This article is about the term that refers to when a game ends. For the musical themes that share the same name, seeGame Over (theme).

LINE sticker portrayingMario's defeat with an emergingBoo Mario

“Peach... Noble princess, pure of heart... Do you takeBowser to be your lawfully wedded husband 'til your game be over?”

—Count Bleck,Super Paper Mario

"Game Over" is a message used in video games when the player has run out of lives or chances, or when players complete a game. However, nonstandard Game Overs are sometimes used to punish specific mistakes. The Game Over screen differs from game to game, but the text is usually set against a blank screen. After a Game Over, the player is typically given an option to restart the game from the last save point. However, many games from earlierhardware generations lack saving functionality, requiring the games to be restarted from the beginning.

In theSuper Mario franchise, the "Game Over" message has seen several variations, and it has even been used in-universe as a euphemism for death, most particularly inSuper Paper Mario.

Super Mario Odyssey and theBowser's Fury campaign ofSuper Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury are the only games in theSuper Mario series thus far not to include a Game Over, as there are no lives or1-Up Mushrooms in the games, with typical life-loss being replaced by a 10- and 50-coin deduction, respectively.Donkey Kong Bananza follows the same design, causingDonkey Kong to lose 10% of hisgold (up to 500 gold in Normal Mode and 100 gold in Assist Mode) after losing all of his health.

History[edit]

Super Mario series[edit]

Super Mario Bros.[edit]

InSuper Mario Bros., when the player runs out of lives, thelevel turns into a black background with the words "GAME OVER" (as well as the name of the character who received the Game Over in multiplayer mode, eitherMario orLuigi), while the HUD is still present; after the Game Over, the player is sent back to the title screen, where they have to start over from the beginning atWorld 1-1. If Mario or Luigitimes out on his last life, "TIME UP" appears first while theGame Over music plays; the player can try again from the beginning of theworld they lost in at the title screen by holding down and then pressing.

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels[edit]

InSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, the Game Over screen has "GAME OVER", as well as the choices "CONTINUE" and "RETRY", which has the player either restart at the first level of the world they lost a life on or otherwise restart the game. If the player runs out of lives inWorld 9, the Game Over screen looks different. Instead of the usual choices "CONTINUE" and "RETRY", under the words that say "GAME OVER", there is a message that reads: "YOU'RE A SUPER PLAYER! WE HOPE WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN. MARIO AND STAFF."

Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]

InSuper Mario Bros. 2, the Game Over screen just depicts the words "GAME OVER" in a black background. After the Game Over music has played, the text changes into two choices, reading "CONTINUE" and "RETRY". If the player chooses "CONTINUE", the game will resume from the beginning of the world, but if the player chooses "RETRY", the game will return to the title screen. Also, the player can use only twocontinues (this is depicted by the number of continues remaining on the Continue screen); the third Game Over shows only "RETRY" on the screen after the Game Over music has played. In all later versions, the player has an unlimited number of continues; also, the player can save the game with two choices replacing "RETRY": "SAVE & CONTINUE" and "SAVE & QUIT".

Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]

InSuper Mario Bros. 3, receiving a Game Over returns the player to the map, while a light-blue rectangle appears with the words "GAME OVER!" and a "dead" Mario or Luigi to the left of the two choices, "CONTINUE" and "END". If the player chooses to continue, Mario is sent back to the beginning of the world, and all cleared levels,Toad Houses, andSpade Panels are reset to as if they were incomplete, thoughfortresses,Enemy Courses, and locked doors remain completed/unlocked; the player's life counter resets to four lives (five usable lives), the player's score resets to zero, and the player loses all of their end-of-levelcards. Ending the game either sends the player back to the title screen in single-player mode or allows the other player to continue alone in multiplayer mode.

Super Mario Land series[edit]

InSuper Mario Land, all enemies disappear and "GAME OVER" appears from the bottom of the screen. If the player earned 100,000 points or more upon receiving a Game Over, they can use a continue to restart from the level in which they obtained the Game Over. InSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, a Game Over sign appears at the top of the screen, and the player loses all theGolden Coins they earned in the game. After the player waits for two minutes, "Totakeke's theme", a commonEaster egg found in video games involvingKazumi Totaka, starts to play. InWario Land: Super Mario Land 3, the player loses one of their pieces of treasure, or half their cash if they do not have any treasure.

Super Mario World[edit]

InSuper Mario World, the Game Over screen (also formatted asGame-Over screen)^[1] has the words "GAME OVER" colored yellow appear from either side of the screen in front of a black background and join at the center. The player is then given a choice of either "CONTINUE" or "QUIT"; otherwise, the game goes back to the title screen.

Super Mario All-Stars[edit]

InSuper Mario All-Stars, a Game Over means the player will restart from theworld they lost in (however, inSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, a Game Over means the player will restart only thelevel they were playing). Regardless of which game is being played, the player has unlimited continues and three choices: "CONTINUE", "SAVE & CONTINUE", and "SAVE & QUIT" (the only exception is when one player gets a Game Over in two-player mode, in which only two choices are present: "CONTINUE" and "QUIT", the latter choice dropping them out for the remainder of the session). InSuper Mario Bros. andSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, a Game Over sign appears at the top of the screen, and a pixel art of the character who got the Game Over also appears (in two-player mode, their name is also seen). InSuper Mario Bros. 2, a Game Over sign appears withBirdo in it, with the design similar to that of the title screen. This screen also appears forwarping, but it instead says "WARP" and the world number that the player is going to. If played inSuper Mario Bros. 3, the Game Over screen shows a blue rectangular box with a "dead"Mario orLuigi in between the "GAME OVER" words, rather than at the left like in the NES version.

Super Mario Advance series[edit]

TheSuper Mario Advance series basically shares the same screens as the original games (in the case ofSuper Mario Advance 2 andSuper Mario Advance 3) and theSuper Mario All-Stars games (in the case ofSuper Mario Advance andSuper Mario Advance 4). However, the first game shows the player's world and score when they received the Game Over, and pressing or gives them the same options as in theAll-Stars version. Unlike thefirst game's NES version and SNES version, this game restarts on the level where the player got a Game Over. The second game does not return the player to the title screen in a Game Over, regardless if the player saves or not. The third game appears to function the same way as theoriginal game. The fourth game displays a yellow "GAME OVER" with a "dead" Mario/Luigi sprite between the words on a black screen before the original screen appears on the map. However, as in thefourth game's NES version, only two choices are given: "CONTINUE" and "QUIT" (though the levels that were cleared are not set back to incomplete).

Super Mario 64[edit]

InSuper Mario 64, when Mario gets a Game Over, the player returns to the Title Screen (with any unsaved progress lost), except the background is red and reads "Game Over". A piece of "Main Theme" plays, slowly decreasing in pitch, andMario's face looks worn out as he announces that the game is over. The screen then reverts to the regular Title Screen with Mario smiling as the main-menu music plays and rises back to its normal pitch.

Super Mario Sunshine[edit]

InSuper Mario Sunshine, the Game Over graphic follows the "TOO BAD!" sequence if Mario loses his last life with a small transitional animation, which is later recycled inSuper Mario Galaxy andSuper Mario Galaxy 2 in a much faster manner (in the German version, the "TOO BAD!" graphic says "ARRIVEDERCI", Italian for "goodbye"; in the Japanese and Korean version, however, it says "MISS!" instead); additionally, the music that plays combines the regular life-loss and Game Over themes fromSuper Mario Bros., transposed intoA major with the former's first measure transitioning into the entire version of the latter. Mario also says something, such as"The horror!","Arrivederci!", or simply"Mamma mia!" The Game Over graphic is red. Following the Game Over, the player is asked to either continue from the last save point or return to the title screen. Continuing results in Mario abruptly returning toDelfino Plaza with his life counter reset to three.

