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Lesson of the Day: ‘35 Thoughts About Mario on Super Mario’s 35th Anniversary’

In this lesson, students will learn about the game’s legacy and enduring popularity. Then they will create a new character to join the Super Mario Bros. universe.

By Jeremy Engle

Students in U.S. high schools can get free digital access to The New York Times until September 2021.

Lesson Overview

Featured Article: “ 35 Thoughts About Mario on Super Mario’s 35th Anniversary ” by Stephen Totilo

“Almost exactly 35 years ago, Super Mario Bros., the iconic video game from Nintendo, debuted — making a high-jumping plumber named Mario the Japanese video game company’s equivalent of Mickey Mouse,” the featured article begins.

In this lesson, you will learn more about Mario, what he means to video game culture and why he remains popular. Then you will create a new character to join the Super Mario Bros. universe.

Do you love video games? Would you consider yourself a gamer?

Take five minutes to write about or discuss with a partner the following questions about the role of video games in your life:

What do you like most about video games? The new, strange or fantastical worlds? The design and graphics? The sense of community?

What types of games do you play most? Strategy or simulation games? Puzzle games? Role-playing games? Why are you drawn to those styles and genres? How often do you play?

Do you play any classic games like Tetris, Space Invaders or Super Mario Bros.? If yes, what do you find appealing about those older games compared with today’s games? Do you appreciate the rudimentary graphics and basic action possibilities?

Imagine you could play only one video game for the rest of your life. What would it be and why?

If you don’t play video games, why do you think they appeal to others? Why don’t they appeal to you?

Questions for Writing and Discussion

Read the article , then answer the following questions:

1. Which of the 35 thoughts and observations presented by Mr. Totilo did you find most fascinating, surprising or memorable? Tell us at least three things you learned about Super Mario that you didn’t know.

2. Mr. Totilo writes, “Back in 1985, Super Mario Bros. was revelatory.” What was new and revolutionary about the game?

3. “Avatar of exuberance,” “superb strangeness” and “dreamlike quality of his game worlds” are some of the words and phrases Mr. Totilo uses to capture Mario and the game’s appeal. In your own words, describe the game to someone who has never played it.

4. Mr. Totilo writes that “Mario stands out as a relic.” What are two ways that Super Mario Bros. differs from modern video games?

5. How has Super Mario Bros. adapted over the years to new technology and new fans? In what ways has it remained the same? Do you have a favorite title or spinoff in the Mario series? Or do you prefer the original?

6. What do you think accounts for the enduring popularity of Super Mario Bros.? Give examples from the article, as well as your own experience, to support your claim. Do you think people will still be playing it in 2055 — 35 years from now?

7. Does the article change your views on Super Mario Bros. or classic video games? Do you think the franchise deserves its place in the pantheon of greatest video games? What more about the history of video games would you like to learn?

Bonus “Boss Level” question:

The article concludes:

And finally: Mario’s best jump? I nominate the triple jump from Super Mario 64 — a trio of high-arc leaps, accompanied by three giddy yelps. That might be the best thing in gaming ever.

Do you agree? What do you think is “the best thing in gaming ever”?

Going Further

Option 1: Design a new character to join the Super Mario universe.

Imagine that Nintendo has asked the public to help it celebrate Super Mario Bros.’s 35th birthday by creating a new character — or giving an existing one a 2020 makeover.

Many iconic game characters exist in the Super Mario universe — Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Bowser and Yoshi, to name just a few. What kind of protagonist, sidekick or villain do you think would make the game more exciting, fun or help to keep the franchise fresh? What distinctive features, personality, skills or attire would they possess?

Create a 60-second pitch to persuade the company to select your character. Your elevator pitch should be succinct, vivid and persuasive: Why should your character be added to the popular franchise? In your pitch, be sure to include:

The name of your character

A vivid description of the character — including personality, clothing, style and skills

An explanation of how this new character would add to the Super Mario Bros. universe — but still fit into it. Why would players enjoy it?

A consideration of why purists or critics might be skeptical of your character. What would you say to persuade them to see the value of your creation?

If inspired, make a sketch of your character and its key accessories. You can design your work on paper or consider using a free digital design program like Canva .

Afterward, share with your class and have a vote on the next Super Mario Bros. character!

Option 2: It’s 2055 — what game from your childhood will still be lauded and played?

It’s 35 years in the future. The New York Times has asked you to write about an enduring game from your childhood.

