We all identify with the plump Italian plumber with the full grown moustache, big nose, red cap and blue overalls. Mario, the lovable video game character, who turns 30, is probably the reason why most of us took to gaming as kids. Introduced as “Jumpman” by Nintendo’s Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto in Donkey Kong, Mario went on to feature in his own game in 1985. The addictive game kicked off a mass movement of gaming enthusiasts across the world who vouch that Mario led them to become gamers at heart. While the hero usually battles aliens, turtles and minions while attempting to rescue Princess Peach in Mushroom Kingdom along with his younger brother Luigi, the plumber has appeared in over 200 games including kart racing, sports, role-playing and educational versions apart from the platform series making Mario the best-selling video game franchise of all time. Mario has also made his appearance in films, television, cartoons and merchandise kicking off Mario mania in pop culture. The background score of the game also has numerous musical replications and is an infectious earworm.
MetroPlus explores how most of us grew up on Mario, the impact the game has had, its longevity and the plumber who has become a legend over generations.
Anurag Saxena, senior consultant at an insurance firm and a diehard gamer, affirms Mario was the first game he played as a kid and recalls how it helped him make his first friend.
“I had this media little master video game console and so did my neighbour. As kids we had nothing in common and the first point of contact between us was when I saw him playing the same game. We started to play Mario together and that was how I made a new friend – thanks to the game. He’s my oldest friend right now.”
While he has played Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros, Anurag admits the classic Super Mario Bros was the best. “I grew up on it. Even my parents are fans and addicted to the Dr. Mario version where you need to throw vitamins to destroy viruses and save the world. The game gives head-on challenges and everyone has something they love in each variation of the game.”
The reason the game has lasted this long is probably because of the good v/s evil concept, Anurag adds. “You have the villains clearly defined. It is a simple game. You don’t have to think a lot – jump over enemies - they die; sometimes they don’t. The tune is catchy – it is playing in my head already now.”
Venkat Ram, a software engineer in Chennai, recalls his father getting him the gaming console with the cassette containing 99 games of which Mario was his favourite.
“Mario was one of the first games I played. It was so addictive that I would come home from school and play late into the night.”
The sense of achievement you get when you complete the last level is incomparable even now. Later, I learnt shortcuts on how to skip levels and go straight to the final world. It was never ending as even after reaching the end, I would try to beat my score again and again. I moved to the PC and Mario got introduced to the PC as well. It wasn’t as engaging as the experience of the gaming console.” He affirms that almost all the gamers he knows got introduced to gaming through Mario.
“We’ve all hunted electronic stores together buying cassettes and trading them.” Venkat adds that while the new versions are great, he believes nothing beats the classics. “The gameplay is the most engaging in its original form. The classic format was challenging. There were no cheats and no Easter eggs apart from the short cuts. Everything depended on the timing of the jump and how skilled you are. Now games allow you to buy some coins from the store and make your way up. Mario was pure and easily the best.”
For 18-year-old architecture student and avid gamer Tushar Ganesh, it was curiosity that led him to the game. “The reason I started playing it was because I’ve heard a lot about how it helped introduce gaming to the world. I wanted to see what all the hype was about. My mind was completely blown at the end of the first level itself. And though I’m used to playing high graphics games and Mario isn’t all that great when it comes to graphics, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I recommend the game to my peers. The new versions like Mario64, Mario Kart and Mario RPG are some of my favourites. It’s good for Nintendo to keep trying something different. But I do see them going back to the old format because there’s nothing like it in any other game.”
Lokesh Bob, a graphics designer and music teacher, insists that he lost interest after the new versions came out. “I prefer the original Super Mario Bros any day. Though it is a low graphics game, the gameplay is suitable for all age groups. And the number of levels makes it interesting and keeps you going for hours. I think it’s been around for a long time because people of all ages love it.”
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Mario Trivia |
* Mario was originally a carpenter in Donkey Kong |
* Pauline was his first girlfriend in Donkey Kong |
* Princess Toadstool and Princess Peach are his later girlfriends |
* Princess Peach does a role reversal and rescues Mario in Super Princess Peach |
* The main villain King Koopa is replaced by Bowser in later versions whose sons also become villains. Tatanga is another villain in Super Mario Land |
* Baby Mario and Luigi appear in ‘Partners in Time’ |
* A greedy antihero called Wario appears in Super Mario Land 6 |
* Mario is the first video game character to have a wax figure in the Hollywood Wax Museum |
* Surveys show Mario is more recognisable than Mickey Mouse |
* Mario has seven world records in the Guinness World Records: Gamer’s Edition |
* Kungsbacka, Sweden, has a street named after Mario |
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