Mario
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{{General VG character
| name = Mario
| image = [[Image:Mario.jpg|300px]]
| caption = Mario in ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]''
| series = ''[[Mario (series)|Mario]]''
| firstgame = ''[[Donkey Kong (video game)|Donkey Kong]]'' as "Jumpman"
| creator = [[Shigeru Miyamoto]]
| artist = Shigeru Miyamoto (''Donkey Kong'')<br />[[Yoichi Kotabe]] (''Super Mario Bros.'' series)<br />[[Shigefumi Hino]] (''Super Mario World'')
| voiceactor = '''Video games'''<br />Ronald B. Ruben (1991-1997)<br />Mark Graue (1994)<br />[[Charles Martinet]] (1995-present)<br />'''Television'''<br />[[Peter Cullen]] (1983-1985)<br />[[Lou Albano|"Captain" Lou Albano]] (1989-1990)<br />[[Walker Boone]] (1990-1991)
| japanactor = '''Video games'''<br />[[Charles Martinet]] (1995-present)<br />'''[[Super Mario Bros.: Peach-Hime Kyushutsu Dai Sakusen!|Anime]]'''<br />[[Toru Furuya]] (1986)
| liveactor = [[Lou Albano|"Captain" Lou Albano]] (''[[The Super Mario Bros. Super Show]]'')<br />[[Bob Hoskins]] (''[[Super Mario Bros. (film)|Super Mario Bros. The Movie]]'')<br />[[Takashi Okamura (comedian)|Takashi Okamura]] (''Hot Mario Bros.'')
}}
{{nihongo|'''Mario'''|マリオ}} is a [[fictional character]] created by game designer [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] as [[Nintendo]]'s mascot. He is arguably the most recognizable video game character of all time. Mario has appeared in [[List of Mario games by year|over 200 video games]] since his creation. Though originally only appearing in [[platform game|platforming]] games, currently Mario appears in all types of games like [[Mario Kart (series)|racing games]], [[List of Mario games by genre#Puzzle series|puzzle games]], [[List of Mario games by genre#RPG series|role-playing games]], [[Super Smash Bros. (series)|fighting games]], [[List of Mario games by genre#Sports series|sports games]], and many others.
Mario is depicted as a short, pudgy, [[Italians|Italian]] [[plumber]] who lives in the [[Mushroom Kingdom]], where he is regarded as a hero; he is best known for constantly thwarting the plans of the evil [[Bowser (Nintendo)|King Bowser]] to kidnap [[Princess Peach]] and subjugate the Mushroom Kingdom. He is well known for his plucky personality, enthusiasm and spirit in the face of enemies, unexpected physical agility, cooperation with his brother, [[Luigi]], and his close relationship with [[Princess Peach]] whom he has repeatedly saved. He has an evil [[doppelgänger]] by the name of [[Wario]].
As Nintendo's mascot, Mario is one of the most famous characters in video game history,<ref>{{cite web | title=The History of Mario | url=http://www.gamecubicle.com/features-mario-nintendo_shining_star.htm | accessdate=2006-11-12}}</ref> and his image has become synonymous with video games. Mario games, as a whole, have sold more than 285 million units, making the Mario series the best-selling video game series of all time.<ref>{{cite web | title=Mario Series Sales Information | url=http://gonintendo.com/?p=9575 | accessdate=2006-12-02}}</ref> Outside of the [[platform game|platformers]] with which he is traditionally associated, Mario has appeared in video games in different genres, including the ''[[Mario Kart]]'' racing series, Nintendo's arcade sports games (such as the ''[[Mario Tennis]]'' and ''[[Mario Golf]]'' series), and Nintendo's series of Mario [[Console role-playing game|role-playing game]]s (including ''[[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]'', ''[[Paper Mario]]'', ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'', ''[[Super Paper Mario]]'', and ''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]'' and its sequel, ''[[Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time]]''). Outside the original games, television shows, film and comics, he spawned a line of licensed merchandise.
