- Since 1995, Mario has always been voiced by one man, Charles Martinet.

-Mario’s name was originally “Mr. Video”.

-Nintendo of America’s warehouse landlord Mario Segale got into a heated argument with the then-President of the company, Minoru Arakawa, about back rent, and after promising to pay him, they named the character after him.

-In the game Mario Bros., Mario fights through the sewers of New York City.

-Mario has a hat simply because it was too much work to animate hair.

-The large nose and mouth were added to prevent having to animate a mouth at such a tiny size.

-Miyamoto originally wanted to include Mario in every game he ever made, using Hitchcock as an inspiration.

-The game Donkey Kong Junior was the only one in which Mario appeared as an antagonist.

-Mario was the first video game figure to have a wax figure in the Hollywood Wax Museum.

-According to a survey conducted in the 1990s, Mario is more universally recognized than Mickey Mouse.

-The first cartoon of Homestar Runner was created using Mario Paint.

For the sake of brevity, I’ve chosen to not include any rereleases for subsequent systems unless the game was drastically different from the original. Additionally, I have not listed all games such as Dr. Mario and Mario Paint as “games where Mario is a playable character” because though it is understood that you are Mario, you are not manipulating him, but just playing the game as him.

Mario Games (Bold indicates that Mario is not a playable character)

*1981*
Donkey Kong (arcade)

*1982*
Donkey Kong Jr. (arcade)

*1983*
Donkey Kong Jr./Donkey Kong Jr. Math (Famicom)
Mario Bros. (arcade/Game & Watch) - referred to as “Jumpman” still
Mario’s Bombs Away (Game & Watch)
Mario’s Cement Factory (Game & Watch)

*1984*
Donkey Kong Hockey (Game & Watch)
Pinball (Famicom/NES)
Mario Bros. Special (NEC PC-8801) -re-release of Mario Bros., but included new gameplay elements
Punch Ball Mario Bros. (NEC PC-8801) - re-release of Mario Bros., but included new gameplay elements

*1985*
Super Mario Bros. (Famicom/NES)
Wrecking Crew (Famicom/NES)

*1986*
All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros. (Famicom Disk System)
Super Mario Bros. 2 (Famicom Disk System) - also known as The Lost Levels
Super Mario Bros. Special (NEC-PC8801)
Vs. Super Mario Bros. (arcade)

*1987*
Punch-Out! (Famicom/NES)

*1988*
Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES) - American version we know best
Super Mario Bros. 3 (Famicom)

*1989*
Alleyway (GameBoy)
Donkey Kong 2 (Game & Watch)
Super Mario Land (GameBoy)
Tetris (GameBoy)

*1990*
Dr. Mario (GameBoy/NES)
Super Mario World (Super Famicom)

*1991*
Mario the Juggler (Game & Watch)
Mario Teaches Typing (MS-DOS)
NES Open Tournament Golf (NES)
Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up (PC)
Yoshi (Famicom/GameBoy)

*1992*
Super Mario Kart (Super Famicom/SNES)
Yoshi’s Cookie (Famicom/GameBoy)
Mario Paint (SNES)
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (GameBoy) - first game to feature Wario
Mario’s Time Machine (DOS/NES)
Mario is Missing! (DOS)

*1993*
Mario & Wario (Super Famicom)
Mario’s Early Years! Fun With Letters (SNES)
Mario’s Early Years! Fun With Numbers (SNES)
Mario’s Early Years! Preschool Fun (SNES)
Yoshi’s Safari (SNES/Super Famicom) - rail shooter; only shooter to feature Mario; first time Princess Peach was known by that name

*1994*
Manhole (Game & Watch)
Donkey Kong (GameBoy) - significantly different from original release
Hotel Mario (CD-i)

*1995*
Mario’s Tennis (Virtual Boy)
Mario Clash (Virtual Boy)
Mario’s Picross (GameBoy)
Mario’s Picross 2 (GameBoy)
Mario’s Super Picross (Super Famicom)
Mario’s Game Gallery (PC)
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island (SNES)
BS Super Mario USA Power Challenge (Satellaview)

*1996*
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (Super Famicom/SNES)
Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64)
Mario Teaches Typing 2 (PC)
Yoshi’s Panel de Pon (Satellaview)

*1997*
Mario Excite Bike (Super Famicom Satellaview)
Mario Kart 64 (Nintendo 64)

*1998*
Mario no Photopi (Nintendo 64) - photograph game, where you could actually print photos in malls
Wrecking Crew ‘98 (Super Famicom)
Mario Party (Nintendo 64)

*1999*
Super Mario Bros. Deluxe (GameBoy Color)
Mario Golf (GameBoy Color/Nintendo 64)
Mario Party 2 (Nintendo 64)
Mario Artist: Paint Studio (Nintendo 64)
Super Smash Bros. (Nintendo 64)

*2000*
Mario Tennis (Nintendo 64)
Paper Mario (Nintendo 64)
Mario Tennis (GameBoy Color) - distinctively different version
Mario Party 3 (Nintendo 64)
Mario Artist: Talent Studio (N64DD) - captured images of human faces and rendered them three-dimensionally
Mario Artist: Communication Kit (N64DD) - printing service used in conjunction with other titles
Mario Artist: Polygon Studio (N64DD) - movie-maker

*2001*
Dr. Mario 64 (Nintendo 64)
Mario Kart: Super Circuit (GameBoy Advance)
Luigi’s Mansion (GameCube)
Super Smash Bros. Melee (GameCube)

*2002*
Super Mario Sunshine (GameCube)
Mario Party 4 (GameCube)

*2003*
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour (GameCube)
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (GameCube)
Mario Party 5 (GameCube)
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (GameBoy Advance)

*2004*
Mario Golf: Advance Tour (GameBoy Advance)
Mario vs. Donkey Kong (GameBoy Advance)
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (GameCube)
Mario Pinball Land (GameBoy Advance)
Mario Power Tennis (GameCube)
Mario Party 6 (GameCube)
Super Mario 64 DS (DS)
Yoshi’s Universal Gravitation (GameBoy Advance)

*2005*
Yakuman DS (DS)
Mario Party Advance (GameBoy Advance)
Yoshi Touch & Go (DS)
Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix (GameCube) - only game to feature Waluigi in a prominent role
Mario Superstar Baseball (GameCube)
Mario Tennis: Power Tour (GameBoy Advance)
Super Princess Peach (DS) - first game to feature Peach in the main role
Mario Party 7 (GameCube)
Mario Kart DS (DS)
Super Mario Strikers (GameCube)
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time (DS)
Mario Kart Arcade GP (arcade) - featured PacMan as a playable character; took a picture of you that would appear at the top of the screen
NBA Street V3 (GameCube) - actual playable character
SSX on Tour (GameCube) - actual playable character

*2006*
New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
Mario Hoops 3-on-3 (DS) - first game where Mario and Final Fantasy characters shared screen time
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis (DS)
Yoshi Island DS (DS)

*2007*
Super Paper Mario (Wii)
Mario Party 8 (Wii)
Mario Strikers Charged (Wii)
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii/DS)
Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 (arcade)
Mario Party DS (DS)

*2008*
Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
Mario Super Sluggers (Wii)

*2009*
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii/DS)
New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)
Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story (DS)

*2010*
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-land Mayhem! (DS)

*2011*
Mario Sports Mix (Wii)
Mario Kart 3DS (3DS)
Paper Mario 3DS (3DS)


Results?

Number of original games to feature Mario in some capacity:  127

Number of original games to feature Mario as a playable character:  94

In conclusion…holy shit.