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is a
video game
A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
series and media franchise
A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program, o ...
created by Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer, video game producer, producer and Creative director#Video games, game director at Nintendo, where he has served as one of its representative directors as an executive since 2002. Widely regarded as one o ...
for Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles.
The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
. Starring the titular plumber character Mario
Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...
, the franchise began with video games but has extended to other forms of media, including a television series
A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...
, comic books, a 1993 film, a 2023 film, and a theme park area. Mario made his first video game appearance in the arcade game ''Donkey Kong
is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. It follows the adventures of Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla, and other members of the List of Don ...
'' (1981) and was featured in multiple ''Donkey Kong
is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. It follows the adventures of Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla, and other members of the List of Don ...
'' games prior to '' Mario Bros.'' (1983), the first game with "''Mario''" in the title. ''Mario'' video games have been developed by a variety of developers, with the vast majority produced and published by Nintendo and released exclusively on Nintendo's video game consoles.
The flagship ''Mario'' subseries is the ''Super Mario'' series of platform game
A platformer (also called a platform game, and sometimes a jump 'n' run game) is a subgenre of action game in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are characterized by levels wi ...
s starting with 1985's ''Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 Platformer, platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It is the successor to the 1983 arcade game ''Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series. It was origi ...
'', which mostly follows Mario's adventures in the fictional world of the Mushroom Kingdom and typically rely on Mario's jumping ability to allow him to progress through levels. The franchise has spawned over 200 games of various genres and several subseries, including ''Mario Kart
is a series of kart racing games based on the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise developed and published by Nintendo. Players compete in go-kart races while using various power-up item (game terminology), items. It features Characters in ...
'', ''Mario Party
is a series of party video games created by Hudson Soft and owned by Nintendo. It features List of Mario franchise characters, characters from the Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise in which up to four local players or Artificial inte ...
'', '' Mario Tennis'', ''Mario Golf
There have been numerous sports games featuring ''Mario'' characters, based, among others, on tennis, golf, baseball, soccer, and various sports featured in the Olympic Games.
The ''Mario Kart'' and ''F1'' series are not included in this list.
...
'', '' Mario vs. Donkey Kong'', ''Paper Mario
''Paper Mario'' is a video game series and part of the ''Mario'' franchise, developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. It combines elements from the role-playing, action-adventure, and puzzle genres. Players control a ...
'', and ''Mario & Luigi
''Mario & Luigi'' (also known as ''Mario & Luigi RPG'' in Japanese regions) is a series of role-playing video games published by Nintendo and originally developed by AlphaDream prior to their bankruptcy. The series is a spin-off from Nintendo's t ...
''; several characters introduced in the ''Mario'' franchise, Luigi
Luigi (; ) is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Part of Nintendo's ''Mario'' franchise, he is a kind-hearted, cowardly Italian plumber, and the younger fraternal twin brother and sidekick of Mario. Like ...
, Wario
is a character in Nintendo's Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise that was designed as an Archenemy, archnemesis to Mario. Wario first appeared as the main antagonist and final Boss (video games), boss in the 1992 Game Boy game ''Super Mar ...
, and Yoshi
Yoshi is a fictional dinosaur who appears in video games published by Nintendo. Yoshi debuted in '' Super Mario World'' (1990) on the SNES as Mario and Luigi's sidekick. Throughout the mainline '' Super Mario'' series, Yoshi typically serves ...
, sparked successful franchises of their own.
The ''Mario'' series is one of gaming's most successful and renowned franchises, with many of its games, in particular within the ''Super Mario'' subseries, considered some of the greatest video games ever made
This is a list of video games that video game journalists or magazines have considered among the best of all time. The games are included on at least six separate best-of lists from different publications (inclusive of all time periods, platfor ...
. It is the best-selling video game franchise of all time, with more than 900 million copies of games sold, including more than 430 million for the ''Super Mario'' games alone. ''Mario'' is also Nintendo's flagship franchise.
Video games
Origin games
''Donkey Kong''
After the commercial failure of ''Radar Scope
is a 1980 shoot 'em up arcade game developed by Nintendo R&D2 and published by Nintendo. The player assumes the role of the Sonic Spaceport starship and must wipe out formations of an enemy race known as the Gamma Raiders before they destroy th ...
'', Nintendo's company president, Hiroshi Yamauchi
Hiroshi Yamauchi (; 7 November 192719 September 2013) was a Japanese businessman and the third president of Nintendo, joining the company on 25 April 1949 until stepping down on 24 May 2002, being succeeded by Satoru Iwata. During his 53-year t ...
, referred to designer Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer, video game producer, producer and Creative director#Video games, game director at Nintendo, where he has served as one of its representative directors as an executive since 2002. Widely regarded as one o ...
to create an arcade game to save the company. Miyamoto came up with the idea of a game in which the playable character has to make his way through an obstacle course consisting of sloped platforms, ladders and rolling barrels. Miyamoto named the game ''Donkey Kong
is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. It follows the adventures of Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla, and other members of the List of Don ...
'', and its main protagonist "Jumpman". ''Donkey Kong'' is an early example of the platform
Platform may refer to:
Arts
* Platform, an arts centre at The Bridge, Easterhouse, Glasgow
* ''Platform'' (1993 film), a 1993 Bollywood action film
* ''Platform'' (2000 film), a 2000 film by Jia Zhangke
* '' The Platform'' (2019 film)
* Pla ...
genre. In addition to presenting the goal of saving Pauline, the game gives the player a score SCORE may refer to:
*SCORE (software), a music scorewriter program
* SCORE (television), a weekend sports service of the defunct Financial News Network
*SCORE! Educational Centers
*SCORE International, an offroad racing organization
*Sarawak Corrido ...
. Points are awarded for finishing screens; leaping over obstacles; destroying objects with a hammer power-up
In video games, a power-up is an object that adds temporary benefits or extra abilities to the player character as a Game mechanics, game mechanic. This is in contrast to an Item (game), item, which may or may not have a permanent benefit that ca ...
; collecting items such as hats, parasol
An umbrella or parasol is a folding canopy (building), canopy supported by wooden or metal ribs that is mounted on a wooden, metal, or plastic pole. It is usually designed to protect a person against rain. The term ''umbrella'' is traditionall ...
s, and purses (presumably belonging to Pauline); and completing other tasks. The game was surprisingly successful. "Jumpman" was called "Mario
Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...
" in certain promotional materials for the game's release overseas; his namesake was Mario Segale, the landlord of Nintendo of America
is a Japanese multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles.
The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi founded the company to p ...
(NOA)'s office/warehouse, who, according to one version of events, barged in on a meeting to demand an overdue rent payment. This story is contradicted by former NOA warehouse manager Don James, who stated in 2012 that he and then-NOA president Minoru Arakawa
is a Japanese businessman best known as the founder and former president of Nintendo of America, and the co-founder of Tetris Online, Inc.
Biography
Minoru Arakawa was born on 3 September 1946 in Kyoto, Japan, the second son of Waichiro Araka ...
named the character after Segale as a joke because Segale was so reclusive that none of the employees had ever met him. James repeated this account in 2018.
''Donkey Kong Jr.''
Mario next appeared in 1982's '' Donkey Kong Jr.'' as the game'santagonist
An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.Famicom, NES, and several Atari home consoles. Additionally, a Game & Watch port and sequel were later produced. Like the first game, it is an early example of the platform genre.
Bros U'')), with a port titled '' New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe'' on the Nintendo Switch in January 2019. ''Super Mario Bros.''-styled gameplay is further offered by the level creator game ''
(stylized as ') is a series of arcade-style action puzzle video game originally developed by Nintendo Research & Development 1, and later developed by
is a spin-off series of RPG video games developed by
The ''Mario & Luigi'' spin-off series, developed by AlphaDream, was formed exclusively throughout handheld consoles. The series began with the release of '' Superstar Saga'' for the Game Boy Advance in 2003. In 2017, '' Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions'' for the Nintendo 3DS introduced a remake of the original game with added graphics, an improved map allowing players to place pinpoints, and an additional mode called ''Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser'', featuring a
is a series of
''Super Mario Bros.'' is an American 1993
''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'' was released on April 5, 2023, by
Mario has appeared on lunch boxes, T-shirts, jeans, magazines, commercials (notably, in a
''Mario Bros.''
''Mario Bros.'' is the first game to feature "Mario" in the title and to featureLuigi
Luigi (; ) is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Part of Nintendo's ''Mario'' franchise, he is a kind-hearted, cowardly Italian plumber, and the younger fraternal twin brother and sidekick of Mario. Like ...
. The objective of ''Mario Bros'' is to defeat all of the enemies in each phase
Phase or phases may refer to:
Science
*State of matter, or phase, one of the distinct forms in which matter can exist
*Phase (matter), a region of space throughout which all physical properties are essentially uniform
*Phase space, a mathematica ...
. Each phase is a series of platforms with four pipes at each corner of the screen, and an object called a "POW" block in the center. The mechanics of ''Mario Bros.'' involve only running and jumping. Unlike future ''Mario'' titles, players cannot jump on enemies until they are flipped over; this can be accomplished by jumping under the platform they are on or by using the "POW" block. Both sides of every phase feature a mechanism that allows the player to go off-screen to the left and appear on the right, and vice versa. The game has since reappeared in various forms, including as a minigame in '' Super Mario Bros. 3'' and the ''Super Mario Advance
''Super Mario Advance'' is a series of video game ports for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance:
* '' Super Mario Advance'', a 2001 port of '' Super Mario Bros. 2'' and '' Mario Bros.''
* '' Super Mario Advance 2'', a 2001 port of ''Super Mario World
...
'' series, and reimagined as '' Mario Clash''.
Game and Watch
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles.
The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
has released several ''Mario'' and ''Donkey Kong
is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. It follows the adventures of Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla, and other members of the List of Don ...
'' LCD video games for the Game & Watch line. Eleven were released between 1982 and 1995. Nintendo also licensed the release of six LCD games for Nelsonic's Game Watch line between 1989 and 1994. Many remakes of Game & Watch games have changed the protagonist from a generic Mr. Game & Watch character to Mario. In 2020, a rerelease of ''Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 Platformer, platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It is the successor to the 1983 arcade game ''Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series. It was origi ...
'' in the form of a Game & Watch titled '' Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros.'' was released for the game's 35th anniversary.
''Super Mario'' series
Mario then became the star of his own side scrolling platform game in1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...
, titled ''Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 Platformer, platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It is the successor to the 1983 arcade game ''Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series. It was origi ...
'', which was the pack-in game included with the Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...
console. It was also later sold in a package with ''Duck Hunt
is a 1984 light gun shooter video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The game was first released in April 1984 in Japan for the Family Computer (Famicom) console and in North America as an ar ...
''. In Japan, a game titled ''Super Mario Bros. 2
''Super Mario Bros. 2'' is a 1988 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. After the smash hit ''Super Mario Bros.'' in 1985, Nintendo quickly released a minor adaptation of the original with adva ...
'' (released internationally under the title ''Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels'') was released in 1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
** Spain and Portugal en ...
, but a different game with the same name was released internationally in 1988
1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the Morris worm, 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United State ...
, followed by '' Super Mario Bros. 3'' later that same year in Japan. ''Super Mario World
''Super Mario World'', known in Japan as '' is a 1990 platform game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The player controls Mario on his quest to save Princess Peach and Dino ...
'' then released in 1990 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, commonly shortened to Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a Fourth generation of video game consoles, 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan, 1991 in No ...
. While ''Super Mario Land
is a 1989 platform game developed by Nintendo Research & Development 1, Nintendo R&D1, the same team that designed the Game Boy. It was published by Nintendo as Game Boy#Launch titles, one of the first four games released for the console. I ...
'' and two sequels were the Game Boy
The is a handheld game console developed by Nintendo, launched in the Japanese home market on April 21, 1989, followed by North America later that year and other territories from 1990 onwards. Following the success of the Game & Watch single-ga ...
installments in the series, the Game Boy Advance
The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, and to international markets that June. It was later released in mainland China in 2004, under the name iQue Game Boy Advanc ...
did not receive any original entries, only remakes
A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same s ...
. ''Super Mario 64
''Super Mario 64'' is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan and North America in 1996 and PAL regions in 1997. It is the first ''Super Mario'' game to feature 3D gameplay, combini ...
'', the first Mario game with 3D graphics, debuted as the launch title for the Nintendo 64
The (N64) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, in North America on September 29, 1996, and in Europe and Australia on March 1, 1997. As the successor to the Super Nintendo E ...
console in 1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
. ''Super Mario Sunshine
is a 2002 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the second 3D computer graphics, 3D game in the Super Mario, ''Super Mario'' series, following ''Super Mario 64'' (1996). The game was directed by Yoshiaki Ko ...
'' was the series' entry for the GameCube
The is a PowerPC-based home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, in Europe on May 3, 2002, and in Australia on May 17, 2002. It is the suc ...
, and ''Super Mario Galaxy
is a 2007 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the third 3D platformer game in the ''Super Mario'' series. As Mario, the player embarks on a quest to rescue Princess Peach and save the universe from Bowser, af ...
'' and its sequel
A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
continued the franchise for the Wii
The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...
. '' Super Mario 3D Land'' was the series' flagship title for Nintendo 3DS
The is a foldable dual-screen handheld game console produced by Nintendo. Announced in March 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS, the console was released originally on February 26, 2011 and went through various revisions in its lifetime, ...
. The Wii U
The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
The W ...
saw the release of ''Super Mario 3D World
is a 2013 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. It is the sixth original 3D platform game in the ''Super Mario'' series and the sequel to '' Super Mario 3D Land'', a 2011 title for the Nintendo 3DS. The game was re- ...
'' in November 2013. A rerelease titled ''Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
is a 2013 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. It is the sixth original 3D platform game in the ''Super Mario'' series and the sequel to '' Super Mario 3D Land'', a 2011 title for the Nintendo 3DS. The game was re- ...
'' released February 2021. ''Super Mario Odyssey
is a 2017 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. An installment in the ''Super Mario'' series, it follows Mario and his new ally Cappy—a sentient hat—as they journey across various kingdoms to save Prince ...
'' would be the first game in the series to be released on the Nintendo Switch
The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
, and was released in 2017.
In 2006, a sub-series with retro
Retro style is imitative or consciously derivative of lifestyles, trends, or art forms from the past, including in music, modes, fashions, or attitudes. It has been argued that there is a nostalgia cycle in popular culture.
Definition
The term ...
gameplay called ''New Super Mario Bros.
is a 2006 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It was first released in May 2006 in North America and Japan, and in PAL regions in June 2006. It is the first installment in the ''New Super Mario Bros.'' su ...
'' was inaugurated on the Nintendo DS, featuring the mechanics of the ''Super Mario Bros.'' games. It continued on the Wii as ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii
is a 2009 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. A follow-up to '' New Super Mario Bros.'', it was first released in Australia, North America, and Europe in November 2009, followed by Japan a month later. It was released ...
'' (2009), on the 3DS as ''New Super Mario Bros. 2
is a 2012 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. It is the third installment in the ''New Super Mario Bros.'' series, following 2009's '' New Super Mario Bros. Wii'', and is a direct sequel to the original '' ...
'' (2012) and on the Wii U
The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
The W ...
as ''New Super Mario Bros. U
is a 2012 platform game developed and published by Nintendo as a launch title for the Wii U. The game is a sequel to ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii'' and the fourth and final entry of the ''New Super Mario Bros.'' series, following '' New Super M ...
'' (2012) and ''New Super Luigi U
(stylized as ''New Super Luigi Bros. U'') is a 2013 platform game developed by Nintendo for the Wii U. It is an expansion pack for ''New Super Mario Bros. U'' (2012), part of the ''Super Mario'' series. The plot and game mechanics remain ident ...
'' (2013) ((stylized as ''New Super Luigi Super Mario Maker
is a 2015 platform game and game creation system developed and published by Nintendo. An entry in the ''Super Mario'' series, the game allowed players to create, play, and share courses based on previous ''Super Mario'' titles including ''Sup ...
'', released on Wii U
The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
The W ...
in 2015. A sequel, ''Super Mario Maker 2
is a 2019 platform game and game creation system developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the sequel to '' Super Mario Maker'' and was released worldwide on June 28, 2019. The gameplay is largely retained from that o ...
'', was released on Nintendo Switch in June 2019. In June 2023, Nintendo announced '' Super Mario Bros. Wonder'', which released October 20, 2023.
In 2016, the team behind ''New Super Mario Bros.'' released ''Super Mario Run
is a 2016 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for iOS and later Android. It is Nintendo's first mobile game that is part of one of the company's long-running and major franchises.
In ''Super Mario Run'', the player controls Mario ...
'', Nintendo's first real smartphone
A smartphone is a mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allowing users to access a wide range of applications and services, such as web browsing, email, and social media, as well as multi ...
game and one of the few instances a ''Mario'' game was developed for non-Nintendo hardware.
Puzzle games
''Dr. Mario'' series
(stylized as ') is a series of arcade-style action puzzle video game originally developed by Nintendo Research & Development 1, and later developed by Arika
is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. It was formed in 1995 by former Capcom employees. It was originally known as ARMtech K.K, but was later named Arika. The name of the company is the reverse of the name of the company's founder, ...
and produced by Nintendo Software Planning & Development
commonly abbreviated as Nintendo SPD, was a Japanese research, planning and development division owned by Nintendo and housed inside the Nintendo Development Center in Kyoto, Japan. The division had two departments: ''Software Planning & Develo ...
. The first in the series, '' Dr. Mario'', was launched in 1990 on the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy to critical and commercial success. In the ''Dr. Mario'' series, the player character
A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional Character (arts), character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters tha ...
Mario
Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...
, who assumes the role of a doctor, is tasked with eradicating deadly viruses. The player's objective is to destroy the viruses populating the on-screen playing field by using falling colored capsules that are dropped into the field, similarly to ''Tetris
''Tetris'' () is a puzzle video game created in 1985 by Alexey Pajitnov, a Soviet software engineer. In ''Tetris'', falling tetromino shapes must be neatly sorted into a pile; once a horizontal line of the game board is filled in, it disa ...
''. The player manipulates the capsules as they fall so that they are aligned with viruses of matching colors, which removes them from playing field. The player progresses through the game by eliminating all the viruses on the screen in each level
Level or levels may refer to:
Engineering
*Level (optical instrument), a device used to measure true horizontal or relative heights
* Spirit level or bubble level, an instrument designed to indicate whether a surface is horizontal or vertical
*C ...
.
There have been 4 '' Dr. Mario'' games released for home consoles, two portable games and one mobile game, for a total of seven original titles. As the series has progressed, each new game has introduced new elements to keep the gameplay fresh such as new game modes. In 2001, '' Dr. Mario 64'' for the Nintendo 64 introduced new game modes such as a ''Story'' mode, ''Score Attack'' and ''Marathon'', Wario
is a character in Nintendo's Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise that was designed as an Archenemy, archnemesis to Mario. Wario first appeared as the main antagonist and final Boss (video games), boss in the 1992 Game Boy game ''Super Mar ...
as a playable character and four-player multiplayer. After a seven-year hiatus, in 2008, '' Dr. Mario Express'' for the Nintendo DSi
The is a foldable dual-screen handheld game console released by Nintendo. The console launched in Japan on November 1, 2008, and worldwide beginning in April 2009. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS, and its primary market rival was ...