==Conception and creation==
Mario (Birthday: [[March 14]]) first appeared in the arcade game ''[[Donkey Kong (video game)|Donkey Kong]]'' as a character named "Jumpman"<ref name="wired">{{cite web|url=http://www.wired.com/gaming/gamingreviews/multimedia/2007/05/gallery_game_history?slide=18|title=Console Portraits: A 40-Year Pictorial History of Gaming|publisher=[[Wired News]]|author=Orlando, Greg|accessdate=2007-09-09|date=2007-05-15}}</ref> according to Nintendo of America. In Japan he was known as "Mr. Video Game". Since the Japanese name was not properly communicated to the American branch, Nintendo of America named him Mario after Mario Segali, who closely resembled the character. Segali was the landlord of [[Nintendo|Nintendo of America]]'s office,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/the-top-10-best-selling-game-franchises/532199-2|title=The Top 10 Best-Selling Game Franchises|publisher=[[Yahoo! Games]]|author=Silverman, Ben|date=2007-09-28|accessdate=2008-02-21}}</ref> and once barged in on a meeting to demand an overdue rent payment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neatorama.com/2007/09/22/10-mario-fun-facts/|title=10 Mario Fun Facts!publisher=www.neatorama.com|accessdate=2007-09-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.themushroomkingdom.net/mario_history.shtml|title=History of Mario||publisher=www.themushroomkingdom.net|accessdate=2007-09-29}}</ref>
The name stuck, and the game was surprisingly successful.<ref>{{citation|periodical=[[Nintendo Power]]|date=June 1994|issue=61}}</ref> Mario later paired with his brother [[Luigi]] in another arcade game entitled ''[[Mario Bros.]]'' When the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] was released, ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' was the [[launch title]] for it with Mario as the protagonist.
With limited pixels and colors of the [[8-bit]] NES, the games' programmers could not animate Mario's movement without making his arms "disappear". Making his shirt a solid color and giving him overalls fixed this. They also did not have the space to give him a mouth or ears, and they could not animate hair, which resulted in Mario getting a moustache, sideburns, and a cap to bypass these problems. Mario's creator, [[Shigeru Miyamoto]], has stated when interviewed that Mario wears a cap because he finds it difficult to draw hair.<ref name="History of Mario">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamecubicle.com/features-mario-nintendo_shining_star.htm|title=Nintendo's Shining Star: The History of Mario|publisher=Gamecubicle|accessdate=2006-12-16}}</ref> Mario is currently voiced by [[Charles Martinet]], who also voices [[Luigi]], both their evil counterparts, [[Wario]], [[Waluigi]] and other characters such as [[Toadsworth]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.n-sider.com/articleview.php?articleid=199|title=Charles Martinet Down Under|publisher=[[N-Sider]]|accessdate=2006-11-12}}</ref>
Mario has taken on the role of Nintendo's mascot and has since been extensively merchandised. Mario's major rival was [[Sega]] mascot [[Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|Sonic the Hedgehog]] who debuted in 1991. The two mascots competed head-to-head for nearly a decade afterwards, until around 2001 when ''[[Sonic Adventure 2: Battle]]'' showed up on a Nintendo console due to Sega's new third party status, ending a lengthy rivalry.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.gamecubicle.com/features-nintendo-sega-rivalry.htm|title=A Rivalry Ends: Nintendo and Sega, Mario and Sonic|publisher= Gamecubicle|accessdate=2006-11-12}}</ref> Mario and Sonic officially appeared together in a crossover sports game, ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games]]'', and are together again in Nintendo's ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''.
== Appearances ==
{{main|List of Mario games}}
[[Image:Mario64 - Dire Dire Docks.png|left|thumb|250px|Mario made his [[3D computer graphics|3D]] debut in ''[[Super Mario 64]]'']]
Mario made his debut in the arcade game ''[[Donkey Kong (video game)|Donkey Kong]]'' in 1981. In ''[[Donkey Kong Junior (video game)|Donkey Kong Junior]]'' in 1982, he was the [[villain]], and in the ending cinematic, he is knocked out (although he is not dead because he is in future games). The games were so successful that he carried over into an arcade spin-off, ''[[Mario Bros.]]'' in 1983, which boasted a simultaneous two-player mode and introduced his taller yet younger brother [[Luigi]]. His next appearance was in ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] (NES).
