The Hidden World of Super Mario

Introduction

A World Hidden Inside a Video Game

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Part I — The Birth of Mario
1. Before Mario Was Mario
2. Why Mario Wears a Hat
3. The Game That Saved the Video Game Industry
4. The Real Person Behind Mario’s Name
5. Why Mario Became a Plumber
6. The Birth of Luigi

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Part II — The Mario Universe
7. The Secret of the Mushroom Power-Up
8. The Truth About Bowser
9. Why Yoshi Was Created
10. The Creation of Princess Peach

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Part III — The Design of Mario Games
11. Why Mario Breaks Blocks with His Head
12. The Famous Mario Jump Sound
13. Why Mario Always Runs to the Right
14. The Enemy That Almost Did Not Exist
15. Why Mario Collects Coins
16. The Story Behind Mario Kart

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Part IV — The Secrets of Great Game Design
17. The Music That Almost Did Not Exist
18. Why Mario Games Feel So Smooth to Play
19. Hidden Secrets Inside Mario Levels
20. The Strange History of the Warp Pipe
21. Why Mario Games Rarely Explain the Story

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Part V — Mario and the World
22. The Warp Zone That Was Never Meant to Be Found
23. How Super Mario 64 Changed Video Games
24. The Secret Physics of Mario’s Jump
25. Easy to Learn, Hard to Master
26. The Hidden Psychology of Mario Level Design
27. Why Mario Is Italian
28. Why World 1-1 Is the Greatest Tutorial in Game History
29. How Mario Became the Face of Nintendo
30. How Mario Became a Global Cultural Icon