Super Mario Galaxy 2 doesn't make any sense.

While it's a direct sequel to Super Mario Galaxy, the stories just don't add up. In the first, you are invited to Peach's castle for the Star Festival, which is celebrated every 100 years. Bowser kidnaps the princess, and Rosalina helps you retrieve her.

In the second game, you are invited to Peach's castle for the Star Festival, which is celebrated every 100 years. Bowser kidnaps the princess, and a big purple thing that looks kind of like Grimace helps you retrieve her....

Wait a minute, this doesn't add up at all! Is Mario immortal? Is this an alternate dimension?

Trying to make narrative sense of Mario is a ridiculous endeavor. Story is not the purpose of the game, and it rarely factors into a review.

I was going to use this as an argument to why Mario endures, as part of our callout for Mario articles. The lack of any sort of story creates a very low barrier to entry. You don't need to know anything to play, and this lack of narrative preserves the timelessness of the the character. The idea of an alternate-dimension Mario, however, made me think of another very popular franchise.

Lost's final episode aired the exact same day Super Mario Galaxy 2 was released. I don't think this was a coincidence. While the finale of the six-season series was heavy on emotion, many questions were left unanswered.

If Lost still has a story to tell and Mario needs a story, I think we might have a match. In fact, the characters of the Mario series and Lost share many connections.

Here are the likelest roles that Mario characters can step into on Lost. (I will be spoiling everything).

Mario as Jack Shepard

Mario and Jack have more in common than being the protagonists of their respective franchises. They are both professionals (plumber and neurosurgeon), they both have drug addictions (mushrooms and painkillers), and they both have an unwavering motivation to do what is right.

Luigi as James "Sawyer" Ford

Mario and Luigi have had a long-standing competition, much like Jack and Sawyer. Often billed as the sidekick, both Sawyer and Luigi can stand on their own two feet. And where Sawyer is a con-man, Luigi has constantly been conned. I mean, you can't explain it any other way. How would you feel to be the hero of a launch title for Nintendo's new system, only to end up starring  in Luigi's Mansion?

Peach as Kate Austen

Peach and Kate are both constantly getting in trouble -- and often by their own doing: Kate murders her abusive stepfather; Peach bakes delicious cakes. They can both, however, dish out as much as they can take.

Daisy as Juliet Burke

Daisy is Juliet, insofar that they were convenient additions to the fiction. Both were billed as damsels in distress to be saved by the protagonist -- Daisy in the Game Boy's Super Mario Land and Juliet as a relunctant member of the Others. They quickly moved from Mario and Jack only to hook up with Luigi and Sawyer.

Wario as John Locke

Wario is as fickle as Locke. Sometimes good, sometimes bad -- you never really get a proper read on either character. And much like Locke who wrote his own rules, Wario went on to create his own microgames.

Toad as Hugo "Hurley" Reyes

Toad is an obvious analogue to Hurley. Both are rotund (Toad in the head, Hurley in the belly), and both have a knack for getting themselves in trouble. They each supply unheeded, but wiser-than-it-sounds advice. Does this mean Toad will end up running the whole show? Maybe.

Funky Kong as Sayid Jarrah

Both characters have played multiple roles in their franchises that reveal each to be a jack-of-all-trades. Funky Kong has helped his friends as a pilot, arms dealer, and mechanic, while Sayid has helped his friends as radio-repair man, torturer, and zombie.

Diddy and Dixie Kong as Jin and Sun Kwon

No matter the obstacles, nothing can keep these lovebirds apart. Both couples also have bizarre circumstances surrounding their unions. Jin became a member of the Paik crime family in order to marry Sun. Diddy and Dixie have different, but perhaps as unsavory, family issues. Diddy is Donkey Kong's nephew, where as Dixie is Donkey Kong's cousin. I'm not a genealogist, but that just doesn't seem right.

Keep reading for more Mario and Lost connections....