Iconic game character turns 30

Mario over the years has become more than a video game character. The Italian plumber became an integral part of kids’ life over the decades. Super Mario, celebrates his 30th birthday today

Mario is more than the most recognisable character in the video game world. He’s arguably the reason the industry is the pop culture force it is today. This unique character in blue overalls, red cap and fulsome moustache was an instant hit.

The craze for the game was so much that Nintendo sold more than 310 million units featuring him since he first hit the screens under his own name in 1985.

Even before the first 'Super Mario Bros' game was released on September 13, 1985, in Japan on the Famicom console, the character had already made an appearance in the Nintendo arcade game 'Donkey Kong', but under the name Jumpman.The Mario moniker came from the landlord of the warehouse where the US arm of Nintendo was based, whose physical appearance made the programmers, think of a video game character.

Mario's creator, game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, said: "I had it in mind to make him an Italian when I was drawing the character, so I decided to officially call him Mario."Mario's plain appearance is attributed to the limitations of the hardware at the time, with a limited number of pixels and restricted range of colours -- but it has possibly helped increase his longevity.

"I drew him with a big nose and a moustache so that players could recognise his face. At first, Mario wore a white shirt and red overalls so his arm movements would be clearly visible," Miyamoto said. There was a simple explanation for his cap too – the designers initially lacked the technology to make his hair move.

In his best-known adventures, Mario comes to the rescue of Princess Peach, but our hero has also been inserted into formats featuring football, golf or karting. The games have often been accompanied by technological advances, such as the fully three-dimensional format introduced by 'Super Mario 64' in 1996.

To mark the three-decade milestone, Nintendo is releasing "Super Mario Maker" on the WiiU console, which allows players to create their own worlds for Mario, or use those created by other players and shared through the internet.

Meanwhile, for adults still nostalgic for the Mario of their youth, the new game allows players a choice of four styles of graphics, ranging from those in 1985's 'Super Mario Bros' to 'New Super Mario Bros U' released in 2012.

Stay updated on the go with The Hans India News App. Click the icons to download it for your device.