Editing Mario (section)

==Reception==
[[File:Supermario Kungsbacka.jpg|thumb|upright|Statue of Mario in front of the offices of Nintendo's [[Nordic countries|Nordic]] distributor [[Bergsala]] in [[Kungsbacka]], Sweden]]
As Nintendo's mascot, Mario is widely considered to be the most famous video game character in history, and has been called an icon of the gaming industry.<ref name="History of Mario">{{cite web |title=Nintendo's Shining Star: The History of Mario |url=http://www.gamecubicle.com/features-mario-nintendo_shining_star.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120154312/http://gamecubicle.com/features-mario-nintendo_shining_star.htm |archive-date=January 20, 2016 |access-date=August 23, 2008 |publisher=Gamecubicle}}</ref><ref name="wired" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Buchanan |first=Levi |date=February 13, 2009 |title=Is There a Bad Mario Game? |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/02/13/is-there-a-bad-mario-game |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220101202543/https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/02/13/is-there-a-bad-mario-game |archive-date=January 1, 2022 |access-date=May 4, 2022 |website=IGN}}</ref> He has been featured in over two hundred video games.<ref name="History" /> Mario was one of the first video game character inductees at the [[Walk of Game]] in 2005, alongside [[Link (The Legend of Zelda)|Link]] and [[Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|Sonic the Hedgehog]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Past Inductees 2005 Games / Characters |url=http://www.walkofgame.com/inductees/inductees2005.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080121064109/http://www.walkofgame.com/inductees/inductees2005.html |archive-date=January 21, 2008 |access-date=February 21, 2008 |publisher=[[Walk of Game]]}}</ref> Mario was the first video game character to be honored with a wax figure in the [[Hollywood Wax Museum]] in 2003.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/hollywood-wax-museum-adds-mario/1100-6085249/ |title=Hollywood Wax Museum adds Mario |first=Justin |last=Calvert |website=GameSpot |date=December 9, 2003 |access-date=March 12, 2024 |archive-date=March 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240312123250/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/hollywood-wax-museum-adds-mario/1100-6085249/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[Kotaku]]'' writer Luke Plunkett had called Mario the most recognizable figure in the gaming industry, stating that, "Nintendo's mascot has been the most recognisable (and profitable) face this industry has ever - and will likely ever - see, almost single-handedly driving Nintendo through five whole generations of video game success".<ref>{{cite web |last=Plunkett |first=Luke |date=September 13, 2010 |title=Happy 25th Birthday, Super Mario Bros. |url=https://kotaku.com/happy-25th-birthday-super-mario-bros-5636283 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100921225033/http://kotaku.com/5636283/happy-25th-birthday-super-mario-bros |archive-date=September 21, 2010 |access-date=May 4, 2022 |publisher=Kotaku}}</ref> In 2010, ''[[Guinness World Records]]'' gave Mario the title "Godfather of gaming" and "longest-running computer game character" and stated, "Mario is still 'The Godfather' of gaming as the most successful and enduring character in an industry which is constantly evolving."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnet.com/home/smart-home/guinness-crowns-mario-godfather-of-gaming/ |title=Guinness crowns Mario 'Godfather of gaming' |first=Don |last=Reisinger |website=[[CNET]] |date=May 21, 2010 |access-date=April 2, 2024 |archive-date=May 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508110521/https://www.cnet.com/home/smart-home/guinness-crowns-mario-godfather-of-gaming/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2024, a poll conducted by [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]] with around 4,000 respondents named Mario as the second most iconic video-game character of all time.<ref>{{Cite news |author=Ollie Reynolds |title=Random: BAFTA's 'Iconic Game Characters' Poll Has Us Scratching Our Heads |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2024/04/random-baftas-iconic-game-characters-poll-has-us-scratching-our-heads |work=Nintendo Life |date=April 3, 2024 |access-date=April 8, 2024 |archive-date=April 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240404102422/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2024/04/random-baftas-iconic-game-characters-poll-has-us-scratching-our-heads |url-status=live }}</ref> Ben Lindbergh of ''[[The Ringer (website)|The Ringer]]'' described Mario as "the most iconic video character of all time", "the medium's most successful character", and "video-game-character equivalent of type-O blood" and also reported that Mario has the highest [[Q&nbsp;Score]] among video game characters, with Link, [[Pac-Man (character)|Pac-Man]], and [[Master Chief (Halo)|Master Chief]] being one of his closest competitors.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theringer.com/2020/9/9/21428984/mario-spinoffs-franchises-kart-tennis-dr |title=More Than a Mustache: The Many Lives of Mario, Video Games' Most Malleable Mascot |first=Ben |last=Lindbergh |website=[[The Ringer (website)|The Ringer]] |date=September 9, 2020 |access-date=April 11, 2024 |archive-date=September 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910145344/https://www.theringer.com/2020/9/9/21428984/mario-spinoffs-franchises-kart-tennis-dr |url-status=live }}</ref> Lucas M. Thomas of ''[[IGN]]'' defined Mario as "gaming's greatest athlete", noting, "He's too short, he's out of shape and he's wearing entirely the wrong kind of shoes, but somehow Nintendo's main man Mario has still managed to become gaming's greatest athlete. From the tennis court to the ballpark, from the soccer field to the golf course, the heroic plumber has spent years now filling the time in-between his princess-rescuing adventures with a grand variety of leisurely sports".