Super Mario 64 DS[edit]

InSuper Mario 64 DS, Mario's face does not appear on the Game Over screen. Also, the background is a dark-gray gradient instead of red and without text reading "Game Over". Instead, the purple words "GAME OVER" slide into place from either side of the top screen, similarly toSuper Mario World, though in the samefont as the title uses.

In theToad'sRec Room minigames, the Game Over screen appears with wiggling purple letters right after a game ends, except in games where a different scenario occurs.

New Super Mario Bros.[edit]

InNew Super Mario Bros., the Game Over sign appears in pale blue and drops from the top of the screen, with the word "Over" appearing first. After the music has played, the player is given an option to continue or quit. This is the only game in theNew Super Mario Bros. subseries that has a unique Game Over fanfare, as the other three games share the same fanfare.

Game Overs can also appear duringminigames, like inSuper Mario 64 DS. However, the characters are now lowercase. In the NTSC version, the text wiggles just as it did in all versions ofSuper Mario 64 DS.

Minigames that do not have the "Game Over" text:

• Snowball Slalom (instead has the "Time's up" text)
• Lakitu Launch
• Whack-a-Monty
• Coincentration
• Sort or 'Splode
• Bob-omb Squad

Super Mario Galaxy /Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]

Super Mario Galaxy andSuper Mario Galaxy 2 share almost the same Game Over look withSuper Mario Sunshine; ifMario/Luigi loses his last life, the Game Over graphic shows instead of the "TOO BAD!" sequence (or "MISS!" in the Asian versions). There is an exception: If the player gets a Game Over because of losing toCosmic Mario in the first game, the "YOU LOSE" sign appears as usual before the Game Over graphic appears. Particularly, if the player gets a Game Over another way, such as losing to thepenguins in theSea Slide Galaxy or theSpooky Speedster in theGhostly Galaxy orBoo's Boneyard Galaxy in the first game, or failingThe Chimp's challenges he requested viamail in the second game, Mario does his normal death animation instead of the one exclusive to such deaths; however, said exclusive death animation is still used in the aforementioned losing a race to Cosmic Mario, as well as getting a Game Over through timing out inSpeedy Comet or timedPurple Comet missions. The Game Over graphic is purple inSuper Mario Galaxy and yellow inSuper Mario Galaxy 2, and in the former, the text is squeezed. DuringGreen Star missions inSuper Mario Galaxy 2, the background is green instead of black. Upon getting a Game Over in the first game, the player is asked to save before going back to the title screen, whereas in the second game, the player returns toStarship Mario. This also applies to running out of time in some missions, but the screen does not say "Time's up".

New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]

InNew Super Mario Bros. Wii, the Game Over screen appears before theContinue screen, and the words "GAME OVER!" drop from below in a puff of smoke. In multiplayer, if some (but not all) players get a Game Over, no Game Overs appear; instead, the Continue screen appears after the player(s) return(s) to theworld map but before they select alevel. No matter who was being used, only Mario can be heard crying when a Game Over is received.^[2] On the Continue screen, after their life counters are reset to five lives, Mario says,"Here we go again!"; Luigi says,"I'm-a back!";Yellow Toad mimics a fanfare-like sound; andBlue Toad shouts,"Woohoohoo!"

Super Mario 3D Land[edit]

InSuper Mario 3D Land, there is a yellow background, and Mario or Luigi falls onto the ground, depressed, after which a red Game Over sign appears. If the player selects "Quit" on the Touch Screen, the game saves its progress and returns the player to the title screen, but if the player selects "Continue", Mario or Luigi happily runs away. After this, he goes to the Hint Room, with a special power-up and a Toad explaining a basic use of the power-up to Mario, but only in the normal worlds, excluding the second half ofWorld 8.

New Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]

InNew Super Mario Bros. 2, the Game Over screen is similar to the Game Over screen fromNew Super Mario Bros. Wii, except that the Game Over sign drops down one letter at a time, starting with "G" colored in red, and that there is a lack of the puff of smoke. There is also no exclamation point. Additionally, Mario does not cry when receiving a Game Over, and he and Luigi do not say anything when accepting to continue.

New Super Mario Bros. U /New Super Luigi U /New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe[edit]

InNew Super Mario Bros. U,New Super Luigi U, andNew Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, just like in previous games, the Game Over screen appears just before the Continue screen, except this time the words "GAME OVER!" appear in purple. In multiplayer, if some (but not all) players get a Game Over, no "GAME OVER" signs appear at all; instead, the Continue screen appears before returning to the world map, and any eliminated player has their life counter reset to five lives. A "GAME OVER" sign also appears if the player failsBoost Rush.

The Game Over animation is different inNew Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, appearing letter by letter. The Continue screen is also different: The continue count is white with a black outline instead of purple, purple smoke no longer appears every time the player continues, and some sound effects were changed.

Super Mario 3D World /Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[edit]

Super Mario 3D World andSuper Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury have the same Game Over screen and concept asSuper Mario 3D Land, except it has a red background with a brown Game Over sign, and selecting "Continue" causes all Toad Houses andLucky Houses to reopen. Like in previous games, when "Quit" is selected, the player is sent back to the title screen. In multiplayer, if a course is cleared when players are out on their last lives, no Game Overs happen; all players out are revived when returning to the world map, and the life counter increases by five for each eliminated player in the level. When getting a Game Over, Mario sighs and says,"Mamma mia..."; Luigi groans,"No, nooo! Oh...";Peach sadly says,"Aww, whomp whomp wa...";Rosalina moans,"Oh, no..."; andToad makes a "why"-like screech. When continuing after a Game Over, Mario says,"All right!"; Luigi says,"C'mon!"; Peach says,"It's on!"; Rosalina says,"Never give up!"; and Toad laughs happily.

Super Mario Maker[edit]

InSuper Mario Maker, if the player loses all of their lives in either the 10 Mario Challenge or the 100 Mario Challenge, the Game Over screen appears, depicting a black screen with Mario's death sprite in the middle, which drops down from the top of the screen with the letters of the words "GAME OVER" also dropping into place above, written in purple. Both the music and Mario's sprite are taken fromSuper Mario Bros., regardless of what game theme the current level was using when the player lost their last life. The hidden minigameGnat Attack also has its own Game Over screen if the player runs out of time; the HUD and all enemies disappear while the same letters of the words "GAME OVER" drop into place. The player is then given an option to retry or quit.

Super Mario Maker 2[edit]

InSuper Mario Maker 2, if the player loses all their lives in the Endless Challenge mode or the World Maker mode, the Game Over screen appears. The Game Over screen is similar to its appearance in the previous game, though it lacks any sprites; the "Game Over" theme played matches that of the game style used by the last played stage. In Story Mode, if the player loses all their lives, a similar screen is depicted, saying "TOO BAD..." rather than "GAME OVER"; this is followed by Luigi offering assistance with three choices:

• Give up: Mario returns to the hub world without receiving a payment, and the failed job is temporarily unavailable.
• Try Again: The player is able to restart the level from the beginning.
• Call Luigi: Luigi comes and finishes the job for the player after saying,"Oh, ya! Luigi time!" and running across the screen.

