Welcome to "Subcon," the land of dreams. We have been cursed by Wart and we are completely under his evil spell. We have been awaiting your arrival. Please defeat Wart and return Subcon to its natural state. The curse Wart has put on you in the real world will not have any effect upon you here. Remember, Wart hates vegetables. Please help us!
Quotation spoken to Mario by a faint voice in the manual.
With a little luck (and help from a magic cape), our hearty crew can defeat the seven worlds of Bowser's Krazy Koopa Kritters. Many locations are well-hidden so explore everywhere and try everything. Not all locations have to be explored to rescue the dinosaurs and save Princess Toadstool, but there are many "starry" treasures to be found in far-reaching places. You'll need to search all areas to find out what kinds of treasure are there... in Super Mario World.
From the English-language manual
Mario or Luigi's adventure is over. Mario/Luigi, the Princess, Yoshi, and his friends are going to take a vacation.
While I was away crusading against the mystery alien Tatanga in Sarasaland, an evil creep took over my castle and put the people of Mario Land under his control with a magic spell. This intruder goes by the name of Wario. He has been jealous of my popularity ever since we were boys, and has tried to steal my castle many times. It seems he has succeeded this time. Wario has scattered the six golden coins from my castle all over Mario Land. These golden coins are guarded by those under Wario's spell. Without these coins, we can't get into the castle to deal with Wario. We must collect the six coins, attack Wario in the castle, and save everybody!
Mario's explanation of the game's story in the English-language manual
"Dear Mario, please come to the castle. I've baked a cake for you. Yours truly, Princess Toadstool".
Princess Toadstool; the letter is signed "Peach" and she even says this signature when narrating the letter, leading the name "Peach" for the character to become known outside of Japan.
"So long-a, King-a Bowser!"
What Mario can be heard saying when hammer throwing Bowser into bombs on the stage in full throttle during boss fights
"Nooo! It can't be! You've really beaten me, Mario?!! My troops...worthless! They've turned over all the Power Stars! What?! There are 120 in all??? Amazing! There were some in the castle that I missed??!! Now I see peace returning to the world...Ooo! I really hate that! I can't watch--Im outta here! Just you wait until next time! Until then, keep that Control Stick smokin'! Bwa ha ha ha ha!"
Bowser after being defeated at the end of the game before retreating and the last Power Star appearing.
"Mario! The power of the stars is restored to the castle. And it's all thanks to you. Thank you, Mario. We have to do something special for you."
"Come on, everybody. Let's bake a delicious cake... for Mario."
Princess Toadstool thanking Mario for rescuing her after he defeats Bowser.
I am most concerned with the well-being of the princess in this dreadful heat. Master Mario, if you would, cross over to that shore and find some assistance.
Toadsworth, as the player begins to take control of Mario for the first time
Leave my mama alone, you bad man! I won't let you take Mama Peach away! Yeah, Papa told me all about it. He told me my mama got kidnapped by a bad man named Mario... so I came to rescue her! (And yes… I am Bowser's son. And you're right about the graffiti. That was me.) This is my magic brush. When I draw with this, all my wishers come true. A strange man in a white coat. (And why did I framed Mario?) Papa told me everything. He said, "Mario's a bully, he never fights fair!". He (also) said, "Jr., you gotta try to outsmart Mario." So, I tried to get Mario sent to prison, but they didn't lock him up, and now he came to steal Mama Peach again! You... you pest, stop following us!
Bowser Jr., explaining his intentions after being properly introduced to the story
Hi everybody! Thanks for dropping to by the Super Mario Kart race track. My name is Lakitu; I run this track. If you need my help, I'll be around.
Lakitu introducing himself in the game's English-language manual
If you fall into the water, you can still move slowly. But never fear! I will rescue you with my trusty fishing pole. Even if you fall off the edge of a "Ghost Valley" track or into the lava on one of the "Bowser Castle" tracks, I'll quickly reel you in to safety.
One of Lakitu's "Master Tips" in the game's manual
Excellent driving! You are now a Super Mario Kart expert.
