Classic Outfit
First appearance: Donkey Kong (1981)
How to acquire: Purchase with 200 gold coins after your first visit to the Mushroom Kingdom, or tap a Mario amiibo.
Before Mario was called Mario, he was known as Jumpman. He didn’t start off with his iconic blue overalls and red shirt. He started off with a shockingly different red overalls and blue shirt. You’d never recognize him!
Golf Outfit
First appearance: Family Computer Golf: U.S. Course (1987)
How to acquire: Purchase with 45 purple coins from the Metro Kingdom.
Even before Mario discovered his traditional outfit, he liked to play a bit of dress-up. This outfit is well recognized from the box art of NES Open Tournament Golf, but it actually predates this by four years. The U.S. edition of Family Computer Golf was the first time Mario donned his stars and stripes.
Mechanic Outfit
First appearance: Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally (1988)
How to acquire: Purchase with 200 gold coins after your first visit to the Wooded Kingdom.
Mario’s mechanical outfit is only really seen in artwork for Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally. In this game, Mario is the driver and Luigi is the navigator. They can only be seen in-game when they get out of their vehicle to celebrate a victory.
Mario Outfit
First appearance: Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988)
Starting outfit
Now we come to Mario’s regular old clothes, which have a rather strange origin. You may be aware that the Super Mario Bros. 2 that was released in America and Europe was not the same Super Mario Bros. 2 that Japan received, but was actually a modified version of Japan’s Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic. The colors of Mario’s overalls and shirt in this game were reversed compared to what we had seen prior. This look ended up sticking, and the rest is history.
Luigi Outfit
First appearance: Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988)
How to acquire: Purchase with 300 gold coins after gaining 160 moons, or tap a Luigi amiibo.
Like with Mario, the color of Luigi’s clothes differed before the release of Super Mario Bros. 2. Originally, his shirt went from being brown to blue before settling on green. In fact, Luigi’s appearance used to be completely identical to Mario’s besides the color of his clothes, akin to the Luigi outfit in Odyssey. But that’s a discussion for a different time.
Aviator Outfit
First appearance: Super Mario Land (1989)
How to acquire: Purchase with 15 purple coins from the Lost Kingdom.
In Super Mario Land, Mario sports his aviator cap when piloting the Sky Pop. He uses it in world 4-3 to take down the evil Tatanga and save Daisy, princess of Sarasaland.
Poncho/Sombrero Outfit
First appearance: Qix (1990)
How to acquire: Purchase with 15 purple coins from the Sand Kingdom.
One of the more obscure references in Odyssey, the poncho/sombrero combo comes from on of Mario’s many non-playable appearances. In Qix’s intermissions, Mario will sometimes appear dressed in his Mexican-inspired get-up, wielding an acoustic guitar.
Doctor Outfit
First appearance: Dr. Mario (1990)
How to acquire: Purchase with 300 gold coins after gaining 240 moons, or tap a Dr. Mario amiibo.
One of the more recognizable outfits thanks to the Super Smash Bros. series. In 1990, Mario threw on his lab coat and began chucking pills into a flask to destroy colored viruses in this match-4 puzzle game.
Football Outfit
First appearance: Super Mario World (1990)
How to acquire: Purchase with 300 gold coins after your first visit to the Moon Kingdom.
Mario doesn’t take one of his own costumes from Super Mario World (the cape would have been nice), but instead borrows the outfit of the charging chucks. The enemies have been seen in multiple Mario games, always trying to take Mario out with a no-nonsense shoulder tackle.
Space Outfit
First appearance: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992)
How to acquire: Purchase with 15 purple coins from the Moon Kingdom.
Predating Super Mario Galaxy by 15 years, Super Mario Land 2 was the first Mario game to see the plumber go interstellar. Similar to the Moon Kingdom, Super Mario Land 2’s Space Zone reduces the gravity allowing you to jump super high. However, unlike the Moon Kingdom, Mario does require the bowl on his head in order to breathe.
Wario Outfit
First appearance: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992)
How to acquire: Purchase with 300 gold coins after gaining 360 moons, or tap a Wario amiibo.
Wario’s originally appeared as the main villain of Super Mario Land 2, and sported his regular yellow and purple color scheme. After this, he was delegated to Mario spinoffs, but saw some success in two of his own series: Wario Land and WarioWare. Besides his appearance in the Super Mario 64 DS remake, the Wario outfit in Super Mario Odyssey is the only mention of Wario in a Mario platformer outside of Super Mario Land 2.
Chef Outfit
First appearance: Yoshi’s Cookie (1992)
How to acquire: Purchase with 15 purple coins from the Luncheon Kingdom.
Mario will take up any occupation to solve a puzzle or two. Yoshi’s Cookie sees Mario perform a spot of bakery. His uniform includes a tall chef’s hat and an adorable little neckerchief.
Tuxedo/Top Hat Outfit
First appearance: Super Mario All-Stars (1993)
How to acquire: Purchase with 15 purple coins from the Cap Kingdom.
