hongo:zaeuh1rbm2m= mario A Beloved Video Game Character

On my time as a fan and a player of the Mario games, I have been part of the development and took advantage of the growth of the iconic figure. In the article, I will show my knowledge and love for Mario, and I will give a detailed analysis of his birth, his adventures, and his persistent predilection for video games in the world.

Table of Contents

The Birth of an Icon

The plump plumber Mario in blue overalls and with a mustache who is known throughout the world is first seen in the 1981 game Donkey Kong. But he did not new back then Mario. He was known as “Jumpman,” sometimes even playing the role of the hero. It is only during his subsequent appearance that he is revealed to us under the title of “Mario”.

From Jumpman to Mario

The way it was, during the time of the realization of Donkey Kong, the landlord of the distribution center for Nintendo in the United States, Mario Segale, was not supposed to be there. At that time, the group, having the pleasure of meeting him, decided to name their character after him as a wonderful outcome. Then, Mario came into existence.

Mario’s Key Characteristics

Mario’s character got famous all over the world due to his appearance. These are some of them:

Red cap with an ‘M’ emblem
Blue overalls
Red shirt
Brown shoes
Thick mustache
Big nose

The Evolution of Mario Games

I have been playing Mario games for several decades and in that time, I have seen all the games set in his universe go from simple 2D platformers to games with complex 3D designs. Coming up, is a short chronology of Mario games on a platform-based form of entertainment:

2D Era: The Classic Mario

The old Mario games were 2D side-scrolling platformers. Such titles as:

Super Mario Bros. (1985)
Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988)
Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988)
Super Mario World (1990)

These games brought in the game mechanics that would go on to voice the series: running, jumping, and power-ups, such as the Super Mushroom and the Fire Flower.

The Jump to 3D

1996 was a breakthrough year for the Mario series, thanks to the release of Super Mario 64, which transformed the series by immersing the character in a 3D universe. This game came with extra abilities such as long jumps and wall jumps, which have since been adopted by the series.

Modern Mario Adventures

New Mario games have lived up to their hype while also maintaining a connection with their original character. Here are several memorable titles:

Super Mario Galaxy (2007)
New Super Mario Bros. Wii (2009)
Super Mario Odyssey (2017)

Mario’s Supporting Cast

During his travels, Mario has always been accompanied by characters in all colors of the palette. Several of the most important among them are:

Luigi: Mario’s taller, slimmer brother
Princess Peach: Butterfly hair salon manager of the Mushroom kingdom
Yoshi: A cartoon dinosaur who really comes to life while Mario rides on him
Toad: One of the brand ambassadors of the Mushroom Kingdom, who is the center of fun, joy, and fire there
Bowser: Mario’s nemesis and the only antagonist of the series

Power-Ups and Abilities

The vast simulation of Mario games is powered by the many game elements that are given. These are just a few of my choice:

Super Mushroom: Debates are won by the biggest mushroom that Mario eats
Fire Flower: Mario uses it to throw fireballs
Star: It can give Mario some time to be invulnerable
Cape Feather: Mario is able to enjoy the special ability to fly (in Super Mario World)
Tanooki Suit: Mario can fly and turn into a statue (in Super Mario Bros. 3)

Mario’s Influence on Pop Culutre

Mario is not just only a cool character in the gaming culture but also he has become a cult entity by appearing in different art content and merchandise:

TV shows and animated series
A live-action movie although it was not very well-received
Comic books and manga
Toys and action figures
Clothing and accessories
Attractions at theme parks, e.g. the Super Nintendo World

The Mario Effect on Gaming

Mario’s popularity and success have had a great deal of forces in the gaming industry:

Introducing the platformer genre to mainstream success
Setting up standards for game design and controls
Presenting the power and viable options of new gaming hardware from the medium of video games
Being an original and remaining inspiring to numerous other games’ characters

Mario’s Spin-off Games

It is the impressive popularity of Mario in the gaming world that has led to be innumerable spin-off games, one of them being the games that are not just platformers but also others. A few outstanding ones include:

Mario Kart series: Racing games using Mario characters
Mario Party series: Virtual board games with mini-games
Mario Tennis and Mario Golf: Sports games with a Mario twist
Paper Mario series: RPGs featuring a paper-thin variation of Mario
Mario + Rabbids: A tactical RPG developed by Ubisoft that signifies popular ribs from Mario being kidnapped, and he goes on a wild adventure to help them escape from the clutches of the terrible homeowner who is facing eviction from the bank if he can’t find them.

The Music of Mario

The music of Mario games has been composed mainly by Koji Kondo, and it has consequently developed the power of association such that it is now easily identifiable. In fact, these ones are my favorite:

The “Ground Theme” from Super Mario Bros.
The “Underwater Theme” from Super Mario Bros.
The “Athletic Theme” from Super Mario World
The “Gusty Garden Galaxy” theme from Super Mario Galaxy

Global Appeal of Mario

Mario’s followers are the people who have created a public opinion of him which is that he is loved by people of all ages and cultures. The following components are the general reasons that make him the favorite:

Easy-to-understand, enjoyable game that is quick to get started with yet at the same time challenging to master
Colorful content for the whole family
Though so many games are made with him, there is still no time for boredom with the self-same character
Nostalgia is great because old people have a sense of it
The franchise is brought to infinity by the release of new editions and updates done regularly

The Future of Mario

As Nintendo can continue to come up with fresh ideas, Mario’s future will be illuminated by new developments to come. Some of the possibilities could be as follows:

Comet-like 3D platformer games
The use of virtual reality and augmented reality devices
Creation of a shared universe with new spin-off titles
Mario merging with some of the successful other franchises
Mobile gaming endured the obstacles that mobile gaming faced and continued to thrive

Mario’s Enduring Legacy

In the gaming and entertainment zones of the world, Mario’s permanence and influence are apparent as they shape these spheres of live for generations by connecting his adventures with millions of people and by the more personal approach. The spirit of him can be easily traced out in myriad forms of entertainment, as in the case of video games; however, his image has been entwined with that of innumerable other games and characters as time went on.