Characters of the Mario franchise | |
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First appearance | Donkey Kong (1981) |
Created by | Nintendo |
The Mario franchise is a video game series 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 Cube. Games in the Mario franchise primarily revolve around the protagonist Mario and often involve the trope of Bowser as the antagonist kidnapping Princess Peach, with Mario then rescuing her. Many characters have goals or plot arcs that vary between series; for example, the Luigi's Mansion games focus on Luigi ridding a haunted building of ghost-like creatures known as Boos, and Wario stars in games that center around his greed and desire for money and treasure.
The franchise began with Donkey Kong in 1981, where Mario, Donkey Kong, and Pauline originated. Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto built them off the base of characters from Popeye . Unable to license the characters, Miyamoto made later changes to their appearances and personalities, such as a more lighthearted tone. Due to the breakthrough critical and commercial success of Donkey Kong, Mario reappeared in Mario Bros. in 1983, which introduced Mario's twin brother Luigi, and Super Mario Bros. in 1985, which introduced Toad alongside numerous enemies, with Bowser and Princess Peach replacing Donkey Kong and Pauline, respectively.
Each series has introduced numerous characters, many of them recurring. Some have starred in their own games or in supporting roles. The games all typically share common enemies.
Mario [a] (voiced by Kevin Afghani) is the main character of the Mario franchise and the mascot of Nintendo as a whole. He originally appeared in 1981's Donkey Kong as "Jumpman", designed by Shigeru Miyamoto. [1] While Mario was initially a carpenter, he later took the role of a plumber. [2] From 1992 to 2023, Mario was voiced by Charles Martinet. [3] In most of his appearances, Mario rescues a damsel in distress (often Princess Peach) from an antagonist (often Bowser). [4] Mario's younger brother is Luigi, [5] and his greedy rival is Wario. [6] Yoshi serves as Mario's steed in several games, including Super Mario World . [7] Since his introduction, Mario's abilities include jumping, such as onto an enemy's head as an attack. [1] Mario uses power-ups, such as the Super Mushroom (which allows him to grow larger and survive an additional hit), the Super Star (which grants him temporary invincibility), and the Fire Flower (which allows him to throw fireballs). [1] Several power-ups grant Mario the ability to fly, such as the Super Leaf from Super Mario Bros. 3 . [8] According to Guinness World Records , Mario is the second most recognizable video game character after Pac-Man. [9] Mario has seen numerous cultural appearances, such as during the closing ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics, where Japanese prime minister Shinzō Abe appeared dressed as the character. [10] Mario has appeared as the protagonist in two feature films: the live-action Super Mario Bros. in 1993 and the animated box office hit The Super Mario Bros. Movie in 2023. [11]
Luigi [b] (voiced by Kevin Afghani) is the younger twin brother of Mario, [5] who Luigi feels a sense of envy and reverence towards. [12] In the 1983 game Mario Bros. , Luigi was introduced as the second player character, with many similarities to Mario. [13] While he was initially identical to Mario, he began developing differences in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (1986), which gave him a higher and further jump at the expense of responsiveness and precision. [14] In the North American version of Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988), Luigi was given a taller and thinner appearance than Mario, which played a key role in shaping his modern appearance. [1] [12] Luigi's first starring role was in 1993's Mario Is Missing! , though he played only minor roles in subsequent games until 2001 with Luigi's Mansion , where he plays the role of a frightened, unsure, and goofy protagonist attempting to save his brother. [12] The Year of Luigi was celebrated in 2013, which saw many Luigi games released to commemorate the character's 30th anniversary. [15]
