Super Mario Family Tree Infographic

[Retronick]

Hey!

I created an infographic that displays the majority of Mario's in-game sprites from 1981-1996 (excluding some ports and games where they obviously used the same sprite).

Would love to hear the community's thoughts on it! http://www.retronick.com/mario-family-tree-v-1/

[retroguy]

Very cool! You should do one for the Legend Of Zelda series.

[Retronick]

Very cool! You should do one for the Legend Of Zelda series.

Thanks! I was thinking of doing a Sonic the Hedgehog one too.

[MachineGex]

Very nice and well laid out. The only thing I might change is the color of the info boxes. I do not like that teal color. I was thinking maybe a soft gold or yellow. That may stand out too much but the teal just isnt the best. Maybe even green.

Other than that nit-picky suggestion, the thing is bad ass! You did a great job and should be proud!

6264

I am not an artist, but this is kinda what I was trying to describe to you.

[Retronick]

Very nice and well laid out. The only thing I might change is the color of the info boxes. I do not like that teal color. I was thinking maybe a soft gold or yellow. That may stand out too much but the teal just isnt the best. Maybe even green.

Other than that nit-picky suggestion, the thing is bad ass! You did a great job and should be proud!

Thank you! I'm not a huge fan of the teal either. Went with it because it's the same style as the HUD and some of the dialogue boxes from Super Mario Bros. 3. Going to take a different approach with part 2 I think.

Thanks again!

[Masamune]

That's awesome. It's full of creativity. Good job.

[Retronick]

Very nice and well laid out. The only thing I might change is the color of the info boxes. I do not like that teal color. I was thinking maybe a soft gold or yellow. That may stand out too much but the teal just isnt the best. Maybe even green.

Other than that nit-picky suggestion, the thing is bad ass! You did a great job and should be proud!

6264

I am not an artist, but this is kinda what I was trying to describe to you.

That's a good look for them actually. It would mess with the image map on this one, but I'd be willing to give it that sort of treatment for the next one.

Thanks!

[Jorpho]

For some very odd reason, I had not seen the connection between The Wizard and Tommy until now. So, how about that: something new!

Is there a Youtube video of Mario in NES Tetris? I was not aware of an appearance there.

I don't see F1 Race GB and Game Boy Tetris, but I guess those count as ports.

I was going to suggest Wrecking Crew 98, but that would be out of bounds.

[buzz_n64]

For some very odd reason, I had not seen the connection between The Wizard and Tommy until now. So, how about that: something new!

Is there a Youtube video of Mario in NES Tetris? I was not aware of an appearance there.

I don't see F1 Race GB and Game Boy Tetris, but I guess those count as ports.

I was going to suggest Wrecking Crew 98, but that would be out of bounds.

There are many obscure Mario games he didn't add, but I think it would be a little bit much. Mario Teaches Typing 2, and a bunch of other PC games could be added.
http://bp1.blogger.com/_XVw0hC08pjI/SHYSoqxX0ZI/AAAAAAAAACw/tkKCuMPoiRc/s320/MarioHead1.png

Superb job Retronick!

[Retronick]

There are many obscure Mario games he didn't add, but I think it would be a little bit much. Mario Teaches Typing 2, and a bunch of other PC games could be added.
http://bp1.blogger.com/_XVw0hC08pjI/SHYSoqxX0ZI/AAAAAAAAACw/tkKCuMPoiRc/s320/MarioHead1.png

Superb job Retronick!

Thanks for the kudos!

I'm considering doing a revamped version of this one with some of his port appearances (like his appearance on the Game Boy version of Tetris for example). Since Wrecking Crew '98 and "Teaches Typing 2" are from 1998 and 1997 respectively, they won't be appearing until the next graphic that deals with the post Super Mario 64 world. I also didn't do unlicensed stuff (Mario Bros. 2 on the Commodore), or unreleased stuff (Super Mario's Whacky Worlds). You'll also notice cameos where he's sort of an inanimate prop or it's just his visage on a billboard, or he isn't a free-standing sprite (Sim City, Stunt Race FX, and Kirby Super Star).

Thanks for the kudos! If anyone can get me the sprites for his Game Boy Tetris appearance or some other more obscure stuff (not counting his unofficial appearance in Astal as part of the code), I will stockpile it and throw it into v.1.2.

Thanks again!

[tom]

He was the pilot in Alleyway

[treismac]

Awesome work!!! Thank you. :D

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Fantastic work! Love it!

[Retronick]

There are many obscure Mario games he didn't add, but I think it would be a little bit much. Mario Teaches Typing 2, and a bunch of other PC games could be added.
http://bp1.blogger.com/_XVw0hC08pjI/SHYSoqxX0ZI/AAAAAAAAACw/tkKCuMPoiRc/s320/MarioHead1.png

Superb job Retronick!


