Princess Daisy
Mario character
Princess Daisy, in Super Mario Party
First appearanceSuper Mario Land (1989)
Portrayed bySamantha Mathis (film)
Voiced byDeanna Mustard (2003–2022)
Giselle Fernandez (2023–present)
Others
In-universe information
OriginSarasaland

Princess Daisy (Japanese: デイジー姫, Hepburn: Deijī-hime, pronounced [deːʑiː çime]) is a character in the Mario series of video games. She debuted in the 1989 Game Boy launch game Super Mario Land as the ruler of Sarasaland where she was given the role of damsel in distress for Mario to rescue. The game was produced by Shigeru Miyamoto's mentor Gunpei Yokoi, who wanted to recreate the gameplay of the 1985 video game Super Mario Bros. for the Game Boy, only set in a separate world from the Mushroom Kingdom.

Daisy has been presented as Luigi's love interest, similarly to Princess Peach being the love interest of Mario. Their relationship featured in the plot of the 1993 live-action film Super Mario Bros., in which Luigi saves Daisy from King Koopa.

She appears in Mario Tennis and has been a staple playable character in Mario spin-off games, including Mario Party and Mario Kart. She also appears as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Daisy has been primarily voiced by American voice actress Deanna Mustard from 2003 to 2022, and was succeeded by Giselle Fernandez starting with Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

Concept and creation

Princess Daisy was created as a damsel in distress for Mario to rescue in Super Mario Land.[2] It was produced as a launch title for the Game Boy handheld game console by Gunpei Yokoi in partnership with Satoru Okada without the input of Shigeru Miyamoto. With the aim to create a scaled-down game based on the gameplay of the 1985 Super Mario Bros., it moved away from the usual setting of the Mushroom Kingdom.[3] The development team created Sarasaland, named after a type of floral design, and made Daisy to match that concept.[4] Daisy was added to Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64 due to the developer Camelot Software Planning wanting someone whose body shape was appropriate for real-life sports.[5] Daisy's appearance in Super Mario Bros. Wonder came about due to the game's director, Shiro Mouri, noticing that his two daughters often fought over who got to play as Princess Peach, so he wanted to resolve that and also please Mario fans.[6] She is voiced by various actresses, including Deanna Mustard from 2003 to 2022 and Giselle Fernandez in Wonder.[7]

Appearances

In video games

Daisy's crown emblem

First appearing in 1989's Super Mario Land, Daisy is the princess of Sarasaland, a world outside of the series' usual setting of the Mushroom Kingdom, and is rescued by Mario from the alien Tatanga.[8] In 1991, she had a smaller appearance in NES Open Tournament Golf as Luigi's caddie.[9] In 2000, Daisy appeared as a playable character in Mario Tennis.[10] Since then, Daisy is regularly a playable character in Mario sports games,[11] usually wearing a sleeveless shirt and shorts in the colours of her princess gown.[12]

In 2001, she was introduced as a playable character in the Mario Party series beginning with Mario Party 3.[13] She is also playable in most Mario Kart games since Double Dash, resembling her appearance in Super Mario Land. Other playable appearances have included Super Mario Run,[14] Fortune Street, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder.[15] Wonder is the second time Daisy has been playable in a main series Mario game. Daisy was originally considered to be a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Melee, but the development team had difficulty coming up for moves for her, and instead included her model as an in-game trophy. She was later added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a playable character, where her gameplay is largely identical to Princess Peach with only minor differences.[16]

On January 16, 2016, a Daisy costume and Sarasaland-inspired level were added to Super Mario Maker.[17] In 2016, she also cameos in the Battle Card mode in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, as her first appearance in a Mario RPG. Daisy was included as a skin in the Minecraft: Wii U Edition Super Mario Mash-Up Pack, released on May 16, 2016.[18] Daisy's Amiibo figurine for the Super Mario franchise was released on November 4, 2016, to coincide with the release of Mario Party: Star Rush. Meanwhile, her Amiibo figurine related to the Super Smash Bros. franchise was released on February 13, 2019.[19] Daisy, alongside Wario and Waluigi, were added to Dr. Mario World as a post-launch update in 2019.[20] In 2022, she was also added as a post-launch downloadable character to Mario Strikers: Battle League.[21]