Princess Peach Toadstool [c] (voiced by Samantha Kelly) is the princess of the Mario franchise's Mushroom Kingdom. In the main series games, she typically plays the role of a damsel in distress who needs to be rescued by Mario. [16] [17] When playable, she typically has the ability to float in the air, and is physically taller than Mario. [17] Her first playable appearance in a main series Mario game was 1988's Super Mario Bros. 2 , while her second was 2013's Super Mario 3D World . [18] Peach played a starring role in Super Princess Peach (2005), where she aims to rescue Mario, Luigi, and Toad, [16] aided by a parasol named Perry and several abilities based on her emotions—or "vibes". [19] She makes frequent appearances in spin-off Mario games, such as the Mario Kart series and the Mario sports games. In the 2017 game Super Mario Odyssey , after being captured by and forced to marry Bowser, and subsequently rescued by Mario, she rejects both of them and instead takes a trip around the world, though Mario rejoins her. [17] Peach again stars in her own adventure in the 2024 game Princess Peach: Showtime! , where she saves the Sparkle Theater from a sorceress named Grape, helped by a ribbon named Stella and various transformations including Swordfighter Peach and Patissiere Peach. [20]
Princess Daisy [d] (voiced by Giselle Fernandez) is the princess of Sarasaland, the setting of Super Mario Land (1989). [21] Since then, she has primarily appeared as a playable character in spin-off Mario games, especially Mario sports games. [22] Super Mario Run (2016) marks Daisy's playable debut in a main series game, where she is able to perform a double jump. [23] She acts more tomboyish than Princess Peach, exemplified by her appearances in the Mario sports games. Some consider her and Luigi to be a couple, despite Daisy being rescued by Mario in Super Mario Land and Super Mario Run. She is also a playable character in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. [24]
Toad [e] (voiced by Samantha Kelly) is an anthropomorphic mushroom-like character. [25] He debuted in Super Mario Bros. (1985), [26] though his first starring role was in Wario's Woods (1994), in which the player is able to control Toad to solve puzzles. [27] Toad made his playable debut in a main series Mario game in 1988 with Super Mario Bros. 2 , and frequently acts as a non-playable character in Mario role-playing games. The character is a member of the eponymous Toad species, which includes characters such as Captain Toad, Toadette, and Toadsworth. [26] Keegan-Michael Key voices Toad in The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023). [28]
Yoshi [f] (voiced by Kazumi Totaka) is a green anthropomorphic dinosaur character. He is depicted with a long tongue that can be used to eat enemies, and can turn the enemies he eats into eggs that release power-ups or can be thrown. [29] Yoshi is a rideable character for the heroes or a playable character in most of the Mario spin-offs, including his own series. [30]
Donkey Kong [g] (voiced by Takashi Nagasako) is an anthropomorphic gorilla that stars in the Donkey Kong franchise. He is the leader of the Kong Family, a group of various primates and is depicted as the grandson of Cranky Kong who appeared in the 1981 arcade game, Donkey Kong , though, he appears as an antagonist in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series. He is depicted as a cheerful and powerful character. [31]
Pauline [h] (voiced by Kate Higgins) debuted in Donkey Kong (1981) [32] as Lady, and is further featured in Donkey Kong (1994) for Game Boy, [33] and the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series. She was created by Shigeru Miyamoto, is the earliest example of a female with a speaking role in a video game, and is cited as a famous example of a damsel in distress in fiction. [34] [35] [36] She is the mayor of New Donk City in Super Mario Odyssey . [37]
Birdo, also known as Birdette, and known in Japan as Catherine, [i] (voiced by Kazumi Totaka) is depicted as a pink, anthropomorphic dinosaur who wears a red bow on her head, and has a round mouth that can fire eggs as projectiles. [38] Birdo first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 2 as a recurring boss character. [39] Since then, she has been a recurring playable character in various franchise spin-offs. Birdo has been referred to as a "man who thinks of himself as female" in earlier depictions, such as in the Japanese manual for the early prototype game Doki Doki Panic , and was considered female in later games. It is heavily speculated that Birdo is transgender; she is considered to be one of the first ever transgender video game characters. [40] [41] [42] [ verification needed ]
Poochy [j] is portrayed as Yoshi's helper dog. He debuted in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and continued appearing throughout the Yoshi series, such as in Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World . [43] In the games, he can do things that Yoshi cannot, such as sniff out hidden items, cross over dangerous terrain, and jump over walls to give Yoshi a boost out of his wall jumps. [44] In 2023, Poochy was added to Mario Kart Tour as a playable character. [43]
