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The fictional character Mario is Nintendo mascot and has appeared in over 200 video games. In 1981, the Donkey Kong arcade game was the first to feature this mustached, Italian-American plumber, then a carpenter called “Jumpman.” He originally appeared only in platform games but is now featured in puzzle, racing, fighting, sports, and role-playing video games. Mario is considered the most famous character in the history of video games.
Mario games are the best-selling video game series ever, with over 210 million units sold. Aside from being found in platform games, this pudgy plumber appears in the Mario Kart racing series, sporting games like Mario Golf and Mario Tennis, and the Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario role-playing games. He can also be found in comics, film, television, and as branded merchandise.
Super Mario Bros. was one of the earliest Mario games developed for the Nintendo Entertainment System. In part 2 of this game, players had the option to choose between Mario and friends Toad, Princess Peach, or Luigi, each of whom had different abilities. Part 3 saw Mario as the primary protagonist, traveling through eight worlds to rescue Princess Peach and restore peace to the Mushroom World.
Throughout the late 1980s and the 1990s, Mario and his friends embarked on many adventures, encountering an alien in Super Mario Land and dinosaurs in Super Mario World. With the launch of Super Mario 64 in 1996, the famous character debuted in 3D. He went back into 2D for New Super Mario Bros. in 2006. Through all of the Super Mario games, Princess Peach has stood by his side, eventually providing him with a kiss in the 2006 game.
The most recent Mario games are designed for play on the Wii and Nintendo 3DS. Wii games released in the past two years featuring the portly plumber include Super Mario Galaxy 2, Mario Sports Mix, and Super Mario All-Stars 25th Anniversary Edition. Mario Kart 3DS, Super Mario, and Paper Mario 3DS are the recent releases for Nintendo 3DS. The Mario Kart franchise is the longest-running and most successful kart-racing game franchise.
Mario joined his friend Sonic the Hedgehog for Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games for Wii and Nintendo DS. He has also made appearances in non-Mario games, including serving as a referee in Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! When players are not enjoying Mario games on their consoles, they can find plenty of free Mario games online that place the famous character in multiple adventures.
