In the pantheon of video games, is there any series more iconic than Super Mario? And is there any character more beloved or well known than the super-powered plumber himself? Probably not. For over three decades now, the Mario games, in all their variations across different platforms, have earned the love and respect of countless gamers, casual and otherwise, and critics thanks to their simple but timeless platforming template, colorful graphics and sound design, and ability to evolve with every passing generation. The Super Mario games are a shining example of a series that is able to stay true to its roots while simultaneously revolutionizing the industry, and has gone on to define its exclusive platform Nintendo and, many may argue, the industry itself.
With a game this iconic, it's going to have its fair share of tropes, memes and, in this case, comics. From jumping on goombas, to eating magic mushrooms, to finding out that the princess is in yet another castle, it's an easy game to parody and many of these comics basically write themselves.
However, unlike other games series, there is never much malice in these parodies. Super Mario, as a platformer, is very accessible and uncontroversial, and the series has always set itself a sky-high standard, releasing classic games across all gaming generations and Nintendo platforms, giving it a certain amount of immunity compared to other games.
So with that, sit back, relax, and enjoy 25 of the best Super Mario comics that you can relate to as a player.
26 Time For Intervention
Poor Princess Toadstool. Mario’s main squeeze has been through a lot over the last three decades: reduced to a damsel in distress and stolen on a yearly basis by the same monster, you can’t really blame her for being irritated by her constant predicament.
Aside from the opening to any given Mario game where the Princess, inevitably, gets abducted by Big Bowser, it really doesn’t take long for the player to forget all about the hostage Toadstool and just start enjoying exploring the mushroom kingdom.
While the idea of this comic is to generate sympathy for the Princess, as a player it probably has the opposite effect. It is more likely to elicit nostalgia for taking giant mushrooms, stomping on goombas, and flying through the air gracefully with a tanooki suit, all of which are illustrated in this comic.
When the Princess confronts Mario, calling him “the worst boyfriend ever,” and it's not hard to see why.
Taken literally, Mario is an absentee partner, unable to prevent his girlfriend from being taken again and again, with a penchant for cruelty and taking altering substances.
That being said, sorry Toadstool, but exploring the Mushroom Kingdom is just too much fun; you’ll just have to wait to be rescued!
Comic by Brain Slug.
25 Reznors!
Platforming games are designed to be as simple and fun as possible. Essentially 2D, and later 3D, obstacle courses, each level is designed to be simple enough to understand, getting more challenging as the game progresses in terms of reaction and timing, as opposed to concept or control.
That being said, in most platforming games, there are a handful of sections or enemies which are seemingly designed to infuriate the player, causing them to fail a particular part of a game again and again until they launch the controller through the TV screen in a fit of uncontrollable rage.
Reznors, which appear in Super Mario World and New Super Mario Bros 2, are one of these infuriating obstacles. Four dinosaur heads on four individually revolving platforms, these prehistoric creatures breathe fire in your direction, meaning that you have to dodge four flamethrowers and coming at you from a massive impediment in the middle of the level. This means that there is a high probability of being hit, which means that there is a high probability of losing a life and having to start the level again, which means on very, very angry gamer. Anyone who's ever been burned by these dinosaurs will be able to relate to the panic expressed in this comic for sure!
24 Wario Rivalry
A villain designed by Nintendo themselves to be the antithesis of Mario, Wario first appeared in 1992’s Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins as the archnemesis of the heroic plumber. Now, while Wario, again being a creation of the company themselves and being inspired directly by their biggest story, was never meant to be a breakout character in his own right, he did garner enough regard amongst fans to warrant two spinoff titles of his own: Wario Land and WarioWare.
That being said, unlike many villains which go on to be as big if not bigger than the virtuous protagonists themselves (can you say Heath Ledger’s Joker?), Wario was, and still is, relatively underwhelming when compared to Mario, both in terms of character and mass appeal.
In this comic, we see Wario doing what any respectable villain would: trying to crush his goodie-two-shoes counterpart. However, Mario manages to defeat his evil counterpart, letting the air out of him and leaving him small and deflated. Gawking at his shocked, and rather frightened, looking nemesis, Mario adds insult to injury by quipping: “Now there’s the Wario I remember!” Chances are, that’s probably the Wario you remember too, if you remember him at all…
23 Weird Ghosts
Making their debut in the classic SNES title Super Mario World, these spooky ghosts appeared to give you a fright in the haunted house levels of the game. Daunting the first time you see them, these scowling poltergeists have the ability to change levels and direction, and will end or shrink you upon first contact, making them formidable and, at times, frustrating foes.
