Mario (franchise): Difference between revisions

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!''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]''*

|In [[List of Mario games by date#1981|1981]], the ''Mario'' series officially started with the release of [[Shigeru Miyamoto]]'s creation - ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]''. Originally released in the arcades, ''Donkey Kong'' became a very popular game amongst gamers, eventually spawning many remakes and ports. In 1981, Mario had yet to be called so -- rather, he was called "Jumpman" during that brief era; it was only a few years later that Mario Segale would rename the aforementioned character to "Mario". Mario was also a carpenter in the game and would not be a plumber until ''[[Mario Bros.]]'' Since then, the name has become very popular among the video game community; he is considered to be one of Nintendo's mascots. Since the release of ''Donkey Kong'' in 1981, Mario has appeared in over 200 games, and has been referenced in several more. The object of the game was to control Jumpman to get to the top of the construction site while also trying to dodge barrels to reach Pauline, who had been kidnapped by Donkey Kong.

![[Donkey Kong (Game & Watch)|''Donkey Kong'' (Game & Watch)]]*

|A year after the release of ''Donkey Kong'', Nintendo [[Donkey Kong (Game & Watch)|remade the game]] on their Game & Watch system while retaining the same name. As in the original game, Mario's girlfriend Pauline has been kidnapped by Donkey Kong. Now, Mario must climb up a construction site while dodging barrels the ape throws at him in order to reach him; he must then use a crane to knock the girder out from under him. This game would later be ported into three future Game & Watch games: ''[[Game and Watch Gallery 2]]'', ''[[Game & Watch Gallery 4]]'', and ''[[Game & Watch Collection]]''; while the Game Boy releases lacked a second screen, all three retained the original gameplay. There were also two game modes: an easy mode and a hard mode.

!''[[Mario Bros. (game)|Mario Bros.]]''

|Two years later, in 1983, Mario got his own game - using his current name. In the game ''[[Mario Bros. (game)|Mario Bros.]]'', Mario and his brother [[Luigi]] - who first debuted in this game - were traversing the creature-infested depths of the sewers. This game is Mario's debut as a plumber. Mario and Luigi had to fight such creatures as [[Fighter Fly]]s, [[Shellcreeper]]s and [[Sidestepper]]s to clear each stage, while also collecting coins during the levels as payment. Mario Bros. is the 1st [[Mario]] game with infinite [[levels]] (and last.) Since its release, it has been released as a minigame with several other games, as well as being re-released once. It also received a sequel, ''[[Mario Clash]]'', in 1995.

![[Mario Bros. (Game & Watch)|''Mario Bros.'' (Game & Watch)]]

|On the same year as the NES game, ''[[Mario Bros. (Game & Watch)|Mario Bros.]]'' for the Game & Watch was released. However, despite the similar names, it bears no resemblance to the arcade game. In this game, Mario and Luigi work for a bottling company and are loading bottles on a truck for delivery. Being on a dual-screen game system that opened up like a book, the game allowed for two players, Mario being on the right and Luigi on the left. This game was later re-released in ''[[Game & Watch Gallery 3]]''.

!''[[Mario's Cement Factory]]''

|Another release on Game & Watch, ''[[Mario's Cement Factory]]'' involves Mario running around a cement factory in order to open hatches to prevent the cement behind them from overflowing; if it does so, the cement will injure a factory worker, and will count as a miss. Mario must also avoid touching the factory floor, which will electrocute him and count as a miss, and three results in a game over.

!''[[Mario's Bombs Away]]''

|Another Game & Watch release, ''[[Mario's Bombs Away]]'', released on Game & Watch, involves Mario, as a member of the army, transporting bombs from one side of the screen to another while avoiding enemy torches or fires started when Mario's friend carelessly tosses his cigarettes into puddles of oil. When he reaches the other side, Mario can only give a bomb to his friend when his hands are down, and must hand him four more to cause them to blow up on the enemy. As with the previous game, three misses results in a game over.

!''[[Golf]]''

|Before the release of ''Super Mario Bros.'', Mario appeared in his first ever sports game: ''[[Golf]]'' — it was released in 1984. The gameplay is relatively simple: the player must strike the ball with the correct amount of force in order to get a good shot. The more good shots and the player gets, the more points he or she is likely to earn. ''Golf'' Mario is stated to be the playable character (even he is not seen in his traditional clothing) but the original version instead claims the golfer name is ''Ossan''.

!''[[Mario Bros. Special]]''

|A game developed by [[Hudson Soft]], ''[[Mario Bros. Special]]'' wasn't a port of the original game, but a complete remake, with new graphics and sounds. Instead of having to defeat every enemy in the level, the game involved trying to get to the top of a level, where the exit to each level is.

!''[[Punch Ball Mario Bros.]]''

|''[[Punch Ball Mario Bros.]]'', also released only in Japan by Hudson Soft, involved basically doing the same thing as in ''Mario Bros.'', but also involved using Punch Balls to hit enemies, stunning them, and then they could be kicked away like normal. Another difference between this and the original was that the platform pattern was reversed.

