35 years ago today, on 13th September 1985, the original Super Mario Bros. launched for the Famicom in Japan. Nobody could have predicted just how successful Nintendo's main mascot would become, especially 35 years down the line, but here we are, looking at one of the most instantly recognisable faces in gaming and – arguably – the world.
Super Mario Bros. wasn't Mario's first gaming appearance, of course – he originally starred in 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong and 1983's Mario Bros. – but the launch of the classic NES hit is widely regarded to be the true start of his epic journey.
Since then, he's gone on to appear in well over 200 games and is still going strong today. Indeed, by our count, he'll have starred in 11 games on Switch by the end of the year – and the console's only been out for three-and-a-half years.
As you've no doubt seen already, Nintendo's going pretty big with the Mario 35th celebrations this year. A special Nintendo Direct marking the occasion revealed the heavily rumoured Super Mario 3D All-Stars (a compilation of three Mario classics), a new Mario Kart experience in Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, the gorgeous looking Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. system, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (which launches on Switch next year), and lots of other merch and in-game celebrations.
Whether you've played one or one hundred of his games, chances are that if you're reading this very site, Mario's likely had a relatively sizable impact on your life. For many of us, he was a childhood hero who has stayed with us ever since, and we here at Nintendo Life can say with absolute certainty that our lives wouldn't be the same without him.
Here's to the next 35 years, Mario. Now hurry up and star in a Super Mario Sunshine 2, would ya?
Comments 75
This is cool! I'm sure to pic up some of the great classic Mario games.
I bloody hate Mario.....only kidding! 😆
Been playing Mario games since I started gaming and can't see myself stopping. Just so many great games featuring Mario!
How time flies. My first experience with the original Super Mario Bros was with the SNES All-Stars (+World) version, but after having played the original I always did prefer the original if only because of the way they changed how brick block breaking works.
I do wonder where Mario will be 35 years from now! Will he still be one of gaming's most recognizable icons? Or will he have been completely sidelined by that point? Time will tell I suppose.
Either way I'll continue to enjoy Mario for years to come still! Happy 35th, you silly plumber!
Oh wow, my bday is tomorrow lol. Happy 35th, old man.
Somebody gets his pipe touched by Peach tonight.
Happy birthday Luigi! (You are not forgotten)
Do you think he’ll finally get that cake he’s been promised at the beginning of most his gameS this time?
Nope. The cake is a lie.
My birthday is tomorrow.
"For many of us, he was a childhood hero who has stayed with us ever since". For me too! Love you, Mario! Happy anniversary, Super Mario!
Happy Birthday Mario! You are around the age of the average Nintendo fanboy! (Also, Nintendo, can you please give us a good 2D platformed starring him that isn't New Super Mario Bros?)
SMB wasn't the first work to process a video game as a piece of interactive fiction, but it remains a watershed mark in changing the philosophy of the medium and the related industries towards the latter. Even despite its low-key narrative, it single-handedly mainstreamed the idea of a finite conceptual journey within a gradually unfolding story and universe as opposed to the arcade/home/handheld high score chases of the prior years.
Happy Birthday to the, as Crash put it, the Mustache Man!! I guess Crash was wrong and your days were not "numbered." I've been there since day one back in the 80's so I was this drink to you bud!!
Happy birthday Mario! First game I played was galaxy 2. Still one of my favorite games of all time
Today I learned that I share a birthday with Mario. Neat
I'm sorry, who is this Mario everyone is talking about?
One of my earliest and most disturbing childhood Mario memories was my parents buying me MARIO IS MISSING on the SNES for my birthday when I asked for Super Mario World (they thought because it was newer it would be better!) Worst birthday ever. Luckily they were able to exchange it the following day.
My first memory playing a Mario game was a port of the original Mario Bros on the ZX Spectrum, around 1987. My first experience of Mario on actual Nintendo hardware was Super Mario Land on the Game Boy. I’ve dipped in and out of various Mario games over the years and I’m currently enjoying playing the originals via All-Stars on NSO.
Good times and corking games!
But wait.. Wasn't Mario in the first Donkey Kong game which was released in 1981?
And also my first Mario game was Super Mario Land which I got from my parents on my very first GameBoy.
happy birthday for one of the most iconic and influential franchise of the world, Mario that you continues to bring engaging and funny games until the end of time, Super Mario Galaxy is my second favorite Mario game followed by Super Mario Odyssey.
@sanderev yep. For some reason Nintendo made the release of Super Mario Bros the moment of his “birth” that they celebrate. He was in at least 9 different games before that.
I remember standing in Boots (uk retailer) watching in awe the NES demo unit playing Mario and some other games. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it and just had to work out how to get my parents to buy me one!
Been a fan ever since and Mario 64 remains my favourite game of all time. Totally blew me away back in the day. Happy birthday mario!