's DSiWare
This is a list of games and applications, collectively known as DSiWare, for the Nintendo DSi handheld game console, available for download via the DSi Shop and unplayable on earlier DS models. An update released for the Nintendo 3DS in June 20 ...
service re-introduced the series to the portable gaming market. Also in 2008, '' Dr. Mario Online Rx'' for the Wii
The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...
's WiiWare
WiiWare was a digital media entertainment service operated by Nintendo that allowed the download of games and applications developed for the Wii video game console. These games and applications could only be purchased and downloaded from the W ...
service introduced online multiplayer
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
to the series. In 2013, '' Dr. Luigi'' for the Wii U
The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
The W ...
's Nintendo eShop
The is a digital distribution service for the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch 2, and formerly available via the Nintendo Network for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Launched in June 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS, the Nintendo eShop served ...
introduced Luigi
Luigi (; ) is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Part of Nintendo's ''Mario'' franchise, he is a kind-hearted, cowardly Italian plumber, and the younger fraternal twin brother and sidekick of Mario. Like ...
as the playable character as well as an ''Operation L'' game mode in which all capsules assume the shape of the letter "L". A mobile game
A mobile game is a video game that is typically played on a mobile phone. The term also refers to all games that are played on any Mobile device, portable device, including from mobile phone (feature phone or smartphone), tablet computer, table ...
titled '' Dr. Mario World'' was released in 2019, but was permanently discontinued in July 2021.
''Mario's Picross'' series
This series is a collection ofnonogram
Nonograms, also known as Hanjie, Paint by Numbers, Griddlers, Pic-a-Pix, and Picross, are picture logic puzzles in which cells in a grid must be colored or left blank according to numbers at the edges of the grid to reveal a hidden picture. In ...
logic puzzles involving a grid with numbers for every row and column, which refer to the amount of marked squares within the grid. The games features Mario as an archaeologist
Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
who chisels away to form images on the grid.
* ''Mario's Picross
''Mario's Picross'' is a 1995 puzzle video game developed by Jupiter (company), Jupiter and Ape Inc. and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. It is a compilation of nonogram logic puzzles. The game stars Mario who chisels away at puzzle grid ...
''
* '' Picross 2''
* ''Mario's Super Picross
is a Super Famicom sequel to '' Mario's Picross''. The game is compatible with the Super Famicom Mouse. It is developed by Jupiter and Ape and published by Nintendo.
After the failure of '' Mario's Picross'' in North America, Nintendo decide ...
''
''Mario vs. Donkey Kong'' series
is a sub-series of the ''Mario'' and ''Donkey Kong
is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. It follows the adventures of Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla, and other members of the List of Don ...
'' series, based on puzzle video games
Puzzle video games make up a broad genre of video games that emphasize puzzle solving. The types of puzzles can test problem-solving skills, including logic, pattern recognition, Sequence, sequence solving, Spatial ability, spatial recognition, ...
, making the return of Donkey Kong
is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. It follows the adventures of Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla, and other members of the List of Don ...
, Pauline, and the former's rivalry with Mario
Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...
. The sub-series introduces the Mario-like toys known as Mini-Marios, who later replace Mario as the sole playable characters in all future installments starting with '' Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis'' onward.
''Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker''
''Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker'' is a 2014 action puzzle video game developed and published byNintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles.
The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
for the Wii U
The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
The W ...
. It is a spin-off of the ''Super Mario
(also known as and is a platform game series created by Nintendo starring their mascot, Mario. It is the central series of the greater Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise. At least one ''Super Mario'' game has been released for every ma ...
'' series which builds upon the isometric
The term ''isometric'' comes from the Greek for "having equal measurement".
isometric may mean:
* Cubic crystal system, also called isometric crystal system
* Isometre, a rhythmic technique in music.
* "Isometric (Intro)", a song by Madeon from ...
minigames
A minigame (also spelled mini game and mini-game, sometimes called a subgame or microgame) is a short game often contained within another video game. A minigame contains different gameplay elements and is often smaller or more simplistic than th ...
starring Captain Toad from ''Super Mario 3D World
is a 2013 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. It is the sixth original 3D platform game in the ''Super Mario'' series and the sequel to '' Super Mario 3D Land'', a 2011 title for the Nintendo 3DS. The game was re- ...
''.
Enhanced ports were released for Nintendo 3DS
The is a foldable dual-screen handheld game console produced by Nintendo. Announced in March 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS, the console was released originally on February 26, 2011 and went through various revisions in its lifetime, ...
and Nintendo Switch
The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
on July 13, 2018, including additional bonus levels themed around ''Super Mario Odyssey
is a 2017 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. An installment in the ''Super Mario'' series, it follows Mario and his new ally Cappy—a sentient hat—as they journey across various kingdoms to save Prince ...
'', but excluding the ''Super Mario 3D World'' bonus levels from the Wii U version. The Nintendo Switch port has sold over 1 million copies, making it one of the best-selling games on the system. A free update for the Nintendo Switch version was released on February 13, 2019, adding co-op multiplayer where another player controls a new purple Toad with white spots in the regular chapters alongside Toad/Toadette, and Toadette in the DLC ''Special Episode''.
Role-playing games
The first role-playing game in the ''Mario'' franchise was '' Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars''. It has since expanded to the ''Paper Mario'' and ''Mario & Luigi'' series.''Paper Mario'' series
is a spin-off series of RPG video games developed by Intelligent Systems
is a Japanese video game developer best known for developing games published by Nintendo with the ''Fire Emblem'', ''Paper Mario'', ''Wario_(series)#WarioWare_series, WarioWare'', and ''Wars (series), Wars'' video game series. The company was ...
and produced by Nintendo Software Planning & Development. The first game in the series, ''Paper Mario
''Paper Mario'' is a video game series and part of the ''Mario'' franchise, developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. It combines elements from the role-playing, action-adventure, and puzzle genres. Players control a ...
'', was launched in 2000 on the Nintendo 64 to critical and commercial success. In the ''Paper Mario'' series, the player controls Mario in a mixture of 3D environments and 2D characters who look as if they are made of paper. Mario can jump and use his hammer to overcome physical obstacles placed in the game's overworld
An overworld or a hub world is, in a broad sense, an area within a video game that interconnects all its levels or locations. They are mostly common in role-playing games, though this does not exclude other video game genres, such as some pla ...
. Additionally, the player accumulates partners as they advance into different locations, who each have a specialized skill required for progression in the game. These characters assist Mario in the game's turn-based battles. Damage inflicted to the player reduces the amount of HP. Attacks in the game are similar to those in traditional RPGs, although the player can influence the power of a move when attacking or defending by timing a button-press accurately or performing some other action command as required. Mario and his partners have a finite capacity to perform special moves, with each of these consuming a particular number of flower points (FP) when performed. Such statistics can be increased by earning Star Points (experience points
An experience point (often abbreviated as exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in some tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's life experience and progression through the game. Experien ...
) in combat to level up. Progression through ''Paper Mario'' depends upon interaction with the game's non-player character
A non-player character (NPC) is a character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster (or referee) rather than by a ...
s (NPCs), who will often offer clues or detail the next event in the storyline. As in other RPGs, the player can find or purchase items from NPCs to help in and outside of combat. Badges can be obtained that yield bonuses ranging from added moves to gradual health restoration during combat; each consumes a set number of Badge Points (BP), meaning Mario can only equip a limited number of badges at a time.
There have been five ''Paper Mario'' games released for home consoles and one game on 3DS. As the series has progressed, each new game has introduced new elements to keep the gameplay fresh such as a new story, new partners, and new gameplay mechanics. In 2004, ''The Thousand-Year Door
''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'' is a 2004 role-playing video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. ''The Thousand-Year Door'' is the second game in the Paper Mario, ''Paper Mario'' series follow ...
'' for the GameCube introduced the ability of Mario turning into and folding up into a paper airplane and/or a paper boat to interact with the overworld. In 2007, ''Super Paper Mario
is a 2007 action role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the third installment in the ''Paper Mario'' series following ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'' (2004), and the first Mario ...
'' deviated into the 2D action RPG
An action role-playing game (often abbreviated action RPG or ARPG) is a video game genre that combines core elements from both the action game and role-playing game genres.
Definition
Action role-playing games emphasize real-time combat whe ...
genre and introduced the ability to "flip" into a 3D perspective in which the level rotates to reveal a hidden z-axis
In geometry, a Cartesian coordinate system (, ) in a plane is a coordinate system that specifies each point uniquely by a pair of real numbers called ''coordinates'', which are the signed distances to the point from two fixed perpendicular o ...
, placing Mario in a 3D environment. In 2012, '' Sticker Star'' for the Nintendo 3DS introduced the use of stickers
A sticker is a type of label: a piece of printed paper, Polyvinyl chloride, plastic, vinyl, or other material with temporary or permanent pressure sensitive adhesive on one side. It can be used for decoration or for functional purposes, dependi ...
in both the environment and in turn-based battles. They can be found and peeled off from various areas in the overworld, and can be purchased or received from non-playable characters
A non-player character (NPC) is a character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster (or referee) rather than by an ...
. In 2015, '' Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam'' also released for the 3DS, in which all the ''Paper Mario'' world enters the real one. In 2016, '' Color Splash'' for the Wii U was announced that introduced the use of colors in both the environment and in turn-based battles, just like in ''Sticker Star''. In 2020, '' The Origami King'' was announced on the Switch with the use of origami
) is the Japanese art of paper folding. In modern usage, the word "origami" is often used as an inclusive term for all folding practices, regardless of their culture of origin. The goal is to transform a flat square sheet of paper into a ...