As Luigi is playable in the Endless Challenge mode, he cannot assist the player if they receive a Game Over in that mode.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder[edit]

InSuper Mario Bros. Wonder, if the player loses their last life, text reading "Too bad!" appears ("Miss" in the Japanese and Korean version),Bowser'semblem closes out the screen while his laugh can be heard (with "Gwahahaha..." appearing onscreen), and the Game Over screen appears. The player loses 25% of theirflower coins as a penalty (up to 50 flower coins) and is sent back to the world map.Prince Florian then gives the player five1-Up Mushrooms.

Mario Kart series[edit]

InSuper Mario Kart, if the player runs out of chances to retry the race, a white Game Over sign with a bubbly font bounces onto the screen and the screen darkens. One player can lose all chances and get a Game Over while the other continues with chances left. If no players can continue, the game returns to the title screen and the player must restart the cup from the beginning. If the player finishes acup in fourth place or below, a "TRY AGAIN" screen that reads the following appears:

"[X]cc [name of cup] CUP RACE
[Character's name] CAME IN [X]TH PLACE.
TRY AGAIN."

Starting inMario Kart 64, with the exception ofMario Kart: Super Circuit, there are unlimited chances, so Game Overs occur only if the player finishes a cup in fourth place or below in the Grand Prix mode (these Game Overs do not have the usual "Game Over" text), although inMario Kart 64, the player must retry the race if the player finishes fifth or lower on a track. If the player loses all chances inMario Kart: Super Circuit, the Game Over sign appears in blue text, while the same results screen music plays. Also, when playing in the 2 Player Grand Prix mode inMario Kart: Super Circuit, neither player loses a chance if one player finishes fourth or higher. InSuper Mario Kart, the text that displays when the player finishes in fifth place or below reads "RANKED OUT" in the same bubbly font as the Game Over sign, although it is red. FromMario Kart 64 onwards, the messages for placing fourth or lower in a cup are as follows:

• Mario Kart 64: "What a pity! You placed [x]th. Maybe next time!"
• Mario Kart: Super Circuit: "Too bad!"
• Mario Kart: Double Dash!! andMario Kart DS: "Now Try For ATrophy!"
• Mario Kart Wii: "Better luck next time!" (in all caps in the British English version)
• Mario Kart 7,Mario Kart 8 /Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, andMario Kart World: "Nice Try!" ("Too Bad!" in the British English version ofMario Kart 7 and in non-English versions ofMario Kart 8 onwards)

Versus modes pastMario Kart DS can also yield a Game Over screen but with certain exceptions:

• Mario Kart DS: "Defeat! Victory goes to [first-place player's name]." In the Team mode, the winning team is shown on the top screen. It says "Tie" if all players are placed first, or if both teams have the same score in the Team mode.
• Mario Kart Wii: "The [color] team lost." In the British English version, it displays "The [color] team loses!" In case of a tie in a Team race, it says "Tie" in green ("Draw" in the British English version). In the case of finishing a friend GP, all results text (except the text relating to the player's team) shares the same color as when finishing a GP in the top three.
• In the Team mode inMario Kart 7, the "Nice Try!", "Too Bad!", or "Congratulations!" text changes color to the player's selected team.
• In the Team mode inMario Kart 8, it always shows "Congratulations!" regardless if the player is on the winning team or not, unless it ended in a draw.

In theMario Kart Arcade GP subseries, the Game Over screen appears once the player chooses not to continue. Many international cabinets ofMario Kart Arcade GP DX do not have continues; at the end of these races, the Game Over screen appears.Timing out in a race may also result in a Game Over. This can also occur in a multiplayer race when 15 seconds pass after the first-place player finishes. If the player times out, "Time Up!" shows up, except inDX andVR, where the screen says "Time's Up" instead.^[3]

Donkey Kong franchise[edit]

Donkey Kong Country[edit]

InDonkey Kong Country, against a black background,Donkey Kong andDiddy Kong are shown to be injured, with bandages on their faces. Donkey Kong covers his face, while Diddy has a bruised right eye and is holding the right side of his face in pain. The "Game Over" text is in the same stylized wooden font as the "Country" portion of the game's logo on the title screen. A funeral dirge plays, after which the screen stays until a button is pressed.

This also carries over to the game'sGame Boy Color andGame Boy Advance versions, along with slight modifications each time. The Game Over screen in theGame Boy Color version plays a different music track—a slowed-down version of part of "DK Island Swing".

In the2003 Game Boy Advance port, the background is instead an overhead view of a foggy jungle, and Donkey Kong has a bandage on his chest instead of his chin. Unlike in the original game, the Game Over screen fades away when the music ends in this version.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest[edit]

InDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, the Game Over text (styled like theDonkey Kong logo this time) slowly descends toward an image of Diddy Kong andDixie Kong appearing tied to each other in a dark cell, with Diddy looking out the window in fear (alongside having aNeek near his left leg) and Dixie looking away in sadness. The entire image then turns crimson-red as the music winds down.

The background image can also be seen in error and anti-piracy screens in the game.

In the2004 Game Boy Advance port, the entire screen has a purple tint (alongside the Game Over text having a slight pink hue), the animation is much slower, and the background image does not change to red as the music winds down. Instead, the option to save the game is shown.

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble![edit]

InDonkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, the Game Over screen consists of an image of Dixie Kong andKiddy Kong inside a crib within a dark room, with Kiddy having a distressed face in closeup and Dixie sulking sadly with her arms crossed, which is shown after an off-screen door opens up. On the bottom of the picture, the "GAME OVER" text is shown, this time spelled in toy blocks which bounce along the notes of the Game Over jingle. After the jingle has ended, the player can press buttons to make music with the blocks. When the button is pressed or if the player does not touch any buttons for a few seconds, the door shuts to a black background.

As withDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, this Game Over screen is shown in anti-piracy and error screens.

The2005 Game Boy Advance port reuses this Game Over screen, but the blocks have different colors, the background image is brighter and the music is instead a music box rendition of "Theme" fromDonkey Kong Country. There is also no door opening/closing animation and the blocks cannot be interacted with.

Donkey Kong 64[edit]

Unlike previous games, becauseDonkey Kong 64 has infinite lives, there are two unique ways to get a Game Over: either choosing "Quit" in the pause menu (similar to Rareware's other gameBanjo-Kazooie), or failing to shut down the machine's generator inHideout Helm before the time limit expires. This time, instead of a simple picture, a brief cinematic plays, which showsKing K. Rool laughing maniacally at theKong crew before aiming theBlast-o-Matic atDonkey Kong Island. He then realizes he forgot to press the button to activate it, does so, and resumes laughing, as the Blast-o-Matic aims for Donkey Kong Island, charged up. While this happens, the "GAME OVER" text (using the sameDonkey Kong font as the one fromDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest, albeit now entirely yellow) zooms in and fades away. The scene then fades out when the Blast-o-Matic is about to fire.

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat[edit]

InDonkey Kong Jungle Beat, if Donkey Kong runs out of health, the barrel on the top of the screen breaks as the screen's colors are inverted, which then leads to Donkey Kong falling into a black void as leaf curtains close out the screen. Orange Game Over text then fades onscreen.

DK: King of Swing[edit]

InDK: King of Swing, the Game Over screen shows Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong in a blue jungle, disappointed, with the Game Over sign in red with yellow outlines. Selecting "Try Again" makes either Kong happy, while selecting "Quit" makes either Kong redo his death animation as he falls off the screen, then the player is sent back to the title screen.

DK: Jungle Climber[edit]

InDK: Jungle Climber, the Game Over screen has a black and gray background with Donkey Kong looking down, depressed, and shaking his head with the Game Over text using the same colors as inDK: King of Swing. If the player chooses to continue, the background will change to cycle between being orange and yellow as Donkey Kong rapidly pounds his chest while roaring. Choosing to quit the game simply causes the screen to fade to black before returning to the title screen.

