While Mario clearly liked playing tennis, there was something about that sense of speed that he couldn't quite get over. Perhaps that's why he went back to Japan and competed in Mario Excite Bike, a crazy Super Famicom Excite Bike revival. Unfortunately Mario's dirt bike exploits never made their way to this side of the pond, but it was nice to see him add a new twists on one of his favorite sporting events. Hopefully Mario Excite Bike will have a second life on the Virtual Console, but at this point Mario's bike riding days are long gone.

By the mid-1990s Mario was getting burned out. He had already refereed boxing, driving like three different vehicles, played some tennis and got kicked out of big game hunting. Mario needed a serious break. That's why for more than a decade he dedicated himself to professional board game tournaments. Checkers, dominos, backgammon and Yahtzee, those were his games! Every Sunday he would show up at the church and compete for money and prizes. In fact, he got so good that he tried out for the professional circuit, which you can check out by playing Mario's FUNdamentals. For more than a decade Mario rested, competing in board game tournaments and suppressing his failures as a professional athlete. It looked like Mario was finally done trying out for the traditional sports; he had resigned himself to games that involved words and brains. He had resigned himself to checkers.

But something happened in 2005 to change his mind. After a decade of bingo halls and smoky Yahtzee tournaments, Mario decided that he needed to make a comeback. He did this by jumping headfirst into the world's most popular sport - soccer! Although he wasn't very good at it, our favorite Italian plumber sought out Super Mario Strikers, a fast-paced soccer game that was light years ahead of Mega Man Soccer. This was a return to form, even if Super Mario Strikers was a somewhat disappointing experience.

From there he knew the future was bright, which may explain 2005's next sport, Mario Superstar Baseball. For the first time ever he was hitting the balls out of the park and going up against Bowser in a game of patience and intellect. Mario was really on a roll. Perhaps that's why he started to get cocky. How cocky? In SSX On Tour he decided that he could ski and snowboard with the best of them. Unfortunately he couldn't.

Mario also can't dance, which was painfully apparent in the 2005 release of Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix. His friends told him not to enter the dance competitions, but he knew that if he was ever going to stand a chance on So You Think You Can Dance and Celebrity Ballroom Dancing then he would have to get serious about the sport. It was a momentary lapse of judgment, one that his friends won't let him forget any time soon.

After completely losing his mind in 2005, Mario came to his senses and went back to traditional sports in 2006. By this point he had conquered golf, baseball, soccer, tennis and even boxing ... so what was left for him to accomplish? Basketball, of course. Released on the Nintendo DS, Mario Hoops 3 on 3 was an acceptable game, even if it lacked depth and good controls. Sadly it was more proof that Mario's dreams of finally finding his right sport was coming to an end. At this point his friends and family are starting to step in, suggesting that maybe it's time to hang up the cleats (or in this case sneakers) and go back to his day job - saving princesses and plumbing.

But Mario wasn't done yet. He knew that he had only one more obstacle to overcome. Only one sport left to conquer. Mario knew that there was only one thing left for him - the Olympics. Mario's dream would come true in 2007 when Sega (yes, Sega) decided to release Mario & Sonic at the Olympics. Unfortunately his Olympic dreams were dashed when he actually showed up and had to deal with sub-par controls and some really stupid logic. Settling for a bronze, Mario decided to come home satisfied that he was able to make it to the most prestigious sporting event in the world. He may not have won gold, but at least he was able to compete. Even if it was a year early ... and in China.

All together Mario participated in 14 different sports, from boxing to tennis to backgammon. Not all of his attempts were successful, but at least he tried. However, it's important for an athlete to know when to say when. Nobody likes it when you keep coming back year after year with a new sport, people want to remember you at the top of your game. Even though there are plenty of sports Mario hasn't tried yet, it's important for us to remember him as the mediocre athlete he is. He may not be as good as Michael Jordon or Babe Ruth, but how many athletes can say that they tried out for 14 different sports? And that is why Mario is one of the greatest characters of all time.