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They say that all the world's a stage, and Mario has certainly played a lot of roles over the years. After all, he wasn't even a plumber to begin with – he was a carpenter in Donkey Kong, and worked in factories in his Game & Watch years. In the 2012 Game Informer interview mentioned earlier in this feature series, Shigeru Miyamoto explained that he sees the star and his supporting cast as akin to a troupe of actors.
"If you're familiar with things like Popeye and some of the old comic characters, you would oftentimes see this cast of characters that takes on different roles depending on the comic or cartoon," he explained. "They might be a businessman in one [cartoon] or a pirate in another. Depending on the story that was being told, they would change roles."
This feature originally appeared in Retro Gamer magazine #252. For more in-depth features and interviews on classic games delivered to your door or digital device, subscribe to Retro Gamer or buy an issue!
That philosophy has ensured that storyline needs never get in the way of a fun concept, which has afforded Nintendo an extraordinary amount of flexibility when it comes to Mario's outings. "Quite early on, Mario would be assigned into other titles (mostly sports) and shoe-horned in some way which normalised Mario appearing in games that weren't his staple franchise," says Paul Murphy, author of Gamebook: The Unofficial DMG Companion. Indeed, plenty of games featured the moustachioed mascot on the box and in the game, without carrying the Mario branding. "Then Super Mario Kart arrived, showing that he could quite easily be assigned into other genres which were accepted by the Nintendo masses," Paul continues. "The rest, as they say, is history."
The first entry in the kart-racing series established the concept of bringing Mario's extended iconography to these excursions into other genres. This was a fantastic way to convey the properties of items to existing fans – anyone familiar with Mario's previous adventures would understand that mushrooms are good and Koopa Shells hurt – but it was also a neat means of ensuring that the combat-heavy racing fit Nintendo's family friendly image. "I think the crux of Nintendo in general is that they put their own spin on genres sometimes, like Splatoon or Pikmin and you think it wouldn't work, but it's nailed every time," says Paul. "For me, this is what gives the audience the confidence to accept what is presented and give it a go."
That precedent carried over to Mario's many other spin-offs, too. Paper Mario might feature turn-based combat, but Mario still jumps on his enemies, and using a Boo power-up in Mario Super Sluggers will make your ball temporarily invisible. It doesn't matter that friends and foes sometimes pair up for a friendly game of tennis – the consistency is found in the way these games draw from the platform games. But for Paul, the most important thing carried over from the platform games is the quality they're reputed for. "Pixel-perfect control mechanics, interesting gimmicks thrown in, new characters added in with new worlds – Mario's universe is always changing and adapting but the core of the series always stays true," he tells us. "It hasn't always worked, and occasionally a stinker is thrown into the mix – but almost always it is fun."
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Because of that, it's easy for Mario to star in your favourite games across a variety of genres, as Paul's list of favourite spin-offs shows. "Mario's Picross is a massive guilty pleasure, I probably spent more time playing that during the production of my Game Boy book than anything else," he admits. "Mario Kart goes without saying, even if my son's reflexes (and luck) outclass me time and again. It's my go-to family game and will keep you occupied for so long. Super Mario Party is the same and has a huge amount of playtime on my Switch," he adds. "I also must give special mention to Paper Mario: The Origami King. I know many folks think that Thousand-Year Door is the quintessential RPG for Mario enthusiasts, but I just loved the story."
Ultimately, one of the most thrilling things about Mario is that you never know where you'll see him next. We never would have guessed that he'd end up starring in a Dance Dance Revolution game or a turn-based tactics crossover with Rayman's Rabbids, yet both happened. "It's a difficult thing to guess what Nintendo would and wouldn't do, or what would work or wouldn't," says Paul. "Would a Mario title work as a first-person adventure game? Could you see a Bethesda-level experience with Mario as the protagonist, with everything themed around the Super Mario universe? Mario in a Souls-like adventure? Or a post-apocalyptic universe?" These concepts might sound ludicrous on paper, but as Paul says, "I've written these things and am now wondering if they'd be fantastic. Wouldn't they?" With Nintendo involved, we'd never bet against it.
Want to play some of the plumber's best games? Check out our best Mario games ranking!
