Mario (series)

''This article refers to the Mario franchise's involvement with the Metroid series. For the titular character, see here.

Mario (マリオ) is a platform video game franchise published and produced by Nintendo, featuring a fictional character of the same name. It is Nintendo's flagship and their highest-selling franchise, as well as the greatest selling video game franchise of all time. Mario and the Metroid series have made several crossovers, with characters or elements from each other's series appearing occasionally in the other franchise, or Mario and Samus Aran appearing together in a game outside of the Mario or Metroid series. The major example of this is Samus appearing alongside numerous characters from the Mario series and sub-series in the Super Smash Bros. franchise, with Samus, Mario and his brother Luigi being among the twelve fighters (termed the "perfect-attendance crew") who have appeared in every installment of the series to date. Samus also appears with Donkey and Diddy Kong, Yoshi and Wario, who originated from the Mario universe but hail from their own spin-off franchises in Smash.

Because of its status as Nintendo's flagship franchise, there are actually more Mario characters in Smash than those mentioned. These include Donkey Kong and Yoshi, who are also part of the "perfect-attendance crew", and Diddy Kong and Wario, who were introduced in Brawl. However, in the context of Smash, these four characters hail from their own sub-franchises.

Mario vs. Wario: The Birthday Bash
A chibi Samus Doll is the focus of the plot of Mario vs. Wario: The Birthday Bash, which was published in the January 1994 issue (#56) of Nintendo Power. After Princess Peach remarks that the doll is cute, Mario and Wario seek to buy it before the other can, as a birthday gift for Peach. However, when Wario returns and discovers that the doll was sold to a man with a "big, black mustache", he assumes Mario bought it and buys another present. He plots to package it identically to Mario's present, and swap them so that he gets the credit. However, it turns out Luigi bought the doll, and receives a kiss from Peach.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Samus makes an appearance in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. After Mario and his party defeat Yaridovich, and returns to Mushroom Castle before going to Land's End, Mario can find Samus sleeping in the guest room bed. When he speaks to her, she will say "...... I'm resting up for Mother Brain." This is a reference to the Final Conflict in Super Metroid, which was released two years prior to Super Mario RPG. Mario can jump and bounce on the bed, with no reaction from Samus. Air can be seen emitting from her Oxygen Supply Equipment. Later in the game, a doll of Samus appears in a toy box in Booster's tower, although it resembles her more closely than that of the 1994 comic.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Samus was intended to make an appearance in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga as one of the Nintendo patrons at the Starbeans Cafe, during a scripted event. Dialog remains in the game's code - "Cashier: Whoa! A power outage? Yikes! Samus Aran! I see you're rocking and rolling as usual! ...Looks like your energy tanks are empty! Sorry, but can't you give your Hoolumbian to Samus? Oh! Feeling better?" Samus would then give the player an Energy Tank in exchange for the drink. Ultimately, all Nintendo characters were replaced by Professor E. Gadd, and the Energy Tank was replaced by the Power Grip, which is based on another Metroid series item. This item ensures that Mario or Luigi will never drop their hammer when defending against enemy attacks.

The Snoozorb enemy in the same game is similar in appearance to the Nightmare boss in Metroid Fusion and Metroid: Other M. Additionally, both of their names pertain to sleeping.

Mario Kart 8 and Deluxe
In Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the Samus (Super Smash Bros.), Zero Suit Samus or Samus Aran (Metroid: Samus Returns) amiibo can be used to unlock a costume for the Mii based on Samus.

Super Mario Maker
Using the Samus or Zero Suit Samus amiibo in Super Mario Maker changes Mario into Samus or Zero Suit Samus, whose sprites are created for the game. This sprite is smaller, but more closely resembles her recent appearances. When Samus is spawned, a sped-up version of the Samus Aran's Appearance Fanfare from the Famicom version of Metroid plays, and when she jumps the jumping sound effect from Metroid is heard. When Zero Suit Samus is spawned, the appearance fanfare from Metroid: Zero Mission plays, and her jumping sound from that game is reused as well. After clearing a level, the Item Acquisition Fanfare from the Famicom Metroid (Samus) or Zero Mission (Zero Suit Samus) is heard.

Other games
While not necessarily a reference to Metroid, Wario Land recycles the pausing and Metroid grunt of pain sounds from Metroid II: Return of Samus. (Demonstrated here) A Larva Metroid is an unlockable treasure in Wario Land II, awarded at level 49.

