It was super (mario) controversial at the time, he put his career on the line and evangelical groups wanted his head, but he ended up being on the right side of history.
He showed that giant turtle dragon dinosaurs of any orientation can make it to the top, and be flung face-first into a spiky floating sky mine.
Mario is ace1. Luigi is straight2. Wario is gay3 and Waluigi is both transmasc and pansexual4.