
In the Super Mario Bros. game, Bowser turned the inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom into stones, bricks, and even field horse-hair plants. This may explain why the power-ups in the game seemed to be sentient beings rewarding Mario for saving them. In later games, Mario is shown eating the power-up mushrooms, indicating that he doesn't mind the taste. In Paper Mario, he finds normal (magic) mushrooms bland and uninteresting, presumably only eating them for their magical and restorative effects. However, in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, he finds fried mushrooms tasty. Additionally, in at least one RPG game, Mario makes a satisfied face after using a mushroom item, indicating that he likes the flavor.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Mario's feelings about mushrooms in the movie | Neutral to dislike |
| Mario's feelings about mushrooms in the games | Depends on the type of mushroom and how it's prepared |
| Evidence of Mario's feelings in the games | In-game expressions and dialogue |
| Examples of Mario's preferences | Likes sweet 'shroom cake, finds volt mushrooms tart, and initially dislikes fried mushrooms but grows to like them in Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door |
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What You'll Learn
- In the Super Mario Bros. movie, Miyamoto suggested that Mario shouldn't like mushrooms
- In the original NES Super Mario Bros game, Bowser turned the inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom into stones, bricks and plants
- Manuals for the early games show Mario holding a magic mushroom, but not eating one
- In Paper Mario, he finds normal mushrooms bland and uninteresting
- In Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, Mario finds fried mushrooms tasty

In the Super Mario Bros. movie, Miyamoto suggested that Mario shouldn't like mushrooms
The Super Mario Bros. movie introduced several changes to the lore of the Mario games. One notable change was the inclusion of a Mario Kart segment with Rainbow Road, which served as a shortcut between the Mushroom Kingdom and the land of the Kong family. The movie also featured Donkey Kong, with Cranky Kong as his father, retconning the games where Cranky was depicted as Donkey Kong's grandfather.
While the movie largely stayed true to the video game franchise, there were some deviations in the character portrayals. For example, Princess Peach, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, exhibited more fighter traits and took on a protective role over the Mushroom Kingdom. Additionally, the movie focused on Mario meeting and being trained by Peach, as they worked together to rescue Luigi from Bowser.
In terms of Mario's relationship with mushrooms, it is worth noting that the original Super Mario Bros. game on the NES introduced mushrooms as a central element, which was not present in earlier games like Donkey Kong or Mario Bros. The mushrooms served as power-ups, allowing Mario to grow larger and gain abilities.
Interestingly, there has been speculation about whether Mario actually likes the taste of mushrooms. In the movie, Miyamoto suggested that Mario shouldn't like mushrooms. This could be because mushrooms are associated with magic and fantasy, as seen in "Alice in Wonderland," which may have inspired the growing and shrinking mechanics in the game. Additionally, Japanese culture has a more favorable view of mushrooms compared to Western cultures, where there is sometimes fear or disgust due to concerns about poisonous varieties.
In the games, there are indications that Mario finds certain types of mushrooms tasty, such as sweet 'shroom cake in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. However, he seems to eat the power-up mushrooms not because of their taste but because of their magical effects. So, while Mario doesn't seem to dislike mushrooms, it's more complex than simply liking or hating them.
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In the original NES Super Mario Bros game, Bowser turned the inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom into stones, bricks and plants
In the original NES Super Mario Bros game, Mario is the protagonist who must traverse the Mushroom Kingdom to defeat Bowser and rescue Princess Toadstool, also known as Princess Peach. The game takes place through a side-scrolling perspective where the player must move to the right to reach the flagpole at the end of each level. The Mushroom Kingdom includes coins for Mario to collect, as well as special bricks marked with a question mark. These bricks may contain power-ups such as the Super Mushroom, which causes Mario to grow in size and gain the ability to break bricks above him.
The Mushroom Kingdom was once a peaceful place ruled by a gentle Mushroom King and inhabited by peaceful Mushroom People. However, one day, the kingdom was invaded by a tribe of turtle-like creatures called the Koopa Troopas, led by their king, Bowser. Using black magic, Bowser and his army turned the Mushroom People into inanimate objects such as stones, bricks, and horsetail plants. The peaceful kingdom fell into ruins, and the Mushroom People were unable to stop the vicious turtles.
Bowser and his army also kidnapped Princess Toadstool, the daughter of the Mushroom King. She was the only one with the ability to reverse Bowser's spell and restore the Mushroom People to their original forms. Upon hearing of the plight of the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario set out on a quest to rescue the princess and defeat Bowser. He fought his way through the kingdom, defeating Bowser's forces and freeing the princess.
The Super Mario Bros game was developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985. It was the first game in the Super Mario series and became one of the most influential games ever released. The game featured side-scrolling platformer levels and introduced various staples to the franchise, including power-ups, classic enemies, and the basic premise of rescuing Princess Toadstool. The success of Super Mario Bros helped revive the gaming industry after the 1983 video game crash and popularized the side-scrolling platformer genre.