Professor Elvin Gadd [k] (voiced by Kazumi Totaka), more commonly known as Professor E. Gadd, is a diminutive and elderly scientist and inventor. He primarily appears in the Luigi's Mansion series, in which he invented several objects, such as Luigi's Poltergust 3000 and Gooigi from Luigi's Mansion 3 . [45] He is referenced in Super Mario Sunshine as the inventor of Mario's F.L.U.D.D., a device that allows him to spray water. [46] The character has made cameo appearances in series such as Mario Party and Mario & Luigi . [46] He makes ambiguous gibberish sounds when speaking, inspired by the language of "Animalese" used in the Animal Crossing series when Totaka invented his voice. [47]
Toadsworth [l] (voiced by Scott Burns) [48] [49] is an elderly Toad character who is Princess Peach's steward. He is depicted showing concern for the princess' safety and acts as a prime caretaker for the Toads.[ citation needed ] He debuted in Super Mario Sunshine for GameCube, in which he goes on vacation with Mario, Peach and the other Toads. [50] In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time , he is revealed to have cared for the princess since she was a baby.[ citation needed ]
Toadette [m] (voiced by Samantha Kelly) is a pink Toad character who debuted in Mario Kart: Double Dash (2003) as a playable driver. Toadette is depicted with two long round pigtails with white spots and a dress, to distinguish her from Toad. Since Super Mario Odyssey , Toadette is a member of the Toad Brigade and has the role of an archivist. [51] Depending on the game, she is either a supporting character or a protagonist, playable in most of the Mario spin-off games. [52] In New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe , a power-up called the Super Crown allows Toadette to transform into Peachette, a form that highly resembles Princess Peach. [53] As Peachette, she can use Peach's floating jump to hover, and can perform a double jump. She also returns as a playable character in Super Mario Bros. Wonder . [54]
Rosalina [n] (voiced by Laura Faye Smith) is a princess character introduced in 2007's Super Mario Galaxy . As a child who fled into space after her mother's death, she becomes the adoptive mother of the Lumas—mysterious and friendly star-like creatures that inhabit space in the Mario franchise. [17] She resides in the Comet Observatory, a starship used to traverse the Mario universe. [55] In later appearances, she typically takes the role of a supporting character, and primarily appears in spin-off games such as the Mario sports games, Mario Kart series, and Super Smash Bros. series. In Super Mario 3D World (2013), she is a playable character, and is unlocked through gameplay. [17]
The Lumas are depicted as friendly star-like creatures. They first appear in Super Mario Galaxy , where they have the ability to transform into various game objects, explorable planetoids, and entire levels. [56] Lumas come in a variety of colors, though are most commonly yellow. One particular Luma, known as Baby Luma, or Young Master Luma, is a major character in the Super Mario Galaxy games, granting Mario or Luigi the power to Star Spin. In the Illumination animated film The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), Juliet Jelenic voices a nihilistic blue Luma named Lumalee, that first appeared in Super Mario Galaxy as a salesman. Held prisoner by Bowser, Lumalee cheerfully laments the pain and suffering awaiting all those held prisoner, greatly depressing his fellow prisoners. [57]
Captain Toad [o] (voiced by Samantha Kelly) is an explorer and the leader of the Toad Brigade, debuting in Super Mario Galaxy . He subsequently appears in Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Super Mario Odyssey , and as a "treasure tracker". [58] He makes several cameos within Super Smash Bros. and debuted in the Mario Kart series in Mario Kart Tour as a playable racer. [59] He is the main protagonist in the subset of levels in Super Mario 3D World called Captain Toad's Adventures, and in the game Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker . [60] [58]
Nabbit (voiced by Dawn M. Bennett) [61] is a rabbit-like creature who steals items from Toad. He was introduced in New Super Mario Bros. U (2012). In New Super Luigi U , New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe , and Super Mario Bros. Wonder , he is a playable character. [62] [63]
Diddy Kong [p] (Diddy) (voiced by Katsumi Suzuki) is an anthropomorphic monkey who is Donkey Kong's nephew, sidekick, and best friend, appearing in the Donkey Kong and Mario franchises. [64] He is the main protagonist of Diddy Kong Racing and its DS remake. [65] He is depicted as a cheerful and kind character. Created by Rare, the name Diddy is a British term meaning "little". [66]
Cranky Kong [q] (voiced by Takashi Nagasako) is an older Kong. His first appearance was in 1981's Donkey Kong, where, as the game's antagonist, he kidnapped Pauline, though he was stopped by Mario. [67] He is portrayed as the grandfather of Donkey Kong in the games, and the father of him in the 2023 film.