Donkey Kong Country Returns /3D /HD[edit]

InDonkey Kong Country Returns,its Nintendo 3DS port, andits Nintendo Switch port, the Game Over screen features the Kongs landing on the floor with a spotlight shining over them against a black background; they look down, disappointed and frustrated. The music that plays on the screen is an arrangement of the Game Over theme fromDonkey Kong Country. Continuing the game makes the Kongs jump up in triumph, followed by returning to the world map, where fourRed Balloons are then replenished. Quitting instead makes the Kongs upset and takes the player to the title screen. Selecting the save file the player previously got a Game Over on greets them withCranky Kong via a message window, who offers the Kongs four Red Balloons as a "gift" for help. In two-player mode, the players receive three Red Balloons instead of four.^[4]

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze[edit]

Reentering a save file after a Game Over in theWii U version ofDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Nintendo Switch version

InDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze andits Nintendo Switch port, the Game Over screen shows the Kongs trapped in a solid ice block, guarded by twoPainguin Tucks. The Kongs look around fearfully while the two Painguin Tucks repress them with their spears. Choosing to continue the game makes the Kongs suddenly break out of the ice cube, scaring the Painguin Tucks away. A loading screen commences, leading to theworld map, where the Kongs are replenished with four Red Balloons. However, if the player chooses to quit the game while on the Game Over screen, the Painguin Tucks will jump in the air, rejoicing, as the Kongs look down, despondent. If the player selects the same save file afterwards, they will be greeted byFunky Kong via a message window, stating that he offers four Red Balloons "on the house" to help them continue their gameplay.

The presence of any of Donkey Kong's partners within the ice cube depends on who accompanied him while the player lost their last life during gameplay. OnHard Mode, only the Kong that was played as when the last life was lost appears inside the ice cube.

Yoshi series[edit]

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island[edit]

InSuper Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, the Game Over screen has the words "GAME OVER" as pre-rendered 3D graphics on a black background. The game then asks "Would you like to continue?" with "Yes" restarting the current stage the player was in and "No" sending the player back to the world map.

Yoshi's Island DS[edit]

InYoshi's Island DS, the Game Over screen has the words "Game Over" in orange and in a thought bubble with a white background. The game then asks "Continue?" with the same options as in the first game.

Yoshi's New Island[edit]

InYoshi's New Island, the Game Over screen showsYoshi disappointed underneath a spotlight. The background is black, and the words "GAME OVER" are in red. The game then asks "Keep playing" with the same options as in the first game.

Yoshi's Crafted World[edit]

InYoshi's Crafted World, the Game Over screen has a purple background, and inside the board that resembles the text box in theYoshi's Island subseries are a disappointed Yoshi, a flower without petals (resembling theSmile Meter fromYoshi's Story), and the words "GAME OVER" in white. The game then asks either "Retry" or "Back to World Map", both options being placed in teal labels.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars[edit]

InSuper Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, a Game Over happens only during a battle when the party runs out ofHP and isdowned. The message "Game over...!" appears on the top of the screen with the music slowing down in speed and pitch. If a save is present, the game returns to the last location where theSave Block was used, retaining only theExperience Points obtained from previous battles for the party. Otherwise, the game goes to the file-selection screen. In theNintendo Switch remake, the screen fades to black after a Game Over happens, with the exception of the player. Additionally, the text now reads, "Game over!" without the ellipsis, and aToad provides a gameplay tip afterward.

There are some exceptions after the player gets a Game Over in battle, in which case the party is revived with one HP and can continue on the spot:

• Losing toApprentice inBooster Pass
• Losing toJagger orJinx inMonstro Town
• Losing in one of the two battle courses ofthe Trial Course inBowser's Keep

Mario Party series[edit]

In theMario Party series, the first three games,Mario Party Advance, theNintendo 3DS installments (Mario Party: Island Tour,Mario Party: Star Rush, andMario Party: The Top 100), andSuper Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV make use of Game Overs. InMario Party andMario Party 2, getting a Game Over is possible only if the player runs out of lives inMini-Game Island/Mini-Game Coaster, while inAdvance, a Game Over occurs if the player runs out of mushrooms. The criteria for a Game Over in the 3DS games are as follows:

• InIsland Tour, when the player fails aminigame inBowser's Tower, the player does a fourth-place animation under a golden yellow spotlight with a red Game Over sign. If the player chooses "Continue", they continue from the point where they failed the minigame. If the player chooses "Quit", they return to the selection screen.
• InStar Rush, this occurs when the player touches anAmp in the Challenge Tower. The Game Over sign is in orange.
• InThe Top 100, this occurs when the player loses all their lives in the Minigame Island. The Game Over sign is in purple.

InMario Party 3, one can get a Game Over in an Item minigame if eitherBaby Bowser or nothing is received. In the Japanese version of the game, however, "Miss!" is used instead.

InMario Party 9, while it does not feature a standard Game Over screen, a unique Game Over appears in the Solo mode. IfShy Guy orKamek/Magikoopa wins, they take all of theMini Stars, and the player's character does their fourth-place animation. After that, a selection screen appears with the choices "Restart Stage" and "Back to Main Menu".

InJamboree TV, this occurs when the duo/team runs out of time in the Carnival Coaster mode. The Game Over sign is white, and the screen usually fades to black; if this occurs on the Trial Coaster,Impostor Bowser breathes fire onto the coaster. Afterwards, the coaster returns to the start, and the player characters and the Toads on the coaster do sad animations.

Paper Mario series[edit]

The Game Over screen forPaper Mario

Paper Mario[edit]

InPaper Mario, the Game Over screen depictsMario lying defeated (most commonly), covering his eyes with his cap, looking upwards exhausted, looking shocked, praying, or crouching while holding his cap under a spotlight with the orange words "GAME OVER" which appears in timing with the classicGame Over theme from theSuper Mario franchise. The game then returns the player to the title screen upon receiving a Game Over.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[edit]

Gus inRogueport threatening the player with a Game Over

InPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Game Over screens appear very similar to the one in the previous game, with Mario still lying lifeless on the floor, albeit with an enhanced color scheme and the curtains closing and covering him, before coming back to the title screen. In addition, this is one of the first games of theSuper Mario franchise to feature nonstandard Game Overs with five total, including:

• Failing to escape from getting crushed by the spiked ceiling inHooktail Castle within 50 seconds.
• Letting the time bomb go off (after five minutes) inThe Great Tree.
• ReadingGhost T.'sdiary (responding "Oh...sure, what the heck!" three times).
• Getting crushed byDry Bones in thePalace of Shadow (seven seconds without using thehammer).
• Agreeing to serve theShadow Queen (responding "Become her servant.").

In addition, the player can also get a Game Over by touching an overworld hazard with one HP, whereas inPaper Mario, Mario's HP will not go down if it is at one, meaning he could get a Game Over only during a battle.

In theNintendo Switch remake, the Game Over screen is enhanced with the floor having a polka-dot pattern, the text is hung by strings and uses the modern font, and as with the rest of the remake, is now in widescreen. The player can choose to retry the scene, continue from their last save point, or return to the title screen, in addition to having the option to skip the Game Over screen.