This is one of the outfits that you would think originated in Odyssey, but it is actually a reference to one thing specifically: the Super Mario All-Stars box art. The collection of 2D Mario games showcases a rather dapper Mario wearing a top hat, a tuxedo and holding a magic wand. No magic wand in Odyssey, unfortunately.
Scientist Outfit
First appearance: Super Game Boy commercial (1994)
How to acquire: Purchase with 45 purple coins from the Wooded Kingdom.
No, this outfit is not based off of Doc Brown or Doctor Wily. It is a reference to an old commercial for the Super Game Boy – an add-on for the Super Nintendo that allows you to play Game Boy games. Presumably, the narrative of the commercial is of Mario showing Donkey Kong his wonderful new invention.
Explorer Outfit
First appearance: Mario’s Picross (1995)
How to acquire: Purchase with 15 purple coins from the Wooded Kingdom.
Mario’s explorer outfit comes from the Mario’s Picross series where he plays an architect. In this puzzle game, he chisels away at priceless artifacts to make fun shapes, destroying history in the process. He’d make Nathan Drake proud.
Diddy Kong Outfit
First appearance: Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest (1995)
How to acquire: Purchase with 300 gold coins after gaining 320 moons, or tap the Diddy Kong amiibo.
Although Diddy Kong’s first appearance was in the first Donkey Kong Country as DK’s partner, it’s his Donkey Kong Country 2 costume that has been used in Odyssey. It’s no surprise, as this version of Diddy Kong is all that we’ve seen going forward. The only difference is the two stars on his shirt, which have definitely become synonymous with Diddy Kong. That, and his cool Nintendo hat.
Mario 64 Outfit
First appearance: Super Mario 64 (1996)
How to acquire: Purchase with 35 purple coins from the Mushroom Kingdom.
Moving into the 3D era, the Mario 64 outfit isn’t really an outfit per se. It’s Mario’s regular attire but in 64-bit form. It’s the only outfit in the game that changes the appearance of Mario’s face, giving it a more polygonal look.
Invisibility Cap
First appearance: Super Mario 64 (1996)
How to acquire: Gain the multi-moon from Darker Side.
The invisibility cap is your reward for completing the hardest challenge in the game. It completely changes Mario’s form, leaving him as a mere shadow. Passing by an NPC will result in a suspicious “???” from them. In Super Mario 64, the vanish cap cause Mario to become immaterial and allows him to pass through certain walls and fences.
Metal Mario Outfit
First appearance: Super Mario 64 (1996)
How to acquire: Purchase with 3000 gold coins after gaining 560 moons.
This will likely be one of the last outfits you unlock considering the steep requirements. The Metal Mario outfit is a faithful recreation of it’s 64 counterpart, faceless Mario and all.
Painter’s Outfit
First appearance: Mario Artist: Paint Studio (1999)
How to acquire: Purchase with 45 purple coins from the Luncheon Kingdom.
It’s easy to make this mistake, but this outfit isn’t actually from the Super Nintendo’s Mario Paint, but is instead from a much less popular game. The ill-fated Japan exclusive Nintendo 64DD was home to four Mario Artist games. All four games featured the same image of Mario in a beret. Odyssey gives him an apron and a couple splotches of paint, giving the impression that painter Mario has been hard at work.
Pirate Outfit
First appearance: Mario Party 2 (1999)
How to acquire: Purchase with 200 gold coins after your first visit to the Seaside Kingdom.
Something unique to Mario Party 2 is that each character will wear a different costume depending on which board is being played. When Mario is playing on the pirate land board he dresses up as a pirate, of course. The Odyssey variant spruces it up a bit with the addition of the pirate’s ascot and jacket.
Cowboy Outfit
First appearance: Mario Party 2 (1999)
How to acquire: Purchase with 45 purple coins from the Sand Kingdom.
The cowboy outfit comes from Mario Party 2’s western land. Like the pirate outfit, the cowboy outfit features some additions that make the outfit feel a bit more complete. The hat and yellow neckerchief carried over from Mario Party 2 are accompanied by a waistcoat and some cowboy boots.
Waluigi Outfit
First appearance: Mario Tennis (2000)
How to acquire: Purchase with 300 gold coins after gaining 280 moons, or tap the Waluigi amiibo.
Luigi’s purple rival was first introduced in the spinoff Mario’s Tennis, primarily so that Wario could have a partner-in-crime. Waluigi’s antics only occur in the spinoff games; his most villainous role was as the main villain in Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix. His only association with a Mario platformer is through this outfit.
Skeleton Suit
First appearance: Super Mario Galaxy (2007)
How to acquire: Purchase with 9999 gold coins after beating the game.
In Super Mario Galaxy, when you are electrocuted, a model of Mario’s skeleton will appear very briefly. Occasionally, a glitch can occur where dying from electrocution will leave Mario in his skeletal state for a few seconds. It’s a shockingly terrifying scene for a Mario game. Along with the Metal Mario outfit, the skeleton suit will likely be one of the last outfits you acquire, unless you want this skinless costume so badly that you save up all your coins from the beginning.
Gold Outfit
First appearance: New Super Mario Bros. 2 (2012)
How to acquire: Purchase with 3000 gold coins after gaining 520 moons, or tap a gold/silver Mario amiibo.
