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Happy Birthday, Mario

How this iconic character changed the game

September 2025
By Jennifer Hackett

RoseStudio/Alamy Stock Vector (1985); Nintendo (All Other Images)

Mario in 1985 (left); Mario in 2025 (right)

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.

Video Games: Then and Now
See how video games have changed over the years.

Mario Kart World debuted alongside the Switch 2 this summer.

Games like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong were meant to be played until they got too hard and you lost. Super Mario Bros. was different. After braving 32 levels across 8 worlds, you face off against the final boss: the turtle monster King Koopa. You win the game by beating King Koopa and freeing Princess Toadstool. (Today they’re called Bowser and Princess Peach.)

Super Mario Bros. was a winning formula for Nintendo. Every new console—from 1985’s Nintendo Entertainment System to 2025’s Switch 2—has at least one game starring Mario. And Mario has more moves now! He races tricked-out cars on wacky tracks in Super Mario Kart, plays mini-games and earns stars in Mario Party, and more.

Games like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong were popular back then. They had unlimited levels that got harder and harder until you lost. Super Mario Bros. was different. After 32 levels, you faced off against a final enemy. Beating this turtle monster, King Koopa, helped you rescue Princess Toadstool. (Today those characters are called Bowser and Princess Peach.) Then you won the game!

Super Mario Bros. was a huge hit for Nintendo. To this day, every new Nintendo system comes with at least one Mario game. And Mario has more moves now! He races cars in Super Mario Kart. He plays mini-games in Mario Party. And that’s just the beginning.

Anyone can jump into Mario’s world, says Cifaldi—whether or not you already play video games. “You can hand any Super Mario game to a player as their first game, and it just works,” he says.

Whether you’re an avid gamer or have never touched a controller, Cifaldi believes anyone can jump into Mario’s world. “You can hand any Super Mario game to a player as their first game, and it
just works,” he says.


Mario’s world comes to life at Super Nintendo World in Orlando, Florida.

Solving Word Problems
View a math instructional video on solving word problems.

ANNOTATING WORD PROBLEMS

Annotating, or marking up, a word problem is one strategy you can use to help you interpret and solve word problems.

CIRCLE words that you do not recognize or understand.

HIGHLIGHT the question the word problem is asking.

UNDERLINE important details, such as numbers, symbols, or key words.

EXAMPLE

STEP 1

Read the word problem twice. Annotate the problem using the strategy above.

STEP 2

Use what you underlined to devise a solution strategy. To find the average number of illustrations Brown made per month, divide the total number of illustrations by the number of months.

5 + (700 ÷ 100) = ?
5 + 7 = 12

STEP 3

Restate the question in your answer.

The player has 12 lives in total.

ANNOTATING WORD PROBLEMS

Annotating, or marking up, a word problem is one strategy you can use to help you interpret and solve word problems.

CIRCLE words that you do not recognize or understand.

HIGHLIGHT the question the word problem is asking.

UNDERLINE important details, such as numbers, symbols, or key words.

EXAMPLE

STEP 1

Read the word problem twice. Annotate the problem using the strategy above.

STEP 2

Use what you underlined to devise a solution strategy. To find the average number of illustrations Brown made per month, divide the total number of illustrations by the number of months.

5 + (700 ÷ 100) = ?
5 + 7 = 12

STEP 3

Restate the question in your answer.

The player has 12 lives in total.

Annotate and solve word problems about Mario’s world! Record your work and answers on our answer sheet.

Annotate and solve word problems about Mario’s world! Record your work and answers on our answer sheet.

The 1985 Super Mario Bros. is one of the best-selling video games of all time. It sold 58,000,000 copies! Its price at launch was $24.99. If each copy of the game sold for that price, how much in total would it have earned?

The 1985 Super Mario Bros. is one of the best-selling video games of all time. It sold 58,000,000 copies! Its price at launch was $24.99. If each copy of the game sold for that price, how much in total would it have earned?

In a 2024 survey of 1,244 people in the U.S., 88% recognized Mario. How many is that? Round to the nearest person.

In a 2024 survey of 1,244 people in the U.S., 88% recognized Mario. How many is that? Round to the nearest person.

1981’s Donkey Kong arcade game had an early version of Mario called Jumpman. About 60,000 Donkey Kong arcade cabinets were sold in the U.S. in its first year. About how many arcade cabinets were sold per month?

1981’s Donkey Kong arcade game had an early version of Mario called Jumpman. About 60,000 Donkey Kong arcade cabinets were sold in the U.S. in its first year. About how many arcade cabinets were sold per month?

The first Mario was made up of pixels. The design for his small sprite had 44 tan pixels, 45 red pixels, and 54 brown-green pixels. What’s the ratio of brown-green to tan pixels used for Mario’s small sprite? Write your answer in simplest form.

The first Mario was made up of pixels. The design for his small sprite had 44 tan pixels, 45 red pixels, and 54 brown-green pixels. What’s the ratio of brown-green to tan pixels used for Mario’s small sprite? Write your answer in simplest form.

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