Mario

Mario is a fictional character created by Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. He is the principal character of the Mario franchise, a recurring figure in Donkey Kong, and one of Nintendo's most recognizable mascots. The character is generally depicted as an Italian-American plumber who lives in or around the Mushroom Kingdom with his younger twin brother, Luigi. His stories commonly center on adventures involving Princess Peach, Bowser, and a broad supporting cast that includes Toad, Yoshi, Princess Daisy, Wario, Waluigi, and Donkey Kong. Mario first appeared in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong. Miyamoto had initially hoped to use licensed Popeye characters, but Nintendo could not secure the rights at the time. He therefore designed an original player character whose appearance was shaped by the technical limits of arcade graphics. A large nose and mustache made the face legible with very few pixels, while a cap avoided the need to animate hair. Contrasting shirt and overall colors helped players distinguish the character's movements. The character was initially known by informal names including Jumpman and Mr. Video. The name Mario became associated with him during the American localization of Donkey Kong and is widely linked to Mario Segale, a landlord connected with Nintendo of America. The character returned in Mario Bros. in 1983, where his occupation shifted from carpenter to plumber to suit the game's sewer setting. Super Mario Bros., released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985, established the platform-game formula that made Mario an international cultural icon. Its side-scrolling worlds, power-ups, hidden areas, memorable enemies, and accessible controls became foundational elements of console game design. Subsequent mainline games continued to reinterpret those conventions through three-dimensional exploration, physics-based movement, cooperative play, and new power-up systems. Mario has also supported an unusually broad range of game genres. Spin-offs include the puzzle series Dr. Mario, kart racing in Mario Kart, role-playing games such as Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi, sports titles including Mario Tennis and Mario Golf, party games in the Mario Party series, and crossover appearances in Super Smash Bros. This variety has allowed Nintendo to use the character as a flexible platform for family entertainment rather than limiting him to a single profession or narrative identity. His personality is intentionally broad, cheerful, determined, and adaptable, enabling him to function as a hero, athlete, racer, doctor, referee, or participant in crossover worlds. Beyond games, Mario has appeared in animated television productions, merchandise, theme-park attractions, live-action film, and computer-animated film. The 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros. film was poorly received, but later adaptations expanded the character's reach. The Super Mario Bros. Movie, released in 2023, introduced the character to a new mass audience through animation. Mario's visual design is now strongly associated with a red cap bearing an M, a red shirt, blue overalls, white gloves, brown shoes, a mustache, and an exaggerated Italian-accented voice. Charles Martinet voiced Mario in games and related appearances from the early 1990s until 2023. Nintendo then appointed him as a Mario Ambassador and announced Kevin Afghani as the new voice actor, beginning with Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Mario remains an active Nintendo property and a major merchandising, licensing, software, and entertainment asset. The broader Mario franchise is widely regarded as the best-selling video-game franchise in history and has influenced generations of game characters, including Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog.

Mario was created by Shigeru Miyamoto during development of Donkey Kong, Nintendo's 1981 arcade game. Miyamoto originally wanted to use Popeye characters, but the required license was unavailable. He instead designed an unnamed human protagonist who had to be visually readable on limited arcade hardware. The character's mustache, prominent nose, cap, and contrasting clothing were practical responses to the small number of pixels available rather than elements of a fully developed biography. In early development and documentation, the character was referred to by several names. The English arcade instructions used Jumpman, while internal or informal descriptions included Ossan and Mr. Video. The name Mario became established during the preparation of Nintendo's American operations. The commonly repeated account connects the name with Mario Segale, a landlord associated with Nintendo of America. Accounts from people involved differ on the exact circumstances, but the association became part of the character's origin story. Mario appeared again in Mario Bros. in 1983. Because that game placed the characters in underground pipes and sewers, Nintendo described him as a plumber, replacing the carpenter framing associated with his construction-site debut. The game also introduced Luigi as his brother and established the cooperative and competitive relationship that would become central to the franchise. Super Mario Bros. arrived on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985 and transformed Mario from a popular arcade character into Nintendo's principal console mascot. The game established the Mushroom Kingdom, Princess Peach, Bowser, power-ups, platforming enemies, hidden routes, and a rescue-oriented adventure structure. Its commercial and cultural impact made Mario one of the defining figures of the video-game industry. Later two-dimensional entries expanded the formula, while Super Mario 64 in 1996 translated it into a three-dimensional environment and helped define movement and camera conventions for 3D platform games. Nintendo subsequently developed Mario as a broad entertainment platform. Mario Kart introduced kart racing and item-based competition; Mario Party turned the cast into a collection of party-game personalities; Dr. Mario used the character in a puzzle setting; and Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi adapted him to role-playing formats. Mario also became a recurring athlete in tennis, golf, baseball, soccer, and Olympic-themed games. His appearances in Super Smash Bros. placed him within Nintendo's wider crossover identity. The character's look became increasingly standardized as technology improved. The modern design generally uses a red cap with an M emblem, red shirt, blue overalls, gloves, brown shoes, blue eyes, brown hair, and a large mustache. Nevertheless, Mario's profession and personality remain flexible. Nintendo has depicted him as a doctor, racer, athlete, adventurer, and participant in fantastical settings. This flexibility has allowed the brand to address different genres and audiences without requiring a fixed continuity. Voice became an important part of Mario's identity in the 1990s. Charles Martinet began voicing the character in game-related work and became especially associated with Super Mario 64 and subsequent releases. His friendly, energetic Italian-accented performance helped define Mario's modern personality. In 2023 Nintendo announced that Martinet would retire from the regular voice role and serve as a Mario Ambassador. Kevin Afghani subsequently voiced Mario in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Mario has been adapted into television, film, merchandise, and attractions. The 1993 live-action film was a notable commercial and critical disappointment, but Nintendo continued to develop the property across other media. The 2023 animated film demonstrated the character's continuing mainstream reach. Mario remains one of Nintendo's core intellectual properties, supported by new games, recurring spin-offs, consumer products, and location-based entertainment. His influence extends beyond Nintendo: the character is frequently described as one of the most famous figures in video-game history and has inspired numerous later game mascots.

