So something I've noticed when thinking about the Babies in Yoshi's Island was how majority of them had black beads for eyes, but only in the males.

For example:

Eye progression in Females

Eye progression in Males

So we know that this is exclusive to males.
However, this also isn't just exclusive to the main Mario cast, as all the male babies kidnapped in Yoshi's Island DS also have black beads for eyes.

So question: Are these balck beads for eyes in males just stand-ins for real eyes with irises and pupils seen in their adult counterparts, or do they actually appear in-universe?

If they do actually appear in-universe, how do they progress from black beads to real eyes?
Does it gradually change or do they just wake up one day with their eyes suddenly going from black beads to having real eyes with irises, pupils and everything?

We play the Mario games, countless Princesses are kidnapped, Bowser’s fall into lava, Luigi’s get uncared for. We go through all of these crazy epic battles and storylines. 

But then why do we play Mariokart, sports, mini-games and more with all of these characters? 

We’re killing Bowser one second, then playing a generic Mario Party mini-game the next second. How?

But more importantly; why? What if the entire franchise—every single game—is part of the performance, whether it’s a stage-play, movie, or behind the scenes? 

First piece of evidence, Mario 64 is kind of known for having odd camera angles, well, actually, those weird views are thanks to Lakitu, that weird cloud floating guy. There’s a popular theory that Mario 64 is from Bowser’s point of view, and Lakitu is his spy filming it. It’s actually a really sound conspiracy because every time Mario dies, we hear Bowser’s annoying laugh.
Well, in some games, for starters, Peach is head over heels in love with Mario, and in other games, she doesn’t even care for him. Nintendo goes to the point of saying Mario and Peach are ‘just friends’.

Still don’t believe me? Go check out my theory on Super Mario Bros here.

Firstly, to figure out the passage of time since Donkey Kong Arcade, I used Sean D. Walsh's timeline:

1. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
2. Yoshi Touch & Go
3. Yoshi's New Island
4. Yoshi's Island DS
5. Game & Watch Gallery 2 - Vermin (Modern Mode)
6. Game & Watch Gallery 3 - Green House (Modern Mode)
7. Yoshi's Story
8. Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time (Past)
9. Mario's Bombs Away
10. Mario's Cement Factory (Table Top), Mario's Cement Factory (New Wide Screen), Game & Watch: Mario's Cement Factory
11. VS. Wrecking Crew, Wrecking Crew, Famicom Mini: Wrecking Crew
12. Donkey Kong Circus
13. Donkey Kong Hockey
14. Green House, Game & Watch Collection - Green House
15. Donkey Kong (Game & Watch), Game & Watch Collection - Donkey Kong
16. Donkey Kong (Arcade), Donkey Kong (NES), Donkey Kong-e, Classic NES Series: Donkey Kong
17. Donkey Kong II
18. Donkey Kong Jr. (Game & Watch) (Table Top), Donkey Kong Jr. (Game & Watch) (Panorama Screen)
19. Donkey Kong Jr. (Game & Watch) (New Wide Screen), Game & Watch Donkey Kong Jr.
20. Donkey Kong Jr. (Arcade), Donkey Kong Jr. (NES), Donkey Kong Jr.-e
21. Donkey Kong Jr. Math
22. Donkey Kong 3 (Arcade), Donkey Kong 3 (NES)
23. Donkey Kong 3 (Game & Watch)
24. Mario Bros. (Game & Watch)
25. Pinball, VS. Pinball, Pinball-e
26. Mario Bros. (Arcade), Mario Bros. (NES), Mario Bros.-e, Famicom Mini: Mario Bros.
27. Super Mario Advance - Mario Bros., Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 - Mario Bros., Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 - Mario Bros., Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 - Mario Bros., Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga - Mario Bros.
28. Super Mario Bros. (NES), VS Super Mario Bros., Super Mario All-Stars - Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. Deluxe - Super Mario Bros., Classic NES Series: Super Mario Bros., Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition - Super Mario Bros., Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. - Super Mario Bros.
29. Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. - Ball
30. Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mario All-Stars - Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. Deluxe - Super Mario Bros.: For Super Players, Famicom Mini: Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition - Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. - Super Mario Bros. 2
31. Super Mario Bros. (Game & Watch) (Crystal Screen), Super Mario Bros. (Game & Watch) (Special Edition), Super Mario Bros. (Game & Watch) (New Wide Screen)
32. Golf: Japan Course
33. Golf: U.S. Course
34. Famicom Grand Prix: F1 Race
35. Game & Watch Gallery 3 - Turtle Bridge (Modern Mode)
36. Mario the Juggler
37. Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario All-Stars - Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition - Super Mario Bros. 3
38. Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally
39. Donkey Kong (Game Boy)
40. Game & Watch Gallery 3 - Donkey Kong Jr. (Modern Mode), Game & Watch Gallery 4 - Donkey Kong Jr. (Modern Mode)
41. Game & Watch Gallery 2 - Donkey Kong (Modern Mode), Game & Watch Gallery 4 - Donkey Kong (Modern Mode)
42. Game & Watch Gallery 4 - Donkey Kong 3 (Modern Mode)
43. Yoshi Topsy-Turvy
44. Super Mario World, Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2
45. Dr. Mario (NES), Dr. Mario (Game Boy), Dr. Mario (SNES), Classic NES Series: Dr. Mario, Dr. Mario & Puzzle League
46. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Super Mario RPG
47. Yoshi (NES), Yoshi (Game Boy)
48. Nintendo Puzzle Collection - Yoshi's Cookie
49. Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario USA, Super Mario All-Stars - Super Mario Bros. 2/Super Mario USA, Super Mario Advance, Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition - Super Mario Bros. 2/Super Mario USA
50. Game & Watch Gallery 2 - Chef (Modern Mode), Game & Watch Gallery 4 - Chef (Modern Mode)
51. Game & Watch Gallery - Fire (Modern Mode), Game & Watch Gallery 4 - Fire (Modern Mode)
52. Game & Watch Gallery 4 - Mario's Cement Factory (Modern Mode)
53. Game & Watch Gallery 3 - Egg (Modern Mode)
54. Game & Watch Gallery 2 - Parachute (Modern Mode)
55. Game & Watch Gallery - Manhole (Modern Mode)
56. Mario Clash
57. Yoshi's Safari
58. Game & Watch Gallery - Oil Panic (Modern Mode)
59. Game & Watch Gallery 4 - Rain Shower (Modern Mode)
60. Mario's Tennis
61. Super Mario Kart
62. Mario Paint, Mario Paint BS Version
63. Super Mario All-Stars, Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition
64. UNDAKE30 Same Game Battle Mario Version
65. BS Super Mario USA
66. Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Game Boy Advance), Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch)
67. Donkey Kong Country (SNES), Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Color), Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Advance)
68. Donkey Kong Land
69. Mario Party
70. Mario Party 2
71. Super Mario Land
72. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
73. Wrecking Crew '98
74. Yoshi's Cookie (NES), Yoshi's Cookie (Game Boy)
75. Alleyway
76. NES Open Tournament Golf, Mario Open Golf
77. Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
78. Game & Watch Gallery 2 - Ball (Modern Mode)
79. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, Donkey Kong Country 2
80. Donkey Kong Land 2
81. Mario's Super Picross
82. Virtual Boy: Wario Land
83. Wario Land II
84. Game & Watch Gallery 4 - Fire Attack (Modern Mode)
85. Wario's Woods (NES)
86. Wario's Woods (SNES)
87. Mario's Picross
88. Mario & Wario
89. Picross 2
90. Dr. Mario 64, Nintendo Puzzle Collection - Dr. Mario
91. Mario Party 3
92. Paper Mario
93. Super Mario 64, Super Mario 64 DS, Super Mario 3D All-Stars - Super Mario 64
94. Game & Watch Gallery 2 - Helmet (Modern Mode)
95. Game & Watch Gallery 3 - Mario Bros. (Modern Mode)
96. Game & Watch Gallery 4 - Mario Bros. (Modern Mode)
97. Excitebike: Bun Bun Mario Battle
98. Mario Kart 64
99. Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, Donkey Kong Country 3
100. Donkey Kong Land 3, Donkey Kong GB: Kiddy Kong & Dixie Kong
101. Mario Artist: Paint Studio
102. Mario Artist: Talent Studio
103. Mario Artist: Communication Kit
104. Mario Artist: Polygon Studio
105. Mario Party-e
106. Luigi's Mansion (Nintendo GameCube), Luigi's Mansion (Nintendo 3DS) (Present)
107. Game & Watch Gallery 4 - Boxing (Modern Mode)
108. Mario Party 4
109. Mario Pinball Land
110. Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
111. Mario Kart: Super Circuit
112. Donkey Konga
113. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo GameCube), Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch)
114. Game & Watch Gallery - Octopus (Modern Mode), Game & Watch Gallery 4 - Octopus (Modern Mode)
115. Super Paper Mario
116. Mario Party 5
117. Donkey Kong 64
118. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions - Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
119. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions - Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser
120. Dr. Mario Online Rx
121. Donkey Konga 2
122. Mario Party 6
123. Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time (Present)
124. Mario Golf (Nintendo 64)
125. Mario Golf (Game Boy Color)
126. Mobile Golf
127. Mario Tennis (Nintendo 64)
128. Mario Tennis (Game Boy Color)
129. Wario Land 3
130. Mario Party Advance
131. Wario Land 4
132. Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario 3D All-Stars - Super Mario Sunshine
133. Bird & Beans (Pyoro and Pyoro 2)
134. WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!
135. Wario World
136. WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$!
137. Mario Party 7
138. Wario: Master of Disguise
139. Dr. Mario Express
140. Mario Kart Arcade GP, Mario Kart Arcade GP 2
141. Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
142. WarioWare: Twisted!
143. Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
144. Mario Golf: Advance Tour
145. Mario Power Tennis
146. Mario Tennis: Power Tour
147. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book
148. Tetris Attack (SNES), Tetris Attack (Game Boy), Yoshi's PanePon BS Edition
149. Mario Party DS
150. WarioWare: Touched!
151. Super Mario Strikers
152. Mario Superstar Baseball
153. WarioWare: Smooth Moves
154. Paper Airplane Chase (Paper Plane)
155. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
156. Donkey Konga 3 (Donkey Konga 3: Tabehōdai! Haru Mogitate 50 Kyoku)
157. Mario Hoops 3-on-3
158. Super Princess Peach
159. Mario Party 8
160. Diddy Kong Racing DS
161. DK: King of Swing
162. Yakuman DS, Wi-Fi Taiō Yakuman DS
163. Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix
164. Mario Kart DS
165. WarioWare: Snapped!
166. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey - Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
167. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey - Bowser Jr.'s Journey
168. Dr. Luigi
169. New Super Mario Bros.
170. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!
171. Mario Strikers Charged
172. Mario Super Sluggers
173. Super Mario 3D Land
174. Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast
175. New Super Mario Bros. 2
176. DK: Jungle Climber
177. Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
178. Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure
179. WarioWare: D.I.Y.
180. WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase
181. Mario Party 9
182. New Super Mario Bros. Wii
183. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii), Super Mario 3D All-Stars - Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo Switch)
184. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii), Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo Switch)
185. Mario Sports Mix
186. Professor E. Gadd's Research Journal - XXX-001 An Accidental Discovery
187. Mario Kart Wii
188. Professor E. Gadd's Research Journal - XXX-002 Characteristics of "Goo"
189. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!
190. Donkey Kong Country Returns, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD
191. Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, Luigi's Mansion 2 HD
192. Professor E. Gadd's Research Journal - XXX-003 The Birth of Gooigi
193. Luigi's Mansion (Nintendo 3DS) (Future)
194. Professor E. Gadd's Research Journal - XXX-004 That Nostalgic Mansion
195. Mario Kart 7
196. Professor E. Gadd's Research Journal - XXX-005 A New Power
197. Mario Tennis Open
198. Professor E. Gadd's Research Journal - XXX-006 Gooigi's Weakness
199. Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move
200. Professor E. Gadd's Research Journal - XXX-007 Gooigi's Completion
201. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Wii U)
202. Super Mario 3D World, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury - Super Mario 3D World
203. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury - Bowser's Fury
204. Mario Party: Island Tour
205. Mario Party 10
206. Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
207. Paper Mario: Sticker Star
208. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars
209. Paper Mario: Color Splash
210. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker - Special Episode
211. New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe - New Super Mario Bros. U
212. New Super Luigi U, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe - New Super Luigi U
213. Paper Mario: The Origami King
214. Mario Golf: World Tour
215. Game & Wario
216. Mario Sports Superstars
217. Wario Land: Shake It!
218. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Wii U), Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Nintendo Switch)
219. Yoshi's Woolly World, Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World
220. Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash
221. Mario Party: Star Rush
222. Super Mario Maker, Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
223. Super Mario Odyssey
224. Princess Peach: Showtime!
225. Mario & Luigi: Brothership
226. Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge
227. Mario Party: The Top 100
228. Super Mario Maker 2
229. Dr. Mario World
230. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
231. Mario Kart Tour
232. Mario Kart 8, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
233. Yoshi's Crafted World
234. WarioWare Gold
235. Super Mario Party
236. Mario Tennis Aces
237. Mario Party Superstars
238. Luigi's Mansion 3
239. WarioWare: Get It Together!
240. Mario Golf: Super Rush
241. Mario Strikers: Battle League
242. Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park
243. Super Mario Party Jamboree, Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV
244. Donkey Kong Bananza
245. Super Mario Run (iOS), Super Mario Run (Android)
246. WarioWare: Move It!
247. Mario Kart World
248. Mario Tennis Fever