Think of the video games you play now or those you played as a child: Minecraft. Roblox. Fortnite. Candy Crush. Madden NFL.

If you don’t play video games, choose another type of game to write about, whether a board game like Monopoly, a word game like a crossword puzzle, an active game like Hide and Seek, or anything else you can think of.

Which do you think will still be played in another 35 years?

Provide at least five “insights and observations” to Times readers of the future: What qualities will make your game endure? The characters? The themes? The graphics? Be sure to include interesting tidbits, trivia and offbeat anecdotes as Mr. Totilo did in his paean to Super Mario. What makes the game distinctive and compelling? What impact has it had on gaming culture? What interesting innovations or spinoffs have been created?

About Lesson of the Day

• Find all our Lessons of the Day in this column . • Teachers, watch our on-demand webinar to learn how to use this feature in your classroom.

Jeremy Engle joined The Learning Network as a staff editor in 2018 after spending more than 20 years as a classroom humanities and documentary-making teacher, professional developer and curriculum designer working with students and teachers across the country. More about Jeremy Engle

Critics’ consensus on ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’? It’s a-mixed

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Opening weekend, here we come.

Reviews are officially in for Nintendo and Universal Pictures’ “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which hits theaters Wednesday and has generated quite a bit of buzz leading up to its Easter-weekend release.

The animated film based on the cherished video-game series of the same name boasts a star-studded voice cast, including Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong and Chris Pratt as Mario.

When the family flick was announced back in 2021, fans and social media users immediately questioned the decision to cast Pratt — who has been racking up credits in blockbuster movie franchises like item boxes in Mario Kart — as everyone’s favorite Italian plumber.

Review: ‘Wahoo!’ isn’t quite right for mildly amusing, hectic ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’

‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie,’ starring Chris Pratt, is mildly amusing, swift, noisy and unrelentingly paced.

April 4, 2023

In her review for Tribune News Service, film critic Katie Walsh deemed Pratt and Day’s vocal performances as sibling duo Mario and Luigi “so unremarkable that it could have been anyone at all.”

“Fortunately, this loud, hectic movie doesn’t overstay its welcome, but it wouldn’t have the material to last a second longer,” Walsh writes .

“It’s bright, busy, inoffensive and exactly the opposite of the weird, dark, edgy 1993 movie adaptation. That may be better for the business of Mario, but it’s not exactly terribly interesting either.”

Here’s a sampling of reviews of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” ranging from “Oh, no!” to “Wahoo!”

Entertainment & Arts

Mario’s ‘dad’ Shigeru Miyamoto on ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ and watching his creation grow beyond him

We sit down with ‘Super Mario Bros.’ creator Shigero Miyamoto ahead of the opening of the new animated film.

April 5, 2023

Arizona Republic

“There are also plenty of Easter eggs to be enjoyed by gameplayers as well as humor that can be appreciated by adults ... and kids alike,” KiMi Robinson writes .

“Much credit goes to the cast for having so much fun with their characters; Charlie Day, for one, manages to infuse as much Charlie Day into Luigi as he does in any live action role. ... ‘The Super Mario Bros.’ is family-friendly movie theater catnip over the Easter weekend, and it’s sure to be an enjoyable watch for the average viewer.”

Associated Press

“It makes you ... want to play Mario,” Jake Coyle writes .

“As nice as it is to look at ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie,’ it’s not anywhere near as fun as it would be to play it. It’s a-him, Mario, but it’s no a-masterpiece. The storyline is only a touch above the interstitial bits of plot you usually get between gameplay. With the exception of Jack Black’s grandly lovesick Bowser ... there’s nothing here that deepens these characters beyond their usual 2-D adventures. Mario may be a modern-day Mickey Mouse but his kingdom is on the console.”

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Entertainment Weekly

“It’s all quite fun, with a good sense of humor and a consistent computer-animated aesthetic — plus, at 90 minutes including credits, it’s short, sweet, and over before anything can get annoying,” Christian Holub writes .

“But it’s hard to escape the feeling, especially during the ... Rainbow Road sequence, that you would probably be having more fun just playing a game together instead.”

Hollywood Reporter

“After the debacle that was the 1993 live-action Super Mario Brothers movie adaptation, the creators of the new animated version clearly felt the need to restore the faith of the wildly popular video game’s legions of fans,” Frank Scheck writes .

