10 Huge Unresolved Mysteries In Mario Games
Who knew Mario was so mysterious?
The Super Mario universe is one of the the richest, most successful and most important of any franchise in gaming history. The second highest selling video game series of all time with over 330 million worldwide sales, Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Peach and Toad have all made their way from 2D side scrolling to world-jumping 3D adventures since their debuts in 1985's Super Mario Bros.
With such a long history, it's unsurprising to hear that Mario and his friends have ran, jumped and ground-pounded through countless worlds, characters and stories. And whilst most of the characters we meet and worlds we explore are vibrant and fleshed-out, there are still more than a few mysterious pondered by the wider community.
From the lineage of the Koopa Kingdom and its ruler, hidden messages from game developers that spawned countless conspiracy theories, and the question of how each and every character is united for huge sporting and racing events without fail, this article will go through every single entry into the Mario franchise, and explore the deepest and most compelling mysteries it has thrown up along the way.
10. Who Rules The Mushroom Kingdom?
Easily the most recognisable location in all of the Super Mario universe, the Mushroom Kingdom is a peaceful land filled with rolling green hills, bright flowers and the odd Koopa Troopa or Goomba. And whether it be through running through World 1-1 in the original game of the franchise, or powering through a Mario Circuit in a Mario Kart, undoubtedly its most famous landmark is Princess Peach's grand castle.
The hub of power in the Mushroom Kingdom and the scene of most of Bowser or the Koopaling's kidnappings, Princess Peach's home is essential to pretty much every Mario release. The good Princess is therefore shown as being the key to power in the kingdom, which is fine, but it does open up the question of why isn't there a King or Queen Peach in the games to interact with?
How powerful is Princess Peach in the games? Is there a King or Queen to rule over the kingdom? Is the Mushroom kingdom a place where Princess is the highest position of power? We know from Superstar Saga about the power structure in the rivalling Bean Kingdom and see some kings transformed in Super Mario Bros. 3, but there are still so many questions left unanswered by Princess Peach just existing.