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Mario is 30: 15 ways the plumber changed gaming
All the ways Nintendo’s star influenced the entire industry over three decades.
Mario is 30: 15 ways the plumber changed gaming
© Nintendo
This month marks the 30th birthday of arguably the most famous video game character of all time, and Nintendo is celebrating this momentous milestone with one of the most innovative Mario games ever made, Super Mario Maker. A toolset which essentially allows you to create your very own Mario platforming epic, this Wii U exclusive is one of Nintendo's biggest releases of 2015, but it's by no means the first time that the portly Italian plumber has shaken things up – not by far.
While gamers fondly remember games like Super Mario Bros. 3, Mario Kart and the plucky plumber’s jump into a new dimension with Super Mario 64, the Nintendo mascot has had a much bigger impact on the industry at large, changing our expectations on PlayStation and PC alike. With that in mind, here’s 15 ways he’s done just that. Let’s-a-go!
He proved that the everyman could be a hero Mario isn't Superman. He doesn't have a Batcave at home packed with cool gadgets. He's certainly no challenge to the likes of Tony Stark and his suit of Iron Man armour. He is, for all intents and purposes, an average guy who just happens to have been sucked into an otherworldly realm, where his plumbing skills come in handy when repeatedly rescuing kidnapped princesses. Since he blazed a trail, we've seen other "everyman" heroes appear in games such as Heavy Rain, The Last of Us and Dead Space – all titles with protagonists who, despite the extraordinary circumstances they find themselves in, are just ordinary people.
He made 2D platformers the genre of choice Before Mario came along, platform games certainly existed, but the genre itself wasn't quite as all-conquering. As soon as Super Mario Bros. hit the scene it changed the playing field entirely, and for the next decade the 2D platformer would become the game style of choice for pretty much any self-respecting player. Sonic, Donkey Kong Country, Zool, Superfrog, Gex, Alex Kidd, Bubsy the Bobcat, Mega Man… the list of platforming epics which followed Mario's lead is almost endless. History has repeated itself to a degree – when Nintendo launched New Super Mario Bros. on the DS, it triggered a 2D platforming revival which continues to this day, with Kickstarter allowing developers to produce a flood of new genre classics.
He showed that bygones could be bygones Before he became the Mario we know and love today, Nintendo's mascot was known as Jumpman. He was the plucky chap you controlled in the 1981 smash-hit Donkey Kong, arguably Nintendo's first video game success. Despite his fierce rivalry with the stubborn primate, Mario has allowed the years to mellow his outlook somewhat and these days is happy to rub shoulders with the ape he shared his debut with – despite the lingering animosity suggested by the Mario Vs. Donkey Kong series.
He made power-ups cool Super Mario Bros. was one of the first platformers to use power-up items to change the way the player character controlled, and those with long enough memories will no doubt recall how amazing it was to see Mario grow in size after picking up a mushroom. The fire flower was another highlight, bestowing the player with the ability to hurl fireballs at oncoming foes.
He created an entirely new way of dealing with enemies The idea of leaping onto the head of an enemy to kill them might seem commonplace these days, but Mario was the guy who originated this sure-fire slaying technique. It's a typically inspired piece of game design from Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto and one of the most iconic elements of the entire series. It's also been shamelessly ripped off by countless games since. Sega's Kid Chameleon, Sony's Jumping Flash and plenty of other titles have copied this feature, and it's so widely used that we almost take it for granted that it started in just one game: Super Mario.
He popularised the use of in-game secrets While Super Mario Bros. didn't create the idea of hidden secrets or Easter eggs in games, it was arguably the first to make them such a core part of the experience. The iconic Warp Zone would become part of Mario canon, and in Super Mario Bros. 3 the concept was taken to a whole new level, with a special item which allowed players to skip large portions of the game. Concealing such treasures in the game was a masterstroke, and made fans explore every nook and cranny to uncover every possible trick. Super Mario 64 arguably took this to an entirely new level, with the urge to collect every single Star bringing out obsessive tendencies in many players. Today, pretty much every video game you play has some kind of collecting element or hidden secret, and they all owe a debt to Mario.