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Manuals for the early games show Mario holding a magic mushroom, but not eating one
The early manuals for the Super Mario Bros. game state that Bowser turned the inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom into "stones, bricks, and even field horse-hair plants". This may explain why the older games seemed to imply that the "power-ups" were sentient beings rewarding Mario for saving them, rather than inanimate items to be consumed. Later games show Mario eating the (Power) Mushrooms.
In the section called "Mario's Friends", which discusses the Magic Mushroom, Fireflower, and Starman, page 8 of the manual says, "If you come across mushrooms who have been turned into bricks or made invisible, they reward you by giving you a power boost." So, although Princess Toadstool may be the only one who can take care of the magic spell over the whole land, Mario is able to rescue individual friends by shaking them up a bit. It is clear that simply making contact with the Power-Up is sufficient. Several pieces of official artwork show Mario holding a Magic Mushroom, but not eating one.
The idea that the mushrooms in the Super Mario games were inspired by drugs is not a new one. However, it is highly unlikely that the game was designed to make people believe that the entire game was the result of some hallucinogenic trip or that Mario was doing drugs. The interpretation that Mario's magic mushrooms are based on hallucinogens falls apart when arguing that the whole game is "secretly" about drugs.
In the movie, there is a scene where Mario is forced to eat mushrooms, even though he dislikes them. This has led to fan theories that the "mushroom kingdom" is a crazy trip of Mario being totally wasted on mushrooms, dreaming of a life where he is a king with his queen, Peach, instead of a small, loser plumber.
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In Paper Mario, he finds normal mushrooms bland and uninteresting
It is unclear whether Mario likes or dislikes mushrooms. In the original NES Super Mario Bros game, the manuals state that Bowser turned the inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom into "stones, bricks, and even field horse-hair plants". This implies that the power-ups are sentient beings, and Mario is rewarded for saving them. Later games show Mario eating the (Power) Mushrooms, indicating that he does not mind the taste.
In Paper Mario, however, it is suggested that Mario finds normal mushrooms bland and uninteresting. He presumably only eats them in-game for their magical and restorative effects. For example, he finds volt mushrooms tart, fried mushrooms uninteresting, and sweet 'shroom cake "yummy". Interestingly, in Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, his opinion on fried mushrooms seems to have changed, as he now finds them "tasty".
The efficacy of the Volt Mushroom in Super Paper Mario can vary depending on the game's combo system for certain items. At its best, the effect can last for a full forty seconds. The Boo Mushroom and Golden Dash Mushroom also provide interesting gameplay twists and advantages.
Mushrooms are virtually synonymous with the Mario series, with the Red Mushrooms or Super Mushrooms in the 1985 Super Mario Bros. game allowing Mario to grow and take extra hits. Green mushrooms, or 1-Ups, give the player an extra life.
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In Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, Mario finds fried mushrooms tasty
It is unclear whether Mario likes or dislikes mushrooms. In the original NES Super Mario Bros game, Bowser turned the inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom into "stones, bricks and even field horse-hair plants". This may explain why the older game often implied that the "power-ups" were sentient beings rewarding Mario for saving them, rather than items that he consumed. Later games show Mario eating the mushrooms, indicating that he does not mind the taste by the end of the game.
In Paper Mario, Mario finds normal (magic) mushrooms bland and uninteresting. He presumably only eats them for their restorative effects. For example, he finds volt mushrooms tart, fried mushrooms uninteresting, and sweet 'shroom cake "yummy". Interestingly, in Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, his opinion on fried mushrooms seems to have changed, and he now finds them "tasty".
In the game, fried mushrooms, also known as Shroom Fries, are made by cooking a mushroom or a Super Shroom. They restore 6 HP and 2 FP and can be sold for 6 coins. One way to make coins in the game is to buy mushrooms for 4 coins, cook them, and then sell the fried mushrooms for a profit.
While it is not explicitly stated whether Mario likes or dislikes the fried mushrooms, the fact that he finds them tasty suggests that he enjoys eating them. This is a notable shift from Paper Mario, where he found fried mushrooms uninteresting.
It is worth noting that in the early games, Mario would make contact with the power-up mushrooms rather than eating them. Additionally, official artwork shows him holding a magic mushroom, but not eating one.
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Frequently asked questions
It is not clear whether Mario hates mushrooms or not. While some sources suggest that he does not like the taste of certain mushrooms, others claim that he finds some mushrooms \"tasty\" and \"yummy\".
Yes, there are various types of mushrooms mentioned in the games, including magic mushrooms, volt mushrooms, fried mushrooms, and sweet 'shroom cake.
Mushrooms are often depicted as power-ups that grant Mario special abilities or restore his health. In some games, Mario is shown eating the mushrooms, while in others, he simply touches them to gain their effects.
Yes, in addition to mushrooms, Mario is also known to consume eggs and pizza.
It seems so. In earlier games, Mario was shown to be indifferent to the taste of mushrooms. However, in later games and in the Super Mario Bros. movie, there is a suggestion that Mario may not particularly enjoy the taste of mushrooms.

