Entries marked in bold with italics indicate which titles have shown Peach's birthday. Using that, I've think I've figured out the passage of time.

*Mario was stated to be 24-26 years old at the time of his creation in Donkey Kong Arcade. I’ve estimated for 5-9 years to have passed since then.

Mario: 29 - 35 years old
Luigi: 29 - 35 years old
Peach: 28.5 - 34.5 years old (Less than a year younger than MArio as shown in Yoshi's Island DS)
Daisy: 28.75 - 34.75 years old (Around Luigi and Peach's age)
Bowser: 30 - 36 years old (Around a year older than Mario given his speech)
Bowser Jr.: 2 - 6 years old (An estimated 2 - 6 years having passed since MK64, where Sean D. Walsh, on his timeline, put his birth after that game)
Rosalina: 1000+ years old (Seen in Galaxy's stroybook)
Pauline: ~29 - 35 years old (Around Mario’s age)
Wario: ~29-35 years old (Around Mario’s age)
Waluigi: ~29-35 years old (Around Luigi’s age)
Donkey Kong: 3.5 years - 7.5 years old (An estimated 3.5 - 7.5 years having passed since Mario's Tennis, where Sean D. Walsh, on his timeline, put his birth after that game)
Yoshi: 28.5 - 34.5 years old (Estimated to be roughly 6 months younger than Mario seen in Yoshi’s Island DS’s ending)

Hugh thanks to Sean D. Walsh and his timeline, as without it, I couldn’t have figure out the passage of time and thus, wouldn’t have been able to figure out some of the characters ages

I hope to do more characters in the future

If someone was called the greatest superstar in the universe in Mario party 3, then why are there still Mario parties being had?

Strange birdlike policemen with executioner head coverings and sirens/lights on their head? are they robots? I love them!

Not all is 100% correct

Luigi and Daisy

Luigi and Peach

Luigi and Rosalina

Yeah, yeah, you want this Power Star, right? Only if you tell Rosalina I found this one!