.
''Mario and Luigi'' series
The ''Mario & Luigi'' spin-off series, developed by AlphaDream, was formed exclusively throughout handheld consoles. The series began with the release of '' Superstar Saga'' for the Game Boy Advance in 2003. In 2017, '' Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions'' for the Nintendo 3DS introduced a remake of the original game with added graphics, an improved map allowing players to place pinpoints, and an additional mode called ''Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser'', featuring a real-time strategy
Real-time strategy (RTS) is a Video game genre, subgenre of strategy video games that does not progress incrementally in turn-based game, turns, but allow all players to play simultaneously, in "real time." By contrast, in Turn-based strategy, tur ...
battle system and following Bowser's underlings as they search for their leader. In 2005, '' Partners in Time'' for the Nintendo DS introduced their younger selves: Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Toadsworth the younger, Baby Peach and Baby Bowser. In 2009, '' Bowser's Inside Story'' also for the DS introduced Mario, Luigi and the others inside of Bowser's body. In 2018, '' Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey'' for the 3DS introduced a remake of the original game with added graphics, an improved map allowing players to place pinpoints, and an additional mode called ''Bowser Jr.'s Journey''. In 2013, '' Dream Team'' for the 3DS introduced Dreamy Luigi, where Luigi sleeps in the Dream World in celebrating the Year of Luigi
The Year of Luigi was the 30th-anniversary celebration of the fictional character Luigi. He was created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for the 1983 arcade game '' Mario Bros.'' and has appeared frequently as a minor or supporti ...
. In 2015, ''Paper Jam'' also for the 3DS also included Paper Mario as a playable character when Luigi knocks over the book containing him. In 2024, a new entry in the series titled '' Brothership'' was announced during a Nintendo Direct
Nintendo Direct is a series of online presentations or live shows produced by Nintendo, where information regarding the company's upcoming content or franchises is presented, such as information about games and consoles. The presentations began ...
in June 2024, around nine years after the release of ''Paper Jam''.
Party games
''Mario Party'' series
In 1998, the Hudson game ''Mario Party
is a series of party video games created by Hudson Soft and owned by Nintendo. It features List of Mario franchise characters, characters from the Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise in which up to four local players or Artificial inte ...
'' was released for the Nintendo 64. Following this, nine numbered sequels have since been released, along with four unnumbered main series titles: '' Mario Party DS'' (2007), '' Super Mario Party'' (2018), ''Mario Party Superstars
is a 2021 party video game developed by NDcube and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the 12th home console installment in the ''Mario Party'' series, and the second for the Nintendo Switch following '' Super Mario Party'' (20 ...
'' (2021), and ''Super Mario Party Jamboree
is a 2024 party video game developed by Nintendo Cube and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the thirteenth home console installment in the ''Mario Party'' series, and the third on the Nintendo Switch, following '' Super Mario ...
'' (2024). The series also has four spins-offs that differ in gameplay, including ''Mario Party Advance
is a 2005 party video game developed by Hudson Soft and A.I and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. It is the first Handheld game console, handheld game in the ''Mario Party'' series and the seventh entry in the series overall. The ga ...
'', '' Island Tour'', '' Star Rush'', and '' The Top 100''. ''Mario Party'' is a multiplayer
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
party game featuring ''Mario'' series characters
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to Theoph ...
in which four human- or computer-controlled characters compete in a board game interspersed with minigame
A minigame (also spelled mini game and mini-game, sometimes called a subgame or microgame) is a short game often contained within another video game. A minigame contains different gameplay elements and is often smaller or more simplistic than th ...
s.
Sports games
There have been numeroussports games
A sports video game is a video game that simulates the practice of sports. Most sports have been recreated with video games, including team sports, track and field, extreme sports, and combat sports. Some games emphasize playing the sport (such ...
in the ''Mario'' franchise.
''Mario Tennis'' series
The first appearances of Mario in tennis games were as a referee in ''Tennis
Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...
'' for the NES and Game Boy. These games did not use the ''Mario'' branding and only featured Mario in the capacity of a cameo. He then appeared in '' Mario's Tennis'' for the Virtual Boy. After this, Camelot Software Planning
(trade name, doing business as Camelot! Software Planning) is a Japanese video game developer established in 1994 and headquartered in Shinjuku, Tokyo. It is known for developing sports games, particularly in Nintendo's ''Mario (franchise), Mari ...
released '' Mario Tennis'' for the Nintendo 64. They would subsequently develop other games in this series: ''Mario Power Tennis
''Mario Power Tennis'' is a 2004 sports game developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. The game is the sequel to the Nintendo 64 title '' Mario Tennis'', and is the fourth game in the ''Mario Tennis'' ser ...
'' for the GameCube and Wii, '' Power Tour'' for the Game Boy Advance, ''Mario Tennis Open
''Mario Tennis Open'' is a 2012 sports video game developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. Like earlier ''Mario Tennis'' titles, it features characters, settings, and scenarios from the Mario (franchi ...
'' for the Nintendo 3DS, '' Ultra Smash'' for the Wii U, and ''Aces
An ace is a playing card.
Ace(s), ACE(S) and variants may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Awards
* ACE Awards (Award for Cable Excellence)
Comics
* ''Ace Comics'', a 1937-1959 comic book series
* Ace Magazines (comics), a 1940- ...
'' for the Nintendo Switch.
''Mario Golf'' series
The first use of Mario's likeness in a golf game was that the golfer in ''Golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...
'' for NES and Game Boy featured a mustached man resembling Mario. Later, ''NES Open Tournament Golf
''NES Open Tournament Golf'', known in Japan as is a 1991 sports video game developed by HAL Laboratory and Nintendo R&D2 and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the fourth golf game to feature Mario as a player ...
'' was released. It featured Mario and Luigi as the golfers, with Princess Toadstool
is a character in Nintendo's ''Mario'' franchise. She was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and introduced in the 1985 original ''Super Mario Bros.'' game as Princess Toadstool. She is the princess regnant and head of state of the Mushroom Kingd ...
and Princess Daisy
is a princess character in the Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise. She debuted in the 1989 Game Boy launch game ''Super Mario Land'' as the ruler of Sarasaland where she was given the role of damsel in distress for Mario to rescue. The ga ...
as their caddies. ''Mario Golf
There have been numerous sports games featuring ''Mario'' characters, based, among others, on tennis, golf, baseball, soccer, and various sports featured in the Olympic Games.
The ''Mario Kart'' and ''F1'' series are not included in this list.
...
'' was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1999. It was followed by '' Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour'' for the GameCube, '' Mario Golf: Advance Tour'' for the Game Boy Advance and '' Mario Golf: World Tour'' for the Nintendo 3DS.
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles.
The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
released '' Mario Golf: Super Rush'' for the Nintendo Switch
The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
in summer of 2021.
''Mario Baseball'' series
Mario and Luigi were team captains in ''Baseball'' for the Game Boy. '' Mario Superstar Baseball'' was released for the GameCube and ''Mario Super Sluggers
''Mario Super Sluggers'' is a 2008 sports video game developed by Namco Bandai Games and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is part of the ''Mario Sports'' series, and the sequel to '' Mario Superstar Baseball'' for the GameCube.
Like its ...
'' for the Wii.
''Mario Strikers'' series
The ''Mario Strikers'' series (''Mario Football'' in Europe) made its debut for the GameCube with ''Super Mario Strikers
''Super Mario Strikers'', known in Europe and Australia as ''Mario Smash Football'', is a 2005 Sports video game, sports video game developed by Next Level Games and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. The game's developers had worked on ''N ...
'' in 2005, developed by Next Level Games
Next Level Games, Inc. is a Canadian video game developer owned by Nintendo based in Vancouver. Founded in October 2002 by former members of EA Black Box who've worked on games such as ''Sega Soccer Slam'' and ''NHL Hitz (disambiguation), NHL ...
. ''Mario Strikers Charged
''Mario Strikers Charged'' is a 2007 Sports video game, sports video game developed by Next Level Games and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the sequel to ''Super Mario Strikers'' for the GameCube.
''Mario Strikers Charged'' supported t ...
'' was released for the Wii in 2007. '' Mario Strikers: Battle League'' was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2022.
''Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games'' series
In 2007, Mario characters appeared alongside the ''Sonic the Hedgehog
is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese developers Yuji Naka, Naoto Ohshima, and Hirokazu Yasuhara for Sega. The franchise follows Sonic the Hedgehog (character), Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battle ...
'' characters in the sports game, ''Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
is a 2007 Fictional crossover, crossover Sports video game, sports video game developed and published by Sega for the Wii, with Nintendo publishing it in Japan. It was released for the Nintendo DS the following year. It is the first installm ...
'', developed by Sega
is a Japanese video game company and subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings headquartered in Tokyo. It produces several List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises for arcade game, arcades and video game cons ...
as the crossover series. This was followed by 5 sequels: ''Olympic Winter Games
The Winter Olympic Games (), also known as the Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were held in ...
'' in 2009, ''London 2012 Olympic Games
The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
'' in 2011, '' Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games'' in 2013, '' Rio 2016 Olympic Games'' in 2016, and '' Olympic Games Tokyo 2020'' in 2019, with an arcade version of the game releasing in 2020.
Racing games
=''Mario Kart'' series
=
is a series of go-kart
A go-kart, also written as go-cart (often referred to as simply a kart), is a type of small sports car, close wheeled car, open-wheel car or quadracycle. Go-karts come in all shapes and forms, from non-motorised models to high-performanc ...
-style racing video game
Racing games are a video game genre in which the player participates in a racing competition. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to fantastical settings. They are distributed along a spectrum between more realistic raci ...
s primarily developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development. The first in the series, ''Super Mario Kart
is a 1992 kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The first game in the ''Mario Kart'' series, it was released in Japan and North America in 1992, and in Europe the following yea ...
