My head throbbed like someone had decided to use my skull as a drum in a heavy metal concert. Awesome. I groaned and shifted, immediately noticing three things: one, the freezing cold metal beneath me; two, the irritating flicker of a dying bulb swinging above; and three, the stale, recycled air filling my lungs like a broken air freshener in a dentist's office.
Where the hell am I?
I pushed myself up with a grunt, hair falling over my face like I was in a bad shampoo commercial. My fingers brushed the floor—smooth, metallic. The kind of surface that screams "institutional" with a dash of "you're probably not leaving here alive." My eyes adjusted to the harsh light, and I finally realized where I was: some kind of elevator. One that clearly didn't believe in comfort, décor, or—God forbid—music.
A low, mechanical groan rumbled through the floor beneath me. The elevator was still rising.
Okay. Breathe. Think. What's the last thing I remember?
…
Absolutely jack squat.
My heart rate picked up. Panic clawed at my throat like a cat locked out of a room. No memories, no name, no clue how I got here. My brain was basically a dial-up connection trying to load a file that didn't exist.
Then—
"Hey! Greenie's awake!"
The voice boomed from above—sharp, cocky, and far too enthusiastic for my taste. Before I could even blink properly, the elevator lurched to a stop and—CLANK!—a blinding wall of sunlight blasted me right in the retinas. I threw an arm over my eyes, muttering curses as the ceiling doors screeched open like a rusty trapdoor to hell.
"Up you go, shank, unless you wanna nap in the Box all night."
A rough hand grabbed me and yanked me to my feet before I could even form a protest. My boots hit grass—real grass—and then the elevator vanished behind me with a loud slam. So long, weird metal coffin.
I squinted against the sun, blinking at the crowd of teenage boys standing in a loose semi-circle around me. They all looked like they'd seen this before and were just waiting for me to do something stupid. Spoiler alert: that was likely.
"Welcome to the Glade, Greenie."
The guy who'd pulled me up stood front and center, arms crossed like he owned the place. Stocky build, jagged scar across one eyebrow, and a face that screamed I start fights for fun. He gave me a crooked grin.
"Name's Gally. And you? You're the newest punchbag."
A few laughs rippled through the crowd. Real original. What's next, calling me "fresh meat"?
I rubbed my temples. "Yeah, okay, cool. First of all—ow. Second, can someone tell me why I just woke up in an elevator with no memory and no snack options?"
The crowd chuckled again—less mockery this time, more amusement.
Another boy stepped forward. Taller, lean muscle, dark skin glistening in the sunlight. He moved like someone people listened to—calm, controlled, like the eye of a storm.
"I'm Alby," he said. "First to wake up here. Leader, for now. You're in the Glade. Everyone here came up the same way. No memories, no explanations. Just the Box, once a month, with a new Greenie and supplies."
I blinked. "Wait. So this elevator just dumps one of us here every month? Like some bizarre human subscription service?"
"Exactly," Alby replied. "Eventually, your name comes back to you. And until then, you pull your weight like everyone else."
My brain itched at the edges. Like something was there, trying to crawl to the surface. I looked around. The Glade was massive—a sprawling green clearing boxed in by walls so high they disappeared into the clouds. Stone. Smooth. Impenetrable. It looked like someone had slammed a castle's courtyard into the middle of the wilderness.
Around me, boys were busy: chopping wood, hauling supplies, tending crops, and cooking over fire pits like a post-apocalyptic summer camp.
"Okay, but what's past those walls?" I asked, pointing at one of the towering behemoths.
Alby's expression shifted. Not fear exactly—but something close. Wariness.
"The Maze."
I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, goody. A maze. Let me guess—deadly, ever-changing, filled with things that want to kill me?"
He didn't answer. He didn't need to.
Another kid, smaller and wiry with crazy hair sticking up in all directions, chimed in, "Runners go in during the day. Try to map it. But no one's ever made it out."
"Cool, cool. So basically, we're all trapped in some twisted version of Survivor meets Scooby-Doo. Love that for us."
That earned a few laughs. Even Alby cracked a smirk. Gally, however, looked like he wanted to punch me again—just for sport.
He shoved a wooden staff into my hands. "If you're done yappin', let's see what you're made of, Greenie."
I stared at the stick like it had personally offended me. "Seriously? I've been awake for ten minutes. My head feels like a construction site. And you want me to fight?"
"Either fight," Gally growled, "or get your klunk kicked every day until you learn."
I looked at the circle forming around us—boys ready for a show.
I sighed dramatically. "Fine. But if I win, I want food. And a mattress that doesn't feel like a cement slab."
Gally grinned like I'd just offered him a birthday present. "Deal."
He lunged without warning. I sidestepped on instinct, the staff moving in my hands like it belonged there. I spun, cracked it across his ribs, and danced back before he could react.
Wait—how the hell did I know how to do that?
We traded blows. The crowd hooted like we were gladiators in a cheap arena. Gally fought dirty, but I was faster. Sharper. Every swing of his staff, I saw it coming. Every opening, I took it. It was like my body remembered something my mind didn't.
