Nintendo has created many unforgettable video game series with many popular mascots. Nintendo has done extremely well in this regard, but it’s a little shocking to look back to the beginning of series and realize just how much they’ve changed. The Super Mario series is still Nintendo’s flagship property and it’s a great example of a simple idea that’s been able to evolve with each new gaming generation.
Mario is now the star of his own games, but many overlook that his start was back in the arcade classic, Donkey Kong. Mario’s independence from that tile is just one of the many shifts that have taken place with these fantastic games.
10 He’s Ditched The Hammer
Back during the earliest days of Mario, the character was more defined by his mighty hammer more than any of his other abilities. The hammer was Mario’s key to taking out Donkey Kong, but its presence has slowly faded over the years. The hammer still routinely appears in Mario’s RPG efforts or the Paper Mario series, but the main Super Mario games haven’t made it relevant in ages. He’s simply found much more effective ways to dispose of his enemies and his jump has become a much more powerful asset.
9 There Are Many Power-Ups And Abilities
The Super Mario franchise has reached a point where new titles in the series are advertised by the advent of Mario’s new power-ups just as much as anything else from the game. It’s hard to believe that Mario was devoid of power-ups before they became a prominent feature in Super Mario Bros. At first these powers were limited to small boosts, like the ability to be marginally bigger or shoot out fireballs. However, the series has truly run with this idea and there are now really outside of the box power-up ideas like Bee Mario, Ice Mario, and Cloud Mario.
8 He Faces New Villains
It’s kind of fascinating that the biggest villain in Mario’s life used to be Donkey Kong. The series has completely evolved past this point and Donkey Kong has even become a valuable ally to Mario and a beloved protagonist in his own right.
With Donkey Kong out of the villain position, Bowser has stepped in to fill the gap as Mario’s archenemy, but the series has still experimented with new foes, too. Bowser even occasionally gets to be one of the good guys. The Super Mario games have gotten a lot more fluid with how they handles their villains.
7 Mario Jumped To 3D And Turned Into Paper
This may be more the advent of video game technology as a whole than something specific to the Super Mario games, but it still marks a drastic shift in the series. Mario began not only in a 2D environment, but a very basic one. The size of Mario’s playground has continued to expand and he’s now in gigantic, immersive 3D environments (including games that are actually in 3D). Adversely, Mario has also gone the opposite direction and been turned into a flat paper version of himself that plays with 3D worlds in an even more creative way.
6 He Has Yoshi And Other Sidekicks
Super Mario World is a big turning point for the series for many reasons, but it’s also the first time that players got to ride Yoshi, Mario’s dinosaur-like companion. Yoshi is a frequent appearance in the Super Mario series and he opens up a whole new style of gameplay. Yoshi is still often by Mario’s side, but he’s also become the hero of his own games and Mario has gotten to have adventures alongside other sidekicks. Games repeatedly pair Mario up with unusual partners, each with their own unique abilities, which help push the games even further.
5 He’s Part Of An Ensemble Of Playable Characters
Nintendo had no clue what a popular character Mario would become when he debuted in Donkey Kong, but the idea that he might be part of a larger team seemed even more foreign of a concept. Initially there was Luigi, but now there is a whole stable of supporting characters that can have adventures in tandem with Mario.
The American version of Super Mario Bros. 2 first allowed gamers to play as characters like Peach and Toad, but the games in the series have fully embraced this and added even more playable personalities to the roster.
4 He’s Become A Baby
The Super Mario franchise continues to look forward, but sometimes in doing so that means turning the clock backwards. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island marks the first appearance of Baby Mario, who’s initially more of a nuisance than a hero. Over time, Baby Mario and a whole slew of baby versions of the core characters have gained an increased importance and gotten opportunities to shine. Baby Mario now even exists in tandem with regular Mario, yet somehow a space-time paradox has yet to consume the Mushroom Kingdom.
3 He Plays Sports
Mario is a character whose roots are in the platformer genre and it’s been impressive to see how each new Super Mario game successfully helps the genre evolve while taking on unique ideas. Mario still operates best in a platforming world, but the character has opened himself up to extracurricular activities that indulge in the sports genre of gaming. What could have been an experimental fad has turned into a frequent well that Nintendo returns to and Mario’s skills in areas like golf, tennis, & basketball have proven to be formidable. He’s even competed in the Olympics!
2 Mario’s Become His Worst Enemies
It’s legitimately exciting to see how a new Super Mario game mixes up the formula and adds more tricks into Mario’s versatile repertoire. Super Mario Odyssey is the character’s big title on the Switch, but it brings with it a serious change in the form of Mario’s sentient hat, Cappy. Cappy allows Mario to possess the bodies of other creatures, many of which are actually enemies that he’s become used to defeating. Mario’s many power-ups show off new sides of the character, but it’s radically different to see him embody things like a Goomba, Bullet Bill, or a Chain Chomp.
1 Star Collecting
The Super Mario series has become very objective-driven and there’s a real sense of accomplishment that players feel when they know they’ve collected everything that’s out there. Mario’s first handful of games were more focused on him just reaching the goal and beating Bowser. There were secrets hidden along the way, but in a limited capacity. Super Mario 64 introduces the concept of a number of Stars that Mario needs to collect and the goal has become a mainstay of the series. Sometimes Mario collects Shines or Power Moons, but the concept remains the same.