He was the pilot in Alleyway

You are absolutely right! I even have a sprite of him from that game. Unfortunately, after my fifth attempt at nailing the layout, and discovering that I had indeed forgotten Alleyway, I elected to add it to the list of omissions at the bottom. If I can get sprites from 2 more games (like the sprites of Mario from the Game Boy version of Tetris or him as the pitcher in Baseball), I'll throw the sprites from Alleyway in there.

Thanks to everyone for the feedback! I will be revamping this some time in the future.

[buzz_n64]

Thanks for the kudos!

I'm considering doing a revamped version of this one with some of his port appearances (like his appearance on the Game Boy version of Tetris for example). Since Wrecking Crew '98 and "Teaches Typing 2" are from 1998 and 1997 respectively, they won't be appearing until the next graphic that deals with the post Super Mario 64 world. I also didn't do unlicensed stuff (Mario Bros. 2 on the Commodore), or unreleased stuff (Super Mario's Whacky Worlds). You'll also notice cameos where he's sort of an inanimate prop or it's just his visage on a billboard, or he isn't a free-standing sprite (Sim City, Stunt Race FX, and Kirby Super Star).

Thanks for the kudos! If anyone can get me the sprites for his Game Boy Tetris appearance or some other more obscure stuff (not counting his unofficial appearance in Astal as part of the code), I will stockpile it and throw it into v.1.2.

Thanks again!

Mario Teaches Typing 2 was released October 31, 1996, but that's okay. You can add it to the 3D list from 1996-Present?

There is a great site to look up Mario info and games here. I've been visiting that site since the 90's. http://www.themushroomkingdom.net/games/

[Retronick]

Mario Teaches Typing 2 was released October 31, 1996, but that's okay. You can add it to the 3D list from 1996-Present?

There is a great site to look up Mario info and games here. I've been visiting that site since the 90's. http://www.themushroomkingdom.net/games/

Thanks!

Believe it or not, the source of my info had it as '97, but you're right! Ah well. Since it's still technically after Mario 64 (if only by a month), I guess it still works. I might add it into ver 1.2 when if I get around to updating this one.

Good catch!

[thegamezmaster]

Wow! Great work!

[ccovell]

Errata:

Bandai had no part in the Satellaview.

Super Scope 6 Lazerblazer and QIX were not on the NES.

How could the 1990 World Championships have inspired a 1989 movie? Also the Wizard is 6 parts Tommy and 4 parts Rain Man.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

So, Nick, did you debate including the original Famicom/NES Golf since it's often debated whether or not the player character is actually Mario? I think that the academic answer is that it's not officially Mario, but it's obviously an in-house produced game that for some reason used the character as visual inspiration.

[Retronick]

Errata:

Bandai had no part in the Satellaview.

Super Scope 6 Lazerblazer and QIX were not on the NES.

How could the 1990 World Championships have inspired a 1989 movie? Also the Wizard is 6 parts Tommy and 4 parts Rain Man.

Let me tackle these one at a time:

You're right, Bandai had no part in the Satellaview. Turns out that is a common mis-interpretation of English speakers. I hadn't even heard of it before tackling this project, so you can understand my error.

You're right. Super Scope Six and Qix were on the SNES and Game Boy respectively. Those are what we call typos. Fixing them won't be an issue.

As for this last one, the story is true, but they were not (as you have so diligently pointed out), the Nintendo World Championships. They were other Nintendo video game competitions of the time (if the wikipedia article is to be believed). See this excerpt:

During 1988, a shortage of ROM chips, along with Nintendo of America's preparation of a version of Super Mario Bros. 2 for Western gamers (since the Japanese SMB2 was deemed too difficult), prevented Nintendo from releasing SMB3 and some other games (including, according to the magazine "Nintendo Power", "Zelda II: The Adventure of Link") in North America on schedule.[15] The delay, however, presented Nintendo with an opportunity to promote the game in a feature film. In 1989, Tom Pollack of Universal Studios approached Nintendo of America's marketing department about a video game movie; inspired by Nintendo video game competitions, Pollack envisioned a video game version of Tommy for younger audiences. Nintendo licensed its products for inclusion in what would become the film The Wizard. During the movie's production, the filmmakers requested and were granted approval from Nintendo regarding the script and portrayal of the company's games.[16] Super Mario Bros. 3 was one of the products shown in the film, and was used in a final scene involving a video game competition.[16][17] The film was released in December 1989, a few months before the game was released.[18]

The fun facts (while planned for inclusion from the beginning), were crammed in last minute, hence the error. Thanks for you sharp eye! Perhaps one day I'll have as motivated a team of editors as you to help, instead of tackling this in my free time by myself.

