What's with all the mushrooms?

[Mikle]

Has anyone else noticed that all the Mario games seem to be themed around mushrooms? I mean, think about it; mushrooms to make you grow, mushroom people, a mushroom person leader, a kingdom named after mushrooms, bad mushrooms (Goombas), an antire mushroom societly, a crazy evil turtle (?) that wants to take over a kingdom of mushrooms (of all things), etc, etc, etc!! What's with all the mushrooms? Is Miyamoto obsessed with mushrooms or something?

Let me just say, that I'm not complaining at all- just commenting. I love all the mushroom stuff. It's cool, and extremely original and inovative. Those mushroom people are cool too!

~Mikle

[Mega 2]

I've been having some technical difficulties, and I'm not sure if my first response was fully submitted or simply deleted.  I can't say I know for sure why there are mushrooms in every Mario game (except "Yoshi's Island") but I have studied Japanese mythology, and mushrooms play a very prominent role.  In addition to providing access to the Otherworld (which is, in some respects, like the Mushrool World) mushrooms are associated with ghosts and mythical beasts such as Kitsuni, Tanuki, Tengu, and Obake.  I've noticed that many Koopas are based on the folklore of Japan.

 

[Princess_Peach_Toadstool]

I think the mushrooms are an allusion to LSD :)