The evolution of super mario: 35 years of gaming's most famous plumber

The evolution of Super Mario: 35 years of gaming's most famous plumber

Avatar of Fernando Telles
Get to know the whole story behind the world's most beloved plumber and see how the evolution of Super Mario boosted not only Nintendo but the entire gaming industry

so important for Nintendo and to games what Mickey Mouse is to Disney and animation, Mario was responsible for resurrecting the games industry after the 1983 crisis, for exporting the Big-N name far beyond the islands of Japan, and for some of the best memories, childhood or otherwise, of multiple generations. In 2020, Super Mario Bros., the world's most famous plumber's iconic game, celebrates its 35th anniversary. Next, learn about the history behind the classic and the evolution of Super Mario over these three decades.

The first Super Mario Bros. arrived in Japan on September 13, 1985. Although its history is a little confused with that of the NES – Nintendo Entertainment System, or 'Nintendinho', as it is known in Brazil, the console was released a little earlier in Japan (1983), under the name 'Famicon' and a very different design from the western version. What many don't know, however, is that the plumber's first appearance dates back to 1981, in the arcade game Donkey Kong – at the time, these machines were the most affordable and popular way to play video games.

Birth of Mario as we know it

1981 donkey kong game
In Donkey Kong (1981), Jumpman had to jump barrels to save Pauline, his girlfriend, from the gorilla Donkey Kong (Image: Reprod./Nintendo)

In the 1981 game, Donkey Kong was the star – the gorilla character kidnapped a woman named Pauline and was the role of the jumpman – character who would only become the Mario years later – to rescue her. Despite already being the hero of this first game, Mario's performance was clearly secondary, so much so that in the Japanese debut the character didn't even have that name, earning it only when the game arrived in the US. Until then, he was described only as an Italian carpenter, as the game was set in a construction area.

After the release of Donkey Kong, who had accomplished the goals of establishing Nintendo in the US gaming market, Shigeru Miyamoto wanted to create a hit. For that, he would need an athletic and charismatic protagonist – it was only then that Jumpman became Mario, going from being a carpenter to becoming a plumber. According to Miyamoto, the character's profession needed to change because Mario Bros., a game that would debut in 1983 with Mario as the protagonist, took place in underground environments.

The evolution of super mario: 35 years of gaming's most famous plumber. Discover the whole story behind the world's most beloved plumber and see how the evolution of super mario has boosted not only nintendo but the entire gaming industry
Mario Segale (photo) was inspiration for Nintendo (Image: Reprod./VIEW)

The name “Mario”, believe it or not, was inspired by the name of Mario Rye, owner of one of Nintendo's leased warehouses in New York, at the time the company was trying to reach the US market. Legend has it that, after some discussions with Segale about late rents, the then president of 'Nintendo of America', Minoru Arakawa, would have noticed similarities between the plumber of the future game and the mogul owner of the real estate, so he decided to baptize him. with his first name, Mario.

Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of the character mario and the game super mario bros.

After much discussion about Mario's last name, Shigeru Miyamoto (photo), considered the father of the plumber and other Nintendo stars, confirmed that "Mario" is also the family name of the characters, and therefore, Mario mario e Luigi Mario.

Although Mario's name and personal history were only created during the development of Mario Bros., a game that also featured Luigi to the public, the character's appearance remained the same as the Jumpman seen in Donkey Kong. Conveniently, the look also circumvented the technical limitations of the time: the mustache, in addition to hiding the mouth, is characteristic of Mario's Italian-American origin, while the hat dispensed with the need to detail eyes, forehead and hair. Finally, the red and blue jumpsuit had the necessary contrast so that it was possible to differentiate the torso of the character's limbs.

A appearance of Mario became more consistent with the current one as new games were released and it was possible to represent more detail on the screen with less juggling. In Mario Bros. (1983), the predominant colors are blue and red, in Super Mario Bros. (1985), the character is red and green, returning to blue and red in Super Mario Bros 2 (1988). It was only in Super Mario World (1990), the favorite of this one who tells you, that Mario got his definitive look, with white gloves, blue jumpsuit, red shirt and the iconic cap with the letter “M”. Since 1990, the voice actor for Mario in games has been American Charles Martinet.