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Bowser [r] or King Koopa (voiced by Kenneth W. James) is the king of the turtle-like Koopa race, [68] a selfish troublemaker who wants to take over the Mushroom Kingdom. [69] He is depicted as Mario's nemesis, and is the final boss of most Mario games. He is playable in most Mario spin-off games. [1]
Dry Bowser [s] is a recurring antagonist in the Mario series. Debuting as a form of Bowser after losing his flesh in New Super Mario Bros. , [70] the character has appeared as his own being starting with Mario Kart Wii , often serving as the final antagonist in the main games.[ citation needed ] Dry Bowser appears in Mario Party: Island Tour , Mario Party 10 , and is a playable character in several of the Mario spin-off games.[ citation needed ]
The Koopalings [t] are seven siblings who first appeared as boss characters in the 1988 game Super Mario Bros. 3 . [71] Their individual names are Ludwig, Lemmy, Roy, Iggy, Wendy, Morton, and Larry. [71] The Koopalings were originally established as Bowser's children. [72] [71] [73] [74] Older Mario games maintain reference to them as such in updated manuals and re-releases. [75] [76] They have since been depicted as Bowser's minions in games following the release of New Super Mario Bros. Wii in 2009, [77] with Shigeru Miyamoto stating in 2012 that "our current story is that the seven Koopalings are not Bowser's children. Bowser's only child is Bowser Jr." [78] The Koopalings have additionally appeared as playable characters in spin-off Mario games and the Super Smash Bros. series, [79] and have been featured in non-video game Mario media including the animated Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World .[ citation needed ] They are voiced by Michelle Hippe, David Cooke, Ashley Flannegan, Ryan Higgins, Dan Falcone, Carlee McManus and David J. Goldfarb respectively.[ citation needed ]
Wario [u] (voiced by Kevin Afghani) [80] is an obese yet muscular, hot-tempered, and greedy man. He is Mario's self-declared yellow-and-purple clad arch-rival. [81] He initially debuted as an antagonist, but over the years has become an anti-hero, even being playable in a few games. [82] [83] Wario is the protagonist of the Wario series and is playable in most of the Mario spin-off games where he is shown to be Waluigi's partner. [84] His name is portmanteau of "warui", the Japanese word for "bad", and "Mario". [85] Wario's favorite food is garlic, often used in gameplay to restore health when he gets defeated. [86]
Kamek the Magikoopa [v] (English: /kəˈmɛk,ˈkæmɪk/ ) is a member of the fictional Magikoopa species who is Bowser's childhood caretaker, and later in life one of his high-ranking minions.[ citation needed ] Kamek is the main antagonist of the Yoshi series.[ citation needed ] In his various game appearances, his magic includes self-duplication, teleportation, shooting magical blasts, and changing the size of other creatures.[ citation needed ] He is often distinguished from other Magikoopas by the broom he rides on.[ citation needed ] In Japan, his species is also named Kamek, but outside Japan they are called Magikoopas.[ citation needed ]
Kamek returns in the 2009 Wii video game New Super Mario Bros. Wii and its 2012 Wii U sequel as a recurring supporting antagonist and boss character. [87] Kamek also makes non-playable appearances in the Mario Party and Paper Mario series in various roles, and made playable appearances as an unlockable character in the 2012 Wii video game Mario Party 9 and the 2014 Nintendo 3DS video game Mario Golf: World Tour .[ citation needed ] Kamek's non-playable appearance in Mario Party 8 was controversial and caused the game to be recalled in the United Kingdom, as some of his in-game dialogue contained the word "spastic", which is considered very offensive to disabled people in the UK. [88] Additionally, Kamek has had minor cameo appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series.[ citation needed ]
