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MARIO DAY!
Happy Super Mario Day, everyone! Today we celebrate the beloved Italian plumber and his adventures in the Mushroom Kingdom. It’s hard to believe that Super Mario has been entertaining gamers for over three decades, but here we are, still jumping and stomping our way through each level.
In honor of Super Mario Day, we’ve compiled a list of fun facts about Nintendo and the Mario franchise that you might not know:
- Mario was originally known as Jumpman in his first appearance in the arcade game Donkey Kong.
- The iconic Super Mario Bros. theme song was composed by Koji Kondo, who also composed the music for other classic Nintendo games such as The Legend of Zelda and Star Fox.
- Mario’s creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, drew inspiration for the character from a love of Italian food and the belief that plumbing was a noble profession.
- Mario’s famous mustache was added because it made him easier to distinguish from his surroundings on early arcade machines.
- The first Super Mario Bros. game was released in Japan on September 13, 1985, and it quickly became a huge hit, leading to the creation of an entire franchise of Mario games.
- The Mario franchise has sold over 600 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling video game franchise of all time.
- Super Mario Bros. 3, released in 1990, is considered one of the greatest video games of all time. It introduced new power-ups like the Tanooki Suit and allowed players to explore multiple worlds with varied themes.
- In addition to video games, the Mario franchise has also spawned a TV show, movies, comics, and even a theme park.
- Mario has appeared in over 200 video games and has been featured in other Nintendo franchises such as Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros.
- Mario’s arch-nemesis, Bowser, was named after a Korean dish called “yakiniku,” which is similar to Japanese barbecue. The dish’s name is derived from the Korean word “bae,” which means “king,” and “sir” which means “meat.”
So there you have it, ten fun facts about Nintendo and the Mario franchise to celebrate Super Mario Day! Whether you’re a long-time fan or just discovering the magic of Mario for the first time, we hope you have a great time jumping, running, and stomping your way through the Mushroom Kingdom. Happy gaming!