Then—crack!
His fist clipped my temple. Pain bloomed like fireworks behind my eyes.
And just like that—
Memories.
Not one life.
Two.
One—me, in another world. Couch potato, sarcasm connoisseur, and self-declared Maze Runner critic. I remembered scoffing at this very plotline. The other—cold labs, men in suits, needles, screams. WCKD. Scientists. Traitors. A war for something I never signed up for.
I staggered, dropping to my knees. The staff clattered beside me.
"Hey! You alive?" Gally's voice sounded like it was coming from the bottom of a tunnel.
I sucked in a breath, heart pounding, vision swimming.
"I…" I blinked up at them. "Samuel."
"What?"
"My name," I said, grinning despite the ringing in my ears. "It's Samuel."
Gally snorted. "Took you long enough."
More laughter. But I wasn't really listening. Because two things were now blaring inside my skull like alarm bells:
One—I wasn't supposed to be here. This place? Fiction. A movie. A book. Something I used to watch.
Two—someone, or something, had dropped me into it.
And I had a feeling it wasn't out of kindness.
As night fell, the Gladers lit fires and passed around bowls of questionable stew. I kept quiet, nursing my bruises and pretending to be just another confused Greenie. Telling them the truth? That I'd seen this place on a screen before? That I had memories from two different lives? Yeah, that was a fast pass to the lunatic hut—assuming they had one.
Gally plopped down beside me, slinging an arm over my shoulders. "Not bad out there, Sammy. You hit like a shank who's done this before."
"Thanks," I said dryly, raising the dented tin cup he handed me. "Your face made an excellent target."
He barked a laugh. "You'll fit in just fine."
Then—
Ding.
The sound wasn't real. At least, not to them. Just me.
[Multiverse Mission System Activated]
My cup froze mid-sip.
You've gotta be kidding me.
---------------------------------------------------------
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******
WARNING!!!
progress through a level or reach otherwise inaccessible areas.
Music
Much of the original Super Mario Bros. music and sound effects have become iconic to the series and incorporated into modern games. The original Super Mario Bros. theme, composed by Koji Kondo, has become one of the most well known video game themes around the world.[21]
Super Mario Galaxy, released in 2007, became the first game in the Super Mario series to feature orchestrated music,[22] which would return in its sequel and other subsequent games such as Super Mario 3D World.[23]
The Super Mario games are set primarily in the fictional Mushroom Kingdom, typically with Mario as the main player character. He is usually joined by his brother, Luigi, and often other members of the Mario cast. As platform games, they involve the player character running and jumping across platforms and atop enemies in themed levels. The games have simple plots, typically with Mario and Luigi having to rescue the kidnapped Princess Peach from the primary antagonist, Bowser. The first game in the series, Super Mario Bros., released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985, established the series' core gameplay concepts and elements. These include a multitude of power-ups and items that give the character special powers such as fireball-throwing and size-changing.[2]
The Super Mario series is part of the greater Mario franchise, which includes other video game genres and media such as film, television, printed media, and merchandise. More than 430 million copies of Super Mario games have been sold worldwide, making it the sixth-bestselling video game series, behind the larger Mario franchise, the puzzle series Tetris, the Call of Duty series, the Pokémon video games, and Grand Theft Auto.[3]
Gameplay
This section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2021)
The 2D Super Mario games are known for their side-scrolling gameplay, seen here in Super Mario Bros. (1985), the series's first game.
The objective of the game is to progress through levels by defeating enemies, collecting items and solving puzzles without dying. Power-up use is integral to the series. The series has installments featuring both two and three-dimensional gameplay. In the 2D games, the player character (usually Mario) jumps on platforms and enemies while avoiding their attacks and moving to the right of the scrolling screen. 2D Super Mario game levels have single-exit objectives, which must be reached within a time limit and lead to the next sequential level. Super Mario Bros. 3 introduced the overworld, a map of nonlinear levels that branches according to the player's choice.[4] Super Mario World introduced levels with multiple exits.
3D installments in the series have had two subgenres: open world exploration based games and more linear 3D games with a predetermined path.[5] Levels in the open world games, 64, Sunshine and Odyssey, allow the player to freely explore multiple enclosed environments in 360-degree movement. As the game progresses, more environments become accessible.[6] The linear 3D games, Galaxy, Galaxy 2, 3D Land and 3D World, feature more fixed camera angles and a predetermined path to a single goal.
Playable characters
The series often features the option to play as characters other than Mario, usually Luigi. Earlier games have offered an alternating multiplayer mode in which the second player controls Luigi on their turn. Luigi is often only playable by player one in a second, more challenging iteration of the base game, such as in The Lost Levels, Galaxy 2, New Super Luigi U and the special worlds in 3D Land; these feature lower gravity and reduced friction for Luigi. Later games allow four player simultaneous play. Other playable characters include Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Toads, Yoshi, Rosalina, and Nabbit, among others. Characters are sometimes differentiated by special abilities.