“While devoted players will weigh in on whether the film fulfills that goal sufficiently, The Super Mario Bros. Movie feels like a labor of love that should easily weather any nitpicking from purists. It should also prove a major cash cow for co-producers Nintendo, Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures, with sequels and spin-offs virtually guaranteed. While Matthew Fogel’s screenplay won’t win any awards, it builds a reasonable framework for the 90 minutes of nearly nonstop mayhem that ensues.”

‘Broken’ Chris Pratt jokes about checking out Katherine Schwarzenegger in church

‘Super Mario Bros.’ star Chris Pratt opens up about meeting wife Katherine Schwarzenegger at a time when he felt ‘broken.’ The two connected quickly.

“The movie’s mostly excellent use of its source material does contrast with some ill-advised blockbuster animation tropes which can occasionally be grating,” Tom Jorgensen writes .

“Moments like this — as well as the frequent use of slo-mo to highlight jokes — are a bit too cute, and hint at how easily The Super Mario Bros. Movie could’ve slipped into ‘generic animated movie’ territory had it given way to more of these low-hanging stabs at making sure Uncle Jack has his ‘I understood that reference!’ moment, too.”

Independent

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie ... is nothing more and nothing less than what you’d expect from a Mario film,” Clarisse Loughrey writes .

“Its comfortable mediocrity is no better captured than in its choice to cast Chris Pratt — the current face of generic, easy-to-market heroism — in the starring role. Pratt, it should be said, is perfectly capable of the sort of outsized performance Mario needed, having previously turned in himbos of equal, puppyish élan in The Lego Movie and Guardians of the Galaxy. But the Pratt called upon here is of the blandly sincere, hire-a-hero variety, delivering lines like ‘let’s-a-go!’ and ‘mamma mia!’ with all the vigour of a contractual obligation and not a trace of Italian.”

“From the decision to cast the onetime Least Offensive Actor on the Planet Chris Pratt in the titular role to the production design that seems to be an exact replica the Wii-era Mario games, ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ largely plays things by the book, which is exactly what the assignment called for,” Christian Zilko writes .

“Co-directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic have delivered a perfectly serviceable movie that is going to make a lot of kids very happy and a lot of adults very rich.”

New York Times

“While the details are meticulous, the attitude is all wrong, trading the simple, unaffected charm that has served the character so well since his introduction in 1981 for a snarky and fatuous air that leans hard on winking humor and bland, hackneyed irony,” Calum Marsh writes .

“This is Mario in the Marvel mold: every line a punchline, every gag an arcane meta reference for the nerds who can’t get enough of that sort of thing. Served some spaghetti with mushrooms, Mario winces and says he hates mushrooms. Because in the game he’s always eating mushrooms, you see. Sound like fun yet?”

“There’s a perfect Mario game for nearly every kind of person — which gives the little plumber and his endless incarnations the sort of magical appeal that every modern movie franchise is desperate for,” Joshua Rivera writes . “Illumination’s animated adventure The Super Mario Bros. Movie attempts to bottle that appeal, but mostly just ends up referencing it. ... The Super Mario Bros. Movie feels like it’s made to be screenshotted more than watched. Nearly every frame is packed with a dizzying number of Easter eggs and references to Mario games and other Nintendo franchises.

“Cataloging them all might be the most enjoyable way to watch the movie, because when it comes to regular movie things like plot and character, well, all that gets blue-shelled to hell. (If you got that reference, you’ll probably like this movie more than the average viewer.)”

Screen Rant

“Black’s performance is truly what makes Bowser sing, ensuring every scene featuring the villain is one of the movie’s highlights. Beyond Black, Day is also pitch perfect as Luigi and Rogen is extremely fun as Donkey Kong. Taylor-Joy and Key are good, if unmemorable as Peach and Toad,” Molly Freeman writes .

“Pratt, whose casting as Mario was met with skepticism, doesn’t make a strong case for why he was a good choice to voice such an iconic character. He’s simply fine — not so bad as to be distracting, but not strong enough to be at all interesting either, which is about the same as The Super Mario Bros. Movie as a whole.”

“It’s going to be a huge, huge hit, but not just because of its beloved gamer pedigree. (That didn’t help “Super Mario Bros.” in 1993)” Owen Gleiberman writes .

“It’s because the movie, as directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic (from a script by Matthew Fogel), is a serious blast, with a spark of enchantment — that je ne sais quoi fusion of speed and trickery, magic and sophistication, and sheer play that … well, you feel it when you see it.”

