The Mario Franchise is one of the most well known video game franchises of all time, the face of the Nintendo brand, and has been going strong for around 35 years. What are levels and worlds? Who are the characters appearing as the face of the franchise? What are enemies, and how has the Mario franchise diversified over time? Listen to part two of this episode to learn about these details and a whole lot more!

Timestamps:

00:54 - Gameplay + Mario Basics

> 04:59 - What can Mario do?

> 07:03 - Items

> 12:09 - Question Blocks

> 13:08 - Obstacles

> 17:37 - Basic Objective(s)

19:53 - Worlds + Levels

> 20:10 - Worlds

> 20:42 - Levels

> 24:34 - The Broader Function of Worlds + Levels

28:02 - Characters & Enemies

> 29:08 - Main Characters

> 41:55 - Enemies

50:03 - Spin-Offs

Resources/Links:

- Official Mario Website (History)

- Waluigi 

- Donkey Kong (character)

- Charles Martinet (voice actor)

- Really Freakin’ Clever - 192 Things WRONG with Super Mario Galaxy (COMPLETE SERIES) 

- Nintendo Switch - Bowser & Bowser Jr. - Parental Controls Trailer

Games (mentioned in this episode):

- Super Mario Odyssey

- Super Mario Sunshine

- Super Mario Bros.

- Super Mario Galaxy

(NOTE: Except for Super Mario Odyssey, these games are described in the encyclopedia cited below.)

Spin-Off Series (mentioned in this episode):

- Mario Strikers Charged

- Mario Power Tennis

- Mario Hoops 3-on-3

- Mario Golf

- Donkey Kong Country

- Mario Kart

- Mario Party

- Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

- Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis

- Luigi's Mansion

Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia - The Official Guide. Translated by William Flanagan and Zack Davisson. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2015.

(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes. Enjoy this photo of Cat Mario and Luigi.)