Before Mario became a global pop culture icon and the face of Nintendo video games, he was just Jumpman. Appearing in Nintendo’s very first smash hit – the 1981 arcade classic Donkey Kong – Jumpman was a simple carpenter trying to save his girlfriend Pauline from the giant gorilla. With a red cap, bushy mustache and blue overalls, this determined hero left a lasting impression.
When Nintendo decided to give Jumpman his own game called Mario Bros in 1983, Shigeru Miyamoto gave him proper identity as Mario. The mustached man was now paired with his lanky brother Luigi as they took on some peculiar plumbing jobs in Mushroom Kingdom while squaring off against turtle-shell wearing enemies.
Little did they know this was the origin of gaming royalty!
Groundbreaking Start of the Super Mario Legacy
Mario’s big breakout came with the arrival of Super Mario Bros in 1985 for Nintendo’s revolutionary home console called the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).
Creative visionary Shigeru Miyamoto designed the game to demonstrate the joy of movement and exploration only possible through video games. Players guided the bouncy plumber through brilliantly crafted 2D side-scrolling worlds filled with topsy-turvy physics, squashy enemies like Goombas and iconic question mark blocks hiding power-ups.
Key innovations like grabbing a Super Mushroom to grow big or shooting fireballs after grabbing the Fire Flower created lasting memories. As game historian Jeremy Parish notes – "The ability to immediately transition between small, vulnerable Mario to his powerful super version added an element of drama."
The goal was simple – trot through eight worlds overrun with Bowser’s forces to rescue Princess Peach. Yet hidden warp zones, lethal plants, golden coins to collect and King Koopa’s castles offered endless challenges and surprises.
This rock-solid foundation would spawn one of gaming’s most revered and successful franchises.
Expanding Mario’s Mushroom Kingdom Reach
Following the breakout success of Super Mario Bros, Nintendo pushed out sequel after sequel for early consoles to capitalize on Mario mania:
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Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels – A brutally tough, identical-looking follow-up with poison mushrooms and devious world layouts. Originally released in Japan as the real SMB2 but rejected in the West.
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Super Mario Bros 2 – A refresh with a dream theme and four distinct playable characters including Princess Peach. Actually a reskinned version of Doki Doki Panic marketed to Western gamers
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Super Mario Bros 3 – Arguably the best game of the 8-bit era, building wonderfully on Mario’s core mechanics via tail-spinning Tanooki suits, overworld map progression, multiple plane-hopping levels and innovative multiplayer functionality
But Mario was just getting warmed up towards total industry domination!
His super-stardom soared even higher through the 90s across Nintendo platforms as visuals, level design and gameplay depth improved significantly:
| Console | Mario Releases | Notable Features |
| Super Nintendo | Super Mario World | Introduced loveable dinosaur Yoshi, ghost houses and branching level paths with alternate exits |
| Game Boy | Super Mario Land Series | Mario‘s adventures on GameBoy – unique power-ups, non-linear stages and an earthquake generator! |
| Nintendo 64 | Super Mario 64 | First 3D platformer with unprecedented movement freedom and enormous castle hub world to explore |
| GameCube | Super Mario Sunshine | FLUDD backpack added water spraying/hovering capabilities on sunny tropical island setting |
| Wii | Super Mario Galaxy Series | Space-faring adventures with small planetoids boasting self-contained challenges to conquer |
| Wii U | Super Mario 3D World | 4 player co-op chaotic fun blended with Super Mario 3D Land‘s linear 3D levels |
This incredible consistency across generations – building on proven Mario strengths while taking risks – cemented Nintendo’s reputation for top-notch game design and prestigious franchises.
Meanwhile Mario spin-offs like Mario Kart (kart racing), Mario Tennis (sports sim) and RPGs like Paper Mario delighted fans with drastic genre shifts!
By mastering platformers yet fitting into all these alternate game styles through inventive use of Mushroom Kingdom’s characters and locales, Mario demonstrated rare versatility too.
Over 35 years later, the wonder of Mario endures…
So how did this vintage 2D platforming series stay relevant in today’s hyperrealistic cutting-edge 3D gaming landscape?
Mario into the HD Future
Contrary to popular belief, Mario games never really disappeared – there were notable fan-pleasing releases every few years. However, the franchise did seem to lose steam by the early 2000s as Sony and Microsoft consoles with brooding space marines dominated market share.
Nintendo’s fortunes turned around dramatically with the trailblazing 2006 title New Super Mario Bros for the Nintendo DS handheld. This revamped version of beloved 2D gameplay became an instant classic – selling over 30 million copies worldwide!
Developer Eiji Aonuma describes their reinvigoration initiative:
"We looked at what core elements were necessary to make Mario fun and accessible. Level design, power-ups, good controls. We added some new abilities like wall jumping too but tried to preserve the essence."
Propelled by New Super Mario Bros success, Nintendo doubled down on reinventing Mario for current audiences on platforms like Wii, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and eventually Switch:
- Super Mario Galaxy (2007) – Gravitational challenges on tiny spherical planetoids in space
- Super Mario 3D Land (2011) – Merged 2D side-scrolling with 3D worlds
- Super Mario Maker (2015) – Powerful creation tools enabling players to build/share levels
- Super Mario Odyssey (2017) – Possession gimmick allowing control of enemies/objects with sentient hat named Cappy
Each game marshalled Nintendo‘s trademark creativity through joyful movement, environmental interactivity and polished mechanics with enough nostalgia novelty to attract lapsed fans.
Augmented by multimedia efforts like the popular Super Mario Bros Super Show from the late 80s starring wrestler Captain Lou Albano as Mario, Nintendo kept their mascot public-friendly too. This perfect storm help Mario remain a top 10 best-selling video game franchise of all time for 3 straight decades!
By the Numbers: Mario‘s Staggering Popularity
Let‘s examine Mario‘s monetary might:
- 585+ million games sold counting mainline, spin-off and remastered titles
- 5 of top 10 best-selling games ever – Mario dominates the leaderboards
- 36% more sales than top competitor Call of Duty (425+ million)
Drilling down reveals how dominant Mario platformers were over competition during pivotal hardware generations:
| Console | Top Seller | Sales (million) |
| NES/Famicom | Super Mario Bros 3 | 23 |
| SNES/Super Famicom | Super Mario World | 21 |
| Nintendo 64 | Super Mario 64 | 12 |
| Nintendo Wii | Mario Kart Wii | 37 |
| Wii U | Mario Kart 8 | 9 |
| Nintendo Switch | Mario Kart 8: Deluxe | 38 |
These outrageous numbers cement Mario‘s reputation as the undisputed king of video games even today!
Final Thoughts
In closing, Mario‘s eternal appeal and rock-solid game design stemming from those early 80s classics have made him the face of video gaming for 35+ glorious years and counting!
Fans eagerly await the upcoming Super Mario Bros Movie starring Chris Pratt as Mario alongside long-time Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto overseeing the production. With Miyamoto guarding his greatest creation, hopes are high it will capture the colorful magic so beautifully conveyed in the games.
Well-earned rest for weary plumber? Not so for the ageless hardworking Mario. He deserves to be recognized as a gaming icon inspiring generations and pushing creative boundaries.
Thanks Mario…for the memories and eternal joy of stepping into Mario‘s world – long may you run!