In other media

Daisy is one of the main characters of 1993's Super Mario Bros. film, loosely based on the games, portrayed by Samantha Mathis. She is a student of archaeology at New York University with whom Luigi falls in love. Daisy is kidnapped by two henchmen of President Koopa, the dictator of Dinohattan, who wants to merge his world and the human world, necessitating Mario and Luigi to save her.[22] Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Hollywood's immersive Super Nintendo World areas include interactive "Power-Up Bands" featuring a design based on her dress.[23]

Reception

Destructoid noted the similarities of Daisy's dress to Peach's but opined that Daisy's worked better and said that "her choice of a brave yellow and orange combo dress is as flattering as it is retro".[24] Jenni Lada writing for Siliconera commented that Mario Tennis Aces successfully gave Daisy a distinctive personality, stating that while Peach was reserved and stylish, Daisy was more energetic. She felt that Daisy's characterisation was an improvement on Peach due to being more athletic and emotional.[25] Syfy considered Daisy's introduction in the Super Smash Bros. series to be disappointing due to being a near copy of Peach, describing it as a "blatant lack of originality".[26]

Henry Gilbert of GamesRadar+ wrote that Daisy's relationship to Luigi had largely been unclear, with exception to her role as his love interest in the Super Mario Bros. film. He said that Nintendo had finally confirmed Daisy's romantic relationship with Luigi by including a golden statue of the couple in Mario Kart Wii.[27] Den of Geek points out that with no rescue narrative between Daisy and Luigi as the basis for romance, she chooses him based on his merits instead of gratitude.[28]

Daisy's inclusion as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was highly anticipated by CJ Andriessen of Destructoid, who described her as the "best princess" and considered her to be one of the most requested characters for the Smash roster.[29] When the base roster for Mario Strikers: Battle League was revealed, several fans expressed disappointment and anger that Daisy was excluded.[30] Neal Ronaghan of Nintendo World Report also reacted negatively to her exclusion, describing her as "a character who has been generally beloved in the Strikers series".[31] VentureBeat considered starting a Change.org petition for her to be included, commenting that she had stood out in Super Mario Strikers for her "sassy attitude" and celebration pose that involves turning her back to the camera.[32] Ari Notis of Kotaku echoed fan excitement when she was added to the game in a DLC update and thought that her exclusion had been indicative of a wider problem with the game's limited content.[21] Daisy gained attention for her Hyper Strike in Mario Strikers: Battle League, particularly from Jim Norman of Nintendo Life who described the move as a "butter" and felt it was a callback to her "smokin' victory poses" in Mario Strikers Charged.[33] Hope Bellingham writing for GamesRadar+ expressed excitement that Daisy was finally getting recognition from Nintendo by making her a playable character in Super Mario Bros. Wonder and noted that although it was not technically the first time she had been playable, it was a "momentous occasion" for fans.[34]