Overall, Mario games have sold more then 200 million copies worldwide,<ref name="sales">{{cite web | publisher = [[Nintendo]] | year = 2007 | url = http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/mmnr/Super_Mario_Galaxy/index.html | title = Italian plumber more memorable than Harper, Dion}}</ref> with ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' holding the record for most copies of a non pack-in video game sold, selling well over 18 million copies.<ref>{{cite web | title=Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 | publisher=Nintendo | url=http://www.nintendo.com/gamemini?gameid=m-Game-0000-1858 | accessdate=2006-11-12}}</ref> Mario and his friends also appeared in the later [[Game & Watch]] games. Mario has explored almost every genre of video games. Aside from action platformers, he has starred in [[puzzle game]]s, [[racing game]]s, [[sport|sports game]]s, [[fighting game]]s, [[role-playing games]], and even [[educational game]]s.
Apart from his platform-game appearances, Mario has appeared in many other games, and has made guest appearances in non-Mario games, such as in ''[[Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!]]'' where he is a [[referee]]. Apart from these guest appearances, Mario has appeared in non-platform games as the protagonist of other successful series, such as the ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' series. These games are published by Nintendo, but developed by another company, such as [[Hudson Soft]] or [[Camelot Software Planning]]. Mario has even appeared as a playable character in ''[[NBA Street V3]]'' and ''[[SSX On Tour]]'', both from [[Electronic Arts]]. In some appearances, he is not an in-game character at all: in ''[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past]]'', Mario appeared on a portrait (as well as in Ocarina of Time), and in ''[[Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes]]'' he, along with [[Yoshi]], appears as a small statue.
After the relatively unknown Game & Watch title ''Mario Bombs Away'', Mario's first non-platformer game was released in 1990. ''Dr. Mario'''s gameplay was similar to ''[[Tetris]]'', which was later ported to nearly all of Nintendo's consoles. Mario was later used in other genres; two examples include the educational game ''[[Mario Paint]]'', which appeared in 1992 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and ''[[Mario Pinball Land]]'' for the Game Boy Advance. 1996's ''[[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]'' for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System marked Mario's first role-playing game, since then, five role-playing games have followed: ''[[Paper Mario]]'' for the Nintendo 64, ''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]'' for the Game Boy Advance, ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'' for the Nintendo GameCube, ''[[Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time]]'' for the Nintendo DS, and ''[[Super Paper Mario]]'' for the Wii. Outside of the [[platform game|platformers]] with which he is traditionally associated, Mario has appeared in more sport-oriented video games, such as ''[[Mario Superstar Baseball]]'' and ''[[Super Mario Strikers]]'' series.
Mario's multiplayer games represent a more important sub-range of ''Mario'' games. The ''Mario Kart'' franchise began with 1992's ''[[Super Mario Kart]]'' for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and still continues to be the most successful and longest-running kart-racing franchise today, having sold over 30 million copies worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ownt.com/qtakes/2003/gamestats/gamestats.shtm|title=All Time Top 20 Best Selling Games|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060221044930/http://www.ownt.com/qtakes/2003/gamestats/gamestats.shtm |archivedate=2006-02-21|date=2005-05-23|accessdate=2006-12-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://ign64.ign.com/articles/072/072580p1.html|title=Japan vs. US Sales|publisher=[[IGN]]|date=1999-11-30 |accessdate=2006-11-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.the-magicbox.com/topten2.htm|title=Japan Platinum Game Chart|publisher= The Magic Box|accessdate=2006-11-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nintendo.com/corp/report/fiscal2004.pdf|title=Nintendo of America 2004 Annual Report|format=[[PDF]]|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|pages=42|date=2004-03-31|accessdate=2007-01-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://wii.ign.com/articles/807/807852p1.html|title=Nintendo Sales Update|publisher=[[IGN]]|author=Casamassina, Matt|date=2007-07-25 |accessdate=2007-07-25}}</ref> Apart from racing, the Camelot sports game franchises ''[[Mario Golf]]'' and ''[[Mario Tennis]]'' also feature Mario's visage. In 1999, the Hudson-designed video game series ''[[Mario Party]]'' was began on the Nintendo 64 platform. The games revolve around a set of mini-games and is playable for up to four players, with the most recent incarnations being [[Mario Party 8]], which was released in May 2007 in the U.S. for the [[Wii]]; and [[Mario Party DS]], which was released in November 2007.
The ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!]]'' TV series and the live-action movie loosely based on the video game series called ''[[Super Mario Bros. (film)|Super Mario Bros.]]'' brought the character into the TV and film entertainment realms. The show starred [[Lou Albano|"Captain" Lou Albano]] as Mario, and the movie starred [[Bob Hoskins]]. Outside the original games, television shows, film and comics, he has spawned a line of licensed merchandise and made appearances in popular culture. The Nintendo Comics System series, along with the [[Nintendo Adventure Books]], were created as well.
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==Characteristics==
Mario was originally portrayed as a two-dimensional [[sprite (computer graphics)|sprite]], but in later games he is a three-dimensional, [[polygonal modeling|polygonal model]]. He is depicted as a 155 cm portly plumber who lives in the fictional land of [[Mushroom Kingdom]]. He is the older, shorter brother of [[Luigi]], and they are both Italian plumbers. In the television series, Mario and Luigi hail from [[Brooklyn]], although ''[[Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island]]'' implies he was born in the Mushroom Kingdom.
===Physical appearance===
Mario's basic appearance has changed little over the years. He is consistently portrayed as a short, stubby man wearing a hat with an 'M' on it, brown hair, black [[moustache]], an abnormally large and bulbous nose, white gloves, and denim overalls. In most appearances, Mario wears a red hat and shirt with blue overalls. However in the original ''[[Super Mario Bros]]'' video game, Mario wears a brown shirt and red overalls.
Mario's outfit often changes to suit the game. For example, in ''[[Super Mario Strikers]]'' [[soccer]] game, Mario wears a [[kit (football)|football kit]] as opposed to overalls, and in ''[[Super Mario Sunshine]],'' a game with multiple tropical themes, the character wears a red T-shirt and can optionally put on sunglasses and a Hawaiian-style shirt. In some games, Mario can transform into different forms, each with a different costume.
===Personality===
Mario is portrayed in games and other media as being a kind-hearted and brave hero with archetypically heroic aspects, with a love of [[pasta]] and [[pizza]]. Mario's cheerful personality is reflected in his high pitched voice. Since ''[[Mario's Game Gallery]]'', it has been provided by [[Charles Martinet]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.n-sider.com/personnelview.php?personnelid=503|title=Charles Martinet|publisher=[[N-Sider]]| accessdate=2006-11-12}}</ref> In the games, although he largely speaks in English with a thick Italian accent, he has been known to sporadically break into Italian. In other media portrayals, he has carried a more Brooklyn-styled accent. Mario's speech is usually limited to short phrases like: "Okey dokey!", "Woohoo!", "Let's a-go!", "It's-a me! Mario!", and more, though in the [[List of Mario games by genre#Sports series|Mario sports]] titles however, he has full speech capabilities. However besides these short phrases, Mario never makes any conversation in any official games, leaving the talking to other characters. He does however speak fully in the DiC animated cartoons and the anime series.