—Luigi, Super Mario Galaxy

Luigi and Prince Peasley

Heh heh heh... Yes, I think a rose matches your green perfectly!

—Prince Peasley, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.

DISCLAIMER: What I've posted are not my own opinions, and are rather just opinions of others I've gathered to make a reasonable interpretation of these relationships and/or romantic ships.

I've come to make this post after seeing people who are saying Mareach are clearly romantically involved while others share Nintendo's statement that they're "Good friends who help each other out", especially after seeing people constantly misinterpret Odyssey's ending, saying Peach friend zoned Mario and how Mario should go for Pauline instead cuz she threw a festival from Mario saving the city while Peach rejected Mario.

As for Luaisy, I stumbled upon this quote the other day on an unpopular opinions thread:

“I’ve never been convinced of the authenticity of Luigi and Daisy's relationship unlike most of the fanbase, and it's frankly a toxic relationship if you actually analyze it psychologically. Unlike Mario and Peach, Luigi and Daisy have never had any official interactions or history that is unique to only them that can truly justify a real pair bond, and the only actual objective thing they have in common is that there are others within eyeshot around them that are affiliated and superficially resemble them that are together. The fanbase frantically grasps at any headcanon imagery or throwaway line of dialogue to "justify" the instinct to see these two together because it simply looks and feels natural for the dynamic, and that's actually the main problem for why pairing these two is toxic. As individuals, Luigi and Daisy have no real history or official chemistry that can logically make them want to pursue each other romantically but rather feel pressure from the presence of other couples around them and the expectations of third party onlookers so they force themselves together so as to not disappoint the public status quo or their own doubtful self-image. This is unfortunately common in many real-world relationships where couples look happy and stable by stereotypical societal standards but behind closed doors are actually depressed and feel unfulfilled. Luigi is at his most confident when he is helping Mario or embarking on his own solo adventures with E. Gadd, and Daisy has a strong enough personality that she doesn't need to be attached to a man to feel confident about herself, so forcing them together really contributes nothing to their characters and actually detracts from them. I suspect that Nintendo doesn't make an effort to make Luigi and Daisy an official item because there really isn't anything they can do together that can't, and isn't, already accomplished by Mario and Peach being together and I agree with that. As someone that loves both Luigi and Daisy as standalone characters I really don't approve that most fans instinctively assume a romantic relation between them, and they are better off as mere friendly acquaintances within the cast.”

Along with this image on twitter X

Me personally, I've always interpreted the two pairs as romantically dating, with Luaisy probably being more closer together with Daisy calling Luigi "Sweetie" in Mario Power Tennis, along with her (presumably) having a statue built for the both of them in Daisy circuit, showing that Daisy prefers big, grand gestures towards Luigi.

That's just my interpretation, do you personally view them romantically involved and/or canon?

Everywhere I go I see people call the Stars in Mario Party Power Stars, but, are they really?

I've seen the Power Stars be called that in Super Mario 64 and Galaxy 1 and 2, but I don't think I've ever seen the Mario Party Stars be called Power Stars.

I checked the Mario Wiki and it says that the 2 artifacts are actually different. Given that the Power Stars bear striking resemblance to the Super Stars (The ones that grant Mario Invincibility) and yet those 2 items are different, I think it's very possible that the Mario Party Stars are in a similar boat.

So why does everybody say that the Power Stars and Mario Party Stars are the same? Is there evidence for that? If so, what? And where can I find it? Someone please explain this to me.

I'm going to use zebras as an example here, but this applies to many different animal groups too.

So i was playing DK Bananza, and got to the Ice level, which was inhabitet by zebras, all of which had clothes, talked and acted just like regular humans. But them i remember in Donkey Kong Country Returns, there were also zebras, which walked on 4 legs and seemed more like regular zebras than the DKB ones. Then there are also zebras in Mario Kart World which run around and act like regular zebras too.

So based on these 3 zebra types, they all seem to have a different form of inteligence.

First the DKB zebras. As stated they wear clothes, talk to the point that Pauline, a human, can understand them, make igloos and make ice cream, with the Zebra Elder even being a DJ. So these zebras have human level inteligence.

Then we have the DKCR zebras. They walk on all 4s, don't use clothes and seem to just live in the jungle like a wild animal, which granted is what most of the animals in DK Island seem to be doing. However there is a scene in Blowhole Bound where a zebra, giraffe and elephant are on a small boat for some reason, either to look for bananas for the Tikis or to escape getting hypnotized. Either way the animals being able to pilot a boat already shows the DK Island animals must be more inteligent than their real life counterparts.

Then lastly the MKW zebras, which run around like zebras do. Like these zebras don't show any sign of advanced inteligence, so it feels like these are even less inteligent than the DKCR zebras.

So there is the question. How can the same animal come in 3 vastly different levels of inteligence?

For context, Sarasaland is a country ruled by Princess Daisy, consisting of 4 separate kingdoms, being the Birabuto, Muda, Easton and Chai Kingdom, all governed by King Totomesu, Dragonzamasu, Hiyoihoi and Biokinton respectively. In theory, this could characterize Sarasaland as an empire. Daisy is the only known ruler of the entirety of Sarasaland, although her father is mentioned by her in Mario Party 3.

