It has been 35 years since Mario began his never-ending journey to save Princess Peach from Bowser, King of Koopas, travelling along green pipes and under skies of smiling clouds, collecting coins and stomping on Goombas along the way.
And though the pudgy Italian plumber became an international sensation with the release of the first Super Mario Bros on September 13, 1985, it wasn't actually the first time the moustachioed favourite was featured in a video game.
But he wasn't called Mario in his debut in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong, rather he was known as 'Jumpman' and he didn't have the sunny "Let's-a-go" personality we've come to know and love today.
Most of the plot around Donkey Kong revolved around the fact that Jumpman – who is a carpenter, rather than a plumber – mistreats his pet ape, who escapes and kidnaps his love interest, who at that point was only known as 'The Lady'. Yeah, I know.
Jumpman first became known as Mario in the 1982 sequel to Donkey Kong, known as Donkey Kong Jr. The game is the only one to have Mario portrayed as an antagonist, with twirled moustache ends and sideburns.
Mario got a mild makeover for the 1983 arcade game Mario Bros and was given a younger brother, Luigi. In the game, the two Italian-American plumbers fight to save New York City from creatures that have been emerging from the city's sewers.
The Mario we know today, with bushy moustache and the red overalls and cap, came into being with the 1985 release of Super Mario Bros. With the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) game came our first dive into Mushroom Kingdom and the beginning of the legendary rivalry between Mario and Bowser.
Since then Mario has come a long way from his sprite-animated beginnings. Check out the gallery for a deeper look on how the Mario games have evolved in the last 35 years.
