This page explains in detail the interactions between the Ball (G&W) series and the Mario series.
Mario the Juggler[]
October 16, 1991
Ball (G&W)
Mario
Mario the Juggler is the last Game & Watch ever released (not counting the Mini Classics version of Tetris, released on November 30, 2000), and it's a remake of the first one ever released: Ball.
The gameplay is the same of the original, moving Mario's hands left and right to juggle the items, but the graphics are enhanced, featuring a colorful background based on Super Mario Bros 3 and three different juggled objects: a heart, a star and a bomb. In "Game B" two enemies from the Mario series, Lakitu and Hammer Bro., are on the sides of the playfield helping to juggle the items.
Game & Watch Gallery 2[]
September 27, 1997
Ball (G&W)
Mario
The coin rain in Y Mode.
Ball is unlockable in the game and it features four different "Modern" Modes, each one with a different playable character from the Mario series, and with increasing difficulty in each one of them. Each version features obstacles at a certain point, and coins raining down as bonuses.
Y (Yoshi) Mode is unlocked after obtaining 25 Stars and has the player controlling Yoshi on a castle over the clouds to juggle two or three Yoshi Eggs. The obstacles are Bob-ombs and come out of Warp Pipes.
M (Mario) Mode is unlocked after obtaining 35 Stars and has the player controlling Mario in a forest to juggle a Star and a Super Mushroom in Easy Mode, or a Star, a Mushroom and a Heart in Hard Mode. The obstacles are Podoboos and come out of holes in the trees.
W (Wario) Mode is unlocked after obtaining 45 Stars and has the player controlling Wario in a tropical village to juggle a Star and a Wanderin' Goom from Wario Land in Easy Mode, or a Star, a Wanderin' Goom and a Heart in Hard Mode. The obstacles are Spiked Balls and come out of huts in the background.
K (Koopa) Mode is unlocked after obtaining 100 Stars and has the player controlling Bowser to juggle a Koopa Shell and a Boo in Easy Mode, or a Koopa Shell, a Boo and a Goomba in Hard Mode. Note that the Boo sometimes stops in midair, referencing its behaviour in Mario games, and eyes can be seen blinking in the shell, meaning it contains a retreated Koopa Troopa. The obstacles are Bob-Ombs and come out of Piranha Plants in warp pipes in the background.
Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros.[]
November 13, 2020
Ball (G&W)
Mario
Screenshot from Ball.
This Game & Watch console released for the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. includes an interactive digital clock, the Mario games Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2 (The Lost Levels), and a remake of Ball starring Mario and Luigi.
The Ball remake is accessable from the console's "Game" menu, and even though its menu preview shows the juggler from the original version, when the game is started it stars Mario. Beside having a completely different head, Mario's body also has more subtle differences from the original character, specifically he has has visible buttons of his overalls on the chest, he wears white gloves, and his feet are separated from the legs, likely to simulate his pants.
After starting the game (in either "Game A" or "Game B" mode), if the player holds down the A button then the player's character changes to Luigi, who looks identical to Mario save for his head.
Note that while the console itself is only named after Super Mario Bros., the Ball game included in it is considered part of the Ball series and therefore the link's direction is toward it. Technically the inclusion of the game in the console counts as a Sub-universe link from Ball to Mario per anthology rules, but the appearance of Mario and Luigi create an undirect in-universe link from Mario to Ball, which takes priority.
License[]
Copyrights for both series are held by Nintendo.