Mario is the most recognizable video game character in the world, and his popularity comes from the fantastic job that the developers at Nintendo have done when designing his games — which time and time again manage to become some of the best games of their generation.
For the longest time, many people thought that Mario was a middle-aged bald plumber; something that can be attributed to the awful
Super Mario Bros. movie released in the early 90s, although recently an image of Mario has resurfaced — which confirms he, at some point, was a middle-aged man.
As revealed by an official
Donkey Kong Coloring and Activity Book released in 1982, a year after the popular Arcade and NES Donkey Kong title became available, Mario was a middle-aged bald man sighing at the song Pauline, the original damsel in distress before Princess Peach even existed, was singing.
What's curious about this is that the idea of Pauline singing on stage is an idea that was not brought up until
Super Mario Odyssey, where Pauline sings a song in Mario's honor; who saved her from Donkey Kong in the original title of the same name.
Another interesting fact is that Mario, according to series creator Shigeru Miyamoto himself, is a lot younger than we think; with some speculating that Mario may not only not be a middle-aged man, but he's not even yet in his thirties.
Check it out:
Use amazing new abilities—like the power to capture and control objects, animals, and enemies—to collect Power Moons so you can power up the Odyssey airship and save Princess Peach from Bowser's wedding plans!
Super Mario Odyssey is currently available exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.