Mario: Difference between revisions
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|aliases=Several, usually recurring power-up forms such as [[Fire Mario]]
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'''Mario''' is the main character and titular protagonist of the long-running [[Mario|''Mario'' franchise]] as well as the mascot of [[Nintendo]]. Depicted as a short, pudgy, Italian plumber who resides in the [[Mushroom Kingdom]], Mario's adventures are generally centered around rescuing [[Princess Peach]] from [[Bowser]]. Mario
While Mario is widely recognized as being the star of the ''Mario'' franchise, his debut appearance, ''Donkey Kong'', is actually a title within the [[Donkey Kong (franchise)|''Donkey Kong'' franchise]]. The first title of the ''Mario'' franchise is the [[Game & Watch]] game ''[[Mario Bros. (Game & Watch)|Mario Bros.]]'', which was also the debut appearance of Mario's brother [[Luigi]]. Mario then began to star in the ''[[Super Mario]]'' series of platforming titles, with the introduction of ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' in [[1985]].
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Mario has appeared in over 200 games, more than any other video game character, and his likeness has appeared in a variety of merchandise, such as clothing and collectible items. Mario is near-unanimously considered to be the most famous character in the video game industry, which is supported by how the ''Mario'' franchise has sold over 500 million units worldwide, and is the bestselling video game franchise of all time.<ref>Fraser, Mick (December 26, 2016). "[https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/10-best-selling-video-game-franchises-of-all-time The 10 best-selling video game franchises ever]". Red Bull ([https://archive.is/a5hav archive.is]). Retrieved October 25, 2022.</ref>
==Creation==
[[File:Jumpmanconcept.jpg|thumb|left|Concept art of Mario for his debut appearance, ''Donkey Kong'']]
Mario's debut appearance, ''Donkey Kong'', was originally meant to star ''[[Popeye]]'' characters, with [[Popeye (character)|Popeye]] being the main protagonist,<ref> East, Tom (November 25, 2009). "[http://web.archive.org/web/20141110045437/http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/13484/donkey-kong-was-originally-a-popeye-game/ Donkey Kong Was Originally A Popeye Game]". Official Nintendo Magazine (Wayback Machine, [https://archive.is/pThzk archive.is]).</ref> but when Nintendo could not initially secure the licensing rights (until [[1982]], with the release of ''[[Popeye (game)|Popeye]]''), the characters were replaced with their own, with Mario taking the role of Popeye.<ref name="ign">McLaughlin, Rus (November 8, 2007). "[https://web.archive.org/web/20071109202747/http://games.ign.com/articles/833/833615p1.html IGN Presents The History of Super Mario Bros.]". IGN (Wayback Machine, [https://archive.is/RsHlb archive.is]). Retrieved October 28, 2022.</ref> Mario was originally named '''Ossan''' (a Japanese term for "middle-aged man"), then Jumpman and '''Mr. Video Game''' or '''Mr. Video'''.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20101009201546/http://us.wii.com/iwata_asks/mario25th/vol2_page4.jsp</ref><ref>Totilo, Stephen (August 17, 2012). "[https://kotaku.com/5935721/super-marios-boss-doesnt-want-to-overdo-it-with-mr-video-game-and-wont-deceive-you-with-dlc Nintendo Chief: Mario Is Part Of Gamers' DNA]". Kotaku. Retrieved October 28, 2022.</ref> Nintendo eventually settled upon the name "Mario," who was named after [[Mario Segale]], one of [[Nintendo of America]]'s former landlords. There is a widely circulated story that during the localization of ''Donkey Kong'' for American audiences, Nintendo of America's warehouse landlord Mario Segale confronted then-president [[Minoru Arakawa]], demanding back rent. Following a heated argument in which the Nintendo employees eventually convinced Segale he would be paid, they opted to name the character in the game Mario after him.<ref>Edwards, Benj (April 25, 2010). "[https://www.technologizer.com/2010/04/25/mario/ The True Face of Mario]". Technologizer. Retrieved October 28, 2022.</ref> "Jumpman" ended up becoming a short-lived nickname for Mario that only applied to the original arcade version of ''Donkey Kong''.
Due to the graphical limitations of arcade hardware at the time, Miyamoto clothed the character in red overalls and a blue shirt to contrast against each other and the background, making the movements of his arms easily perceptible.<ref name="nextgeneration">West, Neil (February 1998). "The Way Games Ought to Be...". ''Next Generation'' Volume 38. page 106.</ref> A red cap was added to let Miyamoto avoid drawing the character's hairstyle, forehead, and eyebrows, as well as to circumvent the issue of animating his hair as he jumped.<ref name="ign"/> To give distinctly human facial features with the limited graphical abilities, Miyamoto drew a large nose and a mustache, which avoided the need to draw a mouth and facial expressions. Omitting a mouth circumvented the problem of clearly separating the nose from the mouth with a limited number of pixels available.<ref>Snider, Mike (November 8, 2010). "[https://archive.is/NjZb Q&A: 'Mario' creator Shigeru Miyamoto]". USA Today (archive.is). Retrieved October 28, 2022.</ref>
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== General information ==
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''[[Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins]]'' saw the introduction of [[Wario (character)|Wario]], Mario's greedy counterpart and the main antagonist of said game.
In the real world, during the 1990s, Mario's main mascot rival was [[Sega]]'s [[Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|Sonic the Hedgehog]] since the latter's debut in the [[1991]] game ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 game)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]''. This ended in [[2001]], when Sega became a third-party game developer. Since then, the two characters have starred in the ''[[Mario & Sonic]]'' series, where they have a friendly rivalry. Various installments of the series have a story mode revolving around Mario and Sonic who, along with their friends, work to stop [[Bowser]] and [[Dr. Eggman]] from ruining or canceling the Olympic Games. Since ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', Sonic has appeared in every ''[[Super Smash Bros. (series)|Super Smash Bros.]]'' title alongside Mario, although their relationship is not explored like in the ''Mario & Sonic'' series.
{{mario stub|section=yes}}
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