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Who doesn’t know him? The world’s most famous retro character is the small red plumber Super Mario. Mario first appeared – still under the name “Jumpman” – in the game Donkey Kong. It was only later that he evolved into the cult figure we know today. His career began as a carpenter, with a bulbous nose, blue overalls, and a red cap. This design was chosen because the technical limitations of the time only allowed for a 16×16-pixel graphic.
Mario became world-famous through his Super Mario platform game series. His profession changed from carpenter to plumber, and his brother Luigi joined him. Over time, Mario’s overalls changed too – first blue-red, then red-brown, and finally the iconic red-blue combination. His creator Shigeru Miyamoto helped turn Nintendo into the world’s largest video game company for a time.
Super Mario Bros. was the first of countless Mario titles and was released on September 13, 1985 in Japan. Developed for the Nintendo Family Computer (Famicom), it became available for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) two years later. With around 40 million copies sold, Super Mario Bros. held the record as the best-selling video game of all time for many years. This title marked Nintendo’s successful entry into the home console market.
Alongside the main series, numerous sports and board games were released, as well as various spin-offs like the “Wario” series. Popular side characters such as Yoshi, Luigi, and Princess Peach also took the spotlight in games like New Super Luigi U and Super Princess Peach. Competing companies tried to copy the Mario concept, but none reached the same cult status.
Mario didn’t just appear in video games – he also starred in an animated TV series and several feature films. Over the years, countless merchandise products have been released, remaining hugely popular to this day.