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The Super Mario Wiki is a database '''focused on all aspects of the Marioverse''', including spin-off series of the primary Mario series. This wiki not only covers the Mario series, but also the Donkey Kong series, the Wario series, and the Yoshi series, which have emerged as own distinct franchises in the greater Marioverse. Additionally, the Banjo and Conker series have also spun-off the Donkey Kong series, and is part of an extended Marioverse. Cross-over games, such as the ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' series, are also covered here, but from the perspective of the Marioverse.
The Super Mario Wiki is an encyclopedia focused on all aspects of the ''[[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]]'' franchise. What distinguishes this wiki from other video game wikis is that we not only cover our primary franchise, but also all other series and games which have emerged as their own distinct franchises. Crossover games, such as the ''[[Super Smash Bros. (series)|Super Smash Bros.]]'' series, are also covered here, but from the perspective of ''Super Mario'' and its partner franchises. This guideline is here to help users determine what content is and is not acceptable for inclusion in the Super Mario Wiki.


==The Focus of the Super Mario Wiki==
==No canon==
[[Image:Importancetree.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A visual for what we're talking about.]]
Based on [[MarioWiki:Canonicity]], there is no "canon" regarding the ''Super Mario'' franchise. Since there is no canon, we cover any "[[Mario]]-related" media product given some sort of official authorization by [[Nintendo]] at some point in time, be it through the [[Official Nintendo Seal]] or a contract with another company, etc. All content from such sources is allowed on this wiki, without speculating on what content from what source is "more official" than other content from other sources. As Nintendo has never established an official canon regarding the ''Super Mario'' franchise, we cannot say newer or older Nintendo games, media, content, policies, etc. are more "official" than the others. They are all essentially as "official" as each other.
===Primary Focus===
Naturally, the primary focus of this wiki is the Mario series and sub-series. This includes games such as ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'', ''[[Mario Party]]'', and ''[[Paper Mario]]''. Any article about characters, items, and other features from Mario games are the primary importance of this wiki, and should be improved whenever possible. Mario is what we are all about.


===Secondary Focus===
==What the Super Mario Wiki covers==
The Mario series has spun-off into various other series, including the Donkey Kong series, the Wario series, and the Yoshi series. This includes games such as ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'', ''[[Wario Land II]]'', ''[[Yoshi's Island DS]]'', and ''[[WarioWare: Touched!]]''. Articles related to games such as these are of secondary focus to this wiki, as they are one degree of seperation from the primary Marioverse.  Articles of secondary focus must be distinguished from articles of primary importance. '''To do this, articles relating to the secondary series must be placed in special categories.''' For example, instead of placing [[King K. Rool]], a character in the ''Donkey Kong Country'' series, in the "Category: Characters", the article should be placed in the article "Category: Donkey Kong Characters" (but not both – only the DK related category). This will distinguish article in the primary Marioverse to those in the secondary universe. '''This rule applies to all major categories, including Characters, Species, Sub-Species, Allies, Enemies, Items, Places, Games, etc. These franchise specific categories should be placed in the larger general category, becoming sub-categories on the main category page. Minor categories, such as "Undead", "Islands", or "Fish", do not need franchise specific categories.'''
[[File:Importancetree.png|thumb|420px|A visual for what we're talking about.]]
The games and other media products we cover can be divided into four categories: ''Super Mario'' and partner franchises, crossovers, guest appearances, and cameos.


'''Cross-over series, such as the ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' series, are also of secondary concern to this wiki. Articles about such games should be written from the perspective of the Marioverse, and be placed in their specific franchise categories (Ex: [[Master Hand]] should be placed in the "Super Smash Bros. Enemies" category, but not the "Enemies" category). As such, info about the ''Legend of Zelda'' series or the ''Star Fox'' series is not acceptable at the Mario Wiki. Only info from the cross-over is valid.'''
===''Super Mario'' and partner franchises===
As there is no official canon, content from any official source from Nintendo related to Mario and his universe is allowed. As far as the "universe" goes, we cover all franchises, series, games, etc. that have emerged from or spun-off from the [[Donkey Kong (game)|original ''Donkey Kong'' arcade game]], Mario's first appearance in any media. This includes spin-off franchises like ''[[Wario (franchise)|Wario]]'' and ''[[Yoshi (franchise)|Yoshi]]'', the ''[[Donkey Kong (franchise)|Donkey Kong]]'' franchise itself, as well as the core ''[[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]]'' games and related media and merchandise (which may include games that do not necessarily have "Mario" in their names, such as ''[[Luigi's Mansion]]'' or ''[[Wrecking Crew]]''). Everything from these four main franchises are given full coverage, meaning every character, place, item, and everything else found in the releases are given articles. Individual game levels, TV show episodes, and stand-alone comics all get articles as well, as do the games, shows, movies, and publications themselves.


