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NOTE: The timeline is currently under construction. This is (in my opinion) the most logical timeline of all the games Mario has appeared in. Each is placed in the timeline according to their release date unless that date conflicts with continuity. I've attempted to include every game that gives us even a glimpse of Mario or that features a character that debuted in a Mario game. Mario has appeared in over a hundred games, though, so I've probably missed a few. If a game is not on the list, don't despair, I'll probably add it later. Once I finish, I'll invite you to tell me which games I've missed. I will include explanations when needed. Circa 1954 C.E.: Though both you and I know that White Storks don't bring children to expecting parents, this is the way it is portrayed in the games. I'm assuming the parents of Mario and Luigi Mario gave birth to the twins in a hospital somewhere, left them there, and then asked the hospital to send the babies by stork. Or maybe Mario and Luigi were orphans, their "parents" ordered them, and they were delivered by a stork. In any event, somehow the bros. are conceived. Circa 1954 C.E.: SUPER MARIO WORLD 2: YOSHI'S ISLAND (SNES)/YOSHI’S ISLAND: SUPER MARIO ADVANCE 3 (GBA)/YOSHI TOUCH & GO (DS): While en route to Mario and Luigi's parents' home, the stork carrying the babies is attacked by Kamek, the chief magikoopa of the Koopas. Kamek, a skilled magician and foreteller of events, foresaw the birth of the Mario Bros. He discerned that if they were allowed to prosper, they would plague the Koopa Klan and possibly cause its demise. He decides to destroy the babies now to prevent that from happening. When attacking the stork, Kamek manages to snatch one of the babies (Luigi) but merely causes the other one to plummet to the ground. He therefore orders his “Toadies” to find the other baby. Here's where YOSHI TOUCH & GO takes place. Baby Mario drops from the sky through many hazards and finally lands on Yoshi’s back. After that, SUPER MARIO WORLD 2: YOSHI'S ISLAND/YOSHI’S ISLAND: SUPER MARIO ADVANCE 3 continues the story. I think YOSHI TOUCH & GO is simply a scene that was left out of SUPER MARIO WORLD 2: YOSHI'S ISLAND/YOSHI’S ISLAND: SUPER MARIO ADVANCE 3. After the many Yoshis and Baby Mario (utilizing a relay system in which the Yoshis take turns escorting Baby Mario across the island) reach and defeat Baby Bowser and free Luigi, the babies resume their flight to their parents' home. They arrive safely and the parents find the babies on their doorstep. Circa 1955 C.E.: YOSHI'S STORY (N64): The Koopas decide to exact revenge on the Yoshis, the ones that foiled them in their last evil attempt. They steal the Yoshis' Super Happy Tree, which keeps the island peaceful and the inhabitants happy. This action, for some unknown magical reason, causes the island to turn into a massive storybook. Six of the Yoshis are miraculously unaffected, and so they go on a quest to retrieve it. They do, and the island is returned to normal. Circa 1956 C.E.: The two toddlers turn out to be very adventurous (if not mischievous). They often travel to the Mushroom Castle (the seat of the Mushroom Kingdom government), located a short distance from their home, to see the baby princess, Peach Toadstool, who is cared for by the steward, Toadsworth. The Koopas also have a young successor, Prince Bowser, who is a little older than the brothers. However, Bowser is cared for primarily by the dastardly Kamek and is therefore being trained in the arts of war and conquest. Hostilities rage between the Mushroom Kingdom and the Koopa Kingdom, the vicious kingdom to be inherited by Prince Bowser. Circa 1957 C.E.: MARIO & LUIGI: PARTNERS IN TIME (DS): The Shroobs, a creepy race of mushroom-like creatures from a planet far away from Mushroom Earth and led by Princess Shroob, are searching for a new home. They find the Mushroom Kingdom, a place ripe with natural resources and potential slave labor, and invade it. With their advanced weaponry, mother ships, and flying saucers, they take the entire kingdom by storm, including the Princess Toadstool of 2005 C.E., who has taken a trip to the year 1957 C.E. in a state-of-the-art time machine. Meanwhile, Baby Bowser is attempting to capture the infant Princess Peach, but is stopped by the Baby Mario bros. They do battle but are interrupted by the Shroob attack on Mushroom Castle. The Shroobs quickly take the castle; the bros., Bowser, Peach, and Toadsworth barely make it out alive in the Koopa Cruiser. Meanwhile, the Mario and Luigi of late 2005 C.E. arrive in Hollijolli Village in the east in search of Princess Peach. They discover the Shroob devastation and are soon attacked by several Shroobs. The Shroobs call in an air strike and defeat the elder brothers. The Koopa Cruiser lands nearby, however, and the young bros. defeat their older selves' adversaries. The two pairs of Mario brothers meet, but time is short. They board the Koopa Cruiser and are forced to land at Bowser's Castle. There they find a Cobalt Star shard, which they decide to show to Professor Elvin Gadd. They stumble upon a time hole, a dimensional shortcut through time, and make use of it. They are transported to late 2005. When they return to 1957, they end up in a troubled Toadwood Forest, wherein the Shroobs are using the trees to suck the life out of Mushroom Kingdom citizens. They infiltrate the Vim Factory there and destroy Swiggler, the parasitic wiggler. A cobalt star shard is revealed, but Baby Bowser swoops in and steals it. After a quick trip to 2005, the quartet travel to 1957 Yoshi's Island, or Lavalava Island as it's known as in 2005. They defeat the giant pink Yoob and recover their two shards, also meeting up with the scrappy ace reporter Kylie Koopa and the frightened Peach aide Toadbert, who gives them a mysterious drawing. Visiting 2005 again, they are soon off to Gritzy Desert, near DryDry Desert. They disrupt a large Shroob rally and eventually beat Petey Piranha for a third Cobalt Star shard and the missing Princess Peach (albeit with a fungus attached to her face). As soon as they deliver Peach to the future, though, Bowser barges in and steals her and accidentally takes her to the Thwomp Volcano of 1957. Having no choice but to give chase, the bros. scale Thwomp Volcano and meet up with a young E. Gadd. After descending into the volcano, they confront Bowser and Baby Bowser. The bros. defeat them but are immediately abducted by an attacking Shroob Mother Ship. They commence searching for Peach, who isn't with them. They find her, but she reveals herself to be Princess Shroob! Just in time Kylie Koopa, disguised as a Shroob, defects and saves the Mario bros. They escape and end up in a devastated Toad Town. From there they make their way to the enchanted Star Hill and the Star Temple. They find Toadbert, and he shows them something on his drawing that had been previously covered with dirt. In the bottom-right corner is another Shroob Princess. Before they can think about it, an Elder Shrooboid attacks them. Defeating it yields the fifth shard. They leave for 2005 and then return to 1957, this time with their sights set on the Shroob-infested Peach's Castle. They make their way through the dangerous castle and even commandeer a Shroob UFO, using it to take out the Shroob mother ship. Afterwards they face Princess Shroob. They kill her but are ambushed by the Elder Princess Shroob, who was hiding inside the Cobalt Star all along. After a vicious battle, the Elder Princess explodes, ridding the Mushroom Kingdom of the Shroob menace. Everyone then returns to the Mushroom Kingdom of 2005. When the original inhabitants of 1957 are sent back to the year 1957 via time machine, clean-up of the effects of the Shroob occupancy is begun. Although Toadsworth will never forget his experience, the baby Mario bros. are too young to remember any of it. Circa 1956-1957 C.E.: Near their home the bros. meet another boy about their age, named Wario, who feels that Mario is always picking on him. This produces in him a seething hatred for Mario. Meanwhile, the Koopa Kingdom has correctly identified the Mario bros. as a very troublesome pair that must be dealt with as soon as possible. Despite the best efforts of the Mushroom Kingdom Royal Guard, the brothers' lives are constantly in jeopardy. In light of all this, the parents do what they feel is necessary. They find a dimensional rift (which is extremely rare) that leads to a highly populated area in another dimension. They wrap the babies in cloth and send them through, hoping they will find a home. Of interesting note during this time period is the many disappearances first Mario and then both he and his brother make. They suddenly go missing for a few days and then return unharmed. And because of their young age, they can't really remember where they've been... Circa 1957-1973 C.E.: The dimensional rift Mario and Luigi go through leads to Brooklyn, New York. In this heavily populated area they are found quickly and put up for adoption. A kindhearted Italian family with the last name of Mario adopts the brothers and names them Mario Mario and Luigi Mario based on their hats. The bros. live a good life with this family and are taught many values, such as work ethic and self-sacrifice. As soon as they finish high school at the age of eighteen, they move out and into a small apartment. They work as handymen around the city. Summer 1973 C.E.: WRECKING CREW (NES): Mario finds a job in construction in Manhattan on a huge skyscraper. As he works, he realizes something is wrong. Wrenches become possessed and begin to attack him. Creatures he can only describe as Eggplant Men pursue him. And as he climbs higher and higher to get to the bottom of everything, his foreman, Spike, tries to murder him. Soon, though, Mario reaches the top, does his job, and leaves. Afterwards Mario continues to take up various carpentry jobs around the city with Luigi, and on one of these jobs he meets a tough (not to mention a little loose) Brooklyn girl named Pauline. She latches onto him. Summer 1974 C.E.: DONKEY KONG (Arcade, NES) and DONKEY KONG (GB): Mario and Pauline’s relationship continues to grow more serious. They decide to take a cruise. After flying to Miami, Florida, they board the cruise ship, make a stop in the Bahamas, and then proceed down to South America. During this time a violent storm occurs, throwing the ship hopelessly off course. The navigation equipment is destroyed and no one has any idea where they are. Soon land is sighted, and the captain crashes the ship on the shore. The island they land on is peculiar because the huge mountain that dominates the island is carved to resemble the face of a gorilla. It would be a few days before the coast guard would find them stranded. The passengers are advised to stay on the shore and wait until help arrives. Mario and Pauline, however, decide to proceed into the brooding jungle and find a more private place. They disregard nature by littering and starting small fires. Meanwhile, the island’s guardian, a ferocious ape capable of speech and intelligent thought, is watching them. As punishment for their senseless actions and Mario’s past aggression toward him, he snatches Pauline and takes off through the jungle, heading up the mountain. Mario pursues the primate and climbs for at least two days before stumbling upon a sprawling metropolis in the mountains, filled with apes similar to the one that had taken Pauline captive. Skyscrapers, streets, electricity—this