40 years of Mario: the most popular plumber

The video game was published four decades ago Super Mario Bros. and that players share games and adventures with the well-known character.

The Plumber's Origin

The well-known character first appeared in the arcade video game Donkey Kong in 1981The player's avatar at the time was known as Jumpman, and it wouldn't be until 1985 that it would take on more prominence and take on the name Mario. The game Super Mario Bros. For the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), it is considered the official birth of the plumber when it comes to counting years.

The evolution of the character

In its beginnings, Mario was a conglomeration of pixels, but He already had the mossy mustache and the capIt is worth noting that in his early designs, the colors of the shirt and the frog were interchanged. The leap to three dimensions that led to the Nintendo 64 console already defined a design that, broadly speaking, has remained intact to this day. The current representation of the character is very polished and includes many details, but maintains the essence and charisma that have made it iconic.

A story full of titles

During these 40 years more than 200 games have been published set in the universe of Super Mario Bros. Until 2025, the video game franchise has sold more than 950 million units worldwide, and is currently the best-selling of all time. Here we collect the most relevant titles that belong to its genre par excellence: the platforms.

The father of the icon

The creator of Mario is Shigeru Miyamoto (1952), a Japanese video game designer. His legacy is so important that he is often considered the father of the modern video gameAs a curious fact, he draws inspiration from his childhood adventures in a rural setting near the city of Kyoto to create the universes of his games.

He joined Nintendo in 1977, when it was still a toy company, and his first video game was the aforementioned one Donkey Kong (1981). Since then, he has created other franchises of the company, such as the well-known The Legend of Zelda, Pikmin either Star Fox, apart from mentoring other projects, such as Metroid either Pokémon.

Beyond the console

The franchise of the Super Mario Bros. It has grown so much that it has transcended the world of video games. In fact, it is the second most valuable franchise in the sector, only behind Pokémon.

• Television series
• Comics
• Anime
• Amusement parks

Within a Universal Studios park, such as Japan, you can visit Super Nintendo World and enjoy attractions based on the video game.

• Music
• Events
• Movies

Many people will be fresh off the heels of Super Mario Bros. The Movie (2023), but Mario first appeared on the big screen in live-action form a while back, in Super Mario Bros. (1993). A new film has recently been confirmed for April 2026.

Infographic on the role of the ARA Domingo