Mario

"It's-a-me, Mario!"

- Mario

Mario is the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom and mascot of Nintendo. Mario was originally created by Shigeru Miyamoto in 1981, where he first appeared in the video game Donkey Kong in arcades, where he was originally called Jumpman.

Mario got his current name when someone at Nintendo thought that he looked like the Italian landlord of a Nintendo of America office in New York, Mario Segali. His surname is also "Mario", effectively making his name Mario Mario.

Mario is one of the most recognizable video game characters of all time and is Nintendo's official mascot. He is best known for rescuing Princess Peach from Bowser along with his brother, Luigi by using his many powers, among them his amazing jumping ability.

Biography
Despite his lengthy history, Mario is, in many ways, an undeveloped character, with many details of his accepted biography having been created through complex lor spawned from the imaginations of comic book artists, cartoon writers, and fans. What is generally known about Mario is that he is a plumber who stands for what is right and has a love for Italian food. Mario has proven himself to be an excellent fighter, all-around sports player, and partier 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 Marioverse, with characters such as Bowser and Princess Peach having more complex, consistent, and unique back stories.

In his first appearance in Donkey Kong, all that was stated about Mario was that he was a carpenter who abused his pet monkey, Donkey Kong, who ran off with his girlfriend, Pauline. He later reappeared in Donkey Kong Jr., and was actually the villain. He had D.K. caged up, hitting him with a whip.

In his third appearance in Mario Bros., Mario's occupation was changed to a plumber in Brooklyn, which was more fitting with the pipe theme of the game. Here, Mario and his brother, Luigi, cleaned the Brooklyn sewers of monsters. This fact, along with both the cartoon series and movie, led many to believe that Brooklyn was Mario's original home. Newer games and manuals, however, state that he grew up in the fictional Mushroom Kingdom, causing fans to speculate that as a baby, he was taken to the "Real World". It appears as though the idea that Mario grew up in Brooklyn was retconned, and, at any rate, in no actual Mario game does it say that Mario grew up in Brooklyn, just the text manual of Mario Bros.

Over the course of his many games, Mario has rescued a number of women from captivity (including Pauline, Princess Peach, and Princess Daisy) and has become regarded as a great hero in the Mushroom Kingdom. There is no definitive time line for the events in the various games, most of which could be placed in nearly any order.

Physical Description and Traits
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; they did not have the space to give him a mouth; and they could not animate hair, so Mario got overalls, a moustache, and 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.

When Mario was first conceived, he looked, more or less, as he does today: a short, plump man with the trademark hat, brown hair, black mustache and overalls. 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 American Super Mario Bros. 2 was the first appearance of his modern outfit (the box had the red overalls-on-blue shirt, but the game itself had a blue overalls-on-red shirt); however, it was Super Mario Bros. 3 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's 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.

Powers and Abilities
Mario is always associated with the element of fire. Also, he is the best jumper in the Mushroom Kingdom, but sometimes Luigi bests him. Mario is an excellent driver, and has skills with many sports.
 * Mario's first and trademark ability is his Jump, which allows him to stomp and defeat most enemies. There are many variations of the Jump, such as the Ultra Jump in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars which allows him to stomp an enemy 100 times when timed correctly, making it one of his most dangerous attacks.
 * Mario also has many boxing abilities, including punching and kicking.
 * Mario can perform many standard moves in the Marioverse, such as the Ground Pound.
 * 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 RPG's.  Mario can, in some games, control fire without a Fire Flower power-up.
 * Mario has four power-ups that allow him to fly; the Racoon Suit, the Tanooki Suit, the Cape Feather, and the Wing Cap.
 * Mario has two other caps he can wear, the Metal Cap and Vanish Cap, which turn him into Metal Mario and make him invisible, respectively.
 * Mario even has his own fighting style. Although he never really uses it in his games, 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.
 * 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.

Roles
Mario usually takes on the role of the hero, however, he was the main villain in Donkey Kong Jr., and a damsel in distress in Super Mario 64 DS, Luigi's Mansion, and Super Princess Peach.

Personal Details
Mario is always seen in a heroic nature. He is willing to risk his life to save the lives of millions from a multiple amount of evil.