[Retronick]

So, Nick, did you debate including the original Famicom/NES Golf since it's often debated whether or not the player character is actually Mario? I think that the academic answer is that it's not officially Mario, but it's obviously an in-house produced game that for some reason used the character as visual inspiration.

It's funny you said something, I spent a considerable amount of time pondering this. I finally figured since his proportions were so different and that there's no mention of him actually being in there by Nintendo, that it didn't belong in the graphic (despite what some lists have inferred).

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

It's funny you said something, I spent a considerable amount of time pondering this. I finally figured since his proportions were so different and that there's no mention of him actually being in there by Nintendo, that it didn't belong in the graphic (despite what some lists have inferred).

Not sure if you're planning on including them in your next versions, but Mario appears in the following GameBoy games:

Golf
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/GB_Golf_01_zps4fa9a2b6.png

Tennis
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/GB_Tennis_01_zpsb1cfe881.png
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/GB_Tennis_02_zps4ccd3b5d.png

Alleyway
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/GB_Alleyway_01_zps574c7e7a.png

[Jorpho]

You're right, Bandai had no part in the Satellaview. Turns out that is a common mis-interpretation of English speakers.Holy cow! This is mindblowing. Makes a heckuva lot of sense, though.

[Retronick]

Not sure if you're planning on including them in your next versions, but Mario appears in the following GameBoy games:

Golf
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/GB_Golf_01_zps4fa9a2b6.png

Tennis
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/GB_Tennis_01_zpsb1cfe881.png
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/GB_Tennis_02_zps4ccd3b5d.png

Alleyway
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/FrankieViturello/GB_Alleyway_01_zps574c7e7a.png

Thanks for those! I'll try and incorporate them in the next pass.

[Namnuta]

Well Done. Loved going through it.

cheers,

[Jorpho]

Is there a Youtube video of Mario in NES Tetris? I was not aware of an appearance there.
Funny, I couldn't find this before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLF6FF3FBDE9642B5E&v=kjZQAjp_whA&feature=player_detailpage#t=60s

[brainerdrainer]

More marios than I knew

[Retronick]

More marios than I knew

And there's more comin'!

[mightykendar]

Very cool -- and I actually learned something new; I'd never heard of the "Mario Bros. Special"/"Super Mario Bros. Special" games, and now I think I'll investigate them further.

An enjoyable read, and very sharp visually. Nice job, and I look forward to future incarnations/other projects (I echo the Zelda suggestion made earlier in the thread).

[slapdash]

You're missing Donkey Kong and Jr on 2600, Intellivision, Colecovision, others (oh, and the Coleco Mini-Arcade VFD tabletop version), Mario Bros. on 2600, 5200, 7800, others.

[Retronick]

You're missing Donkey Kong and Jr on 2600, Intellivision, Colecovision, others (oh, and the Coleco Mini-Arcade VFD tabletop version), Mario Bros. on 2600, 5200, 7800, others.

I actually own a few of those myself. I avoided a lot of ports (see omissions) to keep this thing from getting too crazy. If people send me the sprites from those versions (since this already took me upwards of 40 hours), I might include them in the next pass.

You'll also notice that the sprites from Tennis, Baseball, and Alleyway on the Gameboy are also missing.

[Retronick]

Very cool -- and I actually learned something new; I'd never heard of the "Mario Bros. Special"/"Super Mario Bros. Special" games, and now I think I'll investigate them further.

An enjoyable read, and very sharp visually. Nice job, and I look forward to future incarnations/other projects (I echo the Zelda suggestion made earlier in the thread).

Thanks for the kudos! I actually did the research for a Zelda Article previously, so I am considering it. Though with the Zelda one I might take a different approach.

[8-bitNesMan]

Errata:

Bandai had no part in the Satellaview.

Super Scope 6 Lazerblazer and QIX were not on the NES.

How could the 1990 World Championships have inspired a 1989 movie? Also the Wizard is 6 parts Tommy and 4 parts Rain Man.

I beg to differ on Qix. I own a sealed copy for the NES...

[ccovell]

I beg to differ on Qix. I own a sealed copy for the NES...

Haha, I meant that that screenshot was not from the NES version...

By the way, Retronick, the small print at the very bottom still says "Bandai Satellaview" last time I checked.

[Retronick]

Haha, I meant that that screenshot was not from the NES version...

By the way, Retronick, the small print at the very bottom still says "Bandai Satellaview" last time I checked.

Looks like all the text in the graphic itself is fixed. If you're talking about the tags (the orange text at the bottom), I purposefully left that in the event someone makes the same error I made and stumbles upon it :D.