Hello friends it’s Tim here from Super Mayhem, awoooo, and boy howdy do we have a fun list for you Mario fans out there today!
In the dawn of the late 1980s and then everyone’s favorite 90’s, Mario Bros games came into existence and it magically changed the way we lived. It has been possibly the most successful gaming franchise, and the creators from Japan became wealthy and well known around the world for developing one of the most lucrative games of all time.
In 2020, Mario technically turns 39 years old. Since 1981 or more popularly recognised as 1985, hooray for the 35th anniversary of Mario by the way, there have been many versions that have come out in the game that has been enhanced with the changing technology to engross its target audience, which is just about everyone and anyone irrespective of the age group. For best information on this, you can find more at Unplugged Gaming website. In lieu of the best game of all time, we bring to you the 15 most hidden epic facts about your childhood’s (and adulthood’s) most addictivegaming friend. Super Mario. Oh and whilst I remember, please comment your favourite game genie code for any NES game and you may be featured in one of our future videos. And whilst you are at it smack a big fat like on this, subscribe with notifications on and with that said on with the list!
The debut- The character of Mario first made its debut in the 1981 Arcade game Donkey Kong and was named Mr. Video, which was later changed to the more popularly known Jumpman. It was a side character that later made its appearance in its very own game. Also, it was a carpenter in that game and not a plumber. So take that memes, or something.
The Look- The character’s clothes and look is in such a way because of the limitations in the original graphics. Mario is wearing a hat because, at that time, there was a limitation on drawing the hair of a character that was challenging. Also, the figure wears dungarees or overalls so that his arm movements are more clear, and gamers can enjoy the game more concisely. Who would have thought that these limitations would lead to such an iconic hat and moustache back then!
His love for ladies- Mario has always been associated as a character who saves his lady love. His infamous Princess Peach in the Mario series is a well-known damsel in distress who is saved by him. You may not know though that in the original Donkey Kong also, with his alias Jumpman, is on a mission to save his love Pauline from the clutches of Donkey Kong, who traps her. Princess Toadstool has some competition and SJW’s are going crazy at the same time.
Mario is a villain- You wouldn’t think that Mario is a villain, but yes, it’s true. In the first of the Donkey Kong games, Mario actually had Donkey Kong as his pet and imprisoned the poor animal. That is why, as an act of vengeance, Donkey Kong captures Jumpan’s girlfriend. It is also rumoured that the original Donkey Kong in these games has become Kranky Kong in the DK series, so that’s some pretty sweet cannon right there.
Relationship with Optimus Prime- Mario had a relationship with the famous Transformer Optimus Prime. Strange right? But, as crazy as it sounds, back in 1983, Mario was voiced by a man named Peter Cullen, who was also the voice of the original Transformers Optimus Prime in the 80s and the same franchise’s movie that was released much later in 2007. As we all know now though, Mario and many of his friends is voiced by Charles Martinet, who apart from sounding awesome is a down right good guy!
Depiction of Japan- There is a level in Super Mario Bros 3 that some people argue is a replica of Japan. The island that is depicted in the game is almost identical to the shape and the placement of the country on the map. It even features as castle right where Kyoto is located, the headquarters of Nintendo! There is also a world shaped like a Koopa Troopa and even a world dedicated to pipes! Pretty neat! You will never see Super Mario Bros. 3 maps the same again!
Mushroom City- When you buy a game, you tend to go straight away to your console and play with it. But we never really read the story behind the game. In Mario’s 1985 debut case it is said that the evil Koopa had turned all of the innocent citizens of the mushroom city into blocks in the game. And our hero Mario is punching all the blocks to earn power ups and points, strange, right? Or something more sinister is behind the block punching! Like, why would you get points for eliminating poor transformed Mushroom Kingians. Why Miyamoto, why!?
The controversy around America’s release date- A release date of a game is one of the most crucial and probably recorded thing in history when it comes to video games. But, it has actually been a thing of controversy for more than 30 long years in the case of Mario Bros. 1. The release date in Japan is still clearly documented in the past. However, until today the Americans are still in doubt whether the game was released in 1985 or 1986. A few sources cite it to be released on October 18, 1985, and others mentioned it to be in October 1986. How did that get lost in history? Surely someone has an order form or something. Who is keeping the books at Nintendo?
Career changes- We know Mario as a carpenter and a plumber. But in a few other series, Mario has had significant changes in his career like a physician, an archaeologist, a kart racer, golfer, and even a successful toy manufacturer. He sure is living every person’s dream to do everything in one lifetime. I even found a picture of him from an old Manga that has him with a gun, so maybe he was a even a professional hit man at one stage or something. Maybe someone in the comments has some insights?
Mario Day– People are so fixated on their favorite gaming character that they have dedicated an entire day to celebrate the game’s character. March 10 is the official Mario Day celebrated all around the world. This particular day was selected as when the date is abbreviated, it comes down to Mar10, so the obvious decision was taken to make an official day of Mario.
Cameos- Mario is a star in the video game world and what a star he is! If he makes cameos in other video games, then they are supposed to be a hit, or so the theory goes. Also, with Mario’s popularity, gamers tend to buy other video games in which Mario makes a brief but crucial appearance. The strangest of his appearances is probably in Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 where in a mission you’ll find a fictional GameStation console with a book titled “Italian Plumber Princess Rescue” next to it inside. Weird. Mario, along with other favourite characters like Luigi and Yoshi have made appearances in Legends of Zelda and Metal Gear Solid and various other games.
The anagram game name- Nintendo sure used their previous game ideas to create one of the most successful games of Mario. They took this even further in the game Pikman, which was also created by Shigeru Miyamoto, has a character in the game called Captain Olimar, which is spelled as O-Ri-Ma in Japanese. And look at the geniuses of Nintendo creators, they used this anagram of Mario to come up with the name of the good old Captain. This is called the perfect reuse of the existing resources and maybe some subliminal messaging or something.
The savior– Before Mario was introduced, it was believed that the video game industry was going to collapse. There was no new game that people preferred or went crazy for and things were looking grim for the industry. With the introduction of the NES and the Mario series, Nintendo created a new wave across the world for video game fanatics. Just imagine, of Mario wasn’t introduced at the right time, the whole video game industry would have possibly gone into extinction, and as we know today, the gaming industry certainly wouldn’t have been the same.
The inspiration- It is said that Mario inspired the Sega classic Sonic the Hedgehog game franchise. Though as soon as Sonic was introduced, there was an instant rivalry between the two games and their creators. It was Mario Vs Sonic fever in the 90’s man, it was tough! However, Sonic’s creator Yuji Naka accepts that Sonic was inspired by Super Mario Bros first level. Interestingly, Mario still has the same position in the gaming world as it had almost thirty years ago, and no game could beat it. No matter how fast you can run.
Addictive Mushrooms- The mushrooms in the game do look a bit weird, right? It’s because the producer of Mario, Miyamoto, admits that certain types of wild mushrooms inspire them that if taken makes a person see things big or small. So, were the creators of Mario trying to force the gamers into taking addictive psychedelic substances like mushrooms? Or is Mario, a drug addict who on certain psychedelic drugs can operate more clearly and find his way out to his Princess to be saved? We may never know, but damn I could use a mushroom right about now.
Anyway that’s it for today friends! I really hope you enjoyed these crazy facts about Super Mario and his Biography! As always if you did then be sure to smash a big fat like on this video, share it with your friends, subscribe with notifications on and please do make a comment as I love reading them! And with that I will catch you soon!
