Nintendo's greatest success to this day was no doubt the creation of their mascot, Mario, back in 1981. Since then, Mario has been the star of more than 200 video games across several genres and series, plus a few television cartoons, films, comics, and more. Even those least interested in the gaming world have probably interacted with Mario in some form or another.

The popularity of the Mario franchise is certainly nothing to scoff at. Still, we can't help but notice that Shigeru Miyamoto's little Italian plumber has some interesting quirks and inconsistencies in his character. Actually, there are quite a few things about the franchise as a whole that don't seem completely logical. Let's take a look at some memes that prove just how little the Mario games make sense.

10 Some Harm, Still No Foul

Mario's adventures have taken him on a wide array of missions in several different worlds, but one thing usually remains the same — there's a big, bad, spiky turtle named Bowser, and he wants Mario's girlfriend. Bowser has kidnapped Princess Peach more times than we can count.

Despite his constant plotting against Mario, Bowser is still invited to every single Mario Kart race. Maybe Mario is one of those "friends close, enemies closer" types. Or maybe he just hopes to get his revenge on Bowser with a deadly blue shell on the go-kart tracks.

9 Those Darn Turtles

Speaking of turtles, the reptiles in Mario games are a lot more aggressive than IRL turtles. Even Mario himself, who can smash his head into a bunch of bricks without getting a single concussion, can't take a hit from a turtle shell. Even one ever-so-gentle tap can kill Mario in an instant and send Super Mario Bros. players into a frustrated frenzy. What the heck are these shells made of, anyway?

8 Big Head, Little Arms

Super Mario Odyssey became a revolutionary title in the Mario franchise for several reasons, including the introduction of Cappy, Mario's trusty hat and main ally. Unlike in previous Mario games, this time his hat possesses the ability to control objects and enemies. One such enemy is the infamous, too-realistic Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Sure, it's great that Mario can control a massive dinosaur with a little red cap, but we want to know how in the world he gets his hat back afterward. The T-Rex's little arms can't take the cap off itself. Mario is stuck like this forever, crying out for help.

7 He Sticks The Landing ... Or Not

Contradicting himself is something Mario seems to be best at. He must selectively land on his feet because, for some reason, the hero can plummet through a pipe into a massive underground passageway made out of bricks and stone. Yet, when he accidentally slips into what's basically a pothole, he's dead in an instant. Mario isn't so super now, is he?

6 Waterproof Fireballs

Fire and water — two elements that shouldn't work together, but they do anyway in the Super Mario Bros. series. Somehow, Mario has can gain the ability to shoot fireballs at enemies when he's completely submerged in an underwater level, which defies science. That's not even mentioning the fact that the fire comes from a flower, which somehow gets trapped in bricks underwater.

We're not even going to complain about this one too much because let's face it, those underwater levels are hard enough. We could use all the help we can get, even if the help goes against physics.

5 Balancing Act

There are those deadly little gaps again. Not all hope is lost when Mario comes near them, though, because apparently this part-time-plumber-part-time-hero is also a part-time tightrope walker. For some reason, Mario can keep himself balanced on just the tip of his toes to avoid falling into that three-foot pit. How did he have the time to learn all of these skills?

4 Mario Might Be A Psychopath

Mario's idea of a party isn't really what we'd call a relaxing kick back with friends. What kind of twisted party pits your pals against each other in a series of dangerous mini-games? It's like those movies where the rich, mysterious island owner invites a bunch of strangers to their land to see who comes out on top in a bunch of creepy trials.

What's Mario's end goal here? Is he on some search to find his strongest successor? Or maybe he and his friends just like to constantly live on the edge, even at parties.

3 Powerful Peach

So, not only does Mario condone kidnapping from Bowser, apparently Princess Peach doesn't mind being taken either. Peach has been a key player in Super Smash Bros. for years, and fans of the franchise know that this powerhouse woman is not afraid to kick some butt.

Why is it, then, that she lets Bowser get away with kidnapping her time and time again? All of her problems could be avoided in 30 seconds if she would just pull a Smash Attack on her kidnapper. We smell a conspiracy brewing here.

2 Mario Can Swim, Sometimes

Apparently, nothing about the water in Super Mario Bros. makes any sense. Mario can be an Olympic-level swimmer when necessary, but other than that, water is just another obstacle. Maybe some of the water in the Mushroom Kingdom is toxic?

We'd also like to point out that when Mario does swim through an entirely underwater level, he doesn't need to come up for air ever. Add "fish-man" to his resume, too.

1 A Well-Rounded Hero

This meme pretty much sums up everything nonsensical about the entire Mario franchise, right down to Mario's full name. What kind of parents give their child the same first and last name? Back in 2012, Miyamoto actually explained to Game Informer that Mario Mario dates back to the Mario Bros. film, when someone joked that the brothers' last name should be Mario. The joke has been stuck ever since.

NEXT: Mario: 10 Hilarious Bowser Memes Only True Fans Will Understand