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Mario's Guinness Records: 2026 Roll of Honor

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ListGuinness World RecordsRecords

907.7 million units sold: no other franchise comes close. This 2026 rundown gathers the saga's officially ratified records: best-selling franchise in history, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and its 67.35 million copies as of December 31, 2024, the Super Mario Bros. speedrun completed in 4 min 54.365 s by LeKukie on June 2, 2026, and Super Mario 64 as the most speedrun game ever.

Since his debut in 1981 in the arcade cabinet Donkey Kong, Mario hasn't only stomped Goombas: he has blown up the counters of the Guinness World Records book. Best-selling franchise in history, most speedrun game, monumental fan collection... Nintendo's plumber is quite simply one of the most decorated characters in video games.

Here is the complete, up-to-date rundown (2025-2026) of the records officially ratified by Guinness World Records, with the exact figures and their dates. Buckle up, this moves fast.

Contents

Mario, the best-selling video game franchise in the world

This is THE record nobody disputes: the title of best-selling video game franchise in history. Adding up all the Super Mario games and their spin-offs, Guinness counts at least 907.7 million units sold (figure released in early 2026). No other franchise comes close to that total: not Tetris, not Pokémon, not Call of Duty.

Mario also holds the record for the best-selling video game character, with a combined total of 807.62 million units for the games he headlines (as of December 31, 2024). And when it comes to sheer omnipresence, he takes the title of most prolific video game character: Guinness counts 255 distinct titles (as of April 30, 2025), a figure that climbs to 429 if you count every re-release and console version.

His arch-rival isn't far behind: Bowser holds the record for the most prolific video game villain, with 132 ratified appearances.

Super Mario Bros.: the most optimized speedrun in history

The first Super Mario Bros. (1985) has become the ultimate playground for speedrunners, those players who try to finish a game as fast as humanly possible. The ratified record in the Any% category (finishing the game by any means) stands at 4 minutes 54.365 seconds, set by LeKukie on June 2, 2026.

That time dethroned averge11 (4 min 54.415 s, December 2025), who had himself beaten the famous Niftski. The feat is dizzying: the game's theoretical perfect run would sit at around 4 min 54.265 s, barely a handful of milliseconds faster. In other words, the community is now brushing against mathematical perfection, with each new record shaving only a few frames off the last.

NES box art for Super Mario Bros., Mario running against a black background
The 1985 game alone accounts for half of the ratified Mario records.

Super Mario 64, the most speedrun game of all time

While Super Mario Bros. is the most optimized, it's Super Mario 64 (1996) that is the most speedrun game of all time. According to the data from Speedrun.com validated by Guinness, it totals 49,013 recorded runs (as of June 12, 2025), far ahead of every rival.

The game also sent auctions into a frenzy: a sealed cartridge of Super Mario 64 became the most expensive video game sold at an online auction, going for $1.56 million on July 11, 2021. Enough to make you handle your old N64 cartridge with a little more respect.

Sales records: Mario Kart leads the race

The best-selling Mario game is neither a platformer nor a 3D entry: it's Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017) on Nintendo Switch, with 67.35 million copies as of December 31, 2024. It dethroned the original Super Mario Bros., which had reigned for roughly three decades with 40.24 million copies.

The successor is already here: Mario Kart World, launched alongside the Switch 2 in June 2025, has established itself as the best-selling game on Switch 2, with 14.03 million units in its very first months.

Finally, a pioneer's record: Donkey Kong (1981), where Mario made his debut under the name "Jumpman", is recognized as the first platform game in history.

Cinema and reviews: Mario is a hit off-console too

In 2023, The Super Mario Bros. Movie took the record for the highest-grossing film based on a video game, passing $1.3 billion at the worldwide box office. A smash hit that finally buried the cursed reputation of video game movie adaptations.

Mario was already a pioneer on the big screen, in fact: the anime Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach! (July 20, 1986, Japan) is considered the first film based on a video game.

On the critical side, Super Mario Galaxy (2007) remains the highest-rated Mario game, with a score of 97 out of 100 on the aggregator Metacritic, one of the highest scores ever handed to a game.

When fans make it into the Guinness book too

Mario's records aren't Nintendo's alone. Japan's Mitsugu Kikai holds the largest collection of Super Mario memorabilia: 5,441 unique items, counted in Tokyo on July 15, 2010 (an entire room of his apartment is devoted to it).

Other ratified feats:

  • Longest marathon playing the Super Mario series: 60 hours 17 minutes 58 seconds by Audrey Mina (Japan), in May 2025.
  • Largest gathering of people dressed as Mario: 230 participants, in Chifeng (China), on August 18, 2010.
  • Most voiceover performances as the same character: Charles Martinet, the official voice of Mario, with 104 ratified performances, a record that sums up 30 years of "It's-a me, Mario!".

Mario's Guinness records at a glance

Best-selling franchise Mario, 907.7+ million units (2026)
Best-selling Mario game Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, 67.35M (Dec. 31, 2024)
Fastest speedrun (SMB) 4 min 54.365 s, LeKukie (June 2, 2026)
Most speedrun game Super Mario 64, 49,013 runs (June 12, 2025)
Largest fan collection 5,441 items, Mitsugu Kikai (2010)
Highest-grossing video game movie The Super Mario Bros. Movie, $1.3+ billion
Highest-rated Mario game Super Mario Galaxy, 97/100 on Metacritic

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FAQ

  • What is the best-selling video game franchise in the world?
    It's Mario. Adding up all the Super Mario games and their spin-offs, Guinness World Records counts at least 907.7 million units sold (2026 figure), far ahead of any other franchise.
  • Which Mario game has sold the most?
    Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017, Nintendo Switch), with 67.35 million copies as of December 31, 2024. It dethroned the original Super Mario Bros. and its 40.24 million copies.
  • How fast can Super Mario Bros. be finished?
    The ratified Any% speedrun record is 4 minutes 54.365 seconds, set by LeKukie on June 2, 2026. The community is now brushing against the theoretical perfect run.
  • How many games has Mario appeared in?
    Guinness counts 255 distinct titles (as of April 30, 2025), a figure that reaches 429 if you include every re-release and console version. That's the record for the most prolific character.
  • Who owns the largest collection of Mario memorabilia?
    Japan's Mitsugu Kikai, with 5,441 unique items counted in Tokyo on July 15, 2010. An entire room of his apartment is dedicated to his collection.

Beyond the consoles

Films, series, music, theme parks and records: our guide follows Mario everywhere he has stepped outside the games.

🎬 Mario in film and culture →
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