Man of many hats: The history of Marios costumes

Its-a my wardrobe!

When we first met Mario in the arcade version of Donkey Kong, he was but a simple carpenter, wearing red overalls, a matching red hat, a blue shirt, and work boots. He may have been fighting a giant monkey, but Mario still felt too common to have a dense collection of costumes, let alone become a cosplayer. What a difference three decades makes.

Fire Mario

First seen: Super Mario Bros.

For many players in the west, Fire Mario was their introduction to the plumber, as the hero is wearing the outfit on the Super Mario Bros. box art. The fire-hurling combo of red and white have appeared in the majority of core Mario games, though the colors flipped post-Super Mario Bros. Super Mario Bros. 3 was one of the few times the red and white design was replaced, though remakes of SMB3 exchanged the all-orange attire with the standard look.

Raccoon Mario

First seen: Super Mario Bros. 3

The second Super Mario Bros. - both US and Japanese versions - didnt add any new costumes, so Super Mario Bros. 3 chose to bring them back with a vengeance. Chief among them was the cover-featured Raccoon Mario. Like a sexy Halloween costume, Mario simply adds ears and a tail to normal clothes, but with the added benefit of flight. The raccoon outfit lay dormant for years until it returned in New Super Mario Bros. 2. The reappearance was likely hastened by the popular return of...

Tanooki Mario

First seen: Super Mario Bros. 3

Tanooki Mario doesnt believe in half measures. If youre going to dress as a magical raccoon, its best to go all the way with the furry getup. Based on Japanese myth, Tanooki Mario can not only fly, but also transform into a statue, and both those skills were recreated in Super Mario 3D Land. While the Tanooki Suit was pretty rare in Super Mario Bros. 3, the useful transformation was everywhere in 3D land, and it returns in Super Mario 3D World.

Frog Mario

First seen: Super Mario Bros. 3

Hammer Mario

First seen: Super Mario Bros. 3

Cape Mario

First seen: Super Mario World

Nintendo pushed all of Marios animal wardrobe to the back of the closet for Super Mario World. Almost all the old power-ups took a break to make room for Yoshi, and Marios flying ability was now tied to a simple yellow cape. The look certainly made Mario look more Super, but it was a little too simple for the then-new 16-bit console. Outside of Marios reflect move in Smash Bros., the cape has made few recent appearance, which is odd given how many retro powers appeared in recent Mario titles.

Rabbit Mario

First seen: Super Mario Land 2

Space Mario

First seen: Super Mario Land 2

Fire Feather

First seen: Super Mario Land 2

Wing Mario

First seen: Super Mario 64

Metal Mario

First seen: Super Mario 64.

CGI graphics were still pretty novel in 1996, so Marios new invincibility power-up bit the style of Terminator 2s T-1000, making his body a metallic, reflective surface. It made Mario temporarily safe from harm, but it also slowed him down considerably. Though Mario has dropped that power-up, Metal Mario has been spun off into his own character, one that frequently appears in Smash Bros. and sports games.