Power-ups and transformations
The Super Mushroom – UGO described it as "the quintessential power-up".[7]
The Super Mario games are set primarily in the fictional Mushroom Kingdom, typically with Mario as the main player character. He is usually joined by his brother, Luigi, and often other members of the Mario cast. As platform games, they involve the player character running and jumping across platforms and atop enemies in themed levels. The games have simple plots, typically with Mario and Luigi having to rescue the kidnapped Princess Peach from the primary antagonist, Bowser. The first game in the series, Super Mario Bros., released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985, established the series' core gameplay concepts and elements. These include a multitude of power-ups and items that give the character special powers such as fireball-throwing and size-changing.[2]
The Super Mario series is part of the greater Mario franchise, which includes other video game genres and media such as film, television, printed media, and merchandise. More than 430 million copies of Super Mario games have been sold worldwide, making it the sixth-bestselling video game series, behind the larger Mario franchise, the puzzle series Tetris, the Call of Duty series, the Pokémon video games, and Grand Theft Auto.[3]
GameplayThis section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2021)
The 2D Super Mario games are known for their side-scrolling gameplay, seen here in Super Mario Bros. (1985), the series's first game.The objective of the game is to progress through levels by defeating enemies, collecting items and solving puzzles without dying. Power-up use is integral to the series. The series has installments featuring both two and three-dimensional gameplay. In the 2D games, the player character (usually Mario) jumps on platforms and enemies while avoiding their attacks and moving to the right of the scrolling screen. 2D Super Mario game levels have single-exit objectives, which must be reached within a time limit and lead to the next sequential level. Super Mario Bros. 3 introduced the overworld, a map of nonlinear levels that branches according to the player's choice.[4] Super Mario World introduced levels with multiple exits.
3D installments in the series have had two subgenres: open world exploration based games and more linear 3D games with a predetermined path.[5] Levels in the open world games, 64, Sunshine and Odyssey, allow the player to freely explore multiple enclosed environments in 360-degree movement. As the game progresses, more environments become accessible.[6] The linear 3D games, Galaxy, Galaxy 2, 3D Land and 3D World, feature more fixed camera angles and a predetermined path to a single goal.
Playable charactersThe series often features the option to play as characters other than Mario, usually Luigi. Earlier games have offered an alternating multiplayer mode in which the second player controls Luigi on their turn. Luigi is often only playable by player one in a second, more challenging iteration of the base game, such as in The Lost Levels, Galaxy 2, New Super Luigi U and the special worlds in 3D Land; these feature lower gravity and reduced friction for Luigi. Later games allow four player simultaneous play. Other playable characters include Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Toads, Yoshi, Rosalina, and Nabbit, among others. Characters are sometimes differentiated by special abilities.
Power-ups and transformationsThe Super Mushroom – UGO described it as "the quintessential power-up".[7]
The Super Mario games are set primarily in the fictional Mushroom Kingdom, typically with Mario as the main player character. He is usually joined by his brother, Luigi, and often other members of the Mario cast. As platform games, they involve the player character running and jumping across platforms and atop enemies in themed levels. The games have simple plots, typically with Mario and Luigi having to rescue the kidnapped Princess Peach from the primary antagonist, Bowser. The first game in the series, Super Mario Bros., released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985, established the series' core gameplay concepts and elements. These include a multitude of power-ups and items that give the character special powers such as fireball-throwing and size-changing.[2]
The Super Mario series is part of the greater Mario franchise, which includes other video game genres and media such as film, television, printed media, and merchandise. More than 430 million copies of Super Mario games have been sold worldwide, making it the sixth-bestselling video game series, behind the larger Mario franchise, the puzzle series Tetris, the Call of Duty series, the Pokémon video games, and Grand Theft Auto.[3]
GameplayThis section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2021)
The 2D Super Mario games are known for their side-scrolling gameplay, seen here in Super Mario Bros. (1985), the series's first game.The objective of the game is to progress through levels by defeating enemies, collecting items and solving puzzles without dying. Power-up use is integral to the series. The series has installments featuring both two and three-dimensional gameplay. In the 2D games, the player character (usually Mario) jumps on platforms and enemies while avoiding their attacks and moving to the right of the scrolling screen. 2D Super Mario game levels have single-exit objectives, which must be reached within a time limit and lead to the next sequential level. Super Mario Bros. 3 introduced the overworld, a map of nonlinear levels that branches according to the player's choice.[4] Super Mario World introduced levels with multiple exits.
3D installments in the series have had two subgenres: open world exploration based games and more linear 3D games with a predetermined path.[5] Levels in the open world games, 64, Sunshine and Odyssey, allow the player to freely explore multiple enclosed environments in 360-degree movement. As the game progresses, more environments become accessible.[6] The linear 3D games, Galaxy, Galaxy 2, 3D Land and 3D World, feature more fixed camera angles and a predetermined path to a single goal.