is the work of something as smart as any human. Luckily for Mario, he sights the gorilla upon the steel girders of an unfinished skyscraper. The gorilla spots him as well; he leaps up and down, drastically changing the shape of the girders, and he begins to throw barrels at Mario. Mario clears these barrels with his exceptional jumping abilities and nearly reaches the gorilla before the gorilla climbs higher on the girders. He perches himself upon another high steel girder and finds spring-like jacks to throw at Mario. Mario barely escapes these items before he reaches the beast. The gorilla then jumps off of the structure, lands on the street below with a thud that cracks the pavement, and sprints off into a nearby pie factory. Mario makes his way to the pie factory, confronts the ape, and then finds himself on another unfinished building, this one much smaller. Mario realizes he can’t continue this trend much longer. He devises a method of dismantling the structure before the ape can realize what has happened. Before long the gorilla is sprawled out on the ground, unconscious, and with a nasty bruise on his head. Mario and Pauline are reunited, but only for a moment. The ape (whose name is Donkey Kong) jumps to his feet, grabs Pauline, and makes his way deeper into the city. From there a great, lengthy chase ensues that develops into a vicious cycle; Mario catches up to Donkey Kong; they duel; Mario seemingly defeats Donkey Kong; Donkey Kong gets up, grabs Pauline, and runs away; Mario chases. This cycle continues as Donkey Kong leads Mario down the mountain into Vine Valley (a dense forest), onto a ship called the Gangplank Galleon--which sails to the other side of the island and leads them back through the Kongo Jungle (where Donkey Kong Jr., one of Donkey Kong’s sons, meets up with him). From there they continue on the lower extremities of the island until they reach a scorching desert called by many Ancient Aztec; from there Donkey Kong acquires a jetliner and flies to a frigid area known as Gorilla Glacier and lands on an iceberg; he next heads downward toward a warmer but no less mountainous area named Rocky-Valley. It’s here that Donkey Kong’s tower is, and it’s here that Mario finally defeats the ape (even after Donkey Kong eats a physical attribute-altering mushroom that causes him to grow to a tremendous size). After Mario defeats Donkey Kong and the gorilla shrinks to his normal size, Mario embraces Pauline. Mario also notices a green pipe a few hundred feet away. He investigates and finds the small area to be very fantastical. He sees a bright light emanating from the brush very near to this area, but he dismisses it. In actuality, the light marks a portal to another dimension, the charactertics of which seem to be bleeding over into the area near the portal in our own dimension. There are also a few of the size-enhancing mushrooms Donkey Kong had used. Keeping an eye on Donkey Kong, he ingests one. He immediately grows to a larger size. With his newfound strength he hoists Donkey Kong above his head and humiliates him by bouncing him around. He and Pauline laugh. They take Donkey Kong with them but leave the smaller gorilla; he seems too small and insignificant to hinder their progress, especially without the guidance of his father. Mario, using debris from the tower (which had collapsed during the battle) and his carpentry skills, builds a cage to hold his captured prey in. He constructs a key-based lock and locks the cage with it. (He puts the keys he has fashioned in his pocket.) He also assembles a low, mobile platform and places the cage on top (with some difficulty). Then he and Pauline commence the trek down the mountain. DONKEY KONG JR. (Arcade, NES): In two days they finally reach the jungle. They find a high place and sit down to rest. Suddenly, a small gorilla in a leotard (Donkey Kong Jr.) begins frantically climbing the slope toward them, utilizing the vines to do so. The smaller gorilla had followed them. Mario reveals to Pauline the mechanical crocodile toys he had found in the large city. He had planned to sell these but knew he should employ them now. He sets them loose on the vines. Their sharp teeth and relentless jaws speed toward the small ape. He easily dodges these and closes in on Mario. Mario, Pauline, and the cage bolt. They find a place where they can watch for the gorilla. Mario sees the ape coming, and then he sees a nest of birds. He runs at them and scares them off toward his foe. The ape, utilizing the vines and using fruit as weapons, evades the birds and their eggs/feces. Mario and company once again have to retreat, this time to an abandoned factory. They find a place where the live wires and conveyor belts separate them from the ape. Donkey Kong Jr. makes quick work of these, nimbly avoiding each spark. Finally Mario finds an area high and practically unreachable. The young primate, however, uses the keys he has found (that Mario has accidentally dropped) to dismantle the platform Mario stands on. Mario and the caged gorilla fall (the cage collapsing in the process) forty feet. The young Donkey Kong Jr. catches the Donkey Kong, but Mario isn’t so lucky. He lands on his head and becomes unconscious. The two gorillas disappear into the brush, leaving Pauline to attend to Mario’s wounds. She takes him the short distance to the shore and waits with the rest of the still-waiting passengers. DONKEY KONG 3 (Arcade, NES): One of the shipwrecked passengers, a “Bugman” named Stanley, cares for the greenhouse on the ship. The same ape that had kidnapped Pauline (whose name is Donkey Kong), sneaks aboard the ship in search of Mario and Pauline. He finds Stanley and his greenhouse. While looking for the pair, he begins to wreck the place. Stanley, a vigilant caretaker, uses potent bugspray to ward off Donkey Kong. The final blow comes when Stanley sticks a beehive on DK's head. Donkey Kong, humiliated and tired, leaves the cruise ship, ending his struggles with the humans. Once the rescue boat arrives the parents of a little girl named Christine realize their daughter is missing and so a search lasting several days is conducted. She is never found. The rescue boat finally takes them back to Miami, from which they fly to New York. (They are shocked to find out the island they were shipwrecked on is located just off the coast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in western Africa.) Mario has a short stay in a hospital in Brooklyn before he goes home. Winter 1974 C.E.: PINBALL (NES): Mario and Pauline continue to date. On a certain cold night, Mario and Pauline are taking a walk down a dark alley (a stupid idea in 1970s New York). Suddenly, in a flash of light, they find themselves in a warped alternate dimension. Mario and Pauline are separated. Mario finds himself lying on a pillar of shining blue blocks. He frantically searches for Pauline and soon spots her trapped in a cage above him. Mario examines the situation and realizes he must break the cage open to free her. He quickly grabs one of the steel girders lying on the ground and bats the iron ball that was next to it up into the air. He waits for it to fall and then hits it once more with all his might. It strikes the bottom of the cage, and the cage gives. Pauline topples down and Mario catches her. They start to walk towards a bright light that has begun to shine. Then, in an instant, they are in Manhattan in Times Square. Baffled and scared, they take the subway back to Brooklyn. Early 1975 C.E: Mario and Pauline continue to date, but strangely the two near-tragedies they have experienced do not bring them closer together. Circa 1976 C.E.: Pauline leaves Mario. Mario suspects it is for someone else. He rebounds quickly, though, as he had secretly wanted out of the relationship also. Summer 1980 C.E.: GOLF (NES): Mario decides to take a break from fix-it work and relax. He goes to a country club in Connecticut for some golf, his first encounter with the sport. He proves to be gifted, and he enjoys his time there. Winter 1980 C.E.: QIX (GB): When Mario returns to New York, he finds out a puzzle tournament called Qix is being held in Manhattan. Luigi accompanies him to the event. While there, the crowd goes into a frenzy. Qix officials, also a bit excited, grab Mario and Luigi and organize a "Team Mario" and a "Team Luigi" for Qix participants to join. The winning team's namesake gets to travel the world and do photo shoots for Qix merchandise. Team Mario ultimately wins, and Mario finds himself flying to and posing in a Mexican Desert, the African plains, and Spain, among other places. Mario is paid a handsome sum for doing this. Early 1981 C.E.: GOLF (GB): Since Mario’s earnings from the photo shoot will support Luigi and him for a while, as soon as he gets back from his trip around the world, he hits the links once again, this time in a different club called "Game Boy Club." Once again, he thoroughly enjoys himself. Early 1983 C.E.: TENNIS (NES, GB): Mario's cash begins to run low; therefore, he takes on the profession of tennis referee. He oversees two tournaments and during his time as a referee is known for his somewhat odd calls. He resigns after the two tournaments are over. At this time Mario also discovers he enjoys playing tennis. Summer 1983 C.E.: NES OPEN TOURNAMENT GOLF (NES): Mario returns to New York and begins to look for work. Soon after, though, he finds an advertisement in the paper asking for golfers to participate in the world-spanning "NES Open Tournament." The tournament takes place in three different countries: the U.S., Japan, and the U.K. Challengers must also prove they can defeat the professionals in match play. The prize is one million dollars. Excited, Mario informs Luigi of his intentions to enter the tournament. Luigi, who has also had problems keeping a job, decides to give it a shot. They arrive at the tournament site (where they meet two very beautiful women), and the tournament soon begins. Mario quickly pulls ahead because of his experience, hanging around in the top five. Once the U.S. leg of the tournament is over, the tournament moves to Japan for another eighteen holes. Mario does well. Meanwhile, Luigi lags behind somewhere in the late twenties. The last eighteen holes are in the United Kingdom. Although the U.K. boasts the toughest holes yet, Mario is able to pull ahead and place first with a -8. On the spot, Mario decides to challenge his opponents to match play. He takes down everyone, from his own unskilled brother Luigi to the resident pro Billy. Mario wins each contest by a large margin. As he proceeds to the Prize Money Booth, he stops dead in his tracks. A ferocious-looking gorilla (who is actually Donkey Kong from the island on which Pauline was stolen) dressed in shirt and tie sits at the booth snarling. As Mario approaches, the gorilla speaks. "Mario, your total prize is $1,000,000," he growls. Mario reluctantly takes the money but in a sudden burst of courage snaps back harshly at the speech-capable animal (although he still doesn’t recognize the gorilla). Donkey Kong sneers angrily at Mario as he walks away and vows under his breath to make him pay... Winter 1983 C.E.: Mario, who is now rich beyond his wildest dreams, moves into a larger apartment with Luigi. With the money they also begin a plumbing business. It proves to be very successful. Circa 1984-1987 C.E.: Mario and Luigi continue their plumbing business and become known all over New York City. During this time Mario develops a deep interest in boxing. He begins to attend most of the