A solid gold Mario. In New Super Mario Bros. 2, becoming gold Mario allowed you to shoot gold from your hands that bursts into coins. Since then, gold Mario has appeared across numerous games and even received his own limited amiibo exclusive to Wal-Mart stores.
Fashionable Outfit
First appearance: Japanese New Nintendo 3DS commercial (2014)
How to acquire: Purchase with 200 gold coins after your first visit to the Lake Kingdom.
Another incredibly obscure reference. The fashionable outfit has only been seen once prior to Super Mario Odyssey. In this commercial, Japanese fashion model and singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu turns Mario’s dull duds into some groovy garments.
Hakama
First appearance: Japanese Club Nintendo Calendar (2015)
How to acquire: Purchase with 500 gold coins after gaining 380 moons.
Japanese Club Nintendo members could earn a 2015 calandar that featured a bunch of Mario characters wearing different wacky outfits, the first of which was Mario wearing some traditional Japanese clothing.
Samurai Outfit
First appearance: Japanese Club Nintendo Calendar (2015)
How to acquire: Purchase with 15 purple coins from Bowser’s Kingdom.
Viewer’s of The Tonight Show may remember the samurai Mario t-shirt worn by Shigeru Miyamoto. While that was the first time the Western world had seen this outfit, it wasn’t the samurai’s worldwide debut. It also appeared in the 2015 Club Nintendo calendar. The image that accompanied the month of May was Mario dressed as a samurai.
Swimwear Outfit
First appearance: Japanese Club Nintendo Calendar (2015)
How to acquire: Purchase with 15 purple coins from The Lake Kingdom.
That same calendar was home to the first appearance of Mario’s swimwear outfit. Accompanying the month of August, swimwear Mario represents the most appropriate time of the year to go for a dip.
Builder Outfit
First appearance: Super Mario Maker (2015)
How to acquire: Purchase with 15 purple coins from the Metro Kingdom.
Being from one of the most recent Mario releases, the builder outfit is easily recognizable. In Super Mario Maker, you are given the tools to build your own Mario levels. Builder Mario isn’t just box art eye candy, however. Completing the hidden gnat attack mini-game allows you to unlock him as a playable character.
Boxer Shorts
First appearance: Nintendo of Japan Summer wallpaper (2016)
How to acquire: Purchase with 1000 gold coins after your first visit to the Sand Kingdom.
Everyone may have gone ballistic after the E3 trailer bared Mario’s nipples to the world, but it wasn’t actually the first time we’d seen them. A year prior, Nintendo of Japan released a feel-good wallpaper of Mario chilling on a beach with Yoshi, Toad, and his nipples.
Captain’s Hat
First appearance: Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
How to acquire: Reward after completing the Cascade Kingdom.
This outfit is exclusive to Super Mario Odyssey.
Caveman Outfit
First appearance: Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
How to acquire: Purchase with 15 purple coins from the Cascade Kingdom.
This outfit is exclusive to Super Mario Odyssey.
Employee Outfit
First appearance: Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
How to acquire: Purchase with 200 gold coins after your first visit to the Sand Kingdom.
This outfit is exclusive to Super Mario Odyssey.
Snow Outfit
First appearance: Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
How to acquire: Purchase with 15 purple coins from the Snow Kingdom.
This outfit is exclusive to Super Mario Odyssey.
Black Suit/Fedora Outfit
First appearance: Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
How to acquire: Purchase with 200 gold coins after your first visit to the Metro Kingdom.
This outfit is exclusive to Super Mario Odyssey.
Resort Outfit
First appearance: Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
How to acquire: Purchase with 15 purple coins from the Seaside Kingdom.
This outfit is exclusive to Super Mario Odyssey.
Sailor Outfit
First appearance: Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
How to acquire: Purchase with 45 purple coins from the Seaside Kingdom.
This outfit is exclusive to Super Mario Odyssey.
Happi Outfit
First appearance: Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
How to acquire: Purchase with 45 purple coins from the Seaside Kingdom.
This outfit is exclusive to Super Mario Odyssey.
Mario’s Tuxedo/Top Hat Outfit
First appearance: Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
How to acquire: Received upon entering the Moon Kingdom, or tap a Mario (wedding) amiibo.
This outfit is exclusive to Super Mario Odyssey.
Clown Outfit
First appearance: Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
How to acquire: Purchase with 200 gold coins after your first visit to the Moon Kingdom.
This outfit is exclusive to Super Mario Odyssey.
Bowser’s Tuxedo/Top Hat Outfit
First appearance: Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
How to acquire: Purchase with 3000 gold coins after gaining 440 moons, or tap a Bowser (wedding) amiibo.
This outfit is exclusive to Super Mario Odyssey.
Bridal Outfit
First appearance: Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
How to acquire: Purchase with 3000 gold coins after gaining 480 moons, or tap a Peach (wedding) amiibo.
This outfit is exclusive to Super Mario Odyssey.
King’s Outfit
First appearance: Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
How to acquire: Beat the Broodals at Dark Side.
This outfit is exclusive to Super Mario Odyssey.
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