 * Uniform: Mario wears red armor with blue and white accents.
 * Team Emblem: Signature “M” emblem with flames surrounding it.
 * Team Number: 1
 * Away Entrance: Mario runs up to the opposing sidekicks and tips his hat combatively.
 * Home Entrance: Mario falls from the sky, arms outstretched, making a perfect landing when he reaches the field and saying "Come on".
 * Theme: Alternative Rock
 * Bio: "A mix of fitness, speed and power, Mario brings his heart and determination to every match! His ability to become Super Mario can change the face of any game!"
 * Stats:
 * Movement: 6
 * Shooting: 6
 * Passing: 6
 * Defense: 6

Bio
''This persistent little plumber developed his skills chasing down a big ape. Now he's taking his All-Around skills to the Olympic Games, where his running and jumping experience should come in more than handy in events like the high jump and hurdles.''

Mario Party DS

 * Collection Info:
 * Character Figure Info:
 * Description:
 * Badge Info:
 * Badge Name:
 * Description:
 * Team Names:
 * Bio: He's back, sporting his red-shirt, blue-overalls look. You simply can't have a Mario Party without Mario!

Bio
''Mario is the world's most famous plumber who has travelled from the Mushroom Kingdom to meet Sonic in Vancouver and compete in the Olympic Winter Games. Amongst a number of his abilities, Mario brings with him his unique Spin on the Wii and the Spinning Jump and Fire Dash on the DS, and is expected to show an outstanding performance in every event as an all-round player.''

Gallery
For pictures, see this subject's gallery.

Quotes

 * "Lets-a-play!" - ''Mario Power Tennis
 * "It's-a-me, Mario!" - ''Super Mario 64
 * "Let's-a-go!" - ''Super Mario 64
 * "Thank you so much for-a playing-a my game!" - Super Mario 64/Galaxy/''Galaxy 2
 * "Welcome to Mario Kart!"- Mario Kart 64/Double Dash!!
 * "Get me outta here!" - ''Luigi's Mansion
 * "Crikey!" - ''Super Mario Sunshine
 * "It's-a Mario Time!" - ''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
 * "Come back here you big-a monkey!" - ''Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
 * "I love this game!" - ''Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
 * "So long King Bowser!" - ''Super Mario 64
 * "Mario Kart Wii" - ''Mario Kart Wii
 * "Yay for me!" - ''Mario Hoops 3 on 3
 * "It's-a me! I've been on fire lately, but I hope you'll challenge me!" - ''Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
 * "Yahoo for-a me, the winner!" - ''Mario Superstar Baseball
 * "Woo-Hoo! Bravo, Mario!" - ''Super Mario Advance 2: Super Mario World
 * "Let's-a go, little guys!" - ''Mario vs. Donkey Kong
 * "Don't forget to thank Mr. Miyamoto!" - ''Mario vs. Donkey Kong
 * "Well, that sure was fun, I had a great time!" - ''Mario vs. Donkey Kong
 * "Ah that Charles Martinet, nice italian boy!" - ''Mario vs. Donkey Kong
 * "It's OK, don't cry!" - ''Mario vs. Donkey Kong
 * "Here we go! Again? Again?" - ''Mario vs. Donkey Kong
 * "Fantastico!" - ''Mario Hoops 3 on 3
 * "Let's-a get-a going!" - ''Mario vs. Donkey Kong
 * "Here I go!" - ''New Super Mario Bros.
 * "Nice of the Princess to invite us over a picnic, eh, Luigi?" - ''Hotel Mario
 * "Remember. Where there's smoke..." - ''Hotel Mario
 * "If you need instructions on how to get through the hotels, check out the enclosed instruction book." - ''Hotel Mario
 * "You know what they say: All toasters toast toast!" - ''Hotel Mario
 * "Luigi, look! It's from Bowser!" - ''Hotel Mario
 * "Maybe there's a switch in one of the rooms. Remind me to check!" - Hotel Mario
 * "We gotta find the Princess!" - ''Hotel Mario
 * "This is it, Luigi!" - ''Hotel Mario
 * "Be careful! When you pinch Wendy's pennies, they pinch back!" - ''Hotel Mario
 * "Hey stinky!" - ''Mario Party 7
 * "Come on!" - ''Mario Party 8
 * "I'm the SuperStar!" - ''Mario Party DS
 * "Luigi! What's the hold up!" - ''Luigi's Mansion
 * "Welcome...Welcome new galaxy!!" - ''Super Mario Galaxy
 * "Hey! I'm-a hungry! Have you got any food?" - ''Mario Teaches Typing 2
 * "Welcome to Mario Teaches-a typing!" - ''Mario Teaches Typing
 * "Hello! It's a me, Mario! Thank you for starting me up!" - ''Mario Teaches Typing 2
 * "Mama-mia!" - ''Various Games
 * "Woo-hoo! Just what I needed!" - ''Super Mario Advance
 * "Ooh! Mario's Tunnel of a-Doom! Very scary! - ''Mario Teaches Typing 2
 * "Oh yeah! Heeyaaaa! -'' Super Smash Bros. Brawl
 * " *gasps* Hey! Come back here! -'' Mario Tennis
 * ''"Oh yeah! Mario Time!" New Super Mario Bros. Wii
 * "Stop it! -'' Mario Tennis

Mario cartoons

 * The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!


 * The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3


 * Super Mario World

Trivia

 * Mario's full name is referred to as "Mario Mario", as set forth by the Super Mario Bros. movie. This appears to apply to all continuities in the series, however, because Mario and Luigi are called the "Mario Bros." This is reinforced by the Prima Edition of the Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga Guide book, where, in the character section, Mario is referred to as Mario Mario and Luigi as Luigi Mario. Despite this, however, Nintendo has said that Mario and Luigi do not have last names. Thus,the aformentioned last name is non-canon.
 * A Mario statue made out of wax stands in the Hollywood Wax Museum. This is currently the only wax-statue of a video game character.
 * According to the Guinness World Records’ 2008 edition, Mario has appeared in a total of 116 separate games, more than any other video game character.
 * A Q Score survey made in the early nineties, showed Mario was more popular than Mickey Mouse
 * Before he was known as "Jumpman" in Donkey Kong, Mario was referred to as "Mr. Video". Before that, he was originally named "Ossan", (which is Japanese for middle-aged man).
 * Despite a life-size poster measuring at 5'1", crossover artwork shows Sonic (who stands at 3'3") to be at least two or three inches taller.
 * Before the release of Super Mario Bros 3, Mario was originally depicted with red overalls and a blue shirt. The same goes for Luigi except the overalls are green instead of red.