Who would win the ultimate race?
Mario and Luigi are iconic characters in numerous Nintendo video games.
For die-hard fans, Mario is known to have a younger brother, Luigi, who helps him throughout the various games. Several times Luigi has had to rescue Mario in games like Mario is Missing! and Luigi’s Mansion.
Mario was first seen in 1981s Donkey Kong. Soon after, Mario and Luigi were plumbers defeating creatures in the New York sewers in Mario Bros. (1983). The first 3D rendering of Mario came in Super Mario 64. Mario was tasked with saving Princess Peach from Bowser.
As time went along, Mario (sometimes with Luigi) was the main character in Nintendo games. The games were designed for several gaming platforms like the Nintendo 64, Wii, Wii-U, and DS.
With the creation of the DS and 3DS, Mario games evolved. Though Mario Kart existed long before the DS, the first representation with excellent graphics and controls came with Mario Kart for the DS. Later Mario Kart expanded and evolved further in the released platform for the Wii. Players are able to race against fellow fans and pick the character they like the most to race.
Villains like Wario (Mario’s alter ego) and Bowser and heroes like Mario and Luigi battled within custom tracks with equally challenging obstacles to the finish line. In a twist of fate, the villains sometimes win races.
Because my sister is so insane over video games, I experienced the thrill of Mario Kart on the Wii. I quickly fell in love and challenged my sister to far too many games. We bet Skittles and I found out that my sister has some serious skills (especially when Skittles are involved).
While I was losing my ninth game, I had a thought cross my mind. If Mario and Luigi were racing against each other who would win? And who would be the good and bad guy?
I conducted a poll and found who most people thought would win, but before I release my results I’ll explain the second question.
I like to think that every battle has a good and bad side. So, if Mario and Luigi were battling it out, who would be good and who would be bad?
I first looked at the iconic colors both characters wear. Mario is always in red (unless with a power-up like Metal Cap) and Luigi is in green. I disregarded Luigi’s hat that sports a capital ‘L’ which many adolescents today take as a sign of being a ‘loser’. (The capital ‘L’ while using your fingers was a popular sign used through my middle and high school years).
I feel that green is a calming color while red is more aggressive. By taking in consideration the colors Mario and Luigi sport, I find green to be the winning (good) color.
I also had to take in consideration Mario and Luigi’s ages. Mario is the older of the two brothers.
I think a lot about my relationship I have with my younger sister. Being the big sister came with (what seemed like) more responsibility. I didn’t just have to prove to my parents that I was more responsible, but to my sister. I worked hard to make sure I reached the level of superiority expected of me. I always stayed one step ahead because I felt like it was my duty.
This feeling came with everything I did from grades in school to winning competitions. How do you think Mario feels about Luigi? I think I share a common struggle with older siblings as they try to balance their school and family life.
So taking in all the information, I feel that Mario would win with his perseverance to prove himself. 76% of all the people I interviewed agreed with me.
Now, my decision would change if I only considered the colors Mario and Luigi wear. Green is usually considered a color for the good side. Red is seen as a color of evil, especially in Star Wars. Luke’s lightsaber is seen as blue (sometimes green) while Darth Vader’s lightsaber is red indicating he’s on the dark side of the force.
Yet, this theory can be reversed if you’ve watched the Thor series. Thor is seen wearing red (a good guy) while Loki is wearing green (a bad guy). Even with this information, I see green as being the good party.
Now, time can only tell who will win the ultimate race. Maybe Nintendo will create a game specifically for whose better, Mario or Luigi.
Mario and Luigi have also raced in Super Mario Bros. Though the premise of the game isn’t similar to Mario Kart, players make it a goal to see who makes it to the flag pole (finish line) first.
For my little sister’s birthday, I decided to paint her a Mario-and-Luigi-inspired board. Since my business, Stormy Eye Design, is about environmentally friendly materials and recycling, I used recycled wood and mixed some of my own paint.
Oil paint can be messy and hazardous to your health if not handled correctly. I researched and bought the most environmentally friendly materials (that costs a fair share more than normal materials) I could find.
I purposely put Mario in the lead with the Super Mario inspired board painting.
So, what do you think? Will Mario come out victorious?
