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Author Topic: Mario Timeline  (Read 26438 times)

Sapphira

  • Inquiring
« on: January 20, 2013, 04:43:01 PM »
So, I've been trying to piece together a timeline for the Mario universe. At this point I've only included games that are somehow referenced in other games in a way that indicates some sort of sequence of events. Many of these games have a general order in the timeline, but not a specific one (e.g. after Yoshi's Island, after Luigi's Mansion, etc.).

I have arranged the games in the most logical sequence of events. Typically they are in chronological order of release date. There may be some flexibility, however, and if so, I have indicated it.

Under each game, I mention the year (and possibly month) of the earliest release date, list what games it references and provide examples, list what games reference said game, and provide other notable information.

There appears to be a "main" timeline, which contains games that are intrinsically connected to other games in the series. However, some games are less interconnected, and may in fact indicate a "branching" timeline. If so, it means a game has ties to a past game(s) in the timeline, but is either never clearly referenced in a future game that its events transpired, or the future game only has ties to the previous game (and possibly the same games it referenced). This does not mean that these games do branch from the main timeline, just that it's a possibility. If a game might "branch," I indicate so in its entry.

This timeline is by no means complete. I tried to include as many pertinent references as possible (that allude to a sequence of events), but I'm sure I missed some. If anyone knows of any I'm missing, I'd love to add them. Also, aside from Sticker Star, I have not played any Mario games released beyond Super Mario Galaxy 2. So I'm missing any information from games after that. There are also several older games I haven't played, including most of the puzzle games, a few games in the Yoshi series, Yoshi's Safari, and Super Princess Peach.

NOTE: I have not included the spin-off games and any of their references unless the spin-off game was explicitly referenced in a "main" game. Currently the only spin-off games included are Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 64.

While some spoilers may be unavoidable, I did the best I could to add spoiler tags where I thought might be necessary.

Synopsis of the Timeline Sequence:
Yoshi's Island      [1995]
Yoshi's Island DS   [2006]
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time (Past)   [2005]
Yoshi's Story   [1997]
Mario Bros.   [1983]
Super Mario Bros.   [1985]
Super Mario Bros. 2   [1986 or 1988]
Super Mario Bros. 3   [1988]
Super Mario World   [1990]
Super Mario Kart   [8/1992]
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars   [3/1996]
Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS   [6/1996; 11/2004]   
Mario Kart 64      [12/1996]
Paper Mario   [2000]
Luigi's Mansion   [2001]
Super Mario Sunshine   [2002]
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga   [2003]
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door   [7/2004]
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time (Present)   [2005]
New Super Mario Bros.   [2006]
Super Paper Mario   [4/2007]
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story   [2/2009]
New Super Mario Bros. Wii   [2008]
Super Mario Galaxy   [11/2007]

Other games:
Super Mario Land   [1989]
Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins   [10/1992]
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3   [1994]


Donkey Kong's history is so convoluted, what with his identity being inconsistent, that I'm not even going to attempt to include his games—even the Mario games involving him—in the timeline. However, none of these games have real ties in-'verse to the rest of the series, not to mention there's no clear place they occur on the "main" Mario timeline. The Mario games with DK don't even have a clear order, themselves. The Mario vs. Donkey Kong series probably occurs in chronological order, and all occur after the original Donkey Kong game. The Donkey Kong Country series plus Donkey Kong 64 also occur in chronological order and after Donkey Kong. (I'm not gonna provide references.) But beyond that, there are no real references that indicate an order. Unless I'm mistaken. So yeah. If someone else wants to tackle that beast (pun intended), go for it.

I'm pretty unfamiliar with the Wario series, so I didn't include that in the timeline, either. For the most part, the only real ties it has is through the Super Mario Land series, which doesn't fit anywhere in the Mario timeline, either. So if someone else wants to cover the Wario series, go for it.

And now for the main attraction! (Starting in the post below.)
« Last Edit: February 02, 2013, 04:46:16 PM by Sapphira »
"The surest way to happiness is to lose yourself in a cause greater than yourself."

Sapphira

  • Inquiring
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2013, 04:43:35 PM »
The Baby Era


Yoshi's Island      [1995]
Referenced in YIDS, YStory, MLPIT (Past) (see below).


Yoshi's Island DS   [2006]

YIDS references the events of YI:
~From the game's intro story: "A long time ago, the Yoshis embarked on an adventure to rescue Baby Luigi from the clutches of Kamek, the villainous Magikoopa. They battled villains large and small on their quest. Thanks to the Yoshis' bravery, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, and the entire island were saved from danger. Once again, peace reigned on Yoshi's Island. Until one day..."

