The Evolution of Super Mario

Super Mario Bros. is one of the most popular game franchises in the world. Since 1985, Nintendo has released games that influenced the world and captivated its players. Those games remain timeless as more and more additions are added to the collection of movies and soundtracks. With the New Super Mario Bros. movie in theatres, Mario has gained an extra boost in popularity that has reopened itself and its wonders to many an audience.  

The franchise is centered around an Italian plumber, Mario, who with his brother, Luigi, works to save Princess Peach who is frequently kidnapped by Bowser. Mario is often helped by Toad, a mushroom-like partner/ assistant in his journey. This has been the focus of many of the games in the Super Mario franchise, but Nintendo has also added more characters and spin-off games into their collection such as Luigi’s Mansion or any of the many Mario Kart games. Although Super Mario has been refurbished many times, it is still popular with multiple generations. Games since the late 1900s have captivated many and are fun to play when bored or during any free time. 

The First Super Mario game was released in 1985. Directed and produced by Shigeru Miyamoto, Super Mario Bros. was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System on September 13, 1986, and in arcades in January of the next year. Super Mario Bros 2 and 3 were released in 1988 followed by Super Mario Land and World the next two years. Both games got their own sequels in 1992 and 1995. No more major Mario games were published until the New Super Mario Bros game came to the Nintendo DS in early 2006. This was followed by Super Mario Galaxy in 2007. Super Mario Galaxy 2 came out in 2010 with Super Mario 3D Land coming out the next year. Super Mario Maker came out in 2015 followed by Super Mario Run and Odyssey the next two years. Super Mario Maker 2 came out in 2019 and Super Mario 3D World and Bowser’s Fury came out in 2021, being the latest games in the franchise. 

Super Mario Bros. is one of the most recognizable games of all time.  With reworks and spin-offs, keeping the games fresh and popular, Nintendo has been able to keep its best series afloat. Different additions to the franchise are in the works and if Nintendo continues to grow the series at its current rate, it is guaranteed to thrive for many years to come.