Mario looks in games over time
The Evolution of Super Mario in Pictures, from Mario Bros. (1983) to present (Super Mario Odyssey)

It was also during the games that details about the plumber's life were discovered. Mario, according to official sources, is a plumber, he is around 25 years old and lives in the mushroom kingdom (Mushroom Kingdom), with his younger and taller brother Luigi. Although this is the context of the main plot of the games in the franchise, Mario has already starred in games in which he was a doctor (Dr. Mario, 1990), archaeologist (Mario Picross, 1995) and athlete (several sports games), among other professions. The character has also starred in games in numerous places and times, in addition to having been portrayed as a baby (Super Mario World 2.

Finally, still about Mario's biography, it is important to point out his relationship with other classic characters from the franchise: Mario is Luigi's older brother, a friend of Princess Peach and Yoshi, and his biggest rival is Bowser. During the release of Super Mario Bros., Peach was quoted as being Mario's girlfriend - a relationship that today, at least officially, is classified by Nintendo as a friendship. Over the course of the games, more important characters emerged in the franchise, such as the antihero Wario and the friendly Toad.

Super Mario Bros.: unparalleled success

Super Mario Bros.
first phase of Super Mario Bros. (World 1-1) aims to teach basic game commands (Image: Reproduction/Nintendo)

Although Mario's story doesn't start in Super Mario Bros. (1985), since the first Mario Bros. is from two years earlier (1983), that was the hits which Miyamoto e takashi tezuka wanted for Nintendo at the time. In an interview with The Washington Post, Tezuka stated that during the game's development, he "went to the office basically for fun, every day" and that "thinking about 'gaming' was something so new it didn't even feel like work". Hard or not, the work of these men in 1985 proved crucial to saving an industry.

In 1982, Atari was the absolute leader in the games market and, although it is easy to criticize nowadays, it is undeniable that several of its attitudes caused the famous “electronic game crisis”, in 1983. At the time, the offer of games was suffocatingly large and confusing the consumer, either because of the wide variety of consoles or the huge variety of games available. Most of them, if not all, had no quality control. Added to these factors, the popularization of the personal computer also hindered the sales of home consoles.

Video game crash of 1983
Oversupply of games (many of low quality) caused the 'games crisis of 1983' (image: Reproduction/GuidePlay)

Consequently, in 1983, the games market looked like a flash in the pan, with the exception of arcade and computer games. It was only in 1985, with the arrival of Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) or 'nintendo', that this has changed. At the time, Nintendo's main differential was the strict quality control that the company maintained over the games, since Big-N, although it developed the most successful titles on the platform, also allowed third parties to make games for the NES.

The evolution of super mario: 35 years of gaming's most famous plumber. Discover the whole story behind the world's most beloved plumber and see how the evolution of super mario has boosted not only nintendo but the entire gaming industry
Super Mario Bros box. 1985) (Image: Reproduction/Nintendo)

And as no console is made without a great successful game, Super Mario Bros. it was the flagship of NES games, joining the console box a few months after its US release. Over 40 million of copies sold in all, excluding re-releases and pirated versions, the game is the best-selling game in the entire history of the NES and has remained for more than 20 years as the best-selling game of all time, being surpassed only by the sales of the NES. nintendo wii sports in 2007.

Launch of the nintendo entertainment system nes
Nintendo or 'NES' with all accessories released for the North American market (1986) (Image: Reproduction/Nintendo)

The development of Super Mario Bros. it took 3 years and is the result of everything Nintendo learned from Donkey Kong e Mario Bros.. At the time, Nintendo only sold home consoles in Japan (Famicon), and these two games arrived in the US initially in arcades. In Nintendo's plans, Super Mario Bros., would therefore be the game responsible for launching the NES in North America, the console being a redesigned version of the Famicon for the west, in addition to being Nintendo's first home console sold in the region.

With all that in mind, it's easy to imagine why Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka needed a hit. Initially, it was only known that the game would be a platformer and side-scrolling. Mario and Luigi became the heroes of the game due to the good reception of Mario Bros., while the term “Super” was due to the super mushroom (Great mushroom), which allowed characters to grow in size. Like the flower that allows Mario to shoot fireballs and the invincibility star, the Super Mushroom didn't exist in the first one. Mario Bros. of 1983.

