The Super Mario Timeline
Several years ago, along with the help of my community, I created a definitive timeline of the mainline Super Mario Platforming games. Based on context clues in the games and current media I have deduced that this is the most chronological timeline of Mario games we have. Note, this is all just head canon, but my main goal was to create a Hyrul Historia for the Mushroom Kingdom. This is the Mushroom Memoirs.
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Yoshi’s Island - This is the birth of Mario, his first appearance. Yoshi, a friendly dinosaur, begins a quest to reunite an infant Mario with his brother Luigi who has been kidnapped by Kamek. Yoshi and Baby Mario make their way to Baby Bowser’s Castle. They defeat Baby Bowser, rescue Luigi, and a stork makes a delivery of the boys to their parents.
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong - A younger Mario begins his first quest in saving political figures. Several years after being returned to his parents he finds himself growing up in Brooklyn. Pauline, who would later become the mayor of New Donk City, is captured by Donkey Kong and Mario takes on a daring resuce mission to save her.
Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. - Mario and Luigi’s first outting as adults. During their careers as plumbers they stumble across an odd pipe that takes the brothers to a magical kingdom of mushrooms. They discover that King Koopa (Bowser) has invaded, imprisoned the citizens in bricks, and kidnapped Princess Toadstool (Peach). They traverse the entire Mushroom Kingdom, freeing all eight territories, destroy Bowser’s brother, Bruce Koopa, dump Bowser into a pool of lava, and free the Princess. The brothers settle down in Mushroom Kingdom never going back home.
Super Mario World
Super Mario World - Bowser returns from the pit of lava, this time with seven children in tow. After a failed conquering of the Mushroom Kingdom he sets his sights on Dinosaur Land. Mario and Luigi are reunited with Yoshi and they team up to save Dinosaur Land. The brothers and Yoshi defeat each of his seven children, set forth to Bowser’s new headquarters and find that Princess Peach has once again been kidnapped. In a climactic final battle, the brothers send Bowser flying in a clown car far away from Dinosaur Land. Peach and the Yoshi’s are freed. They all agree it is time for a small vacation!
Super Mario Sunshine
Super Mario Sunshine - Two attempts on the Princess’ life and several grueling adventures for Mario gives them enough reason to go on a well earned vacation to Isle Delfino. After arriving, Mario is framed for polluting the beautiful island by a shadow version of himself who is later revealed to be Bowser’s youngest child, Bowser Jr.. Bowser lies to his son, telling him that Peach is his mother and Bowser Jr. kidnaps the princess and takes her to his father. Mario cleans the island with help of a new invention F.L.U.D.D., battles Bowser, deserting him on a piece of battlefield debris, and restores the power of the Shine Sprites to the Pianta people. Bowser admits to his son that he lied. Bowser Jr. still develops a resolve to fight Mario when he is older. Mario and company finally rest on Isle Delfino.
Super Mario 3D Land
Super Mario 3D Land - After three failed attempts at kidnapping the monarch of the Mushroom Kingdom, Bowser now sets his sights on gaining true power through the Tail Tree. The leaves are stripped away by Bowser and given to his minions to become equals to Mario. Mario discovers this the following day and a letter of intent from Bowser. He has kidnapped the princess once more. Trekking across the Mushroom Kingdom, he defeats all of Bowser’s newest and more powerful minions, saves the princess, discovers that Luigi is also imprisoned and then frees his brother. During this process the Princess is kidnapped again! The brothers team up to save her once more. And Bowser is once again dropped into a lava pit. The Tail Tree is restored. All is peaceful for now.
New Super Mario Bros.
New Super Mario Bros - Post Sunshine, Bowser Jr. again attempts to kidnap Princess Peach after a mysterious Tundercloud appears in the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario, his brother Luigi, and two Toads citizens (Ala-Gold and Bucken-Berry) pursue Bowser Jr. to the end of the castle grounds where a final battle happens that results in Bowser having his tissue burned off and becoming Dry Bowser. Bowser Jr. flees with the Princess and the convoy chases him through the eight kingdoms of the realm, defeating each of Bowser’s other seven children. Dry Bowser is defeated in the Bowser Kingdom, then his remains are resurrected by his son and made gargantuan. He is sent into another pit by Mario and Peach is saved once again. Peach gives the plumber a kiss, all is well and they return home.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
New Super Mario Bros Wii - The New Super Clan celebrates Peach’s Birthday at her castle. Her cake has been replaced by Bowser Jr. and his seven siblings entrap the princess and flee to their escape airship. Toad’s send presents of Propeller Mushrooms and Penguin Suits flying out of a canon across the nine worlds. Another chase happens from the New Supe crew and they defeat each of the seven children once again. They triumph over Bowser Jr. in a couple of skirmishes but during the final one Kamek comes back and kidnaps the princess taking her to Bowser. Bowser is dropped into a pit and turned giant again by Kamek and the final battle of this story ends with the Princess freed and escaping Bowser’s Kingdom in a Hot Air Balloon alongside Mario.
Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Odyssey - Wanting a mother for his children, Bowser kidnaps the princess with an intent of forcibly marrying her. Mario is on board Bowser’s airship during the turtle king’s escape. A battle happens between the two and Mario is knocked off and plummets to the nearby Cap Kingdom where he meets a sentient hat that helps him named Cappy who gives Mario the power of possession. They recover an airship called the Odyssey and hunt Bowser down all over the world. Fighting four anthromorphic, wedding planning rabbits along the way and eventually landing in Bowser’s Kingdom. They watch him escape to the moon for his wedding with Peach. A battle ensues in the moons core, it collapses. Mario takes control of an unconscious Bowser, grabs Peach, and escapes. Mario prepares to propose, Bowser regains consciousness and proposes as well, and Peach refuses them both. A love unrequited.
New Super Mario Bros. U
New Super Mario Bros U - Mario returns home with a broken heart but is invited to share a meal with his old New Super crew and Princess Peach. A hand made of metal appears revealing a full frontal assault by the Koopa Family the siege the capital. Mario, Luigi, and the Toads are picked up by the mechahand and thrown to the farthest reaches of the kingdom. They journey back to the capital fighting the Koopa Kids and Bowser Jr. along the way. They arrive at Peach’s castle, fight Bowser and win. They see Peach trapped in a tower, Bowser Jr. insists that Kamek must spread magic across the grounds. He does so and Bowser is revived as a giant once more. Bowser is defeated, Bowser Jr. flees alone, and Peach and the castle are saved.
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy - Every hundred years a comet flies over the Mushroom Kingdom. The citizen’s have a huge festival! This time, Peach invites Mario to the castle to celebrate but the party is interrupted by Bowser, encapsulating the Toads in crystals. He takes Peach and her castle in a UFO to the center of the universe. Kamek casts Mario into space via magic. Here he meets Rosalina, the protector of the universe and time. Mario begins pursuit of Bowser and defeats him in his new galaxy. A black hole forms that envelopes everything. Rosalina appears, saves everyone from the cataclysm, and tells Mario that this is not the end but a new beginning for the universe. It repeats its cycle indefinitely, spurring on a new branch in the timeline, slightly different each time it repeats.
Super Mario 3D World
Super Mario 64 - After hearing tale of Mario’s triumph over Bowser for what she assumes is the final time after his previous battle, Peach invites Mario to the castle for some cake. Upon arrival, Mario discovers she has been locked away within the castle walls by Bowser yet again. He explores the castle thoroughly, jumping into magic paintings and hoping to gain enough power to unlock doors that have been sealed by enchantments. Once he gains enough stars he battles Bowser in the top peak of the castle, throws Bowser into bombs and ensures that Bowser will no longer be a threat. Bowser disintegrates, Peach is free, she arranges a marriage of convenience between her kingdom and Mario’s. Bowser is no more, peace is finally restored. For good? And Mario finally has the love of his life.
New Super Mario Bros 2
New Super Mario Bros 2 - Princess Peach is going for an adventure elsewhere. The brothers see her off. They go on a coin hunt but are interrupted by the Koopa Children crashing their Clown Car into them. Roy Koopa reveals the princess behind him and they fly away while the brothers chase the kids. This is where Mario amasses most of his wealth as power ups that grant him a Midas’ touch abound. They arrive at Bowser’s Castle, defeat him, and begin round two with him as a giant from magic his children use on him. The brothers send Bowser plummeting into a pit once again. Mario returns home to purchase land and a castle. Peach makes her intentions clear. She is still not interested in romance.