A prototype of Mario Kart 64 for the Nintendo 64 featured Kamek as one of the eight playable characters, but the character was replaced with Donkey Kong in the final game. [89] [90] Kamek would later become a playable character made available for the Kamek Tour in a 2021 update to the 2019 mobile game Mario Kart Tour . [91] In 2023, he was added to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as part of the Booster Course Pass, marking his first appearance in a console Mario Kart game. [92] [93] [94] [95]
Kamek appears in The Super Mario Bros. Movie , voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson, who based Kamek’s voice on Peter Lorre. [96]
Mini Bowser, [w] also referred to exclusively in North America as Koopa Kid and initially mistranslated as Baby Bowser, describes both an individual and a group of Bowser's minions bearing similar design elements to the latter. They appear exclusively in the Mario Party sub-series of video games, [97] where their role is generally to hinder player's progress by stealing coins needed for progression or confronting the player in minigames. [98] [99]
While Mini Bowser would initially continue to rise in relevance throughout the series, becoming the plot's main antagonistic force [100] as well as a playable character by Mario Party 5 [101] and being the subject of a dedicated mode in Mario Party Advance , [102] he has also become an example of Nintendo phasing out certain characters from the Super Mario franchise, with him having been replaced by the more recently introduced Bowser Jr. in newer games of the series, [103] netting him the reputation of being "another neglected classic Nintendo character". [104] Both the reason for this disappearance as well as his actual relation to Bowser is a subject of fan speculation, due to regional differences concerning in-game texts and manuals implying Mini Bowser to either be a child, younger version or simple henchman of Bowser. [105]
Waluigi [x] is a tall, thin, and mischievous man who was introduced in Mario Tennis as Wario's partner of unspecified relation. He is Luigi's black-and-purple clad arch-rival. [106] Waluigi is often an antagonist who teams up with Wario to accomplish their schemes. He is playable in most of the Mario spin-off games, and makes several cameos within the Super Smash Bros. series. [107] Like with Wario, his name is a portmanteau of "warui" and "Luigi". [108]
King Boo [y] is the king of the Boos, and is the main antagonist of the Luigi's Mansion series.[ citation needed ] He plays minor roles, occasionally playable, in various other Mario games, including the Mario Kart and Mario Party series.[ citation needed ] King Boo's first major debuted role was as the final boss of Luigi's Mansion , where he disguised himself as Bowser. [109] He is depicted as much larger than the average Boos that appear in games after Luigi's Mansion.[ citation needed ] He dons a crown with a large ruby, and has glowing, sunken eyes in the Luigi's Mansion franchise.[ citation needed ] A similar character named Big Boo is an enemy in Super Mario World [110] and a boss in Super Mario 64 DS .[ citation needed ] Additionally, a different character also named King Boo, known as Boss Boo in Japan, appears as a boss in Super Mario Sunshine .[ citation needed ]
Bowser Jr. (known as Koopa Jr. [z] in Japan; voiced by Caety Sagoian), or sometimes simply Jr. or Junior, is the son of Bowser, who first appeared in the 2002 game Super Mario Sunshine . [1] He is often depicted as the secondary antagonist throughout the Mario series. In the games, Bowser Jr. looks up to his dad, and shares his ambition to defeat Mario, and take over the Mushroom Kingdom. Bowser Jr. is playable in most of the spin-off Mario games, and in Super Smash Bros. He is the main protagonist of Bowser Jr.'s Journey (2018) included in the remake of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story . [111]