fights held at Madison Square Garden and becomes an avid fan. He follows the ascension of Mike Tyson and watches as Tyson becomes the WBC Heavyweight champion on November 22, 1986. Mario learns how to be a boxing referee by spending long nights after fights with referees. Soon he can referee a match nearly as well as the pros. March-April 1987 C.E.: MIKE TYSON’S PUNCH-OUT!! (NES) and PUNCH-OUT!! (NES): Tyson, hot off his win against James ‘Bonecrusher’ Smith on March 7 in Las Vegas, Nevada, soon organizes a tournament at Madison Square Garden with the WVBA that challenges aspiring boxers to rise through the ranks of the best boxers in the world and ultimately fight Tyson himself. He divides it into a Minor Circuit, a Major Circuit, and a World Circuit. The boxer who wins in these circuits gets to face Tyson in the “Dream Fight.” If anyone can beat Tyson, the winner will be known as the WVBA Heavyweight Champion. Mario applies for the job of refereeing the tournament, and the WVBA selects him based on the input of other referees who know him. Many boxers, young and old, come and fall in the early rounds. Some make it to Tyson and fall there. Little Mac, age seventeen, enters the tournament. He proves to be gifted and rises through the circuits. He finally earns the right to fight Tyson and beats him with Mario refereeing. Tyson, stunned and shamed, leaves without a word. The tournament would remain a little-known point of his career. Right after Tyson’s tournament a boxer arrives named Mr. Dream. He claims to be better than Tyson. He challenges Little Mac, now the WVBA champ, and all the other challengers to try to win in the circuits once again and earn the right to fight him. Mario is allowed (and happy) to referee this tournament, too. Little Mac triumphs and becomes the WVBA champion for the second time. After this tournament Mario grows bored with boxing. He reassumes his place with Luigi in the plumbing business. Summer-Fall 1987 C.E.: MARIO BROS. (Arcade, NES, SNES, GBA) and MARIO CLASH (VB): Mario and Luigi go on a plumbing job in Brooklyn. Deep underneath the street, amid large pipes of different colors, the two begin to spot turtles the size of dogs and other odd-looking monsters lurking around. Soon they find the source of these creatures: a large area with several wide pipes. The monsters are flowing out of them, and they begin attacking the bros. Mario and Luigi use their jumping skills to fend off the turtles, who retreat into their shells. They figure out these shells can be used like bowling balls, and they kill some of the animals with them. They progress deeper into the sewers and find more and more pipes with monsters flowing out of them. Soon they encounter a huge dragon-like turtle breathing fire and ordering the monsters around. When he sees the bros. he attempts to destroy them. Mario and Luigi duck into a large pipe and follow it for a long distance. They emerge in yet more sewers. Mario grabs the shell of one of the creatures and starts tossing it across chasms at monsters on the other side. He becomes skilled at this and fends off monsters that are in their path in this manner. Mario and Luigi follow this route (one of many) for a long time and enter another pipe. As they are crawling through the cramped plumbing they see a bright light. They enter it and as soon as they do, they see the same light behind them, as if the light were a doorway. They continue through the pipe. Later they see another light up ahead. It’s a natural light, and it means the tunnel is coming to an end. They tumble out of the pipe and collapse onto the ground before them. Mario stares up into the sky and realizes they’re not in New York City. He sits up and glances around. Everything has a pastel quality to it. He notes in the distance the presence of floating blocks. He and Luigi are amazed at this phenomenon, but, shaken and scared, they still would like to return to Brooklyn. They crawl back into the pipe. Surprisingly, they find it ends abruptly. This seems impossible to them, but they crawl back out of the pipe anyway. Confused and lost, they begin to wander the landscape. SUPER MARIO BROS. (NES, SNES)/SUPER MARIO BROS. DELUXE (GBA) and SUPER MARIO BROS.: THE LOST LEVELS (SNES, GB): As Mario and Luigi are wandering along a path in a meadow, they see many large stones strewn about. The haphazardness of their placement is very odd. There are also many bricks, horsehair plants, and rocks lying around. The brothers are suddenly rushed by a crazed creature with a mushroom on his head. He tells them in a hurried manner that the stones, rocks, horsehair plants, and bricks were once “Toads” (which the bros. would find out is the term for the mushroom creatures) and that the evil Koopa king “Bowser” had used his black magic to do this to this people. To make things worse, the only one who could break the spell (foretold in prophecy), the princess of this kingdom, was being held captive by the Koopa king. The kingdom is in disarray. The brothers decide to help these poor animals. The crazed Toad points them in the direction of Koopa’s castle, and the bros. are off. They journey through the strange land they have just arrived in, decimating Bowser’s ill-equipped forces with the magical abilities found in the floating boxes and with their own amazing jumping skills. At several times in their quest they reach a foreboding castle, defeat a Bowser look-alike, and are awarded with a high-ranking Toad called a “Mushroom Retainer” stuffed in a sack. When they reach the real Koopa king, Mario does most of the fighting. Finally he plunges the ferocious turtle into the scalding lava below and jumps to the princess’s holding cage, which hangs precariously over more lava. She is so overjoyed she awards the strange man with a kiss and assures him his journey is over. As they are freeing the princess, however, Bowser’s minions overwhelm Mario and make off with the princess. They flee across the countryside and the bros. lose sight of them soon. They resolve to journey once again to every treacherous Koopa-infested castle they can find, infiltrate them all, and libertate the princess. This time, however, the landscape proves to be more dangerous than before. They also painfully discover what effects Poisonous Mushrooms have on their bodies. As their castle-crashing quest continues, they destroy many lesser enemies masquerading as Bowser. They finally catch Bowser in one of his sky castles and submerge him in lava. Once again, Princess Toadstool (her name) is overjoyed and speaks prematurely. Bowser survives once more (Bowser’s hide is tough enough to survive a few brief dunks in lava), and he and his minions return to the ground-based castles. Mario and Luigi finally fight and defeat him in one of the last remaining castles in the area. This time, Bowser doesn’t emerge from the lava. Mario and Luigi safely escort the princess out of the castle (the Koopa army retreats after Bowser’s latest defeat), and she instructs them on how to use the large green pipes that are very common in this world. She selects the one that will lead her home, and she and the Mario brothers hop in. Before they know it, they are ejected from the pipe in another location—an elegant town. Suddenly many of the strange mushroom creatures (called “Toads”) surround them in awe. A hushed murmur spreads across the crowd. Princess Peach Toadstool announces the two mustachioed plumbers as her rescuers, and a celebration commences, the climax of which is the Princess Toadstool’s breaking of the vicious spell on many of the Toads. Mario and Luigi are taken to meet the Chancellor, the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom. He pronounces them heroes. They explain where they are from and how they ended up in this new world. The Chancellor tells them Bowser and his army were in the middle of an invasion of Mario’s world when Mario and Luigi saw him in the sewers. As soon as the bros. had exited the pipe leading to this dimension, the dimensional portal Bowser had created was closed. They stay in the town known as “Mushroom Kingdom” (it was most likely named after the kingdom because it’s the capital of sorts) for many nights. While there they try to find information on how they can return to their own dimension. That search yields no results. Finally the brothers Mario say their farewells and start searching for a base of operations. Circa 1987-1988 C.E.: Mario and Luigi pass through an area known as Mushroom Way (engaging and defeating any aggressive monsters they meet) and find a clearing with a nice view. There they begin to build their house. They sleep at the inn in Mushroom Kingdom, buy their supplies at a hardware store there, and work on their unfinished house during the day. Soon it’s complete, and the bros. move in. The place becomes known as Mario’s Pad, since Mario is the more popular of the two. They discern from their time in Mushroom Kingdom that the land they are on is actually a large, cliff-like island that rises high above the sea. They also learn there are eight other islands in close proximity in this chain, and that they form a ring around a vast central bay. This chain and bay are one of many groups of islands/landmasses that cover “Mushroom Earth,” an entirely separate planet from Earth in another dimension, which is commonly referred to as (by those who are aware that there are multiple dimensions) the Mushroom Dimension. With this information in mind the bros. discover nearby Vista Hill, which overlooks an immense, rocky mountain eerily shaped like Bowser. Atop it rests a castle, much like the ones Mario and Luigi had infiltrated, only much larger. They find out it is one of Bowser’s castles, and that he has operated from it before but currently is not. They begin to journey around the island chain in search of a warp pipe or rift that will take them back to their dimension. They are unable to find one. October 1988 C.E.: SUPER MARIO BROS. 2 (NES, SNES)/SUPER MARIO ADVANCE (GBA): Mario and Luigi, slowly realizing a way back is not going to be found, begin to settle into their new home. They keep in almost daily contact with Mushroom Kingdom, its citizens, the Chancellor, and the Princess. Mario actually develops a romantic interest in Peach Toadstool at this point, but he suppresses his feelings. He, Luigi, the Princess, and one of her chief mushroom retainers, known only as Toad, often escape to the countryside for picnics. Mario has a dream (magically transmitted to his brain by a magician who had heard of his deeds) about a troubled world called Subcon one night that disturbs him. In it, the inhabitants are calling to him to save their land from a frog dictator named “Wart” who hates vegetables. He has placed them under a curse. The way to the dreamland is shown to him: climb a long staircase and open the door at the top. Mario wakes with a start, and he, Luigi, Peach, and Toad go on a picnic the next day. While eating, Mario recognizes a nearby cave. He and the others investigate. Inside is an immense staircase leading to a single door. Mario rushes to the top, and he and the others all tumble into the doorway. Instantly they are falling. They hit the ground but are uninjured. Mario reveals his dream to the others and what they must do. Confidently, they all set out to dethrone Wart. They trek across the seven large sections of Subcon and eventually find Wart and his palace. They use vegetables to spell his demise. In another room of the palace they find a large urn containing magical red fairy creatures called the Subcon. Once