Which games are in the Main Series...

[Watoad]

...and which aren't?

I've been wondering this lately. Information I find on the subject is inconsistant. What do you all consider a true "sequel" and a "spin-off"?

Well, first I should ask where did it begin? Mario Bros.? or Donkey Kong? Many would say Donkey Kong should be considered it's own, seperate series for Mario and DK. Which would then make Mario Bros. the beginning of the "Mario series" proper. But on the other hand, the fact that Mario and the Kongs have appeared in many games together, and elements from their respective games crossover from time to time.

Now...what constitutes a sequel? Clearly SMB, SMB2, SMB3, SMW, YI:SMW2 are all successive sequels (well...YI is a prequel) and then it would seem Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and then Super Mario Galaxy. But I've seen people list Super Mario Land as a proper sequel. Well...SML leads directly to the current Wario Land series...so are all his games proper "sequel" games as well?

If Super Mario Land is part of the main series, then what of New Super Mario Bros.? Clearly that game is designed for proper sequel status? Then you have Super Princess Peach, Luigi's Mansion and Wario World, Wario's Woods, Mario vs. Donkey Kong: March of the Minis, ect. Would these games be considered sequel games? Spin-offs? Where is the line drawn?

[CaptHayfever]

In general, the platformers are the main series.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[Stanley the Bugman]

The way I considered it, it's really any adventure type Mario game. That would include your platformers, your mario 64/sunshine/galaxys, your RPGs, and maybe a handfull of spin-offs like Luigi's Mansion, Wario Land, and Yoshi's Story.

[Robotazy]

Mario and Wario.

Because everyone in the Mushroom Kingdom is dumb as rocks with a bucket on their head.

[Valigarmander]

It depends on who you ask. Some say that the platformers are the main series. Some say platformers and the 3D adventures are the main series. Some would include RPGs. Some would say all games except for party or multiplayer, or all games that star Mario.

I myself would consider all Super Mario Bros. platformers, and the 3D Mario games to be the main series. RPGs seem to stand out in their own genre. And for vastly different games starring different characters, like Yoshi's Island, Wario Land or Super Princess Peach, I'd call them members of derivitive series.

[Dr. Furball]

I've thought about this way too much, myself. In my opinion, in order for it to be considered "canon" it must be a platformer developed exclusively by Nintendo. Such as:

-Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr.
-Mario Bros.
-Super Mario Bros.
-Super Mario Bros. 2
-Super Mario Bros. 3
-Super Mario Land Trilogy
-Super Mario World
-Wario Land series
-Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
-Super Mario 64
-Luigi's Mansion (not a platform game, but developed by Nintendo and referenced in SMS)
-Super Mario Sunshine
-New Super Mario Bros.
-Super Mario Galaxy

There are some others I'm not sure about, such as Super Princess Peach (which was made by TOSE) and the RPGs.

Now that's overthinking it.

[Satsy]

It's a good question. But it is hard to answer.

Obviously SMB 1, LL, and 3, and SMW are main continuity (I'm actually not so sure about SMB2, since it was a new skin on an unrelated game to the series). Also Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine *wince*, and Super Mario Galaxy.

The Paper Mario series wouldn't be a part of the main continuity, more like either an Alternate Universe, or just some sort of story someone's created, and probably brought to life. The fact that the characters inside seem to be able to rewrite the story if they find the right plot devices, I lean toward the latter.

Super Mario Land, and the preceeding Wario series, strike me as just spin-offs. They're not main continuity per se, they're more "Oh, while that thing over there's going on, there's this." Same with Luigi's Mansion and other non-Mario titles, possibly excluding Yoshi's Island.

I'm not quite sure what to think about the Mario and Luigi games, to be honest, but I'm not sure I want to call those 'official' on any level.. although I wouldn't mind if they were.

[Watoad]

Thanks everyone so far whose replied.

The RPG's...I didn't mention in my original post. I really don't know if they would be considered proper sequels or spin-offs. They definately serve to enhance the Mario universe in ways the Mario Party or the Mario Kart series couldn't and they are all expansive games, some with more platform elements than others.

I will say the one element that is very different in the RPG's is the character of Bowser. He's way more similar to his cartoon/comic persona, and as a recent example, when I played Super Paper Mario, Bowser was portrayed as this inner-pure heart, deep-inside hero, *giggle*, ect. then in Super Mario Galaxy his first scene depicts him terrorizing Toad Town in ways far more graphic than any in a Mario entry. It makes Bowser seem...schizophrenic or bi-polar. He saves the multiverse...then wants to conquer the entire universe?

And I didn't realize Super Princess Peach wasn't a Nintendo exclusive. It certainly seems like a sequel game, just a role-reversal. Hmmm.

Personally I don't see why the Mario Land/Wario Land series wouldn't be. When I was very young, nobody took the GameBoy too seriously, but I think the games have stood the test of time and it's even crossed over to the GameCube (If you consider Wario World part of it) and now the Wii.

Oh, and as for Super Mario Bros. 2...I think that game is now firmly established in the mario mythos. Can you imagine the Mario universe without Bob-Ombs, Pokeys, Shy Guys, Pidgits or last but not least Birdo? The series hasn't ignored SMB2.