And while they’re easily identifiable as ghosts (even in their 16-bit form) there is no doubt that their shape is, well, a bit strange.
Essentially just floating heads with tiny tails at the back of their cranium (maybe to help them fly, who knows!), even their cartoon contemporary Casper, the friendly ghost, had a semblance of a lower body at least.
Maybe when you tried, often in vain, to dodge these hovering nuisances, you looked at them and thought something was off. Maybe you tried to picture them in their living form. Perhaps, when you did, you conjured up an image which shook you to your very core: a deformed creature with lifeless eyes, a finger for a tail, and a rather unattractive haircut. Maybe, then, this comic has made your biggest nightmare a gruesome reality.
Comic by My Extra Life.
22 Odyssey Vs. 64
This comic could either be seen as a pining for a simpler time in gaming, or a tour gone bad. Well, ok, maybe not the latter, but the first time you whip your cap at an enemy in Super Mario Odyssey, it is most certainly a new experience. As we mentioned in the introduction, Super Mario titles, while staying true fundamentally to its platforming roots, always manage to evolve the genre within its parameters. The ability to possess an enemy would, for old-school Mario players, be a bit of a trip and something totally alien to the 2D titles, or even older 3D titles like Super Mario 64.
Speaking of which, for many players, there is a lot to be said for the simpler Mario titles. In spite of the critical acclaim and fan love bestowed upon titles like Super Mario Galaxy and the aforementioned Super Mario Odyssey, there is a subset of veteran (see: old) Mario fans that believe that the old school titles, such as Super Mario Bros and Super Mario World, are better than their three dimensional younger brothers. If you fall into this category, then this comic is right up your alley. Just look at 64 Mario’s face: excited, happy, and content with his mere ability to fly. Now contrast that with Odyssey Mario, who looks absolutely horrified by the hybrid mutant he’s become!
21 Arranged Marriage
Another one depicting Princess Toadstool and her unfortunate predicament. There is no doubt about it that Mario takes his sweet time to wrench her from the paws of Big Bowser. However, in our quest to retrieve her, we often do not ask ourselves what Bowser’s intentions are. Does he steal her because he’s a kleptomaniac? Maybe he got ripped off by a plumber who, in spite of taking money from him, failed to properly fix his toilet, leaving Mario guilty by association?
All of these are ridiculous but viable explanations. That being said, a much more realistic explanation is that Bowser has a thing for the Princess, and just gives her a forceful assist at eloping with him. If the latter is true, then it’s doubtful that he’d wait until Mario sauntered his way through a dozen castles to set a date. In this comic, we see the Princess warding off the unwanted advancements of the shelled predator soon after the two were wed. The Princess’ face says it all, and I’d imagine that the exchanging of vows was not amicable. I’d also imagine Mario would want to hurry it up and get there before they finish the marriage!
Comic by J Rowland.
20 Poor Goomba
You have to feel bad for any foe who can only move laterally with their eyes facing forward. Literally the first enemy you face in every Mario game: they are short, slow, and aside from their flying cousins which appeared in Super Mario Bros 3, have the same predictable movement pattern, moving from right to left then back to left again.
These physical limitations, along with the fact that they just look benign, might make some players feel guilty about stomping on them.
In this comic, there are two goombas (they often come in pairs in the games), simply having a chat while minding their own business. Then, out of nowhere, Mario comes along and smashes one of them, stealing the coin that pops out of the recently departed. The other goomba looks on horrified, and tells the lethal plumber that he could have just asked for the money!
Truthfully, you could side with either party here: on the one hand, you could be like Mario, the happy-go-lucky lunatic squashing innocent goombas for money on the way to another castle. Or, you could empathize with the goombas, innocent cannon fodder put in front of Mario as petty obstacles, there to be brushed aside, or worse, stepped on!
Comic by GameGags.
19 Greedy Lumas
When Mario went galactic in the exceptional Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii, he needed some interstellar co-stars to accompany him on his quest. Enter the Lumas: cute, happy-go-lucky stars which help guide Mario through tutorials and general advice, as well as having the ability to transform into objects and power-ups which can aid you throughout the game.
