24 Things You Didn't Know About Your Favorite Mario Games

If you haven’t heard about the famous red plumber by now, you’re in for quite a bit of a shock. The mustachioed jumper has made his name loud and clear, starring in consistently bestselling main games and spinoffs that span over 30 years and garnering a worldwide audience. Here are some secrets about some Mario games that you may not have known while playing.

"It's-a me!"

Via mariowiki.com

1) Super Mario Bros.

The sprites for the white clouds and the green bushes are exactly the same.

2) Super Mario Bros. 2

Originally Doki Doki Panic in Japan, the game was refashioned with Mario characters and brought to the USA because Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels (the sequel to the original) was deemed too hard for players. In Japan, this game is known as "Super Mario USA".

3) Super Mario Bros. 3

The overworld music for World 3 (Sea Side) sounds very similar to the Great Fairy Fountain theme from The Legend of Zelda series.

4) Super Mario World

You can replay the castles and fortresses. Hold the L and R buttons to redo a castle or fortress. This won't work for Switch Palaces, however.

5) Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

The Magikoopa you face in Bowser's Keep is Kamek, despite not being named as such. Using Mallow's Psychopath ability gives the reading "That's…my child???" referring to Kamek raising Bowser.

6) Super Mario 64

If you stay stationary for five minutes, Mario will lie down and fall asleep.

7) Mario Kart 64

In Royal Raceway, after you jump the large gap, if you turn right (left in Mirror Mode), you'll see Princess Peach's Castle, modeled after Super Mario 64. You can actually drive all the way up to the entrance (most likely costing you the race).

8) Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga

You can get a LOT of coins at Luigi's expense. Turn Mario into Mini Mario, and have Luigi jump on him. Have Mini Mario jump right when Luigi is above him and Luigi will become akin to a Coin Block, netting you tons of coins. However, this will quickly drain Luigi's health.

9) Paper Mario

If you hit a ? block and find your inventory full, but still want to collect the item at some point, simply leave the screen without picking up the item. When you return, the item will still be in the block. This also works in the sequel.

10) Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time

There's a rather unfortunate glitch that can cost you your entire save file. If you didn't open the pipe to the castle basement and saved anytime after the boss battle in Thwomp Volcano, after you complete the Star Shrine you'll return to the basement – but you'll be stuck in there forever! The only option is to start a new file or, if you didn't save after the boss battle, go back and open the pipe.

11) Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door

If you choose to return to the Glitz Pit after completing Chapter 3, and reach Rawk Hawk, someone in the crowd will shout "JUMPMAN! Wait, who?" This is referencing when Mario was known as Jumpman in the 80's.

12) Mario Party

This is currently the Mario Party with the most Battle Royale Boards, 8. (Mario Party 3 has 12 boards, but half of them are Duel Boards.)

13) Mario Party 2

In Bowser Land, if you land on a Bank Space and have no coins but at least one star, the Baby Bowser will take the star from you as payment.

14) Mario Party 3

This is the only major Mario Party to not feature a Bowser-based board.

15) Mario Party 4

The first few measures of Koopa's Seaside Soiree are the same as Deep Bloober Sea from Mario Party 3.

16) Mario Party 5

The Toady capsule is incorrectly labeled as the Magikoopa capsule.

17) Mario Party 6

In E. Gadd's Garage, there is a Nintendo GameCube in the lower left-hand corner of the map.

18) Mario Party 7

The song that plays in the main menu is a remix of Mario Party 6's Castaway Bay music.

19) Mario Party 8

Kamek's line of "Turn the train spastic" on Shy Guy's Perplex Express was met with criticism in the UK ("spastic" is a derogatory word in the UK) and was subsequently replaced with "erratic."

20) Super Mario Sunshine

In the Poisonous Waterway secret stage in Delfino Plaza, if you fail to get all eight red coins with the lilypad the first time around, you don't need to worry. Get to the end, then hover to a very narrow ledge on either side. It'll take you a while to walk back, but another lilypad will be at the beginning.

21) Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2

If you jump and spin, and immediately do a Ground Pound, you'll perform a Homing Ground Pound that will home in on the nearest enemy or item. This is an easier method of getting stars, especially certain Green Stars in the second game.

22) Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

Broque Monsieur's name is a pun on "block" and "croque monsieur", the French word for a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. Broque Madame's name has a similar pun ("block" and "croquet madame"), except that croque madames have a poached or fried egg on top.

23) Mario Kart Wii

If you run into a banana, flick the Wii Wheel the second you hit it to avoid spinning out and losing speed.

24) Super Mario 3D World

There are secret exits in World 1-2 and World 4-2, a continuity nod to the original Super Mario Bros.