Super Paper Mario[edit]

InSuper Paper Mario, the Game Over screen now consists of only the text on a black background while the theme plays. The Game Over is also referenced throughout the game. This occurs once Mario,Luigi,Princess Peach, orBowser loses all HP (or five minutes pass in an enemy room in theFlipside Pit of 100 Trials orFlopside Pit of 100 Trials), and they do a death animation in the overworld. The game retains the nonstandard ways to get Game Overs, including:

• Refusing to answer all three ofMerlon's pleas for help at the beginning of the game before the player can even first take control of Mario (responding "Nah", "I don't wanna!", and "Still no.").
• DecliningTippi's request to wear a helmet inOuter Space (responding "No" five times, then "Yes" three times).
• RefusingQueen Jaydes' request to findLuvbi inThe Underwhere (responding "No" four times).
• Agreeing to team up withDimentio inCastle Bleck (responding "Yes" four times).

"Game Over" as death[edit]

InSuper Paper Mario, a Game Over is the equivalent of death, as extra lives make "death" a mild inconvenience.^[5]

In that game, Dimentio sends Mario and his teammates to "the next world", albeit "while still very much alive",^[6] which is similar to the philosophy of the afterlife. Mario, Luigi, and Bowser end up in The Underwhere, which resembleshell, where someShaydes ask Mario how his "game", referring to his life, was. Also, many Shaydes can be seen discussing how they got a Game Over.The Overthere resemblesheaven, surrounded by clouds, the sun, and rainbows. Princess Peach ends up there.

That said, all the conversations in The Underwhere seem to suggest that Shaydes can request an audience with Queen Jaydes, who will weigh in their sins and send them to The Overthere, submit them to punishments befitting of their crimes, or even return them to the land of the playing if the situation calls it.

The areas of The Underwhere or The Overthere where Jaydes sends the dead people are never clearly shown; all that are seen in The Underwhere are Shaydes that have not yet requested an audience with Jaydes, andD-Men who work for her, while all that are seen in The Overthere areNimbis (andSkellobits that are invading). It is implied that the dead villains are condemned to an area below The Underwhere, whereBonechill was also imprisoned before he escaped. It is possible that the paradise dimension witnessed at the end credits may be an area of The Overthere, though whatNastasia says seems to suggest otherwise.^[7]

One Shayde speculates that if a person dies in The Underwhere or The Overthere while already dead, their aftergame ends and they go to a "post-aftergame".

When Count Bleck was usingThe Void to destroy all worlds, The Void also appeared in The Overthere, indicating that it would even destroy the aftergame. Where all the dead characters (or even all the characters altogether) would have gone following the aftergame's destruction is unknown, thoughLucy, aFlopside resident, speculates that the souls of the deceased would drift about aimlessly.^[8]

Paper Mario: Sticker Star[edit]

InPaper Mario: Sticker Star, the Game Over screen uses a similar concept to the first two games in the series, with Mario lying defeated on the stage, but the spotlight and text are now purple and a different tune is present. The game also retains the presence of unique Game Overs, including:

• Falling inquicksand atDrybake Desert.
• Using a sharp sticker to defeat theBig Cheep Cheep inSurfshine Harbor while not having enoughHP left over.
• Letting the Big Cheep Cheep blow up.
• Getting eaten by theCheep Chomp inLong Fall Falls.
• Performing any of the knownout-of-bounds glitches.

Paper Mario: Color Splash[edit]

InPaper Mario: Color Splash, when Mario is defeated in battle, sixSlurp Guys come in and drain all of his color, resulting in a Game Over. The Game Over screen is similar toSuper Paper Mario's, except it is on a white background, the text is gray, and it reuses the theme from the previous game. Other ways to get it during the game include:

• Getting hit by falling debris inRuddy Road while having less HP remaining.
• Getting crushed byPrincess inMarmalade Valley.
• Falling inlava atKiwano Temple.
• Trying to defeat theSmall Goomba Gang inSacred Forest without aSuper Star.
• Getting Mario's bubble popped by theBig Urchin duringSnifit or Whiffit atCobalt Base (either failing four main rounds or one bonus round, or responding "No" to forfeit the game two times).
• Falling in quicksand atMustard Café.
• Letting theToads in the passenger car inToad Trainworks blow off steam while having 12 HP or less remaining.
• Getting hit by the train inSunset Express.
• Getting caught byDraggadon inRedpepper Volcano.
• Not getting off the conveyor belt inBlack Bowser's Castle, resulting in Mario falling into the black paint bucket.
• Falling in the black paint at Black Bowser's Castle.
• Absorbing too much black paint withHuey during the battle withBlack Bowser.
• Attempting to leave Black Bowser's Castle at the end of the game without repainting Princess Peach.
• Getting crushed by falling debris in Black Bowser's Castle.
• Failing to get on Luigi's kart at the end of the game after one minute 40 seconds.
• Performing any of the knownout-of-bounds glitches.

Additionally, if Mario is defeated by aKoopaling's special move without theThing required to beat them, Huey will appear on the Game Over screen and tell the player to ask theKnow-it-All Toad inPort Prisma for guidance.

Paper Mario: The Origami King[edit]

InPaper Mario: The Origami King, the Game Over screen functions exactly like its predecessors, except the player can choose to continue from their last save point or return to the title screen. In some cases, the player is allowed to retry the scene in which the Game Over screen appeared. The Game Over screen is on a checkered background. Also, nonstandard Game Overs return, including:

• Falling in the firstNot-Bottomless Hole inWhispering Woods too many times, triggering a quote fromOlivia.
• Getting crushed by aFolded SoldierThwomp inOverlook Mountain or during the second phase ofKing Olly's boss fight.^[a]
• Getting crushed by the rolling rock in theEarth Vellumental Temple.
• Hitting any walls or rocks or using Mario's hammer five times while going through theEddy River, causing the boat to break.
• Getting crushed by the walls at the very end of theNinja Attraction.
• Losing the western duel minigame at theBig Sho' Theater.
• Refusing to pay theSnifit running the mood-guessing game inShroom City 1,000coins after losing the game, or losing the game two times.^[b]
• Choosing any of the wrong paths (led byBowser Jr. and Olivia) in the final fork of theSpring of Jungle Mist.
• Getting eaten by thePaper Macho Chain Chomp in the Spring of Jungle Mist.
• LosingShy Guys Finish Last in the first game, with an insufficient number of points.^[b]
• Losing the Sudden Death round inShy Guys Finish Last.
• Jumping onScissors' blades during the battle once they are uncovered, or failing to dodge Scissors, resulting in Mario being shown cut in half.
• Getting hit by thePaper Plane Squadron five times.
• Falling in the lava inHotfoot Crater.
• Getting overrun by thePaper Macho Goombas in Hotfoot Crater.
• Falling down the trapdoor on the return visit toPeach's Castle near the end of the game.
• Falling into the origami pit or getting eaten by the fortune teller hazards inOrigami Castle with 100 HP or less.
• Refusing to hit thePOW Block in time to prevent Bowser from being overthrown by King Olly in the second phase of his boss fight.^[a]
• Failing to un-shuffle theMagic Circle in time in the third and final phase of King Olly's boss fight.^[a]
• Failing to dodge King Olly's final attack when the Magic Circle is fully assembled. Like with Scissors, this also shows Mario being cut in half.^[a]

Footnotes

Super Smash Bros. series[edit]

In theSuper Smash Bros. series, the Game Over screen displays when the player is defeated in the single-player modes, such as Classic Mode. In thefirst game, when the player is defeated in 1P Game, the character dolls fall, and the announcer asks the player if they want to continue or not. Unlike in future games, there are no payments for continuing; instead, the player's score is reduced in half, and one point is added, likely to indicate how many continues are used. If "YES" is selected, the doll regains life, and the game continues; if "NO" is selected or the player does nothing for a few seconds, the screen fades out and the announcer says,"Game over." The Game Over sign is blue.

