Twenty-five years ago today, Nintendo's original Super Mario Bros. video game made its debut in Japan and changed the world of video games forever. Since then, Mario has become one of the most renowned and beloved video game characters around the globe.
Mario is all but synonymous with Nintendo. It's difficult to think of one without thinking of the other. Super Mario Bros. contains a magical blend of characters, graphics, challenges, music and action that still captivates players today. The original game sold 40.24 million units worldwide, and remains one of the best-known, best-loved video games in the world. It popularized the side-scrolling format and established elements of the Mushroom Kingdom that are still used in today's Mario games. Super Mario Bros. frequently appears on lists of the best games of all time.
"Stimulated by advancements in technologies, we have always enjoyed developing the Super Mario Bros. series," said Nintendo designer and Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto. "The Super Mario Bros. series has always taken advantage of the latest technologies and is the fruit of the creativity of a number of my hard-working friends working as a team."
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., fans can visit mario25th.nintendo.com to see a special video that shows game-play footage from Super Mario Bros. all the way through Super Mario Galaxy 2.