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/01/13/mario-in-sports |title=Mario in Sports |author=Lucas M. Thomas |website=IGN |date=January 13, 2011 |access-date=April 12, 2024 |archive-date=February 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209040422/https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/01/13/mario-in-sports |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1990, a national survey found that Mario was more recognizable to American children than [[Mickey Mouse]].<ref name="Recentering Globalization">{{Cite book |last=Iwabuchi |first=Koichi |url=http://www.dukeupress.edu/Catalog/ViewProduct.php?productid=8083&viewby=title |title=Recentering globalization: Popular culture and Japanese transnationalism |date=November 8, 2002 |publisher=Duke University Press |isbn=978-0-8223-2891-9 |page=30 |chapter=1. Taking Japanization seriously: Cultural globalization reconsidered |access-date=February 20, 2017 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k8ot27vLSV4C&pg=PA30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100709183746/http://www.dukeupress.edu/Catalog/ViewProduct.php?productid=8083&viewby=title |archive-date=July 9, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web |last=Coates |first=James |date=May 18, 1993 |title=How Super Mario conquered America |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1993-05-18-1993138174-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104073006/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1993-05-18-1993138174-story.html |archive-date=January 4, 2019 |access-date=January 3, 2019 |website=Baltimore Sun}}</ref> James Coates of ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]'' reported that, as author David Sheff notes, "In 1990, according to ‘Q’ ratings, Mario has become more popular than Mickey Mouse with American children" and he further mentions that his 9-year-old son is a Nintendo fan who is curious about what Mario is doing to the youth of America.<ref name=":0" /> In 2005, American musician [[Jonathan Mann (musician)|Jonathan Mann]] created an opera based on Super Mario Bros. and performed Mario Opera as a tribute to Shigeru Miyamoto.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2014/8/23/6059521/mario-opera-video-jonathan-mann |title=Watch the entire first act of the Mario Opera |author=Owen S. Good |website=Polygon |date=August 23, 2014 |access-date=March 28, 2024 |quote="I think it's a great show that anyone who grew up playing Mario will appreciate and enjoy, and there are moments that will give you genuine feels." |archive-date=March 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328113454/https://www.polygon.com/2014/8/23/6059521/mario-opera-video-jonathan-mann |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://arcadesushi.com/mario-operas-history-revealed-by-its-creator-jonathan-mann/ |title=Mario Opera's History Revealed by its Creator, Jonathan Mann |first=Jon |last=Ledford |website=Arcade Sushi |date=August 25, 2014 |access-date=March 28, 2024 |archive-date=March 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328113453/https://arcadesushi.com/mario-operas-history-revealed-by-its-creator-jonathan-mann/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Salman Rushdie]], an Indian-born British-American novelist, was fond of Mario and his younger twin brother ''[[Luigi]]''. He also enjoyed playing ''[[Super Mario World]]'', which gave him the impression of having an enjoyment of life in comparison to the rest of the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/10/11/how-mario-helped-the-man-condemned-to-death-by-iran |title=How Mario Helped the Man Condemned to Death by Iran |first=Colin |last=Campbell |website=IGN |date=October 11, 2012 |access-date=April 4, 2024 |archive-date=February 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208152550/https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/10/11/how-mario-helped-the-man-condemned-to-death-by-iran |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://themillions.com/2012/10/salman-rushdie-meets-super-mario.html |title=Salman Rushdie Meets Super Mario |first=Nina |last=Martyris |website=The Millions |date=October 8, 2012 |access-date=April 4, 2024 |archive-date=October 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012055558/https://themillions.com/2012/10/salman-rushdie-meets-super-mario.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/salman-rushdie-was-an-avid-super-mario-world-player-while-in-hiding |title=Salman Rushdie was an avid Super Mario World player while in hiding |first=Jeffrey |last=Matulef |website=Eurogamer |date=October 10, 2012 |access-date=April 4, 2024 |archive-date=December 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231205075426/https://www.eurogamer.net/salman-rushdie-was-an-avid-super-mario-world-player-while-in-hiding |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2023, a survey was taken by gaming website Cribbage Online on "Top 20 most-loved "Super Mario" franchise characters", which consisted of over 87,000 voters. According to the survey, Mario was placed third with 5,602 votes, while Luigi and ''[[Yoshi]]'' surpassed him with 5,771 votes and 6,084 votes, respectively.