===Occupation and hobbies===
Mario's given occupation is that of being a plumber. With the exceptions of ''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]'' and the original ''[[Mario Bros.]]'', he is almost never seen carrying out his occupation in the games. Pipes have, however, remained a mode of transportation. Mario was most often seen plumbing during the animated series. He was very knowledgeable about tools and fixing pipes in the movie. In the original Donkey Kong games however, when Mario was called Jumpman, he was in fact a carpenter. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.nintendo-europe.com/NOE/en_GB/service/corporate_2001.html | title = Nintendo - Corporate | publisher = [[Nintendo]] | date = 2007 | accessdate = 2008-05-02}}</ref>
Beginning with the ''[[Dr. Mario (video game)|Dr. Mario]]'' series of puzzle games, which first debuted in 1990, Mario has been occasionally depicted as a medical physician as well. In 2001, Mario appeared in ''[[Dr. Mario 64]]'', an updated version of the original puzzle game. Mario was in doctor form as a secret character in the [[Nintendo GameCube]] game ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', and in another updated version of the original, Dr. Mario Virus Buster for WiiWare. In the [[Game Boy]] title ''[[Mario's Picross]]'', Mario was even depicted as an [[Archaeology|archaeologist]].
His most time-consuming activity seems to be saving [[Princess Peach]], the [[Mushroom Kingdom]], and purging villains, such as [[Bowser (Nintendo)|Bowser]], from various kingdoms. As seen through character interactions in his role-playing games, Mario has achieved a level of fame among the kingdoms' populations due to his heroic deeds, as shown in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]'', where they are referred to as "superstars", or celebrities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://marioandluigi.gameboy.com/flash.jsp|title=Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga|publisher=[[Nintendo]]}}</ref>
The installment ''[[Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis]]'' revealed that Mario has a toy-making company that earns him income. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nintendo.com/gamemini?gameid=PAiLoDtIisqI6LGIzgx-8StrzB_dzOU|title=Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|date=2006|accessdate=2006-12-19}}</ref>
===Relationships===
Ever since his first game, Mario usually has the role of saving the [[damsel in distress]]. Originally, he had to rescue his girlfriend [[Pauline (Nintendo)|Pauline]] in ''[[Donkey Kong (video game)|Donkey Kong]]'' from the clutches of Donkey Kong. Pauline did not last long as a character and was soon replaced by new damsel-in-distress, [[Princess Peach]], in ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' (she was initially referred to as "Princess Toadstool" or simply "the Princess" in English-speaking territories until 1993, when ''[[Yoshi's Safari]]'' debuted, even though the name was not widely used until ''[[Super Mario 64]]'' was released three years later.)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.themushroomkingdom.net/games/sm64|title=Super Mario 64|publisher=The Mushroom Kingdom|accessdate= 2006-12-23}}</ref> Pauline returned in the [[Game Boy]] remake of ''[[Donkey Kong (Game Boy)|Donkey Kong]]'' in 1994, and later ''[[Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis]]'' in 2006, although the character is now described as "Mario's friend."<ref name="Mario vs. DK 2">{{cite web|url= http://uk.videogames.games.yahoo.com/ds/previews/mario-vs--donkey-kong-2--march-of-the-minis-902997.html|title=Mario vs. DK 2: March of the Minis|publisher=[[Yahoo! Games]]|accessdate=2006-12-17}}</ref>
Mario has rescued Princess Peach multiple times since ''Super Mario Bros.'', often receiving a [[kiss]] as a reward. Although the true nature of their relationship is never revealed (as is typical of most characters in the Mario series), there is evidently a mutual affection between the two characters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.themushroomkingdom.net/mariopedia/m.shtml#Mario|title= Mariopedia — Mario|publisher=The Mushroom Kingdom|accessdate=2007-01-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.themushroomkingdom.net/mariopedia/b.shtml|title=Mariopedia — Bowser|publisher=The Mushroom Kingdom|accessdate= 2007-01-08}}</ref>
Bowser is Mario's archrival. However, the two will often reconcile and work together when they need to find a solution together, like in ''Super Mario RPG'' and ''Super Paper Mario''.
[[Luigi]] is Mario's younger brother. He usually is a companion on many of Mario's adventures and is the character that players play as in two-player sessions of many of the video games. His demeanor is sometimes that of a "scaredy cat" who sets off to help Mario but instead needs rescuing himself, though he has also had to rescue Mario occasionally as displayed in ''Mario is Missing'' and ''[[Luigi's Mansion]]''. [[Yoshi]] the dinosaur is another one of Mario's closest friends.