InSuper Smash Bros. Melee, the character trophy falls into a dark screen, and depending on how many coins the player has, they are asked if they want to continue; otherwise, the game ends instantly with a Game Over, forcing the player to restart the mode if they do not have enough coins to continue. Even if the player gets a Game Over after using every starter character in any single-player mode,Marth is unlocked after the player defeats him.

Notably, if the player gets a Game Over by not having enough coins to continue, the "Continue" sign that regularly plays on the background is hidden while the "Yes" and "No" buttons are already hidden, the continue audio effects do not play, and right after the trophy lands, the Game Over sign plays before "Yes" and "No" appear. Automatic continuation (only when the followingAction Replay codes are used) through the state only reduces the score.

0419EA24 4800001C0019EA43 000000090419EA84 600000000219FC92 00000018

0419F124 4800001C0019F143 000000090419F184 60000000021A0392 00000018

0419F76C 4800001C0019F78B 000000090419F7CC 60000000021A09DA 00000018

041A02CC 4800001C001A02EB 00000009041A032C 60000000021A153A 00000018

Additionally, the game checks for coins before the "Yes" button can be selected; if an Action Replay code is used to force the "Continue?" screen to appear while the player does not have enough coins, it plays an error sound when "Yes" is selected.^[9]

InSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, when the player runs out of lives in the Classic and All-Star modes, the grid-like screen appears, and the player is asked to continue or not. If "YES" is selected, the game continues; if "NO" is selected or if the player does not have enough coins to pay, the player is given a Game Over and forced to restart the mode. The Game Over sign is red. When the player runs out of lives/other fighters in The Subspace Emissary, the characters' trophies are shown in a spotlight falling onto a floor with the Subspace Army insignia on it, and the player is given the options "Get Up", "Back to Map", and "Quit". Selecting "Get Up" allows the player to continue from thestage's last checkpoint, at the cost of all collectibles they collect being halved. Selecting "Back to Map" takes away any collectibles gained in the level and sends the player back to the mode's world map. If "Quit" is selected, the camera pans to a view above the trophies, the spotlight goes out, and the announcer says,"Game over", followed by the game sending the player back to the Solo area of the main menu. In the Boss Battles mode, the player is not given the choice to continue, likely because it is a Stadium game; it automatically cuts to the Game Over screen and shows the number of bosses the player has defeated. Either way, if a continuation is used in this mode, the player is sent back to the character-selection menu.

InSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS andSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U, the Game Over sign appears briefly before the "Continue?" screen, using a blue color. However, unlike in the previous three games, the announcer no longer says,"Game over", during the screen, nor does the jingle fromMelee andBrawl play; instead, the "Continue?" screen jingle plays consistently. In Classic Mode, failure causes some of the player's rewards, including gold, to be lost, and by continuing, the intensity lowers by .5, unless the intensity level is set at 2.0 or below. Additionally, continues are no longer possible in the All-Star mode; the game cuts directly to the results screen and takes the player back to the character-selection screen.

InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, no Game Over sign appears; only the "Continue?" screen does. No cutscene happens, either. In Classic Mode, using a continue no longer causes the current match the player is in to restart; instead, the match begins right where it left off, but the player starts with 0%. Additionally, the Continue system appears to be a mixture of those fromBrawl andfor 3DS /Wii U; the player can spend their Gold to lower the intensity or use a Classic Ticket without lowering the intensity. If the player chooses not to continue or if they do not have enough coins to pay, the player is given a Game Over and forced to restart the mode; if that happens from Stage 3 onward, the Final Results screen is shown as well. In World of Light, however, there are no penalties to continue.

There are also additional failures if the player is unable to complete certain challenges, such as Break the Targets or an Event Match. While not a Game Over by name, the failures act much like one, as the player has to restart the challenge should they choose to retry it.

Luigi's Mansion series[edit]

InLuigi's Mansion,Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, andLuigi's Mansion 3, when a Game Over occurs, instead of the usual "Game Over" text, the screen reads, "Good night!" as ifLuigi has fainted and/or fallen asleep. In the first game, when a Game Over occurs, the player is taken back to the title screen. However, inDark Moon, the player is asked if they want to restart from the beginning of the mission or return to theBunker. In the third game, after Luigi faints, the screen fades to black, followed by a cutscene where he is trapped inside a painting likeMario,Peach, the threeToads, andProfessor E. Gadd, andKing Boo looks at his collection, turns to the player, and evilly laughs, happy that his plan succeeded. The "Good Night!" sign is revealed from a flashlight, and the player is then given the option to resume from their last save point or return to the title screen. In theScareScraper mode, when the player(s) fail(s) a floor, a Game Over occurs, but the screen reads, "Game Over", instead of the usual "Good night!" If playing local or download play, the host is asked if they want to play again. TheLuigi's Mansion unused Game Over is the same as the final. The only difference is that there is no music.

InLuigi's Mansion 3, there is no Game Over ifGooigi loses all his energy, gets hit by fire, or toucheswater, as a Game Over happens only if Luigi faints, while Gooigi can be called again. It also appears in the prologue if Luigi fails to escape from King Boo and gets trapped in a painting. The Game Over screen shows Luigi trapped inside a painting like the rest of his friends, with the same scared expression and pose he makes when King Boo captures him. This also happens if the Toad that Luigi saved in the mission on floor B-2 gets kidnapped byghosts and he is unable to bring him to Professor E. Gadd.

Wario franchise[edit]

In theWarioWare games, if the player loses all four lives on a stage, a Game Over occurs, with a differing design and font, depending on the stage the player is playing. Usually after this happens, on the score screen that follows, the background image depicts the stage's owner(s) being depressed.

Wario Land 3 has a unique Game Over screen.Wario is ordinarily invincible in this game; the only possible way to get a Game Over at all is to lose to thefinal boss, which is the only enemy that can actually kill him. The Game Over screen depicts Wario sleeping, similar to the Game Over screens of various games in theKirby franchise, in which Kirby sleeps. If the player chooses to continue, Wario wakes up and tries again.

Mario & Luigi series[edit]

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga[edit]

InMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, if both Mario and Luigi reach zeroHP in battle, a rounded-curved red "Game Over" text appears and the last Mario Bro. to fall says,"Mamma mia!" Since defeatingQueen Bean, the player has an option to continue the game from the last save point or fromBeanbean Castle; the Continue screen depicts a desk with a sign reading "GAME OVER", and the latter choice does not revert playtime to when the game is last saved. Another Game Over can occur if the player runs out of time escapingBowser's Castle after defeatingCackletta: The screen shakes, followed by a scene of the castle in the sky exploding and the screen turning completely red. The Game Over text and the Continue screens do not appear, so the game then immediately takes the player back to their last save point.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time[edit]

InMario & Luigi: Partners in Time, there are two Game Over screens. One of them appears if Mario and company lose in battle, and eerie smoky purple "Game Over" text that seems to allude to theShroobs appears, with the Mario Bros. saying,"Mamma mia!" The other Game Over screen appears if Mario and company lose the battle against theShroob Mother Ship inShroob Castle, and the screens black out with the Shroob Mother Ship on the top screen whilePrincess Shroob's laughter is heard in the background.^[10] A unique Game Over occurs during the battle against theElder Shrooboid if it is not defeated in four turns during the second phase, and aShroob saucer fires a beam.^[11] The Continue screen resembles the file-selection screen, with "LOAD" at the top, the Continue choices underneath it, and the characters' levels on the right.