===Tertiary Focus===
Please note that while [[Banjo]] and [[Conker]] both debuted in ''[[Diddy Kong Racing]]'', their series are not included in the Super Mario Wiki's coverage, as they are not considered spin-offs of ''Diddy Kong Racing'' (and by extension, the original ''Donkey Kong''), since the characters were designed for their own series and their appearance in the racing game was more of a crossover.
There are two series of the lowest focus to this wiki. These are the Banjo-Kazooie and Conker series. Both were spun-off from the Donkey Kong series, and thus are two degrees away from the Mario series (and of less importance). '''Again, articles relating to these games must be distinguished from articles from other series. However, in this case, Banjo and Conker related articles should be sub-categories of the related Donkey Kong series categories.''' For example, the "Banjo Characters" category should be a sub-category of the "Donkey Kong Characters" category (but not in the main "Characters" category). Again, articles about Banjo-specific features, such as [[Tooty]], should be placed in the "Banjo Characters" category, not the "Donkey Kong Characters" category or the "Characters" category.


==Penalties==
===Crossovers===
'''There are no penalities for making articles in one series than another.''' However, we do encourage more editing in the primary focus articles than the secondary or tertiary focus articles, as this is the Super Mario Wiki. '''Also, there are no article limits for any area of focus.''' However, different spin-off series must be categorized in series specific major categories, while articles related to the primary Mario series must be placed in the primary categories. Of course, any deliberate attempt to undermine the seperation of franchises in this wiki will be dealt with.
Crossovers are games that extensively feature characters and other elements from one or more series in addition to the ''Super Mario'' franchise. Examples include:


==Categories==
*''[[Super Smash Bros. (series)|Super Smash Bros.]]'' series
Here is a list of categories that should have a primary (Mario), Donkey Kong, Wario, Yoshi, Banjo, Conker, and Super Smash Bros. sub-categories:
*''[[Mario & Sonic (series)|Mario & Sonic]]'' series
*'''Characters'''
*''[[Itadaki Street DS]]'' and ''[[Fortune Street]]''
*'''Species'''
*''[[Wario Blast: Featuring Bomberman!]]''
*'''Sub-Species'''
*''[[Game & Watch Gallery]]'' series
*'''Enemies'''
*''[[Mario Hoops 3-on-3]]'' and ''[[Mario Sports Mix]]''
*'''Allies'''
*'''Places'''
*'''Items'''
*'''Bosses'''
*'''Games'''
*'''Special Moves'''
*'''Objects'''
*'''Levels'''


Note that some articles will be placed in multiple universe sub-categories. For example, Wario is both in the "Characters" Category, as he appears in the primary Mario games, and the "Wario Characters" category. Also note that articles about the main Mario series (i.e. articles of primary importance) should be placed in the unspecified, generic categories. For example, Luigi should be placed in the "Characters" category, not a "Mario Characters" category. '''This is because the main Mario series is the primary focus of this wiki, and does not need to be placed in a Mario-specific sub-category.'''
In some cases, the games are obviously part of the ''Super Mario'' franchise (i.e. ''Mario Sports Mix''), while others are more evenly split between different franchises (i.e. ''Mario & Sonic'' or ''Fortune Street'') but should still be counted as ''Super Mario'' games. Even series that can stand alone as their own set of games separate from any of the contributing franchises (i.e. ''Super Smash Bros.'') are considered to be partner series of the ''Super Mario'' games. What content from crossover games warrants a page is decided based on community consensus.


'''All other categories should remain as they are and not be divided into specific series sub-categories. If you believe any other categories should be added to this list, please post a comment on the [[MarioWiki talk: Importance Policy|talk page]].'''
Giving full coverage to crossovers means that the characters and other aspects originating in the other series involved in the crossover are also given articles, however these articles must be limited to the non-''Super Mario'' subject's role in the crossover game itself. For example, our article about [[Link]] talks about his role in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' games, but does not go on to discuss what happens in any of ''The Legend of Zelda'' games, although a brief overview about his role in the series is permitted in the article's introduction.


[[Category:MarioWiki Policy|{{PAGENAME}}]]
====''Super Smash Bros.'' series====
The ''[[Super Smash Bros. (series)|Super Smash Bros.]]'' series features representative characters, locations, and other elements from numerous Nintendo franchises, and the ''Super Mario'' franchise is notably present. Its games feature enough content from the ''Super Mario'' franchise that calling it a guest appearance is incorrect, but at the same time, it is not so comprehensive that it is a crossover. To avoid any lapses in our coverage, the series is deemed an exception to the standard coverage policy. This means that unlike crossovers, in which every element is given an individual article, and unlike guest appearances, in which only the game itself and uniquely ''Super Mario'' elements get individual articles, pages for the series are decided on a more particular basis.
 