The evolution of super mario: 35 years of gaming's most famous plumber. Discover the whole story behind the world's most beloved plumber and see how the evolution of super mario has boosted not only nintendo but the entire gaming industry
(Image: Playback/Nintendo)

As the team built the game, Miyamoto also decided that the King Koopa, later nicknamed Bowser, would be a turtle (initially it would be an ox). Likewise, it was decided that the first world (World 1-1) would serve to teach players the basic dynamics of Mario's movements and his interactions with the environment.

It was necessary to demonstrate that goombas, although visually similar to the mushrooms, did harm to the character, while the mushrooms granted him a power-up.

Once the game was ready, Nintendo had a gold mine at hand. Super Mario Bros. Not only did it sell 40 million copies, it made Mario the world's best-known video game character, made Nintendo a gaming giant for over 30 years and spawned an entire franchise of hits. To date, Mario has appeared in more than 200 games, including 'sub-franchises' such as Mario Golf, Mario Kart, Mario Tennis and others. It is the most successful video game franchise in the world, both in terms of sales and critical acclaim.

Super mario bros movie (1992)
Super Mario Bros. (1993) was neither a box office nor critical success, but it has a huge following of fans (Image: Reproduction/Buena Vista Pictures)

Em 1993, shortly after the huge success of Super Mario World, on the SNES, hit theaters the movie Super Mario Bros.. In it, Mario (Bob Hoskins) and Luigi (John Leguizamo) are plumbers from Brooklyn, New York – just like the game’s setting. Mario Bros. – and must rescue Princess Daisy (Samantha Mathis) in a dystopian parallel universe ruled by the dictator King Koopa (Dennis Hooper).

The film was not a box office success, but it is cheered by fans of the franchise until today, although it is not faithful to the narrative of the games. In the long, the appearance of some characters and the setting were largely changed in relation to the game. Luigi, for example, is not even Mario's brother, having been adopted for that when I was a baby. until the release of Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, in 2019, the film was the only live action starring Nintendo characters, both being licensed works – that is, not produced by Nintendo itself, but by third parties.

Yoshi, portable and 3D era

The evolution of super mario: 35 years of gaming's most famous plumber
Nintendo recently confirmed that, at least in Super Mario World (1990), Mario actually hits Yoshi on the head to make him swallow enemies (Image: Reproduction/Nintendo)

After the blast that was Super Mario Bros., Mario became Nintendo's main character, having classic games on each of the company's consoles. Super Mario World (1990), for example, is the best-selling game in the history of SNES – second table console of the brand, also launched in 1990. It was in this game, by the way, that we were better introduced to the Yoshi, since, until then, the dinosaur appeared within the plot of Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988), but it was not possible to interact with it.

Although it has been imagined since the development of Super Mario Bros.. in 1985, it was the technological advances of the SNES that made Yoshi a “playable” character in 1990. The character is the creation of Shigefumi Hino, who presented Yoshi's sketch after Nintendo insiders imagined Mario traveling on a dinosaur, and his full name, according to author Black Harris, is T. Yoshisaurus Munchakoopas. This last name, by the way, is a pun for “koopas chewer”, in English.

The evolution of super mario: 35 years of gaming's most famous plumber. Discover the whole story behind the world's most beloved plumber and see how the evolution of super mario has boosted not only nintendo but the entire gaming industry
Nintendo DS (2004) in promotional flyer for Super Mario 64 DS (2004) (Image: Nintendo)

although the first Game Boy arrived in Japan in 1989, it was also in the 90s that the portable console achieved worldwide success. As expected, Nintendo released several games from the Mario franchise for the platform, being Super Mario Land (1989), one of the best known. In 2001, with the arrival of the Game Boy Advance, several classic Mario games, such as Super Mario Bros. e Super Mario World, until then restricted to their respective consoles, also started to fit in the bag of the players.

