The value of a gaming franchise can often be seen in more than just sales figures. Often, you can tell just how vital a brand is to a developer or publisher by how many spin-off titles it produces, where a lead character is placed in a situation different to the one gamers are used to seeing them in.
Of course, the king of the spin-off is undoubtedly Mario, who has found himself in many different situations throughout the years. Starting off with Mario Kart on the Super Nintendo (which itself has spawned 5 sequels and an arcade game), the platforming plumber has also tried his hand at Pinball, Baseball, Basketball and Soccer over the years, as well as having a regular sideline in board games (Mario Party) and fighting (Super Smash Bros).