Playable charactersThe series often features the option to play as characters other than Mario, usually Luigi. Earlier games have offered an alternating multiplayer mode in which the second player controls Luigi on their turn. Luigi is often only playable by player one in a second, more challenging iteration of the base game, such as in The Lost Levels, Galaxy 2, New Super Luigi U and the special worlds in 3D Land; these feature lower gravity and reduced friction for Luigi. Later games allow four player simultaneous play. Other playable characters include Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Toads, Yoshi, Rosalina, and Nabbit, among others. Characters are sometimes differentiated by special abilities.
Power-ups and transformationsThe Super Mushroom – UGO described it as "the quintessential power-up".[7]
The Super Mario games are set primarily in the fictional Mushroom Kingdom, typically with Mario as the main player character. He is usually joined by his brother, Luigi, and often other members of the Mario cast. As platform games, they involve the player character running and jumping across platforms and atop enemies in themed levels. The games have simple plots, typically with Mario and Luigi having to rescue the kidnapped Princess Peach from the primary antagonist, Bowser. The first game in the series, Super Mario Bros., released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985, established the series' core gameplay concepts and elements. These include a multitude of power-ups and items that give the character special powers such as fireball-throwing and size-changing.[2]
The Super Mario series is part of the greater Mario franchise, which includes other video game genres and media such as film, television, printed media, and merchandise. More than 430 million copies of Super Mario games have been sold worldwide, making it the sixth-bestselling video game series, behind the larger Mario franchise, the puzzle series Tetris, the Call of Duty series, the Pokémon video games, and Grand Theft Auto.[3]
GameplayThis section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2021)
The 2D Super Mario games are known for their side-scrolling gameplay, seen here in Super Mario Bros. (1985), the series's first game.The objective of the game is to progress through levels by defeating enemies, collecting items and solving puzzles without dying. Power-up use is integral to the series. The series has installments featuring both two and three-dimensional gameplay. In the 2D games, the player character (usually Mario) jumps on platforms and enemies while avoiding their attacks and moving to the right of the scrolling screen. 2D Super Mario game levels have single-exit objectives, which must be reached within a time limit and lead to the next sequential level. Super Mario Bros. 3 introduced the overworld, a map of nonlinear levels that branches according to the player's choice.[4] Super Mario World introduced levels with multiple exits.
3D installments in the series have had two subgenres: open world exploration based games and more linear 3D games with a predetermined path.[5] Levels in the open world games, 64, Sunshine and Odyssey, allow the player to freely explore multiple enclosed environments in 360-degree movement. As the game progresses, more environments become accessible.[6] The linear 3D games, Galaxy, Galaxy 2, 3D Land and 3D World, feature more fixed camera angles and a predetermined path to a single goal.
Playable charactersThe series often features the option to play as characters other than Mario, usually Luigi. Earlier games have offered an alternating multiplayer mode in which the second player controls Luigi on their turn. Luigi is often only playable by player one in a second, more challenging iteration of the base game, such as in The Lost Levels, Galaxy 2, New Super Luigi U and the special worlds in 3D Land; these feature lower gravity and reduced friction for Luigi. Later games allow four player simultaneous play. Other playable characters include Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Toads, Yoshi, Rosalina, and Nabbit, among others. Characters are sometimes differentiated by special abilities.
Power-ups and transformationsThe Super Mushroom – UGO described it as "the quintessential power-up".[7]
The Super Mario games are set primarily in the fictional Mushroom Kingdom, typically with Mario as the main player character. He is usually joined by his brother, Luigi, and often other members of the Mario cast. As platform games, they involve the player character running and jumping across platforms and atop enemies in themed levels. The games have simple plots, typically with Mario and Luigi having to rescue the kidnapped Princess Peach from the primary antagonist, Bowser. The first game in the series, Super Mario Bros., released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985, established the series' core gameplay concepts and elements. These include a multitude of power-ups and items that give the character special powers such as fireball-throwing and size-changing.[2]
The Super Mario series is part of the greater Mario franchise, which includes other video game genres and media such as film, television, printed media, and merchandise. More than 430 million copies of Super Mario games have been sold worldwide, making it the sixth-bestselling video game series, behind the larger Mario franchise, the puzzle series Tetris, the Call of Duty series, the Pokémon video games, and Grand Theft Auto.[3]
GameplayThis section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2021)
The 2D Super Mario games are known for their side-scrolling gameplay, seen here in Super Mario Bros. (1985), the series's first game.The objective of the game is to progress through levels by defeating enemies, collecting items and solving puzzles without dying. Power-up use is integral to the series. The series has installments featuring both two and three-dimensional gameplay. In the 2D games, the player character (usually Mario) jumps on platforms and enemies while avoiding their attacks and moving to the right of the scrolling screen. 2D Super Mario game levels have single-exit objectives, which must be reached within a time limit and lead to the next sequential level. Super Mario Bros. 3 introduced the overworld, a map of nonlinear levels that branches according to the player's choice.[4] Super Mario World introduced levels with multiple exits.
