Mario (franchise): Difference between revisions

The whole series revolves around the adventures of an extensive cast of recurring characters. The main protagonist of the series, the titular [[Mario]], is a fictional Italian-American plumber who is portrayed as the hero of a realm called the [[Mushroom Kingdom]], which he endeavors to defend by traversing his way through stages filled with obstacles and enemies. His arch-nemesis is [[Bowser]], the king of the [[Koopa]]s, a race of evil-driven anthropomorphic turtles. Bowser is responsible for most, if not all, of the Mushroom Kingdom's invasions, and almost always appears as the final boss, who constantly and consistently attempts to put an end to Mario and his friends. Mario's younger but taller brother, [[Luigi]], often participates in his adventures alongside him; in early games, he was only playable in the two-player mode. The Mushroom Kingdom's ruler, [[Princess Peach]], is Mario's love interest and recurring damsel in distress; she repeatedly falls victim to Bowser's kidnappings and has to be rescued by Mario, but occasionally serves as a protagonist herself. Another prominent sidekick of Mario's is [[Yoshi]], a dinosaur-like creature who serves as a riding mount to Mario, and has a long tongue which he uses to eat food and enemies; this character became so popular after his debut that he was spun off into [[Yoshi (series)|his own franchise]]. Mario also has a greedy, hot-tempered doppelganger rival named [[Wario]], who has antagonized Mario on various occasions, and also serves as an anti-hero (and sometimes hero) with [[Wario (series)|his own adventures]] which generally involve money grubbing and treasure hunting. [[Donkey Kong]], a muscular and somewhat dim-witted ape, originally served as Mario's first rival in his arcade debut, but eventually became the main protagonist of [[Donkey Kong (series)|his own franchise]]. Other significant recurring characters in the franchise include the [[Toad (species)|Toads]], inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom and servants to Peach, who often support Mario during his adventures; [[Princess Daisy]], the tomboyish ruler of a kingdom called [[Sarasaland]]; Wario's brother and partner in crime [[Waluigi]]; [[Professor Elvin Gadd]], an aging scientist and inventor; and [[Rosalina]], a mysterious figure who watches over the cosmos.

 

Throughout his adventures, Mario faces a wide variety of enemies that make attempts to hinder his progress. The [[Goomba]]s, mushroom-like creatures that betrayed the Mushroom Kingdom, are extremely weak to the extent that a single stomp is enough to defeat them. [[Koopa Troopa]]s, foot soldiers of Bowser, retract in their shells if stomped on, after which they can be used to attack other foes. Many different species of Koopa exist, including the aerial [[Paratroopa]]s, the projectile-wielding [[Hammer Bros.]], the hard-shelled [[Buzzy Beetle]]s, the cloud-riding [[Lakitu]]s and their pets the [[Spiny|Spinies]], the skeletal [[Dry Bones]], and the sorcerous [[Magikoopa]]s. Other recurring enemies of Mario include the [[Boo]]s, timid ghosts that cover their faces whenever the hero stares at them; [[Piranha Plant]]s, man-eating flora that dwell within pipes; [[Bullet Bill]]s, projectiles that are shot out of cannons called "blasters"; [[Bob-omb]]s, anthropomorphic bombs with short tempers leading to inevitable explosions; [[Chain Chomp]]s, tethered ball-and-chain creatures that lunge at Mario when in close proximity; [[Blooper]]s, squids that like to corner and close in on their prey; [[Cheep Cheep]]s, fish with wing-like fins and the ability to attack above the surface of the water; [[Thwomp]]s, rectangular rock creatures that flatten whoever passes below them using their own weight; and [[Podoboo]]s, living fireballs that inhabit [[lava]] pits and attack by leaping upward out of the lava. Major individualized minions of Bowser include his son [[Bowser Jr.]]; a seven-member clan called the [[Koopalings]]; [[Kamek]], a high-ranking Magikoopa who often serves as one of Bowser's top acolytes; and [[Boom Boom]], a powerhouse that attacks by flailing his arms.