Beginning in Super Mario Bros. 3, Mario is able to Spin Jump when he collects a Starman, and becomes enveloped in energy when doing so. This pattern resembles the Screw Attack.

References to Mario in Metroid
Air Holes in the original Metroid, Metroid: Zero Mission and Super Metroid appear very similarly to Warp Pipes in Mario. In the comical Victory Techniques for Metroid, which breaks the fourth wall, Samus mistakes an Air Hole for a Warp Pipe and pictures Mario entering it. One Air Hole in Super Metroid can be entered to reach a Missile Tank, although Samus simply rolls through it rather than warping.

In Super Metroid, Samus can encounter the Tatori and its offspring, the latter of which strongly resemble Buzzy Beetles from the Mario series. By jumping on Buzzy Beetles, or the Tatori's offspring, Mario or Samus can send them spinning back and forth within their shells.

In the Magazine Z manga, a man resembling Mario can be seen in the first chapter. The man appears on the left side of the panel in which Samus learns that the Chozo have arrived. The character has a hat, gloves, overalls, round nose, boots and mustache and holds a wrench.

The Ship Bumper Stickers in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (and by extension, Metroid Prime Trilogy) include Super Paper Mario, WarioWare: Smooth Moves, Mario Party 8 and Super Mario Galaxy. If save files for these games are present on the Wii, stickers of Paper Mario's head, a star emblem and Mario's "M" symbol will appear on Samus Aran's Gunship.

In Metroid Prime: Federation Force, any amiibo based on Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Peach, Rosalina & Luma and Bowser Jr. can be used to unlock Paint Jobs in Blast Ball based on them.

Super Smash Bros. series
As stated, Mario, Donkey Kong, Yoshi, Luigi and Samus have appeared in every Super Smash Bros. game to date, with more characters becoming playable in subsequent titles. Princess Peach, Bowser and Dr. Mario, a clone of Mario were introduced in Super Smash Bros. Melee. No new Mario characters were introduced in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, although Diddy Kong (hailing from the Donkey Kong franchise) was added and Dr. Mario was cut. Zero Suit Samus was introduced in Brawl as an alternate form of Samus, wearing her blue form-fitting suit from Metroid: Zero Mission. Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U saw the return of Dr. Mario and the additions of Bowser Jr. and Rosalina & Luma, but no new Metroid characters. Bowser Jr.'s seven alternate costumes transform him into the Koopalings, minions of Bowser from the Mario series.

In Melee, Peach is one of the opponents in Event 15: Girl Power, alongside Samus and Princess Zelda from The Legend of Zelda. Bowser appears as the target in Event 17: Bounty Hunters. Samus Aran is required to K.O Bowser before Captain Falcon (from F-Zero) does.

Because of its status as Nintendo's flagship franchise, there are actually more Mario characters in Smash than those mentioned. These include Donkey Kong and Yoshi, who are also part of the perfect-attendance crew, and Diddy Kong, Wario (both introduced in Brawl) and King K. Rool (introduced in Ultimate). However, in the context of Smash, these four characters hail from their own sub-franchises.

In the first trailer for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Mario is prominently displayed. Donkey Kong's hair and Samus's shoulders can be barely made out from the outline of fighters underneath the flaming Smash symbol. All characters from the Mario and Metroid franchises will return in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, in addition to newcomers Daisy, Piranha Plant, Ridley and Dark Samus.

Trivia

 * In Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse, the Zero Suit and Luigi's overalls appear as unlockable alternate costumes. Samus, Peach and Daisy costumes are also wearable in the Bayonetta series.
 * A voice actress of Peach in some games, Leslie Swan, voices the Bottle Ship P.A. Announcer in Metroid: Other M.
 * Bowser Jr.'s trailer, "The Future of Evil", featured CG animation done by Digital Frontier, whose studio was where the motion capture for Metroid: Other M was recorded. Samus appears in this portion of the trailer, dodging an attack from Bowser Jr.'s Koopa Clown Car, and proceeding with other fighters to do battle with Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings. In the gameplay portion, Zero Suit Samus is at one point seen standing on a step on the Skyloft stage, firing a Steel Diver at Bowser Jr., who ducks and avoids it.