!''[[Wrecking Crew]]''

|In June of 1985, Nintendo released ''[[Wrecking Crew]]'' in Japan for the Famicom Disk System, then later that year in other parts of the world for the NES. The concept of the game revolved around [[Mario]] (and [[Luigi]], if a second player were to join the game) who were in the middle of a demolition site. While at the site, they had to break down all of the concrete walls with their hammers found in each level. The player would encounter several enemies, none of which could be defeated with the hammer that Mario (or Luigi) would carry. Rather, they would have to trap enemies under steel drums. The game also featured a new character: [[Foreman Spike]], who would occasionally appear to outdo Mario at breaking down the concrete walls, and who could push Mario off of ledges. The game also featured a custom level creator, the first game in the ''Mario'' series to ever do so.

!''[[Super Mario Bros.]]''

|On September 13, 1985, Mario starred in his very first game outside of the arcades. With the release of, ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'', the NES waswhich anbecame extremeextremely successsuccessful. Mario, and his brother Luigi, had to set out on a massive adventure across the [[Mushroom Kingdom]] to rescue [[Princess Peach|Princess Toadstool]] and the [[Mushroom Retainer]]s from the evil [[Bowser|King Bowser]]. After traversing through eight massive [[world]]s, filled with enemies, the brothers eventually reached [[Bowser's Castle]], finally rescuing Princess Toadstool. ''Super Mario Bros.'' was the best-selling video game for the NES in 1999,<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20060317005503/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=52404 Best-selling NES game]</ref> and, until surpassed by ''Wii Sports'' in 2009, the best-selling video game of all time. ''Super Mario Bros.'' also had a major part in both the takeoff of the NES and the revival of the American video game industry after the crash in 1983.

!''[[Super Mario Bros. Special]]''

|''[[Super Mario Bros. Special]]'' is the true "lost" game of the series, which was made by [[Hudson]] Soft for the PC88 series of Japanese PCs and officially licensed by [[Nintendo]]. ''SMB Special'' was the very first licensed sequel to ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' to appear, released a few months before ''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels]]'' in 1986. While superficially very similar to the original ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'', the game features completely-original levels and lacks a screen-scrolling mechanism. Jumping and running physics also differ from the original, providing a more challenging experience than ''Super Mario Bros.'' Due to the PC88's technology being slightly inferior to that of the NES/Famicom, the graphics and audio differ slightly from the original NES game as well, although they are closely emulated, and does not include [[Luigi]] or a multiplayer mode.

!''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels]]''

|AfterFollowing the extreme success of ''Super Mario Bros.'', ''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels]]'' was released just one year later in [[Japan]]. The gameplay and story were almost identical to its predecessor, but it was not released in the United States due to its extreme difficulty.<ref>[http://wii.ign.com/articles/824/824330p1.html Extreme difficulty of Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels]</ref> Some gameplay elements were changed slightly, such as [[Blooper]]s flying in midair, wind to help the player jump across [[abyss]]es, and other minor changes.

!''Vs[[VS. Super Mario Bros.]]''

|''[[VS. Super Mario Bros.]]'' was a two-player arcade game released in Japan in 1986. The game was mostly the same as the original game; Mario or Luigi went on a quest to save the princess from Bowser and restore order to the Mushroom Kingdom. The game was harder than ''Super Mario Bros.'' in that it had less warp zones and more enemies. The game even featured levels from ''Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels''.

!''[[All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros.]]''*

|''[[All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros.]]'' was an officially licensed hack of [[Super Mario Bros.]] Gameplay was the same but many characters such as the [[Mushroom Retainer]]s were replaced with Japanese celebrities from the radio show [[wikipedia:All Night Nippon|''All Night Nippon]]. Other changes were also made for this game, such as World 1 being set during night time and [[Princess Peach]]'s outfit was changed. The game was only released in Japan.

!''[[I Am a Teacher: Super Mario Sweater]]''*

|''[[I Am a Teacher: Super Mario Sweater]]'' is a 1988 Famicom Disk System game released only in Japan. It was designed by Royal industries Co. Ltd., a Japanese appliance and sewing machine company. The company realized that they could make a lot of money by releasing a sweater-design program, which led to this game. Players could design the sweater they want, and the company would make a real-life version for 2,900 Yen (about $24).

!''[[Famicom Grand Prix: F-1 Race]]''

|''[[Famicom Grand Prix: F-1 Race]]'' was a game released only in Japan for the Famicom Disk System. The game involved playing as Mario and racing other computer-controlled vehicles to try and win first place; winning a Grand Prix resulted in the player winning money, which could be used to buy cars. The cars also had limited health, which decreased if the player hit walls or other cars and if they drive off-road. Players can also stop for a pit-stop and repair their car, giving them more health and fuel, but it took time away from the race.