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/this-super-mario-character-is-more-beloved-than-mario-and-luigi-survey/ |title=This 'Super Mario' character is more beloved than Mario and Luigi: survey |first=Russell |last=Falcon |work=[[NewsNation]] |date=April 1, 2023 |access-date=April 15, 2024 |archive-date=April 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401223401/https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/this-super-mario-character-is-more-beloved-than-mario-and-luigi-survey/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Cameron Sherrill of ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'' praised Mario's athletic skills in [[track and field]], noting, "This is where Mario comes to life. I mean, he goes against the blue guy who's literally famous for going fast. Plus, Mario is the platforming king—i.e. running and jumping—so it stands to reason that he’d be good at track and field".<ref name="mariosports" /> Philip Kollar and Allegra Frank of Polygon wrote in their review of ''[[Super Mario Odyssey]]'' that Mario plays an important role in making the game more pleasurable and special. They also wrote about Mario's legacy, stating that, "From a plumber to a doctor to a tennis star to, uh, a Goomba, Mario has endured. No, this will not be the last Mario game, but it is almost certain to be lauded as one of his best".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/26/16551724/super-mario-odyssey-review |title=Super Mario Odyssey review |last1=Kollar |first1=Philip |last2=Frank |first2=Allegra |website=Polygon |date=October 26, 2017 |access-date=April 9, 2024 |archive-date=October 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026214204/https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/26/16551724/super-mario-odyssey-review |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' gave Mario their "Coolest Mascot" award for 1996, calling him "an age-old friend".<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=March 1997 |title=The Best of '96 |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |issue=92 |page=90}}</ref> ''[[Nintendo Power]]'' listed Mario as their favorite hero, citing his defining characteristics as his mustache, red cap, plumbing prowess, and his mushrooms.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Nintendo Power 250th issue! |url=https://archive.org/details/nintendo-power-issue-250-january-2010/page/40/mode/1up |year=2010 |publisher=Future US, Inc. |location=[[South San Francisco, California|South San Francisco]], California |pages=40, 41}}</ref> In a poll conducted in 2008 by [[Oricon]], Mario was voted as the most popular video game character in Japan by both men and women, overtaking popular video game icons such as ''[[Final Fantasy]]''{{'s}} ''[[Cloud Strife]]'' and ''[[Metal Gear]]''{{'s}} ''[[Solid Snake]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Brian Ashcraft |date=August 23, 2008 |title=And Japan's Favorite Video Game Characters Are...? |url=http://kotaku.com/5035884/and-japans-favorite-video-game-characters-are |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509064520/http://kotaku.com/5035884/and-japans-favorite-video-game-characters-are |archive-date=May 9, 2013 |access-date=August 23, 2008 |publisher=Kotaku}}</ref> [[Yahoo! Japan]] held a poll between November 1, 2009, and October 31, 2010, to determine which video game character is more popular among readers. Mario won the poll with 9,862 votes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.siliconera.com/with-9862-votes-japans-most-popular-video-game-character-is/ |title=With 9,862 Votes, Japan's Most Popular Video Game Character Is… |website=Siliconera |publisher=Siliconera Staff |date=December 21, 2010 |access-date=March 27, 2024 |archive-date=March 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240327114907/https://www.siliconera.com/with-9862-votes-japans-most-popular-video-game-character-is/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Several publications have often compared Mario to ''[[Sega]]''{{'s}} mascot and iconic character, ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67157732 |title=Mario v Sonic: Rivals launch similar games in same week |first=Tom |last=Gerken |work=BBC |date=October 22, 2023 |access-date=March 21, 2024 |archive-date=March 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240321095308/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67157732 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/super-mario-movie-can-learn-sonic-the-hedgehog/ |title=What the Super Mario Movie Can Learn from Sonic the Hedgehog |first=Shawn |last=Laib |website=Den of Geek |date=April 9, 2022 |access-date=March 21, 2024 |archive-date=March 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240321095308/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/super-mario-movie-can-learn-sonic-the-hedgehog/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://gamerant.com/mario-sonic-hedgehog-sega-nintendo-fight-win-lose/ |title=Mario Vs. Sonic The Hedgehog: Who Wins In A Fight? |first=Logan |last=Sawyer |website=Game Rant |date=October 10, 2021 |access-date=March 21, 2024 |archive-date=February 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222164243/https://gamerant.com/mario-sonic-hedgehog-sega-nintendo-fight-win-lose/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Mario also serves as an inspiration for ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]''{{'s}} origin.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/-i-sonic-the-hedgehog-i-devs-explain-how-competing-with-mario-influenced-development |title=Sonic the Hedgehog devs explain how competing with Mario influenced development |first=Alissa |last=McAloon |website=Game Developer |date=May 15, 2018 |access-date=March 21, 2024 |archive-date=March 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240321095308/https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/-i-sonic-the-hedgehog-i-devs-explain-how-competing-with-mario-influenced-development |url-status=live }}</ref>