'', was launched in 1992 on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System to critical and commercial success. In the ''Mario Kart'' series, players compete in go-kart races, controlling one of a selection of characters from the ''Mario'' franchise. One of the features of the series is the use of various power-up
In video games, a power-up is an object that adds temporary benefits or extra abilities to the player character as a Game mechanics, game mechanic. This is in contrast to an Item (game), item, which may or may not have a permanent benefit that ca ...
items obtained by driving into item boxes laid out on the course. These power-ups include Super Mushrooms to give players a speed boost, Koopa Troopa Shells to be thrown at opponents, and banana peel
A banana peel, called banana skin in British English, is the outer covering of a banana. Banana peels are used as food for animals, an ingredient in cooking, in water purification, for manufacturing of several biochemical products as well as f ...
s that can be laid on the track as hazards.
There have been eight ''Mario Kart'' games released for home consoles, one enhanced port, three portable games; one game for smartphones, and four Namco
was a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company founded in 1955. It operated video arcades and amusement parks globally, and produced video games, films, toys, and arcade cabinets. Namco was one of the most influential c ...
codeveloped arcade spin-off games, for a total of seventeen. As the series has progressed, each new game has introduced new elements to keep the gameplay fresh, such as two-player karts (with one player driving and the other using items), motion control
Motion control is a sub-field of automation, encompassing the systems or sub-systems involved in moving parts of machines in a controlled manner. Motion control systems are extensively used in a variety of fields for automation purposes, includi ...
s, motorbikes
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike; uni (if one-wheeled); trike (if three-wheeled); quad (if four-wheeled)) is a lightweight private 1-to-2 passenger personal motor vehicle steered by a handlebar from a saddle-style seat.
Motorcycle designs var ...
, hang gliding
Hang gliding is an air sports, air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised, fixed-wing aircraft, fixed-wing heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium al ...
and submersible
A submersible is an underwater vehicle which needs to be transported and supported by a larger ship, watercraft or dock, platform. This distinguishes submersibles from submarines, which are self-supporting and capable of prolonged independent ope ...
karts, kart customization, anti-gravity
Anti-gravity (also known as non-gravitational field) is the phenomenon of creating a place or object that is free from the force of gravity. It does not refer to either the lack of weight under gravity experienced in free fall or orbit, or to ba ...
racing, ATVs
ATV may refer to:
Broadcasting
* Amateur television
*Analog television
Television broadcaster
* Andorra Televisió
* Anguilla Television
* Ayna TV, Afghanistan
* ATV (Armenia)
* ATV (Aruba), NBC affiliate
* ATV (Australian TV station), Melbo ...
, and up to 24 racers in a race.
Possibly the most popular spin-off series in the franchise, the ''Mario Kart'' series began in 1992 and is currently the most successful and longest-running kart racing
Kart racing or karting is a motorsport discipline using open-wheel, four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced on kart circuit, scaled-down circuits, although some professional kart races are also held on fu ...
series, having sold over 150,000,000 copies worldwide.
Educational games
In the early 1990s, manyeducational game
Educational games are games explicitly designed with educational purposes, or which have incidental or secondary educational value. All types of games may be used in an educational environment, however educational games are games that are design ...
s have been released in the ''Mario'' series, with one example being ''Mario Teaches Typing''. Few of these games were platformers; most sought to teach skills such as typing, mathematics or history. They are officially licensed but not officially recognized by Nintendo. The games were developed independently by Software Toolworks, Interplay Entertainment
Interplay Entertainment Corp. is an American video game developer and publisher based in Los Angeles. The company was founded in 1983 as Interplay Productions by developers Brian Fargo, Jay Patel, Troy Worrell, and Rebecca Heineman, as well a ...
and Brainstorm. Nine educational games were released from 1991 to 1996.
Games not published by Nintendo
This section covers games developed by other companies without significant Nintendo involvement.Hudson
Hudson Soft
was a Japanese video game company known for releasing numerous titles across video game consoles, home computers, and mobile phones. Headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo, it also maintained an office in the Hudson Building in Sapporo. F ...
released two games based on '' Mario Bros.'' and another similar to ''Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 Platformer, platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It is the successor to the 1983 arcade game ''Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series. It was origi ...
''
'' Mario Bros. Special'' is a video game released in 1984 for the Japanese computers NEC PC-6001
The PC-6000 series is a series of 8-bit home computers introduced in November 1981 by NEC Home Electronics. There are several models in this series, such as the PC-6001, the PC-6001 MK2 and the PC-6001 MK2 SR. There is also an American version, c ...
mkII, NEC PC-6601
The NEC PC-6600 Series were a lineup of personal computers produced by the NEC Corporation on November 21, 1983. They were essentially a PC-6001 MK2 with a built-in 3.5" floppy disk
A floppy disk or floppy diskette (casually referred to as ...
, NEC PC-8801
The , commonly shortened to PC-88, are a brand of Zilog Z80-based 8-bit home computers released by Nippon Electric Company (NEC) in 1981 and primarily sold in Japan.
The PC-8800 series sold extremely well and became one of the four major Japane ...
, FM-7
The FM-7 ("Fujitsu Micro 7") is a home computer created by Fujitsu. It was first released in 1982 and was sold in Japan and Spain. It is a stripped-down version of Fujitsu's earlier FM-8 computer, and during development it was referred to as th ...
and Sharp X1
The , sometimes called the Sharp X1 or CZ-800C, is a series of home computers released by Sharp Corporation from 1982 to 1988. It is based on a Zilog Z80 CPU.
The RGB display monitor for the X1 had a television tuner, and a computer screen ...
. It is a remake of the original '' Mario Bros.'', with new stages, mechanics and gameplay.
'' Punch Ball Mario Bros.'' is a video game released in 1984 for the Japanese computers NEC PC-6001mkII, NEC PC-6601, NEC PC-8801, FM-7 and Sharp X1. It is similar to the original ''Mario Bros.'' but featured a new gameplay mechanic of "punch balls", small balls which Mario
Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...
and Luigi
Luigi (; ) is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Part of Nintendo's ''Mario'' franchise, he is a kind-hearted, cowardly Italian plumber, and the younger fraternal twin brother and sidekick of Mario. Like ...
can kick into enemies to stun them, instead of hitting them from below, as in the original.
Hudson Soft was originally responsible for the ''Mario Party'' series until '' Mario Party DS'' in 2007, but as of March 2012, this has been taken over by NDcube
formerly known as Nd Cube and later NDcube, is a Japanese video game developer and a subsidiary of Nintendo headquartered in Tokyo with an additional office in Sapporo. They are best known as the developers of the ''Mario Party'' series since ...
since Hudson has become a part of Konami
, commonly known as Konami, , is a Japanese multinational entertainment company and video game developer and video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo. The company also produces and distributes trading card ...
. Many of Hudson's employees now work for NDcube.
Philips
Three games were planned for development byPhilips Interactive Media
The Compact Disc-Interactive (CD-I, later CD-i) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage device, data storage format as well as a hardware platform, co-developed and marketed by Dutch company Philips and Japanese company Sony. It w ...
for use on its CD-i
The Compact Disc-Interactive (CD-I, later CD-i) is a digital optical disc data storage format as well as a hardware platform, co-developed and marketed by Dutch company Philips and Japanese company Sony. It was created as an extension of CDDA ...
machine: ''Super Mario's Wacky Worlds
''Super Mario's Wacky Worlds'' is a canceled ''Mario'' platform video game developed by NovaLogic for the CD-i format. The game was conceived as a sequel to ''Super Mario World'', a game released for Super NES in 1990. An early prototype recei ...
'', ''Hotel Mario
''Hotel Mario'' is a 1994 puzzle video game developed by Fantasy Factory and published by Philips Interactive Media for the Philips CD-i. The player controls Mario, who must find Princess Toadstool by going through seven hotels in the Mushroom K ...
'', and ''Mario Takes America''. Only ''Hotel Mario'' was released; ''Super Mario's Wacky Worlds'' and ''Mario Takes America'' were eventually canceled. Philips was given permission to use Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles.
The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
characters in CD-i games due to their taking part in developing an unreleased add-on for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, commonly shortened to Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a Fourth generation of video game consoles, 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan, 1991 in No ...
(SNES). ''Hotel Mario'' did not gain much success, with Nintendo never acknowledging it as part of the ''Mario'' series.
''Super Mario's Wacky Worlds'' is a canceled video game planned for the CD-i, developed by NovaLogic
NovaLogic, Inc. was an American software developer and publisher established in 1985 and based in Calabasas, California. The company was founded by CEO John A. Garcia. Garcia's background in computer software started in Southern California in th ...
, which attempted to duplicate the gameplay of ''Super Mario World
''Super Mario World'', known in Japan as '' is a 1990 platform game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The player controls Mario on his quest to save Princess Peach and Dino ...
''. Though the game sprites are based on those in ''Super Mario World'', the level design is based on Earth locations rather than Dinosaur Land. Due to the limitations of the CD-i, several features could not be included in the game, such as large numbers of sprites on the screen, and many visual effects. The nature of the pointing device controller provides difficult controls for Mario, as the game has the default controls of running and jumping.
''Mario Takes America'' was proposed about Mario's trip to Hollywood to make his own movie. The game's concept initially impressed Philips, but was canceled due to the company being unsatisfied with the game's development progress.
''Hotel Mario'' is a puzzle game
A puzzle is a game, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together ( or take them apart) in a logical way, in order to find the solution of the puzzle. There are different ...
developed by Fantasy Factory and published by Philips Interactive Media for the CD-i in 1994. The primary characters of the game are Mario
Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...
and Luigi
Luigi (; ) is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Part of Nintendo's ''Mario'' franchise, he is a kind-hearted, cowardly Italian plumber, and the younger fraternal twin brother and sidekick of Mario. Like ...