Mario rescued [[List of Mario series characters#Princess Daisy|Princess Daisy]] in ''[[Super Mario Land]]'' for the [[Game Boy]]. There is no way to prove they were interested in each other, considering the fact they do not share chemistry in ''[[Mario Superstar Baseball]]''. Although Daisy kissed him this was done probably to keep a classic Mario ending. In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', the text explaining Princess Daisy's trophy states that "after her appearance in Mario Golf (this appears to be a trophy error, possibly referring to [[NES Open Tournament Golf]] or its Famicom release Mario Open Golf), some gossips portrayed her as Luigi's answer to Mario's Peach",<ref>{{cite video game|title=Super Smash Bros. Melee|developer=HAL Laboratory|publisher=Nintendo|date=2001-12-03| platform=Nintendo GameCube|language=English}}</ref> although Luigi and Daisy were previously paired as a romantic couple in the live-action ''[[Super Mario Bros (film)|Super Mario Bros]]'' movie.
''[[Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins]]'' for the Game Boy saw the arrival of [[Wario]], Mario's demented and greedy [[doppelgänger]]. Though there is no tangible relationship between the two, Wario was once referred to as Mario's cousin in [[Nintendo Power]]. Wario is designed to act, in a way, as an anti-Mario.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.themushroomkingdom.net/mariopedia/w.shtml#Wario|title=Mariopedia — Wario|publisher=The Mushroom Kingdom|accessdate= 2007-01-08}}</ref>
=== Baby Mario ===
Baby Mario (Birthday: [[March 14]]) is the infant version of Mario. He first appeared in ''[[Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island]]'', released in 1995 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and has appeared in several titles since. Baby Mario has often appeared in Nintendo-sports titles, such as
''[[Mario Golf]]'', ''[[Mario Tennis]]'', ''[[Mario Superstar Baseball]]'' and ''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]''. Strangely, these games implied that Mario and Baby Mario are separate characters, but those games are considered to be outside the [[Continuity (fiction)|continuity]] of the main Mario series. More recently, he has appeared in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time]]'', in which Baby Mario appeared via time travel, which could explain the separation of the two characters. Like the older Mario, Baby Mario is voiced by [[Charles Martinet]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Charles Martinet: Voice Over| url=http://www.charlesmartinet.com/voiceover.html|accessdate=2008-03-16}}</ref>
== Abilities ==
[[Image:Super Mario 64 jumping.jpg|thumb|300px|The range of Mario's movement in ''Super Mario 64'']]
During the development of [[Donkey Kong]], Mario was known simply as "Jumpman", named for his keen ability to jump exceptional heights. This ability is still described as Mario's greatest talent in most forms of media in which he is portrayed, and jumping—both to access different areas of a level and as an offensive move—remains a core element of gameplay in most Mario games, especially in the ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' series.
Mario's most commonly portrayed form of attack is jumping to stomp on the heads of enemies, first employed in ''[[Mario Bros.]]'' (but his main attack in this game was to hit the floor underneath the enemy, flipping them up-side-down) but better known from the later ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' game and its sequels. This jump-stomp move may entirely crush smaller enemies on the stage, and usually deals damage to larger ones, sometimes causing secondary effects as well. Most notably, this attack often enables Mario to knock the turtle-like [[Koopa|Koopa Troopas]] back into their shells, which may slide across the stage, damaging other enemies, or Mario. Jumping remains a core element of gameplay in most ''Mario'' games, especially in the [[List of Mario games by genre#Mario series|platform games]].Mario also possesses super-human strength, being able to lift, carry, and throw the ''[[Super Mario 64]]'''s first boss, King Bob-Omb, who was much larger than him.
Beyond this core mechanic, subsequent games have elaborated on Mario's jumping-related abilities. ''[[Super Mario World]]'' added the ability to spin-jump, which allows Mario to break blocks beneath him. Later, the [[Donkey Kong (Game Boy)|Game Boy remake of ''Donkey Kong'']] allowed Mario to jump higher with consecutive jumps, and perform a back-flip. ''[[Super Mario 64]]'' gave Mario a variety of jumps, such as a sideways somersault, a ground pound, and the "Wall Kick," which allowed him to propel himself to higher heights by kicking off walls.