freed, they drag Wart’s body away and usher the heroes outside and onto a pedestal where a celebration begins. The fairies burn Wart severely and hoist his body up and about. Mario and the others are thanked graciously. However, unbeknownst to the heroes, the Subcon sedate them, swiftly escort them back to their homes and into their beds, and magically cause them to dream the events of their adventure. Each wakes up thinking the whole ordeal was just a figment of his imagination. Later in his life Mario learns that Subcon is actually a landmass on Mushroom Earth. After this adventure Peach and the Mushroom Kingdom government award Mario with his own island, which Mario names Mario Land. A castle is built on it as a retreat for Mario. June 1989 C.E.: TETRIS (GB) and TETRIS (NES): Mario and Luigi continue to scour the islands for a way back home. The Chancellor doesn’t want them to leave, as their presence seems to irk the Koopas. However, he lets them do as they wish. Soon Mario and Luigi get lucky and find a way back into our dimension through a pipe. The pipe ends in Moscow, Russia. They are happy to be home (somewhat), but they also feel a little guilty about leaving that strange dimension behind. Whatever the case, they need a plane ride home, but they are completely broke. They see flyers around the city advertising a “Tetris” tournament in which competitors compete in the wildly popular game of Tetris (which consists of fitting shapes together to form rows of block) for a cash prize that is more than enough to get them home. They enter the contest and are pitted against each other. Mario is eventually the victor. Sadly, though, he loses his next match. As they are about to leave, they are recruited to come celebrate the tournament on one of the upper floors of the building they are in. They agree to. Once they are outside on an inner (but open) ledge, they are told to dance. They do, but as they look around they spot many odd characters also dancing and making music. On the floor beneath them they notice an elfin boy in green garb playing a flute. Next to him is a futuristic, spacesuit-clad warrior. On the ledge across from theirs a young boy with wings plays a violin while an energetic, young (but large) ape (who has been taken into captivity and is not very happy about that fact) plays a drum. The gorilla looks familiar to Mario, but Mario dismisses it. As Mario’s eyes next focus on what is on the ledge below the winged child and gorilla, he cringes in fear. It is Bowser. He is singing and dancing and has not noticed the brothers above him. Mario tells Luigi, and they begin to creep away. Suddenly a hushed voice from the ledge above reaches them. Peach is there, and she tells them to meet her inside. She reveals that she and Toad (the mushroom retainer) had been following the brothers and had traveled through the pipe after them. Mario and Luigi reveal that this is their world. She and Toad are amazed, but since Bowser is here she tells them they must return with her to the Mushroom Dimension. They must lead Bowser away from this dimension. They remember where the pipe is and usher Bowser into following them by allowing him to see them. They then rush off toward the pipe. As they attempt to return through it, though, they find it has been sealed up. Thankfully, Bowser is nowhere to be found. Now, though, there is no apparent way back to the Mushroom Dimension. They must find another dimensional portal, which could require traversing the globe. F-1 RACE (GB), SIM CITY (SNES), and SUPER SCOPE 6 (SNES): They start searching around the city for some kind of answer. One of them finds an advertisement for a car racing competition that is held around the world called F-1 Race. The ad mentions the need for colorful mascots that can cheer the drivers on before a race. If they were to somehow travel with the competition, their search for a dimensional portal could be much more thorough. Luckily the ad says a talent agent for the F-1 Race competition is stationed in Moscow. They find him and are hired (but not without explaining that Toad is actually a human child dressed as a mushroom). The first race is in Australia, and so they board a plane, all expenses paid. Mario notices the young (but large) gorilla from Moscow in the cargo area, but he again dismisses it. They arrive in Australia and later in all of the locations the race is being held, each time using every second not spent cheering to search frantically (though sewers, forests, and streets) for a way back. They are unsuccessful. During this time Bowser is using magic to grow to an enormous size and destroying and badly damaging cities in search of Mario and Luigi (explaining his role in SIM CITY). At one of the events, Mario hops in a plane and flies around to better search. Incredibly, a Koopa Kid (possibly Lemmy) begins to pursue him. Mario realizes that the two of them are flying in a dangerous area, as the government is testing out projectile weapons. He loses the Koopa Kid, lands, and finds his way back to his friends. (This explains his appearance in SUPER SCOPE 6’s LazerBlazer type A game.) Somehow, at the last destination of the tour, they find Bowser. He is also cheering the racers on and being hailed as a “giant dragon turtle” (he is heavily guarded). Obviously, he has been on their track. They manage to evade him. Later, as they are spying on him, he somehow opens a dimensional portal (no doubt with the help of his sorcerers) and (with the lone Koopa Kid who had accompanied him) leaves because he has been unable to find Mario. After Bowser is gone, Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad find that the portal lingers for a while. With their goal of ridding this dimension of Bowser fulfilled, Mario and Luigi begin to bid Peach farewell, but she insists that since they have discovered that Bowser can hop between dimensions, the brothers return to the Mushroom Dimension and defeat him. They reluctantly agree and step through the portal. The portal drops them off in the wilderness, and they soon find their way back to Mushroom Kingdom. The city rejoices when they return, and Mario’s status as a hero is bolstered. During this time Peach and the Mushroom Kingdom government award Mario for his heroic deeds with an island of his own. Mario names it Mario Land. A castle is built on it as a retreat for Mario. A strange childhood nemesis of Mario’s named Wario also attempts to steal it several times, but is unsuccessful. August 1989 C.E.: SUPER MARIO LAND (GB): In the Mushroom Dimension, intelligent life on other planets does exist. It often interacts with the life on Mushroom Earth. One such interaction was of the evil spaceman Tatanga and the land called Sarasaland, a landmass on Mushroom Earth. Wario, a childhood nemesis of Mario’s that tried to capture Mario’s castle on several occasions, has seen Mario’s rise to power on Mushroom Earth, and he hasn’t liked it. That is why he tried to take Mario’s castle over, but he hasn’t even been able to do that because of Mario’s vigilant watch. By chance Wario comes into contact with a creature from another planet who claims to be a conqueror. Wario uses every last coin he has to hire Tatanga to go attack and capture Sarasaland. Wario knows the opportunity to liberate Sarasaland will be too great for Mario to resist. While Mario is gone, Wario will easily infiltrate Mario’s castle. The land the mysterious spaceman is to attack, Sarasaland, is very large and is therefore divided into four kingdoms called Birabuto, Muda, Easton, and Chai. Tatanga begins his domination of this land by emerging from the black clouds of a thunderstorm one day. He then spreads hypnotizing waves across the entire land by means of his advanced technology (which we don’t understand). Soon the populace will do whatever he bids. He arranges a marriage between himself and the princess of Sarasaland, Princess Daisy. News of these frightful events travels around the world quickly and Mario hears of it. The Chancellor tells Mario that if Tatanga is allowed to do as he plans, the political consequences could be great. Mario determines he must not let Tatanga go through with his plan. Mario leaves for Sarasaland, and Wario quietly overtakes Mario’s castle. Mario brings with him to Sarasaland the Sky Pop (an airplane) and the Marine Pop (a submarine). With these he traverses the (largely desert) world of Sarasaland. As he battles the hypnotized inhabitants of the land, he realizes that most of the humans here must have come from Earth; they look like Earth humans and much of their architecture resembles landmarks on Earth. In actuality, these humans’ ancestors came through various dimensional rifts in ancient times and brought with them their cultures. Mario soon arrives in Chai Kingdom and finds Tatanga. They have a vicious dogfight; Mario in the Sky Pop and Tatanga in his Pagosu. Mario eventually shoots Tatanga down, and he and Daisy fly away from the battle site assuming Tatanga is dead (he isn’t). Once the emitter of the hypnotizing rays is destroyed, the people of Sarasaland return to normal. The government there showers Mario with praise and declares him a hero. September 1989 C.E.: ALLEYWAY (GB): Mario returns to Mushroom Kingdom (the town) without going back to his castle (this gives Wario time to completely capture Mario Land. To make the castle impregnable he places six coin slots on the grand entrance door of the castle. To go into the castle one must have six golden coins in his possession and must place each in the appropriate spot on the door. Wario divides these six golden coins among his hired hands (Tatanga included; Wario rehires him after he is defeated in Sarasaland) and installs them as area guardians. Finally Wario is in command of not only his own castle but his own island. Meanwhile, back in Mushroom Kingdom, Mario receives an urgent plea from the Chancellor. Massive chunks of galactic blocks are drifting dangerously close to Mushroom Earth. Experts predict that they will enter the atmosphere in a matter of days. While Mario was gone saving Sarasaland, Mushroom Kingdom technicians have been developing space travel-capable technology. The Chancellor asks Mario to use this new technology to destroy the approaching blocks. Mario agrees to do so and is very hastily acquainted with a large, cylindrical spacecraft that is maneuvered (in space) much like a table tennis paddle to volley a huge, round object between the space blocks and itself (which destroys the blocks). Mario learns how to control the strangely-shaped spaceship and launches into space promptly. Once the space blocks are in sight, Mario deploys the wrecking ball and slams his ship against it. It hurtles toward the blocks and dismantles the first one it touches before bouncing back to him. In this way he clears each wave of approaching space blocks. At various times he sees patterns of blocks that look eerily like him and enemies he has faced in the past. Could the space blocks actually be sentient? We will never know, as Mario wipes out every last block. After he finishes he crash lands into the vast sea where a rescue boat is waiting. He returns to Mushroom Kingdom and eventually to his and Luigi’s house. Mario and Luigi stay busy working with the Mushroom Kingdom government. The Mushroom Kingdom enjoys relative tranquility for the next few months, but there are rumblings that Bowser has returned to Dark Land (the area where the Koopa Empire is located), and that he is planning an invasion… February 1990 C.E.: SUPER MARIO BROS. 3 (NES, SNES)/SUPER