Mario: A 3-Minute History of Nintendo’s Iconic Plumber Hero

Mr. Video Game

Mario made his debut appearance in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong, created by a young Miyamoto Shigeru, early in his career at Nintendo. In the game, Mario was portrayed as a carpenter battling Kong at a construction site. His signature action of jumping to dodge rolling barrels led to him being labeled “Jumpman.”

He was given the name “Mario” with the 1983 release of Mario Bros. Because many of the game’s stages were set underground, this time the character was made into a plumber. According to a well-known anecdote, the name was inspired by Mario Segale, an Italian American who owned the warehouse rented by Nintendo of America at the time.

Miyamoto reportedly referred to the character as “Mr. Video Game” even before his debut, intending to feature Mario in a wide range of titles, and later switched his profession as required. In games for the NES (known as the Famicom in Japan), he appeared as a referee in Tennis, a golfer in Golf, and a building demolition worker in Wrecking Crew.

Mario’s creator, Miyamoto Shigeru at an event on February 15, 2023, marking the opening of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood. (© Sthanlee B. Mirador/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect)

The 1985 release of Super Mario Bros cemented Mario’s popularity. Its side-scrolling stages packed with inventive gimmicks, along with athletic action centered on jumping and stomping enemies, became a record-breaking hit that reshaped the history of home video games. Many of the elements that would define the series were also introduced here, including the mushroom power-ups that make Mario bigger, and underground worlds connected by warp pipes.

As new hardware generations arrived, the series continued to expand its settings and genres. Yoshi, the dinosaur who carries Mario on his adventures, and his rival Wario both became fan favorites and went on to star in their own spin-off titles. Further offshoot series also emerged, such as Mario Kart and Mario Tennis, featuring a colorful cast of distinctive companions. Having grown into what Miyamoto described as a superstar who can handle both sports and comedy, Mario became the very face of Nintendo—truly “Mr. Video Game.”

Today, Mario is a pop culture icon, extending far beyond the boundaries of video games. In 2021, Super Nintendo World, an immersive area recreating the world of Mario, opened at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. The attraction helped propel USJ to the top spot among theme parks in Asia in terms of visitor numbers.

The 2023 Hollywood film The Super Mario Bros. Movie set a new global box-office record for a movie based on a video game. Miyamoto had long said that American players were already on his mind back in the days of Donkey Kong. Nintendo was closely involved from the film’s planning stage, and its massive success can be seen as the culmination of more than four decades of the company’s overseas strategy.

The 2023 theatrical release The Super Mario Bros. Movie became a massive hit. (© Illumination Entertainment/Entertainment Pictures/ZUMA Press Wire via Reuters Connect)

The red-capped plumber blasts into space in the 2026 sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, defying even gravity itself. Wherever his adventures lead next, he will no doubt continue to carry fans around the world on new and exciting journeys.

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Mario: A Short Timeline

1981  Makes his debut in the arcade game Donkey Kong

1983  Mario Bros. released in arcades; Luigi appears for the first time

1985  Super Mario Bros. released for the NES, becoming a record-breaking hit with 40.2 million copies sold; Bowser, Princess Peach, and Toad make their first appearances

1989  Super Mario Land released as a Game Boy launch title; Princess Daisy debuts

1990  Super Mario World released as a Super Famicom (Super NES) launch title; Yoshi appears for the first time

1992  Super Mario Kart released for the Super NES

1993  First live-action film adaptation produced in Hollywood, Super Mario Bros.

1996  Super Mario 64 released as a Nintendo 64 launch title, introducing the series’ first 3D action gameplay

2002  Super Mario Sunshine released for the GameCube; Bowser Jr. debuts

2006  New Super Mario Bros. released, marking a return to side-scrolling 2D gameplay and becoming the bestselling Nintendo DS title

2007  Super Mario Galaxy released for the Wii; Rosalina appears for the first time

2009  The Mario Kart series is recognized by Guinness World Records as the bestselling racing video game series ever (over 50 million units sold; updated to 188.1 million in 2025)

2012  New Super Mario Bros. U released as a Wii U launch title, becoming the first entry in the series to support high-definition graphics

2017  Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, a Nintendo Switch port of the 2014 Wii U title, is released and becomes the bestselling Mario game ever (70.6 million copies sold as of 2025)

2019  Smartphone app Mario Kart Tour released, surpassing an estimated 100 million downloads

2021  Super Nintendo World, a themed area featuring attractions based on Mario, including Super Mario Land, opens at Universal Studios Japan; additional openings follow at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2023 and Universal Epic Universe in Florida in 2025

2023  The 3DCG animated film The Super Mario Bros. Movie premieres and is certified by Guinness World Records as the highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time with box office of $1.4 billion

2023  Super Mario RPG, a 3D remake of the 1996 Super NES title, released for Nintendo Switch

2025  Mario Kart World released as a Nintendo Switch 2 launch title

2025  The Mario franchise is recognized by Guinness World Records as the bestselling video game series of all time (893.5 million units)

2026  Sequel to the 2023 animated film, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, premieres

Note that years in the timeline indicate the first release year worldwide. The NES (Famicom in Japan) and Super NES (Super Famicom) are generally listed with their English names, except to avoid confusion when a Japanese release came in an earlier year than overseas releases.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo: Mario and Luigi welcome visitors to Universal Studios Japan in Osaka on March 17, 2021. © Jiji.)