3D installments in the series have had two subgenres: open world exploration based games and more linear 3D games with a predetermined path.[5] Levels in the open world games, 64, Sunshine and Odyssey, allow the player to freely explore multiple enclosed environments in 360-degree movement. As the game progresses, more environments become accessible.[6] The linear 3D games, Galaxy, Galaxy 2, 3D Land and 3D World, feature more fixed camera angles and a predetermined path to a single goal.
Playable charactersThe series often features the option to play as characters other than Mario, usually Luigi. Earlier games have offered an alternating multiplayer mode in which the second player controls Luigi on their turn. Luigi is often only playable by player one in a second, more challenging iteration of the base game, such as in The Lost Levels, Galaxy 2, New Super Luigi U and the special worlds in 3D Land; these feature lower gravity and reduced friction for Luigi. Later games allow four player simultaneous play. Other playable characters include Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Toads, Yoshi, Rosalina, and Nabbit, among others. Characters are sometimes differentiated by special abilities.
Power-ups and transformationsThe Super Mushroom – UGO described it as "the quintessential power-up".[7]
The Super Mario games are set primarily in the fictional Mushroom Kingdom, typically with Mario as the main player character. He is usually joined by his brother, Luigi, and often other members of the Mario cast. As platform games, they involve the player character running and jumping across platforms and atop enemies in themed levels. The games have simple plots, typically with Mario and Luigi having to rescue the kidnapped Princess Peach from the primary antagonist, Bowser. The first game in the series, Super Mario Bros., released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985, established the series' core gameplay concepts and elements. These include a multitude of power-ups and items that give the character special powers such as fireball-throwing and size-changing.[2]
The Super Mario series is part of the greater Mario franchise, which includes other video game genres and media such as film, television, printed media, and merchandise. More than 430 million copies of Super Mario games have been sold worldwide, making it the sixth-bestselling video game series, behind the larger Mario franchise, the puzzle series Tetris, the Call of Duty series, the Pokémon video games, and Grand Theft Auto.[3]
GameplayThis section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2021)
The 2D Super Mario games are known for their side-scrolling gameplay, seen here in Super Mario Bros. (1985), the series's first game.The objective of the game is to progress through levels by defeating enemies, collecting items and solving puzzles without dying. Power-up use is integral to the series. The series has installments featuring both two and three-dimensional gameplay. In the 2D games, the player character (usually Mario) jumps on platforms and enemies while avoiding their attacks and moving to the right of the scrolling screen. 2D Super Mario game levels have single-exit objectives, which must be reached within a time limit and lead to the next sequential level. Super Mario Bros. 3 introduced the overworld, a map of nonlinear levels that branches according to the player's choice.[4] Super Mario World introduced levels with multiple exits.
3D installments in the series have had two subgenres: open world exploration based games and more linear 3D games with a predetermined path.[5] Levels in the open world games, 64, Sunshine and Odyssey, allow the player to freely explore multiple enclosed environments in 360-degree movement. As the game progresses, more environments become accessible.[6] The linear 3D games, Galaxy, Galaxy 2, 3D Land and 3D World, feature more fixed camera angles and a predetermined path to a single goal.
Playable charactersThe series often features the option to play as characters other than Mario, usually Luigi. Earlier games have offered an alternating multiplayer mode in which the second player controls Luigi on their turn. Luigi is often only playable by player one in a second, more challenging iteration of the base game, such as in The Lost Levels, Galaxy 2, New Super Luigi U and the special worlds in 3D Land; these feature lower gravity and reduced friction for Luigi. Later games allow four player simultaneous play. Other playable characters include Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Toads, Yoshi, Rosalina, and Nabbit, among others. Characters are sometimes differentiated by special abilities.
Power-ups and transformationsThe Super Mushroom – UGO described it as "the quintessential power-up".[7]
The Super Mario games are set primarily in the fictional Mushroom Kingdom, typically with Mario as the main player character. He is usually joined by his brother, Luigi, and often other members of the Mario cast. As platform games, they involve the player character running and jumping across platforms and atop enemies in themed levels. The games have simple plots, typically with Mario and Luigi having to rescue the kidnapped Princess Peach from the primary antagonist, Bowser. The first game in the series, Super Mario Bros., released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985, established the series' core gameplay concepts and elements. These include a multitude of power-ups and items that give the character special powers such as fireball-throwing and size-changing.[2]
The Super Mario series is part of the greater Mario franchise, which includes other video game genres and media such as film, television, printed media, and merchandise. More than 430 million copies of Super Mario games have been sold worldwide, making it the sixth-bestselling video game series, behind the larger Mario franchise, the puzzle series Tetris, the Call of Duty series, the Pokémon video games, and Grand Theft Auto.[3]
GameplayThis section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2021)
The 2D Super Mario games are known for their side-scrolling gameplay, seen here in Super Mario Bros. (1985), the series's first game.The objective of the game is to progress through levels by defeating enemies, collecting items and solving puzzles without dying. Power-up use is integral to the series. The series has installments featuring both two and three-dimensional gameplay. In the 2D games, the player character (usually Mario) jumps on platforms and enemies while avoiding their attacks and moving to the right of the scrolling screen. 2D Super Mario game levels have single-exit objectives, which must be reached within a time limit and lead to the next sequential level. Super Mario Bros. 3 introduced the overworld, a map of nonlinear levels that branches according to the player's choice.[4] Super Mario World introduced levels with multiple exits.
