Geno is a star spirit character from the 1996 Super Nintendo game Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars who became the face of one of the longest-running fan campaigns to add a third-party fighter to Super Smash Bros. His inclusion push spans nearly two decades of Newgrounds animations, roster polls, mock reveals, and Mii Fighter costume workarounds.
Origin
Geno debuted in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars in 1996. His character design was handled by Yuka Miyamoto and Hideo Minaba at Square, with concept work from Kazuyuki Kurashima[1]. Ahead of the game's launch, Nintendo Power reported that Square described Geno internally as their take on "Pinocchio"[1].
Because Square Enix, not Nintendo, owns the character, Geno's official Mario appearances have stayed rare after the SNES original. He never returned as a mainline party member in a Mario game, which fuels much of the fan pressure to bring him into Super Smash Bros. through a licensed guest slot[2].
- Platform: Super Mario RPG (video game) / Newgrounds and Smash forums (viral spread)
- Creator: Yuka Miyamoto and Hideo Minaba (Square)
- Date: 1996
Overview
Geno is a fictional character from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, released in 1996 for the Super Nintendo by Square (later Square Enix)[1]. In the game he is a star spirit sent from Star Road who possesses an otherwise lifeless wooden doll to help Mario defeat the villain Smithy[1]. His true name is a set of unpronounceable symbols (♥♪!?), so he adopts the doll's name for the rest of the story[1].
Outside the game, Geno is best known as the face of one of the longest-running fan campaigns for a third-party Super Smash Bros. addition[2]. The character is also linked to "Rawest Forest," a 2004 fan remix of Super Mario RPG's Forest Maze theme with added lyrics[3]. Players still describe the in-game version as an "overpowered" party member because of his high attack stat[4].
How It Spread
Fan lobbying for Geno as a Super Smash Bros. fighter picked up during Super Smash Bros. Brawl's development in 2007 and 2008, and in late 2007 Newgrounds animator Araskin500 released a Flash short called "Smash Kingdom" featuring Geno as a Smash candidate, followed by sequels[3]. Director Masahiro Sakurai later confirmed in an interview that the character had actually been considered for Brawl before the licensing situation with Square blocked it[2].
The campaign got a partial payoff when Cloud Strife joined Super Smash Bros. for Wii U as downloadable content, and Nintendo shipped a Geno costume for Mii Fighters in the same update as a nod to campaigners[2]. In Source Gaming's 2018 Mega Smash Poll of more than 2,000 respondents about wanted Ultimate newcomers, Geno placed among the top requested third-party picks[2]. WatchMojo ranked him at #2 in its September 2018 video counting down the most fan-wanted Super Smash Bros. Ultimate characters[3].
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Geno?
Geno is a character from Super Mario RPG (1996) who is a star spirit inhabiting a wooden doll to help Mario defeat Smithy[1].
Where did Geno come from?
He first appeared in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars on the Super Nintendo in 1996, developed by Square[1].
What does Geno mean?
"Geno" is the doll's name, which the star spirit adopts because his real name (♥♪!?) is written as unpronounceable symbols[1].
How do you use Geno?
Fans mostly use Geno as the mascot of a long-running Super Smash Bros. inclusion campaign, with high placement in fan polls asking about Ultimate newcomers[2].
Is Geno still popular?
In 2018 Geno placed among the top requested third-party newcomers in Source Gaming's Mega Smash Poll of over 2,000 Smash fans[2].