Other information:
~At the end of the game, a green Yoshi hatches from an egg; this Yoshi is one of the seven Star Children. If the Yoshis in YIDS are indeed the same Yoshis from YI, this Star Child Yoshi is implied to be a different Yoshi from the other games. As a Star Child, he may be the well-known famous Yoshi—Mario's friend—in the present.
~This Star Child Yoshi may also be the Green Yoshi from Yoshi's Story. If so, then Yoshi's Story occurs after YIDS. However, this is speculation.
YIDS ending images: **SPOILERS** 12 | 3

NOTE: YIDS may take place either before or after MLPIT (Past).
***Possible timeline branch, splitting from YI.


Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time (Past)   [2005]

MLPIT (Past) references YI:
~When Kamek meets up with the Mario Bros., he says: "You little red and green insects! Didn't I try to kidnap you once? Yeah, I did! Boy, THAT didn't work out so well.... and you don't look quite so little anymore.... And you're much hairier, too.... Weird....but none of that matters!"

MLPIT (Past) alludes to LM:
~After Young Gadd's lab on Thwomp Volcano is destroyed, he says, "I hear there's an affordable lab at the edge of the Boo Woods. I think I'll relocate there for a time. I have a hankering to do some paranormal research."

MLPIT (Past) is referenced in MLBIS (see below).
NOTE: MLPIT (Past) may take place either before or after YIDS or YStory.
***Possible timeline branch, splitting from MLSS (in Present) and YI or YIDS (in Past).



Yoshi's Story   [1997]

YStory references YI:
~When Yoshi faces Baby Bowser, Baby Bowser says, "What have we here? Mario's little pet! I have pets too! Let's all play together."
This indicates Bowser already knows Mario and his connection to the Yoshis, both whom he met in YI.

~In the game's intro, there are 8 Yoshis shown to fall victim to Bowser's spell. These Yoshis match the Yoshi colors from YI. They may or may not be the same Yoshis. However, this is speculation.
~Six baby Yoshis, the heroes of YStory, hatch after Bowser's curse and are unaffected. Since Bowser indicates this game happens after YI, these Yoshis are implied to be different ones from the Yoshis in YI.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0ULz1AevXE" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0ULz1AevXE</a>

YStory is possibly referenced in YIDS (see above).
NOTE: YStory may take place either before or after MLPIT (Past).
***Possible timeline branch, splitting from YI or YIDS.


(Continued in next post)
« Last Edit: February 02, 2013, 04:47:33 PM by Sapphira »
"The surest way to happiness is to lose yourself in a cause greater than yourself."

Sapphira

  • Inquiring
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2013, 04:43:53 PM »
The Arcade - SNES Era


Mario Bros.   [1983]
Referenced in SMS (see below).


Super Mario Bros.   [1985]
Referenced in SMB3, PM, SMS, MLSS, PMTTYD (see below).


Super Mario Bros. 2*    [1986 or 1988]
SMB2 is referenced in SMS (see below).
*NOTE: May be either SMB2J/Lost Levels or SMB2 USA; it's ambiguous.


Super Mario Bros. 3   [1988]

SMB3 references what is most likely SMB:
~In the NES SMB3 manual, Mario says, "Bowser is up to his old tricks again, so Luigi and I are going on another adventure." (pg 3)
~"Bowser is back!!!" (NES SMB3 manual, pg 3)
~"The Mushroom Kingdom has been a peaceful place thanks to the brave deeds of Mario and Luigi." (NES SMB3 manual, pg 5)

~When Peach is saved (in the NES and SMAS versions), she says, "Thank you. But our Princess is in another castle!...Just kidding! Ha ha ha! Bye bye."
This references the Mushroom Retainers' lines from SMB. It's unclear whether that's a meta-joke intended for the player, or if Peach is aware of the line from SMB and is joking about it. Considering the line was changed in other versions, the implication her line is a legitimate indication that SMB occurs after SMB3 is rather weak.

   

SMB3 is Mario's first encounter with the Koopalings, and therefore occurs before SMW, YSafari, MLSS, NSMBW, etc.:
~In the NES SMB3 manual, Wendy says, "This is the first time I've met up with Mario. I'm studying his moves very carefully." (pg 13)

SMB3 is referenced in SMW, SMS (see below).


Super Mario World   [1990]

SMW references and occurs immediately after SMB3:
~In the Story in the SMW manual: "After saving the Mushroom Kingdom from Bowser and the rest of the Koopas in Super Mario 3, Mario and Luigi needed to recuperate from their adventures. Together they agreed that the best place to vacation was a magical place called Dinosaur Land." (pg 2)
~When describing the Mysterious Sunken Ship: "This is a strange looking sunken ship. Haven't you seen it somewhere before? That's right, in Super Mario Bros. 3, Koopa and his kids used a flying ship to make life tough for Mario." (SMW manual, pg 20)

SMW is referenced in SMS, MLSS (see below).


Super Mario Kart   [8/1992]
Referenced in SMS, possibly PMTTYD (see below).


Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars**   [3/1996]
Possibly referenced in PM and MLSS? (see below).
**NOTE: Depending on interpretation, SMRPG may or may not be included in the timeline. If so, it may take place either before or after SM64/SM64DS and MK64.