3D installments in the series have had two subgenres: open world exploration based games and more linear 3D games with a predetermined path.[5] Levels in the open world games, 64, Sunshine and Odyssey, allow the player to freely explore multiple enclosed environments in 360-degree movement. As the game progresses, more environments become accessible.[6] The linear 3D games, Galaxy, Galaxy 2, 3D Land and 3D World, feature more fixed camera angles and a predetermined path to a single goal.
Playable charactersThe series often features the option to play as characters other than Mario, usually Luigi. Earlier games have offered an alternating multiplayer mode in which the second player controls Luigi on their turn. Luigi is often only playable by player one in a second, more challenging iteration of the base game, such as in The Lost Levels, Galaxy 2, New Super Luigi U and the special worlds in 3D Land; these feature lower gravity and reduced friction for Luigi. Later games allow four player simultaneous play. Other playable characters include Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Toads, Yoshi, Rosalina, and Nabbit, among others. Characters are sometimes differentiated by special abilities.
Power-ups and transformationsThe Super Mushroom – UGO described it as "the quintessential power-up".[7]
The Super Mario games are set primarily in the fictional Mushroom Kingdom, typically with Mario as the main player character. He is usually joined by his brother, Luigi, and often other members of the Mario cast. As platform games, they involve the player character running and jumping across platforms and atop enemies in themed levels. The games have simple plots, typically with Mario and Luigi having to rescue the kidnapped Princess Peach from the primary antagonist, Bowser. The first game in the series, Super Mario Bros., released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985, established the series' core gameplay concepts and elements. These include a multitude of power-ups and items that give the character special powers such as fireball-throwing and size-changing.[2]
The Super Mario series is part of the greater Mario franchise, which includes other video game genres and media such as film, television, printed media, and merchandise. More than 430 million copies of Super Mario games have been sold worldwide, making it the sixth-bestselling video game series, behind the larger Mario franchise, the puzzle series Tetris, the Call of Duty series, the Pokémon video games, and Grand Theft Auto.[3]
GameplayThis section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2021)
The 2D Super Mario games are known for their side-scrolling gameplay, seen here in Super Mario Bros. (1985), the series's first game.The objective of the game is to progress through levels by defeating enemies, collecting items and solving puzzles without dying. Power-up use is integral to the series. The series has installments featuring both two and three-dimensional gameplay. In the 2D games, the player character (usually Mario) jumps on platforms and enemies while avoiding their attacks and moving to the right of the scrolling screen. 2D Super Mario game levels have single-exit objectives, which must be reached within a time limit and lead to the next sequential level. Super Mario Bros. 3 introduced the overworld, a map of nonlinear levels that branches according to the player's choice.[4] Super Mario World introduced levels with multiple exits.
3D installments in the series have had two subgenres: open world exploration based games and more linear 3D games with a predetermined path.[5] Levels in the open world games, 64, Sunshine and Odyssey, allow the player to freely explore multiple enclosed environments in 360-degree movement. As the game progresses, more environments become accessible.[6] The linear 3D games, Galaxy, Galaxy 2, 3D Land and 3D World, feature more fixed camera angles and a predetermined path to a single goal.
Playable charactersThe series often features the option to play as characters other than Mario, usually Luigi. Earlier games have offered an alternating multiplayer mode in which the second player controls Luigi on their turn. Luigi is often only playable by player one in a second, more challenging iteration of the base game, such as in The Lost Levels, Galaxy 2, New Super Luigi U and the special worlds in 3D Land; these feature lower gravity and reduced friction for Luigi. Later games allow four player simultaneous play. Other playable characters include Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Toads, Yoshi, Rosalina, and Nabbit, among others. Characters are sometimes differentiated by special abilities.
Power-ups and transformationsThe Super Mushroom – UGO described it as "the quintessential power-up".[7]
The Super Mario games are set primarily in the fictional Mushroom Kingdom, typically with Mario as the main player character. He is usually joined by his brother, Luigi, and often other members of the Mario cast. As platform games, they involve the player character running and jumping across platforms and atop enemies in themed levels. The games have simple plots, typically with Mario and Luigi having to rescue the kidnapped Princess Peach from the primary antagonist, Bowser. The first game in the series, Super Mario Bros., released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985, established the series' core gameplay concepts and elements. These include a multitude of power-ups and items that give the character special powers such as fireball-throwing and size-changing.[2]
The Super Mario series is part of the greater Mario franchise, which includes other video game genres and media such as film, television, printed media, and merchandise. More than 430 million copies of Super Mario games have been sold worldwide, making it the sixth-bestselling video game series, behind the larger Mario franchise, the puzzle series Tetris, the Call of Duty series, the Pokémon video games, and Grand Theft Auto.[3]
GameplayThis section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2021)
The 2D Super Mario games are known for their side-scrolling gameplay, seen here in Super Mario Bros. (1985), the series's first game.The objective of the game is to progress through levels by defeating enemies, collecting items and solving puzzles without dying. Power-up use is integral to the series. The series has installments featuring both two and three-dimensional gameplay. In the 2D games, the player character (usually Mario) jumps on platforms and enemies while avoiding their attacks and moving to the right of the scrolling screen. 2D Super Mario game levels have single-exit objectives, which must be reached within a time limit and lead to the next sequential level. Super Mario Bros. 3 introduced the overworld, a map of nonlinear levels that branches according to the player's choice.[4] Super Mario World introduced levels with multiple exits.
