Mario


 * ''For Melee fighter info, see Mario (SSBM)

Mario (マリオ) is arguably Nintendo's most popular character as well as its mascot, and is the long-running eponymous hero in the extensive Mario series of video games. He appears as a playable fighter, unlocked from the start of the game, in each of the four Super Smash Bros. games. He's often shown in intro videos and trailers, and played a very prominent role in the Subspace Emissary.

Character Description
Mario was first created by Shigeru Miyamoto as the protagonist for the game Donkey Kong for the arcade. Miyamoto would follow this up with more arcade games such as Donkey Kong Jr. and Mario Bros. before giving Mario his iconic title: Super Mario Bros. for the Famicom/NES. The game was incredibly well-received, and is considered one of Mario's greatest adventures to date, as well as one of the greatest video games of all time. This game introduced many major themes of the Mario series that are now considered trademarks. For over twenty years afterward, Mario would star in hundreds of universally acclaimed games on Nintendo systems. Mario and his accompanying franchises can be viewed as Nintendo's thematic tileset with which to create games of a whimsical, colorful, and light-hearted nature.

Mario is rarely depicted speaking coherent English sentences. In contemporary Mario games, his high-pitched Italian voice, provided by Charles Martinet, is used mainly for grunts and yells, and the character's occasional catchphrases, such as "Mama-mia!", "It's-a-me, Mario!", and "Let's-a go!"

Mario has been playable in hundreds of games that span dozens of genres. One of his most prominent is the traditional 2D side-scrolling platformer, with games such as various sequels to Super Mario Bros.: Super Mario Bros. 3, which introduced iconic features, like the Super Leaf, the SNES launch platformer, Super Mario World, which introduced Yoshi, Mario's faithful dino companion, and the DS homage to these games, New Super Mario Bros.. Mario has also evolved into 3D platformers, with seminal titles such as the Super Mario 64, the first iteration of Mario in three dimensions, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy. Mario and friends also star in series such as Mario Kart, an off-the-wall racing franchise, Mario Party, a long-running party series, various Mario-themed sports titles such as Mario Golf and Mario Tennis, hands-on RPGs like Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario, and a puzzle game, known as Dr. Mario (his persona in this game is also a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Melee, see Dr. Mario).

Abilities
Mario seems to possess superhuman abilities, such as superhuman strength and stamina, the ability to control fire, and more. He is seen lifting the giant King Bob-omb, and, even a more impressive feat, swinging the great King Bowser around by the tail and throwing him great distances in Super Mario 64. He lifts a comically overweight Luigi in the form of an attack in Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. Mario is also seen lifting a fortress that weighs an estimated 100,000 tons in Super Mario World and then kicking it away. One of Mario's trademarks is his incredible jumping ability. Though the height of his jumps varies between games, they are always greater than that of a normal human being. He is also able to perform many of these incredible jumps in quick succession. Mario appears to be able to run at superhuman speeds, and is also able to jump off of walls indefinitely. He seems to be skilled in gymnastics, as he can walk on tightropes, swing vertically on bars, and climb fences both horizontally and vertically. As seen in Super Mario RPG and the Super Smash Bros. series, Mario is able to summon fire from his hands without the use of a Fire Flower. With the use of other power ups, such as the Ice Flower, Super Leaf, or Super Bell, Mario (and anyone else who obtains these items)) is able to create ice and use it to freeze opponents, fly into the air, and climb up walls respectively.

As a playable character


Mario makes his first appearance in a fighting game in the original Super Smash Bros. as a playable character unlocked from the start. Like in many other games, he is touted as the most balanced character with no real strengths or weaknesses, therefore, new players of the game are encouraged to play as him. In the competitive meta-game, he can combo well but lacks a multipurpose finisher. His lack of outstanding strengths make him only a high tier fighter, not top tier.

His neutral special move shoots a Fireball in the direction he is facing which travels a short distance and bounces off of any surface it hits before disappearing. his recovery, the Super Jump Punch, is an uppercut which hits multiple times (and coins briefly appear with each hit). His down special move is the Mario Tornado, where he whirls his body to damage foes around him, before throwing them up into the air.

Mario's in-game character description reads:
 * Mario


 * Although best known as the mustachioed plumber who battles the turtle Tribe with his distinct jumping action, this internationally-famous hero has also acted as a referee, a driver, and even a doctor! He's been linked to Princess Peach of Mushroom Kingdom for years, but to this day their true relationship remains a mystery.