Text displayed upon winning the Gold Trophy in the 100cc division; this also appears when you win in the 150cc division
Mario's line upon finishing a race in 1st place, taken from Mario Kart Wii. Alternative quotes are Hee hee! I got it! and Yahoo!, also taken from Mario Kart Wii.
Oh, what happened?
Luigi's line upon finishing in 7th place or below. Alternative quotes are Luigi not happy..., or sobbing and saying Mama!
No problem!
Tanooki Mario's line when finishing in 2nd to 6th place. Other lines are Ooo, I almost won! and Oh, I was so close!
You won't find adobe here in Nairobi, but they do have some spectacular hotels.
A police officer patrolling the streets of Nairobi, Kenya in Mario is Missing!
Ah, Luigi, listen! I overheard Bowser telling the Koopa Kids to watch out for Fire Flowers. I think you need to use one to get rid of the guard!
One of Mario's many "Videophone" messages in the PC version of Mario is Missing!
Hey! Are you ready to Mario-cise? Okey-dokey. You do just like Mario, OK? One...Very good! Two...And three! Wheeeeee! ... Oh. Sorry. That's hard for you, but easy for me. You know why? ...I ain't got no body! Get it? No body? Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee!
One of many quotes said by the floating disembodied head of Mario in the Mario Teaches Typing games
Rumor has it that the pirates of Kitchen Island have stolen the giant golden statue of Princess Toadstool. Mario is looking for it, but if I find it first, I could cash it in for a princess's ransom. With that cash and the pirates' other treasures and coins, I could buy a palace that is way bigger than Mario's pathetic excuse for a castle. Gah-ha-ha-haaah! What am I waiting for?
Wario in the game's English-language manual
You're getting veeerry greedy. You are me, Wario! You're very handsome. You have amazing powers. Plunder vintage pirates' treasure, bag a bazillion coins, buy me a castle bigger than Mario's! Repeat after me, "I'm the bad guy in Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, were being bad is good, and greed is good!" [laughs diabolically] Come and get it on Game Boy, greedy.
I, Wario, have an interesting story to tell. One day during my vacation in the Awazon River Basin, I landed my trusty seaplane, Bulldog, and decided to relax in the shadow of the beautiful Aldegara Waterfall. While basking in the sun, I spied some strange creatures with masks entering the waterfall. This piqued my interest! I hurried over and followed them into the waterfall. Behind the falls there was a large cave, and in the back of the cave ... there was a vault filled with a glorious mountain of treasure!!
Wario explaining the game's story in the English-language manual
Wait till they get a load of me! Nyehh-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-haah!
Aaargh! I can't believe that Captain Syrup and the Black Sugar Gang have stolen my treasure! I am one angry Wario! I'm going to get my treasures back if it's the last thing I do! Wario Land 2 is much better than any of my previous games. Why, you ask? Because in this game, I am immortal! There is no Game Over! With multiple endings, you can play my game many times. Isn't that great?!
Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-haah! Finally, I am myself again! Now I can rule this world and the outer one as well! I need you no longer, Wario. I shall crush you like a bug!!
A mysterious figure later christened "Rudy the Clown," upon confronting Wario
I ain’t normal! And I don’t mean that I’m stupid! I can do all kinds of stuff that normal humans can’t, you know what I mean? How about that? Amazing, huh?
Wario informing players of his skills in the game's English-language manual
I don’t always speak so crudely, you know. I’m just worried about you because you play so badly!! Why do I care? Because I’m the one that feels it when you screw up, that’s why!!! So just try to get better at this game, OK?! I’m begging you!
Another quote from the game's manual, where Wario expresses concern that the player will lead him into some danger
Haven’t you kids ever done something that made you look stupid? Oh, is that right? Well, fine then! But even the powerful Wario gets into some embarrassing situations in this game! I eat too much and get all chubby, a bee stings my face and makes it swell like a balloon, my body catches fire, and all kinds of other bad things happen to me! But I’m a tough guy, so I keep coming back for more! You wimps could learn something from me!
In the manual, Wario gives this speech informing readers of the kinds of tough times he experiences in-game.