(Continued in next post)
« Last Edit: February 02, 2013, 04:48:42 PM by Sapphira »
"The surest way to happiness is to lose yourself in a cause greater than yourself."

Sapphira

  • Inquiring
« Reply #3 on: January 20, 2013, 04:44:13 PM »
The Nintendo 64 Era


Super Mario 64*   [6/1996]
*Possibly retconned by SM64DS.
Referenced in SMS, MLSS, possibly PM? (see below).
**NOTE: Depending on interpretation, may take place either before or after SMRPG or PM.


Super Mario 64 DS*   [2004]
*Possibly a retcon of SM64.

SM64DS may be King Boo's first encounter with the Mario Bros.:
~Before battling King Boo, he says to Mario: "Eee hee hee! I am Big Boo**, the spookiest of all the spirits! I locked up the wimpy green mustache man. And I'll do the same to you!"
Because King Boo's area can only be accessed (at least at first) by Mario (through his floating ability), he is speaking to and introduces himself to Mario. He may or may not know Luigi's name at this point.
**NOTE: His name being Big Boo is likely a translation error. In Japan, his name is キングテレサ, or "King Teresa," which is exactly the same as his name in LM in Japanese.
Sources: SM64DS Japanese to English | LM Japanese to English

SM64DS foreshadows LM?:
~After defeating King Boo, he says to Mario, "Eee hee hee! You can never really kill a ghost! We always come back! See you again. Eee hee hee!"
~If Luigi defeats him, King Boo says, "I just love the look of terror on your face! In fact, I live for it! Eee hee hee! See you soon!"

Other information:
~Goomboss, who is most likely Goomba King from Paper Mario, makes an appearance. In Japan, Goomboss is called クリキング or "Kuri King." In PM, Goomba King has the exact same name in Japan.
Sources: SM64DS Japanese to English | PM Japanese to English
~When Goomboss encounters Yoshi, he says: "I am Goomboss, the great Goomba, the grand pooh-bah Goomba. That Mario always stomps on us. But now the tables have turned! I locked him up in a room."
Goomboss clearly already knows Mario. It is unclear if "stomps on us" includes Goomboss or just refers to Goombas in general. It is also unclear as to whether or not these events occur before or after PM. (See PM entry below.)

SM64DS is referenced in LM (see below).
NOTE: May take place either before or after SMRPG or PM.


Mario Kart 64      [12/1996]
Referenced in SMS, possibly PMTTYD (see below).
NOTE: May take place either before or after SMRPG, but after SM64/SM64DS.


Paper Mario   [2000]

PM references SMB:
~Goombario's Tattle of Goombas: "These guys are old school. They've been around since you were in Super Mario Bros.!"

PM references SM64 and/or SMRPG:
(NOTE: Such references are unclear on specific, individual games.)
~Part of Page 1 of Luigi's Diary reads: "Once again, my brother went on an exciting journey. Once again, he went alone. It's so unfair!"
In both SM64 and SMRPG (thus far), Mario ventures without Luigi.
**NOTE: If Luigi is referring solely to SM64, SM64DS could not have "retconned" SM64, and it's possible SMRPG is not even a part of the timeline. However, if Luigi is solely referring to SMRPG, SM64DS may be considered a retcon of SM64, and SMRPG must have already occurred.

PM references the Mario Golf (series), Mario Tennis (series), and Mario Party (series):
(NOTE: Such references are unclear on specific, individual games.)
~Continuation of the first entry in Luigi's Diary: "I remember the carefree days when we played Golf and Tennis and had Parties."

PM foreshadows LM:
~Page 7 of Luigi's Diary reads: "I heard a rumor that I actually have lots of fans. Wow! What great news! To live up to their expectations, I want to play the lead in an adventure! Of course, my name would have to be in the title. That'd be sweet... But I know it'll never happen..."
This entry implies LM hasn't happened yet. It also implies Mario is Missing, which features Luigi as the leading role, is either not considered canon, not part of the timeline, or has not happened yet.

Other information:
~Goomba King makes his first appearance in PM. When he encounters Mario, he says, "So, Mario, it's true! You've made it this far. I respect you for that. Unfortunately, this is as far as you'll ever get. Because I, the great and powerful King Goomba, will see to it that you advance no farther!"
He seems to already know who Mario is, although it is unclear if he and Mario have met before. Goomba King is most likely the same character as Goomboss from SM64DS (see SM64DS entry above).

~Goombario's Tattle of Koopa Troopas: "Is it only my imagination or did Koopa Troopas used to walk around on four legs? I guess that was a really long time ago, huh?"
Koopa Troopas walked on all fours in SMB, SMB2J/LL, SMB3, SML2, and Mario Clash. They began walking upright in SMW, and have, for the most part, been that way ever since. SMG is an interesting exception, and so far is the only game released after PM to have quadruped Koopa Troopas. Troopeas in MLSS and Electro-Koopas from SMS walk on all fours, but they seem to be either different or sub-species. Interestingly, Koopas walk upright in prequel games like YI and MLPIT (Past).