====''Game & Watch Gallery'' series====
In addition to the Modern, ''Super Mario''-themed versions of [[Game & Watch]] games, the ''[[Game & Watch Gallery (series)|Game & Watch Gallery]]'' series features a number of ported Game & Watch games as extra content. Due to these not being directly part of the central crossover nature of the game and having no in-game association with the ''Super Mario'' franchise, those that have not received Modern remakes or are not a ''Super Mario''-franchise Game & Watch game to begin with (e.g. ''[[Mario's Cement Factory]]'') are not covered as separate articles, otherwise the series is given full coverage.
 
===Guest appearances===
When a ''Super Mario'' character appears in another franchise (including stand-alone releases), it is either a guest appearance or a cameo. The difference is how much impact the ''Super Mario'' character has on the game: if they have a role in the plot or are featured as a playable character, it is a guest appearance, whereas if they can be erased without any ill effects on the game, it is a cameo. The difference between guest appearances and crossovers is that in a guest appearance, the amount of ''Super Mario'' content relative to the other series is very small, whereas in crossovers there is an extensive amount of ''Super Mario'' content, ranging from mostly ''Super Mario'' like in the ''Game & Watch Gallery'' games to a 50:50 split like ''Mario & Sonic'', to simply being one of many franchises represented in a crossover like ''Super Smash Bros.''
 
Games that ''Super Mario'' content makes a guest appearance in include ''[[Tetris]]'' for the [[Game Boy]], ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening]]'', ''[[Densetsu no Stafy 3]]'', ''[[NBA Street V3]]'', ''[[SSX on Tour]]'', ''[[Tetris DS]]'', ''[[Captain Rainbow]]'', ''[[Art Style: PiCTOBiTS]]'', ''[[Punch-Out!! (Wii)|Punch-Out!!]]'', ''[[AR Games]]'', ''[[StreetPass Mii Plaza]]'', ''[[Nintendo Land]]'', the [[NES Remix (series)|''NES Remix'' series]], ''[[Nintendo Badge Arcade]]'', ''[[Rhythm Heaven Megamix]]'', ''[[Skylanders: SuperChargers]]'' and ''[[Minecraft]]''. Non-game guest appearances include ''[[Captain N: The Game Master]]'', ''[[Pixels]]'', and ''[[Wario to Saikyō Tag da Fii!]]''. These guest appearances are given partial coverage, meaning only the media itself get articles, such as the game or television show, with all information pertaining to their content being confined to those pages. ''However'', if a subject is unique to the game while also being clearly derived from the ''Super Mario'' franchise, they can receive individual articles. For example, certain minigames from ''Nintendo Land'', which includes [[Donkey Kong's Crash Course]], [[Luigi's Ghost Mansion]], [[Mario Chase]], and [[Yoshi's Fruit Cart]], prominently feature ''Super Mario'' images and icons, and therefore have articles. Other minigames, such as [[ZeldaWiki:The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest|The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest]] or [[Pikipedia:Pikmin Adventure|Pikmin Adventure]], do not have articles on the wiki.
 
Please note that a [[MarioWiki:Proposals|proposal]] should be made before a game is classified as a "guest appearance", as this is a somewhat tricky distinction and there could easily be disagreement in the community about the extent to which coverage should be granted to any given non-''Super Mario'' game.
 
===Cameos===
As mentioned before, if a ''Super Mario'' character or some other aspect of the ''Super Mario'' franchise makes a minor appearance in a non-''Super Mario'' game, this is called a cameo. Cameos have no effect on the overall games they occur in, unlike guest appearances, and are merely included by the developers and writers for fun. All cameo appearances are limited to the [[MarioWiki:References|Reference]] pages, although the cameoing ''Super Mario'' content's article may also mention the cameo (but this is not always necessary). The non-''Super Mario'' game, show, movie or publication in which the ''Super Mario'' content is cameoing should '''not''' get an article.
 
For example, the [[Thwomp]] article has a section about the [[Thwomp#The Legend of Zelda series|Thwomps' appearances in ''The Legend of Zelda'' series]], but the material included in this section only pertains to Thwomps and does not talk about unrelated ''Zelda'' material, and the ''Zelda'' games that Thwomps appear in are not given articles.
 
