Mario (universe): Difference between revisions
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The ''Super Mario'' franchise indisputably became Nintendo's foremost property immediately, and Mario himself earned a permanent position as the company's mascot. It became a custom to release a steady stream of ''Mario''-related titles for each and every Nintendo console and handheld launched in the company's history, and as of 2013, over 200 games featuring ''Mario'' characters in some way, shape or form have been released. While many entries into the series enjoyed a high level of success, none of the subsequent ''Mario'' games necessarily had anywhere near as much influence on video game genres as ''Super Mario Bros.'' itself had, but there is one clear exception: ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario 64}}'' was the core platform-based series' inaugural transition into the third dimension, released in the Americas in September 1996, with a free-roaming, non-linear design, and an overarching collection aspect. A launch title for the Nintendo 64, it became the system's best-selling game and is given much of the credit for allowing the Nintendo 64 to attain the success that it had. The game set many precedents for the 3D platformer genre that would forever reappear in 3D platformers to follow, including player-character movement precisely dictated by the controller's analog joystick, a hub-based level design where each level accessible from the hub was a self-contained area containing a large variety of objectives to complete, and the first-ever "free" camera in a game with 3D environments, where the camera could be controlled independently of the character and was not rigidly fixed either to the character's position or a specific point in the level itself. Numerous other ''Mario'' platformers, particularly ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Bros. 3}}'', ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario World}}'', ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Galaxy}}'' and ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Odyssey}}'', are also frequently cited as some of the greatest games ever made; rather than kickstarting their respective genres as ''Super Mario Bros.'' and ''Super Mario 64'' did, they instead garnered high praise for innovating on and refining the formulas set by the first 2D and 3D installments. | The ''Super Mario'' franchise indisputably became Nintendo's foremost property immediately, and Mario himself earned a permanent position as the company's mascot. It became a custom to release a steady stream of ''Mario''-related titles for each and every Nintendo console and handheld launched in the company's history, and as of 2013, over 200 games featuring ''Mario'' characters in some way, shape or form have been released. While many entries into the series enjoyed a high level of success, none of the subsequent ''Mario'' games necessarily had anywhere near as much influence on video game genres as ''Super Mario Bros.'' itself had, but there is one clear exception: ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario 64}}'' was the core platform-based series' inaugural transition into the third dimension, released in the Americas in September 1996, with a free-roaming, non-linear design, and an overarching collection aspect. A launch title for the Nintendo 64, it became the system's best-selling game and is given much of the credit for allowing the Nintendo 64 to attain the success that it had. The game set many precedents for the 3D platformer genre that would forever reappear in 3D platformers to follow, including player-character movement precisely dictated by the controller's analog joystick, a hub-based level design where each level accessible from the hub was a self-contained area containing a large variety of objectives to complete, and the first-ever "free" camera in a game with 3D environments, where the camera could be controlled independently of the character and was not rigidly fixed either to the character's position or a specific point in the level itself. Numerous other ''Mario'' platformers, particularly ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Bros. 3}}'', ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario World}}'', ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Galaxy}}'' and ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Odyssey}}'', are also frequently cited as some of the greatest games ever made; rather than kickstarting their respective genres as ''Super Mario Bros.'' and ''Super Mario 64'' did, they instead garnered high praise for innovating on and refining the formulas set by the first 2D and 3D installments. | ||
