Though the Mario series has transformed massively over the years to get to recent titles like Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, a lot of things have remained consistent across the 2D and 3D platformers that have been the staple of the franchise. This is a part of what has made the series and characters so iconic and instantly recognizable, to the point where Mario features in three of the top ten bestselling video games of all time.

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In doing so, however, the series has picked up plenty of tropes over the years. From disruptive tutorials to damsels-in-distress, the series hasn't been afraid to fall back on some old clichés.

Damsel-In-Distress

Princess Peach in a wedding dress in Super Mario Odyssey

Whilst not every game in the Mario series has been centered around the plot device of Peach getting kidnapped by Bowser or otherwise put in danger, there's no denying that it has been a recurring theme. The games have made use of the trope to frame Mario as the hero, at the expense of Peach being able to do pretty much anything.

Princess Peach has had some chances to show she's more than capable of holding her own, with Super Princess Peach for the DS among the attempts to give her more to do in the series. Overall, the series does have an undeniable reliance on this very tired trope.

Ugly Villains

Bowser roars with his claws outstretched

The Mario series doesn't make it hard to spot who in the series is a hero and who is a villain, giving all the good characters traditionally beautiful or goofy appearances, and making the villains huge monsters. There is a benefit in this trope, as, for example, Bowser's monstrous appearance makes him even more iconic as a villain.

However, it is always a little too easy to make every bad guy visually unappealing and never challenge the association of physical beauty with moral good and vice versa. Having such a strong, recognizable appearance as a villain though, it is unlikely that Bowser will be getting a makeover anytime soon.

A Journey Through Every Climate

Mario watering the plants and swimming underwater in Super Mario game

With grassy locations, deserts, watery places, snowy places, mountains, jungles, and even the obligatory volcano, just about every environment you could think of gets covered when Mario is on his way to confront Bowser. The Mario games, like many others, make use of every climate they can to add to the visual variation and different mechanics in the games.

Even so, it does seem like Mario is lucky in getting to explore so much of what the world has to offer whilst on his mission to rescue Peach. The worlds also lead straight into another trope by almost always having a giant castle at the end. The cost to Bowser of building and rebuilding every time must be huge.

The Perfect Item Every Time

super mario 3D world cat theme

Along with the massive varieties in levels that feature in the Mario series games, there are also lots of different power-ups, from the Super Star that grants invincibility to the bell that transforms Mario into a cat. These were just some of the best power-ups in Super Mario 3D World.

What makes this a trope is the fact that Mario always just happens to get the perfect power-up for whatever situation he is in. If there's a wall that needs scaling, it's the cat suit, or if he needs to kill a lot of enemies fast, it's the super star. No one would have thought punching random boxes would yield such amazing results every time.

Random Minigames

Bob-omb Blasting minigame in Super Mario Galaxy

Mario may be single-minded in his quest to stop Bowser, save Peach, or deal with whatever is threatening the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond, but that doesn't mean he won't stop in his tracks for some light gambling. The Mario series wouldn't be the same without minigames even in the main series titles, but that doesn't mean they aren't a cliché.

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These games can be fun breaks from the main gameplay, and give helpful rewards, but it does seem odd when the entire game is stopped so that Mario can try his hand at a round of matching pairs, or finding the right box.

Disruptive Tutorials

The tutorial of Super Mario 3D World

One of the things that the Mario games do best is introducing new game mechanics into the mix and then challenging the player to apply it in different ways to clear different challenges within levels. Games like Super Mario Galaxy are amazing at subtly teaching the player how to beat the tests the game throws at them.

Unfortunately, the game, like other Mario titles, also stops the gameplay in order to carefully explain how everything works and even go as far as to make sure the player knows where every button on the controller is located. Features like this may help the game stay accessible to young children, but it can also be a frustrating trope for older players.

The Magical Third Jump

Mario jumping high in Super Mario 64

Whilst the triple jump is a real Olympic event proving that it is possible to do great things with a third jump in a row, the effect of jumping three times in a row in most Mario games is on another level. Unfortunately, in real life, attempting a triple jump is more likely to end in embarrassment than a sudden increase in height and momentum.

This mechanic began in Super Mario 64 but, unlike some of the other mechanics the game introduced, this one became practically synonymous with the franchise. In modern Mario games, it would be a surprise to not be able to gain extra height on the third leap.

Unskippable Cutscenes

Mario looks surprised in a Super Mario Odyssey cutscene

Whilst the Mario games often have fun stories, it is definitely not the main draw of platformers in the Mario series, with most players being there for the gameplay more than anything else. Because of this, even though the cutscenes in Mario games are actually less intrusive than many others, even that much becomes very noticeable.

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The Mario games sometimes do make cutscenes skippable and, with the dialogue appearing in boxes rather than being voiced, players at least can have some control over the speed that cutscenes go. This isn't enough for the cliché to not end up being at least a little frustrating in a series that does so much right.

Fighting The Same Boss Multiple Times

Mario fighting Digg-Leg on a small planetoid

A trope that has been in the series ever since the original Super Mario Bros. for the NES and continues to appear even today, there are some bad guys in the Mario world that simply don't know when they're beaten. Whether it's fights with Bowser to set up for the final confrontation, which is one of the hardest boss fights in Mario Odyssey, or minibosses that keep reappearing, the boss fights in Mario games can end up giving a feeling of déjà vu.

The bosses in Mario games don't tend to be particularly hard in general, so with that in mind, it wouldn't hurt to have more variety in the boss fights available. When a trope is this old though, it's hard to see them leaving it behind in the next Mario titles.

No One Can Recognise You If You Wear A Hat

mario in a goomba hat

A cliché that appears a lot in video games, and in movies and tv shows too, being able to trick not-very-observant enemies with a simple disguise is also something the Mario series has made use of on occasion, although perhaps a little differently to most.

In Super Mario 3D world, Mario can acquire a Goomba Mask power-up and then blend in with enemies who can no longer recognize him, despite his legs still being fully visible. In Super Mario Odyssey, they reverse the formula, as Mario takes over enemies and becomes them, but with his hat still visible.

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