Demonstrating once again that Nintendo does not play games, the Game Boy line, along with the Nintendo DS (Nintendo Dual Screen), are still the most successful handheld consoles in history. Over three generations, Nintendo DS existed for 16 years, from December 2004 to September 2020, and served as a side stage for more Mario hits, including Super Mario 64 DS (2004) New Super Mario Bros. (2006) and Super Mario 3D Land (2011)

After huge successes in the early 90's with the SNES and GameBoy, it was time for Nintendo to overcome yet another technological barrier, now with a new desktop console. It is clear that Mario could not be left out of the story and therefore both the Nintendo 64 as Super Mario 64 they were launched in June 1996 – in most markets, the game and console were launched on the same day. The “64” in the names refers to the console’s 64 bits, which allowed it to process three-dimensional graphics, being Super Mario 64 the franchise's first 3D game.

Screenshot in super mario 64
In 3D, Super Mario 64 gave the player more freedom to explore the Mushroom Kingdom, due to its non-linear gameplay (Image: Reproduction/Nintendo)

The game was a huge milestone for Nintendo and fans alike – as, for the first time, characters and the franchise's environment could be seen from different angles. In addition to defining the aesthetics and movements of Mario in three dimensions, the title became a reference for 3D games of the time, as it was Super Mario Bros. for side scrolling games. Until today, Super Mario 64 is usually remembered for its ambiance that encourages exploration, playful graphics and, obviously, for having given a new life to the elements of the franchise – until then, trapped in two dimensions.

The evolution of super mario: 35 years of gaming's most famous plumber. Discover the whole story behind the world's most beloved plumber and see how the evolution of super mario has boosted not only nintendo but the entire gaming industry
The 'Boos' often appear at a glance, while you are not looking at them (Image: Reproduction/Nintendo)

Like the other games mentioned, Super Mario 64 it was the game best seller of the Nintendo 64, having been created to exploit all the technical capabilities of the console at the time. Shigeru Miyamoto's idea was for the game to have a lot more visuals and puzzle than the previous ones, better representing the emotions of the characters and reminiscent of a 3D animated film. It is even said that some expressions of the characters originated in the expressions of real people, as would be the case with the Boos, supposedly inspired by Takashi Tezuka's wife.

Known for being very quiet, Tezuka's wife would have been furious at the time her husband was spending on the game's development. Likewise, the Boos from Super Mario 64 appear to be harmless while looking at them, but Mario just needs to turn his back for them to grow. This would have been a way for Tezuka to play with his wife by putting her in the game, as well as showing that even during working hours, he thought of her.

Still about Super Mario 64, another interesting fact is that the game began to be thought of by Miyamoto during the development of Star Fox (1993), for the Super Nintendo. Although the SNES was a 16-bit console, Star Fox impressed by simulate 3D graphics using shadows and other elements. At the time, it was necessary to add a special chip (SuperFX) to the cartridge to help the console process the graphics, but the result got Miyamoto excited about recreating Mario's world in 3D on a future console.

Screenshot of Super Mario Sunshine on Nintendo Switch
GameCube original, Super Mario Sunshine (2002) has been remastered for Nintendo Switch (Image: Reproduction/Nintendo)

With both feet in three-dimensionality, Mario continued starring in games in GameCube, console launched in 2001 to compete with PlayStation 2 it's the first Xbox. As the console never became popular in Brazil, the franchise games in this era are the most unknown to Brazilians, such as Super Mario Sunshine (2002). After years of hiatus here, Mario reappeared with force in Brazil in 2007, after the late inhabitant of our hearts, Nintendo Wii, having been released in Tupiniquim soil (2006).

Also as expected, the Wii staged another classic in the series: Super Mario Galaxy (2007), as the name makes clear, takes place in galaxies full of planets. In addition to the aesthetic differences of the stars, the variation in gravity between them alters the dynamics of the game, considered by many to be one of the titles most dazzling franchise to this day. In the plot, Mario or Luigi, depending on who the player chooses, sets out on an adventure to save Princess Peach, as well as the entire universe, from Bowser's evil plans.