MARIO ADVANCE 4: SUPER MARIO BROS. 3 (GBA): Bowser, who has somehow returned to Mushroom Dimension from our dimension, invades and conquers the seven sub-kingdoms of “Mushroom World,” the name for the island chain of seven islands which lies around the central island chain of the Mushroom Kingdom. The Mushroom Kingdom and the league of kings of the Mushroom World are allies. After Bowser is done decimating the weak (in comparison to Bowser’s) forces of each king, he places one of his seven Koopalings (or Koopa Kids), named Iggy Koopa, Lemmy Koopa, Ludwig Van Koopa, Morton Koopa Jr., Roy Koopa, Wendy O. Koopa, and Larry Koopa, in each castle. The Koopa Kids steal each king’s magic wand and use its magic on the king to transform him into a lower life-form. Bowser also sets up his high-ranking Boom-Booms in the castles of each land. His forces swarm every inch of the seven islands, not to mention his battalion of tanks, fleet of warships, and his many airships (the Koopa Kids reside in these), which are virtually flying fortresses. The Chancellor and Princess Peach reluctantly plead that the Mario brothers liberate this land, as the Mushroom Kingdom is certain to be invaded if Bowser is not stopped. Mario and Luigi decide to attempt it, and Peach promises to send them letters of encouragement and any useful items she might find. Toad and Peach bid them farewell. Mario and Luigi land on the first of the seven islands, Grass Land (the others being Desert Land, Water Land, Giant Land, Sky Land, Ice Land, and Pipe Land), defeat the Boom-Booms in each castle, meet the transformed king, and hop aboard an airship just before it lifts off. They defeat the Koopa Kid there, Larry Koopa. Once they do they receive a letter (via the king in that land) from Princess Peach that includes a useful item. Mario and Luigi systematically progress through the seven islands in this way, defeating each Koopa Kid and returning each king to his former form. After they defeat Ludwig Von Koopa in Pipe Land, the letter they receive is not from Princess Peach. Instead, it is from Bowser Koopa, who has kidnapped Peach in the Mario brothers’ absence. He invites them to Dark Land to try to rescue Peach, if they dare. Mario and Luigi then sail to Dark Land, a huge, foreboding continent far removed from any other landmass. As the brothers travel they come across a huge line of tanks that is moving toward the shore in order to be deployed. The brothers successfully find their way through this obstacle and soon must do the same with a fleet of ships and one of airships. After fighting through even more tanks, they finally find Bowser’s base of operations, his main castle. They journey through its many treacherous traps and pitfalls until they reach Bowser. They outsmart him and cause him to plummet to his own doom. Princess Peach is located in the adjacent room. The bros. quickly break in and find the Princess. She teases them about being in another castle and the three then begin the dangerous trek back through the castle. Bowser’s troops are on high alert, and the two plumbers engage several enemies. They finally make it back to the shore and set out for the Mushroom Kingdom, which they return to (with much celebration) in a day or two. Spring-Summer 1990 C.E.: After the celebrations are over, Mario and Peach Toadstool begin taking classes in the medical wing of the royal center of learning in Mushroom Kingdom. The Chancellor had suggested the idea to Peach; when she agrees, Mario follows. After they receive their degrees, they procure jobs in the virus research lab at the Mushroom Kingdom Hospital, located in Mushroom Kingdom. Mario soon earns his doctorate, and Peach becomes a registered nurse. Mario starts developing a vitamin that can destroy many different viruses. October 1990 C.E.: DR. MARIO (NES, GB)/TETRIS & DR. MARIO (SNES): Mario is completing the finishing touches on his multi-purpose vitamin when Nurse Toadstool informs him that an experiment in another lab has gone out of control, and that it is spreading viruses fast. Mario, with a bottle of vitamins in hand, wipes out the viruses. The task is made easier by the fact that a simple touch from the exterior of a vitamin destroys a virus. (That is, if it is the correct vitamin. There are three different viruses, and each requires a different formula of the multi-purpose vitamin--each of which Mario makes promptly.) Once Mario is sure the viruses are destroyed, he emerges from the hospital and is a hero in another field. Early 1991 C.E.: MARIO TEACHES TYPING (PC, Mac), MARIO TEACHES TYPING 2 (PC, Mac), SUPER MARIO BROS. AND FRIENDS: WHEN I GROW UP (PC), and SUPER MARIO BROS. PRINT WORLD (PC): Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad go on a few adventures during this time ranging from participating in a shooting gallery to exploring dark tunnels to being chased by former enemy Boss Bass. Mario and Luigi also undertake some plumbing. Their adventures, upon reviewing them, were found very instructional in keyboarding. August 1991 C.E.: SUPER MARIO WORLD (SNES)/SUPER MARIO WORLD: SUPER MARIO ADVANCE 2 (GBA): Over a year after the events of SUPER MARIO BROS. 3/SUPER MARIO ADVANCE 4: SUPER MARIO BROS. 3, the Mario Bros. and Princess Toadstool are still searching for a peaceful vacation place. They decide on Dinosaur Land, a magical continent where dinosaurs rule. Specifically, they go to Yoshi’s Island, a small island that is considered part of Dinosaur Land. While Mario and Luigi are relaxing, they realize Princess Peach has disappeared. They rush into the forest searching for her. There they stumble upon a white egg speckled with green spots. Suddenly the egg hatches, and a green dinosaur about the height of Luigi is revealed. He explains he had been sealed in that egg by monstrous turtles, and that his friends are yet sealed in similar ones. Luigi and Mario realize that monstrous turtles must refer to Bowser, and so they decide to help the dinosaur, whose name is Yoshi. Yoshi gives Mario a beautiful yellow cape before they begin their journey. He explains that the cape is possibly magical. The three then set out across the land, and Yoshi reveals to the brothers their past, something that has been shrouded in mystery. The bros. are shocked. As they traverse the massive landmass of Dinosaur Land, they are surprised to find each of Bowser’s seven children holding one of Yoshi’s friends captive. They find and destroy each Koopa Kid and then demolish the Koopa Kid’s castle. During their quest they find several portals to the celestial Star World where a few Yoshis ended up. This place leads to a “special” world with many difficult challenges. After exploring these places and many others in dinosaur land (not to mention a sunken air ship), the three adventurers finally find their way into the Valley of Bowser, a dark cavern underneath the sea that contains one of Bowser’s main castles. They reach Bowser and Mario does battle with him atop the castle. Bowser hovers in his Koopa Clown Car and tosses Mecha-Koopas at Mario. Mario uses these to his advantage and ultimately topples Bowser’s Koopa Clown Car. Peach falls out of it, and Mario catches her. Bowser is sent spiraling away and is assumed dead. Peach kisses Mario, and Mushroom Kingdom supporters who had been watching the entire event from a distance set off their fireworks. Then Mario, Peach, Luigi, Yoshi, and Yoshi’s trapped friends head back to Yoshi’s Island. When they arrive at Yoshi’s house, they find a blue Yoshi, a red Yoshi, and a yellow Yoshi waiting for them. Inexplicably, Yoshi’s seven trapped friends hatch. Order has been restored to this strange land, and the heroes (minus Yoshi) return to the Mushroom Kingdom. July 1992 C.E.: YOSHI (NES, GB): Nearly a year after the Dinosaur Land adventure, Mario realizes that, should Bowser ever return, Yoshi would be a valuable asset. He invites him to the Mushroom Kingdom, and Yoshi comes. Mario prepares a smorgasbord of enemies for Yoshi to devour. As Yoshi eats these enemies, Mario observes the changes that occur. With this knowledge he will be able to further harness the power of the Yoshi species. August 1992 C.E.: MARIO PAINT (SNES): Mario begins exploring his artistic side. He becomes a talented painter and composer. He also attempts to purge his surroundings of any and all annoying insects. September-October 1992 C.E.: SUPER MARIO KART (SNES): Mario loses interest in the arts and becomes interested in motor sports, specifically, go-carting (karting). Using what he can remember about go-carts from his old dimension, he constructs a simple, single-seat, metal pipe-frame go-cart that can accommodate several different motor sizes. As he races around the Mushroom Kingdom, others start imitating him. Soon, karting is a phenomenon. Once karting reaches this status, Mario proposes the idea of a Grand Prix in which participants race the small vehicles on various tracks around the world. The idea is a hit with the royalty, and they soon organize a “Mario Kart GP” and ask certain popular figures to race. Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, and Toad volunteer right away. Mario then makes a risky proposition: Bowser and one companion of his choosing can also enter the competition, giving the Mushroom Kingdom a chance to capture him. Of course, the entire Mushroom Army would be on hand at each event to make sure Bowser behaves. The Chancellor trusts Mario and makes the invitation via royal proclamation. Bowser hears of this, and he and a high-ranking Koopa Troopa surprisingly show up. Bowser has but two requests: that several races take place in Dark Land in several of his myriad castles and that a non-aggression pact be formed between the Koopa Klan and the Mushroom Kingdom. Thinking this too good to be true, the Mushroom Kingdom drops its plans to capture Bowser and allows him to race. Meanwhile, in our dimension, Donkey Kong Jr., the gorilla who had saved his father, Donkey Kong (who is now nicknamed “Cranky” because of his grouchy nature), finds his way to the Mushroom Kingdom via the large, bleeding dimensional portal in the Rocky-Valley area near Cranky’s once-great tower. He soon ends up discovering Mushroom Kingdom and arriving just as Bowser is entered into the race. Mario catches sight of him and instantly recognizes him (because of DK Jr.’s white leotard). They stare at each other, DK Jr. also remembering who Mario is. The crowd focuses on the two. Mario realizes a fight with the animal will injure his image, so he announces that DK Jr. will also race in the Mario Kart GP. DK Jr. accepts. He wants to study his former enemy. The Grand Prix commences, beginning with the 50cc engine-size race and ending with the 100cc engine-size race. Racetracks range from sandy beaches to haunted houses to Bowser’s castles. A winner is crowned at the end of it all and awarded a large trophy. The Mario Kart GP is such a success that a sports events committee is formed with the sole purpose of planning another. MARIO’S TENNIS (VB): The sports events committee realizes that they have the means to host a tennis tournament too, so they convince the participants of the Mario Kart GP to stay for the tennis tournament. This time, however, Bowser does not enter; his Koopa Troopa minion solely represents the Koopa Klan. Tennis courts are located all over the Mushroom Kingdom, from the Royal Castle to the rocky plains to the pipes of Pipe Land. Once again, the competition is fierce, but a winner is soon crowned. November 1992 C.E.: SUPER MARIO LAND 2: 6 GOLDEN COINS (GB): Mario