Mario is the most well-known video game character, if not the most famous. He has appeared in more than 200 games over the course of forty years. Mario is mostly a platforming character, but the Mario series has also had games of other types, like Luigi’s Mansion, a fun ghost-busting adventure, and Mario Kart, a famous racing game.
Mario and the other figures who help him have grown significantly over decades of games and remakes. Since this is the case, much trivia may be lost, forgotten, or swept away, and only die-hard fans will remember essential facts about the story.
Birdo’s Gender Changed
Early in her job, Birdo is called a man who thinks she is a woman. In Sattela-Q, a game only available in Japan on a Japanese-only system, she was voiced by an “Okama,” a Japanese word for a man who acts like a woman.
At first, they used pronouns to talk about the figure. Later, “it” pronouns were used instead to avoid gendered words. Nintendo has since accepted Birdo’s gender. All of their marketing materials now use she/her pronouns, and she is featured in Mario Kart 8’s “Women of Racing” title.
People Are Goombas
The stories behind even the most basic monsters in the Mario universe are horrifying. Super Mario Bros. for NES and Famicom had a story where Bowser and the Koopas used magic to turn live people in the Mushroom Kingdom into trees, clouds, and even the blocks Mario hits to get coins and power-ups.
Those who did not die this way were instead turned into dumb two-legged chestnut-shaped animals called Goombas to fight with Koopa’s army. There is a scary side to the different kinds of Goombas in the Mario world that not many casual players know about.
A Developer’s Wife Inspired Boo
Boo is the first ghost-like enemy in Super Mario, and he is one of the best ones. The Guardian said that Shigeru Miyamoto got the idea for the naughty enemy from Takashi Tezuka’s wife, a coworker, and a close friend.
It was said that Tezuka’s wife was shy and friendly until one day, when he got home late from work after working long hours, she got furious and scolded him. In the game, Boos are also shy and mean at first, but if they are overlooked for too long, they will turn dangerous and hurt the player.
Bowser Was First An Ox
Bowser, Mario’s main enemy, underwent some changes in appearance. Shigeru Miyamoto told Nintendo early in the development process that he wanted Bowser to look more like an ox, based on the Ox King from Toei Animation’s Alakazam the Great. When someone told him that his first design made him look more like a turtle, he leaned into it and made the strange, demon turtle dragon creature gamers love today.
Mario Was Formerly Bald
Shigeru Miyamoto, who made Mario, said that Mario’s famous hat was first made so he wouldn’t have to draw hair. This might have led American artists to think that the hat was meant to hide something or, rather, a lack of something. GameFragger found that early American-made products, like an official coloring book, showed Mario with a bald head under his hat, a significant change from how the character usually looks.
Yoshi’s Real Name Isn’t Yoshi
Yoshi is one of the most likable characters in the Mario series. He is Mario’s friend and saved him when he was a baby. But what many people might not know is that “Yoshi” is not even his real name. According to a 1993 Nintendo character guide, Yoshi’s full name is T. Yoshisaur Munchakoopas, which is quite a lot for the dinosaur that can hold almost anything. It makes sense that he would call himself Yoshi.
Mario Is Named After Nintendo’s Landlord
When Donkey Kong was being made, the figure that would become Mario was called “Jumpman.” Technologizer says that Mario Segale, who was Nintendo’s owner then, gave the mascot and game’s main character his name.
The story goes that Segale walked into a meeting where names were being discussed to scold the game makers for not paying their rent. For some reason, the creators thought “Mario” was a good name for the figure, and the rest is history.
The Bros’ Names Are Puns
The figures’ names, like Mario’s but not Mario’s, have clever twists. Take Luigi, Mario’s brother, as an example. Luigi is a typical Italian name, but it’s also a play on the Japanese word “Ruiji,” which means “similar.” Luigi looks a lot like Mario, but the colors are switched around.
The names of the bad guys, Wario and Waluigi, on the other hand, come from the Japanese word “Warui,” which means “bad,” and the names of their enemies. Their names come from jokes in Japanese, which means “bad Mario” and “bad Luigi.”
The Mario Bros Are Twins
Many people might think that Mario and Luigi, one of the best video game siblings, are years apart in age because of their different heights and personalities. People probably feel this way because of how they were portrayed in the live-action Super Mario Bros. film, where the age difference between Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo is clear.
Luigi is Mario’s twin brother, even though he is often called Mario’s younger brother in the games. In Yoshi’s Island, they are called that when a stork brings twin boys to their parents before splitting them up. This makes Yoshi want to spend the whole game bringing himself and his brother to the right place.
