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Why do Mario games have a mushroom motif?

Qurupeke

Qurupeke

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,275
I mean, even the concept that Mario is an Italian plumber feels weird, but it has to do with the series' origins, and it kinda moved from it anyway. Mushrooms on the other hand are very prominent in the series, from characters like the Toads or the Goombas, to the power ups or locations. It just feels weird that Mario, a family friendly series, has made mushrooms part of its identity, especially considering mushrooms aren't something people think of just as a food.
 
Z-Beat

Z-Beat

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
31,840
The mushroom thing is a reference to Alice in Wonderland and the idea of fantasy mushrooms
 
Aadiboy

Aadiboy

Member
Nov 4, 2017
3,640
Mario is basically Popeye. Just swap spinach for a mushroom and sailor for plumber and you get Mario. Miyamoto even made a Popeye arcade game.

Also, Bowser is Bluto and Olive Oyl is Peach.
 
WillyFive

WillyFive

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
6,976
Mushrooms have an easy shape that is recognizable on a 8x8 sprite.

Same reason Mario has a mustache; easier to see than a mouth.
 
TheSpaceBetween

TheSpaceBetween

Member
Jan 11, 2018
9,653
Cause Miyamoto and Tezuka were doing shrooms constantly while making it. How else do you think they came up with such a crazy game?
 

Mc.K

Member
May 22, 2020
120
But mushrooms ARE something that I think of as food. I don't know which kind of diet you are following, but you should eat more mushrooms, op
 
Common Knowledge

Common Knowledge

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,241
I always find it interesting that the "Mario Mushroom" (red and white spots) is a real-life hallucinogenic mushroom that makes one feel bigger than they are.
 
Dolce

Dolce

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,235
Qurupeke said:
I mean, even the concept that Mario is an Italian plumber feels weird, but it has to do with the series' origins, and it kinda moved from it anyway. Mushrooms on the other hand are very prominent in the series, from characters like the Toads or the Goombas, to the power ups or locations. It just feels weird that Mario, a family friendly series, has made mushrooms part of its identity, especially considering mushrooms aren't something people think of just as a food.
Click to expand...
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It's a Japanese game. Where mushrooms are even more common to eat than the West and drug use is much more taboo.
 
dlauv

dlauv

Prophet of Truth - One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,513
Yip hoo whoop hee ya haa wah hoo

1064760523.jpg
 
KtSlime

KtSlime

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,910
Tokyo
Qurupeke said:
I mean, even the concept that Mario is an Italian plumber feels weird, but it has to do with the series' origins, and it kinda moved from it anyway. Mushrooms on the other hand are very prominent in the series, from characters like the Toads or the Goombas, to the power ups or locations. It just feels weird that Mario, a family friendly series, has made mushrooms part of its identity, especially considering mushrooms aren't something people think of just as a food.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Japan is a humid chain of islands with lots of mushrooms, everyone commonly eats many types of mushrooms here. As for poisonous/magic mushrooms, Japan has many varieties of those as well, and they didn't become a controlled substance until nearly 20 years after Mario had been eating them.
 
Xils

Xils

Member
Feb 4, 2020
3,337
Everything about Mario is just so weird but it's been with us so long that we no longer think much of it (most of the time at least).
I want to see the reaction of people if Mario is a new IP announced in 2020 though. Would we see Bugsnax vs Mario? Or would there be a controversy about a Japanese game company making a game about a short Italian plumber eating mushroom to power up?
 
noinspiration

noinspiration

Member
Jun 22, 2020
2,003
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_muscaria

From the article:
All Amanita muscaria varieties, but in particular A. muscaria var. muscaria, are noted for their hallucinogenic properties, with the main psychoactive constituents being the neurotoxins ibotenic acid and muscimol. A local variety of the mushroom was used as an intoxicant and entheogen by the indigenous peoples of Siberia and by the Sámi, and has a religious significance in these cultures.

And a pic:
330px-2006-10-25_Amanita_muscaria_crop.jpg


So it's basically just like the cartoon a few posts up says.
 

NazoNazoXLR

Member
Dec 20, 2019
290
Goombas are actually supposed to be chestnuts. Them being evil mushrooms is a NOA thing thing

You can see this reflected in the Super Mario World design
 
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