Nintendo Theories/Game Theory: The Mario Timeline's SHOCKING Reveal
Game Theory: The Mario Timeline's SHOCKING Reveal

Game Theory: The Mario Timeline's SHOCKING Reveal

The Game Theorists17 minMay 28, 2015
7 chapters
  • Introduction and Nintendo's Storytelling Problem(0'001'40)
    Game Theory channel focuses 90% on Nintendo titles and is tired of Five Nights at Freddy's content until October.
    Nintendo releases games with deeper stories but refuses to explain how they connect, leading people to question whether games share the same universe.
    • Assassin's Creed features ancestral memories and complex narratives • Mario games involve simple plumbing adventures • Splatoon features squid people playing paintball • Nintendo provides little to no timeline information
    Prove that Mario's franchise, thought to be impossible to connect, has a provable timeline that makes more sense than other video game plots.
  • The Baby Era - Yoshi's Games and Time Travel(1'405'05)
    The timeline begins with Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, where Baby Bowser sends Kamek to kidnap the Mario brothers from a stork.
    • Yoshi's Island - Mario brothers are kidnapped as newborns • Yoshi's New Island - The stork delivers the brothers to the wrong parents; Yoshi fixes the mix-up • Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time - Features time travel with future Bowser • Yoshi's Island DS - Baby Bowser and future Bowser already familiar with time travel
    Three of the four Baby Era games feature future Bowser traveling to the past to attack the brothers as children. Baby Bowser is actually Bowser's past self, not his son.
    The games are ordered by tracking interactions between Baby Bowser and his future self. In Partners in Time they meet for the first time, but in Yoshi's Island DS they act familiar, proving DS comes after Partners in Time.
  • The Plumber Era - Establishing Mario's Adult Career(5'057'00)
    According to Super Smash Brothers Brawl trophy descriptions, Mario and Luigi were humble plumbers before becoming Mushroom Kingdom heroes.
    • Mario Brothers - When Mario and Luigi were plumbers facing Shellcreepers • Super Mario Bros. - They hang up their plungers for kingdom heroism • Mario: The Lost Levels - A glorified map pack sequel with no story
    Super Mario Bros. 3 manual reveals Bowser has seven children. Wendy O. Koopa states this is her first meeting with Mario, making this the first game where the Koopalings appear.
    Super Mario World's manual explicitly states it takes place directly after Super Mario Bros. 3.
  • The Galaxy Era - Rosalina and Time Manipulation(7'0010'51)
    • Super Mario 64 DS - King Boo threatens to trap Mario in a painting • Luigi's Mansion - Direct result of King Boo's threat from 64 DS • Super Mario Sunshine - F.L.U.D.D. scanner shows references to all previous games • Super Mario RPG - Birth of Birdo, Yoshi's love interest
    Super Mario Sunshine's F.L.U.D.D. scanner displays footage from the original Super Mario Bros., Super Mario World, and Super Mario 64, confirming Sunshine comes after all these titles.
    Rosalina appears in the New Super Mario Bros. games and Galaxy series. She is Luigi and Peach's daughter from the far future who uses time travel abilities to retcon Super Mario Galaxy's ending and create a new galaxy for Galaxy 2.
    • Super Mario Galaxy and Galaxy 2 with Rosalina • Super Mario 3D Land and 3D World feature playable Rosalina • This marks the end of the console Mario timeline
  • The Game Boy Era - Mario's New Adventure(10'5111'47)
    After Luigi wins Peach's heart, Mario pursues adventure in Sarasaland. This explains why Mario switches from Peach to Princess Daisy.
    • Super Mario Land - Mario saves Princess Daisy from alien Tatanga • Super Mario Land 2 - Mario's castle is taken over by Wario while Mario is in Sarasaland
    The heart icon changes from Peach to Daisy, indicating Mario's affections have moved to a new princess. This heart change proves Super Mario Land comes at the end of the timeline.
    Luigi ends up with Princess Peach and Mario ends up with Princess Daisy - the love interests are reversed from what players typically assume.
  • The Jumpman Era - Father and Son Revelation(11'4714'32)
    The original Donkey Kong games show Mario as a carpenter named Jumpman, which contradicts his established identity as a plumber in the main timeline.
    Jumpman and Super Mario are NOT the same person, but rather father and son. This solves the contradiction between the carpenter and plumber professions.
    • Original arcade Donkey Kong aged into Cranky Kong • Current Donkey Kong is Cranky's grandson • D.K. Jr. is Cranky's son and modern D.K.'s father • Current D.K. first appeared as Baby D.K. in Yoshi's Island DS
    Gorillas reach full size at fifteen and sexual maturity at eight years old. Cranky Kong is near the end of his forty-year lifespan, allowing D.K. Jr. to be old enough to father the modern Donkey Kong while still being younger than plumber Mario.
  • The Complete Bloodline - Jumpman to Rosalina(14'3217'01)
    Paulene, Mario's girlfriend from the original Donkey Kong, is extremely likely the mother of the Super Mario Brothers. The Donkey Kong manual explicitly refers to her as Mario's girlfriend, providing more confirmation than Peach ever receives.
    • Jumpman (carpenter) and Paulene • Mario and Luigi (plumbers/heroes) • Rosalina (their descendant from the far future)
    Three different Donkey Kongs appear across the timeline: the original arcade ape who becomes Cranky, D.K. Jr. who is Cranky's son, and the modern Donkey Kong who is Cranky's grandson.
    The complete Mario timeline spans from Jumpman and Paulene through Super Mario 3D World, connecting all major games through careful analysis of character relationships, manual references, and timeline implications.