Mario is know the world over and generations have grown up alongside the plucky plumber and his friends. While most gamers know about the games history and secrets, there are always a few that still manage to surprise even the biggest of fans. Check out our list of 8 facts about Mario we think may surprise you about his many games.
#8 – Mario Was Originally Bald
Most serious Nintendo fans know that Mario was originally called Jumpman in the original Donkey Kong, but less may know the Mario was a lot more Snidely Whiplash that the plucky plumber we all know and love today. On top of that he was also depicted as a balding man on much of the promo materials for Donkey Kong. Good thing he toned down the creep factor and grabbed some Rogaine before coming to the NES.
#7 – Cranky Kong Is The First Donkey Kong
When RARE blasted onto the scene on the Super Nintendo they did so by reinventing Mario’s original adversary. While many kids and adults made the logical connection that Donkey Kong was the same character from the classic arcade game, Rare managed to mix thing up a bit with Cranky Kong. You see, While Mario and DK may have a playful rivalry, both on the court/field/track and on the raceway, they never really seem to hate each other. That happens because the modern DK isn’t the same character from Donkey Kong arcade. Cranky Kong is that great ape making our DK Donkey Kong Jr. to Mario. I know it’s a nightmare to follow, but a fun bit of trivia.
#6 – Donkey Kong Was Originally A Popeye Game
The first big game that Nintendo had to offer in arcades and on their home console in Japan was based on Popeye. In fact, Nintendo had intended to have their original Donkey Kong idea take place in the Popeye universe. Instead of Mario, Popeye would be climbing up; instead of Donkey Kong, you would deal with Bluto; Instead of saving Pauline, you’d be running to rescue Olive Oyl; Instead of a hammer powerup, you had a can of spinach. Lucky for Nintendo, and gamers as a whole, they lost the license and made the choice to keep the game going in the form we know it as today.
#5 – The P-Wing From Mario 3 Stands For Paratroopa
Anyone who played Super Mario Bros. 3 on the NES knows about these magical little items. Peach would often send one to you via a letter and they allowed you to skip over a stage on the world you were on. The problem was that none of us as kids really knew what the darn thing stood for. This was, of course, in the days well before the internet and even before TVs had nice crisp displays. For a long time I just figured it was some sort of hand pointing, hence the P, but now I finally know that it stands for Paratroopa. Makes sense, but just how did Peach get her hands on the wings from a Paratroopa!
#4 – We Got A Super Mario 4 On Super Nintendo
Well, sort of. In Japan the Super Famicom (their version of the SNES) got the official Super Mario Bros. 4 in Super Mario World. When the game hit store shelves it had the distinction of having the subtitle Super Mario Bros 4. We aren’t sure why this subtitle didn’t transfer over to the west, but since the game is native to Japan we can’t argue. Super Mario World is officially Super Mario Bros. 4.
#3 – Super Mario 64 Used The Rumble Pak In Japan
This is a case that wouldn’t happen today. Back in the 90’s games were a much bigger deal in Japan than they were in the rest of the world, and because of this they almost always got things first. When Super Mario 64 dropped in Japan, it not only changed the world by offering a fluid 3D experience, but made it easy to enjoy with an analog joystick. When the game got a number of fixes the team at Nintendo also added rumble pak support to the experience. The US market wouldn’t see the rumble pak until the release of Star Fox 64 in a massive bundle, of which I still have to this day, but never got the Super Mario 64 updated cart.
#2 – Birdo Was Originally A Boy
In the original manual for Super Mario Bros. 2 asserts that Birdo is a boy, who believes that he is a girl, and would rather be referred to as “Birdetta”. Later releases of Super Mario Bros. 2 lack mention of her gender in either the game or the manual. Nintendo eventually established Birdo as female during the Mario Tennis series by stating that she is a girlfriend to Yoshi.
#1 – Mario Fought In Vietnam
Mario’s Bombs Away was a simple little title for the Game & Watch series of portable devices. In the game Mario has to transport bombs from one side of his camp to the other so that his squad mate can toss them into the trees at the enemies hiding there. What makes this difficult is that Mario is in constant danger of having the bomb he is carrying explode from enemy torches or by accident from the lit cigarette of your squad mate. When you sit back and think about it this is by far the most depressing of all the jobs Mario has done over the years.
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