Can You Get Into Mario if You Don’t Already Like Mario?

Mario is an extremely specific character that is an icon in the entire gaming industry. It is one of the most popular, beloved heroes with a mustache and a red hat. However, what if you do not have any nostalgia for the character? What if you are a new and young gamer, and do not care about Mario, or even don’t like Mario. Can you get into Mario games at all? In this article we will try to answer these questions and give you some more context so you can make a more informed decision to either give our hero a chance or pass on the Mario hype train.

Who Exactly is Mario?

Let’s start with a little bit of a history lesson. Mario is a character that was created by Shigeru Miyamoto, a Japanese video game designer who came up with the character that first appeared as the player character of Donkey Kong over 40 years ago in 1981. He created Mario because there were some licensing issues with the original protagonist that was supposed to be in the game.

Since then, there are over 200 games where Mario appeared, several TV shows, series and a recent movie starring Chris Pratt as the main character. There is everything Mario-related in the world, from clothes, merchandise, figurines, and backpacks to even entire casinos that are Mario themed.

You can even play multiple casino games inside some of the Mario games. You can play Picture Poker in Super Mario 64 DS, Slots in many Mario Titles, Blackjack in New Super Mario Bros, all of which are pretty similar to actually playing casino games online. The rules are the same so Mario has infiltrated every genre and way of life possible over the years. There are even some minigames available only for New Zealanders.

What Types of Games Are There?

Many people believe in a misconception that Mario is just that 2D platforming game. Even though it started as that, nowadays there are several titles of various different genres that could fit many different players’ needs. You have Mario Kart where you can race alone or with your friends using colorful cars, using abilities and messing with your mates.

There are several RPG games like Paper Mario series, or the original Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars that is getting remade for Nintendo Switch and is scheduled to release soon, so this might be a great place to start your journey with Mario if you like RPGs.

Another hugely popular series of Mario games is fighting games in Super Smash Bros. Franchise. Its latest installment came out on Nintendo Switch in 2018 and is called Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Apart from racing games, we also have some sports games featuring our red-hatted protagonist in Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, Mario’s Tennis, Mario Golf, and more. These are all Mario themed and play very differently, offering a varied experience, no matter what sports you like.

Why is Mario so Beloved and How to Love Him?

First of all, there are fans that have a huge nostalgia spot for Mario games, it was their childhood on their first consoles, and they played it with friends or siblings, creating unforgettable memories, and right now they lack this part of their lives with pure fun so they enjoy a trip back the memory lane to their childhood. The other area for lovability is colorfulness. Many kids who are not familiar with the character have an easy time getting to know it and liking it because it is always fun, silly and full of vibrant colors.

But what if you do not have any nostalgia, and prefer more mature games with darker tones? Well then Mario might not be for you, but it never hurts to try. It is best to get into it playing with friends. Mario Kart is a good place to start, because you can share controllers and just have silly fun, even with your adult friends. The issue is often that many Mario games are exclusive to the Nintendo platform, which creates a problem.

You might not have a Nintendo Switch which is not the cheapest console to have, because many people who purchased Switch did it for Mario. However, if you are lucky to have this console, because you loved playing Zelda or Ring Fit or some other exclusive game, or won it in a contest, got it as a present or any other way, then it is worth purchasing one or two Mario games from different genres and give it a try. The best way of getting to like Mario is just to spend some time with the character.

Alternatively, you might want to watch The Super Mario Bros. Movie that came out earlier in 2023. Even though it is not representative of the video games side, it might make you like the character, and it is much cheaper than purchasing an entire gaming console. If you get to love the character in the movie there is a big chance that you will like the one in the games.