===Power-Ups===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Lakitu (smb1).png|thumb|right|200px|Mario demonstrates his Fire Flower abilities.]] -->
Mario makes use of a wide array of items in most games in which he appears that give him special powers. The most prominent of these is the [[Super Mushroom]], which allows Mario to grow to twice his size, becoming the eponymous "Super Mario," and can sustain damage before shrinking back down to "regular" Mario. Additionally, collecting a [[Mario (series)|Fire Flower]] transforms Mario into "Fire Mario" and allows him to throw fireballs at enemies, and a [[Starman]] renders Mario temporarily impervious to harm.
A recurring theme in the Super Mario series' power-ups is the fact that many items give Mario a semi-animal appearance, sometimes related to the item depiction itself, e.g. ''[[Super Mario 3]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Frog Suit that turns Mario into a frog and ''[[Super Mario Land 2]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Power Carrot that transforms Mario into a rabbit. Other times the item may not be related to the power at all, e.g. the Raccoon Leaf that gives him raccoon ears, a tail, and the power of flight. Other power-ups are more practical; in ''[[Super Mario World]]'', the Cape allows Mario to fly and glide, and a balloon in a later game in the series allows similar effects. ''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]'' introduced other types of Mushroom power-ups, such as the "Mega Mushroom," which causes Mario to grow to screen-filling proportions, and the Mini Mushroom that makes him shrink into a very small size.
When Mario reached the three dimensional format, ''[[Super Mario 64]]'' introduced a feature that made Mario take extra damage without his signature hat on; in addition to this, different types of caps granted powers of flight, invincibility, and invisibility. Along with these basic features, caps gave more practical abilities as well. For example, the Metal cap allowed Mario to sink to sea floors and the Invisibility cap allowed him to walk through thin surfaces such as iron grates.
Super Mario Sunshine supplied only a few power-ups with the same theme: water. He is granted a F.L.U.D.D.(Flash Liquidizing Ultra Dousing Device) pack that performs his primary form of attack which was squirting strange paint and enemies with water. He has 3 other expansion packs including: the Hover Nozzle, which epononymously allows him to hover relatively short distances in lieu of the long jump, the Turbo Nozzle, allowing him to traverse faster and break through certain barriers, and the Rocket Nozzle which charges water up, then blasts Mario a great distance into the air.
[[Image:Supermariogalaxymovespowerup.JPG|thumb||225px|left|Bee Mario has the ability to hover in ''Super Mario Galaxy'']]
[[Super Mario Galaxy]] now holds the record for most power-ups in a Mario platformer with 8 different status-effective items. These included the Bee Shroom, which allowed him to float short distances and stick to certain surfaces, the Boo Shroom, which made him capable of floating as well as traveling through walls, the Life Shroom, which gave him 3 more life wedges, the Rainbow Star, granting him brief invincibility, the Fire Flower, which made its 3-D platforming debut, and the Ice Flower which allowed him to solidify water, granting him access and mobility to otherwise unreachable or deadly locations.
Although Mario is not usually portrayed using conventional weapons in games, one exception is the use of hammers in numerous games, such as ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', the original ''[[Donkey Kong (video game)|Donkey Kong]]'', and ''[[Super Mario RPG]]''. Said hammers are used offensively and for other actions, like switch activation and solving puzzles. He will oftentimes pick up and toss various projectiles around him however, starting in Super Mario Bros. 2. He will toss items such as vegetables, giant blocks, and bob-ombs, to name a few.
