Super Mario (series)

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The Super Mario series is part of the entire Mario franchise, in which it consist of all the mainline entries. Just about every game has the word "Super" in each title, followed by a subtitle after.

The games are focused on platforming adventure, in both 2D and 3D forms - many of which have been considered "revolutionary".

Its first and most-successful release is the original Super Mario Bros. game, released on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985.

Outline[]

The Super Mario games are focused on platforming, many of which rely on reaching the Flagpole and defeating bosses to complete a level. Some games require the obtaining of collectable objects to progress, such as Power Stars, Power Moons, Green Stars, Star Coins, etc.

Gameplay[]

Gameplay movement abilities include jumping, stomping, running, punching and kicking, swimming, spinning, and possessing power-ups. It is also possible to perform acrobatic jumping skills such as triple-jumping, wall-jumping, long-jumping, spin-jumping, high-jumping, summersaults, back flips, cartwheels, mid-air diving, and drilling. Each moves vary on what game is played.

Defeating enemies and bosses, such as Goombas and Koopa Troopas, are typically attacked and defeated by jumping on them. Some would require throwing objects at them and ground-pounding.

Collecting coins can earn the player an extra life (1-UP) if 50 or 100 are collected. They can also be used to buy items and spawn power-ups.

Except for Super Mario Bros. 2 (NA version) and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, the 2D games rely on a timer. If the timer reaches 100, a tone will play before the background music speeds up, alerting the player to reach the goal faster before the time is up. Once it does, a life would be lost and the "Time's Up" text would show. The same apply to some 3D entries, such as Super Mario 3D Land and 3D World, as well as certain challenges in Super Mario Sunshine and the Super Mario Galaxy games.

Power-ups[]

Main article: List of Mario items

The series is also notable for its large amount of power-up items which helps assist the player by prodiving unique abilities. The Super Mushroom is perhaps one of the most recognizable power-up items in history, in which it makes Mario and a character grow into larger size. Fire Flowers are used to throw fireballs to defeat enemies. The Starman makes Mario temporarily invincible and faster. There's usually three phases of a character state: small, regular (with a Super Mushroom), and powered-up. If a character touches an enemy at the small state, a life will be lost. In most open-world 3D games, use of health is relied on instead of power-ups and would kill Mario (or Luigi) if empty.

List of games[]

Main article: List of Super Mario games

Characters[]

This is a list of characters who have appeared in the mainline Super Mario series.

• Mario - The series' titular protagonist who appears in every game as a playable character. He is known for his jumping and acrobatic moves. Since Super Mario Sunshine, Mario would shout out a game's title.
• Princess Peach - A princess who rules over the Mushroom Kingdom and Mario's love interest. She's often kidnapped by Bowser and Mario must complete quests to rescue her and restore peace to the Mushroom Kingdom. Her only playable appearances are Super Mario Bros. 2 (USA) and Super Mario 3D World.
• Luigi - Mario's timid and shy little brother who is taller. He can jump higher but slide more, and could also run over water for a brief period of time, as seen in Super Mario 64 DS. He has been an alternative choice for a playable character, and can be unlocked in some games.
• Daisy - Ruler of Sarasaland, Peach's cousin^[1] and Luigi's love interest. She met Mario when she was kidnapped by an evil alien named Tatanga until Mario rescued her. Her only other appearance – and first playable appearance in a mainline game – is in Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
• Bowser - The leader of the Koopa Troop and the series' main antagonist. He frequently schemes in dominating the Mushroom Kingdom and kidnapping Princess Peach. He has a giant castle in a far away kingdom, and has a son named Bowser Jr..
• Toad - A part of the Toad family, he is one of Peach's loyal servants. He often provides assitance and advices to Mario during quests. He is timid like Luigi and worries about Peach's whereabouts. His first playable appearance is in Super Mario Bros. 2 (USA).
• Toadette - A young, cheery Toad character. While her first appearance was in Mario Kart: Double Dash‼, she would later be integrated into the main series and play a larger role in Super Mario Odyssey. Like other Toads, she would provide assitance and encourage Mario in quests.
• Bowser Jr. - Bowser's only true son and the leader of the Koopalings. He debuted in Super Mario Sunshine and had Mario framed, thanks to his cloning painting abilities.
• Koopalings - A group of Koopa children who act as part of Bowser's offspring. In their debut, they were depicted as his children however despite this, they are actually not blood-related to Bowser and may have been adopted, according to series' creator Shigeru Miyamoto. Members of the Koopaling family are Larry Koopa, Morton Koopa Jr., Wendy O. Koopa, Iggy Koopa, Roy Koopa, Lemmy Koopa and Ludwig von Koopa.
• Rosalina - Mario's assistant who lives in her own conservatory. She only appears as a playable character in Super Mario 3D World.

Music[]

Aside from gameplay and notable characters, the Super Mario series is also known for its unique soundtracks in games. Most games are composed by sound veteran Koji Kondo, who also supervises sound and provided main themes up to Super Mario Sunshine. As the theme composer of Super Mario Bros., the main theme has became widely-recognized around the world, even to those unfamiliar to the franchise.

Except for Super Mario Land, Super Mario Bros. 3, and Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, all games contain the Super Mario Bros. theme in some aspect.

The series did not use live performance until Super Mario Galaxy, in which it used a large-scale orchestra performances (and choir) - an accomplishment which was widely praised among players and fans. Since then, live-recorded music tracks have been implemented into the mainline series, except for 3D Land. Mahito Yokota, who joined Nintendo in 2004, has been responsible for various soundtracks, including orchestrated ones, in the 3D games since Galaxy, up until Super Mario 3D World.

Similarily, the Mario franchise as a whole did not any actual songs with vocal lyrics, until Super Mario Odyssey, which included two songs, "Jump Up, Super Star!" (using band music) and "Break Free (Lead the Way)" (using rock music), both sung by Pauline (voiced by Kate Davis). Both songs were composed by Naoto Kubo, the game's lead composer who joined Nintendo since 2013.

Unique themes for Bowser were also created for each specific game he has appeared in.

Other people who have contributed to composing/arranging music include Hirokazu Tanaka, Kazumi Totaka, Soyo Oka, Shinobu Nagata, Asuka Hayazaki, Hajime Wakai, Kenta Nagata, Shiho Fujii, Ryo Nagamatsu, Shigetoshi Gohara, Takeshi Hama (now freelance), Toru Minegishi, Yasuaki Iwata, Atsuko Asahi, Sayako Doi, and Daisuke Matsuoka.

References[]

See also[]

• Mario (series)