Petey Piranha, known as Boss Pakkun [aa] in Japan, [112] is a large, powerful Piranha Plant character. Whereas normal Piranha Plants are usually depicted growing from pipes, Petey's leaves and roots are foot-like and arm-like appendages, allowing the character to use objects such as tennis rackets and golf clubs when playable in the various Mario sports games.[ citation needed ] He can sometimes use his leaves to fly around. He debuted as the primary boss of Bianco Hills in the game Super Mario Sunshine , returning as a minor boss in New Super Mario Bros. .[ citation needed ] Similar Piranha Plant boss characters later appear in Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel. [113] Petey Piranha made his Mario Kart debut in Mario Kart: Double Dash as a playable driver, and returns in Mario Kart Tour [114] and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe . [115]
Fawful, [ab] known in Japan as Gerakobits, is a recurring antagonist in the Mario & Luigi series. [116] The character is considered to be "insane", and speaks in a chaotic manner. [117] [118] He served as the secondary antagonist of Superstar Saga, and the main antagonist of Bowser's Inside Story. [119] He was also the main antagonist of Bowser’s Minions, which he brainwashed all of Bowser's minions, and became Captain Goomba’s archenemy. [120]
He was created by Masanori Sato, who worked as the illustrator for Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, the first game in the Mario & Luigi series. Fawful's localized Japanese name, Gerakobits, is derived from geragera, the Japanese onomatopoeia for a scornful laugh, [121] while his English name is a pun combining the words "awful" and "guffaw". Because Fawful was not based on any existing characters in the Mario series, the Nintendo Treehouse, which is responsible for localizing games for North American audiences, had more creative freedom in writing for the character. [117] Bill Trinen and Nate Bihldorff, both employees of the Treehouse, wrote the English dialogue for Fawful through the exchange of notes. [117] Rather than sticking close to the Japanese script, where Fawful simply adds "Fururururu!" to the end of every line, [122] Trinen and Bihldorff intended to make Fawful as "wacky" and "zainy" as possible in the Western release. [117] [118] Thus, in English versions of the games, all of Fawful's dialogue consists of broken English and word salads and his catchphrase, "I have fury!". [123]
Fawful has received critical acclaim from both critics and fans, regarded as a favorite villain. [123] [124] [125] He is also regarded for his quotes and humor, nominated for the "Most Quotable Character" award in 2009, but losing to Ellis from Left 4 Dead 2 . [126] 1UP.com 's Jeremy Parish attributing the quality of Superstar Saga's comedy to him. [127] [128] His "I have fury!" quote was included in Nintendo Power 's collection of classic quotes from Nintendo games. [123] Another quotation, "I am the mustard of your doom!" was regarded by MTV Multiplayer writer Steven Totilo as one of the most famous lines in video games of recent years and was quoted with "uncommon frequency." [129] GamesRadar ranked Fawful as one of the best video game villains, arguing that he was a dominant aspect of the Mario & Luigi series partly due to his quotes. [130]
Mario Kart is a series of kart racing games based on the Mario franchise developed and published by Nintendo. Players compete in go-kart races while using various power-up items. It features characters and courses mostly from the Mario series as well as other gaming franchises such as The Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing, F-Zero, Excitebike, and Splatoon.
Koopa Troopas 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 Troopas, Shellcreepers, first appeared in the 1983 game Mario Bros., while Koopa Troopas themselves debuted two years later in Super Mario Bros. (1985). Koopa Troopas are a common staple in most Super Mario and spin-off games. When defeated, they may flee from or retreat inside their shells, which can usually be used as weapons. Koopa shells are a recurring weapon in the franchise, particularly popularized in the Mario Kart series, in which they can be fired as projectiles against other racers. Despite making up the bulk of Bowser's army, Koopa Troopas are often shown to be peaceful, sometimes even teaming up with protagonist Mario.