However, their assistance comes at a price, for these little blobs of light are addicted to star bits, little star shards that are scattered throughout the levels which Mario can collect. These star bits serve a multitude of functions, though: they can be fired at enemies to stun them, helping Mario to defeat them or just bypass them altogether, or, more vital still, when enough of them are collected, they afford Mario another life, which could potentially mean the difference between our courageous plumber friend completing the level or seeing a game over screen.
With that in mind, you’d think the Lumas would be more sensitive to Mario’s plight. Saving the Princess is a team effort (if we ignore the fact that Mario gets all the glory, but these are semantics), so they shouldn’t be robbing Mario of a potentially life-saving resource. Chances are, if you’ve been a star bit or two from adding a vital additional life, only to have to give up your stash to these greedy stars to advance through a level, you’ll feel irritated just looking at this comic.
Comic by Broken Teapot.
18 Super Plumbers
People who play the Super Mario games (both long-time Mario-philes and young, casual first timers alike) must, at some stage, ask themselves on very simple question: how is it that a plumber... well, two if you count Luigi... is able to possess the powers of inhuman growth, flight, the ability to shoot fireballs from… somewhere, and the exceptional athleticism to leap more than three times his own height.
Moreover, how is it that Mario, again a humble tradesman, is in a position to court a Princess? A woman of royalty who, judging by the attire she wears, is not of this century, meaning that any chance Mario would’ve had making that social climb in this day and age is essentially nil.
If you’ve ever wondered why, and if you’ve given it any thought at all you probably should have at some stage while playing a Mario game, then this comic gives as plausible an explanation as any you’re likely to hear. When an employer is looking for the right duo to rescue a princess from the clutches of evil, having to navigate certain death to do so, the Mario Bros. Plumbers just will not suffice. But the “SUPER MARIO BROS.” on the other hand? Well, they sound “perfect for the job!”
17 They Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Used To…
One of the advantages of the hardware introduced with Nintendo’s seventh generation console the Wii was it allowed gaming developers to evolve their titles in unique ways; the Nunchuck and Wiimote controllers were totally unlike its rival’s Xbox and PlayStation’s standard console controllers, integrating motion control as a vital part of the experience; a fluid and fun way that set it apart from the competition, helping the Wii to become the sales juggernaut it did.
Super Mario Galaxy, which we have mentioned a few times thus far, also took full advantage of the new console, making the most of the motion control and screen pointing, ensuring that Nintendo’s signature series remained ahead of the curve on its own hardware, and in gaming in general.
That being said (again, as we’ve mentioned earlier) there are always going to be those who harken for the older days of gaming: a two-dimensional world with simple graphics, simple stories and, most of all, simple controls.
This was what prompted the release of Super Mario Bros. Wii, an updated, shinier version of the old 2D Mario games.
Great idea, and many people enjoyed the game. However, most people felt that the Wiimote, which was simply turned on its side to mimic a generic controller, was a not sufficient replacement for the traditional, chunkier SNES controller, thus the immense irritation on these people's faces, and possibly yours too.
Comic by My Extra Life.
16 Big Bowser Limited Weapons
There’s no doubt about it, Big Bowser goes out of his way to put a litany of impediments in front of Mario: from wild animals that have the ability to end Mario’s life just by merely touching him, to a seemingly endless supply of decoy castles, it’s amazing that the big guy has never invested in deadlier, more full-proof forms of Mario control. With seemingly unlimited resources, you’d think he’d be able to stop a mere plumber from toppling his empire and steal the Princess back.
Maybe it’s an aversion to advance weaponry, maybe he just likes the vintage touch, but when a Koopa Troopa shows Bowser a state of the art rocket launcher, he is uninterested, and instead insists that the Troopa and all his shelled friends continue to pop out giant bullets with “angry faces on them.”
Now, let’s be honest: it wouldn’t be a Super Mario game without over-the-top weaponry and enemies with predictable movements! Now sure, the bullets in question may be gigantic, and they may fire out of a massive cannon at ten miles per hour, but hey, that’s part of the charm!
Comic by Cyanide and Happiness.
15 Dirty Pipes
One of the most recognizable figures in the Super Mario series is not a familiar foe, a trusty sidekick or a memorable level. No, in this instance, it's the pipes (warp pipes to be specific) that we are talking about. Appearing since the dawn of the series, these pipes house one of the game's most iconic enemies (the piranha plants) some of which shoot fireballs out of their mouths because, well, games. What they are best known for, however, is their ability to transport, or warp, Mario and Luigi from one location to another, either being used to advance the stage or to reveal a secret area in the level.
