Why Do We Still Love Mario?

Without question, Mario is one of, if not the most famous video game character of all time and is as popular now as he was when he first jumped onto the scene in 1981. He is the face and mascot of one of the biggest video games companies in the world and a global icon. However, the sad truth is that if he was introduced to the world today as a brand new intellectual property he would be ignored and Nintendo would be ridiculed for creating such a preposterous character. When you think of modern day gaming icons the first who spring to mind are probably Lara Croft (from the Tomb Raider games), the Master Chief (from the Halo franchise) or Kratos (of God of War fame) who all share some similarities with each other but hardly any with the famous Nintendo mascot. Mario was definitely a product of the time and created out of the necessity for Nintendo to have a hit game with a unique character but while other video game characters experienced a similar level of fame and adoration, only Mario is as popular today as he was back in the old days. An overweight, Italian plumber who absorbs mushrooms to double in size isn’t how most people would describe their ideal hero or video game character but yet as his latest game “Super Mario Galaxy 2” demonstrates he still has massive selling power as over 300 people queued up to celebrate the midnight launch of “Super Mario Galaxy 2” and meet Charles Martinet, the voice of Mario. When you consider that Mario doesn’t actually speak very much apart from his signature “WHOO HOO!” this is quite an impressive feat. So why do we love Mario? What is it about him and the games he features in that gives him this everlasting popularity?

A character for all ages

In an attempt to create a hit new character and video game for Nintendo, legendary video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto created Mario. The idea was to create a character that he could feature in all of his video games, although this was likely only to be cameo roles since he did not expect Mario to become as popular as he has now become.

Mario definitely benefits from being born at the right time. Back in 1981 video games were much simpler and were aimed a lot more at children than they are today. Realism and immersion took a back seat to simple, addictive fun and fantastical worlds. Mario himself is a very inoffensive character. Although his design is mostly due to technical limitations of the time he has a very strong “Saturday morning cartoon show” vibe about him. A character that children can follow and parents don’t need to worry about inappropriate content.

As a character Mario does not look like a typical action hero. He never holds anything that one would describe as a weapon and he almost never speaks. Not many people would describe him as cute or adorable and he isn’t exactly hunky or manly. In fact he isn’t someone you would associate with the title of “hero of the Mushroom Kingdom” at all and this is exactly why many find him so charming; he’s ordinary and odd, if a little disproportionate. He’s an unlikely hero, a fairytale prince charming who journeys on an adventure to save the princess and does so with a giant spring in his step and a beaming smile. Young girls like him because he’s an amazing acrobat and kind of cute but not so cute that he would alienate the boys, and young boys like him because he can fly and shoot fireballs out of his hands. Adults like him because he’s a bit different and his games are just about having harmless fun.

Mario trivia: Mario’s name was originally “Mr Video” before being changed to “Jumpman” in the original Donkey Kong arcade game. After an argument with Nintendo of America’s then warehouse landlord Mario Segale over back rent Jumpman was then named Mario after the now infamous landlord.

Mario has never been in a bad game

Mario has appeared in over two hundred video games since his creation and excluding the educational games and games that were not developed by Nintendo, Mario has never featured in a bad game. At the very least all of these games are fun and all the games where Mario has starred as the central protagonist have all been the best in their respective genre. The “Super Mario” series in particular is renowned for being groundbreaking and pushing the boundaries of video game design.

There is a reason why Mario is one of the very few video game franchises from the often neglected 8-bit era of gaming who still consistently releases new games to this day. Even the mere announcement of a new Mario game is met with rabid excitement from fans across the globe. Nintendo is arguably the best first party video games developer in the world and considering that Mario is their mascot, it is pretty much guaranteed that any Mario game will be excellent. Very few video game companies can claim to own a property that oozes quality with just a name the same way Nintendo can with Mario games.

Mario Trivia: Due to graphical limitations of the time, Shigeru Miyamoto clothed Mario in red overalls and a blue shirt to contrast with the background. Mario also wears a cap so that Miyamoto didn’t have to draw or animate hair and he was given a large nose and moustache so that Mario looked more human and to avoid animating facial expressions.

The core “Super Mario” titles are master classes in design

Mario has appeared and starred in many video games in his time. However, it’s the original “Super Mario” series that garners the most praise. This is Mario’s flagship series and even though his other series’ are also fantastic, especially the Mario Kart and Paper Mario franchises, the Super Mario series will always be known as the core Mario games. From the original Super Mario Bros, to Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island to Super Mario 64, every single Super Mario game has been a must have title and often a benchmark in game design.

Nintendo’s design philosophy when it comes to making games has always been to provide and experience that transcends age, gender and culture. In Mario, Nintendo have a character that is both appealing to all ages and inoffensive to everyone and his games are based around a simple concept; use the limited number of moves at your disposal to get from A to B. Over the years Mario has gained a few moves and new power-ups but the controls are always so intuitive and have been balanced so that you will quickly become accustomed to using all the moves in his arsenal as if they were second nature. In short, controlling Mario is a dream, his movements are quick, responsive and accurate and some would argue they are perfect.

