The iconic Shy Guys from the Mario franchise have been in a ton of games over the years. They are up there with Goombas, Chain Chomps, Boos, and Koopa Troopas in terms of always being around in the games. However, what makes Shy Guys special is that they originally did not appear in a Mario game. Instead, they actually came from a Japanese-only video game called Doki Doki Panic.

Doki Doki Panic was developed by Nintendo and released in 1987 for the Japan-exclusive Famicom Disk System. The story of the game involves a family being pulled into a storybook world where dreams determine the weather. The villain is called Mamu, and uses what was originally a dream machine to make nightmares. It was in this game that Shy Guys were introduced. The game was actually later released outside Japan with a ton of change and was retitled Super Mario Bros. 2, which misled a lot of international fans to believe Shy Guys were a Mario product from the very beginning.

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How Doki Doki Panic Impacted Mario

Split images of Doki Doki Panic.

Shy Guys were not the only enemies that Doki Doki Panic gave to the Mario franchise. It also the origin game for Birdos, Pokeys, and Bob-Ombs. When it became Super Mario Bros. 2 outside of Japan, Mario characters replaced the main cast. Imajin became Mario, Mama became Luigi, Lina became Princess Toadstool, and Papa was replaced by Toad. These replacements are notable, because the abilities of these characters they replaced shaped the abilities these Mario characters became known for.

A lot of other changes happened in making Doki Doki Panic into Super Mario Bros. 2, such as renaming Mamu to Wart and turning hearts into mushrooms. The Shy Guys, however, were untouched and thus became a common villain the Mario series despite originally belonging to an entirely different game. In the world of Doki Doki Panic, they worked as Mamu's henchmen and that did not change when Mamu became Wart.

Fuji TV's Yume Koujou And Why Shy Guys Wear Masks

Throwing vegetable at Shy Guy.

Doki Doki Panic actually stemmed from Fuji TV having a partnership with Nintendo. The four playable characters were all Arabian-themed and based on the identical mascots for an event that was sponsored by Fuji TV and took place in Tokyo and Osaka during 1987. The event was called Yume Koujou, and it showcased TV shows and new media technology as an outdoor summer carnival. It was advertised nearly a whole year in advance. One of their biggest visual motifs were masks, which were called "Imagina Masks." They were based on Italian art styles and were worn by street performers and sold as merchandise for attendees during Yume Koujou.

These masks are why Shy Guys are designed the way they are. They are just little people who wear masks, and that is because of Yume Koujou and the connection Doki Doki Panic has with Fuji TV. Shy Guys were just one of many enemies that wore masks, but it was them who would remain iconic as part of the Mario franchise. When Doki Doki Panic changed to Super Mario Bros. 2, there were a lot less masks in the game as well.

As for why masks were a major part of Yume Koujou in the first place, it was because the event was meant to have a very international feel to it. While Italian masks were big, they also made their mascot family Arabian, kept the event in Japan, and Fuji TV executives were inspired to create the event in 1984 when they traveled to Brazil and experienced a carnival. A lot of international vibes were mixed in as a way to show how technology globalizes the world.

Doki Doki Panic was only released in Japan on the FamiCon Disk System.

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