!''[[Kaettekita Mario Bros.]]''*

|''[[Kaettekita Mario Bros.]]'' (translated as ''Return of Mario Bros.'', but also commonly known as ''Mario Bros. Returns'' in English-speaking countries) is a Japanese game for the Famicom Disk System. The game has several modes that can be accessed from the main menu. The "Original Mario Bros." mode plays, for the most part, similarly to the ''Mario Bros.'' game that was released to arcades. However, there are several differences: some new levels were added, Mario and Luigi can now change direction in mid-air (much like modern remakes), the graphics and music were improved, high scores can now be saved and advertisements appeared between levels. Some were for upcoming ''Mario'' games, such as ''Super Mario Bros. 3''; others were for the Japanese food company Nagatanien, who sponsored this game. There is also a two-player version of this mode, in which both players are active at the same time.

!''[[Family Computer Golf: Japan Course]]''

|''[[Family Computer Golf: Japan Course]]'' is a golfing game released only in Japan starring Mario and Luigi. The courses in this game were created based on actual Japanese golf courses. The game was compatible with a service called Disk Fax, in which players, using a machine, could send their save data and high scores to Nintendo. Using this service, a contest was held in which the winner received a gold copy of this game, featuring a higher difficulty and an extra course.

!''[[Family Computer Golf: U.S. Course]]''

|Released a few months later as a sister title to ''Japan Course'', ''[[Family Computer Golf: U.S. Course]]'' is a Japan-exclusive golf game. Like with ''Japan Course'', the courses in this game are based on real golf courses in the United States. This game was also compatible with the Disk Fax service, and a contest was held featuring this game as well, with the same prize and the gold disk having the same additional features.

![[Super Mario Bros. (Game & Watch)|''Super Mario Bros.'' (Game & Watch)]]

|Two years after the release of Nintendo's first biggest commercial success, the company released [[a remake of ''Super Mario Bros.'' (Gameas & Watch)|a remake of the game]] on their Game & Watch systemtitle. Being a remake of the game, it essentially has the same plot, but with only eight levels; however, after beating every level, they will have to be repeated. Mario will have to go through nine loops, each time with the levels increasing in difficulty. There are also two types of levels: scroll screen levels, in which Mario will have to reach a certain point to advance, and timer screen levels, in which Mario must get through the world in a given amount of time. Additionally, another difference between the original and this remake is that Mario will find Princess Toadstool at the end of every level, without having to fight a boss.

!''[[Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally]]''

|''[[Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally]]'' was the Japan-only sequel to ''Famicom Grand Prix: F-1 Race''. Mario and Luigi were two playable characters, and could drive one of three cars: [[Kattobi]], [[Yonque]] and [[Monster]].

!''[[Super Mario Bros. 2]]''

|Two years later in 1988, Nintendo released yet another ''Mario'' game for the NES - ''[[Super Mario Bros. 2]]''. Despite the fact that the game's title has "2" in it, it was not the direct sequel to ''Super Mario Bros.'' — ''Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels'' was, however it was not released outside of Japan. In this game, Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and [[Toad]] had to save the dream world of [[Subcon]] from the diabolical [[Wart]]. After fighting their way through seven strange worlds, they eventually stopped the evil Wart, saved Subcon, and Mario woke up from his dream. ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' would eventually be released in Japan as ''Super Mario USA''.

!''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]''

|Another two years had passed by the time the next mainstream ''Mario'' game had been released: ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]''. ThisIt was by far, the most expansive ''Mario'' game on the NES, as it featured many [[level]]s, [[item]]s, and [[enemies]]. Bowser and his seven [[Koopalings]] wreaked havoc across the [[Mushroom World]] after turning all of the [[Mushroom King]]s into various animals. Mario and Luigi had to traverse through many worlds, castles, seas, forests, and deserts to fix the wrongs the Koopalings had caused. Eventually, the brothers reached Bowser and defeated him, rescuing Princess Toadstool once again.

!''[[Super Mario Land]]''

|Mario made the jump to Nintendo's first handheld system in 1989, with the release of ''[[Super Mario Land]]''. Selling a total of 18.06 million copies<ref>[http://www.gamecubicle.com/features-mario-units_sold_sales.htm Super Mario Land's sales total]</ref>, it became the bestselling video game not to be bundled with a system in history for quite some time. In this game, Mario had to traverse across the four worlds of [[Sarasaland]] to save the [[Princess Daisy]] from the alien [[Tatanga]] along with his family. With the help of new features such as the [[Superball]], [[Marine Pop]], and the [[Sky Pop]], Mario was able to stop Tatanga and his team and save Daisy.

!''[[Alleyway]]''

|''[[Alleyway]]'' was a game made in a classic breakout-style. Its gameplay involved using the paddle, which is driven by [[Mario]], to hit a ball to destroy the blocks above it. Every fourth round in the game a sprite from ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' would appear.