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 his brother, Luigi's distinctive characteristics include his large nose and mustache, overalls, green hat, and high-pitched, exaggerated Italian accent.
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 as Mario's trusted steed. With a gluttonous appetite, Yoshi can gobble enemies with his long tongue, and lay eggs that doubly function as projectiles. Yoshi is the title character of the Yoshi series and a supporting character in the Mario franchise. He has appeared in Mario Party and Mario Kart, as well as many Mario sports games. He also appears as a playable character in the crossover fighting game series Super Smash Bros. Yoshi is a member of the same-named species, which is distinguished for its wide range of colors.
Princess Peach 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 Kingdom, where she resides in her castle along with Toads. Since her debut, she has appeared in the majority of Mario video games as the main female character and the romantic interest of Mario. She has been voiced by Samantha Kelly since 2007.
Bowser (Japanese: クッパ, Kuppa, "Koopa"), also known as King Bowser or King Koopa, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of Nintendo's Mario franchise. In Japan, he is titled Daimaō. He is the arch-nemesis of the plumber Mario and the leader of the turtle-like Koopa race. Bowser's defining traits include his monstrous appearance with dragon-like elements, full-throated roar, fire-breathing abilities, and tyrannical personality. His ultimate goals are to kidnap Princess Peach, make her his queen, conquer the Mushroom Kingdom, and eventually dominate the world.
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is a 1995 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The player controls Yoshi, a friendly dinosaur, on a quest to reunite baby Mario with his brother Luigi, who has been kidnapped by Kamek. Yoshi runs and jumps to reach the end of the level while solving puzzles and collecting items with Mario's help.
Mario Party is a party video game series featuring characters from the Mario franchise in which up to four local players or computer-controlled characters compete in a board game interspersed with minigames. Designed by Shigeru Miyamoto, and directed by Kenji Kikuchi, the games are currently developed by Nintendo Cube and published by Nintendo, being previously developed by Hudson Soft. The series is known for its party game elements, including the often unpredictable multiplayer game modes that allow play with up to four, and sometimes eight, human players or CPUs.
Super Mario 64 DS is a 2004 platform game developed and published by Nintendo as a launch game for the Nintendo DS. Super Mario 64 DS is a remake of the 1996 Nintendo 64 game Super Mario 64, with new graphics, characters, collectibles, a multiplayer mode, and several extra minigames. As with the original, the plot centers on rescuing Princess Peach from Bowser. Unlike the original, Yoshi is the first playable character, with Mario, Luigi, and Wario being unlockable characters in early phases of the game.
Mario Superstar Baseball is a 2005 sports game developed by Namco and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. The game was created in the vein of other Mario sports games such as Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour and Mario Power Tennis. A sequel, Mario Super Sluggers, was released for the Wii in 2008.
Super Princess Peach is a 2005 platform game developed by Tose and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It was released in Japan in October 2005 and worldwide the following year. Super Princess Peach is the first game to feature Princess Peach as the main protagonist on a dedicated video game console and the second overall after Princess Toadstool's Castle Run released in 1990 on the Nelsonic Game Watch.
Super Mario Adventures is an anthology of comics that ran in Nintendo Power throughout 1992, featuring the characters from Nintendo's Mario series and based loosely on Super Mario World. In 1993, the series was also serialized in CoroCoro Comic in Japanese, under the title Mario's Big Adventure. Charlie Nozawa, the artist who created the comics, is also known by the pen name Tamakichi Sakura. Kentaro Takekuma was responsible for the story, which follows Mario and Luigi as they attempt to rescue Princess Toadstool after she is kidnapped by Bowser with intent to marry her.
Yoshi's Island DS, known in Japan as Yoshi Island DS, is a 2006 platform game developed by Artoon and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It was released in North America and Australia in November 2006, in Europe in December 2006, and in Japan in March 2007. It is a sequel to the 1995 SNES game, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. Announced at Nintendo's E3 press conference in May 2006, the game was well received by critics, scoring an average of 81% on Metacritic's aggregate. The game was originally to be titled Yoshi's Island 2, though its name was changed one month before its North American release. In April and May 2015, the game was made available for the Wii U via the Virtual Console service, shortly after a Nintendo Direct presentation.