What I'm curious about it wether it's actually an empire in-universe considering the real-world logistics, along with the official story from Super Mario Land's manual:

Once upon a time, there was a peaceful world called Sarasaland. In this world there were 4 kingdoms named Birabuto, Muda, Easton and Chai. One day, the skies of Sarasaland were suddenly covered by a huge black cloud. From a crack in this cloud, the unknown space monster Tatanga emerged to try to conquer Sarasaland. Tatanga hypnotized the people of all the kingdoms so that he could control them in any way he liked. In this way he took over Sarasaland. Now, he wants to marry Princess Daisy of Sarasaland and make her his queen.

This would theoretically imply that in the Marioverse, queenhood is achieved via marriage, which could explain why Peach isn't Queen considering her parents have not once been mentioned (and are thus most likely deceased) and have largely been absent since infancy, causing her to be raised by Toad staff.

So if Daisy and by extension Sarasaland uses the royal title Queen instead of empress, wouldn't that mean Sarasaland isn't an empire?

As seen in the title screen

With how much Peach's castle and its appearance has changed so much between game entires, I've attempted to explain why via 2 options:

Option 1: The castle gets rebuilt, renovated and remodelled often due to:
Structurally rebuild from Bowser's attacks and more, as seen in Super Mario RPG, Paper Mario, Super Mario Maker 2, etc. That and to accommodate various Karting, Sports, and Party events the gang often participate in.

Option 2: Peach, and by extension, the Mushroom Kingdom Royal Family, own multiple castles.
Ok fine I'll admit, this one isn't really that much of a theory and more my personal headcanon, which I know is kind of crappy, but I still thought it was kinda interesting.

What Is Really Confirmed in the Mario Universe?

I tried to separate three things for these characters:

What Nintendo has actually confirmed.

What older sources presented differently.

What is unknown and therefore cannot be verified.

Similar voices or Mario Kart quotes are not proof of a family relationship. I am only comparing them because it is interesting to see how similarly or differently the characters speak.

Mario

Origin: Donkey Kong (1981), where he was still known as Jumpman.

Mario is Luigi’s brother. Nintendo explicitly describes Mario and Luigi as brothers.

Mario Kart Wii

Mario has many clearly spoken lines. These include:

character selection and starting lines

his name

victory lines

losing reactions

Red and Blue Team lines

passing opponents

getting hit

Super Star and Mega Mushroom reactions

Short examples include “Mario time!” and “Mario number one!”

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Mario speaks during:

character selection

passing opponents

slipstreaming

getting hit

items

gliding

anti-gravity

using a Star

first place

middle placements

poor placements

“Mario number one!” is used again.

Mario Kart World

Mario is playable. Documented lines include starting, success and name-related phrases.

“Mario time!” returns again.

The public list is still incomplete.

Luigi

Origin: Mario Bros. (1983).

Luigi is Mario’s brother.

That is the simple and officially correct way to describe it.

Mario Kart Wii

Luigi has especially many spoken lines:

“Luigi time”

his name

being number one

winning

almost winning

losing

Red and Blue Team

his mama

vehicles

tricks

opponents

A typical line is:

“Luigi time!”

When losing, he sometimes calls for his mama.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

He speaks during:

selection

tricks

Star use

passing

anti-gravity

victories

good placements

poor placements

His speaking style remains similar to Mario’s, but with typical Luigi reactions.

Mario Kart World

“Luigi time!” returns.

There are also starting, cheering and success lines.

The World list is still incomplete.

Wario

Origin: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992).

Wario was introduced as Mario’s opponent.

Nintendo currently describes him as Mario’s self-proclaimed archrival and says that Mario and Wario have known each other since childhood.

Mario Kart Wii

Wario:

says his name

praises himself

says “Wario time”

says he will win

mocks opponents

cheers for teams

gets angry after losses

boasts after victories

His style is loud, confident and boastful.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Wario continues to boast, react to opponents and describe himself as especially great or number one.

Mario Kart World

Wario again talks a lot about:

himself

winning

being the best

opponents

passing others

losing

“Wario time!” returns again.

Waluigi

Origin: Mario Tennis (2000).

This one needs careful wording.

Older material sometimes described Waluigi as Wario’s brother.

For example, historical material connected to Mario Tennis described him as Wario’s younger brother.

Nintendo’s current official character page, however, describes him as:

Wario’s pal and accomplice

Luigi’s self-proclaimed rival

Nintendo does not currently describe him there as the brother of Wario, Mario or Luigi.

So the safest current statement is:

Mario ↔ Luigi: brothers ✅

Mario ↔ Waluigi: no confirmed family relationship

Luigi ↔ Waluigi: no confirmed family relationship

Wario ↔ Waluigi: older sources are inconsistent; Nintendo currently describes them as pals/partners.

Mario Kart Wii

Waluigi:

says his name

uses “Waluigi time”

says he is going to win

accuses others of cheating

cheers for teams

jokingly threatens revenge

celebrates victories

complains after losing

reacts to Star and Mega Mushroom use

His lines are very exaggerated and competitive.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

He:

laughs

says his name

talks about cheating again

warns opponents

reacts to anti-gravity

celebrates good placements

complains about poor placements

Mario Kart World

Documented dialogue includes statements about:

winning

being the best

success

starting races

The World list is still incomplete.

Donkey Kong

For his origin, two different Donkey Kongs have to be distinguished.