~Goombario's Tattle of Lakitus: "It seems like these Lakitus have been hassling you for your entire career, Mario." By release date, Lakitus first appeared in SMB.

~In one of the rooms in Dry Dry Ruins, Goombario says: "Now that I've helped you find Dry Dry Ruins, will I become famous, too? You don't care. You're already a household name." Mario is apparently already famous. Although this may or may not be actually breaking/learning on the fourth wall.

PM is referenced in MLSS, PMTTYD (see below).
NOTE: Depending on interpretation, may take place either before or after SM64/SM64DS, but before SMRPG.


(Continued in next post)
« Last Edit: February 02, 2013, 04:57:56 PM by Sapphira »
"The surest way to happiness is to lose yourself in a cause greater than yourself."

Sapphira

  • Inquiring
« Reply #4 on: January 20, 2013, 04:44:34 PM »
The GameCube Era


Luigi's Mansion   [2001]

LM is Mario and Luigi's first encounter with Prof. E. Gadd, and, therefore occurs before MLSS, MLPIT (Present), etc.:
~When Luigi meets E. Gadd in the game's beginning: "Anyway, nice to meet you. I'm Professor E. Gadd." // "So your name's Luigi? I think our paths were destined to cross. Well met, Luigi."

LM references SM64DS?:
~Before the final battle, King Boo says: "The way you plead for help, Mario... I find it so...satisfying. Perhaps that is merely because I remember how much trouble you've caused me in the past."
King Boo has a history with Mario, and therefore, LM is not his first encounter with him, despite this game being King Boo's first appearance.
NOTE: The only non-spinoff games with King Boo (キングテレサ or "King Teresa") (thus far) are Super Princess Peach and SM64DS. However, in SPP, King Boo encounters Peach, not the Mario Bros.
SMS also has a King Boo; however, in Japan his name is ボステレサ or "Boss Teresa," not to mention he looks drastically different, both indicating he may be a different character. SMS also makes a reference to LM (see SMS entry below), indicating LM occurs before SMS, so if indeed they are the same King Boo, it would not be his first encounter with Mario.
SM64DS is therefore the most logical encounter King Boo is referring to in the quotation above.
Additional sources: SMS Japanese to English. See also SM64DS entry above.

LM is foreshadowed in PM, MLPIT (Past), and possibly SM64DS (see above).
LM is referenced in SMS, MLSS, PMTTYD (see below).



Super Mario Sunshine   [2002]

SMS references MB, SMB, SMB2, SMB3, SMW, SMK, SM64, and MK64:
~When FLUDD first scans Mario upon initialization, in the bottom left-hand corner, it displays short clips from a battle with Bowser in SMB, the battle with Iggy from SMW, and a battle with Bowser from SM64.
Video of scene. (For whatever reason, embedding videos at a specific time point doesn't work. Sorry.)

~While scanning Mario, in the bottom right-hand corner, FLUDD also lists a bunch of Mario games on the HUD (displayed as mirrored) in the following order: MARIOBROS, SUPERMARIOBROS, SUPERMARIOBROS2, SUPERMARIOBROS3, SUPERMARIOWORLD, SUPERMARIOKIRT [sic], SUPERMARIO64, MARIOKIRT64 [sic], MARIOSUNSHINE.
It's possible this not only indicates the events of those games already happened, but may also indicate the order they occurred historically. However, this is speculation. It's unclear whether SMB2 is intended to be the US version or SMB2J/Lost Levels.

   

SMS references LM:
~In Episode 3 of Sirena Beach, the Pianta in the hotel's attic comments: "All these ghosts are causing such trouble... They're everywhere! Why can't someone come along and suck 'em up with a vacuum? What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
This is a reference to LM, and implies Mario gave him an odd look, possibly recalling those events. However, it might also just be a meta-joke.

SMS strongly implies it is Mario's and/or Peach's first encounter with Bowser Jr., and, therefore, occurs before NSMB, SMG, NSMBW, SMG2, and any other game with Bowser Jr.:
~When Bowser Jr. reveals his identity:
   Bowser Jr: "Leave my mama alone, you bad man! I won't let you take Mama Peach away!"
   Peach: "Mama? Mama Peach? I'm your...Mama?"
   Bowser Jr: "Yeah, Papa [Bowser] told me all about it. He told me my mama got kidnapped by a bad man named Mario..."
   Peach: "So, you're Bowser's son..."

Aforementioned scene (**SPOILERS**):
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5K4C3wUZbQ" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5K4C3wUZbQ</a>

SMS foreshadows NSMB?:
~At the end of the game, Bowser Jr. tells Bowser, "I know she's [Peach's] not really my Mama... Someday...when I'm bigger... I wanna fight that Mario again!"
(Skip to 3:55 in the video above. **SPOILERS**)

NOTE: SMS may take place either before or after MLSS, PMTTYD, and MLPIT, but must take place before NSMB.
***Possible timeline branch, splitting from LM.



Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga   [2003]

MLSS references SMB, SMW, SM64, PM:
~ Woohoo Hooniversity has a room containing blocks from SMB, SMW, SM64, and PM. Hitting said blocks tells what game they're from, along with a description.
   - SMB: "Block Used in Super Mario Bros. // Made of secret materials from the Mushroom Kingdom. Metallic appearance is quite popular."
   - SMW: "Block Used in Super Mario World // Made of light, shiny materials. Somewhat shock absorbent."
   - SM64: "Block Used in Super Mario 64 // Currently analyzing the new technology that makes it vanish when struck..."
   - PM: "Block Used in Paper Mario // Appears to be made of soft materials but is actually quite hard. For professionals only."



MLSS references LM:
~E. Gadd and the barista in Starbeans Café indicate the Mario Bros. already know E. Gadd:
   Gadd: "Seeing you two... This is a most unexpected chance meeting!"
   Barista: "Hey! You guys know the owner?!?"

~In Starbeans Café, E. Gadd uses the Poltergust 3000 (from LM) to suck up a ghost.
~In a couple of Café cut scenes, Luigi uses the Poltergust 3000 (LM) to suck up Gadd.
~One of E. Gadd's inventions is the Poltergust 3001, an upgraded model of the Poltergust 3000.
~Another invention is the Game Boy Horror SP, implied to be an upgraded model of the Game Boy Horror from LM.

Starbeans Café cut scenes:
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xtLxjI1Baw" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xtLxjI1Baw</a>


References to SMRPG:
~In the "Star 'Stache Smash" arcade game in Little Fungitown, Geno makes a cameo appearance, explaining the rules of the game. However, this does not necessarily indicate SMRPG is indeed part of the timeline or that SMRPG occurs first.
Image: Cameo (**SPOILERS**)

Other information:
~In Bowser's Castle, the Koopalings make a cameo appearance, and therefore, this game must occur after SMB3.

MLSS is referenced in PMTTYD, MLPIT (Present) (see below).
NOTE: May take place either before or after SMS, PMTTYD and NSMB, but must take place before MLPIT.
***Possible timeline branch, splitting from LM.



(Continued in next post)
« Last Edit: January 20, 2013, 05:13:47 PM by Sapphira »
"The surest way to happiness is to lose yourself in a cause greater than yourself."

Sapphira

  • Inquiring
« Reply #5 on: January 20, 2013, 04:44:57 PM »
The GameCube Era (continued)


Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door   [2004]

PMTTYD references what is most likely SMB:
~Hamma Jamma of the Glitz Pit references what is most likely SMB: "My grandpappy used to tell me great hammer stories... World 7-1, that was his 'hood."
SMB is the only game (thus far) with a level called World 7-1 that also features Hammer Bros.

References to Mario Kart series?:
~When Luigi tells about the kart race from his adventure, he alludes to the Mario Kart series: "I mean, I've driven in kart races before, so I thought I'd be OK."

References to PM:
~Goombella's Tattle of Lady Bow references the events of PM: "But you DID go on an adventure with her, right?  Tell me sometime, OK?"
~Lady Bow already knows Mario: "It IS you, isn't it, Mario? Well, it's been quite a while, hasn't it?"

~Goombella may be aware that Mario knows of Kolorado from PM. In her Tattle of Frankly: "You know the famous Professor Kolorado?  He was a student of Frankly's!"
However, if Kolorado is famous, she may be either assuming or legitimately asking if Mario knows (of) him.

~A Toad kid in Petalburg says, "You know the N64, right? Well, the game I play the most on it is 'Paper Mario.' There's this girl in the game, Bow, who's pretty much the cutest Boo OF ALL TIME!!!"

References to LM:
~In the audience during battles, occasionally Luigi appears with the Poltergust 3000 on his back.
~Two crows in Twilight Town have the following conversation:
   Crow 1: I'm thinking of starting a new pay site. It's going to be a real-estate listings page that I'll call "Luigi's Mansion."
   Crow 2: Hey, that sounds good, too! But... I think I've heard that name before. You don't want rabid lawyers attacking you...

References to MLSS: (NOTE: These references do not indicate any place on the timeline.)
~Podley and Podler, the bartenders in Rogueport and Glitzville, respectively, appear to be Beanish.
~The Glitz Pit Security also resemble the Beanish species, albeit blue-skinned.
~Flavio has a bottle of Chuckola Cola.

PMTTYD foreshadows SPM?:
~A Toad kid in Petalburg possibly alludes to SPM: "I've gotta say, I've been playing the new Paper Mario game almost nonstop. I'm on the fence so far... Gotta put serious time into a game to review it properly. But I can definitely tell you this: if you're a Luigi fan, do NOT miss out on this one!"
SPM is the first Paper Mario game to feature Luigi as both a major and playable character.