===Historically significant===
On rare occasions, there are games that have had a notable impact on the ''Super Mario'' franchise despite not being a part of the franchise in any way. Current examples include ''[[Greenhouse]]'', which does not have any Mario branding but is the first appearance of [[Stanley]], and ''[[Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic]]'': while the game itself has no relation to the franchise (barring how it started off as a tech demo in the vein of the ''Super Mario'' games), it was later repurposed to become ''[[Super Mario Bros. 2]]'' with only a handful of changes. As a result, many elements that were introduced to the franchise in ''Super Mario Bros. 2'', including [[Birdo]], [[Shy Guy]]s, [[Bob-omb]]s, and [[Pokey]]s, actually first appeared in ''Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic''. Due to the game's importance in creating aspects that are now common to the franchise, it is covered on this wiki. However, since it is not properly a part of the franchise, only the game itself is given an article, while elements unique to it (such as its main characters) are covered within said article.
 
Note that this does not apply to similar games who were also used as bases for other games, but otherwise have no points in common with its successor, such as ''[[Tetris Attack#Panel de Pon|Panel de Pon]]'': though it was changed into ''[[Tetris Attack]]'' (starring [[Yoshi]] and other characters from ''[[Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island]]''), ''Panel de Pon'' and ''Tetris Attack'' have no points in common beyond the basic gameplay, and as a result, it is only covered in part on the article for ''Tetris Attack''.
 
==What the Super Mario Wiki doesn't cover==
===Package deals===
In some instances, an installment of the ''Super Mario'' franchise may be released or legally tied with another, otherwise unrelated work without any crossover happening. The Super Mario Wiki staff does not deem pertinent to fully cover these unrelated works, although information about the "bundle" should be present on the relevant page.
 
Examples of this situation include:
 
*''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' was rereleased with ''Duck Hunt'' bundled on the same cartridge, with a later release adding ''World Class Track Meet'' to the mix. As the added games are otherwise unrelated, they and other similar cartridge bundles are not given full coverage
*The ''[[The Legend of Zelda (television series)|Legend of Zelda]]'' animated series was part of the same syndication package as the ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!]]'' and is occasionally promoted by [[Mario]] and [[Luigi]] in-universe. The series warrants a short page due to existing in-universe, but its characters and episodes are not fully covered.
*Similarly, the third season of ''[[Captain N: The Game Master]]'' and the ''[[Super Mario World (television series)|Super Mario World]]'' animated series are legally two halves of one show. As the ''Captain N'' episodes are otherwise unrelated to the ''Super Mario World'' segments, they are not covered.
*''[[Nintendo Land]]'' features several [[minigame]]s themed around the ''Super Mario'' franchise, along with several other based on other Nintendo properties. As the fictional elements do not actually interact, ''Nintendo Land'' is not a crossover and the non-Mario games do not warrant full articles, although they are briefly described on the main ''Nintendo Land'' page.
* The western release of ''[[Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition]]'' is bundled with ''[[wikipedia:Puzzle & Dragons Z + Super Mario Bros. Edition|Puzzle & Dragons Z]]''. As ''Puzzle & Dragons Z'' was a stand-alone release in Japan and is otherwise unrelated to the ''Super Mario'' half of the package, it is not covered.
* All of the ''[[Saturday Supercade]]'' segments are legally the same show. While the ''Donkey Kong'' and ''Donkey Kong Jr.'' segments receive full coverage, the other segments that aired as part of the show (''{{wp|Frogger}}'', ''{{wp|Q*bert}}'', ''{{wp|Pitfall!}}'', ''{{wp|Space Ace}}'', and ''{{wp|Kangaroo (video game)|Kangaroo}}'') are otherwise unrelated to the ''Super Mario'' franchise and therefore are not given any coverage.
 
===Fan work by creators officially involved with the brand===
In a few instances, creators of official ''Super Mario'' works have created or been involved in unofficial productions featuring content from the ''Super Mario'' franchise. These works might merit a mention on the relevant subject's page but are not to be given full coverage as they are not endorsed by Nintendo.
 
Examples of this situation include:
 
*Parker Bennett, one of the writers credited on the final script of the [[Super Mario Bros. (film)|1993 live-action film]], was contacted by fans writing a sequel webcomic and agreed to outline the plot for a tentative ''Super Mario Bros. 2''. Due to having one of the writer's involvement, the ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' webcomic warrants a section on the movie's page but it does not have its own page and is not to be mentioned on pages for the movie's characters and concepts due to its unofficial nature.
*In 2019, the author of Comic BonBon's ''[[Super Mario (Kodansha manga)|Super Mario]]'' manga started publishing a series of ''doujin'' books starring the manga's mascot character [[Kinoppe]]. The series warrant a mention on the relevant pages, but due to its self-published nature, it is not considered official ''Super Mario'' material.
 
An exception to this is when an artist involved with the ''Super Mario'' brand has published artwork outside of the context of their official employment with Nintendo, as is the case with artists like [[Steve Mayles]] and [[Masanori Sato]]. While not official, the wiki deems the artwork relevant in the purpose of illustrating the artist's work.
 
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