3D installments in the series have had two subgenres: open world exploration based games and more linear 3D games with a predetermined path.[5] Levels in the open world games, 64, Sunshine and Odyssey, allow the player to freely explore multiple enclosed environments in 360-degree movement. As the game progresses, more environments become accessible.[6] The linear 3D games, Galaxy, Galaxy 2, 3D Land and 3D World, feature more fixed camera angles and a predetermined path to a single goal.
Playable charactersThe series often features the option to play as characters other than Mario, usually Luigi. Earlier games have offered an alternating multiplayer mode in which the second player controls Luigi on their turn. Luigi is often only playable by player one in a second, more challenging iteration of the base game, such as in The Lost Levels, Galaxy 2, New Super Luigi U and the special worlds in 3D Land; these feature lower gravity and reduced friction for Luigi. Later games allow four player simultaneous play. Other playable characters include Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Toads, Yoshi, Rosalina, and Nabbit, among others. Characters are sometimes differentiated by special abilities.
Power-ups and transformationsThe Super Mushroom – UGO described it as "the quintessential power-up".[7]
The Super Mario games are set primarily in the fictional Mushroom Kingdom, typically with Mario as the main player character. He is usually joined by his brother, Luigi, and often other members of the Mario cast. As platform games, they involve the player character running and jumping across platforms and atop enemies in themed levels. The games have simple plots, typically with Mario and Luigi having to rescue the kidnapped Princess Peach from the primary antagonist, Bowser. The first game in the series, Super Mario Bros., released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985, established the series' core gameplay concepts and elements. These include a multitude of power-ups and items that give the character special powers such as fireball-throwing and size-changing.[2]
The Super Mario series is part of the greater Mario franchise, which includes other video game genres and media such as film, television, printed media, and merchandise. More than 430 million copies of Super Mario games have been sold worldwide, making it the sixth-bestselling video game series, behind the larger Mario franchise, the puzzle series Tetris, the Call of Duty series, the Pokémon video games, and Grand Theft Auto.[3]
GameplayThis section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2021)
The 2D Super Mario games are known for their side-scrolling gameplay, seen here in Super Mario Bros. (1985), the series's first game.The objective of the game is to progress through levels by defeating enemies, collecting items and solving puzzles without dying. Power-up use is integral to the series. The series has installments featuring both two and three-dimensional gameplay. In the 2D games, the player character (usually Mario) jumps on platforms and enemies while avoiding their attacks and moving to the right of the scrolling screen. 2D Super Mario game levels have single-exit objectives, which must be reached within a time limit and lead to the next sequential level. Super Mario Bros. 3 introduced the overworld, a map of nonlinear levels that branches according to the player's choice.[4] Super Mario World introduced levels with multiple exits.
3D installments in the series have had two subgenres: open world exploration based games and more linear 3D games with a predetermined path.[5] Levels in the open world games, 64, Sunshine and Odyssey, allow the player to freely explore multiple enclosed environments in 360-degree movement. As the game progresses, more environments become accessible.[6] The linear 3D games, Galaxy, Galaxy 2, 3D Land and 3D World, feature more fixed camera angles and a predetermined path to a single goal.
Playable charactersThe series often features the option to play as characters other than Mario, usually Luigi. Earlier games have offered an alternating multiplayer mode in which the second player controls Luigi on their turn. Luigi is often only playable by player one in a second, more challenging iteration of the base game, such as in The Lost Levels, Galaxy 2, New Super Luigi U and the special worlds in 3D Land; these feature lower gravity and reduced friction for Luigi. Later games allow four player simultaneous play. Other playable characters include Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Toads, Yoshi, Rosalina, and Nabbit, among others. Characters are sometimes differentiated by special abilities.
