Being one of the biggest names in video games, Mario has had his fair share of spinoff titles. The most popular of these is easily the Mario Kart series, which is perhaps even more popular than the mainline platformers. The Nintendo mascot has also been in a number of ads for his own games and Nintendo's products in general, but the second Mario Kart title has a peculiar ad of its own.

Though the franchise is seen as one of the most consistently kid-friendly, family-oriented gaming series', the Japanese version of Mario Kart 64 contains a plumber branded version of an infamous nicotine brand! Here's the story about when Mario apparently had his own brand of cigarettes and why most Western gamers don't remember it.

RELATED: What Mario Kart 9 Can Learn From Mario Kart Spinoffs

Marioro

In the Japanese version of Mario Kart 64, the Flower Cup's Mario Raceway bears several advertising posters for a company called Marioro. As its layout and poorly constructed portmanteau name would suggest, it's none other than a Mario themed version of cigarette company Marlboro. This and other ads were placed throughout the game's tracks for a sense of immersion, making them more like real-life racing events. Marioro's ad doesn't show any of the company's potential products, but it likely sells smoking products. For this reason, in particular, the ad was changed entirely in the Western release to "Mario Star," as a cigarette ad wouldn't exactly be appropriate in an otherwise colorful kids game.

Several other ads resembling real-life companies exist in the game, with some even retaining their original names. These include Luigip, Yoshi 1 and Koopa Air, which are based on racing sponsors Agip, Formula 1 and Goodyear, respectively. The first two had their names changed in the Western version of the game, with the also altered color schemes diminishing the resemblance to the logos for the companies that they were based on.

It's worth noting that the Marlboro lookalike ad was mostly removed in the West due to the game's child-friendly reputation, but legal issues were a likely factor, as well. Having even the slightest resemblance to real-life companies without their permission could have caused all manner of copyright issues, even if they were just parodies. Ironically, many companies would likely jump at the opportunity to have advertising in a game as popular as Mario Kart, as it would guarantee that gamers of all ages would see their marketing.

RELATED: Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit - Trailer, Release Date & News to Know

Smokin' the Competition

Though peddling cigarettes, of all things, hasn't exactly been common in Nintendo games, there are other notable situations of differences between Western and Japanese releases of their games' content. One consistent example was the earlier entries in the Legend of Zelda franchise. Symbols such as hexagrams and references to religious elements like gods and priests were either changed or removed entirely, with the third game, A Link to the Past, being completely unrelated to the Japanese subtitle, Triforce of the Gods.

Later entries in the Mario Kart franchise included old elements such as the Luigip branding, but so far, Marioro has yet to return in any regional version of the games. Given how Nintendo has been cemented as having more family-friendly fare than its competitors tend to offer, it's likely that this will never change. This strange part of Mario's history has become a rather popular inside joke among Nintendo fans and retro gamers alike, inspiring several memes and even unofficial merchandise worth lighting one up for.

KEEP READING: Princess Toadstool: Everything You Didn't Know About Peach