How Super Mario has changed in the last 25 years

Super Mario, the world's favorite plumber - and perhaps world's favorite video game character - celebrated the 25th anniversary his debut title Super Mario Bros. yesterday.

Who knew 25 years ago, a simple Italian plumber in red overhauls created by Japanese video game producers would eventually manifest into one of the most well know characters in popular culture.

To celebrate this milestone, Nintendo has released a rather impressive video and website celebrating 25 years of its poster boy.

Lets take a look at how Mario has changed throughout the years.

1981
Donkey Kong

Super Mario was not always super, or even Mario for that matter. Mario made his first "unofficial" debut in the 1981 classic arcade game Donkey Kong. He didn't jump as high back then, and for whatever reason jumping on things didn't hurt as much after this arcade debut.


1985
Super Mario Bros.

Anything and everything relating to Super Mario originated from the classic Super Mario Bros. This is Super Mario in his original, purest and "pixeliest" form. If you listen closely enough, you should be able to hear the classic Super Mario Bros. overworld theme in your head with just a glance of the original Super Mario.


1988
Super Mario Bros. 2

Three years brought a lot of detail to Mario's new look. It's surprising how much more detail the Nintendo could squeeze out of a simple character model. This is the first glimpse of Mario as we know him today.



1990
Super Mario Bros. 3

Again Mario's look changes ever so slightly. In fact, the Super Mario we see in Super Mario Bros. 3 (arguably the best Super Mario title) is not as detailed as in his previous bout. The Mario we see in SMB3 is a bit of a hybrid between the classic Mario in Super Mario Bros. and SMB2.



1990
Super Mario World

A new console, a new Mario. The Italian plumber's first and only game on the Super Nintendo brought back a look similar his SMB2 visage. This is also the first time we see a few different shades in his clothing.



1996
Super Mario 64

After six long years, Mario finally rose again and this time in a new dimension. Super Mario 64 was the first time we could critique Mario on a low-polygonal level and it's quite noticeable now. It was sure great to finally see Mario run and jump in a 3D environment.




2002
Super Mario Sunshine

After another six years, we finally see the return of Mario with a little hardware this time. Mario's look stays rather consistent albeit in much more detail. I just wish Super Mario Sunshine was a little longer.






2007/2010
Super Mario Galaxy/Super Mario Galaxy 2

Lets speed ahead to the Mario we now know and love. He's not all that different from what we saw in Super Mario Sunshine - probably because the Wii isn't any more powerful graphically than the Nintendo GameCube. Nevertheless, Mario has matured a tad bit from the two-dimensional, pixel-filled hero of yore.

Happy 25th Mario!

New Super Mario Bros. Wii Review

9.0 out of 10

In all the gaming sphere there is and will never be any shortage on the number of nostalgic gamers longing for a chance to to re-kindle the glory days of everyone's favorite Italian plumber.

Finally, after nearly 20 years Super Mario has returned to a new two-dimensional adventure on a Nintendo home console in "New Super Mario Bros. Wii."

However, "New Super Mario Bros. Wii" feels less like an original title and more like 2006's "New Super Mario Bros." for the Nintendo DS on the Wii.

Certainly, Mario and Luigi return to their natural form in classic 2D side-scrolling action featuring levels reminiscent of "Super Mario Bros. 3" and "Super Mario World," but that same style was originally mimicked in the Nintendo DS version of the game.

The same visual palette, world map overview, and general feel of the DS is nearly identical to the new Wii iteration. Call this a bad thing? No way.

Fans of classic Super Mario festivities who do not own a Nintendo DS but have a Nintendo Wii in their household will delight in the nostalgic charm of the game.

Additionally, returning power-ups from the original series and DS installation are met with new surprises from a helicopter-propelled hat, ice "fire" balls, and a penguin suit each adding an new layer to gameplay - and a comical twist as well.

Most notably - however - is the multiplayer gameplay. Never in a 2D "Super Mario Bros." adventure have two (let alone four) players played at the same time creating chaos on the screen and adding a new level of cooperation and competitiveness to the series.

"New Super Mario Bros. Wii" may not win any awards for an amazing story, groundbreaking visuals, or revolutionary gameplay, but it does what it is supposed to do perfectly - revive exactly what made the "Super Mario Bros." series so successful classic, 2D gameplay.

Too bad the cruise down memory lane ends a little too abruptly. Here's hoping for future installations of the series and a revamp in other classic Nintendo series.

A Mario Marriage Proposal

One imaginative fellow decided he would surprise his video game loving - or at least video game playing - girlfriend by proposing to her while playing "Super Mario World."

Actually, the game sort of proposed to her.

He used the the program "Lunar Magic" to create new levels in "Super Mario World" by altering the ROM file and playing the game through an emulator.

The result?

"Will you marry me Lisa?" written in coins in one of the most geeky marriage proposals ever imagined. And she did indeed say yes.

Checkout the video below: