The year is 1985. You just brought home Nintendo’s new video game, Super Mario Bros. You load the game, grab your controller, and start to play as Mario, a plucky plumber in a red hat and overalls. As you race through the levels, your goal is to rescue the kidnapped princess. Super Mario Bros. was one of the first story-driven video games—and it created a superstar.
Now, 40 years later, Mario is one of the most famous video game characters of all time. He stars in more than 200 games, a blockbuster movie, and four theme parks where you can visit Mario and his friends in their mushroom-filled world.
Nintendo released Super Mario Bros. in Japan on September 13, 1985, and it hit U.S. stores two months later. It was “one of the first games to have a goal outside of just being skillful,” says Frank Cifaldi, the founder of the Video Game History Foundation.
The year is 1985. You just brought home a new Nintendo video game. It’s called Super Mario Bros. You grab your controller and start to play. You are Mario, an adventurous plumber in a red hat and overalls. You race through the levels, trying to rescue a princess. Super Mario Bros. was one of the first video games with a story. Mario quickly became a star.
These days, Mario is one of the world’s most famous video game characters. He stars in more than 200 games and a popular movie. There are even theme parks where you can visit Mario and his friends.
Super Mario Bros. came out in Japan on September 13, 1985. It came to the U.S. two months later. It was “one of the first games to have a goal outside of just being skillful,” says Frank Cifaldi. He’s the founder of the Video Game History Foundation.