Fourth wall

Sometimes, characters in the Marioverse will state something that implies that they are aware of being fictional characters in a video game; this is known as breaking the Fourth Wall. The Fourth Wall is often broken in the Paper Mario series, for comic relief.

Note: Video games frequently break the Fourth Wall in order to address the player with directions (ie, "Press A to jump"). These instances are not to be recorded here, unless a character is aware of the fact that they are in a video game due to the remark.

In Video Games

Many Fourth Wall breaks happen in the video games.

Donkey Kong Country series and Donkey Kong 64

Throughout these many games, Cranky Kong constantly makes remarks about how the games of yesteryear are superior to modern games, and often whines about how the game that he's in is too easy for someone like him to complete. More of Cranky's Fourth Wall-breaking comments can be found in the instruction booklets for these games.

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!

If the Kongs manage to find Krematoa on their own, Blunder will ask if they used the Player's Guide to find it, and confesses that he did so himself.

Hotel Mario

In the intro of the game, Mario says: "If you need instuctions on how to get through the Hotels check out the enclosed instruction book." Throughout the many other cutscenes of the game, Mario and Luigi speak with the player. Also, at the end of the game, the Mario Bros. and Princess Peach wave to the player and congratulate him/her for the completion of the game.

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour

When Daisy gets a bogey, she will shout "OH! No, no, no, no, no, no, no!! You klutz!" Apparently, it means she is shouting at the player for causing her to get a lousy shot. It may also be, though, that she is shouting this to herself.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong

At the end of Credits 1 and Credits 2, Mario will say "Thanks very much for-to playing my game!", a line similar to the one at the end of Super Mario 64. Also, Mario makes several remarks at the credits in Credits 2 as they pop up (such as "Oh, the engineering! Mamamia!" and "Ooh, don't forget to thank Mr. Miyamoto.").

New Super Mario Bros.

After the end credits, the Touch Screen shows Bowser Jr. dragging his unconscious father back to their home. Bowser Jr. looks to the camera and threateningly roars at the player. He then continues dragging Bowser.

Paper Mario

While Mario is fighting Bowser???, the Koopa Bros. try to lower his confidence by stating several phrases that lead the plumber to believe that this phony Bowser is invincible, as the real Bowser is; one of the phrases are "The sequel should be called Paper Bowser!"

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

After Mario defeats Gus, he will shout, "CRUD! You dumb video-game heroes always do this!"

When Goombella tattles on Stewart in Glitzville, she will tell Mario that they've been a part of the Mario franchise for a while. In fact, Goombella even says, "I just broke through the fourth wall there, didn't I? Sorry. Just forget it."

The same occurs when she tattles on the gatekeeper of Twilight Town, in which she says that the game would be too easy without him. Rather than directly referring to breaking the fourth wall, she only says, "Hee hee... Let's never speak of it again."

In Chapter Four, After Mario has been transformed into a shadow, if he walks into Mayor Dour's house, he will find Doopliss (in Mario's body) with his four current partners. If Mario talks to them, they will say that Mario has become much more chatty lately, a reference to his being a silent protagonist.

Just before Mario begins Chapter 5, Professor Frankly is about to tell them very important and long information concerning the Thousand-Year Door. He asks if they're ready to hear it, and then says, "And you there! In front of the TV! You listen up, too!". Mario's current partner out will question Professor Frankly (for example, Yoshi says to him, "Did someone pile-drive your head, or what? I don't see any TV here, nutjob!") Frankly tells them to disregard it as he continues. Later during the chapter, Lord Crump (under his alias, "Four Eyes") tells the player that they'd better not tell Mario who he really is.

Super Mario 64/DS

At the game's title's screen, Mario's will speak to the player with lines such as "It's-a-me, Mario! Hello!" and "Press Start to play!". At the ending sequence, Mario (or Yoshi in the remake) points his face to the player.

In the two versions, after Bowser is defeated in Bowser in the Sky, he will exclaim, "C'mon, troops! Let's watch the ending together! Gwa ha ha!"

After the end credits in both versions, Mario is heard saying, "Thanks so much for-to playing my game."

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

If the player dies in World 9, the Game Over screen, under "Game Over", will read "You are a super player! We hope we'll see you again. Mario & Staff".

Super Mario Galaxy

Much akin to the ending of Super Mario 64, after the credits roll, Mario (or Luigi) will say "Thank you so much for playing my game".

Super Mario Sunshine

After Mario defeats Bowser and Bowser Jr., if he talks to a certain yellow Pianta, they will ponder whether the game is over, and tells Mario his hopes of something else happening.

Super Mario World

Nintendo breaks the Fourth Wall in Funky; A long row of Coins spell out "YOU ARE A SUPER PLAYER!"

Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2

At the end, when you have defeated the game, and you come to the clubhouse, Princess Peach will wave to you, and Mario and Luigi will do the "two finger" sign.

Super Paper Mario

When encountered Thoreau, he says: "What's this (1), you say? You need not worry. The great being that watches us will know what it is." The "(1)" stands for the Wii Remote and the "great being that watches us" stands for the player self. He says that the player knows what it is (the Wii Remote thus).

In the game, death is actually referred to as "Game Over". Several characters, the first one being Bestovius, refer to a certain button when explaining how to perform a move. When Mario asks what they mean by pressing that certain button, the character assures them not to worry, and that the great being that watches them (the player) will know what it means.

More specifically, Bowser shouts to Mario, "No more sequels!" and that he will finish him off. Lastly, during Chapter 3, the last option for Princess Peach to choose on the Swoon.exe will result in her to outburst in anger and demand to know who is picking these answers for her.

Yoshi's Story

Nintendo also broke the Fourth Wall in Yoshi's Story. Each time the player eats a Heart after playing a level's mini-game, a row of Coins forming a letter will appear. If the player puts all the letters from each level in order, it reveals the message "YOU ARE YOSHIS BEST PARTNER!"

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

When using Solid Snakes codec on Sonic the Hedgehog on Shadow Moses Island, Otacon says that people are excited about that he is in Brawl.

Television Series

Before many of the games listed above came out, the Fourth Wall was broken in several of the cartoon episodes.

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!

At the start of the opening sequence, Mario shouts out to the audience "Hey, paisanos! It's The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!". In the live-action segments that aired from Monday through Thursday, Mario, Luigi, and/or the guest star will tell the audience to watch a preview of Friday's The Legend of Zelda episode. At the end of every episode, Mario, Luigi, and sometimes the guest star will say to the audience "Til next time, everyone... Do the Mario!"

Pirates of Koopa

After Blackbeard Koopa kidnaps Princess Toadstool, he asks "Would Blackbeard Koopa lie?" and winks to the viewers.

The Provolone Ranger

At the end of the episode, Mario, upon hearing the mention of dinner, comes running up to Pronto and an old man at a very high speed. After making his entrance, Mario then says to the viewers "And you thought Pronto was fast!".

Two Bums from Brooklyn

After Luigi correctly guesses that Mario had been speaking to Tommy Lasanga on the phone, Mario turns to the viewers and gripes "But how does he always know?".

The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3

Do the Koopa

When Mario and the gang see the large fire pit they must cross, Luigi takes note of the Dark Land music in the background and nervously shouts "Stop the music!", to which it does. Luigi tells Mario that they can't cross that pit, but Toad sees some ? Blocks that can help them. Mario calls out for the music to start up, and new, more epic background music plays.

Recycled Koopa

At the end of the episode, the Statue of Liberty comes to life to tell the audience "Those Mario Bros. are super!"

True Colors

At the end of the episode, Luigi asks if people in the Real World will ever accept others regardless of their color, to which Mario, while facing the camera, responds "Yeah, when humans get as smart as Mushrooms."

Up, Up, and a Koopa

Right before the commercial break, Mario tells Bowser that he'll never get away with his latest scheme, only for Bowser to say to the audience, "I know I've said this a zillion times before, but this time for sure, [Princess Toadstool's] people will rise up, and her kingdom will be mine!

Later on in the episode, when Princess Toadstool and Toad are flying with P-Wings, Princess Toadstool says to Toad when he complains about his appearance "It's not like you're on television with millions of people watching you!".

Super Mario World

Send in the Clown

When Bowser is luring the cavepeople of Dome City to his Koopaling Bros. Circus, he says to the audience "This is easier than talking Kootie Pie into a shopping spree!".

Donkey Kong Country

Ape-Nesia

Shortly after Donkey Kong loses his memory, Diddy rushes off to find Cranky, telling DK that he's got problems. DK responds by looking at the camera and saying "I'd say he's the one with the problems."

Miscellaneous

Throughout the three DiC cartoons, commercial bumpers for the shows were announced to the audience by various characters at the start and end of the commercial breaks (i.e. "Be right back, paisanos!", "And now back to The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!"). These commercial bumpers can be viewed on the DVD sets of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, but were not included on The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 DVD set. Additionally, the first three weeks of episodes for The Super Mario Bros. Super Show all contained unique bumpers featuring scenes and voice overs related to the episode's live-action segment. All of the later episodes used a few generic bumpers that were announced by Mario, and showcased a still shot from the opening sequence.

When The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 aired on NBC during its original run, a character from each of the two upcoming episodes, as well as a character from Captain N: The Game Master, which aired between the two episodes, would all narrarate a preview of the upcoming episodes before the show started. This trend continued with Super Mario World. These previews were not included on the DVDs due to the fact that they are considered the property of NBC.