The story in a Super Mario title is paper thin and serves purely as an excuse for Mario to go through multiple environments to find and save Princess Peach. Herein lies the genius of the Super Mario games; you don’t play the game for the story, you play them for the experience, so in essence the journey of going through the levels and getting to the Princess is the true story. Each level is always radically different from the previous ones and you never know what you will encounter next or how the game will force you to use you skills and limited abilities to overcome the many obstacles. There is often more imagination and creativity in one Super Mario level than there is in many other full priced video games. The worlds are always so varied and full of wonder that merely traversing them becomes a joy in itself.

Mario Trivia: Super Mario Bros 2 is not actually a Super Mario game. It was originally released in Japan as the game “Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic” and the characters were changed to Mario characters in its Western release.

Gamers grow up with Mario

Whether you grew up in the 80s, 90s or 00s, if you played video games as a child, then one of your earliest memories playing games more than likely features the Italian plumber himself. Due to his family friendly presentation and highly prestigious reputation, Mario games are often bought and played by families first. They are perfect gateway games for newcomers with simple controls that typically only use three buttons and simple, yet challenging level design which keeps even young gamers engaged and entertained. As these children grow up, they’ll always remember the fun times they had with the Nintendo mascot and will continue to play his games thanks to nostalgia and Mario’s fantastic track record for excellent games.

The key to the games continued success lies in their superb execution. They may seem simple for young children to play but under the surface lays truly challenging game play for even the most hardened of gamers.  The core of most Mario games is often fairly straightforward so that anyone can play at reach the conclusion. However, the joy for many in a Mario game is in the discovery of new worlds and challenges, and the later stages in these games are by no means easy. Many require pinpoint jumping accuracy, impeccable timing and cat like reflexes to reach the goal. Many gamers will try and fail multiple times with no immediate success. These levels can be relentless but because the games controls are so tight, the levels are so well crafted and the design is always so brilliant, you can never blame the game for your failings because you know you failed due to your lack in skill. No matter your skill level or age, there is always more than enough content to satisfy any gamer.

Mario Trivia: Mario has a brother called Luigi and together they are the Mario Brothers. Since Mario is referred to as Mario, that implies that that is his first name and hence his full name is Mario Mario.

A Reminder of a Simpler Time

An interesting observation to note is that Mario has never been redesigned in his entire existence. The story for each of the Super Mario games has remained unchanged aside from the environments and while it’s true that features have been added to him such as the “M” on his cap, he has remained unchanged. In fact he is the only Nintendo character to have never been altered in any way. Mario maybe the face of Nintendo which no doubt had an influence on his consistent appearance but it’s also worth pointing out that he has no real sense of personality. He almost never speaks and only displays the simplest of emotions. This leaves him as a blank slate that gamers can project their own personalities onto, however, the problem here is that without a story or other characters to interact with, most gamers will find it hard to care about a moustached plumber.

The reason that Mario is devoid of personality is in fact to highlight one of the series’ other stars: the world and environments that Mario travels through. These levels are the true stars of these games and display the incredible level of artistry and inventiveness held by their creators. Mario is simply the tour guide and keeps the focus of his games on exploration and discovery, something that is lacking in a lot of video games these days.

Video games have become incredibly sophisticated over the years and now boast plots and characterisation that rivals many Hollywood movies. Then again, even though they may have not made the same quantum leaps that video games have, movies have also advanced in strides. In this regard Mario shares a lot in common with another worldwide icon: Mickey Mouse. Both are throwbacks to a time when entertainment wasn’t bogged down by complex narratives, believable dialog and technology. They serve as beacons to what entertainment in whatever form were and should always be about; creativity and unadulterated fun. Without the complex stories, children can get lost in the vibrant fantasy worlds while adults can regress to a child like state where everything was new and where your imagination is free to run wild. Pixar movies can also have this effect although their delivery is much different to a Mario game.

Mario Trivia: to make him an ordinary hard worker, Mario’s original profession was as a carpenter. This was changed to plumber when a colleague said to Miyamoto that he more resembled a plumber.

Something for Everyone

Mario’s success comes can be attributed to a number of factors, whether it be being at the right place at the right time, clever marketing or even his celebrity status. The fact remains that his success is built upon the strong foundations of persistently incredible video games. The name Mario is synonymous with quality and while many will frown upon the phrase “suitable for everyone,” the Mario games have consistently set the bar so high for games design that they really are for everyone; whether you’re a child lost in the magical worlds, an adult trying to unlock that secret level or an old timer who likes to relive imaginative games of yesteryear; everyone loves Mario. It’s true that there are other video game icons from Mario’s era that are still around, however none of them have earned the same level of respect and adoration from all gamers that Mario has. If the Mario games were not as good as they are, then there’s little doubt that he would have fallen by the wayside and been relegated to “child only” status and would be rejected by adult gamers. Mario has always been able to attain that Nintendo magic; that little spark in games that reminds us about the pure and awe inspiring fun that can be had only by playing video games and as it stands he will always continue to do so. There’s a reason why Mario has become the face of video games to many; he features in one of the best franchises of all time and has earned that title.

Mario Trivia: Mario games as a whole have sold more than 210 million units making the Mario series the bestselling video game series of all time.