Washington Post

“The artistry is enough to keep children and adults watching. It may help that Mario gains power by eating mushrooms — a good message about healthy eating, on the one hand, yet one with an obvious psychedelic resonance at the same time,” Pat Padua writes .

“At its 8-bit heart, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is ultimately about family. (You know, the people you spend time with when you’re not playing video games.)”

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Christi Carras reports on the entertainment industry for the Los Angeles Times. She previously covered entertainment news for The Times after graduating from UCLA and working at Variety, the Hollywood Reporter and CNN Newsource.

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Helldivers 2 Leakers Find Illuminate Teleporter

Astro bot is basically playstation's deadpool, fallout 4 newcomers are struggling with far harbor's infamous memory puzzle.

If there’s any gaming mascot that has successfully maintained their squeaky clean, family-friendly image over the years, it’s definitely Mario. Nintendo’s beloved main man has appeared in countless wholesome titles, spreading the company’s values of brightly colored E-for-Everybody fun wherever he goes.

RELATED: The 10 Best Mario Games Of All Time (According To Metacritic)

He always seems to triumph in the end, no matter the odds that are against him. He’s been in some pretty darn untenable positions in the past, from Wario stealing his entire franchise to requiring rescue from his hapless brother Luigi, but he pulls through. Here are some of the worst things that have ever happened to Mario.

10 He Was Framed For The Isle Delfino Graffiti

It’s not an easy life, being a hero. If you look away from Princess Peach for more than one-eighth of a nanosecond, Bowser’s whisking her away and you’ve got a ten-foot lizard monster to contend with. After the 412 th time this had happened, you’d better believe Mario had earned a vacation.

Sadly for him, the tropical resort of Isle Delfino is Mario, Peach and Toadsworth’s destination in 2002’s Super Mario Sunshine . On arriving there, they find that a mysterious villain dubbed Shadow Mario has befouled the island with goopy pollution and graffiti. Our noble hero, who has never so much as returned a library book one minute late, is believed to be the perpetrator.

9 He Was Sentenced To Clean Up The Entire Island

Now, if you can’t tell the difference between the regular, luxuriously-mustached Mario and Shadow Mario, we don’t know what to tell you. You’re not the most observant soul around, let’s leave it at that.

Nevertheless, Mario is arrested and put on trial. The jurors (who clearly aren’t the brightest Pianta-bulbs in the box) find him guilty and he is sentenced to clean up the whole island, forbidden to leave until he’s done so. This was a little worse than the previous entry, but no harm was done in the end. It was an excuse for a tropical island adventure, and Mario never could resist an opportunity to play the hero and showboat.

8 He Was Kidnapped By King Boo

Unusually, the GameCube arrived without a fully-fledged Super Mario game in tow. Instead, fans were treated to the quirky Luigi’s Mansion , the franchise you’d get if you crossed Resident Evil with Nintendo’s cartoony sensibilities and the silly slapstick of a Monty Python sketch.

RELATED: Super Mario: 10 Yoshi Memes That Are Too Hilarious For Words

In the original game, King Boo created a false mansion to lure Mario and Luigi to him. Mario arrives first and is promptly turned into a painting and trapped by the biggest and Boo-iest of all the Boos. Still, he was soon rescued by his cowardly brother and the stakes weren’t particularly high (what was he going to do, hang there on the wall and look majestic until King Boo’s defeat?), so we won’t rate this one any higher.

7 He Had An Entirely Unnecessary Adventure Through Subcon

If you’re a long-time fan of the Mario franchise, you’ll know that certain games deviate a little from the familiar format. One such title is Super Mario Bros. 2 , which left the Mushroom Kingdom behind in favor of a journey through the dream world of Subcon, in pursuit of a villainous toad-king known as Wart.

Super Mario Bros. 2 is an adapted version of the Japan-only Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic , which is entirely unrelated to the Mario series and explains some of the unusual mechanics (when has Mario ever plucked vegetables from the ground to throw at his bewildered enemies? Only here, that’s when). The worst part is that this dream world seems to originate entirely from Mario’s dreams: in one of the cheapest and most cliché endings ever, he awakens as the credits roll. Why did Mario have to be put through all of this? Rated seventh for the waste of time!

6 His Princess Was ALWAYS In Another Castle

As experienced Mario players will tell you, the castle levels are some of the most difficult. Here, Bowser’s bizarre taste in interior decorating is seen to its fullest extent: lava surges around just waiting to burn the dungarees right off your chubby belly, while more spike traps and insta-death drops litter the place than your average Mega Man stage.