He has a suit for every occasion When power-ups just won't get the job done, Mario is happy to slip into something more comfortable and gain new abilities. Super Mario Bros. 3 introduced Tanooki suit, while the more recent Super Mario 3D World gave the plumber the chance to be a cat. Purrrrrfect.
He changed 16-bit gaming foreverSonic's arrival in 1991 may have given Mario a serious rival to contend with for the first time and Sega's game might have looked prettier, but when it came down to pure gameplay Super Mario World on the SNES was the undisputed winner. Boasting a massive game world and more variety than most games managed across an entire series, it's one of the best games of all time – and amazingly, it was a launch title.
He got behind the wheel and created an entire genre The notion of mascots appearing in games outside of their chosen genre? Mario popularized that, too. Super Mario Kart is the title which kicked off this proud tradition, placing the denizens of the Mushroom Kingdom behind the wheels of small, nimble go-karts. This 16-bit classic established a series which is still going strong today, and remains supremely playable despite the inexorable passage of time. Meanwhile, rivals like Crash Bandicoot Racing and even Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing petered out years ago.
He gave Yoshi the spotlight The aforementioned Super Mario World is one of Nintendo's crowning achievements and following it up with a sequel was a tricky proposition. True to form, the rulebook was ripped up and erstwhile sidekick Yoshi was given centre stage in Yoshi's Island: Super Mario World 2. Mario was reduced to a minor role – he was a baby in this particular title, after all – but despite his tender years it was heartening to see him give up the limelight for a change. And that's not all – Mario has shared the stage with a whole cast of characters, such as Wario (Wario Land, WarioWare), Luigi (Luigi's Mansion), Peach (Super Princess Peach) and Toad (Captain Toad's Treasure Tracker). In terms of variety, few universes can match the Mushroom Kingdom.
He ushered in a new era of 3D gaming Many mascots of the 2D era failed to make the leap into the realm of 3D – many would argue that Sonic still hasn't been in a genuinely decent 3D offering – but Mario predictably took this awkward transition in his stride. Super Mario 64 – like so many of the character's previous offerings – is regarded as a solid-gold classic in the history of gaming, and Nintendo once again showed it understands what makes an enjoyable experience better than any other company. Just as Mario gave rise to true 2D platforming, he was responsible for the 3D platforming revolution as well.
He's a big fan of sports Mario's sporting talents aren't just restricted to the go-kart circuit – in the past few decades he has also played golf, tennis, football and pretty much every Olympic event you can name. Nintendo has spun-off Mario titles in a wide range of sporting arenas, using the character's famous face to draw in players who might normally avoid such releases. Sega, Ubisoft and others – even Angry Birds’ Rovio – have all followed suit.
He's not afraid to get in a scrapSuper Smash Bros. is one of Mario's more unusual offshoots, but it has become one of his most popular too, even the star attraction of the world’s premier fighting games and eSports tournaments. A fighting game with a chaotic feel that is now packed with famous video game faces – including Sonic, Mega Man and even Pac-Man – Smash Bros. started life with Mario very much at the forefront, hence the name.
He turned 3D platforming upside down Following Super Mario 64 wasn't an easy task and Nintendo's initial attempt – the misunderstood GameCube title Super Mario Sunshine – didn't quite have the same impact as its forerunner. However, Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 on the Wii didn't make the same mistake and took our hero into a new dimension with the power to leap between planets – each of which had its own gravitational pull. Another classic example of Nintendo defying convention and creating something truly astonishing.
He's given us the tools to make our own amazing experiences Super Mario Maker is the latest entry in the character's long and proud history and for the first time ever gives players the opportunity to craft their own levels and share them with others. It's the perfect showcase for the Wii U's GamePad controller – building stages with the touch-screen feels like second-nature – and is bursting with secrets to find and challenges to overcome. Most importantly, it feels fresh and exciting – not bad for a character who is now comfortably older than your average gamer. Here's to another 30 years.
