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You forgot Luigi’s birthday (again), but this one’s a 30-year milestone
Luigi’s turning 30 this year, which is well past the “oh, look at the cute baby plumber” stage. But Princess Peach forgot to bake him a cake, and you neglected to get him a gift … again.
Shame on you! We remembered his birthday. Well, actually, DePaul University in Chicago told us (but don’t tell Luigi that).
Even after 30 years, says assistant professor of game development and interactive media Jose Zagal, he’s still “player two” — the Robin to Mario’s Batman.
“Though Robin was young and inexperienced, he was portrayed as competent and even somewhat cool,” said Zagal, who works at the university’s College of Computing and Digital Media and authored The Videogame Ethics Reader. “Luigi, however, is often portrayed at best as a clone of Mario and, at worst, the more cowardly brother who still pulls through in the end.”
Luigi made his debut in 1983, two years after Mario appeared as a carpenter in the original Donkey Kong. While Mario has taken on many roles — doctor, teacher, and all-around unlicensed professional (he can’t be that talented) — Luigi’s just … Luigi.
“Due to technical constraints of the era, the color of overalls was the best means to tell the characters apart,” said Zagal. “Luigi started as a simple palette swap of the Mario character and has continued to live in Mario’s shadow.”
Life’s not all bad for the green-clothed Italian. He has starred in two of his own titles: the unpopular educational game Mario Is Missing! (although that’s still kind of about Mario) and Luigi’s Mansion for the Nintendo GameCube, which is getting a sequel this year for the 3DS called Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon.
That’s still crumbs compared to the fame Mario has achieved, which makes Luigi ever the underdog. Perhaps that’s why Zagal thinks we should appreciate him a bit more.
“Luigi’s cowardice makes him more relatable and interesting as a character,” said Zagal. “As a player that makes him a better partner; he’s a reluctant hero, and it’s thanks to the player that he can — temporarily — overcome that. Heroes need to be human, and Luigi has more of that than Mario.”
DePaul University might have marked their calendars early, but we at least tried to show our appreciation for Luigi in some small way. Below is a (non-comprehensive) gallery of his design changes through the years — kind of like a photo book. That’s our present to the poor, unloved brother. Maybe you could at least send him a card?
Luigi’s first appearance was in Mario Bros., an arcade game from 1983.
Luigi resumed his player-two status in Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Only a color swap separated him from his brother, Mario. That, and nobody ever wanted to play as him.
Luigi took on a bit more character in Super Mario Bros. 2, which released for NES in 1988. He was taller and a better jumper than his more famous brother. Players could choose him from the Start screen, which made him a bigger part of team Mushroom Kingdom (along with Toad and Peach) and less of a nameless second-player alternative.
Luigi’s looking a little chubby in this mushroom-house minigame from Super Mario Bros. 3. Maybe he ate too much pasta. Either way, Nintendo also grew out his persona in the NES era.
This Nintendo-themed cartoon, which was partly based on Super Mario Bros. 1 and 2, was … well … we don’t have to talk about this, do we?
Luigi and his brother could exhibit some crazy facial expressions in Super Mario Adventures, the comic strip than ran in early ’90s issues of Nintendo Power.
Luigi appeared in the colorful Super Mario World games, too.
The second Super Mario World game on the Super Nintendo transformed the brothers into adorable, screaming, diapered babies. Cute.
This was an oddball game back when it released for PC in 1992 and the NES and SNES a year later, and it’s still weird to think of now.
Luigi wasn’t actually in Mario’s Nintendo 64 debut, but that didn’t stop the deluge of fake images and videos from spreading. Nintendo did add him in the DS remake, though, along with Yoshi and Wario.
Luigi couldn’t play doctor like Mario, but at least he could swing a racket.
Luigi finally pushed Mario’s name out of the title in 2001, when Luigi’s Mansion released on the GameCube.
Luigi sure does love telling stories of his “adventures.” Mario dozed off more than once during these tellings.
Luigi tussled with Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, and various others in the Super Smash Bros. series.
Luigi appeared in both Super Mario Galaxy games, which took the platforming action to outer space.
Is it still new?
Luigi and Baby Luigi bump cars in Mario Kart Wii, one of the many racing games starring members of the Mushroom Kingdom.
Luigi returned for another adventure (his first on the Wii U) with his three friends, who like throwing him in lava and leaving him behind in a bubble.
Luigi has made cameos here and there, like in 5th Cell’s create-anything game Scribblenauts Unlimited for Wii U, 3DS, and PC.
Here’s a weird one. Mario “Two Gun,” Luigi “Fixit,” and Joey “Princess” Tucci recently appeared in Kalypso Media’s tactical city-management sim, Omerta: City of Gangsters. Recognize the ‘stache?