Go forth and find the other baby!! Don't let his parents get him back! Ever!!
Kamek to his toadies, in the English-language manual
This paradise is Yoshi's Island, where all the Yoshis live. They are all in an uproar over the baby that fell from the sky. ... Wait! The baby seems to know where he wants to go... The bond between the twins informs each of them where the other one is. The Yoshis decide to carry the baby to his destination via a relay system. Now begins a new adventure for the Yoshis and Baby Mario.
Introductory "narrative" in the cutscene viewed after selecting a new file
Yoshi, dear, that baby is going to cause disaster to befall the Koopas. So give him here before you accidentally get hurt!
One of the many taunts that Kamek gives to Yoshi in the game's boss fights
Money makes the world go 'round. Money is all that matters! Oh! Hey, you! You got lots of money or what? I'm the spirit who loves money more than anything!
Spirit of Greed
I did not wish for the whole island to be entrapped like this. But no one can stop Hongo one he makes up his mind. As you can see, I was fired for opening up my big mouth.
Spirit Who Loves Surprises
You can't just sit around and space out! You're in the way! Huh? You were running? You're slower than molasses! You see, I am the spirit who loves all things swift! I can't stand people who loaf around like slackers! Prove to me you can run fast as the wind... ...by getting six or more Happiness Medals. Then I'll let you go!
Opening: (Mario and Luigi approach a door where Bowser is waiting) Mario: Nice of the Princess to invite us over for a picnic, eh, Luigi? Luigi: I hope she made lotsa spaghetti! Mario: Luigi! Look! (grabs a note on the door) It's from Bowser! (reading) "Dear pesky plumbers, The Koopalings and I have taken over the Mushroom Kingdom. The Princess is now a permanent guest at one of my 7 Koopa hotels. I dare you to find her if you can." We gotta find the Princess! Luigi: (to player) And you gotta help us! Mario: (to player) If you need instructions on how to get through the hotels, check out the enclosed instruction book.
Approaching fourth hotel: Mario: Get ready to catch her! Luigi: She's not coming down! Mario: (points to sky) She's up there! Mario: It's hard to see through those clouds! (turns to player) I hope we can get rid of them! Get the hint?
Approaching sixth hotel: Mario: Be careful! When you pinch Wendy's pennies, they pinch back!
Ah-ha! Here’s the problem: Too many toasters! You know what they say: "All toasters toast toast!"
Taunt that Mario gives when a character lower-ranked than he wins a Star
Training is like a road on the horizon with no beginning and no end. Keep training hard, young one.
Koopa Master
Oh, I say! Hello there! It's me, Toadsworth! Yes, yes, let me tell you about what happened recently. You see, Mario and his friends are always busy fighting evil and saving the world and so forth, so I offered him a chance to come on a cruise around the world! Oh ho! Splendid! But in doing so, I apparently made that rogue Bowser somewhat angry.
Toadsworth, explaining the game's story in the manual
Toad: Hey Mario! Lots of people use something called a "door" to go in and out of their houses...
Chancellor: Spores alive!!! You're telling us that Bowser has abducted the Princess AGAIN?
Mallow: Wow! You're THE Mario! I know all about you! You've got more JUMP in you than a box of frogs!
Toad: I forgot my bazooka at home! Sheesh... Give me a break, here.
Mallow: T...this must be... ... BELOME! Is that a fire hose or his tongue?!
Frogfucius: This may sound illogical, but I believe shooting stars can grant wishes...
Bowyer: 997! 998! 999! 1000! Nya ha ha! 1000 arrows! For cover they run, nya! FUN this is, yes. Nya! Another 1000 will I shoot!
???: I serve... a higher authority. That Star Piece belongs to everyone. You can't keep it.
Geno: Let me explain... You've heard of wishing upon a shooting star? At the "Star Road", your wish is transformed into a star. When it's granted, it then turns into a shooting star and falls down to earth. So you see, the Star Road plays an integral role in granting wishes. But ever since a sword destroyed the "Star Road", everything's come to a halt. No stars have been made since. The way things stand, yours is a world where wishes can't come true anymore.
