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back to article Nintendo hails Super Mario's silver anniversary

Super Mario Bros, Nintendo's renowned platform game,celebrates its 25th birthday today. The famous plumber, known for eating mushrooms and getting through countless pipes, came to life in 1983 with the popular arcade game Mario Bros. On September 13 1985, Nintendo took consumer gaming to new levels with Super Mario Bros for …

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  1. Vitani

    Am I the only one

    Am I the only one that thinks that this is *not* Mario's birthday at all?

    Surely he was in Super Mario Bros. in Japan before the US? And even before that there were the arcade games, Donkey Kong being his first appearance?

    Regardless though, happy birthday man, enjoy your "cake" from the princess.

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  2. DB2k
    Stop

    incorrect!

    Even on his wiki it says this is incorrect...

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario#1981.E2.80.931990

    Mario first appeared as "Jumpman" in 1981 game of Donkey Kong. Ok - he looked the same but had a different name so perhaps you could say that wasn't "Mario". But then he was in the 1982 arcade game Donkey Kong Jnr.. and was called Mario in that. So he's at least 26 and maybe 27. Well done Nintendo.

    Oh and El Reg, his name is Mario, not Super Mario. That would be silly.

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  3. Eponymous Cowherd

    Change of job, change of name.

    IIRC, "Mario" first appeared in "Donkey Kong" in 1981, but then he was known as "jumpman" and was a carpenter.

    In common with a lot of early 80's arcade games from Japan, the US and UK market didn't like the Japanese character names. While the in-game character was still "Jumpman", he often appeared as "Mario" on the cabinet art (supposedly named after the landlord of Nintendo's US offices, Mario Segale).

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  4. TeeCee Gold badge

    Mario.

    He'll always be the little bloke that jumps the barrels in the Donkey Kong arcade game to me.

    Since I remember playing that in the pub during, er, lunchtime while (not) at college he's been around a tad longer than 25 years IMHO.

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  5. JBH

    I expected Google to change their logo.

    I was disappointed that they didn't... the swines!

    Why not? They did it for Pacman! :(

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  6. Bill Fresher

    Andy Crane, Ed the Duck

    It's also the 25th Anniversary of the BBC Broom Cupboard.

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  7. Daniel B.
    Happy

    Waiting for a 1-UP doodle...

    Google fail! :(

    Though Donkey Kong did have Mario, called "Jumpman" back then. The first "real" Mario appearance is in the mostly forgotten "Mario Bros" game ... the one involving turtles getting turned upside down and a big POW thingy in the middle. "Super Mario Bros" is much more known because it was the first side-scroller; in this sense "Super Mario Bros" has a similar story to "Street Fighter 2" ... where few people remember, or even played the original Street Fighter.

    So yeah, for most people, Mario just turned 25. Those who played the obscure Mario Bros. will peg Mario's age at 27. :)

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  8. Christopher Martin
    Dead Vulture

    Why?

    I expect to see this kind of drivel on CNN, not on The Reg... Anniversaries of news are not news.

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    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Why?

      We disagree....

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  9. Byron Langslow
    Megaphone

    Mario Twins *warning flash content*

    http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/mario

    absolutely gold!

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