 * Works:
 * Super Mario Bros. (NES),
 * Super Mario Kart (SNES),
 * Mario Kart 64 (Nintendo 64)

As a playable character
By tradition, Mario returns as the most balanced character of the Melee roster, and new Melee players are encouraged to try out the game as him because of that reason given. As a starting playable character in this game, he is touted as the most balanced character of the game's character roster, much like his appearances in other games, with no real strengths but no outstanding weaknesses either. His new B-Forward move is whipping out his yellow Cape from Super Mario World to turn the enemy in front of him facing the opposite direction, which is useful for diverting enemy attack and recovery. In the competitive meta-game, he can easily combo opponents, has a long wavedash, and is good at juggling opponents, but it is his lack of a reliable finisher that causes him to remain in the game's Middle Tier; his Smash attacks do not even feature all that much knockback and range, impairing his ability to fight a character like Marth. He also has low grab range and bad recovery. It is notable that in both versions Mario has great combo potential coupled with the lack of a good finisher.

Trophies
By tradition, Mario as a playable character is featured on his personal 3 trophies. His normal trophy is acquired by beating the Classic mode with Mario on any difficulty, and his Smash Red and Smash Blue trophies are acquired the same way by beating the Adventure and All-Star modes, respectively.

Other trophies featuring Mario are Raccoon Mario, Metal Mario, Paper Mario, and Mario and Yoshi. The last trophy in particular is especially notable for being one of two "gift trophies" never findable during normal play, and in fact can only be acquired through hacking. There is also a trophy for Baby Mario, a baby version of Mario that has appeared in some Mario games.

Mario's Classic Mode trophy, and his Baby Mario trophy, read as follows:

Mario
''Known worldwide as Mr. Nintendo, Mario uses his incredible jumping ability to thwart the evil Bowser time after time. While he's best known as a hero, Mario has played many roles, including racer, doctor, golfer, and villain. His tastes have changed over 20 years of gaming; he long ago swapped the colors of his shirt and overalls. ''
 * Donkey Kong, Arcade 1981

Baby Mario
''Long ago, when the stork was carrying Baby Mario and Baby Luigi to the Mario household, the stork was ambushed, causing Baby Mario to tumble onto Yoshi's Island. This marked the beginning of the Yoshi's adventure to deliver Baby Mario to his parents. Since then, Baby Mario's been spotted on golf courses and tennis courts.''
 * Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (10/95)

As a Playable Character
In a maneuver both traditional and expected, Mario is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. He is ostensibly meant to be the most balanced character like before. He has undergone a visual redesign, like his Fireball, which looks more realistic, but he is essentially the same fighter as he appeared in Melee, retaining all of his moves (although his former Down B attack, the Mario Tornado, has become an aerial attack, unexpectedly replaced by F.L.U.D.D.). Like all of the games other returning characters, he comes equipped with a high-end new Final Smash attack which can be used once he collects a Smash Ball. His Final Smash is the Mario Finale, where he projects a colossal, intertwining fireball to engulf all opponents in his direction. The Mario Finale extends to both well above and well below Mario's position, so Smash Bros. DOJO!! recommends that he is standing on a moderately elevated platform for maximum effect. He has, however, been severely nerfed in both power and range.

Baby Mario
''Mario as a baby...a crybaby at that. Although he lacks overalls, we can see the trademark red hat even at this young age. Everyone's favorite hero was riding Yoshi and adventuring from his youngest days, and even as a baby, it's clear that Mario had quite the nose.''
 * Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (Super Nintendo)
 * Yoshi's Island DS (Nintendo DS)

Trophies
Mario has a trophy that is awarded each time the Classic mode is completed with Mario on any difficulty. You can get a Mario Finale Trophy each time you complete All-Star mode with Mario. See Mario Finale for the trophy description of Mario's Final Smash:

Mario
''A familiar overall-clad figure who is Nintendo's flagship character. His courage and jumping ability have seen him through countless adventures. He's a multi-talented plumber with the knowledge of a physician, a top-notch golfer, and a veteran tennis umpire. Is his jumping prowess a boon from his girder-climbing days?''
 * Donkey Kong (1981)
 * Super Mario Bros. (1985)

As a playable character
Unsurprisingly, Mario is returning as a veteran for Super Smash Bros. (Wii U and 3DS).

Trivia

 * The trophy for Baby Mario claims that he lacks overalls, but overalls can be clearly seen on the trophy.
 * In SSBB, his clothes look more realistic; his overalls now have a more realistic design and his red shirt is more detailed.

Mario Mario