That being said, pipes, in general, have an association in most people's minds with water at best, and human waste at worst. Suffice to say, given the choice, none of us would choose a pipe as a form of transportation. Maybe we’re just so used to the sight of Mario traveling feet first down an underground pipe, but many of us thought, at least in the beginning, that it seemed a bit unsanitary. Luigi often had the same thought process, leading him to pull an unfortunate prank on his brother which left him a bit stinky.
14 Building Blocks
If you ever walk up to a row of bricks or cinderblocks, it is generally advised that you don’t hit your head off them with full force. Now let’s play a serious hypothetical here: if you’re ever walking down the street (dodging fire-breathing piranhas and turtles along your way) and you come across a row of solid gold bricks, please do not jump up and try to smash them with the top of your head.
I know, I know, they’re suspended in mid-air, making them a perfect target for your crown.
But remember, gold is one of the densest elements there is: if you crack your head on a gold block, that could very well be it for you…
Just like the previously mentioned pipes, Mario continues to forego the laws of logic, bashing his head on these solid gold objects time and again across various levels and games, showing a complete disregard for his own personal health and well being; sure, it may net him a few power-ups and gold coins here and there, but is it all worth it? This comic shows the inevitable result of this repetitive head trauma, at least if it were in real life. Thank god it's only a video game! Still, makes our heads hurt…
Comic by Chris Toumanian.
13 Graphical Comparison
So far in this list, we have analyzed two comics comparing the older generation of Mario games to the newer: both comics, one comparing Super Mario 64 to Super Mario Odyssey and the control scheme for New Super Mario Bros, were seen from the perspective of the old school Mario player, lamenting the complexity of newer Mario titles.
But this comic is speaking on behalf of the newer generation, and in more ways than one. Here, the old Mario avatar comes across as antiquated both physically and ideologically. When he comes across a female Toadette, the old Mario calls her Toad. When she informs him of his mistake, old Mario flies into a rage, unable to comprehend what is going on. New Mario saunters into the picture, explains away his old namesake's mentality, with the Toadette suggesting that Mario from 1985 “get with the times.”
Now, you can take this comic literally, or you could read some political subtext into it. Personally, I really just hope it's using our current cultural climate to make a point about outdated graphics. Let’s leave SJWs and ideologies out of video games, not least of all Mario games!
Art by CoconutStevio92.
12 Baby Mario Power
With great power comes great responsibility: so when tasked with defeating Big Bowser and saving someone, especially while under the influence of potentially psychedelic power-ups, it should be left up to a special person with special abilities. The juries out on whether two plumbers with no mercenary experience are qualified for the job (we’ve seen a comic address this earlier), but I think we can all agree that it should not be left to a baby.
This task was placed firmly on the tiny shoulders of Baby Mario in the DS title Yoshi’s Island, where he is tasked to save Baby Luigi from Big Bowser and his minions. In this comic, Mario receives a gold star and, presumably, goes on a rampage, leading to his exile to Yoshi’s Island. This whole comic could be construed in two ways by those who’ve played the DS title: either Baby Mario is a bad boy, the only man for the job at hand, or he’s a baby who is unable to wield the power at his disposal. Either way, you can’t help but think that they could have found a more suitable candidate, like Mario himself!
11 Brother’s Quarrel
Luigi has been a fixture of the Mario games for years. The go-to player two option in games such as Super Mario Bros 3, the “mother” of dinosaur Yoshi has also been gifted designated sections of games in titles like Super Mario Galaxy 2, and even been given his own standalone games, like the oft-forgotten Luigi’s Mansion on the GameCube. Considered a definite fan favorite, many players actually prefer Mario’s lanky brother, seeing him as more than just a sidekick, and an integral part of saving the Princess time and time again.
Speaking of the latter, and considering the fact it borders on a team effort to rescue her, who says that Mario just gets the girl at the end of the game?
Taller and leaner than his stocky sibling (and dawning a funky green ensemble to boot) who says that Princess Toadstool wouldn’t fall for Luigi? Especially if he happened to be the avatar the player chose to rescue her?
We could see how this could create tension and strife between the two brothers, as articulated in this comic when Mario rushes to meet his brother after discovering that consuming a star makes him invincible. He finds his brother on a date with the Princess, and sadly confirms to his toad friend that the star does not make him impervious to pain. Think about that next time you choose Luigi…
10 Real Life Odyssey
In Mario’s latest critically acclaimed masterpiece, Super Mario Odyssey, players navigate the happy go lucky plumber through an open world, the likes of which hadn’t been seen since 2002’s Super Mario Sunshine. This time around, though, players have a much more realistic sandbox to explore, as Mario finds himself in a modern, urban metropolis filled with young professionals, taxi cabs, and skyscrapers.
