You probably know it by sight before name: the little red mushroom with white polka dots that Mario grabs to grow twice his size. It bounces, sparkles, and basically says, “Here comes the glow-up.” For anyone who’s spent time dodging Koopas and jumping gaps in the Mushroom Kingdom, that iconic toadstool is forever etched in the memory files.
But what if I told you that the most recognizable power-up in video game history is based on a very real mushroom? One that exists not just in forests and folklore, but in pharmacological research, religious ceremony, and old European art?
I didn’t believe it at first, either. But the Super Mushroom isn’t just a whimsical graphic—it's rooted in a real-world fungus that’s been both revered and feared for centuries. And yes, it’s just as trippy as you’d expect.
Let’s pull back the pixelated curtain and step into the strange, storied world of the Amanita muscaria—the real-life mushroom that inspired Mario’s ultimate glow-up.
Meet Amanita Muscaria: The Mushroom with Main Character Energy
Amanita muscaria, also known as the fly agaric, is what you picture when someone says “storybook mushroom.” With its crimson cap and bold white spots, it practically shouts, I’m magical!—and not just in looks.
This mushroom can be found across the Northern Hemisphere, particularly in forested regions of Europe, Asia, and North America. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the roots of birch and pine trees, so it thrives in woodlands where the canopy is just thick enough to create some mystery.
But here’s where things get very un-Mario: Amanita muscaria is psychoactive. It contains muscimol and ibotenic acid, compounds that can cause hallucinations, euphoria, and a general sense of reality distortion. It’s also potentially toxic in the wrong doses, which is part of why its use has always walked a fine line between sacred and dangerous.
So yes—technically, it can “power you up.” But we don’t recommend trying this at home.
So How Did This Mushroom End Up in a Video Game?
The origin story behind the Super Mushroom is equal parts design logic and cultural referencing. When Super Mario Bros. was being developed in the mid-1980s, the team at Nintendo—led by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka—wanted a way to visually signal Mario’s transformation from his regular form to a larger, more powerful version.
The visuals of Amanita muscaria had already permeated Japanese and Western pop culture. From children's books to early European fairy tales and 1960s psychedelia, the mushroom had long symbolized a portal into another state of being—be it wonder, hallucination, or empowerment.
So when Mario eats the mushroom and instantly doubles in size, the metaphor is obvious. The world shifts. He’s not just stronger; he’s altered. Empowered. The mushroom unlocks something.
From Shamanic Ceremonies to Psychedelic Symbols
Long before video games, indigenous Siberian tribes used Amanita muscaria in spiritual rituals. Shamans would consume it to enter trance states, communicate with spirits, or gain visions. The experiences were intense—and not without side effects—but the mushroom held sacred meaning. It was a mediator between the physical and the divine.
In fact, some researchers believe that the legend of Santa Claus may have roots in these rituals. The theory suggests that the red-and-white suit of Santa mimics the mushroom’s colors, and that reindeer—native to Siberia—are known to eat the mushrooms themselves, sometimes acting strangely after doing so. The “flying reindeer” lore? Possibly inspired by the effects of Amanita muscaria. File that under delightfully wild speculation, but intriguing nonetheless.
By the time the counterculture movements of the 1960s arrived, the mushroom had been absorbed into the broader world of psychedelic aesthetics—used in album art, posters, and fashion as a symbol of altered perception.
So when Nintendo chose that very mushroom as a pixelated power-up, they weren’t just designing for visual appeal. They were tapping into a century of symbolic association: magic, transformation, and a little bit of rebellion.
Is It Safe? And Would You Ever Eat One?
This part gets nuanced.
Amanita muscaria is not the kind of mushroom you want to casually sauté and throw on your salad. Raw, it contains compounds that can cause nausea, dizziness, confusion, and other neurological effects. That said, some traditional cultures have figured out how to detoxify it—typically by boiling and discarding the water multiple times.
Modern foragers and experimental eaters have documented ways to prepare the mushroom safely, but it’s definitely not for beginners. And its psychoactive effects are unpredictable, often unpleasant, and vastly different from the psilocybin mushrooms people associate with modern psychedelic therapy.
So while it may look charming, Amanita muscaria should be treated with extreme respect.
While Amanita muscaria is considered toxic, it's rarely fatal. Most poisoning cases result in gastrointestinal distress and neurological symptoms, but fatalities are exceptionally rare. Still, always consult an expert before foraging or consuming wild mushrooms.
The Mushroom as Metaphor: Why It Still Resonates
The more you look at the cultural journey of Amanita muscaria, the more it makes sense that it became a symbol in one of the world’s most beloved video games.
It transforms the hero: Just like Mario becomes his “bigger” self, humans have long seen mushrooms—especially this one—as agents of growth, transformation, and entering new mental territory.
It represents mystery and risk: Mushrooms are nature’s great unknowns. Some heal. Some kill. Some reveal truths. They’re unpredictable, like the human mind itself.
It’s visually unforgettable: Bright red with white dots? That’s branding gold. Especially in an 8-bit world where design needed to pop instantly.
Why This Tiny Pixel Still Matters
In the age of ultra-high-definition gaming, NFTs, and VR headsets, it’s easy to overlook the simplicity of Mario’s mushroom. But that bouncing icon carries with it an astonishing amount of cultural weight.
It’s a visual shorthand for transformation. It’s a callback to ancient rituals. It’s a reminder that sometimes power comes from the natural world—even the parts of it that freak us out a little.
And it’s also a quiet invitation to be curious. Because behind every familiar icon is a history you didn’t know you were missing.
Leveling Up in Real Life: What This Teaches Us
Amanita muscaria may not be part of your grocery list, but it is part of a broader cultural truth: the things that change us often come from unexpected places. Forest floors. Folklore. 8-bit video games. Ancient rituals.
The lesson? Stay curious. Not everything powerful looks like it makes sense at first. Sometimes, the most iconic “boosts” are rooted in thousands of years of human fascination with the strange, the sacred, and the mushroom-shaped.
The Power-Up We Didn't Know We Needed
So yes, the next time you see Mario bounce into a mushroom and grow twice his size, remember: that pixelated pop was inspired by a real mushroom with a mythic past. A mushroom that doesn’t just look magical—but is magical, in all the ways nature quietly surprises us.
The real Amanita muscaria won’t give you firepower or invincibility. But it will remind you that the world is stranger, older, and more interconnected than we often give it credit for. That power can be metaphorical. That growth doesn’t always look like a straight path.
And that sometimes, even in games, truth hides in the most unexpected places.
Stay curious. The forest is full of metaphors—some of them wear red caps with white dots.
