Mario
Made in 1981.
First Release: Donkey Kong
Latest Release: Paper Mario: Sticker Star
The Mario franchise is a media franchise consisting of video games published and produced by Nintendo starring the fictional character, Mario. The franchise also includes other forms of media including several television series and a feature film. It was originally created by game designer Shigeru Miyamoto with the video game Donkey Kong in July 9, 1981. The games have been developed by a variety of developers including Nintendo, Hudson Soft, and AlphaDream. Most Mario games have either been released for the arcade or Nintendo video game consoles and handhelds dating from the Nintendo Entertainment System to the current generation of video game consoles.
The main series in the franchise is the Super Mario platform series, which mostly follows Mario's adventures in the fictional world of the Mushroom Kingdom. These games typically rely on Mario's jumping ability to allow him to progress through levels. brown townysts suggest that by 2012, the Mario franchise will be valued at over $10 billion. The franchise has spawned over 200 games of various genres along with being the best-selling video game franchise of all time.
Super MarioMario became the star of his own side scrolling platform game in 1985, titled Super Mario Bros., which was the pack-in game included with the Nintendo Entertainment System console. In Japan, a game titled Super Mario Bros. 2 was released in 1986, but a different game with the same name was released internationally in 1988, followed by Super Mario Bros. 3 later that same year. The Japanese version would subsequently be released in the United States in 1993 under the title Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels as part of the Super Mario All-Stars title for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, a console that also featured iterations of the game known as Super Mario World. While Super Mario Land and two sequels were the Game Boy installments in the series, the Game Boy Advance did not receive any original entries, only remakes. Super Mario 64 debuted as the launch title for the Nintendo 64 console in 1996. Super Mario Sunshine was the series' entry for the Nintendo GameCube, and Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel continued the franchise for the Wii.
In 2006 a retro throwback sub-series called New Super Mario Bros. was inaugurated on the Nintendo DS and has continued on the Wii as New Super Mario Bros. Wii, on the 3DS as New Super Mario Bros. 2, and on the Wii U as New Super Mario Bros. U.
Mario KartThe Mario Kart franchise began in 1992 with Super Mario Kart for the SNES, and is currently the most successful and longest-running kart racing franchise, having sold over 50 million copies worldwide. The series has nine games in all so far and each installment is named after a video game console except for Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart 7.
Mario PartyIn 1999, the Hudson game Mario Party was released for the Nintendo 64. Following this, eight numbered sequels have since been released, along with Mario Party Advance and Mario Party DS. Mario Party is a (multiplayer) party game featuring Mario series characters in which four human- or computer-controlled characters compete in a board game interspersed with minigames.
Dr. MarioAfter the Game & Watch game Mario Bombs Away, the first Mario non-platform game, Dr. Mario, was released in 1990. Dr. Mario is a Tetris-like game, featuring a grid that starts out partially filled with viruses of three colors that Dr. Mario must destroy with falling pills. Dr. Mario has been re-released/remade for nearly all Nintendo game consoles.
Mario vs. Donkey KongNintendo's first Donkey Kong title for the Game Boy Advance after Rare left was Mario vs. Donkey Kong, a return to the earlier arcade-style games that incorporated many elements from the Game Boy version. While its style was that of other games, the Rare design for Donkey Kong carried over. Donkey Kong, originally a villain, returns to this role in the game: wanting a Mini Mario clockwork toy, he finds that they are sold out at a local toy store. Enraged, he terrifies the Toads at the factory and steals the toys. This sets up the game's plot, where Mario chases Donkey Kong until he can take the Mini Marios back from Donkey Kong. The game was followed by March of the Minis for the Nintendo DS, Minis March Again on DSiWare, and Mini-Land Mayhem in 2010 for the DS.
SportsThere have been numerous sports games in the Mario franchise.
Mario GolfThe first use of Mario's likeness in a golf game was that the golfer in Golf for NES and Game Boy featured a mustached man resembling Mario. Later, NES Open Tournament Golf was released. It featured Mario and Luigi as the golfers, with Princess Toadstool and Princess Daisy as their caddies. Mario Golf was released for the N64 in 1999. It was followed by Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour for the Gamecube and Mario Golf: Advance Tour for the Game Boy Advance.
Mario TennisThe first appearances of Mario in tennis games were as a referee in Tennis for the NES and Game Boy. These games did not use the Mario branding and only featured Mario in the capacity of a cameo. He then appeared in Mario's Tennis for the Virtual Boy. After this, Camelot Software released Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64. They would subsequently develop other games in this series: Mario Power Tennis for the Gamecube and Wii, Mario Tennis: Power Tour for the Game Boy Advance and Mario Tennis Open for the 3DS.
Mario StrikersStrikers is a sports game incorporating characters and themes from the Mario franchise. The game features the basic aspects and objectives of a soccer game, although no referees are present and characters can legitimately shove others out of possession of the ball. As in other games such as Mario Power Tennis, the player can use Mario-themed items such as bananas and red shells to hinder the opposition and gain the advantage.
Mario BaseballMario and Luigi were team captains in Baseball for the Game Boy. Mario Superstar Baseball was released for the Gamecube and Mario Super Sluggers for the Wii.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic GamesIn 2008, Mario and his friends appeared alongside characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog series in the sports game, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, developed by Sega. A follow-up, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games was released in 2009, and Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games was released between November 2011 and February 2012.
Role-playing gamesSuper Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven StarsSuper Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, often shortened to, and officially known in Japan as, Super Mario RPG, is an action role-playing game developed by Square (now Square Enix) and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was originally released on March 9, 1996 in Japan and on May 13, 1996 in North America. Nintendo ported the game, with minor differences, to the Wii's Virtual Console service in 2008 to regions around the world. It is the first role-playing video game in the Mario series. The game contains token similarities to other Square role-playing video games, such as the Final Fantasy series, with a story and action-based gameplay derived from the Super Mario Bros. series.
Paper MarioThe Paper Mario series began when Paper Mario was released for the Nintendo 64 in 2000.
Mario and LuigiThe Mario & Luigi series began with the release of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga for the Game Boy Advance in 2003.
LCD gamesNintendo has released several Mario and Donkey Kong LCD video games for the Game & Watch console. Eleven were released between 1982 and 1994. Nintendo also licensed the release of six LCD games for Nelsonic's Game Watch line between 1989 and 1994.
Educational gamesIn the early 1990s, many educational games were released in the Mario series. Few of these games were platformers; most sought to teach skills such as typing, mathematics or history. They are not officially recognized by Nintendo, despite being officially licensed. The games were developed independently by Software Toolworks, Interplay and Brainstorm. Nine educational games were released from 1991 to 1996.
- Info from Wikipedia.
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