Sarasaland: Princess Daisy's 4 Kingdoms

LocationSarasalandPrincess Daisy

Four lands inspired by four civilisations, and a single appearance. Daisy's home kingdom, revealed by Super Mario Land on Game Boy in 1989, Sarasaland is split into Birabuto, Muda, Easton and Chai. This guide covers Tatanga's invasion, the sequences at the controls of the Marine Pop and the Sky Pop, and where the kingdom's name comes from.

In the Mario universe, everyone knows the Mushroom Kingdom of Princess Peach. But another land, far more obscure, has existed since 1989: Sarasaland (Sarasaland in English), the home kingdom of Princess Daisy.

The setting of the very first Mario game on Game Boy, this country made up of four wonderfully exotic lands has nevertheless been explored only once. A dive into one of the most mysterious places in the saga, between pyramids, stone statues and an alien invasion.

Contents

• Princess Daisy's home kingdom
• Birabuto, Muda, Easton, Chai: four lands
• Tatanga's invasion
• Marine Pop and Sky Pop: Mario at the controls
• Where does the name Sarasaland come from?
• A kingdom rarely revisited
• Quick recap
• FAQ

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Princess Daisy's home kingdom

When you think of the lands of the Mario universe, the Mushroom Kingdom springs to mind straight away. Yet as early as 1989, Nintendo was dreaming up another land just as exotic: Sarasaland. This kingdom is the setting of Super Mario Land, the very first Mario game released on Game Boy (April 1989 in Japan, September 1990 in Europe).

Above all, Sarasaland is the homeland of Princess Daisy, who makes her grand debut in the series here. Unlike Princess Peach, ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, Daisy reigns over this faraway country made up of four very different lands. It is also the only time Sarasaland takes centre stage: afterwards, the kingdom would practically never be revisited.

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Birabuto, Muda, Easton, Chai: four lands

Sarasaland's great originality lies in its geography: the country brings together four kingdoms with radically contrasting moods, each one matching a world in the game and inspired by a very real setting:

• Birabuto: a desert straight out of ancient Egypt, bristling with pyramids and sphinxes, whose boss is Totomesu (King Totomesu).
• Muda: an aquatic kingdom inspired by Bermuda, where water rules and the sea dragon Dragonzamasu keeps watch.
• Easton: a land of stone covered in statues recalling the moai of Easter Island, guarded by the colossal Hiyoihoi.
• Chai: a lush Asian-inspired land, a China out of legend, watched over by the cloud Biokinton.

This variety of landscapes turned Super Mario Land into a genuine miniature trip around the world, quite a feat for a simple Game Boy cartridge.

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Tatanga's invasion

Sarasaland's peace is shattered by the arrival of Tatanga, a mysterious alien. Thanks to a strange power, he hypnotises the inhabitants of the four kingdoms and takes control of the country, before kidnapping Princess Daisy, whom he intends to marry by force.

One notable detail: it is not Luigi but Mario who rushes to Daisy's rescue. The plumber crosses Birabuto, Muda, Easton and then Chai in turn, facing a boss at the end of each kingdom before reaching Tatanga himself. This is a long way from the usual plot where Bowser kidnaps Peach: here, neither Bowser nor Peach is part of the story.

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Marine Pop and Sky Pop: Mario at the controls

Super Mario Land also marks a first for the saga: it is the game where Mario takes the controls of vehicles. Two levels drop the classic platforming to turn into shooting stages (shoot'em up):

• In the kingdom of Muda, Mario pilots the submarine Marine Pop and fires torpedoes at the aquatic enemies.
• In the kingdom of Chai, during the final level, he climbs aboard the plane Sky Pop to take on Tatanga and his ship head-on.

These sequences gave an unexpected rhythm to the adventure and already hinted at the series' taste for varied mechanics.

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Where does the name Sarasaland come from?

The name of this exotic country is no accident. Sarasaland (サラサ・ランド, Sarasa Rando in Japanese) takes its name from the sarasa, a cotton fabric printed with colourful, often floral patterns, popularised in Japan during the Edo period. The name thus evokes a "many-coloured" country, made of several kingdoms in contrasting shades, like the patterns on a length of cloth.

This floral theme echoes the name Daisy (the English name of the little white flower), a princess with a flower for an emblem. Right down to its name, Sarasaland is conceived as the flowered kingdom of its ruler.

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A kingdom rarely revisited

For all its charm, Sarasaland has remained a virtually one-off setting. After Super Mario Land, the kingdom has never again served as a main playground and now shows up only through rare nods, notably in certain microgames of WarioWare or on character profiles.

Princess Daisy, on the other hand, has had a very different fate: absent for years, she came back into the spotlight from Mario Tennis (2000) onwards and has since been a regular in sports, kart and party games. Her home kingdom, though, remains one of the most mysterious and endearing places in the Mario universe.

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Sarasaland at a glance

French name	Sarasaland
English name	Sarasaland
Japanese name	サラサ・ランド (Sarasa Rando)
First appearance	Super Mario Land (Game Boy, 1989 in Japan)
Type	Kingdom / country of the Mario universe
Ruler	Princess Daisy
Four regions	Birabuto, Muda, Easton, Chai
Antagonist	Tatanga

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FAQ

• Who is the princess of Sarasaland?
  Sarasaland is the kingdom of Princess Daisy, who makes her debut there in Super Mario Land (1989). She is its ruler.
• Which game does Sarasaland appear in?
  Sarasaland is the setting of Super Mario Land, released on Game Boy in 1989 in Japan (1990 in Europe). It is its only major appearance.
• What are the four regions of Sarasaland?
  The country splits into four kingdoms: Birabuto (desert), Muda (aquatic), Easton (stone statues) and Chai (Asian-inspired).
• Who kidnaps Daisy in Super Mario Land?
  It is Tatanga, an alien, who hypnotises the inhabitants, invades Sarasaland and kidnaps Princess Daisy. Mario is the one who sets out to free her.
• What does the name Sarasaland mean?
  The name comes from "sarasa", a cotton fabric printed with colourful patterns popularised in Japan, echoing the four many-coloured kingdoms and Daisy's floral theme.

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