Super Mario Bros. is considered the canon Mario game

Ask any gamer which Mario game is considered canonical, the one game that kicked off the endless running and jumping across Nintendo systems over decades, and the answer goes back to the original Super Mario Bros. released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) back in 1985.

The Origin Story of Mario Canon

This seemingly simple 2D side scrolling platformer by legendary designer Shigeru Miyamoto introduced gamers to Mario, the mustachioed Italian plumber on a quest across the Mushroom Kingdom to rescue Princess Peach from the clutches of Bowser – establishing the core premise that almost all mainline Mario games follow in some form.

The original Super Mario Bros.

Combined with simple yet challenging jumping mechanics, gold coin collecting and iconic enemies like Goombas and Koopa Troopas, this platforming classic went on to sell over 40 million copies across multiple Nintendo consoles.

Safe to say for Mario fans, this is the undisputed origin story for Nintendo‘s glove-wearing mascot, his lanky brother Luigi and the fantasy world they inhabit – making it the cornerstone for Mario canon.

Core Canon Timeline – The Mainline Platformers

Super Mario Bros. established key characters and the premise of Princess kidnapping and rescue that persisted across mainline Mario games released for different Nintendo consoles over the next few decades – forming the "core canon" in Mario game continuity.

While there have been multiple genres of Mario games over the years, including racing games like Mario Kart, sports titles under Mario Tennis and Mario Golf brands, RPGs like Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi, etc – the mainline games that carried forward Mario‘s canonical journey and backstory in the Mushroom Kingdom are the platformers.

Here is a visual summary:

I‘ve focused only on the flagship 3D and 2D platformers that formed the core storyline of Mario and Luigi rescuing Princess Peach across worlds, introduced new power-ups and abilities, iconic side characters like Yoshi and expanded the geographical expanse of the Mushroom Kingdom with diverse worlds – deserts, islands, outer space!

Obviously in 35+ years, gaps exist even in this main canon. Mario went through a distinct visual transition from a 2D side scrolling adventure to explorable 3D worlds – the games represent big leaps across graphics and gameplay sophistication across Nintendo console generations.

But the premise persisted – whether it is running and jumping across levels or open sandbox worlds, using new acrobatic moves or enhanced power-ups, Yoshis and even sentient hat companions – Mario platformers retained the essence of progression across colorful, fun worlds on a quest against Bowser to save Peach.

Spin-Offs – Extended Mario Continuity

Once Super Mario Bros. became a cultural phenomenon in the late 80s, Mario was everywhere – on lunchboxes, t-shirts, TV shows and a movie adaptation!

Apart from the main games, Mario spin-offs added to the lore of the Mario universe via tie-in games across genres with their own continuity – these include:

• Mario Kart Series – Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart 8 etc. added racing game enjoyment with familiar characters and some original ones too driving vehicles across Mario world race tracks.
• Mario Party Series – Massively popular local multiplayer party game bonanza on Nintendo consoles letting up to 4 players take turns and play mini-games on game boards themed around Mario worlds.
• Mario Tennis and Golf Series – Tennis and golf game sims bringing mushroom kingdom characters together for sports matchups with RPG story mode flairs.
• Paper Mario RPGs – A highly acclaimed separate Mario role playing game series with its unique paper-crafted graphics and humor.
• Mario & Luigi RPG Series – Partners in Time, Bowser‘s Inside Story and other Mario RPGs partnering the brothers on zany adventures.
• Super Mario RPG – Released in 1996 for the SNES, an acclaimed JRPG developed by Square Enix with RPG genre mainstays applied to Mario lore.

Are spin-offs like Mario Kart or Paper Mario canon? They are not part of the mainline platformer continuity, but rather "extended canon" – their stories build on the Mario universe with overlaps in characters, settings and events. These offshoot games reference core Mario lore. Luigi dating Princess Daisy, his struggles for recognition besides Mario, Baby variants of main characters etc. actually originate from spin-offs!

So in summary – not central to the rescue Princess journey of platformers, but complementary additions adding depth via their unique blend of Mario in specialized genres.

What is Definitely NOT Canon

While I‘ve covered mainline platformers as core canon and spin-offs with owned continuities as "extended canon", there are Mario games distinctly outside the Mario universe:

• Mario Crossovers – Games like Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle on the Nintendo Switch and Super Mario Bros. film and TV show are not canon though they may borrow core characters and lore.
• Licensed / Unlicensed Fan Games – Fan games, ROM hacks, games with Mario cameos like Tekken are not canon though they demonstrate his popularity and appeal.

Does Mario Canon Allow Contradictions?

Given the sheer breadth of Mario games spanning genres, developers and decades – overlaps or inconsistencies are only natural even across mainline games.

For example – Super Mario Bros 2. is considered an actual dream compared to the events of other games. Age differences across games rarely line up. Mario Galaxy introduces Rosalina and a cosmic reset concept that is not really referenced again.

However, the lightweight nature of Mario canon with its focus on fun gameplay allows it to stay intact despite inconsistencies. Mario characters not having strict biographical profiles or set power levels gives developers creative freedom.

The games are meant for "pick up and play" fun – kids and adults alike shouldn‘t have to worry about convoluted timeline theories while guiding Mario across platforms! Nintendo prefers keeping things fast and fluid.

Mario Backstory and Ages

As mentioned earlier, Mario canon kicks off with Super Mario Bros – before that, creator Shigeru Miyamoto ties Mario to his earlier Donkey Kong games. Mario was known as "Jumpman", meant to be a handyman rather than plumber in early design documents!

Nintendo has confirmed Mario‘s age to be around 24-25 years old while Luigi is his slightly younger fraternal twin brother. The Mario Bros. were delivered by a stork to the Mushroom Kingdom in their infancy, as depicted in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi‘s Island.

Beyond this, there isn‘t extensive biographical material – the games focus on accessible, engaging gameplay for all ages rather than gritty backstories or dramatic character developments! Mario‘s cheerful irreverence serves the franchise better.

Conclusion – Luigi Plays Second Fiddle in Mario Canon, But Remains Integral

To conclude, while the meteoric popularity of his elder brother can make player 2 – Luigi seem secondary, he has formed an integral part of core Mario canon since the first game.

Without Luigi, the multiplayer aspects that have become signature to Mario games would not have existed. And the playful Mario Brothers dynamic where they play off each other has expanded the Mario appeal.

Many spin-offs flesh out Luigi more – but his exasperated loyalty to Mario against the odds backdrop, whether it is ghostbusting in Luigi‘s Mansion or Baby variant adventures adding precious childhood backstory – completes an enduring Nintendo canon borne from the magic of a simple 80s era platformer Cat Image created by an artist called Miyamoto!