, who must find Princess Peach
is a character in Nintendo's Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise. She was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and introduced in the 1985 original ''Super Mario Bros.'' game as Princess Toadstool. She is the Queen regnant, princess regnant and hea ...
by going through seven Koopa
are a fictional turtle-like race of characters from the ''Mario'' media franchise. They are commonly referred to as Koopas, a more broad classification of creatures that includes Bowser, his Koopalings, and Lakitu. Predecessors to Koopa Tro ...
Hotels in the Mushroom Kingdom. Every hotel is divided into multiple stages, and the objective is to close all doors on each stage. The game has been criticized as one of the worst ''Mario''-centered games, mainly because of its cutscene
A cutscene or event scene (sometimes in-game cinematic or in-game movie) is a sequence in a video game that is not interactive, interrupting the gameplay. Such scenes are used to show conversations between characters, set the mood, reward the ...
s and simple gameplay.
Ubisoft
''Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Mario (; ) is a character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Japanese video game company Nintendo. ...
'' is a turn-based
Timekeeping is relevant to many types of games, including video games, tabletop role-playing games, board games, and sports. The passage of time must be handled in a way that players find fair and easy to understand. In many games, this is don ...
tactical role-playing video game developed by Ubisoft Milan
Ubisoft is a French video game publisher headquartered in Montreuil, founded in March 1986 by the Guillemot brothers. Since its establishment, Ubisoft has become one of the largest video game publishers, and it has the largest in-house developm ...
(Ubisoft's Italian studio division) for the Nintendo Switch. The game is a crossover
Crossover may refer to:
Entertainment
Music
Albums
* ''Cross Over'' (album), a 1987 album by Dan Peek, or the title song
* ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987
* ''Crossover'', an album by Intrigue
* ''Crossover'', an album by ...
with Ubisoft's ''Rabbids
''Rabbids'', also known as ''Raving Rabbids'' (), is a multimedia franchise developed and published by Ubisoft. It originated as a spin-off video game from the '' Rayman'' video game series, 2006's '' Rayman Raving Rabbids''. ''Rabbids'' is cente ...
'' franchise and features both single-player and cooperative
A cooperative (also known as co-operative, coöperative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomy, autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned a ...
multiplayer gameplay. The game's story sees players controlling Mario, his friends, and a group of Rabbids dressed as them, dealing with the aftermath of a sudden invasion by a group of Rabbids, who have accidentally misused a powerful invention that has brought chaos to the Mushroom Kingdom. Shigeru Miyamoto was initially impressed by the prototype of the game, that was presented to him by creative director Davide Soliani in 2014, which later caused Nintendo to greenlight the game for a Nintendo Switch release. It was released in Europe and North America on August 29, 2017, and was met with generally favorable reception from critics, who praised its gameplay, depth, and graphics.
A sequel, ''Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
Mario (; ) is a character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Japanese video game company Nintendo. ...
'', was released on October 28, 2022, for the Nintendo Switch.
Others
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by former Apple Inc., Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry ...
(creator of games such as FIFA, Battlefield, Apex Legends and many other games) developed and released ''NBA Street V3
''NBA Street V3'' is a 2005 basketball video game developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports BIG label for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. It is the third installment in the '' NBA Street'' series. The ga ...
'' and ''SSX on Tour
''SSX on Tour'' is a 2005 sports video game developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports BIG label for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox and PlayStation Portable. It is the fourth title in the '' SSX'' series.
T ...
'' in 2005, both of which included Mario, Luigi, and Peach as playable characters in the GameCube versions.
Square Enix
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational holding company, video game publisher and entertainment conglomerate. It releases role-playing video game, role-playing game franchises, such as ''Final Fantasy'', ''Dragon Quest'', and '' ...
released '' Itadaki Street DS & Wii'' including many characters from Mario games.
Other media
The ''Mario'' franchise includes many comics, manga and TV series based on the games. Most were released in the late 1980s to early 1990s, and have since become obscure. The series launched three films. Theanime
is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
'' Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach!'' was released in 1986. The 1993 live action film ''Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 Platformer, platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It is the successor to the 1983 arcade game ''Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series. It was origi ...
'' lost a large amount of money at the box office and was widely considered to be a failure
Failure is the social concept of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and is usually viewed as the opposite of success. The criteria for failure depends on context, and may be relative to a particular observer or belief system. On ...
. In contrast, the 2023 animated film ''The Super Mario Bros. Movie
''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'' is a 2023 American animated adventure comedy film based on Nintendo's ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' video game franchise. Produced by Universal Pictures, Illumination (company), Illumination, and Nintendo, and d ...
'' broke box office records.
Television
''Saturday Supercade
''Saturday Supercade'' is an American animated television series produced for Saturday mornings by Ruby-Spears Productions. It ran for two seasons on CBS.
The show is an anthology series comprising four 11-minute segments based on different vi ...
'' was an animated television series
An animated series, or a cartoon series, is a set of Animation, animated films with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series ...
produced for Saturday mornings by Ruby-Spears Productions
Ruby-Spears Productions (also known as Ruby-Spears Enterprises) was an American entertainment production company founded by veteran writers and ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'' creators, Joe Ruby and Ken Spears, in 1977, before closing in 1996. Spec ...
. It ran for two seasons on CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
, beginning in 1983. Each episode comprised several shorter segments featuring video game characters from the Golden Age of Arcade Games
The golden age of arcade video games was the period of rapid growth, technological development, and cultural influence of arcade video games from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. The release of ''Space Invaders'' in 1978 led to a wave of shoo ...
. Donkey Kong
is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. It follows the adventures of Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla, and other members of the List of Don ...
, Mario
Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...
and Pauline (from the ''Donkey Kong
is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. It follows the adventures of Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla, and other members of the List of Don ...
'' arcade game) were featured in the show.
'' The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'' is the first American TV series based on the ''Mario'' NES games. It was broadcast in syndication from September 4 to December 1, 1989. Based on Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 Platformer, platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It is the successor to the 1983 arcade game ''Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series. It was origi ...
and Super Mario Bros. 2
''Super Mario Bros. 2'' is a 1988 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. After the smash hit ''Super Mario Bros.'' in 1985, Nintendo quickly released a minor adaptation of the original with adva ...
. The show was produced by DIC Entertainment
DIC Entertainment Corporation (; also known as DIC Audiovisuel, DIC Enterprises, DIC Animation City, DIC Entertainment, L.P., and DIC Productions, sometimes stylized as DİC) was a French American film and television production company that ...
and was distributed for syndicated television by Viacom Enterprises
Viacom Productions (formerly Viacom Enterprises) was a television production arm of Viacom. Viacom Enterprises was also a movie producer, and a sports producer. The division was active from 1971 until 2004, when the company was folded into Par ...
(full rights have since reverted to DiC through Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles.
The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
).
''King Koopa's Kool Kartoons
''King Koopa's Kool Kartoons'' is a local, American live-action children's television show broadcast in Southern California during the Autumn of 1989. The show was produced by DIC Entertainment in association with Fox Television Studios for the ...
'' was a live action children's television show broadcast in Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...
during the holiday season of 1989–90. The show starred King Koopa (also known as Bowser
, also known as King Bowser or King Koopa, is a Character (arts), fictional character and the Antagonist, main antagonist of Nintendo's ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise."The Top 100 Videogame Villains". IGN. Retrieved October 8, 2010. ...
), the main antagonist of the ''Mario'' series. The 30-minute program was originally broadcast during the after-school afternoon timeslots on Los Angeles-based KTTV Fox 11.
'' The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3'' is the second TV series based on the ''Mario'' NES games. It aired on NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
from September 8 to December 1, 1990. Based on the '' Super Mario Bros. 3'' video game, the cartoon shows Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool and Toad fighting against Bowser and his Koopalings
The ''Mario'' franchise is a media franchise created by Nintendo. Nintendo is usually the developer and publisher of the franchise's games, but various games are developed by third-party companies such as Intelligent Systems and Nintendo Cu ...
, who went by different names on the show (Hip, Hop, Kooky, Kootie Pie, Big Mouth, Cheatsy, and Bully).
'' Super Mario Challenge'' was a show which aired on The Children's Channel
The Children's Channel, also known as TCC, was a British-based pan-European children's television channel in Europe, Asia and Africa, which was owned by Flextech in London, England, UK. It began broadcasting on the original Eutelsat satellite ...
. It ran from 1990 to 1991 and aired at 4:30 p.m. every weekday. The presenter, John Lenahan
John Lenahan (born 1961 in Philadelphia, US) is an American illusionist and entertainer resident in the UK since 1984. A successful corporate entertainer, he came to greater fame as a result of a 1994 appearance on the BBC One show '' How Do Th ...
, was a lookalike of Mario
Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...
, and dressed in his clothes. Two guest players had to do tasks, all of which involved playing the ''Mario'' video games ''Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 Platformer, platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It is the successor to the 1983 arcade game ''Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series. It was origi ...
'', ''Super Mario Bros. 2
''Super Mario Bros. 2'' is a 1988 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. After the smash hit ''Super Mario Bros.'' in 1985, Nintendo quickly released a minor adaptation of the original with adva ...
'' and, after its release in 1991, '' Super Mario Bros. 3''. Rounds included challenges to see which player could complete a level in the fastest time and who could collect the most gold coins on a certain level.
''Super Mario World
''Super Mario World'', known in Japan as '' is a 1990 platform game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The player controls Mario on his quest to save Princess Peach and Dino ...
'' is an animated television series
An animated series, or a cartoon series, is a set of Animation, animated films with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series ...
based on the SNES video game of the same name. It is the third and currently last Saturday morning cartoon
"Saturday-morning cartoon" is a colloquial term for the original animated series and live-action programming that was typically scheduled on Saturday and Sunday mornings in the United States on the "Big Three" television networks. The genre was a ...
based on the ''Mario'' series. The show was originally aired on Saturday mornings on NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
in the 1991–92 season. It was featured in a half-hour time slot with a shortened version of '' Captain N: The Game Master''. Episodes of ''Super Mario World'' were later shown as part of the syndication package '' Captain N & The Video Game Masters''. Afterwards, the series was split from ''Captain N'' altogether and shown in time-compressed reruns on ''Mario All-Stars''.
Films and anime
'' Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach!'' is a Japaneseanime
is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
film released on July 20, 1986. Directed by Masami Hata and produced by Masakatsu Suzuki and Tsunemasa Hatano, it stars Mario
Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...
and Luigi
Luigi (; ) is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Part of Nintendo's ''Mario'' franchise, he is a kind-hearted, cowardly Italian plumber, and the younger fraternal twin brother and sidekick of Mario. Like ...
, who get stuck in a Famicom
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...
video game, in which they must save Princess Peach
is a character in Nintendo's Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise. She was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and introduced in the 1985 original ''Super Mario Bros.'' game as Princess Toadstool. She is the Queen regnant, princess regnant and hea ...
from King Koopa. A manga
are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
adaptation of the film was published in Japan around the same time as the film's release.
A series of three OVA
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and special episodes of a series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the ...
episodes titled '' Amada Anime Series: Super Mario Bros.'', based on ''Momotarō
is a Folk hero, popular hero of Japanese folklore. His name is often translated as ''Peach Boy'', but is directly translated as ''Peach + Tarō (given name), Tarō'', a common Japanese given name. ''Momotarō'' is also the title of various books, ...
'', ''Issun-bōshi
is the subject of a fairy tale from Japan. This story can be found in the old Japanese illustrated book '' Otogizōshi''. Similar central figures and themes are known elsewhere in the world, as in the tradition of Tom Thumb in English folklore.
...
'' and ''Snow White
"Snow White" is a German fairy tale, first written down in the early 19th century. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', numbered as Tale 53. The original title was ''Sneewittch ...
'', were released on August 3, 1989. These generally featured Mario as the hero, Peach as the damsel and Bowser as the villain, with other Mario characters playing supporting roles.
1993 live-action film
''Super Mario Bros.'' is an American 1993 adventure
An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
comedy
Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium.
Origins
Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...
loosely based on the video game of the same name. The film follows the exploits of Mario
Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...
(Bob Hoskins
Robert William Hoskins (26 October 1942 – 29 April 2014) was an English actor and film director. Known for his intense but sensitive portrayals of "tough guy" characters, he began his career on stage before making his screen breakthrough pl ...
) and Luigi
Luigi (; ) is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Part of Nintendo's ''Mario'' franchise, he is a kind-hearted, cowardly Italian plumber, and the younger fraternal twin brother and sidekick of Mario. Like ...
(John Leguizamo
John Alberto Leguizamo Peláez (, ; ; born July 22, 1960 or 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and film producer. He has appeared in more than 100 films, produced more than 20 films and documentaries, made more than 30 televisio ...
) in a dystopia
A dystopia (lit. "bad place") is an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives. It is an imagined place (possibly state) in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmen ...
ruled by King Koopa (Dennis Hopper
Dennis Lee Hopper (May 17, 1936 – May 29, 2010) was an American actor, filmmaker, photographer and visual artist. He was considered one of the key figures of New Hollywood. He earned prizes from the Cannes Film Festival and Venice Internatio ...
). It was the first live-action major motion picture to be based on a video game. The film's plot features Mario and Luigi as the main protagonists, Mario leading the team with Luigi developing a romance with Princess Daisy
is a princess character in the Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise. She debuted in the 1989 Game Boy launch game ''Super Mario Land'' as the ruler of Sarasaland where she was given the role of damsel in distress for Mario to rescue. The ga ...
(Samantha Mathis
Samantha Mathis (born May 12, 1970) is an American actress and trade union leader who served as the Vice President, Actors/Performers of SAG-AFTRA from 2015 to 2019. The daughter of actress Bibi Besch, Mathis made her film debut in '' Pump Up ...
).
The film grossed $39 million on a $48 million budget. On the television show ''Siskel & Ebert
Gene Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) and Roger Ebert (June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013), collectively known as Siskel & Ebert, were an American film critic duo known for their partnership on television lasting from 1975 to Siske ...
'', the film received two thumbs down
A thumb signal, usually described as a thumbs-up or thumbs-down, is a common hand gesture achieved by a closed fist held with the thumb extended upward or downward, respectively. The thumbs-up gesture is associated with positivity, approval, ac ...
and was written off as a box office flop
A box-office bomb is a film that is unprofitable or considered highly unsuccessful during its theatrical run. Although any film for which the combined production budget, marketing, and distribution costs exceed the revenue after release has te ...
.
2023 animated film
''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'' was released on April 5, 2023, by Universal Pictures
Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
in North America and Oceania. Produced by Illumination and Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles.
The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
, the film stars the voices of Chris Pratt
Christopher Michael Pratt (born June 21, 1979) is an American actor. His films as a leading actor have grossed over $14.1billion worldwide, making him the fifth-highest-grossing film star of all time. Pratt was named by ''Time'' as one of t ...
as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy
Anya-Josephine Marie Taylor-Joy (; born 16 April 1996) is an actress. Born in Miami and raised in Buenos Aires and London, she left school at the age of 16 to pursue an acting career. After a series of small television roles, her Breakthrough ...
as Peach, Charlie Day
Charles Peckham Day (born February 9, 1976) is an American actor, writer, and producer. He is best known for playing Charlie Kelly (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Charlie Kelly on the FX Networks, FX dark comedy ''It's Always Sunny in Phila ...
as Luigi, Jack Black
Thomas Jacob "Jack" Black (born August 28, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for roles in family and comedy films, in addition to his voice work in animated films. His awards include a Children's and Family Emmy ...
as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key
Keegan-Michael Key (born March 22, 1971) is an American comedian, actor, producer, and writer. He and Jordan Peele co-created and co-starred in the sketch series '' Key & Peele'' (2012–2015) for which he received one Primetime Emmy Award from ...
as Toad, Seth Rogen
Seth Aaron Rogen (; born April 15, 1982) is a Canadian actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known primarily for his comedic Leading actor, leading man roles in films, the accolades he has received include nominations for three Golden Globe Awards, ...
as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen
Fereydun Robert Armisen (born December 4, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, musician, and writer. With his comedy partner Carrie Brownstein, he co-created and co-starred in the IFC sketch comedy series '' Portlandia''. He also co-created ...
as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson
Kevin Michael Richardson (born October 25, 1964) is an American actor. Known for his distinctively deep voice, he has mostly voiced villainous characters in animation and video games. In film, Richardson voiced Goro in ''Mortal Kombat'' (1995) ...
as Kamek and Sebastian Maniscalco as Foreman Spike. Charles Martinet
Charles Andre Martinet (born September 17, 1955) is an American actor. He is best known for voicing Mario in the ''Super Mario'' franchise, portraying him from 1991 to 2023. He also voiced other characters in the series such as Luigi, Wario, W ...
, Mario's in-game voice actor, also provided cameo roles. The directors were Aaron Horvath
Aaron James Horvath (born August 19, 1980) is an American animator, screenwriter, producer, and director. He is best known for co-developing the animated series ''Teen Titans Go!'' (2013–2025) alongside Michael Jelenic for Cartoon Network, wh ...
and Michael Jelenic
Michael Christopher Jelenic (born May 12, 1977) is an American animator, storyboard artist, screenwriter, producer, and director. He is best known for co-developing the animated series ''Teen Titans Go!'' (2013–present) alongside Aaron Horv ...
, the developers of ''Teen Titans Go!
''Teen Titans Go!'' is an American animated television series developed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic for Cartoon Network. It premiered on April 23, 2013, and is based on DC Comics' fictional superhero team the Teen Titans. The series ...
'', while Matthew Fogel wrote the screenplay. Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer, video game producer, producer and Creative director#Video games, game director at Nintendo, where he has served as one of its representative directors as an executive since 2002. Widely regarded as one o ...
and Chris Meledandri
Christopher Meledandri (; born May 15, 1959) is an American film producer and founder and CEO of Illumination. He previously served as president of 20th Century Fox Animation, and has worked as the producer for the film series of ''Ice Age'', ...
are the producers.
A sequel was announced on March 10, 2024, and set to be released on April 3, 2026.
Comics and manga
is amanga
are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
series written by Yukio Sawada and published by Shogakukan. It is serialized in CoroCoro Comic
is a Japanese children's manga magazine published by Shogakukan. It was established in 1977 and several of its properties, like ''Doraemon'' and the ''Pokémon'' series of games, have gone on to be cultural phenomena in Japan.
The name comes fr ...
. It contains many characters and scenarios from ''Mario'' games, such as ''Super Mario World
''Super Mario World'', known in Japan as '' is a 1990 platform game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The player controls Mario on his quest to save Princess Peach and Dino ...
'' and ''Paper Mario
''Paper Mario'' is a video game series and part of the ''Mario'' franchise, developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. It combines elements from the role-playing, action-adventure, and puzzle genres. Players control a ...
''. Having just hit its 41st volume, ''Super Mario-kun'' is the longest-running ''Mario'' series manga to date. It continues to release new volumes to date. Another consistent manga series of the same name based on various Mario games is a work written and drawn by Hiroshi Takase and published by PikkaPika Comics''.'' After five volumes, production stopped due to the author's death in 2006.
