Overview:

On Saturday, September 13, the original NES Super Mario Bros. game celebrated its 40th anniversary. Announcements were made about upcoming games and movies, but the Mario franchise has done much more than provide entertainment. Over four decades, Mario has shaped pop culture, influenced society, and become the face of the global gaming industry.

Do the Mario!

“Do the Mario!” was the closing theme of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show. This past Saturday, fans around the world celebrated the 40th anniversary of the original Super Mario Bros. NES release. Nintendo marked the occasion with announcements about new video games and films.

Beyond gaming, the Mario franchise has influenced pop culture, fashion, media, and even food. Its impact extends well beyond consoles and controllers.

Mario Origins

Donkey Kong (1981)
Mario debuted in arcades as “Jumpman” in Donkey Kong, created by Shigeru Miyamoto.
Mario Bros. (1983)
Mario returned in the Mario Bros. arcade game, joined by his twin brother Luigi. This title established them as plumbers working in the New York City sewers.
Super Mario Bros. (1985)
Released on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Super Mario Bros. revolutionized gaming. It introduced Princess Peach, Toad, and the villain Bowser while setting the standard for side-scrolling platformers.
New Characters Over Time
Later games expanded the Mario universe with Yoshi, Wario, Waluigi, and many others.

Mario Evolution

Over five decades, Mario has remained relevant as Nintendo released new systems:

Game Boy
SNES
N64
Game Boy Advance
GameCube
DS
Wii
3DS
Wii U
Switch

Nintendo recently announced that Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 will be released on the Switch in October 2025.

Mario in Media and Entertainment

Cartoons
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! aired in 1989, combining animated adventures with live-action skits starring Captain Lou Albano and Danny Wells.
Movies
The 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros. film, starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo, flopped at the box office but has since become a cult classic.
By contrast, The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) was a massive success, grossing $1.361 billion globally. A sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, is set to release on April 3, 2026.

Mario Merchandise

From T-shirts to board games, Mario merchandise has filled shelves for decades. Products include:

Apparel and hats
Kitchenware and clocks
Hot Wheels sets
Stationery and board games
Even themed ice cream and cereal

Cosplay and Cultural Influence

Mario cosplay has been popular for generations, from kids trick-or-treating as Mario or Luigi to fans dressing up at conventions worldwide. The franchise has become a cross-generational phenomenon.

Mario’s Impact on Gaming

According to International Business Times, Mario has become “the highest-selling video game franchise in the world,” with over 826 million copies sold by 2022—a number that has only grown since. Mario’s legacy shows how a single character from an arcade game became the face of modern gaming.

Mario Forever

From arcades to billion-dollar films, Mario has endured the test of time. Gen X and millennial gamers grew up with him, while Gen Z and beyond continue to embrace his adventures. With new games and films on the horizon, Mario is set to remain a cultural and gaming icon for decades to come.

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