Nintendo and the Mario phenomenon

This year Nintendo is 125 years old. For the last 30 years Nintendo and its most famous character, Mario, have dominated the video game industry. Here is their story...

MARIO, THE STARn
Mario is the most famous video game character in the world. He has appeared in more than 200 different video games. He is so popular that a survey found that American children recognized Mario more than Mickey Mouse.

DONKEY KONG and the creation of Mario (1981)
Mario first appeared in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong, but he was called Jumpman. And he wasn't a plumber, he was a carpenter! It was a fun game where a man with a moustache had to jump over obstacles to save a princess. The game was Nintendo's first big video game success.

THE NINTENDO REVOLUTION (1985)
In 1985, the New Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) revolutionized video games. The console had new games like Super Mario Bros., where Mario had to run and jump through  a mushroom kingdom. Players could now control how high Mario jumped and how fast he ran. And there were different levels, so they could play the game for longer. It was voted the most important game in video game history.

GAME BOY AND THE DS (Game Boy - 1990; DS - 2000)
In the 1990s, Nintendo created a new concept, the Game Boy. Kids everywhere wanted to have one. This portable console was the first to have cartridges, so it could play many games, including Mario, Pokemon and Tetris, an addictive puzzle game. Then in the 2000s, a better version of the Game Boy was invented: the DS. It was the first portable console with dual screens.

THE FUTURE IS MARIO (2015)
Nintendo has big plans for Mario. Next year he will appear Mario Maker, a new game where players can customize elements and create their own levels. But why do we love Mario so much? Well, Mario games are fun and never violent. And after 30 years, he is still original. A fat little Italian-American plumber everybody knows and loves.

THE WII (2006)
In 2006, the Wii changed the video game experience. For the first time, the whole family could play together and have fun controlling the game with physical gestures. Sometimes people have accidents and break furniture when playing the game! The most popular Wii games are Wii Sports, l ike table tennis, canoeing, golf and bowling. This summer Mario Kart 8 was a best-selling game for Wii U.