Needless to say, then, you want to feel like your efforts weren’t in vain when you conquer one of these levels. Sadly, Super Mario Bros. just didn’t care about hurt feelings. It didn’t have an ounce of mercy. It just hit us with the hilarious and meme-worthy thank you Mario, but our princess is in another castle time and again. Rated sixth for an even greater waste of our time!

5 He Finally Gets A Castle Of His Own And Wario Steals It

Mario may love playing the hero, but he’s never been one to expect something for his efforts. He makes a big deal of saving the day, but then he’s off with nothing more than a jovial woohoo and a kiss on the cheek from Princess Peach.

Even so, though, he managed to get himself his own island (Mario Land) and castle in Super Mario Land: Six Golden Coins , only for Wario to make his hilarious, derpy debut (what the heck is going on with his face?) and steal it. Yes, Mario soon sees the pretender off and reclaims his property, but things were looking pretty darn hairy for a moment there. Still, he’s suffered worse!

4 Wario Then Takes Over His Entire Darn Franchise

Now, we’ve never tried to usurp an entire island and swaggy castle from our rivals only to have it all snatched back again, but we can imagine that the whole situation might leave a person feeling just a little bitter. For a proud, greedy character like Wario, it must really, really smart.

RELATED: 10 Of The Best Mario Games Ever Made, Ranked

He managed to get an unusual kind of revenge, though, by briefly claiming the whole Mario franchise for himself. After Six Golden Coins came Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 , the first of many great games to star Wario himself. That must have hurt our hero’s pride.

3 He Was Blasted Into Space By Kamek

When it comes to Mario villains, of course, Bowser tends to be the one who comes to mind. In terms of brute strength, sheer persistence and terrifying Godzilla resemblance, he’s the most memorable. However, we shouldn’t underestimate the powers of his underlings, especially the dastardly wizard Kamek.

In the opening of the beloved Super Mario Galaxy , Princess Peach is hosting the Star Festival. Naturally, Bowser crashes the party with several airships in tow and not only kidnaps Peach but lifts her entire castle into space (not by hand, you understand). When Mario jumps in to try and intervene, Kamek hits him with a spell and launches him into space too. This was a whole new level of peril for our hero, and only the remaining entries really top the scale of this predicament.

2 He Was (Technically) Defeated By Bowser

Now, granted, nobody counts Mario Is Missing! as a true Super Mario game. Many had no idea that this obscure slice of 1993 ‘edutainment’ existed at all. Still, it does, and it represents something almost unheard of in Nintendo history: Bowser has actually beaten Mario and has the hero helpless in his clutches.

Why Bowser’s scheme is to teleport Koopas around the real world to steal treasure until he can afford enough hairdryers to melt the Antarctic ice in the real world, we couldn’t really tell you. All we know is that Luigi has to set out to rescue his brother by solving various geographical riddles.

1 He Almost Lost Peach To Bowser

As much as being defeated by his arch nemesis must have stung, Super Mario Odyssey presents us with what could have been Mario’s lowest moment ever: loving Princess Peach to Bowser.

As fans will know, the plot of Odyssey revolved around Bowser and the Broodals’ efforts to arrange a marriage between the tyrannical lizard and Peach. At the end of the game, Bowser actually proposes to Peach, and a shocked Mario does the same. Peach refuses both of them, putting Mario on an even keel with the dastardly Bowser. Which really must have sucked for him.

NEXT: 10 Things That Make No Sense About Super Mario Odyssey

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Mario, the Idea vs. Mario, the Man

Everyone knows Mario is cool as fuck. But who knows what he's thinking? Who knows why he crushes turtles? And why do we think of him as fondly as we think of the mythical (nonexistent?) Dr.Pepper? Perchance. I believe it was Kant who said "Experience without theory is blind, but theory without experience is mere intellectual play." Mario exhibits experience by crushing turts all day, but he exhibits theory by stating "Let's-a go!" Keep it up, baby! When Mario leaves his place of safety to stomp a turty, he knows he may Die. And yet, for a man who can purchase lives with money, a life becomes a mere store of value. A tax that can be paid for, much as a rich man feels any law with a fine is a price. We think of Mario as a hero, but he is simply a one percenter of a more privileged variety. The lifekind. Perchance.