realizes that he hasn’t fully explored the island awarded to him for his bravery a long time ago. Therefore, he sets out for Mario Land. When he arrives, he is shocked to find the land covered in darkness. He treks across the land and approaches his castle. The “M” emblem that adorned the front façade of the castle has been flipped upside-down. Scampering along the top of the castle is a fat human figure. Mario recognizes it as Wario. He knew Wario had been trying to steal Mario Land; he didn’t think Wario would ever be successful in doing so. Mario tries to open the front door, but is unable. The door is magically locked, and Mario discerns that the only way it will open is if he retrieves six golden coins from across the land and places them in their respective slots on the door. Wario has placed the inhabitants of the land under a spell, so his journey will be difficult. Nevertheless, Mario sets out. He battles witches, giant insects, and even Tatanga the spaceman (who had been rehired by Wario). Finally he acquires all six golden coins. He takes them to the door, and, just as he had predicted, the door opens. He braves the pitfalls and traps Wario has placed inside the castle. Mario reaches Wario in the throne room and a fierce battle commences. Wario utilizes the power-ups Mario had used on his quest. The battle goes through three phases before Mario reduces Wario to a small, shivering midget. Wario leaps from the castle and retreats in shame. Mario then fixes the castle up and raises a new flag above it. The citizens of Mario Land return to normal, and Mario goes back to the city Mushroom Kingdom. April 1993 C.E.: YOSHI’S COOKIE (NES, SNES): Yoshi pays a visit to the Mushroom Kingdom to see Mario. While he’s there, he and Mario realize that there aren’t many places around where one can buy a tasty cookie, so he and Yoshi start baking their own. They make them into many designs. The trick, however, is sorting them correctly so that they can be stored. In all the hustle and bustle, one cookie becomes animate and takes off. Fearing the cookie’s mischievous ways, Mario and Yoshi take off after it and catch it much later. After a while, others get in on the cookie cooking fun, including the Princess and a Koopa Troopa, sent by Bowser to improve the Koopa Klan’s public image. After a while, Bowser shows up. Once again, however, things go peacefully. Early June 1993 C.E.: MARIO IS MISSING! (NES, SNES): As reports about Bowser’s whereabouts seem scarce, the Mushroom Kingdom begins to worry. As a precaution, they send Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi to Dark Land to investigate. After they sneak into Bowser’s grand castle, they find a large room with a portal in it. They proceed through the portal and are dumped onto an icy landscape. The scathing winds nearly freeze them before they reach a huge, foreboding fortress in the middle of the frozen wasteland. Then, as they finally approach the gigantic drawbridge (which is mysteriously open), a hole appears under Mario and swallows him up. Though terrified, Luigi and Yoshi muster the courage to venture inside the castle. In one great hall they find a series of heavy doors. These are in actuality Bowser’s Passcode Operated Remote Transport and Larceny System (PORTALS) doors. They are warps that transport the user to another place in the dimension. They step through the portal and into Rome, Italy. Immediately Luigi realizes that they are on Earth in his home dimension. But there is no time to lose. As they soon find out, Bowser has unleashed his forces upon the fair cities of Earth, inflicting soaring crime rates and general disruption. The Koopas destroy landmarks and loot artifacts. With the money they earn for committing these crimes, Bowser will be able to order enough hair dryers from the Hafta-Havit Hotline to melt the entire continent of Antarctica (where his fortress is located), thereby flooding the Earth! Since he is operating in an entirely new dimension and one in which Mario is captured, Bowser figures his plan is foolproof. Luigi and Yoshi embark on a quest to thwart this plan and save Mario. They make use of the PORTALS and journey to each Koopa-infested city, restoring stolen artifacts and stopping the Koopas present. Soon the Earth cities are Koopa-free, and Luigi finds a button on the wall in Bowser’s Antarctic castle that should produce Mario. He hits the button, and Mario appears. However, Bowser also appears, and he attempts to attack the heroes. Luigi pounds the button again, only this time, a small cannon rises from the floor. It promptly blasts Bowser out of the castle and into the Antarctic desert, where he is presumed to freeze to death. Finally, Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi return to Dark Land and soon the Mushroom Kingdom via the interdimensional portal. After hearing of Bowser’s nefarious doings, the Mushroom Kingdom dissolves its non-aggression pact with the Koopa Klan. Late June 1993 C.E.: MARIO’S TIME MACHINE (NES, SNES): Rumors of Bowser once again dabbling in the affairs of another dimension are circulating, and the Mushroom Kingdom is worried. Mario doesn’t believe Bowser could bounce back so quickly after his last defeat, but he agrees to investigate. He and Yoshi travel to Dark Land and are able to get into Bowser’s main castle. They find out that Bowser is using a transdimensional time machine to steal important artifacts from the past of the same planet he had invaded in his last evil endeavor. By doing this, he can destroy the timeline of Earth. Before Mario and Yoshi can act, though, Bowser has Yoshi abducted. Mario has no idea where Yoshi has gone, but he knows he must save the Earth of his former dimension. Snatching an artifact from before its Koopa guards, he travels back in time and replaces the artifact in its rightful spot. He does this with each artifact he finds. After he has finished his dimension- and time-traveling quest, he breaks the seal on the door leading to Bowser’s hiding place by answering history questions. He confronts him and defeats him easily. Bowser drops a golden key after he is defeated that Mario quickly grabs. Mario finds Yoshi’s holding cave and unlocks it. After they are reunited, Mario rides Yoshi triumphantly out of the castle as Bowser, overcome with grief over his two failures, weeps and escapes. September 1993 C.E.: YOSHI’S SAFARI (SNES): A continent on Mushroom Earth called Jewelry Land (located on a geological fault and ruled by King Fret and his son, Prince Pine) is invaded by the Koopa Klan. The twelve mystical gems of the land that protect it from natural disasters by magically altering the planet are stolen, and the resulting earthquake rips the landmass into light and dark realms. The Koopas imprison King Fret in the light realm and Prince Pine in the dark realm. Bowser arms his Koopa Kids with robotic weapons and suits to rule over the country. Prince Pine manages to send word to his old friend, Princess Toadstool, about the disaster. As soon as Peach learns of these catastrophic events, she pleads with Mario and Yoshi to stop Bowser. Mario willingly agrees, and he and Yoshi sail to Jewelry Land. As soon as they arrive, Mario stumbles upon a futuristic, shoulder-held weapon consisting of a long metal smoothbore tube for firing bursts of energy. It’s a weapon the Koopas have recently developed, but Mario makes use of it anyway. He and Yoshi trek across the land, destroying everything in their path (including Bowser’s Koopalings and their robotic weapons). They find the king, but he tells them they must also rescue his son. Finally, they face off with Bowser (who is also clad in an armored suit) and blast him away. The Koopas retreat and the gems are restored. The royals of Jewelry Land thank Mario and Yoshi, and the two heroes sail back home. February 1994 C.E.: SUPER MARIO LAND 3: WARIO LAND (GB): In Mushroom Kingdom (the city), a large golden statue of Princess Toadstool (the construction of which was commissioned by Mario) is completed. Mario plans to present it to her on the following day, but during the night, the Brown Sugar Pirates (a dastardly gang of pillagers) sneak into the city with the intent to take it. A commotion is started, but the pirates get away. Mario vows to retrieve it and sets off after them. The Brown Sugar Pirates return to their base on Kitchen Island. Captain Syrup, the pirates’ leader, stations pirates all over the island. Meanwhile, Wario, Mario’s archrival who at one time succeeded in taking over Mario Land, hears of the theft. He reasons that if he steals the statue back before Mario, he’ll be able to ransom it off to the Mushroom Kingdom for a hefty sum. With that and all the treasures he will undoubtedly loot from the Brown Sugar Pirates he should have enough to construct a palace so magnificent that it would dwarf Mario’s castle. He sails to Kitchen Island (even attacking a Brown Sugar Pirate vessel on the way) and begins to explore the island. After tromping across the entire land and finding numerous valuable treasures and coins, he happens upon the Brown Sugar Pirates’ hideout, an immense tower with a skull atop it. As he creeps through Syrup Castle, he sets off a chain of events that nearly collapses the tower. He finally enters Captain Syrup’s chamber and discovers that Captain Syrup is a woman. She has prepared for this encounter, however, and therefore rubs her magic lamp. This produces a genie. The genie immediately starts brawling with Wario. Once Wario has defeated the genie, Captain Syrup makes her getaway. She drops a bomb and splits. The bomb blows the entire castle up. Wario survives. Left in the castle’s stead is the stolen statue of Peach. As Wario stands gazing at it, Mario swoops down from the clouds, attaches his helicopter to it, and flies away with it in tow. Wario is dumbfounded, but his depression soon turns to delight as the genie he had defeated earlier returns and offers him a wish, but only if Wario can cough up enough dough. Wario gives everything he has found on his quest and is rewarded with a grand castle and the temporary carving of his face on the moon. He settles into his castle on Kitchen Island. In Mushroom Kingdom, Mario returns with the statue, and it is presented to Peach. July 1994 C.E.: HOTEL MARIO (CD-I): Bowser somehow secretly invades the Mushroom Kingdom and builds seven large hotels there. He then sends his minions into Mushroom Kingdom to capture Princess Toadstool. They do, and Mario and Luigi embark on a quest to save her. They waste precious time exploring the seven hotels Bowser has made. In each they face a Koopa Kid. They defeat these and ultimately defeat Bowser and free the Princess. After Bowser retreats, the seven hotels are torn down. September 1994 C.E.: MARIO’S EARLY YEARS!: FUN WITH NUMBERS (SNES): Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, and Peach feel adventurous, so they set out to sea on a raft. They find a small chain of seven islands and explore them. There they find a circus and many number-themed areas. Their adventures consequently explain the fundamental concepts of numbers and counting very well. They finish exploring and return to the Mushroom Kingdom. October 1994 C.E.: MARIO’S EARLY YEARS!: FUN WITH LETTERS (SNES): Once again, Mario, Yoshi, Luigi and Peach set sail for the unknown. They end up returning to the same seven islands and finding them very different from how they were. Now everything is letter-themed. Confused, they scour them for a second time. This time their adventures explain the fundamental