And hey, since this is a Mario game, there is an underlying optimism that permeates throughout the open world that reflects the general tone of the Mario series, and the man himself (Princess being snatched by evil giant spiky turtle man notwithstanding). But for anybody who's ever lived, worked or, not to mention raised, in a major city knows, urban life is not always glamorous. Unless you are fortunate enough to have a truck full of cash, chances are you’ll have to compromise space and luxury for the geographical advantages that come with living in a centralized, inner city location.
This comic beautifully juxtaposes these two realities together beautifully. On the one hand, we have the fictional utopia of Mario Odyssey, running along the roofs of taxis and swinging from lampposts (all without being arrested), while on the other we see a depressed Mario lamenting his living conditions and financial woes. If you’ve played Odyssey in your one bedroom apartment, this one definitely hit home.
Comic by Gone Into Rapture.
9 Payback!
You know the feeling: you’ve jumped gracefully over bottomless fire pits, timed runs under giant, angry blocks of human crushing concrete, slain vicious fire-breathing piranhas, braved giant (albeit slow) bullets and finally, in an epic showdown, have defeated yet another Koopaling in dramatic fashion. Then, out of nowhere, one of your toad allies emerges to inform you that the princess is, in fact, in another castle.
Either Bowser is a rich genius capable of building a dozen decoy castles to throw off his plumbing nemesis, or Mario has a serious issue with his GPS. Either way, it can be frustrating when your valiant effort turns out to be for absolutely nothing.
What’s more, couldn’t Toad have told you before you engaged in a potentially fatal battle with your much larger adversary that the Princess was not here and, well, saved you the trouble of combat? Well, in any case, in this comic Mario manages to get some cathartic revenge on his mushroom-headed friend. Emerging from a cave looking exhausted, Toad bemoans a boss battle he just engaged in, but concludes it was worth it for the treasure he is about to obtain. Then, out of nowhere, Mario emerges to tell him that his treasure is in another castle. Shocked, Mario gets in his face and says: “This is what it feels like.” Think about this comic next time you get stuck on a boss.
Comic by Ronnie Raccoon.
8 Extra Curricular Activities
Throughout this list, we’ve analyzed Mario’s penchant for procrastination and lack of focus when it comes to retrieving the princess. In the various worlds in which Mario must venture to rescue Toadstool, there are so many distractions and fun things to do that it’s understandable (although perhaps not forgivable) as to why our friend may get sidetracked.
But these distractions extend far beyond the main games in the series: Mario Party, Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros to name but a few.
Mario has lent his talents, charisma, and recognizable mustached face to a variety of other games of various genres, giving them instant recognition, credibility, and, in fairness, guaranteeing that they sell by the bucket load.
This comic could be viewed by fans of the series in a variety of ways. The optimistic super fan could see it as a tribute to the versatility of the plumber, and how his character has the ability to adapt and thrive within a variety of different gaming contexts. The cynical fan would see this comic as a commentary on Nintendo as a business geared towards profit and consumerism. The empathetic fan, however, simply sees this and wonders why it takes Mario so long to rescue the Princess!
Comic by Pictures in Boxes.
7 Smash!
Speaking of Super Mario Smash Bros, the Nintendo beat-em-up has developed into a fan favorite and critical smash (see what I did there?) since the first title in the series, simply titled Super Smash Bros, was released on the Nintendo 64 back in 1999. Over the past two decades, the games have become a multiplayer staple for Nintendo players across four generations of console gaming.
And while Mario must vanquish foes in all his games, he usually does so in a way that comes across as nonthreatening (jumping on heads, firing turtle shells, and swooshing his tanooki tail) no matter how fatal the outcome may be. But in Super Mario Smash Bros, Mario must rely on hand to hand combat to take out enemies and allies alike, so he must get serious and toughen up to go about the task at hand.
Perhaps if you’re seeing this collage for the first time, you never realized how consistently mean Mario looks across the various Smash Bros titles. The typically smiley, clumsy plumber is all furrowed brows, karate stances and super focused in these snapshots, which completely changes his usual docile demeanor. Think about this next time you pick him in Super Smash Bros, you may never look at the character the same way again!