==Reception and legacy==
[[Image:Stefsupermario.jpg|thumb|Mario in [[Kungsbacka]], [[Sweden]]]]
As Nintendo's mascot, Mario is considered to be the most famous character in video game history.<ref name="History of Mario"/><ref name="wired"/> The ''Mario'' series of video games has sold more than 200 million copies, making it the [[List of best-selling video game franchises|best-selling video game franchise]] of all time.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://games.ign.com/articles/833/833615p1.html|title=IGN Presents The History of Super Mario Bros. |publisher=[[IGN]]|author=McLaughlin, Rus|pages=1|date=2007-11-08|accessdate=2008-01-01}}</ref> Mario was one of the first video game character inductees at the [[Walk of Game]] in 2005, alongside [[Link (The Legend of Zelda)|Link]] and [[Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|Sonic the Hedgehog]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.walkofgame.com/inductees/inductees2005.html|title=Past Inductees 2005 Games / Characters|publisher=[[Walk of Game]]|accessdate=2008-02-21}}</ref> Mario was the first video game character to be honored with a wax figure in the legendary [[Hollywood Wax Museum]] in 2003. In 1990, a national survey found that Mario was more recognizable to children in the world than [[Mickey Mouse]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://experts.about.com/e/m/mi/mickey_mouse.htm|title=Mickey Mouse|accessdate=2006-11-12}}</ref>
Since his creation, Mario has established himself as a pop culture icon having starred in numerous television shows, comic books, and in a feature film. He has appeared on lunch boxes, t-shirts, magazines, commercials, in candy form, on Shampoo bottles, cereal, badges, and as a plush toy.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.gamecubicle.com/features-mario-nintendo_shining_star.htm | title = Nintendo's Shining Star: The History of Mario | publisher = GameCubicle | accessdate = 2008-05-02}}</ref> Nintendo of Japan produced a 60-minute [[anime]] feature starring Mario and his friends in 1986, although this film has never been released outside of Japan. The animated series ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Super Show]]'' featured a live-action series of skits starring former WWF manager [[Captain Lou Albano|"Captain" Lou Albano]] as Mario and [[Danny Wells]] as Luigi. There was even a book series, the [[Nintendo Adventure Books]]. In 2005, Jonathan Mann even wrote an [[opera]] based on the character, and performed ''The Mario Opera'' at the [[California Institute of the Arts]].
===In mass media===
Mario's [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fa/Super_Mario_Bros._-_Original_Theme.ogg theme music] in ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'', composed by [[Koji Kondo]], is highly recognizable. Former [[NHL]] [[hockey]] player, [[Mario Lemieux]] was given the nickname "Super Mario" by the media during his illustrious career. [[Mario Williams]], the #1 draft pick in the [[2006 NFL Draft]], was also given the nickname "Super Mario", as was pro-cyclist, [[Mario Cipollini]]. German international footballer [[Mario Basler]] was affectionately referred to as "Super Mario" by fans and the media. Another sportsman who received this nickname was the Brazilian soccer player [[Mario Jardel]], famous for his jumps and headers. In ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door]]'', Mario is given the stage name of "Great Gonzales" during his battles in Glitzville. Before a climatic battle, one of the audience members refers to Mario as "Jumpman," poking fun at Mario's past identity. Mario got his name from Nintendo of America's Landlord, Mario Segali. Before that, he did not have a name and was referred to as "Jumpman". Mario's nickname in '''[[Mario Hoops 3 on 3]]''' is '''The Jumpman''' again making reference to his original name. Mario is currently voiced by [[Charles Martinet]] who voices [[Luigi]], both their baby counterparts, and [[Wario]] and [[Waluigi]], as well as other characters such as [[Donkey Kong]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Charles Martinet Down Under | publisher=Nintendo | url=http://www.n-sider.com/articleview.php?articleid=199 | accessdate=2006-11-12}}</ref>.
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==References==
{{reflist|2}}
==External links==
{{Portal|Mario}}
{{wikiquote}}
*[http://ms.nintendo-europe.com/mario/enGB/index.html Mario's Megasite] — Nintendo of Europe official website
*[http://www.themushroomkingdom.net/ The Mushroom Kingdom]
*[http://www.mariowiki.com/Main_Page Mario Wiki]
*[http://www.mariomayhem.com/ Mario Mayhem]
{{Mario characters}}
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