References

  1. ^ "Interview with Jessica Chisum (Mario Golf and Mario Tennis)". Star Bright Stars Gaming. Archived from the original on October 11, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  2. ^ Whitehead, Dan (November 9, 2007). "Page 2 | The History of Mario". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  3. ^ Fahs, Travis (July 27, 2009). "IGN Presents the History of Game Boy". IGN. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  4. ^ With LUIGI 30th Anniversary: The Year of LUIGI Memorial Book.
  5. ^ "キャメロットのスタッフに疑問をぶつけようのコーナー". Camelot Software Planning. October 28, 2000. Archived from the original on December 9, 2000.
  6. ^ Phillips, Tom (August 31, 2023). "Super Mario Bros. Wonder developers discuss Nintendo's push to reinvent its classic side-scrolling formula". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  7. ^ "Princess Daisy". Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  8. ^ Lambie, Ryan (April 22, 2019). "Super Mario Land: The Brilliance of an Underrated Classic". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  9. ^ Hughes, Robert (February 19, 2014). "Review: NES Open Tournament Golf (Wii U eShop / NES)". Nintendo Life. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  10. ^ Van Duyn, Marcel (October 31, 2021). "Review: Mario Tennis - The Game That Gave Us Waluigi". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  11. ^ Pirrello, Phil (November 14, 2007). "Mario's Ladies: The Princesses of Mario Galaxy". IGN. Archived from the original on December 6, 2007. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  12. ^ Delbel, Julia (April 3, 2023). "15 Easy Cosplay Ideas for Beginners". The Mary Sue. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  13. ^ Campbell, Evan. "Mario Party 3 Comes To Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack". GameSpot. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  14. ^ "Nintendo is updating Super Mario Run with a new character, mode, and world". The Verge. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  15. ^ Plant, Logan (June 21, 2023). "Super Mario Bros. Wonder, a Brand New 2D Mario, Revealed at Nintendo Direct". IGN. Archived from the original on June 21, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  16. ^ Lee, Julia (June 12, 2018). "Daisy will be playable in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate". Polygon. Archived from the original on January 20, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  17. ^ Vogel, Mitch (January 14, 2016). "The Princess Daisy Costume is Finally Coming to Super Mario Maker". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  18. ^ GameXplain (May 18, 2016), All 40 Mario Skins in Minecraft Wii U Edition (Koopalings, Rosalina, Daisy, Toadette, etc), archived from the original on December 15, 2021, retrieved June 10, 2016
  19. ^ "amiibo Character List Lineup - amiibo by Nintendo". www.nintendo.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  20. ^ "Dr. Mario World update brings three new doctors, including Daisy". Nintendo Wire. August 5, 2019. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  21. ^ a b "Mario Strikers Fans Put Pitchforks Down As Daisy Confirmed As DLC". Kotaku. July 19, 2022. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  22. ^ Roberts, Amy (October 12, 2018). "'Super Mario Bros.' Made Me Horny for a Plumber and a Lizard King". Vice. Archived from the original on January 27, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  23. ^ Henley, Stacey (December 19, 2020). "'Super Mario' creator Shigeru Miyamoto leads fans on a Super Nintendo World tour". NME. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  24. ^ Concelmo, Chad (May 13, 2010). "The Gamer's Red Carpet: Super Mario Bros". Destructoid. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
  25. ^ Lada, Jenni (July 2, 2018). "Mario Tennis Aces Nails Its Characterizations". Siliconera. Archived from the original on January 27, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  26. ^ Brady, Mason (April 21, 2023). "The 'Mario' movie is a smash hit, so let's rank the 'Mario Super Smash Bros.' fighters". SYFY Official Site. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  27. ^ Gilbert, Henry (March 19, 2013). "Page 3 – Luigi: A life in the shadows". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  28. ^ "Super Smash Bros. Characters Ranked". Den of Geek. March 7, 2019. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  29. ^ Andriessen, CJ (June 12, 2018). "Best princess Daisy comes to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate". Destructoid. Archived from the original on January 27, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  30. ^ "The Princess Daisy Fandom Is Ready To Riot Against Mario Strikers". Kotaku Australia. May 13, 2022. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  31. ^ Ronaghan, Neal. "Where The Eff Is Daisy?: The Curious Case of Mario Strikers Battle League's Roster - Editorial". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  32. ^ Grubb, Jeff (February 10, 2022). "Devil's bargain: Gamers get new Mario Strikers without Daisy". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  33. ^ Norman, Jim (July 20, 2022). "Random: Daisy Shows Off Her Mario Strikers Skills, And The Internet Has Noticed". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on January 27, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  34. ^ Bellingham, Hope (June 22, 2023). "Super Mario Bros Wonder is finally giving Daisy the recognition she deserves". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
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