Other information:
~In Luigi's adventure, he speaks of the Chestnut King. In Japan, the Chestnut King's name is クリキング or "Kuri King" (literally "Chestnut King"). This is the exact same name as both the Goomba King in PM and Goomboss in SM64DS. They may in fact all be the same character, but it got lost in translation.
Source: PMTTYD Japanese to English. See also SM64DS and PM entries above.

~One of Goombella's Tattles of Bowser indicates that he, Mario, and Peach have a long history: "That's Bowser, genius.  You've only fought this guy like, a bazillion times. He'll keep kidnapping Peach, and you'll keep fighting him, until the end of time, I think."
~Goombella's Tattle of Koopa Troopas: "Koopa Troopas have been around forever."
~Goombella's Tattle of Hammer Bros.: "Well-known for their vicious and relentless hammer lobs, Hammer Bros. have a reputation as one of Mario's toughest enemies..."
These Tattles all indicate PMTTYD is a later game in the timeline.

NOTE: May take place either before or after SMS, MLSS, and NSMB.
***Possible timeline branch, splitting from LM.



Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time (Present)   [2005]

MLPIT (Present) references MLSS:
~When the baby Bros. first meet Fawful, he describes the events of MLSS, including his final battle with the Mario Bros.: "I am here, merchant of badges, only sometimes with fury, but I once had fury at all times. I drizzled rage dressing on the country next door. Rage dressing on a salad of evil! And then the bad men came. Red and Green bad men. I had the punishment. Bad punishment with hammers and jumping on my head and the overheat of my ship."

MLPIT (Present) foreshadows MLBIS:
~Fawful alludes to his attack in MLBIS: "I am waiting like an elevator. I have the commerce. I run Fawful's Bean 'n' Badge, but... The day comes soon when Fawful rises again, and then no baby's candy has safety!"
In MLBIS, Fawful is the main antagonist.


NOTE: May take place either before or after SMS, PMTTYD and NSMB, but must take place after MLSS.
***Possible timeline branch, splitting from MLSS.



New Super Mario Bros.   [2006]

NSMB references SMS:
~In the NSMB manual it says, "Didn't Bowser Jr. once think Princess Peach might be his mother?" (pg 10).
In SMS, Bowser Jr. calls her "Mama Peach," but by the end of the game, he admits he knows she's not really his mother. (See SMS entry above.)

NSMB is possibly foreshadowed in SMS (see above).
NOTE: May take place either before or after MLSS, PMTTYD, and MLPIT, but must take place after SMS.
***Possible timeline branch, splitting from SMS.



(Continued in next post)
« Last Edit: January 20, 2013, 05:28:15 PM by Sapphira »
"The surest way to happiness is to lose yourself in a cause greater than yourself."

Sapphira

  • Inquiring
« Reply #6 on: January 20, 2013, 04:45:48 PM »
The Wii Era

Super Paper Mario   [4/2007]

SPM references PM and PMTTYD:
~At Mario's house at the beginning of the game, there are pictures of Mario's partners from PM and PMTTYD.
Image.

~There are Catch Cards of all of Mario's partners from PM and PMTTYD. The Catch Card descriptions even refer to said past adventures. Examples:
   - Goombario's Catch Card: "Mario and Goombario go way back to Paper Mario. Enemies suffer when he uses his head."
   - Vivian's Catch Card: "It's Vivian from the last Paper Mario adventure. She was a great friend once she split from her sisters."

SPM is possibly alluded to in PMTTYD (see above).
***Possible timeline branch, splitting from PMTTYD.



Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story   [2/2009]

MLBIS references MLPIT (Past):
~Madame Broque tells the Mario Bros. about the Shroob Invasion:
Quote from: Madame Broque
Cherís... Tell me, do you believe in zee aliens?
Once upon a long, long ago... Zey say zat aliens visited zis very kingdom...
Someone told me zis, oui... Zis was long before I arrived in zee area, of course...
Zey were evil... Zey destroyed zee houses, kidnapped people... Zis was a terrible, awful time.
But in zee end... Two champions, superstars in zee green and red, defeated zem all...
And yet... Zere is a rumor zat, in fact, zee aliens are preserved in zee kingdom...
Heehee... Preserving evil aliens... Zere are some people who have zee bizarre hobbies, honh?

Oh... Now zat I think on it, you two are red and green...
Heehee... Are you perhaps fans of zese famous superstars? Hee... You look a lot like zem...
NOTE: It may be of interest that she only mentions TWO heroes. While technically the quartet is just Mario and Luigi of different ages, there were still four heroes.