The ''Mario'' setting itself most often stars | The ''Mario'' setting itself most often stars [[Mario]], a free-spirited and heroic man with strong jumping abilities who is, by this point at least, a celebrity in the colorful and cartoon-like {{s|mariowiki|Mushroom Kingdom}}. Mario is often accompanied by his taller and more cowardly brother [[Luigi]], who is occasionally mocked in-universe for being less famous than his sibling, but also goes on a few adventures of his own. His love interest and the ruler of the kingdom, [[Princess Peach|Princess "Peach" Toadstool]], regularly gets taken away by Mario's trouble-making arch-nemesis, [[Bowser]], who is depicted as a menacing figure and/or a comedic one depending on the game. The most common setup for a ''Mario'' game is that Mario goes on an obstacle-laden quest to defeat Bowser and save Peach. ''Mario'' games rarely devote focus to lore or characterization; Mario, his world, and the established personalities that are his numerous allies and enemies represent Nintendo's primary "tileset" for creating colorful games of various genres that prioritize the quality of the gameplay itself, and ''Mario'' games sometimes satirize some conventions in video games. The ''Mario'' franchise is so big, and its side characters so thoroughly established, that several of these characters are the stars of their own semi-regular releases: [[Donkey Kong]] has starred alongside a simian supporting cast of his own in [[Donkey Kong (universe)|various games]] that, for a time, were primarily handled by British company Rareware; a pet-like dinosaur companion for Mario named [[Yoshi]] was introduced in the SNES launch title ''Super Mario World'', and has been the focus of [[Yoshi (universe)|several of his own games]]; and a mischievous anti-hero equivalent to Mario who debuted in ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins}}'' for the Game Boy, [[Wario]], has starred in both his own platformers and [[Wario (universe)|a series of party games]] that deliver a more outward parody of video game trends. | ||
The many games of ''Mario'' have explored a large variety of video game genres, and one genre the series seems to avoid making a purely ''Mario''-centric title for is the fighting genre, a gap the series regularly fills in with its guaranteed appearances in every installment in the ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' crossover series: | The many games of ''Mario'' have explored a large variety of video game genres, and one genre the series seems to avoid making a purely ''Mario''-centric title for is the fighting genre, a gap the series regularly fills in with its guaranteed appearances in every installment in the ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' crossover series: | ||
*'''2D Platforming''': The genre most closely associated with the ''Mario'' brand, which was begun by '' | *'''2D Platforming''': The genre most closely associated with the ''Mario'' brand, which was begun by ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' for the NES in 1985. These are linear sidescrollers that follow the same basic formula for the most part, and this legacy continued with ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' (both the [[Super Mario Bros. 2|USA release]] and the original Japanese title, ''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels|The Lost Levels]]''), ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Bros. 3}}'', and ''[[Super Mario World]]'', with plenty of additional titles released for portable hardware. A compilation of remasters of the first four aforementioned 2D platforming games, titled ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario All-Stars}}'', was released for the SNES in 1993. While there was an extended period where new ''Mario'' games were no longer two-dimensional platformers, a subseries focused on the official return to the 2D platforming formula, ''{{s|mariowiki|New Super Mario Bros.}}'', began releasing for each of the most recent Nintendo platforms, starting with the Nintendo DS in 2006 and going on until 2019's ''{{s|mariowiki|New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe}}'' for the Nintendo Switch. In celebration of the ''Super Mario'' franchise's 30th anniversary, ''[[Super Mario Maker]]'' was released in September 2015 for the Wii U, in which players can create and share their own 2D Mario levels online for others to play. In addition, the game featured a robust online feature-set with a multitude of options for finding courses and creators, all of which were only added to with subsequent update patches. A Nintendo 3DS port was released in December 2016 and an expanded sequel for the Switch, aptly titled ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Maker 2}}'', was released in June 2019. | ||
