Mario

Mario is one of the most recognizable video game characters in the world, serving as the mascot of the video game company Nintendo. Mario is a plumber who usually goes on adventures saving Princess Peach. He has a brother named Luigi. Mario was created by Shigeru Miyamoto, and was originally a carpenter called Jumpman. Mario has appeared in over 100 games since 1981's Donkey Kong. Mario is an extremely recognizable character, and at one point was more recognizable than Mickey Mouse.

Appearance

Mario is known for his famous red cap, blue overalls, and white gloves. He has a mustache and a rather large nose. In Super Smash Brothers Brawl (SSBB), he is given blue denim overalls, instead of his usual plain blue overalls.

Abilities

In most games he can jump particularly high, can grow to become Super Mario by eating (touching) mushrooms, obtain the ability to throw fireballs by grabbing flowers or become temporarily invincible by grabbing stars. In various games, including Super Mario Bros. 3, he can also fly by obtaining special items that vary from game to game.

History

Mario was created by Shigeru Miyamoto as one of his attempts to create a best-selling video game for Nintendo. Mario began as "Jumpman" in the video game Donkey Kong in 1981. He then appeared in Donkey Kong Jr. ,as the villain and Mario Bros. in 1983, which began Mario and Luigi's portrayal as Italian-American plumbers. Since then, Mario has then appeared in many other games for Nintendo consoles and handhelds. The first Mario console game was Mario Bros for the Atari and other consoles, followed by Super Mario Bros. for the NES.