Power-ups and transformationsThe Super Mushroom – UGO described it as "the quintessential power-up".[7]
The Super Mario games are set primarily in the fictional Mushroom Kingdom, typically with Mario as the main player character. He is usually joined by his brother, Luigi, and often other members of the Mario cast. As platform games, they involve the player character running and jumping across platforms and atop enemies in themed levels. The games have simple plots, typically with Mario and Luigi having to rescue the kidnapped Princess Peach from the primary antagonist, Bowser. The first game in the series, Super Mario Bros., released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985, established the series' core gameplay concepts and elements. These include a multitude of power-ups and items that give the character special powers such as fireball-throwing and size-changing.[2]
The Super Mario series is part of the greater Mario franchise, which includes other video game genres and media such as film, television, printed media, and merchandise. More than 430 million copies of Super Mario games have been sold worldwide, making it the sixth-bestselling video game series, behind the larger Mario franchise, the puzzle series Tetris, the Call of Duty series, the Pokémon video games, and Grand Theft Auto.[3]
GameplayThis section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2021)
The 2D Super Mario games are known for their side-scrolling gameplay, seen here in Super Mario Bros. (1985), the series's first game.The objective of the game is to progress through levels by defeating enemies, collecting items and solving puzzles without dying. Power-up use is integral to the series. The series has installments featuring both two and three-dimensional gameplay. In the 2D games, the player character (usually Mario) jumps on platforms and enemies while avoiding their attacks and moving to the right of the scrolling screen. 2D Super Mario game levels have single-exit objectives, which must be reached within a time limit and lead to the next sequential level. Super Mario Bros. 3 introduced the overworld, a map of nonlinear levels that branches according to the player's choice.[4] Super Mario World introduced levels with multiple exits.
3D installments in the series have had two subgenres: open world exploration based games and more linear 3D games with a predetermined path.[5] Levels in the open world games, 64, Sunshine and Odyssey, allow the player to freely explore multiple enclosed environments in 360-degree movement. As the game progresses, more environments become accessible.[6] The linear 3D games, Galaxy, Galaxy 2, 3D Land and 3D World, feature more fixed camera angles and a predetermined path to a single goal.
Playable charactersThe series often features the option to play as characters other than Mario, usually Luigi. Earlier games have offered an alternating multiplayer mode in which the second player controls Luigi on their turn. Luigi is often only playable by player one in a second, more challenging iteration of the base game, such as in The Lost Levels, Galaxy 2, New Super Luigi U and the special worlds in 3D Land; these feature lower gravity and reduced friction for Luigi. Later games allow four player simultaneous play. Other playable characters include Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Toads, Yoshi, Rosalina, and Nabbit, among others. Characters are sometimes differentiated by special abilities.
Power-ups and transformationsThe Super Mushroom – UGO described it as "the quintessential power-up".[7]
The Super Mario games are set primarily in the fictional Mushroom Kingdom, typically with Mario as the main player character. He is usually joined by his brother, Luigi, and often other members of the Mario cast. As platform games, they involve the player character running and jumping across platforms and atop enemies in themed levels. The games have simple plots, typically with Mario and Luigi having to rescue the kidnapped Princess Peach from the primary antagonist, Bowser. The first game in the series, Super Mario Bros., released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985, established the series' core gameplay concepts and elements. These include a multitude of power-ups and items that give the character special powers such as fireball-throwing and size-changing.[2]
The Super Mario series is part of the greater Mario franchise, which includes other video game genres and media such as film, television, printed media, and merchandise. More than 430 million copies of Super Mario games have been sold worldwide, making it the sixth-bestselling video game series, behind the larger Mario franchise, the puzzle series Tetris, the Call of Duty series, the Pokémon video games, and Grand Theft Auto.[3]
GameplayThis section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2021)
The 2D Super Mario games are known for their side-scrolling gameplay, seen here in Super Mario Bros. (1985), the series's first game.The objective of the game is to progress through levels by defeating enemies, collecting items and solving puzzles without dying. Power-up use is integral to the series. The series has installments featuring both two and three-dimensional gameplay. In the 2D games, the player character (usually Mario) jumps on platforms and enemies while avoiding their attacks and moving to the right of the scrolling screen. 2D Super Mario game levels have single-exit objectives, which must be reached within a time limit and lead to the next sequential level. Super Mario Bros. 3 introduced the overworld, a map of nonlinear levels that branches according to the player's choice.[4] Super Mario World introduced levels with multiple exits.
3D installments in the series have had two subgenres: open world exploration based games and more linear 3D games with a predetermined path.[5] Levels in the open world games, 64, Sunshine and Odyssey, allow the player to freely explore multiple enclosed environments in 360-degree movement. As the game progresses, more environments become accessible.[6] The linear 3D games, Galaxy, Galaxy 2, 3D Land and 3D World, feature more fixed camera angles and a predetermined path to a single goal.
Playable charactersThe series often features the option to play as characters other than Mario, usually Luigi. Earlier games have offered an alternating multiplayer mode in which the second player controls Luigi on their turn. Luigi is often only playable by player one in a second, more challenging iteration of the base game, such as in The Lost Levels, Galaxy 2, New Super Luigi U and the special worlds in 3D Land; these feature lower gravity and reduced friction for Luigi. Later games allow four player simultaneous play. Other playable characters include Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Toads, Yoshi, Rosalina, and Nabbit, among others. Characters are sometimes