Mario: Record-breaker and Princess-saver

Mario is one of the most famous characters in the video game industry and symbolizes an entire era of gaming consoles from Nintendo. His story began in 1981 when he appeared as “Jumpman” in the arcade game Donkey Kong. He was originally designed as a hero trying to save his girlfriend Pauline from a gorilla.

The character of Mario was created by Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, who worked for Nintendo. Miyamoto needed a distinct character whose image would fit into just a few pixels—specifically 16 x 16. The result was a stylized guy with a mustache and a cap. A plumber with an Italian accent saving damsels in distress. Well, Japan is a different world… Yet, Mario became a global icon.

Mario reached the Czech lands much later. Players here were gaming on Commodores and Ataris, and only the truly lucky with connections abroad could get their hands on Nintendo consoles.

In 1983, the successor to Donkey Kong was created – the game Mario Bros., in which Mario appeared with his brother Luigi. The game was a huge success, and Mario became the mascot of the gaming industry.

However, the biggest success came in 1985 with the release of Super Mario Bros. for the NES console. The game became a massive hit, selling millions of copies. Mario became the face of Nintendo. In the following years, more games featuring Mario were released, such as Super Mario World, Super Mario 64, or Mario Kart. To this day, you can find Mario in over two hundred games across various genres.

Mario has gradually become a symbol not only for the gaming industry but for Japanese culture as a whole. His image appears everywhere, from clothing to furniture. Mario is one of the most significant characters in gaming history, and his success continues to this day.

Some might find Mario at least a bit strange. I count myself in that group. He is definitely not a hero I can relate to. But the fact is, that probably wasn't the original intention anyway. Regardless, Mario has his own unique personality. At the time of his creation, this was definitely not the rule. But the biggest success is clearly down to his creator, Shigeru Miyamoto.

Shigeru Miyamoto is a Japanese game designer and producer known as the creator of some of the most significant and successful game series in history. He is responsible for, among others, the iconic The Legend of Zelda series.

Miyamoto's work has had a fundamental impact on the gaming industry, and his design principles have become a standard for the entire gaming culture. His games are prized for their fun, creativity, and innovation, and they have become milestones in video game history. Miyamoto is considered one of the most important creators in the gaming industry. His games surprise you with their ideas and design. At first glance, they might seem infantile, bursting with colors and childish characters. But beneath that surface bubbles a massive cauldron of finely-tuned mechanics. It is practically guaranteed that if you look past the childish visuals, you will have a hell of a good time.

After all, Mario games are among the best-selling games in video game history. Logically, they are among the biggest hits on their home Nintendo systems.

Mario has also appeared in several films, though their quality sometimes left something to be desired. In 1993, the big-budget film Super Mario Bros. was released, directed by Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton. However, the film met with negative reviews from critics and fans alike and failed commercially. It really is bizarre…

Mario has also appeared in several television series, such as The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! and Super Mario World. The character of Mario himself has appeared everywhere as a pop-culture reference. And yes – he was even in The Simpsons.

And what does Mario actually do in his games? He saves the princess! Mario and Princess Peach have been romantically linked since the first Super Mario Bros. game, where Mario must save Peach from the evil Bowser. Since then, this motif has been repeated in many other games and remains the core of the game series' story.

Mario has strong feelings for Princess Peach and usually saves her from danger in his game titles. While in some games the relationship between them is only briefly hinted at, in others, their relationship has greater emotional depth.

A number of other characters have appeared around Mario. Some have become equally famous faces, earning their own games. These include Mario's brother Luigi, the main villain and enemy Bowser, the mushroom-guy Toad, the egg-laying dinosaur Yoshi, or Wario, who is a sort of “anti-Mario”.

Currently, Mario has returned to the big screen. The Super Mario Bros. Movie met with perhaps unexpected success and is currently the highest-grossing film of the year. In its first 5 days in theaters, it grossed 377 million dollars. It broke the profit record among animated films previously held by Frozen II, making it the most successful video game adaptation of all time.

author Karel Krajča