Who created Mario?
Mario was created by Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto at Nintendo. He first appeared in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong, where he was called Jumpman.
In Donkey Kong, Mario was a carpenter trying to rescue a woman from a giant ape. Miyamoto gave him a cap because hair was hard to draw with so few pixels, and a mustache because it was easier to show than a mouth. His bright overalls made his arm movements easier to see.
The character was later named Mario, reportedly after Mario Segale, the landlord of Nintendo of America's warehouse. In 1983, he became a plumber in Mario Bros. with his brother Luigi. Super Mario Bros., released in 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, became one of the best-selling games of its era.
A gaming icon
Mario has since appeared in more than 200 games, including racing, sports and party games, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie in 2023 earned more than 1.3 billion dollars worldwide. Miyamoto also created The Legend of Zelda and Donkey Kong and is widely seen as one of the most influential game designers ever.
Did You Know?
March 10 is celebrated as Mario Day, or MAR10 Day, because the date written in short form looks like the name Mario.