Super Mario Bros NES Characters

I don’t think it’s a stretch to call Super Mario Bros. the most iconic video game of all time. At the very least it gets that status for the Nintendo brand and helped propel the success of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The game kicked off a long-running successful franchise and created some of the most memorable video game characters ever made.

From Mario to Bowser and the Koopa Troopa’s no other game has such a memorable list of characters that went on to be famous in their own right outside of Super Mario Bros. Here is every character to appear in the NES version of Super Mario Bros.

World 1 Level 1

Mario

The star of the Mario Bros franchise and one of the most famous video game characters ever created. Who could have ever thought he would become such a pop culture phenomenon when this game debuted back in 1985?

Little Goomba

The first of many enemies Mario encounters in his adventures. The Goombas, as they are referred to now, are abundant in the NES version and have become one of the most iconic characters in the video game franchise.

Koopa Troopa

The turtle-shelled little guy in Super Mario is arguably the most famous enemy in the franchise. They are Bowser’s foot soldiers and come in many different shell colors. Mario could use their shells as weapons and throw them at other enemies coming his way.

World 1 Level 2

Piranha Plant

When I first started playing Super Mario Bros I use to hate these damn plants. They pop out of the green pipes in the early stages and before you even knew they existed you would be dead by one of them. If you stood directly on top of the pipe they would not be able to come out and bite you.

Red Koopa Troopa

This is the first level where Mario encounters a red Koopa Troopa. They are no different than the green species of Koopa.

World 1 Level 3

Red Koopa Paratroopa

Yet another breed of Koopa is introduced in Level 3 of World 1. This one is a winged Koopa Troopa with the ability to fly. The red version of this Sky Koopa can only move up and down. Mario can use his head as a trampoline when he times his jumps well.

World 1 Level 4

Fire Bar

Technically not a character but still an enemy obstacle that Bowser uses against Mario. The fire bars spin in a 360 circular motion either clockwise or counterclockwise. They can come in various sizes so you have to pay attention and not get too cocky when sprinting past them.

Fake Bowser

Bowser might be the originator of having a “Mini Me” long before Dr. Evil hit the scene. This Fake Bowser appears near the end of the castle level and spits fire over long distances. Unlike Bowser, he is not very difficult to beat especially if you are in fireball mode.

Toad

After completing the Castle level, we meet Toad, or Mushroom as some people call him. He is elated and thanks Mario for saving him. Toad of course went on to become a famous character for the Nintendo brand and grew in popularity because of the Mario Kart games.

World 2 Level 1

Green Koopa Paratroopa

The green Paratroopa is in the mix in World 2 and he is a little more difficult than the red version. The green-shelled sky Troopas can bounce up and down while moving forward at Mario. This makes them more of a challenge but if you land on his head his wings will be clipped. He is the only new character introduced in Level 1 of World 2.

World 2 Level 2

Blooper

Bloopers are squid creatures found in water levels. The sizes of them can vary as well as how many legs they have. They can be tricky to defeat as they shoot forward in a very quick motion which can catch you off guard if you are not prepared.

Cheep-Cheep

The winners of the cutest characters in Super Mario Bros have to go to the Cheep-Cheeps. These adorable little putterfish just swim about their business on this level although they will cause harm if you hit them. They come in red and gray colors but essentially act the same.

World 2 Level 3

Flying Cheep-Cheep

We discover in Level 3 that the Cheep-Cheeps are not confined to the water. They can actually fly as well and are all over this level erratically flying across the screen. Only the red Cheep-Cheeps appear in this level.

World 2 Level 4

Podoboos

While these lava sparks seem to be just that, sparks of fire, they are actually considered characters in the game. The Podoboos shoot up from lava pits as Mario approaches. You can’t destroy them or weaken them at all. Mario can only avoid them by jumping over them with the correct timing.

World 3 Level 1

Hammer Brothers

Hammer Brothers are of the Koopa species but are very unique. They are able to stand and walk upright and have bigger shells. They wear helmets and have hammers as weapons which they throw at Mario.

World 4 Level 1

Lakitu

Lakitus are a cool and sneaky character in the NES version of Super Mario Bros. They are Koopas who float on clouds while dropping “spiny eggs” to the ground. If the eggs hit the ground they form into Spinies who you will meet next. You can defeat a Lakitu by stomping on it or hitting it with a fireball. Be warned though if you linger too long they will be respawned.

Spinies

As mentioned above Spinies are created once their eggs hit the ground from the Lakitu above. They are small, spiked shell Koopas. You cannot stomp on the Spinies because of their shells but you can defeat them with fireballs.

World 4 Level 2

Buzzy Beetle

Buzzy Beetle’s are tiny little Koopas with extremely hard outer shells. They are mostly seen in dark, underground levels. Although appearing dark blue in World 4, when we see them above ground in World 5 they have a black shell and orange lining. If you stomp on a Buzzy Beetle it will hide in its shell but will reappear if left alone too long.

World 5 Level 1

Bullet Bill

Bullet Bills get fired out of Bill Blasters which are cannon-like objects. Bill is the size of a cannonball but has the shape of a bullet. They also have tiny little white arms on each side of its body. They can be defeated by stomping on them from above.

World 8 Level 4

Bowser

In the last level of World 8, we finally meet the big boss, Bowser. He looks just like the Fake Bowsers unfortunately albeit a little more difficult to beat. He throws hammers non-stop at Mario so you will have to dodge them to conquer Bowser.