*'''3D Platforming''': The seminal ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario 64}}'' paved the way for 3D ''Mario'' platformers on each of the Nintendo home consoles that followed the Nintendo 64. In some ways, these are the "biggest" ''Mario'' releases; ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Sunshine}}'' for the GameCube incorporated a radical gameplay twist in the form of the [[F.L.U.D.D.]] spraying device on Mario's back; a pair of ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Galaxy}}'' games on the Wii placed all of the action on tightly spherical settings; and ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario 3D Land}}'' for the Nintendo 3DS and ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario 3D World}}'' for the Wii U, both of which exchanges the free-roaming world aspect for a more contained linear level design. The most recent game, ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Odyssey}}'' for the Nintendo Switch, returns to the sandbox level design as seen in ''64'' and ''Sunshine''. Apart from ''3D Land/World'', these titles are themed on adventure and exploration, often thrusting Mario into unfamiliar locales; ''Sunshine'' is set on a [[mariowiki:Isle Delfino|faraway tropical island]], both ''Galaxy'' games take place in outer space, and ''Odyssey'' is pitched as a "globe-trotting adventure" that takes place in various kingdoms. To celebrate the ''Super Mario'' series' 35th anniversary, a compilation of remasters of the first three 3D platforming games, titled ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario 3D All-Stars}}'', was released for the Nintendo Switch from September 2020 to March 2021. | *'''3D Platforming''': The seminal ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario 64}}'' paved the way for 3D ''Mario'' platformers on each of the Nintendo home consoles that followed the Nintendo 64. In some ways, these are the "biggest" ''Mario'' releases; ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Sunshine}}'' for the GameCube incorporated a radical gameplay twist in the form of the [[F.L.U.D.D.]] spraying device on Mario's back; a pair of ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Galaxy}}'' games on the Wii placed all of the action on tightly spherical settings; and ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario 3D Land}}'' for the Nintendo 3DS and ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario 3D World}}'' for the Wii U, both of which exchanges the free-roaming world aspect for a more contained linear level design. The most recent game, ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Odyssey}}'' for the Nintendo Switch, returns to the sandbox level design as seen in ''64'' and ''Sunshine''. Apart from ''3D Land/World'', these titles are themed on adventure and exploration, often thrusting Mario into unfamiliar locales; ''Sunshine'' is set on a [[mariowiki:Isle Delfino|faraway tropical island]], both ''Galaxy'' games take place in outer space, and ''Odyssey'' is pitched as a "globe-trotting adventure" that takes place in various kingdoms. To celebrate the ''Super Mario'' series' 35th anniversary, a compilation of remasters of the first three 3D platforming games, titled ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario 3D All-Stars}}'', was released for the Nintendo Switch from September 2020 to March 2021. | ||
*'''Racing''': All high-profile ''Mario'' titles in this genre belong to an officially recognized sub-series called ''{{iw|mariowiki|Mario Kart|series}}''. Like several other ''Mario'' releases, the first ''Mario'' game in this genre, '' | *'''Racing''': All high-profile ''Mario'' titles in this genre belong to an officially recognized sub-series called ''{{iw|mariowiki|Mario Kart|series}}''. Like several other ''Mario'' releases, the first ''Mario'' game in this genre, ''[[Super Mario Kart]]'' for the SNES, is credited for essentially popularizing a new genre in the video game industry, in this case the weapon and obstacle-based kart racing sub-genre. It is an unbroken Nintendo tradition to release one ''Mario Kart'' game for each and every major Nintendo home console and handheld system. The most recent console entry in the series is ''{{s|mariowiki|Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit}}'' for the Nintendo Switch with a mobile game released in summer 2019, ''{{s|mariowiki|Mario Kart Tour}}''. | ||