~When the Mario Bros. find the cryogenically frozen Shroobs, they freak out and explain it to Starlow. She responds: "Those are aliens that once invaded the Mushroom Kingdom?" // "You defeated them when you were babies?!"
And then, "Bowser must have grabbed some of the survivors and cryogenically frozen them..."
Video of scene. (For whatever reason, embedding videos at a specific time point doesn't work. Sorry.)
~Three Shroobs awaken and battle the Bros. Afterward Starlow comments, "What I can't believe is that you defeated those things as a baby! Only you could do that, Mario!" // "Hm? Luigi fought hard as well?" // "Heehee! Did you attack them with some ferocious crying?" // "Really? Luigi was the one to defeat them at the end?"
This references Baby Luigi's tears destroying a Shroob Mushroom, which was then used as a formula to eradicate all Shroob Mushrooms filling the land.
(To skip the battle, go to 3:45 in the video above.)
NOTE: It may be of interest that there is no mention of the Bros. defeating the Shroobs as adults, only as babies. It's possible the Bros. are leaving out that fact to avoid mentioning time travel, the implausibility of their adult selves being in the past, and having to explain everything to Starlow. However, this is speculation.

MLBIS is foreshadowed in MLPIT (Present) (see above).
***Possible timeline branch, splitting from MLSS and MLPIT.



New Super Mario Bros. Wii    [11/2009]

NSMBW references SMB3 and SMS:
The Koopalings and Bowser Jr. are featured enemies. Due to SMB3 and SMS being their debut appearances, respectively (see aforementioned game entries), NSMBW must occur after both of these games.

NSMBW foreshadows SMG?:
During the Staff Roll, an outtake of a Princess Peach voiceover states, "Dear Mario, I'll be waiting for you at the castle on the night of the Star—" but she is interrupted by Bowser. Her words are identical to the first part of her letter in SMG's intro (which is different from her letter in SMG2). This implies the events of NSMBW occur (possibly immediately) before SMG. However, this is speculation.
Audio video from scene (For whatever reason, embedding videos at a specific time point doesn't work. Sorry.)

NOTE: Beyond occurring "Post-SMS," NSMBW has no clear location on the timeline.
***Possible timeline branch, splitting from SMS.



Super Mario Galaxy   [11/2007]
Foreshadowed in NSMBW (see above).
NOTE: Beyond occurring both after SMS and NSMBW, SMG  has no clear location on the timeline.
***Possible timeline branch, splitting from SMS and NSMBW.



(Continued in next post)
« Last Edit: January 20, 2013, 05:32:45 PM by Sapphira »
"The surest way to happiness is to lose yourself in a cause greater than yourself."

Sapphira

  • Inquiring
« Reply #7 on: January 20, 2013, 04:46:08 PM »
The Wii U Era +?

[Space reserved]



Other Games
The following games aren't connected to the games in timeline above. It's possible they form their own branch in the timeline.

Super Mario Land   [1989]
Referenced in SML2 (see below).


Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins   [10/1992]

SML2 references SML:
~In the SML2 manual, Mario states: "While I was away crusading against the mystery alien Tatanga in Sarasa Land, an evil creep took over my castle and put the people of Mario Land under his control with a magic spell."

SML2 is referenced in WL (see below).


Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3   [1994]

WL references SML2:
~In the WL manual, it says: "Remember Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins? Wario tried to take over Mario's castle, but he didn't have much luck. Wario, being the persistent guy he is, has not given up. Now, he wants a castle more than ever before."



...Aaaaaand we're done. Major congratulations to anyone who read the whole thing! (It came out to 12 full pages in Word! x____x)

If you find any errors or know of any more references, let me know. Feel free to add any information to any games I haven't played or haven't added, but be sure to add spoiler tags where appropriate, especially with the newer games. And like I said, if you want to tackle the Wario or DK series games, go for it.

On another note, feel free to share your own Mario timeline ideas in this thread. This isn't just about my timeline! But hopefully I've provided a good reference point.
« Last Edit: January 20, 2013, 04:52:48 PM by Sapphira »
"The surest way to happiness is to lose yourself in a cause greater than yourself."

CrossEyed7

  • i can make this whatever i want; you're not my dad
« Reply #8 on: January 21, 2013, 03:17:37 AM »
Very nice. Much less fanficcy than my timeline attempts, I must admit.

Any ideas on where the present/future part of Yoshi's Island DS (Adult Bowser traveling back in time with Kamek to kidnap the Star Children in the past) might go? I can't remember if there were any hints about that ingame.
"Oh man, I wish being a part of a Mario fan community was the most embarrassing thing about my life." - Super-Jesse

« Reply #9 on: January 21, 2013, 01:06:32 PM »
So does Galaxy 2 take place in a parallel timeline because of the weird stuff with universe creation or whatever at the end of Galaxy 1?
Relics.