Bowser: Booster has such a nice place... I miss my fortress...I miss the good old days... Toadstool screaming in terror, Mario rushing in to save her... Oh geez, it's Mario! Oops.. Okay, okay.. Calm down! Don't let him see you like this! "Hey, how have you been?" NO! Not like that, dummy! Wrong tone! It needs more... confidence! YOU!! What're YOU doing HERE?!
Bowser: Yeah... I'm a piece of work, ain't I?! All this power, AND looks too! I know, I know, You're thinking, "A big strong guy like him would be great to have along!" right? I'm gonna do something I may regret later...! I'll let you join the "Koopa Troop". You can thank me later...
Booster: Chug-a-chug-a! Hoouuuooo! Chugga, chugga...hoooonk! This is my personal railway. Eh...? My! It's you again! I'm amazed you made it this far. Yes, quite amazing you are! Since you're here, maybe you could clear up something for me. My bride-to-be is chanting, "MARIOHELPMEMARIOHELPME". Is she showing her happiness? Hey, wait a second! Maybe "MARIO" is another guy!
Booster: Of course it's here! You lazy slobs couldn't find water if you were fish!
Bowser: They have no IDEA what they're up against! I'm lightning in a bottle! I'm an earthquake in a can! I'll bust this open in no time! You don't bring too much to the party, but why don't you help me here, anyway. At least you'll feel like you did SOMETHING!
Snifit 2: Booster, Sir, uh... I believe that the bride may be...uh,...Crying...
Booster: Crying? But that's what people do when they're...sad!! How DISGUSTING! That stuff may be corrosive! It tastes...like the sea!
Bowser: Mario! No one, NO ONE, is authorized to kidnap the Princess except ME! It just wouldn't be right! Let's take her back to Mushroom Kingdom, where she belongs!
Bowser: They've thrown me out of my own... I mean...I decided to take a vacation!
Chancellor: Princess! You CAN'T be serious! You're NOT thinking of joining them, ARE YOU? This is sheer madness... You're a Princess! What will people say?!
Wishing star: "I wish I weren't such a crybaby."
Mallow: This one's private! Who do you think you are, spying on other people's wishes?
Wishing star: "Please let Mallow find his way home."
Mallow: Why, this wish is... It's from my mom and dad. They're wishing for me to come home! Sniffle... This isn't the time to be crying! They're waiting for me to come home!
Yaridovich: Eee hee hee! And to think I got the star without even soiling my hands! I'm such a genius, it scares me sometimes. No wonder I'm so important!
Johnny Jones: Not so fast there! That star's a gift to me mate, Mario. You spineless dogs have no code of honor! We'll make you walk the plank!
Valentina: Halt! What, may I ask is THIS ugly thing? [which is Mario disguised as a statue to infiltrate Nimbus Palace]
Garro: That's my latest masterpiece. I...I created it just for YOU...It's called... "A Plumber's Lament". Observe...the thick mustache...covering the sad, innocent smile of a simple fool... And the sideburns... conveying his blue collar roots. And the legs...well defined...Strong. The legs of the masses! Is it to your liking?
Valentina: Hmmm... I consider myself something of an art buff! And I've got to say... This is spectacular!! Garro...only YOU could have created sculptures with such gentle beauty and...raw power!
Valentina: Brat! And how DARE you listen in on a private conversation...!
Mallow: Private? PRIVATE?! Everyone in a 10 mile radius could hear you!
Axem Red: This Star Piece gives people hope! It needs to be destroyed!
Bowser: Ahhh... The scent of boiling lava... It's so nice to be home! Smithy's gonna pay for stealing my splendid castle from me!
Toadstool: You there! Are you the one in charge here? Do you know what your weapons have been doing to our world? Stop this nonsense at once!
Factory Director: I'm afraid that isn't possible. Any dissent against Smithy will be dealt with by immediate meltdown.
Toadstool: M, melt down? You can't scare me, I've got Mario by my side!
Toadstool: Please! Don't make us go through any more! Just give us the star....NOW!
