The history of inventions is a fascinating one! It’s a fantastic deep dive into various items, concepts, and gadgets — both interesting and mundane — to uncover the rich history hidden beneath. The cool thing about the history of inventions is that no matter what concept or item you choose, there’s always a decent amount of history behind it. You can have fun by simply looking into the history of specific inventions, which makes this a mixture of entertainment and education: edutainment, if you will.
That said, today we’re going to go all out on the concept of fun and go for a particularly entertaining invention. Who here hasn’t heard of Super Mario? Whether it’s about the game or the character, just about everyone knows the name. Even angry parents would sometimes scold their kids by saying “Stop playing that Mario and go do your homework!”
Here’s a little look into the history of the character’s invention, along with an easy-to-understand timeline.
Who invented Super Mario?
The thing about the term Super Mario is it refers to both the first appearance of the character and the game. No matter which, the person responsible for the invention of the character is none other than Shigeru Miyamoto, the golden boy of Nintendo.
Super Mario’s key contributors (and evolution)
- Fusajiro YamauchiThe founder of Nintendo
To talk about the iconic Super Mario, we first have to talk about how the company of Nintendo came to be. Nintendo was founded on September 23, 1889. It was originally meant to sell hand-made playing cards, though it eventually started dabbling into electronics.
- Masayuki UemuraThe designer of the famous Family Computer System
Known in the US as the Nintendo Entertainment System, the person responsible for designing the Family Computer System is Masayuki Uemura. Also known as the Famicom, it was invented in 1983, which was then introduced to the US as the NES in 1985.
- Shigeru MiyamotoThe video game developer responsible for Super Mario
When you think about the most iconic franchises in Nintendo history, many of them are tied to a single person. Shigeru Miyamoto is known to be the brainchild behind the Super Mario character, where he was first released in Donkey Kong, and then Super Mario Bros. a few years later.
- Koji KondoThe composer responsible for the Mario Bros. soundtrack
When it comes to the Mario series — and the original game that started it all — its iconic soundtrack comes to mind. Koji Kondo is the composer behind Super Mario’s iconic theme. Most people know Mario’s theme even if they might not be too familiar with the character itself!
When was Super Mario invented?
As far as Super Mario the character, he was invented around 1981 by Shigeru Miyamoto for the arcade game Donkey Kong. While his name was Mario at the time, he would get the moniker Super Mario when his primary game was released in 1985.
A brief history of Super Mario
To talk about Super Mario is to talk about the history of mainstream video games, as it was Nintendo that started it all. Nintendo was founded on September 23, 1889. It was originally meant to sell hand-made playing cards, though it eventually started dabbling into electronics. For the most part, Nintendo was always a brand looking to provide entertainment. While it’s fair to say that there were games developed much earlier, it would be Nintendo’s stab at the gaming market that changed everything for the better and pushed gaming into the mainstream.
As far as the history of Mario goes, his first game was Donkey Kong, an arcade game released in 1981 by Shigeru Miyamoto, a talented dev working for Nintendo. As for the term Super Mario, that would be Mario’s moniker moving forward with his primary game series for the Family Computer System. Known in the US as the Nintendo Entertainment System, the person responsible for designing the Family Computer System was Masayuki Uemura. Also known as the Famicom, it was invented in 1983, which was then introduced to the US as the NES in 1985.
Keep in mind that this was during the North American video game crash, when a mind boggling number of gaming consoles flooded the market with low quality games. It would be Nintendo that pushes the gaming marketing out of the gutter by introducing the Nintendo Entertainment System and its breakout game, Super Mario Bros. The impact of the console on the gaming market cannot be understated, as it served as the kicking off point for true high-quality games in the 80s.
The gaming market went from being in danger of dying off to suddenly experiencing a renaissance, and it was Super Mario at the helm. Mario would continue to star in all sorts of Nintendo games, ranging from his series to different sports and party games.
The Super Mario timeline
- 1889The founding of Nintendo
To talk about the iconic Super Mario, we first have to talk about how the company of Nintendo came to be. Nintendo was founded on September 23, 1889. It was originally meant to sell hand-made playing cards, though it eventually started dabbling into electronics.
- 1981The introduction of Mario through Donkey Kong
In 1981, the hit arcade game Donkey Kong was released, and is considered to be the first appearance of the Mario character.
- 1983The creation of the Family Computer System
Known in the US as the Nintendo Entertainment System, the person responsible for designing the Family Computer System is Masayuki Uemura. Also known as the Famicom, it was invented in 1983, which was then introduced to the US as the NES in 1985.