*'''Party''': Yet another genre the ''Mario'' brand set the standard for for years to come, the first installment in the long-running ''{{iw|mariowiki|Mario Party|series}}'' series was created on the Nintendo 64 in 1999 by developer {{s|mariowiki|Hudson Soft}}, who worked on the series from the [[mariowiki:Mario Party|first]] up until the [[mariowiki:Mario Party 8|eighth]] home console entry. But following Hudson's acquisition and dissolving by [[Konami]] in the early 2010s, the development duties were passed on to the first-party team {{s|mariowiki|Nd Cube}}. In the ''Mario Party'' series, players roll the [[mariowiki:Dice Block|dice block]] to move characters across a board like in a board game, then compete in one of many dozens of available {{s|mariowiki|minigames}} to amass a high currency total and purchase a means of winning, typically {{iw|mariowiki|Star|Mario Party series}}s. The most recent entry is ''{{s|mariowiki|Mario Party Superstars}}'' for the Nintendo Switch, effectively a return to form for the franchise that features game boards and minigames from previous home console entries. | *'''Party''': Yet another genre the ''Mario'' brand set the standard for for years to come, the first installment in the long-running ''{{iw|mariowiki|Mario Party|series}}'' series was created on the Nintendo 64 in 1999 by developer {{s|mariowiki|Hudson Soft}}, who worked on the series from the [[mariowiki:Mario Party|first]] up until the [[mariowiki:Mario Party 8|eighth]] home console entry. But following Hudson's acquisition and dissolving by [[Konami]] in the early 2010s, the development duties were passed on to the first-party team {{s|mariowiki|Nd Cube}}. In the ''Mario Party'' series, players roll the [[mariowiki:Dice Block|dice block]] to move characters across a board like in a board game, then compete in one of many dozens of available {{s|mariowiki|minigames}} to amass a high currency total and purchase a means of winning, typically {{iw|mariowiki|Star|Mario Party series}}s. The most recent entry is ''{{s|mariowiki|Mario Party Superstars}}'' for the Nintendo Switch, effectively a return to form for the franchise that features game boards and minigames from previous home console entries. | ||
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*'''Puzzle''': ''{{s|mariowiki|Dr. Mario}}'' was a ''Tetris''-style puzzle game for NES that starred [[Dr. Mario|Mario in a doctor's costume]] throwing pills to combat differently colored viruses. There have been some occasional puzzle games following this, but an official puzzle-based subseries entitled ''{{iw|mariowiki|Mario vs. Donkey Kong|series}}'' began on Game Boy Advance, which pays homage to Mario's original rivalry with Donkey Kong. The most recent puzzle release is ''{{s|mariowiki|Dr. Mario World}}'' for mobile devices. | *'''Puzzle''': ''{{s|mariowiki|Dr. Mario}}'' was a ''Tetris''-style puzzle game for NES that starred [[Dr. Mario|Mario in a doctor's costume]] throwing pills to combat differently colored viruses. There have been some occasional puzzle games following this, but an official puzzle-based subseries entitled ''{{iw|mariowiki|Mario vs. Donkey Kong|series}}'' began on Game Boy Advance, which pays homage to Mario's original rivalry with Donkey Kong. The most recent puzzle release is ''{{s|mariowiki|Dr. Mario World}}'' for mobile devices. | ||
*'''Sports''': ''Mario'' has a long-standing tradition of applying its aesthetic to a variety of team sports-based games and incorporating specific ''Mario''-flavored twists. The two longest-running ''Mario Sports'' subseries are ''{{iw|mariowiki|Mario Golf|series}}'' and ''{{iw|mariowiki|Mario Tennis|series}}'', both of which are regularly developed by {{s|mariowiki|Camelot Software Planning}}. ''Mario Sports'' games have also been based on [[mariowiki:Mario Strikers (series)| | *'''Sports''': ''Mario'' has a long-standing tradition of applying its aesthetic to a variety of team sports-based games and incorporating specific ''Mario''-flavored twists. The two longest-running ''Mario Sports'' subseries are ''{{iw|mariowiki|Mario Golf|series}}'' and ''{{iw|mariowiki|Mario Tennis|series}}'', both of which are regularly developed by {{s|mariowiki|Camelot Software Planning}}. ''Mario Sports'' games have also been based on [[mariowiki:Mario Strikers (series)|association football]], [[mariowiki:Mario Baseball (series)|baseball]], [[mariowiki:Mario Hoops 3-on-3|basketball]], and [[mariowiki:Mario Sports Superstars|more]]. The [[mariowiki:Mario & Sonic (series)|Olympic Games]] series have received one game per season starting in 2008 (excluding the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics), and in an unprecedented twist, marking the first ever crossover between ''Mario'' and its former "rival" franchise, {{uv|Sonic the Hedgehog}}. | ||
==In ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''== | ==In ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''== | ||
