Mario (franchise)

The Mario franchise is a massive collection of video games and media created by Shigeru Miyamoto. It was developed for the Japanese company Nintendo. Mario is the central character, often depicted as an Italian plumber with a jumping superpower. This franchise is much more than just a series of games. It includes television shows, comic books, and even theme park areas. The series has expanded into films, including a 1993 version and a 2023 version. Today, Mario is recognized as Nintendo's flagship franchise.

Most Mario stories follow a specific narrative framework. This structure often uses episodic plots rather than one long, connected story. This means the events of one game usually do not change the next one. The stories often act like Western fairy tales. They frequently feature a hero who must rescue a princess from a villain. In the main games, Mario travels through fantastical environments to save Princess Peach from King Bowser. This setup allows new players to jump into any game easily.

Gameplay mechanics vary depending on the specific subseries. The flagship series is Super Mario, which focuses on platforming. In these games, players navigate themed environments by jumping. They must overcome obstacles, enemies, and interactive objects. Players can also use power-ups to gain new abilities. Other series use different mechanics entirely. For example, the Dr. Mario series is a puzzle game. In these levels, players drop colored capsules to destroy viruses.

There are many different types of Mario games. The franchise has produced over 200 games across many genres. The Super Mario subseries is the most famous. Other popular groups include Mario Kart, which focuses on racing. There are also sports games like Mario Tennis and Mario Golf. Some games focus on different characters, such as Paper Mario or Mario & Luigi. Even secondary characters like Yoshi and Wario have started their own successful franchises.

The history of Mario began with a commercial challenge. Nintendo's president, Hiroshi Yamauchi, asked Miyamoto to create an arcade game. This was meant to save the company after the failure of Radar Scope. Miyamoto created Donkey Kong in 1981. The main character was originally called "Jumpman." He had to climb ladders and jump over rolling barrels. Eventually, the character became known as Mario. One story says he was named after Mario Segale, a landlord. Another version says employees named him as a joke.

Mario's impact on the industry is visible in huge numbers. The Mario franchise is the best-selling video game franchise of all time. It has sold more than 900 million copies of games. The Super Mario subseries alone accounts for over 430 million sales. This success has allowed the brand to move into many different fields. The games have appeared on many Nintendo consoles, from the NES to the Nintendo Switch. Even handheld devices like the Game & Watch featured Mario games.

The Mario universe is defined by unique visual and spatial design. The worlds often reflect Japanese aesthetic tendencies. These worlds emphasize expressive environments and the importance of space. Early games were sometimes linked to real places like New York City. However, later games moved toward fictional fantasy locations. These include places like the Mushroom Kingdom, Yoshi's Island, or the Metro Kingdom. These areas use specific elements like warp pipes, floating blocks, and coins to create a recognizable sense of adventure.