The ''Nintendo Comics System
The ''Nintendo Comics System'' was a series of comic books published by Valiant Comics in 1990 and 1991. It was part of a licensing deal with Nintendo, featuring characters from their video games and the cartoons based on them.
The comics
Val ...
'' was a series of comic books published by Valiant Comics
Valiant Comics is an American comic books, comic book publisher, the first incarnation of which was founded in 1989 by former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter along with lawyer and businessman Steven Massarsky. In 1994, the company was ...
in 1990 and 1991. It was part of a licensing deal with Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles.
The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
, featuring characters from their video games and the cartoon
A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently Animation, animated, in an realism (arts), unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or s ...
s based on them. Valiant's ''Super Mario Bros.'' comic books were based on the three main ''Mario'' games on the Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...
, as well as '' The Super Mario Bros. Super Show''. The ''Mario'' line was renewed for 1991 with two different books—''Super Mario Bros.'' and ''Adventures of the Super Mario Bros.''
The '' Nintendo Adventure Book'' series was published from 1991 to 1992 by Archway books, and Mammoth books in the United Kingdom. There are twelve in all. They are formatted like the popular Choose Your Own Adventure
''Choose Your Own Adventure'' is a series of children's gamebooks where each story is written from a second-person point of view, with the reader assuming the role of the protagonist and making choices that determine the main character's actio ...
books, where the reader makes decisions that change the outcome of the story. Ten of the books are about the Mario Bros.' adventures in the Mushroom Kingdom and are based primarily on the Valiant Comics
Valiant Comics is an American comic books, comic book publisher, the first incarnation of which was founded in 1989 by former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter along with lawyer and businessman Steven Massarsky. In 1994, the company was ...
published for the Nintendo Comics System
The ''Nintendo Comics System'' was a series of comic books published by Valiant Comics in 1990 and 1991. It was part of a licensing deal with Nintendo, featuring characters from their video games and the cartoons based on them.
The comics
Val ...
imprint.
is an anthology of comics, drawn in a Japanese manga
are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
style, that ran in ''Nintendo Power
''Nintendo Power'' was a video game news and strategy magazine from Nintendo of America, first published in July/August 1988 as Nintendo's official print magazine for North America. The magazine's publication was initially done monthly by Ninte ...
'' magazine throughout 1992, featuring the characters from Nintendo's ''Mario
Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...
'' series and based loosely on ''Super Mario World
''Super Mario World'', known in Japan as '' is a 1990 platform game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The player controls Mario on his quest to save Princess Peach and Dino ...
''.
Immediately following the end of ''Super Mario Adventures'', ''Nintendo Power'' concluded the epic with a ten-page story based on '' Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins'' titled '' Mario VS Wario'', which ran in their January 1993 issue and was later reprinted in the graphic novel.
At one point, Archie Comics
Archie Comic Publications, Inc. (often referred to simply as Archie Comics) is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the village of Pelham, New York. The company's many titles feature the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Jug ...
made a pitch to Nintendo for a new Mario comic similar to its ''Sonic the Hedgehog
is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese developers Yuji Naka, Naoto Ohshima, and Hirokazu Yasuhara for Sega. The franchise follows Sonic the Hedgehog (character), Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battle ...
'' series, but it was turned down.
An encyclopedia based on ''Super Mario Bros.'' was released in Japan in October 2015. In February 2017, Nintendo announced that the encyclopedia would launch in North America and Europe in June 2017.
Another encyclopedia based on the series up until ''Super Mario Maker'' was published by Dark Horse Publishing on October 23, 2018.
Merchandise
Mario has appeared on lunch boxes, T-shirts, jeans, magazines, commercials (notably, in a Got Milk?
Got Milk? (often stylized as got milk?) is an American advertising campaign on television and YouTube encouraging the consumption of milk and dairy products. Created by the advertising agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners for the California Mi ...
commercial), in candy form, on shampoo bottles, cereal, badges, and as a plush toy. In 1992, Gottlieb
Gottlieb (formerly D. Gottlieb & Co.) was an American arcade game corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. It is best known for creating a vast line of pinball machines and arcade games (including ''Q*bert'') throughout much of the 20th century.
...
created a Super Mario themed pinball
Pinball games are a family of games in which a ball is propelled into a specially designed table where it bounces off various obstacles, scoring points either en route or when it comes to rest. Historically the board was studded with nails call ...
machine. A Monopoly
A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek and ) is a market in which one person or company is the only supplier of a particular good or service. A monopoly is characterized by a lack of economic Competition (economics), competition to produce ...
board game based on the ''Mario'' franchise has been confirmed by the website USAopoly. In April 2017, a board game developed by USAopoly titled ''Super Mario Level Up!'' was announced for release. Another Monopoly-inspired board game called ''Monopoly Gamer'' was released in August 2017. In addition, Monopoly Gamer adds a ''Mario Kart'' version with courses from ''Mario Kart 8'' serving as properties. LINE released four voiced ''Mario'' sticker sets. Mario-themed Lego
Lego (, ; ; stylised as LEGO) is a line of plastic construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. Lego consists of variously coloured interlocking plastic bricks made of acrylonitri ...
sets were released in August 2020. These sets feature an electronic Mario figure that interacts with other parts of the set.
Concerts and performances
The ''Super Mario Bros.'' theme has been featured in many concerts, including "PLAY! Chicago", theColumbus Symphony Orchestra
The Columbus Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Columbus, Ohio. The oldest performing arts organization in the city, its home is the Ohio Theatre. The orchestra's current executive director is Denise Rehg. R ...
, the Mario & Zelda Big Band Live, Play! A Video Game Symphony, and others.
The Video Games Live
Video Games Live (VGL) is a concert series created by Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall. The concerts consist of segments of video game music performed by a live orchestra with video footage and synchronized lighting and effects, as well as several ...
concert featured the theme performed by Koji Kondo.
Reception
The ''Mario'' series has received highly positive reception from critics and audiences. A 1996 article in ''Next Generation
Next Generation or Next-Generation may refer to:
Publications and literature
* ''Next Generation'' (magazine), video game magazine that was made by the now defunct Imagine Media publishing company
* Next Generation poets (2004), list of young ...
'' declared that "The evolution of the ''Mario'' series led the rest of gaming by the hand, blazing a trail, and teaching lessons in game mechanics, structure, and sheer playability to any who would study its secrets".
Legacy
Mario has been featured in 256 games of various genres (including sports, puzzle, party, racing and first-person shooter), and the ''Mario'' franchise is the best-selling video game franchise of all time. At least 31 different ''Mario'' games have sold more than a million copies each since 1995. This includes the core ''Super Mario
(also known as and is a platform game series created by Nintendo starring their mascot, Mario. It is the central series of the greater Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise. At least one ''Super Mario'' game has been released for every ma ...
'' series, which alone has sold over 430 million units worldwide, as well as the ''Mario Kart
is a series of kart racing games based on the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise developed and published by Nintendo. Players compete in go-kart races while using various power-up item (game terminology), items. It features Characters in ...
'' series, which has sold 189.85 million units;* 12 million in North America as of November 15, 2005:
*
** ''Super Mario Kart
is a 1992 kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The first game in the ''Mario Kart'' series, it was released in Japan and North America in 1992, and in Europe the following yea ...
'': 3.82 million
** ''Mario Kart 64
is a 1996 kart racing game for the Nintendo 64 (N64). Developed and published by Nintendo, it is the second installment in the ''Mario Kart'' series after 1992's '' Super Mario Kart''. The game retains the gameplay of its predecessor: the play ...
'': 2.24 million
* '' Mario Kart: Double Dash'' sales in Japan as of January 2, 2005: 802,217 ()
* :
** ''Mario Kart DS
''Mario Kart DS'' is a 2005 kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It was released in November 2005 in North America, Europe, and Australia, and on December 8, 2005, in Japan. The game was ...
'': 23.60 million
** ''Mario Kart 7
''Mario Kart 7'' is a 2011 kart racing video game developed by Nintendo EAD in cooperation with Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. In ''Mario Kart'' ''7,'' the player takes control of one of seventeen ''Mario'' series ...
'': 18.99 million
** ''Mario Kart Wii
is a 2008 kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the sixth installment in the ''Mario Kart'' series, and was released in April 2008. In ''Mario Kart Wii,'' the player takes control of one of 24 ''Mario'' series c ...
'': 37.38 million
** ''Mario Kart 8
is a 2014 kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. It retains the gameplay of previous ''Mario Kart'' games, with players controlling a ''Mario'' character in races around tracks. Tracks are themed around locales fr ...
'' (including ''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe''): 76.66 million
the ''Mario Party
is a series of party video games created by Hudson Soft and owned by Nintendo. It features List of Mario franchise characters, characters from the Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise in which up to four local players or Artificial inte ...
'' series, which has sold over 84 million copies; ''Donkey Kong
is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. It follows the adventures of Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla, and other members of the List of Don ...
'', which has sold over 125,000 arcade machines and six million Coleco
Coleco Industries, Inc. ( ) was an American company founded in 1932 by Maurice Greenberg as The Connecticut Leather Company. The name "COLECO" is an abbreviation derived from the company's original name which combines the first two letters of "C ...
cartridges; and '' Mario Bros.'', which has sold 1.72 million Famicom
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...
cartridges. By 1999, Mario as a character generated more than $5 billion in sales for Nintendo. By 2002, the ''Super Mario'' series had grossed more than $7 billion in software sales. At its peak, the franchise sold over $200 million in merchandise annually.
See also
* List of ''Luigi'' video gamesNotes
References
External links
* {{Authority control Nintendo franchises Video game franchises Video game franchises introduced in 1981 Video game franchises introduced in the 1980s