Super Mario Bros. is one of the most popular and successful video game franchises in history. The loveable Mario is perhaps more recognizable than most cartoon characters today. We’ve grown up with him and gone on his adventures, hopping from Goomba to green pipe in an effort to save the princess. Despite being in countless numbers of video games, Mario refuses to lose appeal with players and only seems to grow in popularity with each new release. So, what’s so great about this Mario world and his friends? Here are 25 Crazy Facts About Mario Characters You Probably Didn’t Know
Chain Chomps came out of a traumatic childhood event.

When Shigeru Miyamoto was a child, he had a traumatic event where he was chased by a dog. Fortunately, the dog was pulled back from biting him by the chain attached to its collar. Miyamoto used this as inspiration for the chain chomps.
Mario was originally going to be an action hero.

Rather than wielding fire and super invincibility, Mario was originally going to ride rockets and have laser guns.
Birdo is actually a guy.

In the original Super Mario Bros. 2 booklet, it says “He thinks he is a girl, and he spits eggs from his mouth. He’d rather be called Birdetta.”
Luigi means "Similar" in Japanese.

Luigi is pronounced “ruiji” in Japanese which means “Similar.” Of course, in the game, he’s the younger brother of Mario and looks pretty much identical to him until later versions in which he’s taller and slimmer.
Wario's first appearance was Super Mario Land 2.

In the Game Boy game Super Mario Land 2, Mario didn’t battle his usual hero Bowser but instead took on a new villain, Wario. It was Wario’s first appearance in a Mario game.
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