Smithy: Hurrumph! Better yet... Why don't YOU give me YOUR stars. Why, then I could easily conquer this world! Then we could get rid of all wishes, and create a world filled with...WEAPONS!!
Oh, Mario! You came to me! You’re so sweet! Thank you!
Paper Princess Peach, upon being seen by Paper Mario.
Great, just great. You're on an exciting adventure with Mario. Talk about unfair. See, someone has to look after this house, so I can't leave. Oh well. Take care of Mario, OK?
Paper Luigi, once Paper Mario's active partner introduces him/herself to Paper Luigi
Another letter, duly delivered. A postman's work is never done.
Postman Parakarry, one of Paper Mario's companions
Bleh heh heh heh heh heh... The man known as Blumiere died long ago. Now there is only Bleck! The Dark Prognosticus's choice to fulfill the prophecy. Nothing more!
Count Bleck, the main antagonist
Master of dimensions... Pleaser of crowds... I am Dimentio!
Dimentio, the true final boss
The Green Thunder strikes like lightning!
Paper Luigi, in his brainwashed alter ego "Mr. L".
"The Green Thunder" is Paper Luigi's nickname in this alternate identity.
Hah! Hmph! Well, won't this be fun! Oh, yes prepare ur self!
If you are giving us the chase just to get your silly princess's voice, then you are idiots of foolishness. Princess Peach's sweet voice will soon be the bread that makes the sandwich of Cackletta's desires! And this battle shall be the delicious mustard on that bread — the mustard of your doom!
Fawful, Cackletta's henchman and the game's breakout villain, after introducing himself
Oh, you think you're so smart, teaming up on me, huh? Don't think you can beat me just 'cause I'm alone: it's my solo debut on the battle lines, see?
Popple, a recurring antagonist
Let's go! Okey-Dokey!
Mario and Luigi's lines, respectively, before a battle starts.
This is also reused in every other subsequent Mario & Luigi game until Bowser's Inside Story.
Recurring quote from the Mario brothers' sidekick "Stuffwell"
You are true and courageous. Your heart is filled with virtue and concern for your brother. I do recommend you watch your diet, however it is also filled with much alfredo sauce. You should especially cut down on carbonara, though it will be hard, for that is very tasty. If you curb your appetite, do some light cardio work and continue to ward your brother, you will no doubt grow to be a figure of immense popularity, yet not grow an immense belly. You may pass and I do recommend puttanesca; that stuff is great.
I will let you take my cute Broggy out for a nice walk! He is so very savage, huh? Oui! He will bonk the foes! The strength, so formidable! The barking, so very scary! This cute fellow, he will fight for Monsieur Turtle Bits!
The French-accented "Broque Monsieur", speaking to Bowser
I am the voice within! I am your consciousness... I am above, and all around. I am all that is you: a consciousness bound to you, as you are to me.
Chakron, a motionlessly meditating octopus-like sage and portal system owner
You listen: Peach gone, Lord Fawful new ruler. Now, no need of you [Bowser]. Lord Fawful says sleep... now you sleep!
I'm getting too old for this ghost-catching tomfoolery.
Professor Elvin Gadd
Wow! It's Luigi! You finally made it! Oh, joy! Thank goodness! ...Me? Well, Princess Peach asked me to come here to look for Mario. He left when he heard that you'd won a mansion, and he never returned! Then when I arrived here, the mansion was full of ghosts and I didn't see Mario anywhere, and I kind of freaked out a little, and I didn't know what to do! It's been awful! Please, please, please, you have to help me find Mario! If he doesn't get back, you have no idea how upset the princess will be! She'll flip!
Toad
When the shy, timid Boos get together, their body and their attitude get BIG!
It's me, Wario! Yeah, yeah... Listen, [player's name], just get the high scores! I call the games in the Wario game collection anything goes games! You impress me, [player's name]... but not that much!
Wario
So anyway, you should know that the fortune-hunter Wario has inspired many of my strange games! He's always one degree ahead of cool, and he's even let me tag along with him on some of his money-grubbing adventures!
Mona
Hey! My name is 9-Volt! I'm the grade-schooler gone old school!