Usually, the Continue screen gives the option to return toPeach's Castle. However, there are four exceptions. If the player loses a battle againstGuardian Shroobs on the Shroob Mother Ship, the player instead has the option to continue from the first room of the Shroob Mother Ship, as for storyline purposes, it is temporarily impossible to go back to Peach's Castle at that point in the game. The same applies to Bowser's Castle prior to finding the time hole in the final room, as well as the first visits toYoob's Belly andToad Town. Receiving a Game Over in those locations instead gives the player the option to continue from the first room of the respective location.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story[edit]

InMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, the Game Over text is colored yellow, and it uses a font slightly similar to that of the traditional one used in theSuper Mario franchise. Two unique Game Overs exist: One can be achieved by allowingBowser to fall down the rickety track bridge during the giant battle with theFawful Express if he does not destroy it quickly enough and reaches the bridge,^[12] and another can be achieved by allowing Bowser to be defeated by theblack hole during the giant battle withSuper Peach's Castle of Fury.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team[edit]

InMario & Luigi: Dream Team, the Game Over text is completely blue. Unique Game Overs that do not take the player back to the menu also appear in the game, which involves a fountain on the summit ofMount Pajamaja, or a certain part ofDreamy Mount Pajamaja. If Mario and Luigi drink from it for the first time, they fall fast asleep and have a nightmare aboutgetting giant after eating too manyMushrooms, and realize they cannot survive like this. Another nightmare involves Mario and Luigi powering up to corner Bowser andAntasma and save theDream Stone, leavingPrince Dreambert to free all thePi'illos and welcome all tourists. After the screen goes black, a fake Game Over appears. A few moments after the Game Over screen fades in, Dreambert yells,"MARIO! LUIGI! WAKE UP! NOW!" This fake Game Over does not happen for the rest of the game after it is triggered for the first time. The "Comedic Curtains" theme plays during the first time, and the Peach's Castle theme plays with all subsequent drinks from the fountain. When the player battles in theDream World, sinceDreamy Luigi does not battle, the game ends if Mario is defeated.

Unlike in previousMario & Luigi games, players can choose to retry a battle after losing, either on its original difficulty or onEasy Mode if it is too difficult for the Bros. to handle, which will give them full HP and BP when activated whilist also making them stronger for said battle only. However, it is also possible for players to become stuck in adeath loop should Mariotrip at the start of a Dream World battle while having minimal HP and less speed than the enemy, but not with the Guard Shell, Guard Shell DX, or Healthy Ringaccessories equipped. Even if players choose to retry the battle, Mario will always start it with said status, resulting in him being KO'd repeatedly unless they activate Easy Mode or quit the game without saving. OnHard Mode, there is no option to retry the battle as the game reverts to the title screen instead.^[13]

Game Overs also result from losing in the minigames ofBattle Broque Madame andMad Skillathon, but these just indicate the player did not reach the maximum score of the game and return them to the minigame's menu. The player can still get prizes for high scores even though they "lost".

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam[edit]

InMario & Luigi: Paper Jam, like in the previous installment, the Game Over text is completely blue and now uses the second font of theSuper Mario franchise as seen in modern installments. If a player fails to complete a mission, gets defeated in the Boss Battle Ring, loses all health in apapercraft battle, or gets a C score rating in the Attackathon arcade machine, the "Too bad..." message is displayed instead. The "Too bad..." message is displayed in two ways: either falling down with purple smoke and slightly dislodging itself or falling down like a wave. Unlike in the previous installments, the Game Over screen causes the music to fade out, leaving it without any music, like inMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.

If a papercraft battle is lost three or more times while progressing through the story, players are given an option to skip it entirely, but they do not receive any of the associated rewards if they do so.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions[edit]

InMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, the Game Over text is completely blue, resembling the one fromMario & Luigi: Paper Jam."Mamma mia!" can be heard just like in the original (though both Mario Bros. say it instead of the last brother to fall in battle), and the screen's iris-out effect focuses on the two brothers. An arrangement of "Player Down" also plays. The player is given a chance to either try again or use Easy Mode, like inDream Team andPaper Jam. Another Game Over can occur if the player runs out of time escaping Bowser's Castle after defeating Cackletta: The screen shakes, followed by a scene of the castle in the sky exploding and the screen turning black. The game then immediately takes the player back to the title screen. InMinion Quest: The Search for Bowser, if the player's captain is defeated, a red "Defeated..." text appears instead. Hints also appear, instructing the player on how to lead their squad to victory.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey[edit]

InMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, the font for the Game Over text is similar to the one used inMario & Luigi: Paper Jam, though using a white coloration with a cyan gradient. The Game Over sequence is similar to the one inMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, with the arrangement of "Player Down" playing and both Mario Bros. saying,"Mamma mia!" with a screen iris-out effect focusing on them. When the player gets a Game Over while playing as Bowser, the Game Over sequence is identical to the one used for the Mario Bros., though Bowser can be heard groaning disappointingly. InBowser Jr.'s Journey, a different Game Over screen occurs whenBowser Jr. is defeated, with the text "Defeated..." appearing in red, similar to the one used inMinion Quest: The Search for Bowser fromMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions.

Mario & Luigi: Brothership[edit]

InMario & Luigi: Brothership, when the player gets a Game Over in battle, the camera pans over the Mario Bros. before the screen blurs and darkens and the "Game Over" text appears in theYuruka font. The player is given the choice to retry the battle or to return to the title screen. Should the player get more Game Overs in a battle that is required to win to progress with the main story, the player is given the option to retry on Easy Mode, or in the Cakewalk mode if they keep losing. There are no penalties for choosing the latter prompts.^[14] Selecting "Try Again" during a boss battle may result in a black screen whereSnoutlet gives a tip pertaining to the boss in question. Winning 100 battles in a row without getting a Game Over fulfills the Doom Dodger challenge.

TheGreat Conductor during his boss battle is able to instantly defeat both Mario Bros. at once with a thunderbolt if he is not defeated within three turns after charging up. Additionally, a Game Over may also occur ifZokket defeats one Mario Bro. while the other isGlohmed and under his control.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong series[edit]

The Game Over screen inMario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis

InMario vs. Donkey Kong, the Game Over screen depicts a depressedMario and the outlined words "GAME OVER", as well as two choices: "Restart" and "Quit". If the player selects "Restart", the stage where the player lost is restarted, but if the player selects "Quit", the game returns to the stage-selection screen. If the player stays on the Game Over screen, Mario can be heard snoring while saying,"Spaghetti", or"Ravioli". In theNintendo Switch remake, the "GAME OVER" text is red with a white outline.Toad appears alongside Mario upon the player getting a Game Over during multiplayer. Instead of snoring and saying,"Spaghetti", or"Ravioli", Mario sighs on occasion if the player stays on the Game Over screen.

InMario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, the words "GAME OVER" are displayed in a wobbly red font, and a depressedMini Mario is displayed on the Touch Screen in place of Mario. The Touch Screen also features "Retry" and "Quit" buttons, which the player can tap using thestylus to restart the level or return to the level-selection screen, respectively. If the player remains on the Game Over screen, a Mini Mario can be heard snoring and saying several lines:

• "Mamma mia!"
• "Spaghetti!"
• "Ravioli!"
• "Ohhh, linguini!"
• "Ohhh, meat-a-balls! Mmmmmmmmmm!"
• "Ohhh, gelato al cioccolato! Mmmmmmmmmmm!" (in English, "Ohhh, chocolate ice cream! Mmmmmmmmmmmm!")

If the player continues to remain on the Game Over screen, the music eventually fades out, and voice clips of Mini Mario gradually become more frequent, until several voice clips overlap one another. Afterwards, the voice clips fade out and the game automatically returns to the title screen.

