There’s nothing the gaming community loves more than someone finding a ‘cursed copy’ of a favorite childhood game or a way to visit a secret world within the game’s universe.
The Mario franchise is the source of many myths and secrets, including the secret of the Paper Mario serial code and the elusive Minus World.
There are a handful of other stories, with varying degrees of truth. Some are cases of the Mandela effect, some are confirmed by Nintendo, and others are completely fake.
So here are eight of our favorite Mario urban legends — from the sublime to the ridiculous to the downright untrue…
Mario Ith #1 – Mario Characters Are Actors (Entire Franchise)
For starters, one popular theory is that all the Mario characters are actually actors in a play.
This makes sense. There are several visual nods to the idea in some games. Super Mario Bros. 3 looks like a play, with props attached to the backdrop and a theater curtain that opens during the introduction.
Also, why else would Bowser try to stop Mario in his plot during the Super Mario Bros stage, but then be perfectly happy playing tennis with him?
It’s true? Yes, this theory has been confirmed by Nintendo. In an interview with S. in 2012 Game Informer, Shigeru Miyamoto noted that he sees the Mario characters more as a large family or “group of actors”. He later confirmed that the whole (Super Mario) world is a stage on Twitter.
Mario Ith #2 – Wario Apparition (Super Mario 64)
An interesting myth about Super Mario 64 is that there is an artificial intelligence within the game that personalizes each copy for each player. Although this would be incredible
Something that came out of this mythos is Wario Apparition. Legend has it that if you see a white-eyed Chomp and manage to get through the door leading to the Dire Dire Docks, a Wario Apparition will appear and start hunting you. Some people even believe that watching Wario Apparition can cause physical harm.
It’s true? It’s a great story, but it’s nothing more than that.
The image above is one of the frequently used images seen with the story, and comes from video used in the E3 presentation 1996. There are other images and videos related to the story (and even sound recording), but all have dubious origins.
Mario Ith #3 – Anti-Piracy Screens (Older Mario Games)
This one is a bit more broad, but if you’ve been exploring any creepypasta forums on the internet, you may have come across some of the weird anti-piracy screens that can supposedly appear in old video games.
Are these real? While games can certainly contain interesting anti-piracy measures, the vast majority of popular creepy anti-piracy screens are fake. Here’s one from Mario Party DS:
In fact, there is an entire subculture on the internet dedicated to making these screens. You can find a lot of them on reddit. The creators of these anti-piracy screens are incredibly talented editors, but these screens are mostly not seen in any Mario games.
Mario myth #4 – Dorrie eats Mary (Super Mario 64)
It would be impossible to go through this list without examples Mandela effect.
Dorrie is a plesiosaur that can be found in the Hazy Maze Cave in Super Mario 64, and many fans insist on it Dorrie was able to eat Mary in the original game.
It’s true? That’s not true, but the idea probably comes from a nearby road sign that warns players not to get too close in case they become Dorrie’s lunch. There is also a slight chance of Mario jumping the character model and taking damage or drowning.
There is creature that eats Mario, but it’s a type of giant fish called a Bubba.
Mario myth no. 5 – Creatures of the Sky Tree of Hell Valley (Super Mario Galaxy 2)
Some theories about Mario are lighthearted and fun, while others are just plain spooky.
This is more an unsolved mystery than a legend; the question is what are
AND!? After digging through the game files, Girrtacos was able to find some pictures. There are technically four creatures, although one is hidden by the cliffs. The name ‘Hell Valley Sky Tree’ Creatures comes from the file name.
There is no explicit explanation for these creatures. Fans still theorize about them to this day, with some players thinking they’re just part of the write-off zone and others insisting they’re demons, based on the filename.
Mario Ith #6 – Luigi and the Ghost Hunter (Luigi’s Fairy)
One popular myth about the original Luigi’s Mansion is that the Safari Room was originally intended to be a zone for a Portrait Ghost called the Hunter. This creepy ghost supposedly wanted to add Luigi to his taxidermy collection. Some fans even insist on it they remember seeing the ghost of Hunter, describing him as blond with a moustache, with a rifle and a safari hat and vest.
It’s true? Hunter ghost doesn’t actually exist in any version of the game.
The origin of this myth? Nintendo Power magazine, which originally wrote about Portrait Ghost. The release came out a month after the game launched in Japan, and it was later said that the mention of Hunter was a joke.
Mario Ith #7 – Citizens of the Frog Kingdom have been turned into objects (Super Mario Bros.)
One of the oldest theories about Super Mario Bros. is that bricks and other inanimate objects are actually citizens of the Frog Kingdom who have been transformed.
The origin of this theory is the original game manual. It states that “the mushroom people were turned into ordinary stones, bricks, and even field plants of horse hair.” This made many fans wonder if Mario was killing the Mushroom People while breaking the blocks.
It’s true? Fortunately, page 8 of the same manual states that they are only turned into item cubes which, while usable, are unbreakable. Existential crisis averted!
Mario Ith #8 – Mario Sunshine’s Istery Book (Mario Sunshine)
Many myths about video games originate from discarded content.
While playing the ‘Red Coins in a Bottle’ mission in Super Mario Sunshine, several hackers found an unusual book behind a door that cannot be opened during regular gameplay. The book cannot be interacted with it was found that part of the game level geometry.
It’s incredibly out of place, though. You can see the book yourself via noclipor watch the video below for its exact in-game location:
What does it do? Nothing. Many believe the book was part of a quest that was deleted.
The Noki Bay book is also the subject of a hoax — later debunked by players using the noclip method — that may have originated on a now-defunct IGN message board suggesting that the book could be reached and read. It is said to contain a message from Shigeru Miyamoto himself telling players that they have no life. Woof.
That’s all for today. Let us know below which Mario myth you’ve come across before and any others you’ve heard in the deepest, darkest corners of the gaming/internet over the years…
Table of Contents