concepts of letters and the alphabet extremely well. They go home after they are finished. November 1994 C.E.: MARIO’S EARLY YEARS!: PRESCHOOL FUN (SNES): For a third time, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, and Peach set sail on their small raft and find a small six-island chain near the previously explored seven-island chain. The attractions here are all preschool-themed, and the group’s experiences prove very useful in teaching shape recognition and counting. They return to the Mushroom Kingdom afterwards. March 1995 C.E.: MARIO’S PICROSS (GB): Mario gets on another artistic kick and starts chiseling pictures into large stones. His works resemble things in nature and become very popular. May 1995 C.E.: MARIO’S GAME GALLERY/MARIO’S FUNDAMENTALS (PC and Mac): After Mario loses interest in artistic rock-carving, he decides to set up a game center for the residents of the Mushroom Kingdom. Here bored toads can come and play him in many classic games such as checkers, dominoes, and “Yacht.” The center is very successful during the summer months. December 1995 C.E.: WARIO LAND (VB): Although Wario now dwells in an enormous palace and is quite rich, his appetite for more is never satisfied. That’s why, after landing his seaplane (named Bulldog) near the Aldegara Waterfall in the Awazon river basin on Kitchen Island and seeing a few shadowy, masked figures retreat into the famous waterfall, he has to follow. Inside is a large cave, and in the cave is a vault containing a glorious mountain of treasure. The masked figures, rightfully suspecting that Wario desires the treasure, jump him. He defeats them easily enough, but the floor collapses. Wario finds himself deep within Mushroom Earth. He vows to steal the masked creatures’ treasure. He sets off into the planet and ultimately ends up fighting a demonic genie. He defeats the genie and makes away with the treasure. The treasure proves to be a very valuable addition to Wario’s treasure trove. February 1996 C.E.: Slowly, Bowser begins to repopulate the castle that sits on the Bowser-like mountain near Mario’s Pad. The Mushroom Kingdom observes this, but is practically helpless to stop it, as Bowser completes this reinhabiting fairly covertly. The Kingdom begins to prepare itself for a conflict. April 1996 C.E.: In response to the impending doom that many feel is to befall the Mushroom Kingdom, the Chancellor orders that Princess Toadstool and several high-ranking officials are to move into a castle on a large continent to the north. The castle is just outside of the bustling city called Toad Town and has been the local branch of the Mushroom Kingdom government on the landmass for many years. The move is scheduled to be completed in May. May 1996 C.E.: SUPER MARIO RPG: LEGEND OF THE SEVEN STARS (SNES): Bowser and his forces are aware of the Mushroom Kingdom’s plans and decide to act quickly. To everyone’s surprise, instead of staging an attack, Bowser abducts the Princess once again while she is visiting Mario early in the month. Using the Koopa Clown Car, Bowser sweeps down from the skies and snatches Peach up. Mario, being nearby, gives chase. He follows Bowser across the bridges to Bowser’s imposing castle perched on the mountain. Inside he does battle with Bowser’s forces and eventually confronts Bowser in one of the throne rooms. After a fight high in the room on the chandeliers, Bowser is sent spiraling downward to his doom. However, an intense tremor cuts Mario and Peach’s reunion short. A massive crash and the subsequent violent vibrations send Peach, Bowser, Mario, and many of Bowser’s soldiers shooting from the castle. Mario lands at his home. He sprints toward Vista Hill and discovers the horrifying truth. A giant, anthropomorphic sword has crashed into the middle of Bowser’s proud castle. The impact had not only sent Mario and everyone else flying, it had demolished the bridge between Vista Hill and Bowser’s Castle. This made the only route to the castle the entire circuit around the big bay, which encompasses all of the islands in the buffer between the bay and the ocean. Mario hurries back to his pad and meets Toad there. He and Toad rush to Mushroom Kingdom (the city) and tell the Chancellor of the terrible turn of events. Mario accepts the Chancellors quest of retrieving the Princess and sets off on a long journey. Trekking across hills, swamps, waterfalls, raging rivers, forests, sunken ships, the clouds, and many other areas, he meets many strange characters. Mallow, a Nimbus Land prince who believes he is a tadpole (he has grown up under the tutoring of Frogfucius), proves invaluable when he joins Mario’s party. Geno, who appears to only be an animated doll, turns out to be a warrior from the Star Road, a celestial region that magically grants the wishes of good people. He informs Mario that the sword’s descent disrupted the Star Road and sent its main components, seven stars, hurtling throughout the land. Mario has already found several of these; now he must, according to Geno’s urgings, find the rest of them. The dreams and, consequently, the happiness and wellbeing of the Mushroom Kingdom’s residents are at stake. The evil entity behind all this, he says, is Smithy, an intergalactic thug with the means to construct a robotic army. Mario next discovers a destitute Bowser who, even after years of hatred, reluctantly joins Mario’s party with the sole intent of getting his castle back. Peach is recovered from the hands of the eccentric Booster (who intends to marry her), and the party marches on, eventually reaching Nimbus Land where, after scouring a volcano for a Star Piece and eventually attaining it by force from the Axem Rangers, they are taxied to Bowser’s castle via a cloud taxi. They make their way through the castle, defeating many warriors and even shutting the enormous living sword, Exor, down. They then descend into Smithy’s factory, utterly unaware of where they could possibly be. They put a wrench in Smithy’s monster production and finally face Smithy himself. After making several warped transformations, he finally goes down. The Star Pieces are restored to the Star Road and Geno along with them. A large parade is held in honor of the heroes of the adventure, and each returns to his respective home and commences with making life ordinary again. June 1996 C.E.: As soon as the Kingdom begins to function normally again, the Chancellor orders that Princess Toadstool make the move to the separate castle, called the Mushroom Castle, which is an interesting castle because of its dependence on mystical objects called Power Stars. Most of the castle’s daily activities, such as lighting, are powered by these precious items. The Power Stars have the ability to enchant items and grant great power to the one that possesses them. The move hurriedly takes place and the princess quickly becomes the ruler of the principality consisting of Toad Town and various other towns and districts. The viceroy ruling from the castle steps down. Mario, knowing that it is his unofficial duty to protect the princess, convinces Luigi to move with him to the new continent. They construct a house similar to the one they currently live in and run a Warp Pipe from their new house to Toad Town for easy access to Mushroom Castle. They start exploring the new land over the summer and find its landmass geography much easier to navigate than the island chain they had formerly lived on. September 1996 C.E.: SUPER MARIO 64 (N64)/SUPER MARIO 64 DS (DS): To commemorate her recent move into the Mushroom Castle, Princess Toadstool invites Mario to a party at the castle (for which she has prepared a cake). Using portable warp pipes, Mario, Luigi, and Wario, the latter two party-crashers, arrive at Mushroom Castle. Having caught word of the party, a local news channel has sent a Lakitu cameraman to the scene to get the scoop. He watches as Mario, Luigi, and Wario enter the castle. Intent on interviewing them after the event, he waits for them to reemerge from the castle. They never do. Worried, he notifies Yoshi, who has been “keeping watch” from the roof. After placing him on the ground and awakening him, the two decide to enter the castle and see what has taken the others so long. They find the front door locked but are able to open it after retrieving the key from a mischievous rabbit on the castle grounds. Once inside, they are greeted with a mysterious voice telling them that no one is home and that they should “scram.” The only inhabitant they find is Toad, the Mushroom Retainer. He frantically relates the recent startling events to the duo. Bowser has invaded the castle and captured Toad and the other government officials. He has utilized the power of the Power Stars and changed all of the large paintings in the castle, before used merely as decoration, into portals that lead to the places they depict. Afterward, he allowed his minions to file into the portals with Power Stars in tow with the mandate to hide the Stars and generally cause trouble. The cronies have agitated a war between the red and black Bob-ombs, terrorized the populace of an underwater city, dishonored the sanctity of the Rainbow Ride, and performed many other devious deeds. With the Power Stars, Bowser has even succeeded in completely dislodging some of the invaded areas from the Mushroom Earth altogether, creating floating bastions of disorder and chaos and rendering local resistance powerless. To make matters worse, it seems as if Bowser has been able to imprison Mario, Luigi, and Wario, as well. Yoshi and Lakitu are the only hope for the castle and soon the world, Toad tells them. With a burning desire for justice, Yoshi and Lakitu jump into the first painting they see. Thus begins a monumental quest that takes Yoshi, Lakitu, Mario, Luigi, and Wario to complete. Soon the three original guests to the castle are freed, and they aid Yoshi and Lakitu. The four create a tag-team system in which they take turns visiting the afflicted lands, righting wrongs and retrieving Power Stars, with Lakitu filming whichever hero is out and about. They use a small room in the lobby as their base of operations. Soon, after gathering 150 stars, thirty of which Bowser is not even aware exist, and restoring peace to the many invaded lands, the four heroes square off with Bowser for a third time, intent this time on squashing him once and for all. Mario is chosen as the one to fight Bowser, and the arch enemies meet in the Dark World, a barren region of Dark Land. Mario succeeds in trouncing Bowser, who, after being defeated, mourns his loss but promises to return. He vanishes, and a giant star appears in his place. Mario grabs the star and is given a wing cap. He springs into the air and flies back to Mushroom Castle. Mario reaches the entrance to the castle and lands. The other three are there, and they watch as Peach is produced from the stained glass window, which had been her imprisonment, above the door to the castle. She floats down to the ground and thanks the heroes graciously. Finally, they all go inside the castle and begin the celebration. The adventure, which Lakitu has caught entirely on video, is broadcast throughout the Mushroom Kingdom, and the four receive awards and national recognition. Late September 1996 C.E.: KIRBY SUPER STAR (SNES): Wanting to make a good impression on her new subjects, Princess Peach raises money for a space expedition with the planet Popstar, a star-shaped planet in another galaxy, as its destination. The purpose is to give the Mushroom Kingdom some good publicity by