Today we’d like to show you the changes Mario has went through since his humble beginnings over 30 years ago. Over the last 30 years Mario has appeared in more than 200 video games and has been referenced in hundreds more Nintendo and non-Nintendo titles. Since those small beginnings, Mario has come a long way. ‘Jumpman’ had to jump over barrels that were being thrown by Donkey Kong in order to save a damsel in distress (which would later be called Princess). Mario’s character was called ‘Jumpman’ and he was a carpenter rather than a plumber. He made his first appearance in the 1981 pioneering Nintendo arcade game Donkey Kong. You may be surprised to know that he wasn’t a plumber, and his name wasn’t Mario either. Mario was not the main character in his first video game appearance. It’s rare to meet someone who has not heard of the Italian plumber named Mario, but those who don’t play video games often may be unaware of his humble beginnings. There aren’t many video game characters that are in the consciousness of the general public, however Mario certainly has made great strides in this area.