Super Mario Land
Super Mario Land - A lover scorned, Mario sets off to Sarassaland in hopes of finding a true love for himself. He hears of another princess who needs saved from an evil spaceman named Tatanga. Another monster is forcibly wanting to marry a monarch, Mario must intervene. He travels the four provinces of Sarassaland, eventually having a final showdown with Tatanga in an airship fight. After Tatanga’s defeat, Mario and Daisy ride off together but she is not interested in him either.
Super Mario Land 2
Super Mario Land 2 - The established government of Super Mario Land has created a reputation that precedes Mario. While away to find a new royal union to broker a marriage of convenience, Wario, an alternate warped Mario poser, invades Mario’s Castle and turns Mario’s people against him. He locked Mario out of the castle with the power of six magical coins. Mario then travels his land and treks to the moon to gather the coins and restore order to the kingdom. He ventures into the throne room, bests Wario with his superior jumping skills, and exiles him. Peace is restored.
Bowser’s Fury
Bowser’s Fury - Lonesome, our hero visits his old stomping grounds outside of Princess Peach’s Castle. Wealth, power, and an established kingdom has not helped this plumber feel any better. He stumbles across a memory of his last adventure with the whole gang, a clear pipe but it has been buried under a black sludge “M”. Bowser Jr. emerges from it begging for Mario’s assistance. His father has now become an ooze stained kaiju, and Bowser Jr. wants Mario’s help to return him to his previous form. Mario agrees and harnessing the power of the Giga Bell to transform into Giga Cat Mario he defeats Bowser and drains him of the sludge. In the final battle, Mario uses these to transform Plessie into a giant to crush Bowser. The Bowsers retreat and Mario, Plessie, and his lapcats relax.
Super Mario 64
Super Mario 64 - After hearing tale of Mario’s triumph over Bowser for what she assumes is the final time after his previous battle, Peach invites Mario to the castle for some cake. Upon arrival, Mario discovers she has been locked away within the castle walls by Bowser yet again. He explores the castle thoroughly, jumping into magic paintings and hoping to gain enough power to unlock doors that have been sealed by enchantments. Once he gains enough stars he battles Bowser in the top peak of the castle, throws Bowser into bombs and ensures that Bowser will no longer be a threat. Bowser disintegrates, Peach is free, she arranges a marriage of convenience between her kingdom and Mario’s. Bowser is no more, peace is finally restored. For good? And Mario finally has the love of his life.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Super Mario Bros. Wonder - All of Mario’s friends have gathered in this glorious reunion! The Yoshi’s have finally started propagating again! Mario and Peach are together as a unified couple seeking a union between the Flower Kingdom and the Mushroom Kingdom. As rotten luck would have it, Bowser has been discovered to no longer be dead. Bowser takes the powerful Wonder Flower to facilitate his own devious plans. Mario, Luigi, Daisy, Peach, the Toads and Yoshis, as well as Nabbit stop Bowser after his transformation into the Bowser Castle Wonder. Saving yet another kingdom in this world!
Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario Bros. 2 - Some time passes in the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario has grown old. Peach has departed this life to the fungal colony in the great beyond. His brother is back home in Brooklyn running his real estate empire of mansions and hotels. This game is simply a dream. A dream about Mario’s youth misremembered by an elderly man whose mind is not in the Mushroom Kingdom anymore. He dreams of 3D World adventures with his wife, brother, and loyal companion. He dreams of a battle against The Turtle King, Bowser Koopa. He dreams of goombas and koopa troopas. He dreams of castles. But they’re not quite right. Instead, his adventure takes place not in the Mushroom Kingdom, not filled with Bowser’s henchmen, and not against Bowser. It takes place in Subcon, the land of dreams. Against Shy Guys and Ninji. In a battle between the Frog King Wart and the gang. Even Yoshi was there... but no, it’s just a character named Birdo. Mario awakens. Realizes it was a dream, but drifts off into an elderly slumber to dream about it again. This is the final game that Mario is present. The end of Mario’s timeline.
Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Bros. 3 - Years pass and Mario is hailed as a hero. Dramatizations of his exploits are told far and wide through a theater troupe. They put on a stage play to celebrate the hero that was Mario. In their performance, Mario travels across seven lands to save seven kings from transformation magic used against them by the evil King Koopa. Actress Peach has been imprisoned and Actor Mario must save her as he always does. The game ends with Bowser defeating himself through recklessness against the final battle between our hero and he. With the kings changed back to their old selves and our princess saved by the hero of this story everything ends with a happily ever after. Peace is restored, the acting troupe can pack up and show the world how amazing Mario was again in a different town.