When we were designing [Mario Kart 64], we wanted it to feel like the player is controlling an RC car. If you play this game and get this feeling, then we will be happy because we accomplished our goal.
Super Mario Bros. is equivalent to the Big Bang of our gaming universe. If it were not for this blindingly spectacular creation, digital entertainment as we know it today would not exist.
Hideo Kojima, Nintendo Power November 2010
Who knows how Mario will look in the future. Maybe he'll wear metallic clothes!
Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario Mania Player's Guide, 1991 (notably predating the Metal Cap power-up by five years)
The gameplay of Mario games originated early on with Donkey Kong. Donkey Kong was a game where you were running on platforms and jumping over things — that came to be called a "platformer" style of video game (the genre was called "platforming"). Then it evolved from there, and we decided to try to incorporate more settings — things like the open air, the open sky, underwater and things like that. And to do that, we incorporated a side-scrolling mechanic where you scrolled sideways through the screens, and that became the base for the game that was Super Mario Bros. So that's the origin of the game play.
And so I think that Mario became so popular because the actions in the Mario game are something that are innate to humans everywhere. Everyone is afraid of falling from a great height. If there is a gap that you have to cross, everyone is going to try to run to jump across the gap. These are things that are uniquely human and are a shared experience across, really, all people. And I think because of the simplicity of these experiences as well as the interactive nature of controlling the character and seeing the response on the game screen — that's what really resonated with people and made Mario such a popular character.
The plumber role of Mario is actually a different story. In Donkey Kong, Mario was actually a carpenter, and he was working on a building, and then the next game we made after that was a game called Mario Bros., and that was a game that was set in the sewers, and the pipes were green, and there were turtles coming out of the pipes. And so we thought, in this game, it would make sense that Mario would be a plumber because of all the pipes. And so that's where the plumber came from. But my vision of Mario has always been that he's sort of representative of everyone. He's kind of a blue-collar hero. And so that's why we chose these roles for him that were things like carpenters and plumbers.
He wears a hat because as I mentioned we had very few dots available to us to draw the character, and trying to draw hair that moves while you run would've been very complicated. So we gave him a hat to make it easier to draw but make him still look realistic.
If you think about stories like Alice in Wonderland or other types of fairy tales, mushrooms always seem to have a kind of mysterious power. And so we thought that the mushroom would be a good symbol why they get it and then grow big.
As soon as the [Super Mario Galaxy] project was over, we started making something that we might call version 1.5. We did things like moving or adding stars to levels that were already available... we realized that there were too many things to fit into a version 1.5. That made us realize we should start from scratch and make Super Mario Galaxy 2.
Nintendo had become Japan’s biggest cultural export. Indeed, whereas the rest of the world devoured Japanese hardware—cars, Walkmans, TVs—Japanese “software,” such as movies, books, art, and music, had little impact outside Japan. The exception was video games. The most widely known Japanese cultural ambassador was Mario and with him came a new set of values. Generations of children had been imbued with Mickey’s message: We play fair and we work hard and we’re in harmony.… M-I-C … See you real soon. K-E-Y … Why? Because we like you … Mario imparted other values: Kill or be killed. Time is running out. You are on your own.
David Sheff, Game Over: How Nintendo Conquered the World, Vintage Books, 1994 (Kindle edition)
Mario is a character, a dumpy fellow with a big mustache; but he is also a stand-in, your iconic representation in the video universe. [...] If millions of children and adults have melded with Mario [...] it may not be simply a matter of our shortening attention spans, our craving for novelty or our susceptibility to expensive ad campaigns. It may be that in Mario’s fate—stuck in a world not of his own choosing, charged with a nearly impossible mission, doomed to perish sooner or later, yet free while he lives to grow, learn, slay demons and stop to smell the Fire Flowers—people are catching a crude, bright, hypnotic reflection of their own lives.
Scott Rosenberg, "Condemned to Be Mario: The Video-game Plumber as Existential Hero", San Francisco Examiner's Image Magazine, September 1991 (as quoted in: David Sheff, Game Over: How Nintendo Conquered the World, Vintage Books, 1994 [Kindle edition])