After all these years you’d think Mario would start showing his age! Originally planned as a minor recurring character, he was such a hit in the Donkey Kong games (where, as Jumpman, he played the hero in the first game and the villain in the sequel, Donkey Kong Junior), that he quickly became a star in his own right. He has now appeared in more than 200 video games and starred in a number of them. He’s become a flagship of the Nintendo brand, appearing in at least three games every year since 1985. In 2005 he was in as many as 19 games! Not all of those are Mario games, of course. In many cases, rather than starring, he’s one of many characters or even a supporting actor. Still, that’s a lot of work for the little plumber. He’s been rescuing ladies since 1981. In 1985 he graduated to rescuing princesses, which must have been even more exhausting.
Of course, princess-rescuing isn’t all that Mario does. While any list of the best Mario games will include quite a few platformers, Mario doesn’t limit himself. He started refereeing tennis way back in 1984, in the unsurprisingly named Tennis, and since then has gotten in on the action himself, playing quite a number of different sports games. In the sports world he’s best known as a star driver in the Mario Kart series, which has had a new version for every console since it premiered on Super Nintendo. Mario doesn’t limit himself, however, and while he’s still fond of driving, he’s played everything from soccer to tennis to golf. He’s even competed in both the summer and the winter Olympics!
As a well-rounded person Mario doesn’t limit himself to sports either. In Japan, he’s known to be quite an artist. He’s also done a stint as a doctor, and of course, he loves to party! This little guy has had quite a life over the past three decades and we can only imagine what is in store for him in the future.
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