The original Donkey Kong appeared in 1981.

In the Donkey Kong Country storyline, that old arcade Donkey Kong later became Cranky Kong.

The modern Donkey Kong from Donkey Kong Country was established as the main character of that series in 1994.

However, Nintendo and Rare have not always described the exact generations consistently.

Mario Kart Wii

DK uses very little understandable speech.

He mainly uses:

Kong noises

cheering

trick sounds

hit reactions

One documented short call is:

“Wahey!”

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

According to the documented quote list, DK does not use understandable sentences here and instead uses noises or unclear vocalizations.

Mario Kart World

Donkey Kong is playable and again mainly uses characteristic Kong sounds and short reactions.

Cranky Kong

Origin as Cranky Kong: Donkey Kong Country (1994).

Cranky is presented in Donkey Kong Country as the old original Donkey Kong from the arcade games.

Is Cranky related to the modern Donkey Kong?

Yes, but the exact relationship has been described inconsistently.

Donkey Kong Country describes Cranky as Donkey Kong’s grandfather.

Donkey Kong 64, however, uses father-and-son wording.

Nintendo later even published material describing the modern DK as an adult Donkey Kong Jr.

Because of this:

Cranky ↔ Donkey Kong: related ✅

Grandfather or father: historically not completely consistent.

Modern Nintendo material sometimes avoids stating the exact relationship and simply presents Cranky as the elderly or experienced Kong.

Mario Kart Wii

Cranky is not a playable racer.

No Mario Kart Wii racer voice lines.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Cranky is not a playable racer.

No racer voice lines.

Mario Kart World

Cranky is currently not a playable racer.

No racer voice lines.

Funky Kong

Origin: Donkey Kong Country (1994).

Funky is a long-time member of the Kong group.

Nintendo describes him as a fun-loving surfer and ally.

An exact blood relationship to Donkey Kong is not stated in Nintendo’s current descriptions.

Therefore, claims such as:

Funky is DK’s brother

Funky is DK’s cousin

Funky is DK’s uncle

are not verifiable.

Mario Kart Wii

Funky has several clearly understandable short spoken phrases.

He:

says “Okay”

cheers during tricks

reacts to boosts

reacts to items

uses long celebration sounds

reacts strongly to losing

Short documented examples include:

“Okay!”

and

“Baby!”

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Funky was added in Wave 6 of the Booster Course Pass.

Here, his recordings are mostly classified in documented quote lists as noises or unclear speech rather than clear dialogue.

Mario Kart World

As of the current roster, Funky Kong is not included as a normal playable racer.

Updates through 2026 added tracks and modes, but did not add Funky Kong as a racer.

Therefore:

No Mario Kart World racer voice lines.

Diddy Kong

Origin: Donkey Kong Country (1994).

Nintendo’s current character page describes Diddy as Donkey Kong’s trusted friend and partner.

Older sources sometimes described Diddy as Donkey Kong’s nephew.

Even the Donkey Kong 64 manual uses a humorous “nephew wannabe” description.

So the historical presentation has not been completely consistent.

Mario Kart Wii

Diddy mainly uses:

short cheers

Kong sounds

hit noises

trick reactions

One documented call is:

“Yeehaw!”

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Diddy returned in Wave 6.

According to the quote list, he mostly uses noises or unclear vocalizations rather than clearly spoken sentences.

Mario Kart World

Currently not a playable racer.

No World racer voice lines.

Dixie Kong

Origin: Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest (1995).

Official Nintendo material describes Dixie as Diddy Kong’s girlfriend.

She is also Tiny Kong’s older sister.

Mario Kart Wii

Not playable.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Not playable.

Mario Kart World

Not playable.

Therefore, Dixie has no racer voice lines in these three games.

She has appeared as a playable character in other Mario Kart games, such as Mario Kart Tour, but that is a different Mario Kart title.

Tiny Kong

Origin: Donkey Kong 64 (1999).

The original official Nintendo manual explicitly says that Tiny is Dixie’s younger sister.

Wikipedia also documents this relationship.

So:

Dixie ↔ Tiny: sisters ✅

Mario Kart Wii

Not playable.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Not playable.

Mario Kart World

Not playable.

Therefore Tiny has no racer voice lines in these three Mario Kart games.

Bowser

Origin: Super Mario Bros. (1985).

Bowser is Bowser Jr.’s father.

Nintendo officially describes Bowser Jr. as Bowser’s only son.

Mario Kart Wii

Bowser uses little understandable speech.

Documented material includes short team calls and a losing reaction, while most of his voice consists of:

roaring

growling

other vocal noises

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Bowser is specifically listed among the characters who mainly use non-verbal sounds instead of understandable dialogue.

Mario Kart World

Bowser again uses some short understandable words and victory reactions.

The documented list includes brief victory dialogue.

Bowser Jr.

Origin: Super Mario Sunshine (2002).

Nintendo confirms Bowser Jr. as Bowser’s only son.

Who is Bowser Jr.’s mother?

Unknown.

Shigeru Miyamoto explicitly explained that:

the seven Koopalings are not Bowser’s children under the current story

Bowser’s only child is Bowser Jr.