Screenshot in super mario galaxy (2007)
Super Mario Galaxy (2007) has stages in different worlds, with widely varying environments and mechanics (Image: Reproduction/Nintendo)

Despite presenting the same simple plot of the first games (as usually happens in most games in the franchise, by the way), Super Mario Galaxy enchants the player during the gameplay, mixing the playful aesthetics of the franchise games with the space theme. Personally, I believe this is the biggest reason for its success. Finally, the title was succeeded by Super Mario Galaxy 2, released for the Wii U in 2010. From then on, releases began to contain elements of previous games, such as Super Mario New Bros. u (2012) and Super Mario Maker (2015)

From then on, only 2017 that a really new chapter has been added to the plumber's story, with Super Mario Odyssey. Released shortly after Nintendo Switch, the title brings many innovations, such as the fact that Mario transits through urban environments and his new hat that has a life of its own. As in the previous titles, the game's dynamics were built to explore the graphic capacity, the functionalities and the format of the console, which in the case of the Switch consists of a tablet with detachable controls, the joy-cons.

The future of the franchise

Even after 35 years in and out of the pipes, Mario is in great shape: just this year and in celebration of the franchise's anniversary, Nintendo announced five new titles starring the character. Starting with Super Mario 3D All Stars, the game consists of a remastered collection of the classics Super Mario 64 (1996) Super Mario Sunshine (2002) and Super Mario Galaxy (2007). As it is a special edition, the game will only be available (digitally and physically) until March 31th, 2021, having been released on September 18 this year.

The other games released by Nintendo are:

  • Super Mario Bros. 35, an apartment by the bay, for its easy access, free parking, and larger space for our group of XNUMX people. The house was great for a large group like ours, the host was very attentive, and the location was excellent; it was quiet and quick to walk to the old town. battle royale with up to 35 players in the world of Super Mario Bros., available from October 1st;
  • Super Mario 3D World Bowser's Fury, an improved version of the original Super Mario 3D World, released for Wii U, now with local and online multiplayer, available from February 12, 2021;
  • Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, slated to arrive on Nintendo Switch on October 16, the game promises the Mario Kart experience in the real world, using augmented reality technologies to make the player's home the kart track;
  • Super Mario All-Stars, a collection of Plumber games released in 1993 for the SNES, which included remastered versions of Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros .: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 2 e Super Mario Bros. 3, which arrived on Switch on September 3;
  • Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros:, Nintendo will launch one more of its classic Game & Watch, a series of handheld consoles that were precursors of the Game Boy and sold by the company in the 80s. At the time, the Game & Watch had titles from Donkey Kong e Popeye, while the model to be released on November 13, 2020 will feature Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros .: The Lost Levels e ball, one of the classic mini-games from the first Game & Watch.

In addition to these, Nintendo has also confirmed the launch of more games and news involving Mario by 2021. For 2022, the arrival of a movie, starring the plumber and with Shigeru Miyamoto in the production. Apparently, the film will not be a live action like the 1993 feature, but an animation. Chris Meledandri, founder of Illumination Entertainment, is quoted to participate in the project, being responsible for titles such as the Lorax (2012) Pets (2016) Grinch (2018) and My favorite evil (2010)

Last September 15th, the Nintendo Switch also officially arrived in Brazil. After a few years without official representation here, Nintendo closed a partnership with Ingram Micro, bringing the console that until then was only available via import. In addition to the console, which has a suggested price of R$ 2.999 and comes with gray or colored Joy-cons (neon blue and neon red), Big-N also brought to Brazil some laptop accessories, such as the Pro controller and Joy-cons in different colors.

super mario world end screen
End screen shown in Super Mario World (1990) (Image: Reproduction/Nintendo)

With all these plans, it's easy to see that Mario's future at Nintendo is assured. The character, in addition to always being a sales success, is extremely versatile, starring in more than 200 titles in which he appears in the most varied contexts. As if that weren't enough, Mario is also a simple character, which allows people to identify with him and the values with which he is always associated: the spirit of adventure, loyalty to friends and a sense of justice.

For all this and a little more, Mario is Nintendo's ambassador, which became clear when the character appeared at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics inviting everyone to the event that would take place this year, in Japan, with the Japanese prime minister himself at the time. , Shinzo Abe. More than that, however, Mario can be considered the video game ambassador – that character that remains alive in the hearts of multiple generations of gamers, not only for his legacy in the past, but for being a symbol, until today, of pure fun.

Congratulations on your 35 years, Mario mario e Luigi Mario.

With information from: Nintendo (YouTube Channel), technologizer, IGN, Nintendo, Eurogamer, Zelda Legends


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