Coincidentally, Mario and I share today's birthday. I have a few years on the guy though
Happy Bday Super Mario Bros! You were the first video game I ever purchased.
SMB was my fave game in the Nintendo Playchoice 10 machine at the local bowling alley arcade, and when I learned there was this thing called the NES where you could play SMB at HOME, l saved $$ like never before in my 12 years. A few months later Mom took me to a nearby Bradlee’s dept store, where I had enough to get the NES with SMB pack-in, plus a single controller, IIRC.
I’d played a lot of Atari and Colecovision to that point, but Mario (in DK and again in SMB) is mostly to blame for my lifelong love affair with home video games.
It’s nice to see Nintendo celebrate his anniversary with style — this is way better than his 25th!
@Audiobrainiac
Happy early birthday.
What year?
Mine is tomorrow as well. 1980
@Divinebovine happy birthday.
@Jimmy_G_Buckets happy birthday
@Kev_Morrison Happy birthday, Mr. Clean!
Yes amazing how time goes by. Started with SMB on the NES and was horrible at it but loved it at the same time. I really earned my gaming skills with Super Mario World and from then on I was off to the races. My best memory of Mario will always be all the mass hysteria and jaw dropping reactions to Mario 64. That will never be replicated again no matter how advanced gaming continues to grow.
@RustedHero I used to go to Toys R Us and play the demo unit of Mario 64 everyday until my parents surprised me with it at Christmas. That game put 3D on the map. Truly was jaw dropping. It’s amazing to see where gaming has gone because of Mario 64.
Happy 35th birthday you old *****. Wait until 40... everything hurts more
Happy 35th birthday! The celebration is this Friday's game: Super Mario 3D All-Stars!
I've pre-purchased Super Mario 3D All-Stars on the Eshop! I can't wait to play it!!!
And next year happens to be the 35th Anniversary of The Legend of Zelda. Just saying. Wonder what potential compilation(s) or all-new iterations Nintendo might bring to us in 2021?
@AlienigenX
Also came here to say Happy birthday to him. It’s a shame that even today, he’s still being left out. Happy birthday, Luigi!
I have older siblings and whenever we played SMB3, I was always player 2 (they preferred taking turns being Mario). Luigi instantly became my favourite. It’s a shame that he wasn’t a playable character in so many of Mario’s adventures.
I’ve preordered 3D All Stars, but it would have been nice if they made Luigi playable this time around.
@TG16_IS_BAE Same here, dude. Went to the local Target and would stand in groups watching/taking turns with random kids being blown away by Mario 64. We lucked out big time when Target happen to put out 2 extra 64 system units for sale they just received late. Convinced the mom we must strike while the iron's hot or we won't be able to get one till way after Christmas of that year. Once word got out we had N64 and Mario 64 our house was a revolving door for weeks (and months as more games released) of neighborhood kids, friends, friends of friends etc. just to catch a glimpse of Mario 64.
That experience will never be replicated again.
Imagine video games with no Mario! Super Mario world 2d perfection, and then what a leap to 3D in Mario 64. That jump won’t happen ever again, glad to have been there. Roll on 3D all stars x x x x x
@TG16_IS_BAE
I'm not bald...
? __?
Happy 35th Anniversary Red Luigi!
@Kev_Morrison
I think it’s the pose, the white t-shirt, and how most of your hair is cut off in your photo. I initially thought Mr. Clean, too.
Happy birthday to everyone's favourite plumber!
Since everyone sharing memories, my first time playing a mario game was super mario land and sml2 six golden coins
Gonna boot up the nes classic mini today and play some smb1-3
Happy birthday Mario! My very first experience with the portly plumber is a bit foggy; it was either with Super Mario World or the original Super Mario Bros. paired with Duck Hunt. Mario has in part sparked my love of gaming and helps keep it alive.
@Kev_Morrison I was half asleep and it was the white T-Shirt
@RustedHero Yep, unless something incredibly groundbreaking occurs again, which may not happen in our lifetime. Who knows!
I wonder what Mario games would look like 35 years from now.
HBD!!! Looking forward playing the 3D bundled games for the first time.
@Divinebovine me as well. Happy birthday to you!
Super Mario Bros: 35th Anniversary Blowout Celebrations Worldwide
Mario Bros: Am I a joke to you?
Mario got me into gaming with the original Donkey Kong. Super Mario Bros was my first console game on NES. Super Mario Land was my first Gameboy game. Super Mario World and Allstars were among my favorite SNES games. Mario 64 was my first 3D game and remains my all-time favorite game. Sunshine was my most played GameCube game. Mario Galaxy enticed me back to gaming after a two year hiatus. 3D World was my favorite Wii U game. Odyssey is my favorite Switch exclusive.
