Mario is the Older Twin Brother

Mario and Luigi are fraternal twin brothers, but Mario is considered the slightly older twin based on accounts from Nintendo over the years.

Shared Heritage and Backstory

As twins, Mario and Luigi share the same Italian heritage and family backstory:

They frequently team up in franchises like:

• Super Mario Bros
• Mario Kart
• Mario Party

Having debuted in 1981‘s Donkey Kong arcade game and appearing together ever since, their brotherly dynamic has delighted gamers for over 35 years.

Mario Matches the Older Sibling Archetype

Across games, plots, and media over the decades, Mario fits the archetype role of the slightly older twin brother:

Leads More Adventures

As the mascot hero of Nintendo‘s series, Mario stars in more solo adventures and takes the leadership role of number one player. He‘s on the forefront fighting enemies, while Luigi plays more of a secondary support role as "Player 2".

Taller and Stockier

Physically, official art and game graphics depict subtle differentiations between the middle-aged brothers. Mario sports a stockier build with a prominent beer belly, matching expectations for an older sibling.

Figure 1 – Mario‘s stocky older sibling physique

Deeper Voice

In titles featuring voice acting, Mario speaks in a baritone Italian accent compared to Luigi‘s nasally higher-pitched voice – another typical indicator of seniority.

More Confident Personality

While the brothers share similar cheerful personalities befitting Nintendo‘s family-friendly franchises, Mario exhibits greater confidence, heroism, and a commanding presence – suggestive of his leadership status as the elder twin.

"It‘s-a me, Mario!" he proclaims in his signature catchphrase, epitomizing his bravado in contrast to Luigi‘s meeker reluctance.

Games Plot Mario‘s Earlier Birth

As fraternal twins, Mario and Luigi by definition were born on the same date but to separate amniotic sacs.

Various games actually show Mario entering the Mushroom Kingdom just minutes before Luigi‘s arrival. For example:

Yoshi‘s Island

This 1995 SNES platformer reveals the brothers‘ origins as newborns rescued by Yoshi. Baby Mario is delivered by stork first, quickly needing rescue from Baby Bowser while Baby Luigi trails behind:

Figure 2 – Super Mario World 2 shows Mario born first

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time

This 2005 Nintendo DS release time travels back to the brothers‘ infancy, with Baby Mario again taking the lead on adventures while Baby Luigi plays a lesser role.

So canonical plots establish Mario entering the world first, confirming his older twin status.

Expert Analysis: Why Mario Plays the Big Brother Role

As a gaming content creator myself, I speculate Nintendo likely made Mario the marginally older twin to align with archetypal hero themes of leadership and confidence.

His genesis as the company mascot starring in 1981‘s Donkey Kong cemented him as the prototypical brave, strong-willed video game hero. It not only made sense to position Luigi as the younger sibling sidekick, but established an iconic duo formula for complementary game design and marketing.

This elder/younger brother dynamic resonates across entertainment mediums, from literature to films like Thor and Loki. The subtle age gap breeds natural character conflicts, bonds, and asymmetry between siblings for compelling stories.

While just minutes apart, the dual timeline of the twins‘ birth also conveniently sets up sequels and prequels as shown in the Yoshi‘s Island series. As franchises evolve, designers can dig deeper into Mario lore by revealing new parts of the brothers‘ connected backstory across the Mushroom World.

Conclusion: Mario Precedes Luigi as Older Twin

In summary, Nintendo developers have indicated since the 1980s that Mario and Luigi are fraternal twin brothers, but with Mario entering the world slightly first.

Both gameplay experiences and plot points establish Mario as the elder twin, while Luigi develops as the younger sibling sidekick.

This age dynamic seems intentionally designed to leverage archetypal themes of leadership and heroism for the icon Mario, while contrasting Luigi as his cautious understudy.

So while the brothers share nearly the same age down to the minute, when answering "who‘s older Mario or Luigi" – Mario does claim big brother bragging rights!