- 1985The introduction of the NES
It’s amazing that right after the video game crash, it was immediately brought back to life by the introduction of the Nintendo Entertainment System. This is also the same year when the first Super Mario Bros. game was released.
- PresentSuper Mario continues to be a household name
Even so many years later, Mario continues to be a household name just about everywhere. At this point Mario has starred in countless games!
Where was Super Mario invented?
Super Mario was invented by Nintendo, a company located in Japan.
Why everyone loves Super Mario
- An absolute gaming icon
When you think about gaming, you think about Super Mario. Even many decades after his inception, Mario continues to be extremely popular, with Nintendo continuing to develop games featuring the titular character and his friends.
- A Japanese phenomenon
Did you know that in the years after Super Mario Bros. was introduced to Japan, they were able to make so much money that Nintendo practically revived the gaming market on their own? Japan caught Mario fever, and it spread all throughout the world. Super Mario was introduced to the US, and he was able to get the gaming market out of its sorry state in 1985.
- A laundry list of games
Super Mario has appeared in so many Nintendo games that it’s actually more difficult to look for Nintendo games that don’t have Mario in it! He tends to cameo in all sorts of gaming franchises, including golf and tennis!
- A gaming icon with a bright future
These days, Super Mario is more than just a household name, he’s an absolute icon. He’s transcended the video game sphere and made it to various types of popular media. With this pace, he’ll continue to have a bright future for many years to come!
Super Mario by the numbers
- 39,000,0000The Super Mario game series has sold more than 390 million copies. Mind you, that doesn’t include all the games featuring Mario!
- 776,000,000When you start to consider the games where Mario served as a cameo, the number of games sold balloon all the way to 776 million. It’s a mind boggling number no matter how you slice it!
- 200A rough equivalent of the games Mario has starred in. Let that number sink in for a little bit. Mario has appeared in over 200 games of varying genres. He really gets around!
- 40.2As far as the number of copies the original Mario game managed to sell, that number is around 40.2 million.
Five facts about Super Mario
- Mario’s first occupation
Did you know that Mario was originally a carpenter, not a plumber? They might seem like rather mundane occupations for a videogame mascot, but who are we to judge? Mario grew into an absolute phenomenon by simply being a carpenter/plumber!
- Mario’s original name
As far as the development of Mario goes, when he first appeared in Donkey Kong back in 1981, his original name was Jumpman. The reason he was called Jumpman is you would have to jump obstacles in the Donkey Kong game. His name was Jumpman during the Donkey Kong era, but when the game made its way to the States, he was eventually given the name Mario.
- The reasoning behind Mario’s name
If you thought that was all there was to the story, think again! When Nintendo US was thinking of a good name for the character, they were interrupted by their landlord, a fellow named Mario Segale. You can probably see where this is going, as soon after that, Jumpman was given the Mario name.
- The Mario game before Super Mario
Nope, we’re not talking about Donkey Kong! Before the release of the Super Mario Bros. game, there was a Mario game released in 1983 called Mario Bros. In this game, the brothers Mario and Luigi would try to rid New York’s sewer system of baddies!
- The origins of the Mushroom Kingdom
The Mushroom World/Kingdom is where the Mario games take place. Shigeru Miyamoto states he got the idea for Mushroom World/Kingdom from various enchanted foodstuffs. That said, there are some similarities with Alice in Wonderland.
FAQ about Super Mario
- Is Super Mario Bros. still a fun game today?
The short answer is yes. The long answer is yeeeees. Jokes aside, Super Mario Bros. continues to be a fantastic game. It’s clear that it was made by people who were truly passionate about their craft.
- How do I make sure my copy of Super Mario Bros. lasts?
If you have an original copy, first off, congrats! Second, you don’t have to do much to ensure your copy lasts. Those carts really are built to last! All you have to do is make sure it’s stored somewhere that doesn’t collect too much dust, and to clean it every now and then.
- What’s the very best Super Mario game to date?
If you want my opinion, I would say it’s a toss-up between Super Mario Bros. 3, and Mario 64. The former is pretty much the very best Mario game on the Famicom/NES, and Mario 64 is the pioneer of modern gaming.
- What other Nintendo franchises do you recommend?
If you’d like something a little more serious and dramatic, I’d recommend both the Metroid and Fire Emblem franchise. You can’t really go wrong with Nintendo IPs!