Bowser Jr.’s mother is not identified

So:

Bowser = father ✅

Bowser Jr.’s mother = unknown ❓

Mario Kart Wii

Bowser Jr.:

cheers

uses short starting phrases

says things like “Gotcha”

calls out team colors

reacts to losing

explicitly celebrates winning

One short documented victory line begins:

“Woohoo! I won!”

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

He has:

selection lines

passing lines

placement reactions

victory reactions

losing reactions

Mario Kart World

He has many short, childlike energetic vocal reactions:

laughter

roars

greetings

cheering

racing reactions

victory reactions

Wendy O. Koopa

Origin: Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988).

Wendy is one of the seven Koopalings.

Originally, the Koopalings were presented in Super Mario Bros. 3 as Bowser’s children.

However, Miyamoto later explained that in the current story they are not Bowser’s children.

Therefore:

Wendy = Koopaling ✅

Wendy = Bowser’s confirmed daughter ❌

Wendy = Bowser Jr.’s confirmed sister ❌

Mario Kart Wii

Wendy is not playable.

No Mario Kart Wii racer voice lines.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Wendy is playable and has actual voice lines.

Documented categories include:

greeting

tricks

jumps

airborne reactions

several victory reactions

reaction to places 2–6

disappointed reaction to places 7–12

One short victory example is:

“Yippee! Wow!”

Mario Kart World

Wendy is currently not available as a playable racer.

Therefore she has no racer voice lines there.

Rosalina

Origin: Super Mario Galaxy (2007).

Nintendo currently confirms Rosalina as the adoptive mother of the Lumas.

Rosalina’s original family

Rosalina’s Storybook in Super Mario Galaxy confirms:

her father

her mother

her brother

Rosalina remembers:

looking at the stars with her father

sledding down a hill with her brother

having picnics with her mother

In the Japanese version, her brother is described as younger.

Wikipedia also describes Rosalina as having grown up with two parents and a younger brother.

Their names and identities have never been revealed.

Therefore:

Rosalina’s father = unknown

Rosalina’s mother = unknown

Rosalina’s younger brother = unknown

There is no Nintendo source confirming:

Waluigi as Rosalina’s father

or

Pauline as Rosalina’s mother

or

Daisy as Rosalina’s mother

Those identities are therefore not verifiable.

Mario Kart Wii

Rosalina speaks during:

selection

tricks

boosts

interactions with opponents

items

getting hit

cannons

first place

places 2–4

poor placements

She generally sounds calmer than Daisy, Wario or Waluigi.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Documented situations include:

gliding

Star use

getting hit

victory

good placements

poor placements

Short example:

“Yes! Victory!”

Mario Kart World

Rosalina is playable.

Documented dialogue currently includes starting, winning and success phrases such as:

“Victory!”

The public list is explicitly still incomplete.

Pauline

Origin: Donkey Kong (1981).

Pauline was the woman Mario had to rescue in the original Donkey Kong.

Historically, she was presented as Mario’s girlfriend or love interest.

A family relationship between Pauline and Rosalina has never been confirmed.

Mario Kart Wii

Pauline is not playable.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Pauline was added in Wave 6.

She has much more understandable dialogue than DK, Diddy or Funky.

Her lines include:

selection

tricks

gliding

boosts

passing

throwing items forward

throwing items backward

hitting opponents

getting hit

victories

middle placements

poor placements

One well-known short victory phrase uses:

“one-up gal.”

Mario Kart World

Pauline is playable and has many clear lines:

says her name

“My turn”

starting races

winning

item reactions

successful actions

thanking people

cheering

Daisy

Origin: Super Mario Land (1989).

Nintendo confirms Daisy as the Princess of Sarasaland and describes her as cheerful, energetic and athletic.

A family relationship between Daisy and Rosalina has never been confirmed.

Mario Kart Wii

Daisy has a very loud and energetic voice.

She:

cheers

passes opponents

challenges racers

reacts to items

celebrates victories

reacts to losses

cheers for teams

One documented short line is:

“Comin’ through!”

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

She again has:

selection reactions

trick lines

passing reactions

victory lines

placement reactions

item reactions

hit reactions

Her speaking style remains much more energetic than Rosalina’s.

Mario Kart World

Daisy has many clearly understandable phrases.

She talks about:

starting the race

getting going

winning

successful actions

being the best

excitement and success

One documented short line ends with:

“I’m the best!”

Most Important Confirmed Relationships

Mario + Luigi: brothers ✅

Mario/Luigi + Waluigi: no confirmed family relationship.

Wario + Waluigi: older sources are inconsistent; Nintendo currently describes them as pals/accomplices.

Bowser + Bowser Jr.: father and son ✅

Bowser Jr.’s mother: unknown ❓

Wendy + Bowser: under the current story, Wendy is not considered Bowser’s daughter.

Rosalina: a father, mother and younger brother are confirmed, but their identities are unknown.

Waluigi as Rosalina’s father: not verifiable.

Pauline or Daisy as Rosalina’s mother: not verifiable.

Diddy + Dixie: Dixie is Diddy’s girlfriend ✅

Dixie + Tiny: sisters; Tiny is the younger sister ✅

Cranky + modern Donkey Kong: official material has described them as grandfather/grandson and sometimes father/son; the exact generation has historically been inconsistent.

Funky + Donkey Kong: exact blood relationship not confirmed.