Super Mario is a platform game series created by Nintendo starring their mascot, Mario. It is the central series of the greater Mario franchise. At least one Super Mario game has been released for every major Nintendo video game console. However, there have also been a number of Super Mario video games released on non-Nintendo gaming platforms. There are more than 20 games in the series.
Goombas, known in Japan as Kuribō, and originally Little Goomba, are a fictional species from Nintendo's Mario franchise. They first appeared in the NES video game Super Mario Bros. as the first enemy players encounter, part of Bowser's Army. They have appeared outside video games, including in film and television. They are brown mushroom-like creatures with long black eyebrows, a sharp underbite, a tan stem, dark brown feet, no limbs, and are most commonly seen walking around aimlessly, often as an obstacle, in video games. They were included late in the development of Super Mario Bros. as a simple, easy-to-defeat enemy.
Mario Party 9 is a 2012 party video game developed by NDcube and published by Nintendo for the Wii. The ninth main installment in the Mario Party series, it was announced at E3 2011 and released in Europe, North America, and Australia in March 2012, followed by Japan a month later. It was the first game in the series not to be developed by Hudson Soft, which was acquired and dissolved by Konami on March 1, 2012, the day before the game's European release. Instead, development was taken over by Nintendo studio NDCube. This was also the final Mario game to be released on the Wii.
Mario is a multimedia franchise created by game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for the Japanese video game company Nintendo, which produces and publishes its installments. Starring the titular Italian plumber Mario, it is primarily a video game franchise but has extended to other forms of media, including television series, comic books, a 1993 feature film, a 2023 animated film, and theme park attractions. The series' first installment was 1983's Mario Bros. even though Mario made his first appearance in 1981's arcade game Donkey Kong and had already been featured in several games of the Donkey Kong and Game & Watch series. The Mario games have been developed by a wide variety of developers. Mario games have been released almost exclusively for Nintendo's various video game consoles and handhelds, from the third generation onward.
Toad, known in Japan as Kinopio, is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo's Mario franchise. A prominent red Toad serves as one of Princess Peach's handlers and appears consistently as a supporting character in the franchise.
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 Mario Bros. 2. It is also the first entry in the Super Mario series to feature high-definition graphics.
"I really just want to make him someone that loves treasure and you can feel that from him", Hiratake said. "I think honestly Captain Toad is someone that doesn't really care what's going on, but when he sees treasure he's like, 'I want it!'. "You know, I do question his loyalty to the Mushroom Kingdom a little bit. I think of him like a crow that loves shiny things or a moth to a flame. He just loves treasure so much that he can't think about anything else — he's just so happy finding treasure."—Game director Shinya Hiratake
Bowser, King of the Koopas
Bowser, King of the Koopas, and his evil offspring have invaded yet another kingdom. The Koopalings have seized the Kingdom's precious crystals. It's up to you, armed with your trusty Nintendo Scope, to ride Yoshi to the rescue! (back of the box of the North American and PAL versions)
の今度は自分の子供コクッパ7兄弟を仲間\ に入れ、ワールドのあちこちでイタズラの [This time, he recruited his own children, the 7 Koopa brothers, and started playing pranks around the world.]
His name is Waluigi, and the only person who's pleased to meet him is his big brother, Wario.
The Beanstar is the protector of this land, and it has the power to grant any and all desires... to prevent such a power from being used for evil, the Beanstar was cast into a deep sleep... It is said that a voice of great beauty is required to wake the Beanstar from its slumber. It must be the voice of a pure and noble soul... In this day and age, Princess Peach is the only one who possesses such a voice. So... the reason Cackletta stole Princess Peach's voice... Aha! She must plan to awaken the Beanstar and fulfill all of her desires!