attending a few sports events in Dreamland. She, Mario, Luigi, and several high-ranking Mushroom Kingdom officials embark on the journey. They pilot a luxury starship all the way to Popstar. Once there, they make a point to attend the Megaton Punch Championship and a boxing event in which the reigning king De De De fights. In both events a young warrior named Kirby dominates. Even after they leave, their influence lives on, as several items native to the Mushroom Kingdom and even gold statues of Mario become popular in Dreamland. February 1997 C.E.: MARIO KART 64 (N64): The sports events committee decides that the time is right for another Mario Kart Grand Prix (this time with a valuable collectible known as the Power Trophy as the award), and the preparations begin. The usual participants are back (even Donkey Kong Jr., who has grown up quite a bit and prefers to be called "Donkey Kong" now). News of Wario's success has spread all over Mushroom Earth, and so Mario, thinking that Wario will be more cooperative now that he has what he so desperately sought in the past, invites him to compete. Wario surprisingly obliges, entering the competition with the sole goal of showing Mario up. Many different courses are prepared for the occasion, including Royal Raceway in front of the Mushroom Castle, a rugged dirt course in the Wario Stadium in Diamond City on Kitchen Island, Jungle Parkway in the Kongo Jungle on Donkey Kong Island in our dimension, a section of limited access highway in Mushroom City, and many others. The competition is this time divided into three different engine sizes: 50cc, 100cc, and 150cc. An illusion that makes it seem as though one's surroundings are mirrored is used as the ending challenge, which will be raced with 150cc. Just before the competition begins, however, Bowser shows up and demands a spot in the race. His secret intent is to capture Peach, but he has decided to try a sneaky approach. The Chancellor, feeling that he will surely be attacked if he moves against Bowser, feels forced to let him join. An adjustment is made to include one of Bowser's Castles as a race track, and then the Mario Kart GP begins. Bowser never gets a chance to snatch Peach, and the Kingdom never makes a move against him. Once the competition is over, and a winner is crowned and given the Power Trophy, Bowser slips off undetected. He will have to try again another time. March 1997 C.E.: Someone finds a strange handheld electronic gaming device with an LCD screen (called a "Game & Watch"), and a collecting frenzy begins. April 1997 C.E.: GAME & WATCH GALLERY (GB): The Mushroom Kingdom takes notice of the Game & Watch collecting phenomenon and realizes it can cash in on the craze. The Chancellor has Mario, Luigi, Peach, and several other famous individuals present and reenact experiences they've had that resemble the events of certain Game & Watch games. For example, Mario acts out his and Yoshi's daring oil recovery mission in a Bowser-controlled tower. Peach tells about how she and Mario narrowly escaped the clutches of a giant octopus while searching for treasure. These modern "versions" of the Game & Watch games prove to be very popular, as many come to hear them. December 1998 C.E.: GAME & WATCH GALLERY 2 (GBC): Long after the first Mushroom Kingdom Modern Game & Watch event, enough new Game & Watch games have surfaced that a second event can be held. A large stage is set up upon which each Mushroom Kingdom star will recount his Game & Watch-related activities. Mario replays his battles with Donkey Kong, the group shows a demonstration of their restaurant-related venture, Yoshi speaks about his vermin problem, etc. Once again, the event is a big success. February 1999 C.E.: MARIO PARTY (N64): Mario decides to throw an exclusive party near his home, and all in attendance enjoy themselves. During the course of the event, discussion begins to focus on how one becomes a "Super Star," someone all can rely on. Wario raises the question of who is the biggest Super Star. An argument ensues, and Toad finally ends it by commenting that since Super Stars help those in trouble, everyone at the party should be clamoring to help others. The group then travels to Mushroom Village, a small outpost that is based around a large Warp Pipe. The Pipe leads to many different places, and it is such that Donkey Kong is able to use it to cross between his universe and Mario's. From this pipe the group travels to several different locales, such as a raging Bob-omb battlefield, a dangerous engine room, a rainbow castle high in the sky, an area of Yoshi's Island, an oversized birthday cake cooked for Peach by the royal kitchen, and a portion of the Kongo Jungle on Donkey Kong Island in our universe. In each area there are those in need of help, and the group succeeds in helping each and every one. The cycle of assistance even begins to occur with board game-like randomness, almost like a party. However, Bowser inevitably gets involved. He lures the friends to his Magma Mountain, but his plans are soon thwarted. Even though he is thought to be defeated, he returns once again when Mario and co. investigate a dying star deep in space. The star is breaking apart, and it is soon discovered that Bowser and his Baby Bowser children are behind it all. Again, Bowser is defeated, and the heroes are able to restore the star to its original state. A Super Star is crowned, and the adventure comes to an end. April 1999 C.E.: SUPER SMASH BROS. (N64): On the planet of Popstar in a solar system many lightyears away from the Mushroom Earth solar system, an insidious living glove known as Master Hand, and his partner Crazy Hand, sulk about in the shadows of the Dreamland underworld. Taking on hits and various odd jobs here and there, the hands are secretly developing a method of time travel that will aid them in conquering the universe. Through much research and many hours of painstaking stealth observation, the hands discern eight heroes from across space, time, and the fabric of the universe. Mario, the heroic plumber from Mushroom Earth in the Mushroom Universe; Kirby, a star warrior from the hands' own Popstar, also in the Mushroom Universe but in a separate solar system from Mushroom Earth; Donkey Kong (Jr.), a muscular ape from the Kongo Jungle on Earth; Yoshi, Mario's trusty dino companion on Mushroom Earth; Fox McCloud, a freelance anthropomorphic fox fighter pilot from a separate solar system in the Milky Way galaxy of several decades ago; Link, a Hylian (long-eared humanoid with innate magic-harnessing abilites) of the land of Hyrule on a magical planet in a parallel universe; Samus, an intergalactic bounty hunter from Donkey Kong's universe's distant future, clothed in a highly advanced power suit; and Pikachu, a member of a rodent species of "Pokemon" found in Asia with electromagnetic powers. Using their powers of time and space manipulation, the hands blaze a trail through reality and succeed in drugging the combatants and bringing them to a single location. Once gathered, the hands (from behind the scenes) toss two to four of the heroes into a single location, usually one of the characters' homes, and force them to do battle. This is in hopes that these heroes will destory one another, leaving no real force to contest the hands in their bid for universal dominance. Soon, four more competitors are entered into the fray. Luigi, Mario's brother; Captain Falcon, an ace pilot and bounty hunter from the future of DK's universe (but not quite as future as Samus); Jigglypuff, a creampuff Pokemon from Pikachu's land; and Ness, a boy from Middle America* with psychic powers are all turned vicious fighters by the hands. As the fight rages on, the heroes, coming back somewhat to their usual rational ways, realize that something is amiss. They band together and search for the mysterious force that's driving them to combat. They discover a pocket in spacetime that hides Master Hand, who has orchestrated the entire ordeal. They defeat him, and without his power, the pocket collapses on itself. The heroes survive, and utilize the yet-intact Master Hand's time traveling method to get back to their respective times and places. May 1999 C.E.: Mario returns home to find Peach obsessed with golf. She has revamped the area around the Mushroom Castle to serve as a golf course, and many courses are under construction throughout the Mushroom Kingdom. A tournament is planned. June 1999 C.E.: MARIO GOLF (N64): The Sports Events Committee announces a Royal Golf tournament that is to take place throughout the Mushroom Kingdom. All are invited to participate. Several novices from the nearby Marion Golf Club enter and do well. It is rumored that Bowser is also participating. However, he causes no trouble. The tournament goes smoothly, with a winner being named at its conclusion. October 1999 C.E.: MARIO GOLF (GBC): Four promising young golfers, Joe, Kid, Azalea, and Sherry, enroll in the Marion Golf Club. That club and the other three clubs (Palm, Dune, and Links) all host tournaments that any young golfer can enter. One of the four golfers actually finishes first in each tournament. That golfer is secretly invited to Peach's Castle for an exclusive tournament with Mario and his friends (the group that participated in past events). The young one defeats the gang in the tournament and becomes the new grand champ, a title formerly held by Mario. This fact is kept secret for the time being, however, and the golfer returns to the Marion Club with this secret knowledge. December 1999 C.E.: GAME & WATCH GALLERY 3 (GBC): The overwhelming success of the last two Modern Game & Watch events spurs the Kingdom to host a third event with plays and stories. By this time, Game & Watch games specifically featuring Mario and friends have been produced, and so the group acts these out. The stage travels around to many places, and sizeable crowds turn out to see it. January 2000 C.E.: MARIO PARTY 2 (N64): Mario, in a crowd-pleasing mood, proposes that a theme park be built for the inhabitants of Mushroom Earth. He and Peach invite Luigi, Yoshi, Wario, Donkey Kong Jr., and Toad to be supervisors for the project, and together with the best Toad architects in the Kingdom and the help of the Power Stars, they are able to build a massive park containing several sub-parks with names such as Horror Land, Mystery Land, Pirate Land, and Space Land. These areas are organized like game boards. However, a dispute arises about what to call the new park. Each supervisor (not including Toad) lobbies for his/her name to go on the front gate. Toad, ever the clear-headed mediator, suggests that they use the park as a playing field and compete in contests to see who is most worthy of being the park's namesake--another "Mario Party," so to speak. They agree, and the contest begins. The contest, though, becomes unimportant when Bowser shows up multiple times, attempting to steal coins and generally muck everything up. He is humiliated with each attack he makes, but he manages to slip away in the end. After Bowser has been defeated, it is generally agreed upon that Mario was the most heroic in the struggle against Bowser, and so he gets the naming rights. "Mario Land" opens to throngs of eager crowds with a play about the tumultuous pre-opening events. * If any Earthbound fans have an objection to this, email me with your suggestions and comments. I've never played the Earthbound games before, so I may be making a mistake placing the series in America.

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