• 2023

  Animated film and voice transition

  [1]Marioen.wikipedia.org

  The Super Mario Bros. Movie reached cinemas, while Nintendo announced Martinet's retirement from regular voice work and introduced Kevin Afghani in Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

• 1996

  Super Mario 64 moves the character into 3D

  [1]Marioen.wikipedia.org

  Super Mario 64 made Mario the lead of a landmark three-dimensional platform game.

• 1991

  Charles Martinet begins voicing Mario

  [1]Marioen.wikipedia.org

  Charles Martinet became the principal voice associated with Mario in games and related interactive appearances.

• 1985

  Super Mario Bros. launches the flagship platform series

  [1]Marioen.wikipedia.org

  Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System established the core Mushroom Kingdom platforming formula.

• 1983

  Mario Bros. establishes the plumber identity

  [1]Marioen.wikipedia.org

  Mario Bros. brought Mario and Luigi into a sewer-based action game and formalized Mario's plumber occupation.

• 1981

  Debut in Donkey Kong

  [1]Marioen.wikipedia.org

  The unnamed character later known as Mario first appeared as the player character in Nintendo's arcade game Donkey Kong.

A broadly accessible, family-oriented entertainment character and Nintendo mascot whose identity spans platform games, sports, racing, role-playing, party games, merchandise, film, and location-based entertainment.

• Platform video games · 1985

  Super Mario

  The flagship platform-game line follows Mario through side-scrolling and three-dimensional obstacle courses filled with enemies, power-ups, secrets, and boss encounters. It includes the original Super Mario Bros. series and later 3D entries such as Super Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Mario Odyssey.

• Racing video games · 1992

  Mario Kart

  Mario Kart combines accessible kart racing with Nintendo characters, imaginative courses, drifting, item attacks, and multiplayer competition. It extends Mario's identity from platforming hero to a flexible ensemble character and has become one of Nintendo's major recurring game lines.

• Puzzle video games · 1990

  Dr. Mario

  Dr. Mario places the character in a medical-themed puzzle setting. Players arrange falling capsules to eliminate viruses, adapting familiar Mario imagery to a pattern-matching format rather than an adventure or platforming structure.

• Party video games · 1998

  Mario Party

  Mario Party uses board-game progression, competitive minigames, and a large cast of Nintendo characters. The series emphasizes local and multiplayer interaction and presents Mario as the anchor of a social entertainment format.

• Role-playing video games · 2000

  Paper Mario

  Paper Mario combines role-playing mechanics, turn-based or timing-based combat, exploration, humor, and a deliberately paper-like visual style. It gives Mario a more developed supporting cast and narrative framework than the core platform games.

• Role-playing video games · 2003

  Mario & Luigi

  The Mario & Luigi series is a role-playing line centered on the brothers' cooperation. Its distinctive timing-based combat, comic dialogue, and emphasis on coordinated actions broadened the characterization of Mario and Luigi.

• 2023

  Transition to a new Mario voiceOther

  Background

  Charles Martinet had voiced Mario for more than three decades.

  Action taken

  Nintendo appointed Kevin Afghani as the new voice of Mario and gave Martinet an ambassadorial role.

  Aftermath

  Super Mario Bros. Wonder marked the public transition to Afghani's performance in the main game role.

  Source

• 1983

  Reframe Mario as a plumberStrategy

  Background

  Mario's second major appearance took place in underground pipes and sewer-like environments.

  Action taken

  Nintendo changed the character's occupational framing from carpenter to plumber for Mario Bros.

  Aftermath

  The plumber description became a durable part of Mario's public identity, even as later games gave him many other roles.

  Source

• 1981

  Create an original protagonist for Donkey KongStrategy

  Background

  Nintendo could not use the Popeye characters originally considered for the game, and Miyamoto needed a new protagonist that would read clearly on limited arcade hardware.

  Action taken

  Miyamoto designed an unnamed human character whose distinctive silhouette used a cap, mustache, large nose, and contrasting clothing.

  Aftermath

  The character became the foundation of Nintendo's most important mascot and entertainment franchise.

  Source

1. 1Marioen.wikipedia.org