Playable Appearances


Mario has been playable in the majority of the titles in the Mario series. These games include Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Land, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, Super Mario Kart, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, Mario's Tennis, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64, Mario Party, Super Smash Bros., Mario Party 2, Mario Tennis, Paper Mario, Mario Party 3, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Mario Sunshine, Mario Party 4, Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Mario Party 5, Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Mario vs. Donkey Kong, Mario Pinball Land, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Mario Party 6, Mario Power Tennis, Super Mario 64 DS, Mario Party Advance, Mario Superstar Baseball, Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix, Mario Party 7, Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time, Super Mario Strikers, New Super Mario Bros., and Mario Hoops 3-on-3. Future playable appearances will be Super Mario Galaxy, Super Paper Mario, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Strikers Charged, and Mario Party 8.

Supporting Roles
Mario hasn't always been playable in every game. He has had supporting roles in these games: Yoshi's Safari, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Luigi's Mansion, Super Princess Peach, Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, and Yoshi's Island DS.

Cameos
Mario has made cameos in many games. In Punch Out!! for the NES, Mario appears in the audience, and in its remake, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, he is the boxing referee. He, Donkey Kong, and Pauline appeared in a bonus stage of Pinball for the NES, snagged a cameo in Alleyway, waved a checkered flag in F-1 Race, and appeared in many other games. He and many other Mario characters can be found in the Legend of Zelda series, and pieces of furniture, outfits, and wallpaper and carpeting devoted to him can be found in Animal Crossing for the Nintendo GameCube.

Clothing
Mario wears many clothing, throughout his many adventures.
 * Hat - The hat Mario wears, it is really important for him because if he looses it he takes more damage. He has had the hat since he was born.
 * Gloves - Mario wears two gloves. He never seems to take them off.
 * Shoes - Mario has two shoes. They are brown.
 * Overalls - Mario wears blue overalls. Mario can change his overalls in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door.
 * Shirt - Mario has a shirt that he always wears.
 * Badges - In RPG games, Mario wears badges

Portrayal in Other Media
Mario was voiced/portrayed by:
 * Lou Albano in the Super Mario Bros. Super Show.
 * Walker Boone in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World cartoons.
 * Charles Martinet in most of the video games.
 * Bob Hoskins in the Super Mario Bros. movie.

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.

Initial Stats in 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.

Trophy Information for Mario
Known worldwide as Mr. Nintendo, Mario uses his incredible jumping ability to thwart the evil Bowser time after time. While he's best known as a hero, Mario has played many roles, including racer, doctor, golfer, and villain. His tastes have changed over 20 years of gaming; he long ago swapped the colors of his shirt and overalls.

Trophy Information for Raccoon Mario
In Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Leafs caused Mario to grow raccoon ears and a tail. By sprinting and rapidly wagging the tail, Mario gained the ability to fly for short periods. Like the Cape in Super Mario World, the tail also reduced the speed at which he fell, making midair moves easier. Needless to say, real raccoons were jealous.

Trophy Information for Mario & Yoshi
Yoshi was first introduced in Super Mario World, and the sight of Mario riding the helpful character soon became an enduring image. Despite his Cape, Mario can't fly while astride Yoshi. The pair can make huge jumps and drift slowly back to earth, though. As a last resort, Mario could leap off Yoshi's back to safety.

Trophy Information for Metal Mario
Mario was in for a surprise the first time he hit a Metal Box in Super Mario 64. The metal cap that popped out transformed Mario into living metal, giving him great stamina, a heavy tread, and the ability to walk underwater. In Super Smash Bros., Metal Mario showed up as an incredibly stubborn midlevel boss.

Trophy Information for Paper Mario
The Star Rod: Bowser stole it, and Mario wants it back. Bowser vs. Mario is familiar for Mario aficionados, but Paper Mario is novel. What this game brings to the 3D polygon-filled gaming world is its art style: everything is wafer thin! What the visuals lack in realism, they more than make up for in unique artistry.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Racing Kart: Red Fire. Weight Class: Middleweight. Special Item: Fireball.

Mario Power Tennis
Type: All-Around. Defensive Power Shot: Spin Jump Return. Offensive Power Shot: Iron Hammer.

Mario Superstar Baseball
Teams: Mario Heroes, Mario Fireballs, Mario Sunshines, Mario All-Stars. Type: Balanced. Special Ball: Fireball. 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."

Super Mario Strikers
Type: Balanced. Super Strike: Fire Strike.

Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Baller Name: The Jumpman. Type: All-Around. Special Shot: Fire Shot

Mario Party Info
Partner: Luigi Special Orb: Fireball

Quotes
Main article: Mario (quotes).


 * "Mama mia!" -Many games.
 * "Let's-a-go!" -Many games.
 * "It's-a-me, Mario!" -Super Mario 64