It's been a great run. I hope to be playing Mario for the next 35 years.
@sanderev Yep, so we can celebrate Mario's 40th next year
Super Mario Brothers 3 on NES was the first game I truly fell in love with. I play through it every few years to this day.
Gotta love the big M.
Since I was born baby my first 2d mario game was ds and my first 3d mario game was galaxy 2.
Mario's the reason why I'm a gamer in the first place! The very first time I played the first Super Mario Bros., it was via Super Mario All-Stars on the SNES and I was around 4 at that time. (Come to think of it, SMAS was likely the first game I ever played.)
Super Mario is by far my favorite video game series of all time, with masterpieces like Super Mario World, Super Mario Galaxy, and many others to name just a few. If it weren't for the creation of SMB, gaming just wouldn't be the same now, would it? Looking forward to Mario's next adventure, whenever that may be!
Happy 35th Anniversary, Super Mario Bros.! Keep on being awesome, Mario.
This cant last forever, the end will come eventually, the best most memorable video games just like mario will be long forgotten sadly in 300 years, enjoy mario and the great things we have now, it wont last forever, nothing does
@geni53yr7 Wow that just put a dark spin on the celebration. Nothing wrong with what you said (technically you're correct about nothing lasting) it just seemed way out of left field given what everyone else is saying in this comment thread. I hope all is well.
Now this date always made sense to me as Mario Day since it's the actual release date of Super Mario Bros, not March 10th as that has no significance to Mario or anything Nintendo that I could find.
I have so many great Mario memories from my childhood, like playing Super Mario World on the SNES or Super Mario Land on the Game Boy.
But my greatest Mario memory is from Christmas Eve in 1997, when my brother and I got a Nintendo 64 together with a copy of Super Mario 64. My 10 year old mind was blown over how amazing it looked, it was so cool that Mario was in three dimensions! Oh, and that game world... Just running around outside of princess Peach's castle, learning the controls, was exciting, and then you entered the first painting and... wow!
Awesome game, awesome times! On Friday I get to relive that period again. Incredible...
Happy birthday, Super Mario and thank you for all the memories, Nintendo!
@Yanina 3D World + Bowser's Fury doesn't release until February, though.
I remember Donkey Kong and Mario Bros. in the arcades, and they were cool, but never really got me super excited to go out of my way to play.
Then, when my best friend got an NES with the Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt combo, it was all over. I truly became not only a huge Mario fan, but that is when I became a gamer. No other game had quite that impact on me for a long time.
Happy Birthday M!!
I remember when my family had a Wii and we had Super Mario Galaxy for it! From what I remember that was my introduction to not just the Wii, but the Mario series as a whole! Happy 35th Anniversary yah pesky plumber!
I'll never forget stepping into Rogueport, getting mugged, and not reclaiming the coins. That was a great introduction to Mario's RPGs, just like Sunshine was a great introduction to 3D platforming.
Happy birthday! Renember playing mario kart and super mario 1-3 in my childhood. Fun times 😃
@Kev_Morrison thanks, to u as well! 1983 😎
happy birthday Mr Video Game
Happy Birthday Mario! I have so many great memories with The plumber He introduced me to games and I have played every main series game and loved all of them. and Mario will always be my favorite series
Hey all, let's not forget to wish Bowser a big Happy Birthday too. He's been a constant thorn in Mario's side since SMB (taking the odd break here and there) and shows no signs in slowing down any time soon. Of all gamings most recognisable nemesis', he surely ranks at the very top. So from me, Happy Birthday big fella, may you one day reclaim Princess Peach from the clutches of the nefarious plumber.
Not bragging or anything (O.K., kinda am) today I beat the original Super Mario Bros. for the first time! 😁
It's my birthday today! Happy anniversary Super Mario Bros.
In honor of the day I played a little SMB on NSO, 2-player with my 7year old. We made liberal use of the rewind feature 😅
Such a seminal game - it really takes me back. Now I can’t wait to try 3D All-Stars on Friday for even more nostalgia And then Siper Mario 35 in Oct 1! So much Mario Bros. goodness lately! The long quiet era of Wii U seems like a distant bad memory now.
Some of my earliest memories of playing games is playing Super Mario 64 on my grandmother’s 64...no one knows where the N64 came from or where it would one day disappear to.
Happy Birthday M. Miyamoto's creation!
Super Mario Sunshine 2 you say? I'd rather Super Mario Odyssey 2
I was playing Super Mario 3D World and Paper Mario. Wish this day lasted longer
So basically there's enough history now that they can pretend any year is a "big" anniversary.
I'm fine with that, if it means we get nice stuff.
I’m celebrating in the best way i can! I spent the last few weeks completing classic mario games and now I’m trying to 100% mario odyssey, that until 3d all stars comes out
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