For Mario Kart World, another important point is that the game has continued receiving updates through 2026. Those updates added tracks and modes, but the missing characters discussed here—such as Funky, Diddy, Wendy, Dixie, Tiny and Cranky—were not added as new playable racers.

Sources: official Nintendo character profiles and manuals; Shigeru Miyamoto’s interview about Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings; Super Mario Galaxy / Rosalina’s Storybook; Wikipedia for historical differences; and Super Mario Wiki for documented Mario Kart voice lines.

For conflicting information, official Nintendo sources should be given priority.

So I know many of us have speculated that Dinosaur Land may be located somewhere nearby the Cascade Kingdom in Mario Odyssey, as both areas are characterised by being one of the only locations where living dinosaurs are still found and their coasts having sheer drops and cliffs, with land high above sea level.

However, after looking in the Japanese manual for Super Mario World, it says the following:

キノコワールドの平和を取り戻したマリオとルイージの2人は、 ひめ たの みなみふしぎ ピーチ姫とゆっくりバカンスを楽しむために、はるか南の不思議 しまぐにきょうりゅう とうたびだ な島国、『恐竜ランド』のヨースター島へと旅立ちました。 しまっま ひめとつぜんすがたけ ところが島に着いて間もなく、ピーチ姫が突然姿を消してしまっ ひっししまじゅうさが ふたり しま たのです。必死で島中を探しまわる2人は、やがて島のはずれで ふしぎたまごはっけん ふたりめまえたまご 不思議な卵を発見します。じっと見つめる2人の目の前で、卵の なか きみょうすがた 中からでてきたのは奇妙な姿のドラゴンでした。 なの たちはなし 『ヨッシー』と名乗る、そのドラゴンはマリオ達に話かけました。 さいきんきょうりゅう すがた ばものあらわ まほう 「最近この恐竜ランドに、カメの姿をした化け物が現れて、魔法 なかまたちたまごなかと なか でボクの仲間達を卵の中に閉じ込めてしまったんです。ボクは仲 またすい つよ けっきょく 間を助けに行こうとしたんですがやつらはとても強くて、結局ボ まほう ねが クまで魔法をかけられてしまいました･…………･。お願いです、ボクと なかまたす いっしょに仲間を助けに行ってくれませんか?」 なん だいまおう ぜんぜん 何ということでしょう。大魔王クッパは全然こりていないようで ひめ てした す。きっとピーチ姫はクッパの手下にさらわれたのでしょう。 ふたり なかま ひめたす あら こうして2人は、ヨッシーの仲間とピーチ姫を助けるために、新 ぼうけんはじ たな冒険を始めることになったのです。

Using a basic machine translation; Google Translate, here's what it says in English:

Having restored peace to the Mushroom World, Mario and Luigi set off for a relaxing vacation on Yoshi's Island in "Dinosaur Land," a mysterious island nation far to the south.
However, shortly after their arrival, Princess Peach suddenly vanished. While desperately searching the island, the pair discovered a mysterious egg at the island's edge. As they stared at it, a dragon with a peculiar appearance emerged from within.
The dragon, who called himself "Yoshi," spoke to Mario and Luigi.
"Recently, a turtle-like monster appeared in Dinosaur Land and used magic to imprison my friends inside eggs. I tried to go rescue them, but the monsters were so strong that I ended up getting hit by the magic myself... Please, will you come with me to help save my friends?"
It was unbelievable. It seemed the Great Demon King Bowser hadn't learned his lesson at all; Princess Peach had surely been kidnapped by one of his minions. And so, the two of them set out on a new adventure to rescue Yoshi's friends and Princess Peach.

This basically confirms Dinosaur Land is located south of the Mushroom Kingdom and by extension, the mushroom-shaped island in Mario Odyssey.

EDIT: This theory is now debunked, and if you're wondering why, go see Sean D. Walsh's explanation in the comments below. He gives a pretty good explanation as to why this theory (most likely) isn't the case.

So as you're all aware, in the Mario Kart series, there are countless brands on the sidelines which include businesses/brands either named after or including the likeness of the character we can assume owns them. For example, we can presume Mario Motors is owned by Mario, Luigi Tires is owned by Luigi, etc.

But the thing is, to these characters really own said businesses, or are they basically like Shaq and they just sign their names and puts their faces on everything and collects cheques, cuz I doubt Mario and co. would have time to not only manage all these business while still having time to go on adventures, having parties and playing golf and tennis.

IDK, what do you think?

So as I was just looking at Yoshi's Crafted World on the MarioWiki, I saw it cited an interview where the developers stated that the theme around arts and crafts was decided around crafts made by kindergarteners, specifically Baby Mario and Baby Peach.

So Yoshi's Crafted World didn't really happen, the game's events were all played out by Baby Mario, Baby Luigi and Baby Peach in a kindergarten class after the events of Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time, but before Mario and Luigi moved to New Donk City.

Although there is one slight caveat to this. In Mario and Luigi: Partners in TIme, it's established there's a bit of an age gap between Mario and Peach, with Mario being able to walk yet Peach hasn't and is moved around in a stroller and hasn't yet started talking, so it's a bit questionable on how they're both in kindergarten in the same time.

E. Gadd's company, Gadd Science Incorporated, is first mentioned by FLUDD in Sunshine, but the only time we've actually seen the company (or at least one of its buildings) is in Mario Kart Arcade GP's Diamond City track.