Super Mario (form)

Super Mario (simply called Mario in Super Mario 3D Land and Super Mario 3D World) is a form of Mario which he assumes by eating a Super Mushroom. Super Mario is twice as tall as Small Mario (known in earlier games as "regular" Mario). He is able to withstand being hit by an enemy without immediately losing a life, instead shrinking back to Small Mario. He can also break Brick Blocks, and, as of New Super Mario Bros., earn multiple Coins from Coin Blocks in one held Ground Pound, unlike Small Mario.

All games depict Super Mario as Mario's regular usual form. In fact, Mario always appears as Super Mario in the endings of most Super Mario games, and the opening movies created for Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 and Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 depict Mario and Luigi's Super forms as their standard forms. This also applies to Peach, Toad, Toadette, Yoshi and his kind, and Daisy in post-Fall 2017 versions of Super Mario Run as well. Also, the opening of New Super Mario Bros. depicts Mario or Luigi starting out in their Super forms, only to take damage off-screen and revert to the Small form in time for the actual gameplay. This means that Super Mario is in fact Mario's normal usual form, and he becomes Small when taking damage, similar to Wario in Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3. Similarly, in post-fall 2017 versions of Super Mario Run, Peach and Daisy are depicted in their Super forms when being kidnapped by Bowser, shrinking only when taking damage while playing as them, therefore meaning that Super Peach and Super Daisy are also their normal usual forms as well.

In Super Mario Bros. 2 (original and Super Mario All-Stars versions only), Super Mario 3D Land, Super Mario 3D World, and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, should the player lose a life, they will come back in their Super form, regardless of what form they were in prior to losing a life. This is not the case in post-Fall 2017 versions of Super Mario Run as Peach, Toad, Toadette, and the Yoshis remain in their Small forms upon returning, even though they start the level in their regular usual forms. This did not happen in the pre-Fall 2017 versions, as they were defeated in one hit and did not shrink, therefore making their regular usual forms their only form in the game and also their weakest form, despite the advantage of being able to break Brick Blocks, unlike Mario and Luigi, who require their Super forms to do so. Additionally, in Super Mario Bros. 2 and Super Mario Run, the Super form is the maximum form that a character can be in as there are no higher tiered power-ups that allow a character to have additional abilities, such as the ability to shoot fireballs.

In Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, and the original and All-Stars versions of Super Mario Bros. 3, if Mario or Luigi get a Fire Flower (or a Super Leaf in the latter game) while in Small form, they will only turn into their Super forms instead. This was changed in Super Mario World so that Small Mario bypasses the Super form upon using a higher-tiered power-up. Also, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, and the original version of Super Mario World are the only games where Fire Mario (or Cape Mario in the latter game) immediately shrinks to Small Mario if hit.

Although not actually playable in the Game Boy Donkey Kong, Mario does achieve the form in the ending for the game, where he used it to lift Donkey Kong off him as the latter begs for his son to help him. In addition, a similar form was achieved by Donkey Kong that acted as the final boss due to accidentally making contact with several Super Mushrooms, although the overall size was closer to the Mega Mario transformation.

In Mario Golf: World Tour, if Mario receives a double bogey, he turns into Small Mario, thus reverting from the Super form. Gold Mario shares his animations with Mario, but he turns into Super Mario instead.

One of the forms Mario and Luigi can use in Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition is the Super form. It can be unlocked for each of the two characters upon completing, and it grants the Light attribute to the player.

In Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, Super Mario is one the forms a character can take in Dream Ice Hockey.

Development
During development of Super Mario Bros., players were originally meant to start of as Super Mario. However, Mario's size and the camera position made it difficult to see around him. Once it was suggested that Mario should become smaller instead of pulling the camera away, Super Mario was made into a different form that would shrink into Small Mario when he is damaged. When asked if Shigeru Miyamoto considered letting players start off as Super Mario, he responded with "Starting with the small Mario would make players happier when Mario got big later, and it would also give a better impression to players." It was also decided to name the game "Super Mario Bros." after this new bigger form of Mario's.

Television series
The term Super Mario was used to define what is otherwise known as Fire Mario on The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!. However, this was dropped for The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, which used the correct term.

Comics
In Volume 4 of the Super Mario-Kun manga, Princess Peach attempts to aid Mario against Bowser by throwing him a Super Mushroom, but Bowser quickly steals it and eats it, transforming into a giant known as "Super Bowser" (スーパークッパ). Mario tries to attack him, but Bowser easily deflects him, seemingly defeating him.

In the Club Nintendo comic "Super Mario: Verloren in der Zeit", Super Mario is depicted as much taller than other humans, similar to Mega Mario.

Super Mario Land

 * Virtual Console manual description: "A Super Mushroom will turn Mario into Super Mario when you pick it up. Mario will be able to jump up and break blocks from below."

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

 * Virtual Console manual description: "Pick up a Mushroom to transform into Super Mario."

Trivia

 * In the first four Super Smash Bros. games, Mario's taunt (up taunt in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U) is to enlarge himself using the same stance and animation as changing from Small Mario to Super Mario in Super Mario Bros., with that game's sounds used for the taunt in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U.
 * In Super Mario All-Stars, if the player is in Small form upon completing Super Mario Bros. or Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, a Super Mushroom will automatically appear and turn Mario/Luigi into their Super forms before the ending cutscene. Likewise, Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 automatically turns Mario/Luigi into their Super forms after defeating Bowser.
 * In Super Mario Bros. 3, using a Super Mushroom on the map screen turns Mario/Luigi into their Super forms, regardless of their prior form.
 * In Super Mario Bros. and its Game Boy Color remake Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, Super Mario and Super Luigi are depicted as being a head taller than Princess Peach, with the latter game even depicting her standing on her toes to kiss them. Later games ignore this and depict Mario, and to a certain extent Luigi, as being shorter than Peach.