Luigi is Mario's fraternal twin brother. He is taller, thinner and shows a wider range of emotions than Mario. Luigi was originally developed via a palette swap of Mario with a green color scheme instead of red, but as the Mario series evolved, Luigi's character became taller and thinner than his brother Mario. Luigi fans love him for his dependability, for being an underdog, and even for his mustache.
While Luigi may not have the same level of charisma as Mario, he is an excellent sidekick and does everything that Mario does but without the glory. UGO Networks ranked Luigi at #16 on their 25 Most Memorable Italians in Video Games list, ranking him over Mario himself. According to Nintendo, Luigi has a sider range of emotions than Mario.
L to R: Luigi, Mario and Yoshi action figures
Creation
Mario was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto during the development of Donkey Kong in 1981. He was originally known as “Jumpman,” but was renamed Mario to settle a dispute with the landlord of Nintendo of America’s warehouse, Mario Segale.
Luigi was created for the game Mario Bros in 1983 as a character that could be controlled by a second player. His name was inspired by a pizza parlor near the US Nintendo headquarters in Washington, called “Mario & Luigi’s.”
Mario and Luigi Characters
Mario is a short, chubby Italian plumber who lives in the Mushroom Kingdom. He has a large nose and a mustache. He wears red overalls and a blue shirt, along with white gloves and a red cap featuring the letter “M,” which was added to avoid animating his hair.
Luigi is Mario’s younger fraternal twin brother. He is taller and thinner than his brother, with blue overalls and a green shirt and hat. He is seen as nervous and timid, but generally good-natured.
Abilities of Mario vs Luigi
Mario’s main skill (reflected in his original name) is jumping, which he can use to cross obstacles and crush enemies. He can also use various power ups, including a Mushroom (which allows him to grow larger), a Fireflower (allowing him to throw fireballs), and a feather (which allows him to fly).
At first, Luigi’s skills were identical to Mario’s. However, beginning in Super Mario Bros. 2, he developed the ability to jump higher and farther than his brother, although his movements were less precise as a result.
Enemies
Mario’s main enemy is Bowser, who repeatedly kidnaps Princess Peach. His other rivals include Donkey Kong and Wario.
Luigi has the same enemies as Mario, as well as an evil alter-ego named Waluigi.
Games
Mario has appeared in over 200 games since he was first created in 1981. His first appearance was in Donkey Kong, and he has since appeared in several platform games, as well as various multiplayer games, including racing games, puzzle games and sports games, and educational games. His first titular game was Super Mario Bros., on the Nintendo Entertainment System.
Luigi first appeared in Mario Bros, and was first available as a primary character in Super Mario Bros. 2. He has been the main character in three games: Mario is Missing, Luigi’s Mansion, and Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon.
Reception
The Mario series is the best-selling video game franchise of all time, with over 200 million copies sold as of 2009. Both Luigi and Mario's characters were well received.
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The Evolution of Mario Bros.
Here's a look at how Mario and Luigi have evolved in the past two decades with Nintendo's Mario Brothers franchise:
