Hey guys!
Welcome back to Top 10 Gaming, I’m Ron McKenzie-Lefurgey.
The Mario franchise has evolved a lot over the years.
It started out as just a little dude against a big ape, simple as pie.
But since then, we’ve been introduced to a wide array of interesting characters, each
with their own distinct personalities and characteristics.
These have helped to flesh out the franchise and give it some depth.
But some have helped to improve the games more than others, so today I’ll be talking
about 10 characters that I think changed Mario for the better.
If you enjoy this video, let us know by throwing us a thumbs up down below.
And if you want more, check out our video on the Alternate Versions of Luigi!
But before you do that, get ready, it’s time for the Top 10 Characters that Made Mario
Games Better!
Number 10: Bowser Junior.
This one might be a bit surprising to some people, but I really like the addition of
Bowser Junior to the games.
Bowser is totally badass, and a great villain, but sometimes you want an antagonist that
can just be a bit annoying throughout the game, who poses less of a threat.
And his son, Bowser Junior, is great for that.
He can be sent on errands, used as some comic relief, or even act as a miniboss.
This also gives Bowser a great second in command, with whom he can banter and complain.
Now, is he annoying as hell in Mario Party?
Yes.
But he was still a great addition.
Number 9: Peach.
This list definitely wouldn’t be complete without Princess Peach.
Peach was introduced in 1985’s Super Mario Bros, to replace Pauline as Mario’s love
interest.
Since then, she has been kidnapped by Bowser so many times that some people theorize that
she’s actually in love with him.
If that interests you, check out our video on Mario Fan Theories.
For years, Peach was little more than the cliché damsel in distress, but as the games
progressed, we got to know her better, and it helped to make the games more interesting.
Some are a bit disappointed that Peach has remained more or less the damsel in distress
even to this day, but she’s pretty boss in games like Mario Tennis and Smash Bros.
Plus, she did get her own game in 2005, Super Princess Peach, that was actually pretty well
received.
Number 8: Waluigi.
Waluigi has been a pretty stellar addition to the Mario franchise, ever since his introduction
in Mario Tennis 64.
It’s always nice to add a good villain to a game, and even though Waluigi was kind of
tacked on to be Luigi’s counterpart, and faced a good deal of criticism for it at first,
he has since found a great spot in the franchise.
He was the main villain in the Mario Dance Dance Revolution.
Plus, he was my favourite character in the duel mode in Mario Part 3.
But that’s just me.
However, I think his best contribution has been the memes.
Just look at them.
So many glorious memes.
Some people find him annoying, and objectively, he kinda is, but to me, that just makes him
even better.
Number 7: Toad.
Toad generally doesn’t have a HUGE impact on the games, since he’s a secondary character
who tends to give moral support more than anything else, but I think he definitely improved
the games.
He was first seen in Super Mario Bros 2, and has since appeared in just about every Mario
game ever, even having his own successful spinoff game, Captain Toad Treasure Tracker.
He definitely adds to the story of the other games though.
His personality and the backstory of his people are quite neat.
Plus, since Toad is such a scaredicat, it plays against Mario’s courage really well,
making you feel even more badass as you adventure to save your babe.
Speaking of babes…
Number 6: Wario.
Or as it’s probably supposed to be pronounced, Wah-rio.
Because that sounds more like Mario.
Anyway, yeah, Wario is my man, whether it’s Mario Kart or Mario Party.
He’s been a rather popular character ever since his introduction in Super Mario Land
2: 6 Golden Coins, plus he’s even had his own games.
It’s always nice to have a villain that’s a human like Mario, since it make the competition
seem a bit more real than when you’re up against a giant turtle dude.
Plus, his voice is so smooth and melodious, it’s wonderful.
Mmm, that is music to my ears.
Number 5: Rosalina.
We were first introduced to Rosalina in Super Mario Galaxy, and she immediately won the
hearts of fans everywhere.
She has a really interesting backstory and personality, giving her character, and consequently
her stories, a good deal more depth.
She doesn’t fall prey to the same Damsel in Distress tropes as peach, being a strong,
confident princess with awesome telekinetic powers.
Some even think she might be immortal, since she visits a planet every 100 years.
Her backstory really made Galaxy that much more intriguing and engaging, and that, along
with her later contributions, definitely earns her a spot on this list.
Number 4: Yoshi.
As if I’d forget Yoshi.
Ever since Super Mario Bros was first released, Shigeru Miyamoto wanted Mario to have a Dinosaur
companion, but the NES just couldn't handle it.
But when the Super NES came out, Yoshi was finally able to be brought into Super Mario
World, with Mario riding on top of him, and Yoshi eating nerds.
This opened up all new avenues in the game, giving Mario new attacks and more mobility.
Plus, it led to the creation of Yoshi-centric games, like one of the first video games I
ever played, Yoshi Safari.
Also, fun fact, apparently his full name is T. Yoshisaur Muchakoopas according to a character
guide from 1993.
Bit of a mouthful.
Heh.
Mouthful.
Yoshi puns are fun.
Number 3: Luigi.
This one’s just so easy.
Mario’s brother Luigi made the games better for several reasons.
The biggest reason is that it let us play two player Mario, first seen in the 1983 arcade
game Mario Bros.
But that’s not all.
He also opened up new avenues for new games, since his personality was quite different
from Mario, paving the way for games like Luigi’s Mansion.
Plus, his existence gave players a different character to root for other than Mario.
So I could be all annoying and go “Actually, I like Luigi better than Mario, because I’m
a contrarian”.
Yeah, I was a dork.
Still am.
Number 2: Bowser.
I mean, duh.
When we first saw Mario, in the 1981 game Donkey Kong, he was the hero Jumpman.
In this game, his big enemy was, of course, Donkey Kong, and he was certainly a worthy
villain.
However, when Super Mario Bros came out in 1985, we were introduced to a new big baddie:
Bowser.
He's the leader of the Koopas, who has a habit of kidnapping Princess Peach, giving Mario
ample opportunities to save the day.
Bowser is just about as important to Mario games as Mario himself, and he was definitely
a great addition.
Number 1: Cappy.
Cappy is a brand spankin new character, first introduced in Super Mario Odyssey.
He’s a Bonneter, a species of hat-like beings, who assists Mario throughout the game, usually
taking the form of Mario’s hat.
The cappy mechanic, where you could throw your hat at enemies to possess them, was one
of the biggest contributors to Mario Odyssey’s success, and without him, it would be a very
different, and probably worse, game.
So while he isn’t the most interesting or popular character in the franchise, he definitely
made his game heaps better.
That’s it for today!
Hope you guys enjoyed, if you did please smack that thumbs up button and subscribe to Top
10 Gaming for more videos!
Let me know your favourite Mario characters in the comment section down below!
And check out our Top 10 Mario playlist for more videos like this one!
Until next time, I’m Ron McKenzie-Lefurgey with Top 10 Gaming.
Later gamers!