MEGAߥTE

  • In flames
« Reply #10 on: January 21, 2013, 03:14:02 PM »
Donkey Kong's history is so convoluted, what with his identity being inconsistent, that I'm not even going to attempt to include his games—even the Mario games involving him—in the timeline. However, none of these games have real ties in-'verse to the rest of the series, not to mention there's no clear place they occur on the "main" Mario timeline.
I guess you never beat Donkey Kong on Game Boy?
« Last Edit: January 21, 2013, 03:15:36 PM by MEGAߥTE »

The Chef

  • Super
« Reply #11 on: January 21, 2013, 04:30:25 PM »
That one's still a tad hard to reconcile. It's really difficult to tell where the majority of the game takes place since it looks like the "real" world but there's wacky gimmicks and cartoony enemies everywhere, and the game doesn't show how Mario and Pauline got from DK's tower to the Mushroom Kingdom (assuming that's where they're supposed to be).

It also isn't made very clear whether it's supposed to be an enhanced remake of DK or an entirely new game. Both the former and the latter open up dozens of new questions. If it's the former, then where is DK actually from? And if it's the latter, when is it supposed to have taken place?

Sapphira

  • Inquiring
« Reply #12 on: January 23, 2013, 01:17:22 AM »
Very nice. Much less fanficcy than my timeline attempts, I must admit.

Any ideas on where the present/future part of Yoshi's Island DS (Adult Bowser traveling back in time with Kamek to kidnap the Star Children in the past) might go? I can't remember if there were any hints about that in game.
Thanks!
As for what point in time in the present day that adult Bowser travels to the past for the events of YIDS, I have no idea. If I had to guess, I'd say it probably happens at some point after MLPIT (Present), what with the invention of the time machine and then the appearance of the time holes. Maybe Bowser figured out a way to utilize either of those. (It seems the time machine remained in the past at the end of MLPIT, but present-day Bowser could have found it, like how in Back to the Future III, in 1955 Marty and Doc find the time machine that was left from 1885). But his is all pure speculation.

Something I find interesting is how in MLPIT (Past), Baby Bowser doesn't really know who adult Bowser is (he comments he looks "like a bigger, fatter me!" but that's the extent of it), yet in YIDS, he seems well-aware that Bowser is his future self:
Quote from: Baby Bowser
Let me get this straight. Future-me kidnapped me?!
Quote from: Baby Bowser
Are you saying that even when I'm an old geezer, I'll still be trying to take over the universe? Lame!
Adult Bowser also seems to be aware Baby Bowser is his younger self in YIDS: "How dare you treat past-me like that?!" But in MLPIT, he doesn't seem aware. Then again, he may not even realize he's in the past. (Sorry, I don't have a quote/source.) Which begs the question, given Baby Bowser's strong resemblance to Bowser Jr. (in MLPIT, anyway), why doesn't Bowser mistake his younger self for his son?

So does Galaxy 2 take place in a parallel timeline because of the weird stuff with universe creation or whatever at the end of Galaxy 1?
I think I remember reading somewhere, maybe in an Iwata Asks interview, that SMG2 is supposed to be an alternate or parallel version of SMG. I could be mistaken, though.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around the ending of SMG and its implications, and if it's even supposed to be directly connected to the beginning of SMG2 or not.

I guess you never beat Donkey Kong on Game Boy?
...Yeah, that's not really all that clear. Seems more like vague implication, if even that.
Sure, many of the Mario games with DK have traditional Mario elements, even characters, but that doesn't give it clear ties to the rest of the Mario series. I mean, take the Mario vs. DK games. Does Mario even necessarily KNOW Peach? Sure, she apparently exists, given the Mini Peach toys, but is Mario even affiliated with her at all? Are these games supposed to take place before Super Mario Bros.? Late in the timeline? Wherever they fit by release date? Is it a parallel timeline, possibly one where SMB never happened? There's a lot of questions the series raises.

For the record, I think it makes the most sense for the original Donkey Kong game to occur some time before SMB, but that's mostly based on assumption. I haven't encountered any real, strong evidence or references that indicate the events of Donkey Kong even occurred, with relation to the rest of the Mario series. Sure, there are allusions and such (e.g. a Chained Kong throwing barrels in SMRPG, someone in the Glitz Pit randomly shouting out "JUMPMAN!" in PMTTYD), but, like I said, those are allusions, not strong references.

The Chef covered things pretty well regarding GB DK, so I won't say more.

I tried to stick with actual references in my timeline. Any time I do make speculations, I mention it. At least I think I so. And when I do speculate, the game already has other references and ties to that or another game(s). So yeah. I'm all for speculation and interpretation and whatnot, and I encourage others to do so, but, yeah, my goal of this particular timeline is to make it more research and fact-based, using (strong) evidence.
« Last Edit: January 23, 2013, 01:23:26 AM by Sapphira »
"The surest way to happiness is to lose yourself in a cause greater than yourself."

The Chef

  • Super
« Reply #13 on: January 23, 2013, 02:44:42 AM »
Regarding Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Maybe Pauline has the power to make any man fall in love with her, even if they've already got a girlfriend? :P

« Reply #14 on: January 23, 2013, 07:22:34 AM »
Why isn't NSMBU or SM3DL on here? It does seem that these have more connections than Post-SMS. (Koopalings, Boom Boom & Pom Pom, Godzilla Bowser)
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