The Game Over screens forMario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! andMario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! similarly feature the words "GAME OVER" and a depressed Mini Mario, with options to retry or exit the current level on the Touch Screen. InMario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!, the player always gets a Game Over screen if they fail a level, due to the lack of a life system in the game. An additional option to use theMini Guide also appears after the player loses five times in any main level, and an alternate Game Over screen with the words "YOU FAILED..." is displayed if the player loses a level created in theConstruction Zone mode.

The Game Over screen forMario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move displays the words "TOO BAD!" (or "TIME'S UP!" if the player runs out of time to clear the level) with options to retry or exit the current level on the Touch Screen. An additional option allows the player to give up on the current level. Giving up on a level can allow the player to unlock the next level or set of levels. However, a red frowning face is displayed next to the level on the level-selection screen until the level is completed.

The Game Over screen forMario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars displays the words "GAME OVER" in a red font, with options to retry or exit the current level.

Other games[edit]

• InSuper Princess Peach, a Game Over occurs when theHealth Meter is depleted. The Health Meter loses some sections whenPrincess Peach falls into abottomless pit or takes damage. The "GAME OVER" text does not actually appear on the screen, but instead Peach has tears in her eyes on the lower screen. It then brings the player back to the map screen for the player to try again.
• InDance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix, whenever the player fails a song in Story Mode, a "Failed" message appears in brown, then the results screen appears and the announcer says,"Wha-wha-what?" with anF grade (in the case of the Japanese version, the announcer says,"Aw, you couldn't make it!" with aD grade). After the player presses, the Game Over sign appears in red with Mario orLuigi dizzy. After that, a message asking if the player wants tocontinue appears onscreen if they have lives remaining; otherwise, they must start the mode over. If they choose to continue, they use one of their lives to retry the song. If the player passes the song but fails a Story Mode objective (such as losing a dance-off), the "Failed" message still displays, though the announcer says,"Sorry. Almost..." instead. In Free Mode, the same happens when the player fails a song, except that there is no Game Over screen. Failing to defeatBowser in the song "Bowser's Castle" when playing in Free Mode with Mush Mode enabled still gives the "Failed" message, but the announcer uses the quote associated with the grade earned instead of saying,"Sorry. Almost..." Also, the player can hold during a stage to quit a song, which also gives the "Failed" message but with stats of zero for all of Perfect, Great, Early/Late, Miss, Max Combo, and Score.
• Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker shares the same Game Over look withSuper Mario 3D World, but the Game Over screen is situated on a black dot-like background.
• InPuzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition, the Too Bad sequence plays when the player's team's health (HP) bar is depleted during a course, causing all the orbs to fall down from the board. A Game Over occurs if the player chooses not to continue if the number of lives remaining is greater than zero, or if the HP bar is depleted when the number of lives is zero. If the latter occurs, they are automatically given three lives when sent back to the world map. The "GAME OVER" text appears in yellow and falls down to the center of the top screen, while a jazzy arrangement of the Game Over theme fromNew Super Mario Bros. Wii plays. However, in Score Attack modes, when the timer reaches zero, the "TIME'S UP" text falls down, while the Too Bad theme plays, leaving the HP bar intact.
• InMario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle andMario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, a lost battle is considered a Game Over. Mario and the gang pose with despondent looks in front of the camera whenever they lose a battle. InDonkey Kong Adventure in the former game, if the player loses a battle,Donkey Kong gets angry and punchesRabbid Cranky out of the screen, dropping his cane in the process, followed by him andRabbid Peach laughing. The theme that plays is an arrangement of the death jingle fromDonkey Kong Country.
• NES Remix andNES Remix 2 give a Game Over when the player loses all their lives on a stage, or runs out of time on a stage with infinite lives. A clear time is not given, and the player gets only one star when clearing the stage if they continue after getting a Game Over.
• InMario Tennis Aces, the player gets a Game Over if they fail a challenge in the story mode, mainly by running out of time. Mario can still gainExperience Points when a Game Over occurs.
• InTetris 99, when the blocks reach the top, the sound when the player loses a life or is defeated plays as the blocks disappear line by line from the bottom to the top of the matrix (the sound varies depending on the theme used), with the Game Over text appearing only if it occurs in the Marathon mode. After the sound has finished playing, the ranking and results screens appear. For example, when using theSuper Mario Bros. Wonder theme, the Too Bad sound plays.
• InSuper Mario Bros. 35, the Game Over sound followed the Too Bad sound if the player finished in fourth place or lower. However, if the player finished in second or third place, the theme "Course Clear" followed. Finishing in first place made the game play the Castle Defeated sound.

Other media[edit]

• Game Overs also appear in theNintendo Adventure Books series, used after a bad ending has occurred. These Game Overs can occur if one of the main characters dies (although the scene is usually alluded to rather than described), although letting the villain win also results in a Game Over. An example of getting a Game Over in these books is inLeaping Lizards, where ananchor is a dud item; it will drag Luigi down if he falls into a body of water.
• Game Overs appear in the comics of theSuper Mario franchise in theNintendo Comics System, where they mark the ending of the story by appearing on one corner of the final page.
• A Game Over happens twice in the movieSuper Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen! The first time is when Bowser and Princess Peach vanish on Mario's TV screen, and the second time is while Bowser andhis minions are working at Mario and Luigi's shop at the end of the movie.

Profiles[edit]

Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]

• Wii Virtual Console manual: "When your life meter is empty or you fall into a pit, you lose one life. When you lose a life with no lives remaining, you are taken to the game-over screen and presented with the following options:"
  • Continue "Resume play from the first area of the last world you managed to reach before your game ended. You can only continue a game twice."
  • Retry "Return to the title screen."

New Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]

• Electronic manual: "If Mario loses all of his lives, it's game over. You can then restart with five lives from your last save point."

New Super Mario Bros. U[edit]

• Electronic manual: "If Mario loses all of his lives, it's game over. You can then restart at your last save point with five lives."

Super Mario 3D World[edit]

• Electronic manual: "If you lose your last life, it's game over. Select Continue to start again with all progress in the current course reset."
  • "You will get five lives per player when you continue after a game over."

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker[edit]

• Electronic manual: "If you fall from the course or into lava or if you take damage as Small Captain Toad, You'll lose one life. Too bad! If you lose a life with zero lives remaining, it's game over!"

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, seeGallery:Game Over.

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  Super Mario Bros.

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  Donkey Kong Country

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  Luigi's Mansion

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  Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!

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  Super Mario 3D Land

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  Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

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  WarioWare: Get It Together! (Wario)

Multimedia[edit]

Super Mario Bros.

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Super Mario Bros. Special

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Super Mario Bros. 2

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Super Mario Bros. 3

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Super Mario Land

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Super Mario World

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Super Mario Kart

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Super Mario Bros. (Super Mario All-Stars)

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Super Mario Bros. 2 (Super Mario All-Stars)

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Super Mario Bros. 3 (Super Mario All-Stars)

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Donkey Kong (Game Boy)

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Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

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Super Mario 64

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Luigi's Mansion

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New Super Mario Bros.

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Super Paper Mario

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Super Mario Galaxy

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New Super Mario Bros. Wii

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Paper Mario: Sticker Star

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Super Mario 3D Land

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Super Mario 3D World

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Paper Mario: Color Splash

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Paper Mario: The Origami King

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Names in other languages[edit]

Game Over[edit]

Time's up![edit]

Too bad![edit]

References[edit]

Game Over coverage on otherNIWA wikis:

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Bulbapedia

Fire Emblem Wiki

Metroid Wiki

SmashWiki

WiKirby

Zelda Wiki

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